The North Cascades National Park Visitor Center, near Newhalem on Highway 20 at milepost 120, will reopen this weekend. The center will then be open Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through May 4.

Beginning May 5, the Visitor Center will be open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Employees of Seattle City Light were able to fix the water system and enable the Visitor Center to reopen,” said Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins.

The center was closed this month due to a break in the main water line that shut down all water resources to the center, including restroom facilities and fire protection capabilities. Repairs were hampered by several feet of snow.

Drivers can continue east from the visitor center and view 14 miles of the park’s mountain scenery to where Highway 20 remains closed for the winter at milepost 134.

For additional park information, click here or call 360-854-7200.

The number of recreational visit to the national park system in 2007 rose by 3 million to 275 million. That’s according to a report released today by the National Park Service.

“Despite rising gas prices and the lure of electronic entertainment, this is great news,” said National Park Service director Mary A. Bomar. “With all the recreation choices available, national parks still draw more visits than Major League Baseball, the National Football League, professional basketball, soccer and NASCAR combined.”

After a record 287 million visits in 1999, and a one-year bump attributed to the 2004 opening of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., the number of visits has been in decline.

“Hopefully the 2007 figures are a permanent rebound from 2006 when had 272.6 million visits,” Bomar said.

The service tracks visitation to the 391 units of the National Park System, including more than 100 national historical parks and historic sites, 74 national monuments, 58 national parks, 28 national memorials, two dozen national battlefields and military parks, as well as national seashores, parkways, recreation areas and national preserves.

Locally, visitation at Mount Rainier National Park was down in 2007 to 1,047,685. That’s easy to explain since the park was essentially closed the first four months of the year as work was done to repair flood damage.

Last year, there were 1,113,601 visit to Mount Rainier, but the park was closed for much of December.

In 2005, the last year the park was open every month, visits totaled 1,173,897.

Entrance and visitor use fees at Olympic National Park will remain the same through 2009. Acting park superintendent Sue McGill announced the decision this afternoon.

Last spring, park officials soght public to comment on a series of proposed changes to the park’s entrance and user fees, changes that were proposed to take effect in 2009. The proposal included increasing the park’s seven-day entrance pass from $15 to $25 for a vehicle and from $5 to $12 for an individual. The Olympic National Park annual pass was proposed to change from its current rate of $30 to $50. Camping and overnight wilderness use fees also were to be increased.

=> Read more!

Before yesterday's World Cup race I headed up Blackcomb Mountain with colleagues from the L.A. Times and USA Today to ski the Blackcomb Glacier.

The scenery on the glacier and from the top of Blackcomb Mountain was definitely the highlight of the trip. A short hike is required to access the glacier but once you drop in the skiing is pretty intermediate.

Look for more on skiing the glacier this spring in the Adventure Section.

MORE COWBELL: Here's video I shot of David Leon Moore from USA Today while we skied between World Cup races. The cowbell was added for our own amusement:

What's the best part about covering the World Cup? I get to ski to work. I got about 15,000 feet of vertical in this morning before the racing started. Here's the view down from the chairlift at the top of Whistler Mountain.

Hatchery steelhead fisheries will close Sunday on the Methow, Wenatchee and upper Columbia rivers to protect wild steelhead, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife just announced.

Steelhead fishing will close Sunday on the three rivers an hour after sunset.

The closures are necessary to comply with provisions of a federal permit that authorized steelhead fishing in those rivers, said Bob Leland, steelhead program manager. The permit prescribes strict limits on the incidental catch of wild steelhead, which are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.

“We expect the fisheries in those rivers to meet their allowed incidental catch by the closure date,” Leland said.

The region’s sport fisheries for hatchery steelhead target an abundant return of hatchery fish that exceeds the number needed to meet spawning goals, Leland said. The fisheries also help with recovery efforts of ESA-listed steelhead by removing hatchery-origin fish, allowing a greater proportion of wild steelhead onto the spawning grounds.

The closures do not affect hatchery steelhead fisheries under way on the Okanogan and the Similkameen rivers. Those fisheries are scheduled to remain open through March.

Click here for more information on those fisheries, as well as rule changes for the Methow, Wenatchee and upper Columbia River.

