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Thursday, January 31st, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 03:03:32 pm
I got a brief e-mail from Ken Campbell this afternoon. Apparently that sore shoulder was more than just weariness. Ken wrote that he tore the rotator cuff in his left shoulder, leaving him no option but to halt his attempt to paddle around Vancouver Island. " I'll get over it, but it's hard to put so much prep and time spent aside," he said. Ken expects to leave Sayward Friday.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:03:54 am
Got this e-mail this morning from John Mohan of Mohan ski school. Be happy if you weren't skiing at the Summit last night.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 08:18:43 am
We featured the Methow Valley in today's Adventure section. I took a trip to the Methow in December. As an aspiring cross-country skier I found the place to be gorgeous and the perfect place to learn the sport. Below you'll find a YouTube slideshow from my trip. As you'll notice, our professional photographers do a better job clicking pics while skiing than I do. Check out Janet Jensen's slideshow from a more recent trip here. Wednesday, January 30th, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 04:14:28 pm
Craig Hill has the big story for Thursday's section, writing about the popularity of the Methow Valley among cross-country skiers. He even tells you how to properly pronounce "Methow." In my column, I look at a program being offered by Metro Parks Tacoma that will help parents come up with ideas to connect their children with the outdoors. Craig also has his monthly Olympic update, including items on Crystal Mountainer skiers Scott Macartney and Libby Ludlow. In additon, we've got suggestions for snowshoe hikes, tips on buying ski for teen girls and preview of the upcoming state Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 02:04:40 pm
This just in from Mount St. Helens:
COUGAR, WA –Marble Mountain and Cougar Sno*Parks are closed until further notice due to heavy snowfall and downed trees. Forest Road 83 is closed at the 90 Road junction. Travel on Forest Road 90 to the 83/90 junction is not recommended due to hazardous road conditions, very limited parking, and few places to turn around.
Categories: Mount St. Helens
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 02:01:23 pm
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced earlier today three changes in fishing reguations: Cascade River Lake Roosevelt Columbia and Wenatchee rivers
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 10:59:57 am
It's sad to report that Tacoma kayaker Ken Campbell has called off his attempt to paddle around Vancouve Island. In a blog post yesterday, Campbell wrote "Simply put, for the moment, let's just say that I am physically unable to complete the trip. So we're done then." Campbell, who has been battling a sore shoulder, made it as far as Sayward on the island northeast flank. He left the town on Monday, but returned yesterday, "The trip, other than the redeployment, the way back home, is over. It's a hard thing for me to absorb, to put into words. What was supposed to be a voyage around an island is simply a 200-mile romp, and it's disappointing and frustrating on this end," he wrote. Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 03:51:17 pm
A release from WSDOT: HYAK- I-90 Eastbound traffic is stopped at North Bend (milepost 34) and westbound traffic is stopped at Ellensburg (milepost 106). WSDOT and WSP anticipate it will take several hours to clear the highway of natural avalanches, several weather related collisions, heavy snowfall and additional necessary avalanche control work.
Categories: Adventure Guys, Skiing/Snowboarding
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 09:17:21 am
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this morning that there could be a razor clam dig on two ocean beaches early next month. Twin Harbors would be open for four late-evening digs Feb. 6-9, while Long Beach would open on Feb. 8 and 9 only. Department officials will approve the digs after marine toxin tests show the clams were safe to eat. As with previous digs this season, digging will be allowed only during the hours between noon and midnight. The February schedule includes two extra days for Twin Harbors but no days for Mocrocks or Copalis due to the low number of clams available for harvest, said Dan Ayres, state coastal shellfish manager. Kalaloch is closed for the entire 2007-08 season. Monday, January 28th, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 03:04:39 pm
Thanks to everyone who stopped by The News Tribune's booth at the Washington's Sportsmen's Show to say hi. I appreciate all the comments and suggestion you made. If you would like to offer some suggestions on specific stories you would like to see us do, or ways we can improve the Adventure section overall, please feel free to send me an e-mail at jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com.
