Polar Plunge Parade: Bagpiper Gus Baer, center, leads plungers on a half mile walk from the Gorges Beer Company brewery on WaNaPa Street to the Marine Park beach for Cascade Locks’ annual New Year’s Day polar plunge into the Columbia River. Travis Preece, owner of Gorges Beer Company, started the event five years ago as a way to foster community.
Polar Plunge Parade: Bagpiper Gus Baer, center, leads plungers on a half mile walk from the Gorges Beer Company brewery on WaNaPa Street to the Marine Park beach for Cascade Locks’ annual New Year’s Day polar plunge into the Columbia River. Travis Preece, owner of Gorges Beer Company, started the event five years ago as a way to foster community.
Bagpiper Gus Baer, left, leads plungers along SW Portage Road as they head to the Columbia River.
People wait for the countdown as they line up to get ready to jump into the Columbia River as part of the annual New Year’s Day polar plunge in Cascade Locks.
Ash Mudra wore high heeled plastic shoes as part of her ensemble while taking part in the annual New Year’s Day polar plunge.
People line up prior to taking the plunge.
People of all ages took part in the jumping into the frigid water of the Columbia River as part of the annual New Year’s Day Polar Plunge.
People of all ages took part in the jumping into the frigid water of the Columbia River as part of the annual New Year’s Day Polar Plunge.
People of all ages took part in the jumping into the frigid water of the Columbia River as part of the annual New Year’s Day Polar Plunge.
People of all ages took part in the jumping into the frigid water of the Columbia River as part of the annual New Year’s Day Polar Plunge.
People of all ages took part in the jumping into the frigid water of the Columbia River as part of the annual New Year’s Day Polar Plunge.
Emberlyn Pearson, 2, center, warm her hands by the fire with her younger brother Oliver,1 and mom Chantel Cotten, right, after Chantel took part in the annual New Year’s Day Polar Plunge.
CASCADE LOCKS — About 60 people braved the cold temperatures both on land and in the water to join in the annual New Year’s Day polar plunge in Cascade Locks on Jan. 1.
Travis Preece, owner of Gorges Beer Company, started the event five years ago as a way to foster community.
“I did my first polar plunge in Scotland many years ago,” he said. “I figured if people were crazy enough to jump into the Atlantic in the middle of winter there they’d be crazy enough to jump into the Columbia here.”
This year Preece added a warming tent at the site of the plunge replete with gas heaters and hot chocolate. Brunch was served at the brewery after the event. Air temperatures hovered around 36 degrees during the plunge. While water temperatures were unavailable for the nearby Bonneville Dam, temperatures on the USGS website for the Columbia River near The Dalles were just around 44 degrees. Preece hopes to continue to improve the plunge next year to make it a fun event for plungers and spectators.
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