I got to ski the women's downhill course this morning before the race. It was during pre-race inspection and skiing is a bit of an overstatement. Really those of us who were on the course - coaches, officials, athletes and media - were slipping the course checking out the features.

Some athletes were getting last minutes coaching and others where trying to visualize the runs.

The course was icy - just the way the skiers like it. I bit it just a few seconds after entering the course thanks to a pair of skis in major need of a tune. I had no problems the rest of the course, but if some the pictures and video below look a little blurry it's because of the snow in my camera.

When the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the next clam dig, set for March 7-12, it didn't account for daylight savings time.

If the digs are approced, these are the low tide times:

EVENING TIDES
March 7, 6:21 p.m., +0.3 feet, Twin Harbors only
March 8, 6:58 p.m., +0.5, Twin Harbors and Long Beach only

MORNING TIDES
March 9, 8:28 a.m., +0.3: Twin Harbors and Long Beach only
March 10, 9:12 a.m., 0, Twin Harbors only
March 11, 9:59 a.m., -0.1, Twin Harbors only
March 12, 10:51 a.m., 0.0: Twin Harbors only

I was about 45 minutes from finishing my column from the Whistler World Cup this afternoon when Doug Haney, a PR guy for the U.S. Ski Team, gave me the nudge I needed to take a break.

"We at the U.S. Ski Team encourage skiing," he said.

I looked at my watch and saw I had about an hour before the lifts closed, just enough time to bag two of my favorite Whistler runs. I took the shuttle to my car, grabbed my skis then jumped on the gondola. It takes three lifts and about 35 minutes to get to the top of Whistler Mountain.

First I dropped into Whistler Bowl. This diamond run on Whistler's upper slopes was skied out with moguls the size of Volkswagons but it was still a relatively enjoyable run.

The view at the entry to Whistler Bowl

At this point the lifts were closing, so my only option for second and final run was the Peak to Creek Run. A 4-year-old, one-vertical mile run that locals say is the ultimate test of your legs.

If you can ski from Peak to Creek - about four miles - without stopping, they say, you have thighs of steel.

Actually, I did this Thursday and had legs of Jello when I was done. It was my fourth time making North America's longest intermediate run. I have to say doing it nonstop is one thing. But doing it nonstop at the end of the day when all the other routes to Creekside are closed for the World Cup is another. The crowd of people scooting down the run meant I had to take it slow. And this, of course, meant extra thigh burn.

Still, I highly recommend skiing Peak to Creek on your next trip. If you can do it without stopping good for you. If not, don't worry. The run is so long benches have been added along the way so skiers and boarders can rest.

Black Tusk from the top of Whistler Mountain and the start of the Peak to Creek run.

I think I parked next to the janitor at the Whistler World Cup today.

Just saw this story in the Idaho Statesman.

By Ken Dey
Tamarack Resort won’t fail, even though the two investors who own 75 percent of the resort filed bankruptcy last week.
Experts say the Chapter 11 filings by Tamarack CEO Jean-Pierre Boespflug and resort co-founder Alfredo Miguel Afif could keep creditors from taking over and let the two men finish the expensive creation of the resort.
Tamarack is already too well known and established to be closed, said Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Areas Association. Even if Boespflug and Afif fail, plenty of investors would be interested in picking up where they left off.

=> Read more!

If you like your smelt fresh caught, you might want to head to the Cowlitz River on Saturday.

There are reports that some anglers caught their 10-pound limit last Saturday.

State test dipping early this week at Longview (Gearhart Park) and at Kelso produced no fish, but birds and seals were working the east bank just below the Kelso Bridge and the riffle just upstream from the park.

Samplers got a few smelt per dip (best dip about a pound) at Lexington. Mostly mature males of assorted sizes. There were sea lions/seals and birds present upstream as well.

I'll have more in Saturday morning's fishing report.

Hats off to Alice Few and other members of the Tacoma Astronomical Society. They helped an estimated 300 people view last night's total lunar eclipse at three locations -- Lakewood, Puyallup and Olympia.

I hung out with Few at Pierce College in Lakewood and had a great time talking to folks and looking through the telescopes Few and others had set up, as well as using binoculars. We got great views of Saturn -- the best I've ever seen through a telescope -- as well as the Orion nebula, the Pleiades and other celestial sights.