Categories: Jeffrey P. Mayor, Adventure Guys
Posted by Craig Hill @ 08:49:46 am
If you can get out of town, today is a good day to grab the kids (if their school is canceled) and hit the slopes. Crystal Mountain got three inches of new snow overnight and has nine new inches in the last 48 hours. The Summit has two inches this morning and a foot in the past 48 hours. White Pass opened five minutes ago with three inches of powder.
Categories: Craig Hill, Skiing/Snowboarding
Friday, January 25th, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 03:18:29 pm
If you would like to talk about the Adventure section, have a story idea to share or just a good story to tell, stop by The News Tribune's booth at the Sportsmen's Show Saturday. I'll be there from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to chat with folks. I had a couple nice conversations when I was at the booth Thursday evening. The TNT booth is on the second-floor of the Pavilion building. We're along the back wall between the Ruffed Grouse Society and the Washingtonians for Wildlife Conservation. See you out there.
Categories: Adventure Guys
Posted by Craig Hill @ 10:59:50 am
I got back last night from a few hours of night skiing with my dad at the Summit at Snoqualmie. My toes got back sometime this morning. Temperatures dropped to 9 degrees at about 7:45 p.m., about 15 minutes after I lost sensation in my feet. I suffered for about another 90 minutes before I couldn't take it any more. The skiing was too good to pass up. Parachute and Triple-60 were in great shape and other than a light burnt out above Alpine Bowl it was worth suffering through toe pain. I usually don't use hand warmers, but I couldn't resist last night. I still couldn't feel my toes in my right foot when we made a pit stop at North Bend on the way home. Man, the sacrifices we make for a couple of good ski runs. According to some regulars, the temperature dropped to 4 degrees Wednesday night. Don't forget the toe warmers if you're hitting the slopes this weekend.
Thursday, January 24th, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 10:14:03 am
I was thinking about how great it has been to see the mountain these last few days, especially on Monday when you could see the snow blowing off the mountain. Being a bit of a weather geek, I checked some weather data from Camp Muir this morning. On Monday at 6 a.m., the temperature at the Camp Muir weather station was -6 degrees, with the average wind speed at 62 mph. That means the windchill was -42.1 degrees. When the winds hit a maximum of 84 mph, the windchill dropped to -45.8 degrees. The weather station is 10,100 feet above sea level on Mount Rainier. The deep freeze didn't last too long. Yesterday at noon, the temperature at Camp Muir was a balmy 34 degrees. Click here for current weather data from Camp Muir. Here is a link to the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center. Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 03:49:32 pm
Craig Hill has our lead story this week, writing about all the fun things you can do at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. From skiing to tubing to snowshoeing, this wintery haven has lots to offer.
Categories: Adventure Guys
Posted by Craig Hill @ 03:37:50 pm
Here are a few resources if you're planning a winter trip to Hurrican Ridge. - Hurricane Ridge Map (PDF)
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 03:05:33 pm
Jan Klippert, founder of the Olympic Coast Clean-up, died of cancer on Tuesday, his 73rd birthday.  DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE file Olympic Beach Cleanup organizer Jan Klippert, center, welcomes U of W student Fallon Schumsky to Griffith State Park near Ocean City as maggie Cho looks on during the 2004 cleanup. Klippert died on Tuesday. I knew Klippert had been in failing health, but we had a great chat when we spoke last week about the creation of the Washington Clean Coast Alliance. Here is a story I wrote about the 2004 cleanup: By Jeffrey P. Mayor LA PUSH - Inspiration for the fifth Olympic Coast Cleanup was as varied as the volunteers who helped clear tons of trash and debris from beaches on the state's northwest flank. "This is a great day," said organizer Jan Klippert as he stood on the beach at Ocean City under sunny skies on Saturday. His comment was about more than the weather. He was talking as much about the volunteers who gave their time and energy to protect what he calls some of the state's most unique resources.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 01:25:38 pm
