I moved. Come see.

KillRamsey

Hall of Famer
Location
Hood River, OR
Name
Kyle
The move to Hood River Oregon is complete.

We moved about 3 weeks ago, I flew home for 2 weeks to finish the old job, and now I’ve started the new one. It’s incredible here. Yesterday (Sunday) we relaxed, took a bike ride up onto the Old Columbia Highway, a 100-year old highway that was too narrow to accept newer larger cars, and eventually was closed down to car traffic. In recent years it’s been opened to bikes and walking, so of course we had to see it.



Here are some shots I took on my first real day of shooting here. Little editing if any… no time.



Town is built up the side of the gorge, facing north at Washington State across the Columbia River.

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KBRX8315
by gordopuggy, on Flickr



Biking where Model Ts once puttered along…

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KBRX8369
by gordopuggy, on Flickr



When you see the twin tunnels, you quickly realize why they had to stop allowing modern cars. SO narrow and dangerous! But perfect for bikes. Their loss…

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KBRX8402
by gordopuggy, on Flickr

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KBRX8407
by gordopuggy, on Flickr



Stopped for a picnic, complete with some of the incredibly good cider they make around here. Whoa man.

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KBRX8412
by gordopuggy, on Flickr



Lotta speed coming back down the switchbacks.

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KBRX8474
by gordopuggy, on Flickr



What people do here, in droves:

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KBRX8517
by gordopuggy, on Flickr



The girls.

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KBRX8717
by gordopuggy, on Flickr



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KBRX8719
by gordopuggy, on Flickr
 
Your little one has seen more of this country in this one summer than most of her teachers will have seen in their lifetime. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
 
I work right at the river, with all the wind surfers...
Nice. I've also been meaning to ask how you carry your camera when cycling. Now that I'm working into doing more cycling and less hiking, I ordered a harness made by Op-Tech USA that fits around both shoulders and snaps onto both of the camera's split rings. Most of the time I plan to ride with just the X30. Part of my rig will also be a neoprene strap with a hole for the lens that goes around the body, holding the camera snugly against the torso, with a quick release for when the camera is needed. Although I have a small, lightweight sling bag, I'm thinking it would be a pain to try to ride with it.
 
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Two basic methods: "Out of the case on a strap around my torso" and "In a camera bag attached to the bike somewhere."

"Out of the case on a strap around my torso" = I prefer to use the Domke bag's wide cotton grippy strap as a camera strap for this. I can sling it around behind me, and it stays. I would caution against having the camera touching your body, believe it or not... you will sweat all into it. It needs to be able to hang a little off your body when it is around front. I get used to the slight swinging sensation as it goes back and forth.

"In a camera bag attached to the bike somewhere" = I attach either of the Domke bags I have (F5B and a smaller version I got from a friend for free) to the front handlebar with tarp bungees that go from the metal rings on the Domke. I loop them around the bar once, then in towards each other, and push the balls through each others' strap a few times. Easy to disconnect when you get somewhere, and you can re-link the bungees and use them as a strap to go inside a store, etc. This setup has a few advantages: Camera is off your sweaty body. Camera weight isn't swinging around on you, either. Camera isn't being hit by dust etc as you bike along. And if you did fall off, it probably wouldn't be falling with you. If you have the bag up front, you can open the zipper enough to reach in a shoot one-handed while you ride, then toss it back in on its side, all while still rolling along, steering and braking with your other hand. Disadvantage is that the camera isn't literally ON you, so if you're trying to get split second shots you have to dig it out first. I suspect that's an issue for me and not for you.

If we're just trundling along, not working hard, I like to have it on me. If we're working hard or going off-road, or if it's really hot out, I like to reach into the bag and grab it out with no strap on it, shoot with my right hand, and put it back in.
 
Two basic methods: "Out of the case on a strap around my torso" and "In a camera bag attached to the bike somewhere."<SNIP>
Thanks for all that. I did think of the sweat issue. I have a small Lowepro case that just fits around the camera. I'll see if the harness I ordered will fit that case. If that works, it will keep the camera out in front, insulated from my body, and easily accessible. Since biking and carrying a camera is new to me, my method may evolve over time . . . or I may hit on something I like right away. Who knows?
 
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I have always enjoyed your contributions to the forums and have taken delight in your family adventures.So I was thrilled to see you have moved to Oregon,the most progressive state!I live in San Diego but have a daughter and home in Astoria,Oregon which I visit every three weeks.We were just in Hood River for the first time a few days ago.A delightful small town in a beautiful setting,and full of fit people.We took a drive around the "fruit loop", at the base of Mt Hood and full of wonderful fruit stands and scenic views.So happy you have become Oregonians!If you come to the coast I have plenty of bedrooms and you are welcome!
 
Oh that's great news. I've actually never been to the Oregon coast, yet. So much to discover here. HR has been so different, so radically different in almost every way, that it's almost jarringly disorienting living here. On a Monday, I biked across Cambrudge Mass to go work in a biotech plant, as usual. On the next day, I walked into a food manufacturing company 3300 miles away, into this completely different life.

Let me know if you come back. First beer is on me.
 
Oregon is a feast of photo opportunites.Although I was forced to attempt landscape photography because there is just so much beach and forest and outdoors,Portland offers up a lot of street shooting as well.As a cyclist(I still relate even though a bad crash took me out of the game eight years ago)from SoCal where everyone rides the hottest road bikes,Portland is a wonder of vintage rides and characters riding them.Your beer offer is accepted and come to the coast and I'll show you my favorite beaches,one of which is Hug Point pictured above.It features a full blown waterfall onto the sand.
 
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Wow! Quite a change for you and your family, Kyle! Oregon is a beautiful as New England. I hope this chapter of your life together is everything you hope it will be... and more. Congratulations! Now, get to work. :)
 
Taken a hiatus from these forums lately and am surprised to read about your move to Hood River. I don't comment much on here, but had to say welcome and congratulations to the PNW! The Columbia River Gorge is one of my favorite places on Earth and have vacationed in Hood River many times. Would love to move there, or any one of a dozen places along there or elsewhere around the PNW, but it's just not an easy task for some. Enjoy and be sure to hit up the excellent local craft beer - pFriem, Double Mountain, and Logsdon are some of my favs on the Oregon side. On the Washington side, Backwoods and Walking Man further west of HR, as well as Everybody's Brewing across the river in White Salmon are some of our favorites.

 
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