It was great to see so many families out with their young children. For many of them, it was the first total lunar eclipse they had seen.

It was a fun night, and thankfully the clouds cooperated, making for some good viewing conditions.

Here is a link to the story in today's paper, including photos from Janet Jensen.

Greetings from Whistler.

The weather was perfect for watching the eclipse tonight.

I actually tried to take a picture of it, but it was hopeless with my generic camera. I won't even post the picture here. Just imagine blackness with a little white dot in the middle.

But trust me, it was cool seeing the eclipse above Blackcomb Mountain. The only other lights you could see on the horizon were those of groomers preparing the ski runs for Thursday.

After a few minutes of moon gazing I headed into to the Whistler Brewhouse to have dinner with the U.S. Ski Team coaches and the team's public relation reps.

The Whistler World Cup starts tomorrow. Check out the sports section and our Olympic blog over the next few days for our dispatches.

Conditions are improving for South Sound residents to see tonight’s total lunar eclipse.

The timing of the event couldn’t be much better. The moon will enter the penumbra, the initial stage of the eclipse at 5:43 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, shortly after it rises. At 7:01 p.m. ithe moon enters the umbra, the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow. The total eclipse ends at 7:51 p.m. The eclipse will come to an end at 9:09 p.m.

Members of the Tacoma Astronomical Society will have telescopes set up at two locations tonight. Some members will be at the club’s regular viewing site on the hill behind the Sunrise Building at Pierce College’s Fort Steilacoom campus. Others will be at Top Food & Drug, 201 37th Ave. S.E., Puyallup.

If you can’t be at either location, Alice Few of the local club, said it is safe to look at a lunar eclipse.

“You can use binoculars but expect the full moon to be bright. You may want to wear sunglasses at first,” she said.

A fun way to watch the progress of the eclipse is to watch the shadow pass over specific craters, Few suggested.

An added bonus of the eclipse is you will be able to see Saturn and Venus close to the moon during the eclipse.

I’m planning on being at Pierce College to report on a story for tomorrow’s paper, if the clouds don't get too thick.

Our man on the snow, Craig Hill is in Whistler to cover the World Cup skiing events there this weekend. In tomorrow's Adventure section he interviews U.S Ski team member Libby Ludlow and her family about what it was like skiing on Crystal Mountain as she grew up.

Check out Craig's race coverage at our 2010 Winter Olympics blog.

In my column, local kayaker Ken Campbell talks about coming to terms with the shoulder injury that halted his attempt to paddle around Vancouver Island.

We'll also have updates on chinook fishing seasons in the Columbia River this spring, how the Student Conservation Association is preparing to help with flood recovery efforts at Mount Rainier National Park this summer and a push to open Spirit Lake at Mount St. Helens for a limited fishing season.

Last night was an awesome one at the Summit at Snoqualmie. I was up working on a story from about 5-9 p.m. and got in a couple of runs. It was a little icy in some places, but for the most part the slope was in great shape.

After making a few runs with a ski instructor in Alpine Bowl, Triple 60 and Parachute we decide to give Rip Cord a try.

Rip Cord is the diamond run stashed in the trees just to the right of the Triple 60 lift at Summit Central. It's poorly lit at night - probably because there are no lights in the area - but we decided to give it a go under the light of a half moon.

It was definitely my most enjoyable turns of the evening. My only complaint: the run is way too short.

Photographer Dean Koepfler and I just returned from a day at Mount Rainier National Park. We went to watch the snow removal effort as park crews work to reopen the road from Longmire to Paradise.

On the way back to Tacoma, superintendent Dave Uberuaga called to say that the road will be reopened and the Paradise snowplay area opened on Sunday morning. Uberuaga and his staff were trying to get open by Saturday but they won't have the results from a test of the water system at Paradise.

The results are due back on Saturday afternoon. If they are good, the Paradise area will be open.

It was amazing to watch the bulldozers and rotary-blade plows psuh back the snow.

We'll have a story about the effort in Saturday's TNT.

The Hoh Road has reopened, after a two-month storm-damage closure.

The road has been closed since the record-breaking storm of December 3, when heavy rain and floodwaters severely damaged the road. The most significant damage occurred outside the park boundary at mile seven where the road was reduced to one lane. Minor damage also occurred at
Snyder Creek inside the park.