A reader e-mailed a few weeks ago to ask if a skier or snowboarder had ever died in the filming of a Warren Miller movie. Indeed, a skier had died in the early 1990s. Sadly another skier died in a Warren Miller shoot Tuesday in Utah. The story from the Associated Press is below: SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- An extreme skier died Tuesday from injuries he sustained after jumping off a cliff for a scene in a documentary film. Billy Poole was flown by helicopter from the backcountry of Big Cottonwood Canyon to University of Utah Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m., hospital spokeswoman Vickie King said. Friday, January 18th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 05:33:57 pm
Sunday's Sound Life section will feature Personal Locator Beacons. PLBs send a distress signal and GPS coordinates to rescuers when activated and should not be confused with avalanche beacons. Here are some links to some good PLB resources: - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Categories: Craig Hill, Search and Rescue
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 04:02:58 pm
Tacoma kayaker Ken Campbell altered his schedule after I interviewed him, and he began his quest to paddle around Vancouver Island on Monday. Thursday, January 17th, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 09:31:39 am
Tacoma kayaker Ken Campbell leaves Friday as he attempts the 750-mile circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. If he completes the trip, which he thinks will take seven to nine weeks, Campbell believes he will be the first person to do so during the winter.  DREW PERINE/THE NEWS TRIBUNE FILE Ken Campbell will start on a 750-mile trip around Vancouver Island on Friday. Click here for a link to Campbell's blog. Click here for the column I wrote about Campbell and his adventure
Posted by Craig Hill @ 08:02:23 am
If you are a recreational runner logging 15 or miles per week, you can be ready for the Tacoma City Marathon on May 10 if you train right starting now. A 16-week training program starts today at Fleet Feet Sports in Bonney Lake. As promised in today's article on the race, here is a 16-week training guide provided by race organizer Paul Morrison.
Categories: Craig Hill, Running
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 11:06:54 am
We have quite a few stories in Thursday's section. Here's a sneak peak:
Categories: Adventure Guys
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 11:01:05 am
Local fishing expert John Keizer said late Tuesday he has sold his half of Salmon University to partner Tom Nelson.
Categories: Fishing, Adventure Guys
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 05:29:30 pm
The Puget Sound rowing community continues to band together to help the Vancouver Lake Rowing Club, which was wiped out last week by a tornado. Here's the press release from the Northwest Rowing Council.
Categories: Adventure Guys, Paddling and rowing
Posted by Craig Hill @ 01:35:15 pm
A story from Future Snowboarding Magazine is making its way around to newspapers and websites via the Associated Press. The article raises an interesting question. Can you get from Sea-Tac to the slopes in less than an hour. The articles says you can reach the Alpental, Stevens Pass and Crystal Mountain in less than hour. My thoughts: Alpental. Maybe. Crystal and Stevens Pass. No Way. Has anybody tried this? Let me know your best time. The article also mentions Reno/Tahoe. This is legit. In 2005, I left my driveway in Pierce County at about 3:15 and was in the Boreal terrain park on Donner Pass by 7:45 p.m. A couple days later I was skiing The Chutes at Mount Rose at 2:30 p.m. and was tucking my kids in back at home by 8:30. Here's the article:
Posted by Craig Hill @ 01:14:24 pm
Jordan Hanssen, the UPS grad who captained the first U.S. crew to row across the North Atlantic, says he finally has his bike and has shoved off from Perth, Australia, to pedal 3,000 miles across Australia. Sounds like he was starting to get a little anxious waiting for his bike to arrive. But it finally arrived Monday. Good stuff on his blog, check it out here:
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 11:58:30 am
Low steelhead returns to the Marblemount Hatchery have prompted the state to close a portion of the Cascade River to recreational fishing beginning Thursday. The Cascade will be closed until further notice from the mouth upstream to Rockport-Cascade Road to ensure enough steelhead make it back to the hatchery to meet spawning goals, said Bob Leland, the Department of Fish and Wildlife's steelhead program manager. "Both hatchery and wild steelhead returns to the Skagit River basin are down this year," said Leland. "This closure will help the Marblemount Hatchery meet its broodstock needs, but additional fishing closures in the basin also are likely this spring to protect wild steelhead." It’s possible the catch-and-release fisheries in the Skagit and Sauk rivers could close as well.
