Lyle

Sella · Mon Aug 11, 08 2:11 pm

Forrest is still sugarcoating it.....I've attended CGKA meetings and the money and time to get Lyle on the railroads radar to even "think" about allowing access is HUGE and still an uncertainty.

Let's just say we organize and find $500k to do the studies and build the bridge but then where will everyone park???? Yesterday was a great example of parking problems for 50+ kiters, which is nothing, as the sport grows. Parking will nuke more commercial projects than the physical building will.

Best advice from this thread; Tread lightly, park correctly, buy local Lyle, speak up if you're a kiter and let's find a Lyle restaurant/bar to host a kite function so the city can help the RR understand the importance to no closure in a professional CGKA way. Best bet for Lyle is it will remain a boutique launch for years to come...hopefully if handled properly.

I think Rowena has more long-term potential IMO to scale and even that will not be easy to accomplish without $$$$ and effort. I'm in to help in anyway.

- Sidenote- PDXMonkey...you were LAUNCHING yesterday. Twisted Evil

Compared to Sat winds......Sunday at Lyle was quite choice.

Scriffler · Since 03 Jul 2005 581 Posts LYLE Addicted

Yeah, I only spotted three of those 54 kiters at the Tap Room supporting the local tavern. There is even free pool on Sundays. Very Happy

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

Access to Lyle can only be won if the community is on board (that's our only chance.) IMO the only reason its not already fenced off is its an amenity to Lyle right now. That's only 500 or so people, but that's still more than the CGKA membership.

I think Sella's idea of town hall style meeting at a local restaurant is a great one. I think what would be best if this event would be organized not for kiting specifically but for "recreational access to the Lyle sandbar."

Then you bring in fisherman, rock climbers, families, vacation home owners, etc.. Having access to a sandy beach is huge, even if you aren't a kiter.

Anyway, its all just talk for now, but please take the advice in this thread very seriously and help spread the word.

Spike · Since 13 May 2007 1414 Posts Alameda Spelling Expert

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

"Why are so few grade crossings protected by flashers or gates and flashers?
Although the railroads tend to dispute the findings, most studies seem to indicate that active protection (such as bells, flashing lights, and a metal arm descending to block the road) is much more effective than that provided exclusively by crossbucks (those railroad crossing signs in the shape of an "X"). This being the case, one might very well ask why more crossings are not protected by flashing lights or flashing lights and gates. The answer comes down to dollars and cents. The cost of a fully installed and operating set of flashing lights and crossing gates can run over $150,000, and that does not include the attendant annual maintenance costs. By comparison, a crossbuck can be installed for around $1,000 and, of course, the maintenance costs of a crossbuck installation are practically nil."

I found this on a Google search...

Wouldn't if be nice to have a Dougs Beach type crossing there?

Speaking of Google...lots of Google employees a few miles away and living in the new Lyle houses...they advertise "on line"...maybe they would want to advertise on a railroad "line"...Call the sandbar "Googleland" in the tradition of renaming things like stadiums for the sake of good will and marketing...let them put up a little billboard at the crossing..."Access the World, one 'Klick' at a Time"

Mark · Tue Aug 12, 08 7:35 am

There are some very good ideas floating around. If you want to help, please join the CGKA and attend the meetings. We are ALWAYS looking for help and ideas to make the Northwest a better place.

pdxmonkeyboy · Tue Aug 12, 08 8:16 am

Like many things in the glorious US it is also about liability. The RR has quite a bit of power over what goes on within its right of way. Some dumb cluck gets mowed over by a train... and here comes the lawsuit.

One thing that would be helpful is to know if the RR stacks trains up in that area. They always seem to be moving through there to me but I'm not there all that much. I do believe there is a siding in Bingen but don't quote me on that. Has anyone talked to the RR? Have the expressed what their concerns are?

forrest · Tue Aug 12, 08 8:26 am

No one has talked with the railroad. We decided they were the last people we should talk with as we didn't want to encourage them to close it.

There is also the issue of the Yakama Nation having incredible influence over decisions made on the water front land.

tstansbury · Since 06 Jun 2006 649 Posts Rowena and P.C Addicted

has anyone ever talked to anyone who was involved with cgwa when lyle got shut down to windsurfing.

forrest · Tue Aug 12, 08 9:24 am

We've met with the Executive Director of the CGWA (Katie Krafts) a few times now, though I've never specifically asked about this since I didn't know about this event. Though I am pretty sure the Windsurfers just laid low for a while and then the fence was eventually trampled by other users of the beach.

pdxmonkeyboy · Tue Aug 12, 08 10:29 am

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

tstansbury · Since 06 Jun 2006 649 Posts Rowena and P.C Addicted

No they used to have the windsurfing speed races at lyle and people used to windsurf down their then as I understand it was shut down by the railroad and the native americans. Then they moved the speed events to Bingen. I was just wondering if cgwa was involved with this.

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

Speedsailor · Since 20 Jul 2008 1 Posts New Member

Speed stopped at Lyle because the sandbar got washed away in the 1996 floods. It has only been over the last 5 years the sandbar has reformed and is back to its former glory. The speedsailors are back with gps units and laying down 43 knot runs! :shock:

boarderchick · Since 10 Aug 2007 196 Posts Wherever there's wind:-) Stoked

Forrest stated:

I would also like to explorer the area across from Doug's as there is a nice beach there, and it could use a clean-up (hobo meth-camp with lots of car batteries sitting in the water). I'm interested in seeing what the path is that these homeless people use to get to the beach that they're destroying.

I actually raised my hand at the last CGKA meeting I attended to be the Project Manager for that area. Due to the Gorge Games consumption of time, my being really sick, and then KB4C, I apologize that I have not had the time to chat with anyone yet. However, I am going to be getting on it right away.

I've kited up to that beach, and then also kited from that little beach Forrest is talking about. There was one tent there but no batteries or anything last summer/fall, so things have changed. We skiied to it, so I'm going to be exploring the different paths around there. There is a guy who is always riding his bike and then he jumps the guard rail, over the railroad tracks and down a path. That's pretty much what I did two years ago... You can walk a long distance against the rr tracks upwind, and then there are little paths around there to get to the water.

Anyhow, once I have an update, I'd be happy to post, but it would certainly need to go through the CGKA first as I'm doing via them...