Visitors are asked to use caution when traveling the road as a portion of the roadway has a gravel surface. Caution is also advised at West Twin Creek where contractors continue to repair damage from the 2006 storms.

The Hoh Campground is closed due to storm debris and two feet of snow still on the ground. With the road now open, park crews will begin working in the campground, removing the storm debris and plowing the snow.

Starting Friday, the Hoh Visitor Center will resume its winter hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays through Sundays.

I’ve got to say, you guys are pretty amazing.

In my 12 years at The News Tribune I’ve written hundreds of stories about hundreds of interesting people and received all kinds of feedback from the readers – some of it even good.

But I’ve never seen reaction like what followed Monday’s feature on John Kircher. Kircher runs Crystal Mountain and the Summit at Snoqualmie and is battling liver disease. He needs a liver transplant.

Two readers, neither of whom have ever met Kircher, called me to say they’d like to donate a portion of their liver to Kircher.

Amazing.

I’ve passed along their contact info to John Kircher.

According to a source at Crystal, Kircher was back in the hospital earlier this week. Kircher hopes to get a liver transplant from his brother-in-law in the next few weeks.

UPDATE
A Seattle TV station read this post today and called saying they wanted to do a story on the people who offered donate a portion of their livers to Kircher. I passed the message on to both.

The first was not home. The second declined saying he's not trying to get attention. "I just felt the urge to do something when I read the article and saw the picture of him with his kid," he said. "We are suppose to act on those urges."

Photo by Peter Haley

The state just announced that because of low returns of steelhead this year to the Skagit River basin, the Department of Fish and Wildlife is adjusting recreational fishing seasons on the Cascade, Sauk and Skagit rivers and Fisher Slough to protect wild steelhead.

Beginning Saturday, anglers fishing the Cascade, Sauk and Skagit rivers and Fisher Slough must follow selective gear rules. Those rules require anglers to use unscented artificial flies or lures with single-point barbless hooks and knotless nets.

Those and other selective gear rules scheduled to take effect on those waters are listed on page 26 of WDFW’s Fishing in Washington regulation pamphlet. There will be some exceptions, however, for the use of motorized vessels on the Skagit River.

Click here to see the selective rules.

=> Read more!

"They're here!" was the message this afternoon from Joe Hymer of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Test dipping today confirmed smelt are present in the lower Cowlitz. Bank dipping near the Longview Bridge produced about 15 fish in a dozen dips, with up to three fish per dip. There was a mix sizes, including some large specimens.

Hymer reported later today that commercial fishermen in the mainsteam of the Columbia landed more smelt on Monday night (3,411 pounds) than the entire season to date through last week (2,444 pounds).

As a reminder, sport dipping is only allowed on the Cowlitz River, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays through March 31. The daily limit is 10 pounds per person per day.

Road crews have been able to punch their way through the snow -- 15 feet deep in some spots -- to reach the Paradise area at Mount Rainier National Park.

Whether that means you can go sledding, skiing, snowshoeing or snowboarding this weekend at Paradise has not been decided.

There is still plenty of snow to be removed before the road can be reopened, said park spokeswoman Donna Rahier.

We'll keep you posted when we learn something new.

Click here for a Webcam shot of the snow blanketing the area at the new visitor center at Paradise.

Boeing has given $93,550 to three conservations groups aiding flood recovery efforts at Mount Rainier National Park.

The money will go to the Student Conservation Association, Washington Trails Association and National Parks Conservation Association to support the activities at the park. The organizations will use th emoney to support volunteer citizen stewardship programs and public outreach and education.

The park and its partners are now planning for the 2008 season. Major work remains to be done, including rebuilding the Glacier Basin Trail and a portion of the Carbon Glacier Trail.

The Student Conservation Association will use $43,550 of the grant to support summer programs at the park, including programs to work with urban high school students from Seattle on restoration projects. The funding also will support public training in conservation skills to further develop a sustainable volunteer program at Mount Rainier.

With $25,000 from the grant, the park conservation group will host town hall and conference events to discuss how the federal government can sustain long-term access to national parks as recurring storm damage limits public access. The NPCA will also redesign the Storm Coalition Web site and recruit volunteers for projects this summer.

