New AOPA PILOT came in the mail today. There is a cool article in there about flying the Columbia River Gorge, and they visit a few of the small airports in the area. They tout it as a good VFR passage for crossing the Cascades when the weather comes down. Thoughts?

Been there, done that...on a trip to British Columbia in 2001.

I have made it out of western Washington several times in years past by making it to the Gorge to get past weather. A few times the wind has been really blowing which means hang onto your dental fillings so they don't get knocked loose.
However I have also dropped into the gorge thinking I had it made and hit a wall of fog clear to the ground. Had to drop into Troutdale and cool my heels till it cleared. There were also some powerlines to be aware of at that time. So sometimes an option if you are carefull, in my opinion but not fool proof. Brian

My plane is hangared at Troutdale airport and I learned to fly there in the 60's. TTD is located at the western jaws of the gorge and yes, it can be very windy there. That helps stir up the fog and clouds, so that TTD is often open when other valley airports are socked in. The gorge itself is a gift to aviators as it offers a near sea level pass to the usually clear interior as the Cascade mountains block much of the coastal weather.
The gorge route can be very choppy when windy, the drafts from side canyons are quite turbulent and can stir up a real tempest. The lucky paradox is that, when it is really windy, the wx usually clear and we don't need to fly the gorge. East winds are often 40 kts and higher, westerly winds are generally less. On low scuddy days in the Willamette valley we are often able to fly east in the gorge and transition to good VFR by the time we get to the basin just beyond Bonniville dam, near the Cascade Locks airport. On entering from the east near The Dalles, I make a go or no-go decision after passing the Hood River valley... the HR airport itself is several miles south of the Columbia river. If it looks bad towards TTD, I turn around near the Cascade Locks airport, the widest area of the gorge.
I strongly recommend that all pilots wanting to use the gorge in really marginal VFR conditions fly it first in good wx to familarize themselves. This is not a good place to use GPS... it is not a straight shot from the Dalles to TTD. Futhermore, I absolutely refuse to fly it at night, if the wx is good enought for night VFR, I climb in the valley before heading east. Having said all that, it is a beautiful scenic flight. Do enjoy!
Blue skies, Bob