Categories: Fishing, Adventure Guys
Monday, January 14th, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 02:15:40 pm
Clean up projects along Washington’s coast will be supported by a new group, the Washington Clean Coast Alliance.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:54:56 am
Being part of the first American team to row across the North Atlantic might be impossible to top, but Jordan Hanssen is going to try. Hanssen, a graduate of UPS, left Perth Australia today on his bike. He plans to keep pedaling until he reaches Sydney. The trip covers 3,000 miles during the hottest time of the year. Hanssen is also an aspiring writer and is looking forward to sending regular dispatches back to the United States. Follow his progress at the following places. Sunday, January 13th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 05:47:56 pm
Bode Miller tied the U.S. world cup skiing record today. The record of 27 World Cup wins was set by Yakima's Phil Mahre. Read more on our 2010 Olympics Blog.
Categories: Craig Hill, Skiing/Snowboarding
Saturday, January 12th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 10:54:45 pm
The 78th running of the Lauberhorn downhill ski race is Sunday in Switzerland. This 3-mile ski run is crazy. Head over to our 2010 Olympics blog to check out video of the course and an interview with Crystal Mountain's Scott Macartney describing the run with hairpin turns and a section that goes through a tunnel under train tracks.
Categories: Adventure Guys, Skiing/Snowboarding
Friday, January 11th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:49:28 pm
Commencement Bay Rowing Club plans to spend today in Vancouver helping a rival club recover from a tornado that ravaged its facilities.
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 04:10:42 pm
Work by volunteers and state Department of Natural Resource trail crews has allowed the department to reopen the Tahuya and Green Mountain state forests trail systems.
Categories: Adventure Guys
Posted by Craig Hill @ 10:38:51 am
A tornado - yes, you read that correctly - destroyed the Vancouver Lake Crew Club equipment and facilities.  (Photo: Vancouver Lake Crew Club)
I got an e-mail last night from UPS crew alum and assistant coach Mike Willy. "Today’s tornado ripped 2 boathouses off the foundations and destroyed most of the club’s 50 rowing shells as well as rowing machines, trailers and oars," he wrote. "The club’s founder, Bill Kalenius, was the head coach at the University of Puget Sound for several years in the 1970s while the team was rowing down on Commencement Bay. ... Bill has been battling cancer for years and recently finished chemo and radiation treatment." An account has been started for donations at the Bank of Clark County.
Categories: Mail Bag, Paddling and rowing
Thursday, January 10th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 03:41:08 pm
ESPN is reporting that Sir Edmund Hillary died today - actually it's tomorrow in New Zealand - at the age of 88. Among his many accomplishments, Hillary is considered to be the first man to summit Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. Norgay died in 1986. Read some of the international coverage: The Dominion Post (New Zealand) Also News Tribune reporter Ian Demsky - kindly filling in for me while I was testing the powder at Summit Central - got in touch with Port Townsend's Jim Whittaker, the first American to climb Everest. Demsky's short story got buried on our website, so here it is: Climbing legend Jim Whittaker of Port Townsend scaled Mount Everest 10 years after Sir Edmund Hillary, becoming the first American do to so. Whittaker said Hillary, who died today, was not only an icon – he remained a “perfect gentleman” his whole life.
Categories: Mountaineering
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Wednesday, January 9th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 03:27:38 pm
There's a good article about Ed LaChapelle in this month's issue of Backcountry Magazine. Unfortunately you can't read the story on the website, so you'll have to try and scrounge up a copy of the magazine. The article is written by LaChapelle's son. Ed LaChapelle was a pioneering avalanche scientist who was born in Tacoma in 1926. He attended UPS and taught at the University of Washington. He was known by avalanche researchers as "the grand old man of avalanche research." Click below to read our story that ran Feb. 3, 2007, two days after he died of a heart attack while skiing at Colorado's Monarch Mountain.
Categories: Adventure Guys, Skiing/Snowboarding
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 09:25:01 am
Thursday's Adventure section features a story offering parents tips for getting their young children started in snow sports.
