I was told (tongue in cheek I later discovered) there is a peculiar animal in the Gorge called the adrenaline junkie. Healthline.com says adrenaline junkies are "people who enjoy intense and thrilling activities that generate an adrenaline rush". I came to discover adrenaline junkies come in all age and income ranges. I was in awe over their abilities, captivated by their daring, mesmerized by the seeming grace of their #sport.
The town of Hood River in the Columbia River Gorge is world famous for its wind conditions and large expanse of the Columbia River making it an ideal location for #windsurfing and #kiteboarding. These outdoor #recreation activities have grown into a significant economic driver for the Hood River economy and have become a Hood River subculture. Hotels, restaurants, vacation home rentals, equipment stores among other activities support the windsurfer and kiteboarder traveling into the area to recreate. On a sunny day with good wind, the river is a stunning spectacle of colorful sails billowing in the wind and people on boards scudding through the water at great speed yet delicately dancing in between and among each other in a panoramic ballet of sorts with some sailing out of the water and riding the air like dragonflies.
One day I stopped my #bike along a hard #trail at the bottom of an incline near an intersecting #trail that came down the mountainside. As I raised my water bottle to my lips, I heard this woman let out a loud self-congratulatory yelp. I jerked my head in time to see what appeared to be a scrawny but spry woman wearing a sports bra and shorts riff her mountain #bike in a short, sharp stop fresh off the trail. She pulled off her backwards facing ball cap and revealed a lush head of gray hair. I looked at her more closely. She had to be 70+ years of age. I was amazed at her athletic prowess. She looked so high from the endorphin rush.
Another day I was on a #hiking #trail on a plateau overlooking the Columbia River. The sight was breathtaking. Down below and to the right I saw a hang glider launch and gently soar into the air, all color and beauty against the backdrop of river, forest, and a majestic Mt Adams off in the distance. My heart thumped hard thinking what that must feel like. I watched for some time.
Every day brought new experiences to watch these adrenaline junkies. The 80-year-old woman, competitive #windsurfer. The barely out of diapers (or so it seemed) #snowboarding kids doing death defying flips. The #whitewater #rafters flipping into the cold waters of the Deschutes River for fun. The ultra-endurance cyclers devouring up the road and passing through town in the blink of an eye. #Bouldering enthusiasts scrambling over rock and crevice with nanny goat surefootedness. Powerful #hikers with deep lungs scaling inclines and gaining altitude with relative ease. Social groups of country #skiers one behind the other rhythmically snaking across the terrain with grace and camaraderie.
And so many of them captured the moment, the peak of the ultimate adrenaline rush in everlasting form with their GoPro cameras. And then posted them on #YouTube. Memorialized for eternity for legions of fans to adore, to follow, to imitate, to best.
The appeal of it all was alluring. I wanted to be part of it all. In my mind, the natural world so resplendent here could be my medium for completely immersive experiences.
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Next week. Recreation Gone Wild - Part 3 of 4 - A Deeper Dive into the Adrenaline Junkie
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