Wine + Hiking = Wiking

Friends of the Gorge is offering two guided “wiking” trips, April 13 and 14, in the Columbia River Gorge as part of their Play & Stay series. 

This special weekend of walking, wine and wildflowers coincides with the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Passport Weekend, two days of tastings, discounts, food and music.

The “wiking” event kicks off Saturday at Orchard View Farms, where hikers will stroll among blooming cherry trees with orchardists Bob and Barbara Bailey. Guests will learn about sustainable orchard practices before ending the hike at Dry Hollow Vineyards for wine tasting. The hike is three to four miles with a 500-foot elevation gain. Saturday evening, guests can enjoy wine tasting by Aniche Cellars and Jacob Williams Winery at the Celilo Inn in The Dalles.  

Sunday, hikers will ramble amid the majestic cliffs of Catherine Creek in Lyle, Wash., where wildflowers drape the hillsides, and Dr. Alan Busacca of AlmaTerra Wines will be discussing the area’s geology. Afterward, guests will be treated to a wine tasting at one of the many wineries in the Lyle area. 

Luke Bradford, owner and winemaker of COR Cellars in Lyle, has been working with Friends of the Gorge to further develop the Play & Stay series, a part of the Gorge Towns to Trails project.  

“Friends of the Gorge and the Lyle community are working together to design and establish a network of trails connecting the town of Lyle to the Cherry Orchard Trail and hopefully further east toward Dallesport,” Bradford says. “Although still in the planning stages, these trails would provide extensive hiking and biking trails for Gorge residents and visitors to take advantage of the beautiful wildlands surrounding Lyle.”  

For more information on Play & Stay, including times and how to register, visit www.gorgefriends.org. For more about the Columbia Gorge Passport Weekend, visit www.columbiagorgewine.com.