Winter 2018-19
I’ve been a runner all my life and I’ve always loved pounding the pavement, or the trail, in all four seasons, even winter. The cold and rain — even a little snow — brings a vividness to my runs. I’m more focused on my surroundings — sidestepping puddles, trying not to slip, anticipating the next car that might drench me as it passes. I feel strong after I finish a run in bad weather, like I met Mother Nature on her turf and kept pace with her for a few miles.
But I admit that during the Snowmageddon that was winter two years ago, she beat me handily. When the snow began to fall after Thanksgiving, running through white flakes instead of pouring rain proved novel. As December wore on and the inches piled up, I slowed my pace and shortened my stride and layered appropriately. In January, as inches turned to feet and an ice storm added its frozen layer on top, I lost my running mojo. Somewhere mid-month, I ordered an elliptical trainer so I could work out inside. Instead of heading out into the winter wonderland that had become the Gorge, I’d head to the basement for what my family called my “fake runs.”
Alas, fake runs would never do for Gorge runner Cate Hotchkiss. As I was humbly ellipticizing in my basement, Cate was piling up real miles training for a spring marathon. Ironically, it was that winter when she learned to embrace the season, with everything it can throw at us. She details her story, and what it’s like to train through winter in the Gorge, beginning on page 50.
As part of this health-themed issue, we dive into the topic of regenerative medicine on page 38. Two doctors at Columbia Pain Management have brought the cutting edge field to their practice, where the minimally-invasive treatments — which use your own stem cells and growth factors to heal injured tissue — are helping patients find relief from the chronic pain of certain orthopedic and degenerative conditions. With clinics in Hood River, The Dalles and Portland, the practice is one of only a handful offering regenerative medicine in the Northwest.
We’re starting something new this issue on our back page called Your Gorge. It’s just what it seems: a photo taken by one of you. We know you’re as passionate about this place as we are. If you have an image of the Gorge that speaks to you, send it our way and it just may find its way into this space.
Finally, during this season of reflection, we’d like to say thank you to our many advertisers and contributors. Our advertisers support us — we wouldn’t exist without them — and we encourage you to support them. As for our many writers and photographers, we appreciate you sharing your talent and passion for telling Gorge stories with us. Thank you, all, for being part of this community endeavor. Have a safe and joyous winter!
—Janet Cook, Editor
