Gorge Culture

More Than Skinnies & Singletrack: A History of Mountain Biking in Post Canyon
2025-01-15 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave., Hood River, OR, 97031, United States
Sense of Place presents Doug Thiesies -Hood River County Forester, Gary Paasch – mountain biker & trail-builder, and Arthur Babitz – County Commissioner and mountain biker

Gary Paasch, a native of the Hood River Valley, is deeply rooted in a love for the outdoors and anything on wheels. From constructing bike jumps in his backyard as a kid to evolving into a dedicated trail builder in Post Canyon, Gary’s passion for biking and trail-building has only grown stronger over the last 25 years. Through his work as founder and head coach of School of Send mountain bike camps, Gary is committed to sharing his expertise and enthusiasm with fellow biking enthusiasts of all levels. Gary also serves on the Hood River Area Trail Stewards (HRATS) Board. And in his role as a Trail Adopter and Builder, Gary has worked extensively on ten trails in Post Canyon, including the Extended Play trail and Family Man skills complex. Gary is committed to enhancing the biking experience for others, preserving and expanding current biking trails, and spreading the joy and camaraderie that biking has brought him throughout his life.
Arthur Babitz is a Commissioner with Hood River County as well as a commissioner on the new Bridge Authority. Professionally, Arthur worked as an electrical engineer and now consults in that field. Arthur is a regular volunteer at the History Museum of Hood River County, as a photo archivist, and manages the Historic Hood River blog. Arthur is a longtime mountain biker and has been involved with various mountain biking organizations including the Hood River Area Trail Stewards (HRATS), and 44 Trails.
Doug Thiesies is a certified Forester. Doug was primarily raised in the Northwest and obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree in Forest Management at Washington State University. His forestry experience began in 1988 with the US Forest Service working in Idaho and Washington. After 5 ½ years with the US Forest Service Doug began working for the Hood River County Forestry Department as a Forest Technician. In 1998 Doug began a 13 year stint with Oregon Department of Forestry as Stewardship Forester covering Hood River, Wasco and Sherman Counties where he gained a broad perspective of area land management across many ownerships. Since 2011 Doug has applied this experience as the Hood River County Forestry Director where he manages a 34,500 acre Tree Farm to provide sustainable revenue to fund County Public Services, a very popular multi-use trail system and Kingsley Campground. Doug lives with his wife Dixie in White Salmon, WA where they raised their two children. His interests include competitive sports, hunting and fishing.

Date: January 15, 2025 at 7 pm
Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031

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Of Salmon and Basketball: A Conversation with Buck Jones
2025-02-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave., Hood River, OR, 97031, United States
Sense of Place presents Buck Jones enrolled Cayuse member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and longtime staff of Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC)

Buck Jones is an enrolled Cayuse member of one of the bands of the Confederated Tribes of The Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). He is a multi-decade Columbia River Treaty Fisherman. Buck, who has been employed since 2004 for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), started as a Fisheries Technician and now serves as Salmon Marketing Specialist. He works on product development, classes on Cold Water and Boat Safety, and provides quality-handling classes for approximately 700 tribal fishers. Buck is Co-Chair of the Food Sovereignty subcommittee for the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and a board member of Gorge Grown Food Network, Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, Columbia Gorge Tourism Alliance, and One Community Health. Buck also serves on the Executive Committee of the Local Catch Network. Additionally, Buck is a nationally honored basketball player. From his youth into his 50s, Buck played in All-Indian Basketball Tournaments across the country. He was honored by the National Indian Athletic Association Hall of Fame, Hoopa All-Indian Tournament Hall of Fame, and Hall of Fame in the Pendleton Linebackers Club; winning many tournaments throughout Indian Country, including the All-Indian Nationals 4 times.

Date: February 12, 2025 at 7 pm
Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031

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Beyond the Scrub: New Attention on Oregon White Oaks and Why They Matter
2025-03-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave., Hood River, OR, 97031, United States
Sense of Place presents Lindsay Cornelius, East Cascades Oak Partnership Manager at the Columbia Land Trust
Oregon white oak trees seem abundant, almost weedy in the gorge. They are the least showy of our native hardwoods and often look as though they are falling apart. So why in 2020 did a diverse group of stakeholders, band together for a closer look at these native trees? Why are oaks being called a lifeboat? A safe-zone for species trying to survive the subtle (and not so subtle) changes that are accompanying our changing climate?And how might new efforts to conserve and restore oak woodlands in the Gorge impact our landscapes, people, and even economy? Join Lindsay Cornelius, Manager of the East Cascades Oak Partnership, to learn why oaks make such excellent neighbors in a place prone to drought, fires, heat, and wind. And explore how these sometimes decrepit-looking trees are actually supporting vibrant life – more so than any other tree species in the Gorge.

Date: March 12, 2025 at 7 pm
Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031
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Sense of Place Special Event: The Watershed Rock Opera
2025-04-01 - 2025-04-30
To celebrate 15 years of the Sense of Place series, Mt Adams Institute presents…

THE WATERSHED ROCK OPERA
A multimedia performance in 5 movements celebrating the Columbia River Gorge and its people. Featuring original music composed and performed by local musicians in accompaniment with original film, audio, and theatrical performances.
“THE GREATEST ROCK OPERA EVER PRODUCED ABOUT A WATERSHED*
IT’S LIKE A LOVE LETTER TO A PLACE, BUT WITH MORE PERCUSSION!”
And like all true love stories, there will be:
Passion, Tragedy, Humor, and Awe
Imagine a pear orchardist, ready for harvest when Mother Nature strikes!
Or high in the Cascade Mountains where a feisty scientist tracks mysterious creatures…
Even here, in our homes, schools, workplaces – there’s something mysterious, some might even say magical, happening right under our feet (and butts)…
And there, to witness it all, is our watershed. Come hear what it has to share.

Happening in Hood River, Oregon in April 2025

Your operatic guides: Sarah Fox – Producer, Molly Schwarz – Singer/Performer, Marcos A Galvez – Singer Performer, Erik Kaneda – Composer, Leila Kaneda – Musical Director/Musician, Lesley Tamura – Advisor/Movement 3, Jocelyn Akins – Advisor/Movement 2, Duncan Krummel – Contributor/Musical Composition, Joe Garoutte- A/V Tech Director

(*Wondering what a watershed is? No problem…try here for a quick explainer. For The Watershed Rock Opera, we’ll hear stories from watersheds on both the Oregon and Washington sides of the Columbia River. But the key here isn’t the exact location, but rather, to follow the course of water, moving through our watersheds, as a way to connect diverse perspectives from the Gorge. Just when we thought watersheds couldn’t get any more rad…)

When: April 2025
Location: Hood River, OR 97031

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