Spring 2026
Putting this magazine together is always a lively mix of challenge and delight, rigor and reward. It’s also fun when serendipitous connections arise between stories. In this issue, it happens more than once. Writer and long-time Hood River Crag Rats member Christopher Van Tilburg writes about the 100th anniversary of the mountain rescue organization — the oldest in North America — beginning on page 56. On page 64, you’ll find our piece on Brooke Baldwin and her Outbound Wellness collective. Baldwin hails from a multi-generation Hood River Valley family whose great-uncle was a founding member of the Crag Rats.
Two other stories share a connection through local photographer Linda Steider. She’s a member of the longest-running artists’ co-op in Hood River, Made in the Gorge, which we write about starting on page 16. As we were gathering photographs for a different story, about teacher-turned-author Ashley Erdely and her new wildflower book for kids, Ashley sent us some images from the book — taken by none other than Linda Steider.
The threads that weave through our community undoubtedly make it a vibrant collection of connections. It’s fun when they spill onto our pages, and I’m grateful to live among so many interesting people doing inspiring things. Speaking of inspiring, the Gorge Artists Open Studios Tour happens May 1-3. This year, five artists gave us early access to their studios for a glimpse into their creative spaces and the inner workings of their craft (page 32).
Creativity comes in many forms, as you’ll see by some of the other stories in this issue. Big Britches Productions takes it to the stage at the Bingen Theater where the company’s tenth year is in full swing. Joe and April Garoutte recently turned the company into a non-profit entity, and they have a full slate of plays, comedy nights and special presentations on tap (page 60).
Creativity comes to the wine glass courtesy of Bethany Kimmel’s talents making Gamay wines under her Color Collector label. With her minimal intervention ethos and passion for making wines that tell a story of place, Kimmel (who also owns Soča Wine Shop in White Salmon) is a Gorge winemaker on the rise (page 20).
A creative approach to gathering and reporting local news is what Uplift Local is pursuing. A non-profit launched in 2024, it works to augment local news coverage in the Gorge through participatory journalism — including training people to cover public meetings and exploring new ways for people to access information (page 12).
We hope you have as much fun perusing this issue as we had putting it together. Have a great spring!
— Janet Cook, editor