Categories: Adventure Guys
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:07:44 pm
Forest Road 83 and Mount St. Helens Sno-Parks are closed due to heavy snowfall and downed trees. Below is the link to updated sno-park conditions. http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/winter/current-conditions.shtml
Categories: Adventure Guys, Mount St. Helens
Posted by Craig Hill @ 04:10:40 pm
Big White had an inbounds avalanche Sunday. Today they released a statement about what happened. Here it is: Shortly before 11:00 am on Sunday, January 6th, 2008, an avalanche occurred at Big White Ski Resort at an in-bounds area known as the Parachute Bowl, which is serviced by the Cliff double chairlift.
Categories: Adventure Guys, Search and Rescue
Posted by Craig Hill @ 10:33:00 am
Contrary to what you may have heard on various TV news broadcasts, this is not Washington's worst Avalanche season on record. The worst was in 1980-81, the year when 11 people died in one massive avalanche on the south side of Rainier. Here's an updated total after last weekend's fatality. TOP FIVE YEARS FOR NW AVALANCHE FATALITIES
Source: Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center
Categories: Adventure Guys, Search and Rescue
Monday, January 7th, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 11:03:22 am
Help us make GO better
Categories: Adventure Guys
Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 10:42:08 pm
I ran across this video on YouTube the other day. I'm bringing it to your attention, but I'm not suggesting anything.
Categories: Skiing/Snowboarding
Friday, January 4th, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 03:23:38 pm
A Level I avalanche awareness class to offered next week at Backpackers Supply has been canceled. The class was supposed to begin Jan. 10.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 01:33:44 pm
A reader e-mailed recently to ask if a skier or snowboarder has ever died in the filming of a Warren Miller extreme skiing flick. As it turns out, the answer is yes. In the early 1990s, Paul Ruff died attempting a cliff jump for Warren Miller's cameras. Check out a fascinating story in L.A. Times Magazine circa 1994. Here's a link to a photo of Ruff standing on top of the cliff just before the jump. You can submit your questions or comments to Craig or Jeff via e-mail (addresses are under our mugs to the right). We'll do our best to answer them here. Thursday, January 3rd, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 01:02:38 pm
There were two more avalanche deaths in the Cascades this week. Rescuers found a second body near Mount Baker after an avalanche took out a snowmobile party of five. The two fatalities raised the number of Northwest avalanche fatalities this winter to eight. This makes it the second worst avalanche season on record. The deaths have occurred in four seperate incidents. The 1980-81 record of 12 occurred in two incidents. One buried 11 climbers on Mount Rainier in the worst accident in U.S. mountaineering history. Remember to call the avalanche hotline before heading into the backcountry. The number is 206-526-6677. TOP FIVE YEARS FOR NW AVALANCHE FATALITIES
Source: Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 04:31:34 pm
Three ocean beaches will open for razor clam digging later this month, if marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife just announced.
Categories: Fishing, Adventure Guys
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 10:16:25 am
Typically Craig and I devote the first Adventure section of the year to what we see as the top issues for the coming year. As we discussed this year's story, we kept coming back to Mount Rainier National Park. So, in tomorrow's section, we look at what will certainly be a busy year at the park.
Categories: Mount Rainier, Adventure Guys
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The Adventure Guys
We admit it. We've got great jobs. How many people get told by their bosses to go out and play? We write about those experiences each Thursday in The News Tribune’s Adventure section. But there's always more to the story. Here, Craig Hill and Jeffrey P. Mayor will share the inside stories on their adventures - including their misadventures - plus post news and answer your questions.
CRAIG HILL Craig Hill is The News Tribune’s injury-prone Adventure writer. After eight years covering college football and basketball, he started writing about adventure sports in 2004. He writes about everything from mountaineering and cycling to skiing and camping. You can reach him at craig.hill@thenewstribune.com 
JEFFREY P. MAYOR Jeffrey P. Mayor has been The News Tribune’s Adventure editor since 2003, and oversees our weekly Adventure section. His coverage focuses on fishing, hunting, Mount Rainier and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. You can reach him at jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com Category
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