“For a long time, my life goals were to have a truck, have a raft and a dog, and live in the Columbia Gorge, and I feel like I accomplished all those things except the dog, I think I went with the kid instead—but I really like my kid.” – Cat Loke

The White Salmon River drains from the slopes of Washington’s Mount Adams before traveling 44 whitewater-filled miles to reach the Columbia River. While the White Salmon gained notoriety for its Class IV/V sections like the Green Truss, downstream, the Lower White Salmon is helping to raise the next generation of outdoor lovers, like Cat Loke’s son, Ciaran.

“There was a period in my life where I thought having a kid meant my life was just over, like I wouldn’t be able to do all these fun things and adventure and go on trips.”

But as it turns out—at least in the Gorge—you just end up raising little shredders. “I joke around with friends that our son is a classic Gorge kid—he skis better than me, he’s into mountain biking, he has two kayaks…”

While being a parent wasn’t necessarily part of Cat’s life plan, the truck, the raft, and living in the Columbia River Gorge to spend more time on adventures were, even when the adventure takes place in her backyard.

This is Cat Loke, and the Lower White Salmon River is her home run.

Editor’s Note: Watch the full My Home Run series on YouTube.