No wind necessary

Adrenaline junkies flood the Columbia River during the summer months with sails and kites in an attempt to master the wind.

Other visitors take advantage of the endless trails through the Gifford Pinchot and Mount Hood National Forests. Some sip their days away at the wineries and brewpubs throughout the town of Hood River.

What did I do? I went underground. Down into a dark, little hole with a helmet and a headlamp. That's right, I went spelunking. Why? Because it sounded scary and amazing. And because I had an experienced guide, which made the trip into the Earth seem a little bit safer.

Changing plans

When I was planning my trip to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, I intended to do the normal Gorge activities: river raft, tour wineries, windsurf and maybe kitesurf if I could muster up the courage. But when a rep at my hotel e-mailed me that she thought a local company might have started a cave tour, I immediately put those other plans on hold.

I contacted Zoller's Outdoor Odysseys and spoke with Mark Zoller, the exuberant owner of the river-rafting company. He had me signed up in minutes to raft down the White Salmon River.

I asked about the cave tour, and it was as if I had revealed the entrance of an exclusive club. He asked how I heard about it, as the tour isn't advertised and there's no mention of it on the Web site. This is the first summer the company is trying it out, and it's on a need-to-know basis.

Mark let me join a group and gave me a brief rundown of what to expect: Wear jeans and a sweatshirt for the cold and be ready to shimmy like a worm through a tube. There aren't many times when I hear those sweet words, so I jumped at the opportunity.

Going down

I arrived at Zoller's as the sun began to set. Our guide, Ben, said the tour is at night because the guides are busy during the day leading raft tours. But I'm convinced it's to add to the creepiness.

Our group of 14 loaded a bus, and about 20 minutes into the drive, Ben slammed on the brakes and calmly exclaimed, "Ah, here it is" -- "it" being a partially hidden, unmarked dirt road that led to the dark little hole we wanted.

Geared with helmets, headlamps and leather gloves, the group chattered excitedly as we walked through brush to the mouth of the cave. We took our last gulps of water and began our descent into ancient tubes formed by Mount Adams lava flows.

I've been through paved, lit tourist caves before -- and this was nothing like that. The temperature immediately dropped into the 40s and an eerie silence loomed. The faint blue lights of our LED headlamps offered only a few feet of sight and sparkled as water droplets fell into their path. As we stepped delicately over sharp lava rocks, the group warned each other of loose footing and joked about being attacked by albino monsters. But there was never any fear of continuing deeper into the darkness.

My one concern was that I would panic underground. There was a lot of murmuring of claustrophobia, but I found it was not an issue once I was in the cave. I was too focused on my footing to think about being afraid, and in too much wonderment at walls that twinkled in the dim light. Only when Ben talked about how to prevent a panic attack did people start to squirm. Otherwise, I never thought twice about it -- not even when we reached the Chamber.

Eyes wide shut

The goal of the tour was to make our way into the Chamber, a shallow alcove at the end of the main cave so named because it resembles a place for people to sleep. "What people?" I asked Ben. Apparently there are people who like to camp in caves. To get inside the Chamber, however, we had to lie on our backs and, one at a time, shimmy through an opening about 1 foot high. I had to ask again -- "What people?" -- as I crawled on my shoulder blades, wedged between rock and floor.

After some torn clothing and scuffed backsides, most of the group made it inside the tiny room. This was our chance to turn off our headlamps and sit in pitch-blackness. So we did. And then we quickly turned them back on and got out of there.

Info:

• Cost: $40 per person.
• Wear thick shoes, jeans and a sweatshirt to protect against the sharp rock.
• Don't bring anything with you. I had a small camera case that got in the way in the tighter passages.
• We spent 2.5 hours underground. We went through three caves with aboveground breaks in between.
• Call in advance. Zoller's has been testing the tour and doesn't have a set schedule, and the group size is limited to 15. If tours are not immediately available, ask to be put on a waiting list and notified of the next one. Zoller's Outdoor Odysseys, 800-366-2004.

Must-do: Whitewater rafting

The morning after caving I was back at Zoller's to experience the company's main attraction: a half-day rafting trip on the White Salmon River. I've been rafting before, and I was ready for something longer, faster and more exciting. The White Salmon River was perfect for that, and with my guide, Ryan, I had an amazing trip.

Ryan has a specialized rafting technique that he calls "animalizing." When I was called to animalize, I planted my knees at the front of the raft and leaned forward so my head hung over the edge. And then I waited. While my raft mates furiously paddled through the section known as the "Granny Snatcher," I ate cold, white water as my face took the brunt of the large rapids. I've never experienced anything more awesome.

Info:

• Cost: $65 per person for 1-11 guests, $60 for 12-17 guests, and $55 for 18 or more guests. The price includes a half-day trip with all necessary gear and about two hours of river time.
• Zoller's partners with several hotels in the Gorge to offer package deals. Go to zooraft.com, click on "The Local Area" and then on "Packages" for options.

Classic activity: Windsurfing

The Gorge is famous for windsurfing and, more recently, kitesurfing. I definitely was not ready to try kitesurfing. As I watched from the riverbank, it was obvious that it takes a level of skill I don't yet have. So I decided to take a windsurfing lesson.

Several windsurfing schools set up trailers at the Hood River event site. I decided to try Brian's Windsurfing and Kitesurfing, since it was closest to the water. Brian is a friendly coach of Jamaican descent who knew almost every person who walked by his site.

His school is smaller than most, and I received a lot of personal attention. I was drilled on wind angles and sail turns before I was even allowed to step on a windsurfing simulator -- a windsurfing board mounted onto a rotating platform.

I practiced adjusting the sail to move forward and backward and to turn against the wind, but it was pretty much in vain. The day I had chosen to take my lesson turned out to be a day with very little wind. Brian taught me as much as he could on land, but we never made it onto the water.

Info:

• Cost: Group lessons start at about $65 per person.
• Location: Beginners usually start at The Hook, in Hood River, which offers a safe, protected environment.
• Schools: Brian's Windsurfing and Kitesurfing; ABK BoardSports; Big Winds; Hood River WaterPlay.

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