The WTA will use $25,000 of the funds to station a crew leader at the park for the season. The crew leader will lead three trail repair work parties each week throughout the spring and summer to
survey and repair damage.

Mount Rainier National Park

MRNP volunteer program

NW Parks and Public Lands Storm Recovery Coalition

Click here to watch video of the Coast Guard rescuing a stranded surfer.

The statement from the Coast Guard:
The Coast Guard rescued a surfer Sunday after he became stranded by strong currents in a cove near Depoe Bay, Ore. At 1:41 p.m., the Lincoln County, Ore., Dispatch Center contacted the Coast Guard to report a surfer in distress near Devil's Punch Bowl State Park.

=> Read more!

Visit blogs.thenewstribune.com/olympics for info on how you can sign up to volunteer for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

High winds made for tough fishing during last weekend’s Roche Harbor Salmon Classic Invitational. Despite gale force winds, 99 boats made it to Roche Harbor for the fifth annual salmon derby.

Despite windy conditions, a tournament-record of 141 fish were weighed in by the 335 anglers who competed.

Randall Opel of Arlington didn’t seem to mind as his 19.14-pound salmon earned him the $10,000 first-place prize. Michael Bredeson of Everson took second and $5,000 with a 16.12-pound fish. Damon Peterson of Bellingham earned $1,500 for his third-place fish of 15.4 pounds.

Snow 15 deep in some places will keep the road to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park closed until later this week.

Park road crews are working to clear the snow that came down in 10 natural avalanches and one created by avalanche control explosives.

“We’ve had so much snow in the past few weeks that we’ve seen snow slide in areas where it hasn’t released in years,” said park information officer Lee Taylor.

“This is not a normal plowing operation,” said Michael Ray, who supervises park snow removal operations. “The avalanche debris is as heavy as concrete and can only be removed by bulldozer or blower. It’s going to take us a number of days to clear the road.”

The road has been closed since Feb. 5 due to heavy snow and extreme avalanche danger. More than 14 feet of snow has fallen at Paradise in the last two weeks. As of this morning there are 196 inches on the ground at Paradise.

Although visitors may not be able to get to Paradise for sledding this weekend, there are snowshoe walks at Longmire, and there is good trail access for snowshoeing and cross country skiing from there.

To check the status of road conditions and weather information at the park, call 360-569-2211 and then select 1 or check the park’s Web site at www.nps.gov/mora.

This just in from Chris Rudolph at Stevens Pass:

After an action packed 5 days of winter weather, highway access and electrical power has been restored to Stevens Pass Winter Resort. Stevens Pass plans to operate all front side lifts tomorrow including Brooks, SkyLine, Hogsback, Daisy, Tye Mill, Big Chief, and 7th Heaven. Jupiter, Double Diamond, and Southern Cross chairlifts will remain closed due to potential avalanche hazard. At this time, Stevens Pass employees are busy digging out from an incredible 88 inches of snowfall in the past 7 days, with 64 inches falling within a 4 day period.

The road to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park is still closed.

Park road crews are working today to remove large quantities of snow that slid in several avalanche-prone areas over the weekend. There is no estimate at this time of when the road might be re-opened.

“It's a slow process using snow blowers, followed by caterpillars and snowplows,” said park spokeswoman Donna Rahier.

“We should have a better assessment later today.”

The road has been closed since Tuesday because of the large amount of snow falling each day and the threat of avalanches.

To check road and weather information at the park, call 360-569-2211 and then select 1.

Mount Rainier National Park
Huge snow mounds line the road leading to the former gas station at Longmire at Mount Rainier National Park. The photo was taken late last week.

We ran a feature on John Kircher today.

Kircher is the most influential man in Washington’s ski industry as he runs the state’s first (Summit at Snoqualmie) and third (Crystal Mountain) most visited ski areas. He’s also hosting a World Cup this weekend at his B.C. ski area, Cypress. Cypress will host freestyle events at the Olympics two years from this weekend.

Kircher, 49, is also in need of a liver transplant. Read more Friday.

Until then, here are some thoughts on Kircher from the legendary Warren Miller.

On Kircher’s background:
“He pretty much grew up in the base lodge at Boyne Mountain and learned the industry from his dad. He has done a marvelous job at Crystal and Big Sky. He is a bright guy and a scratch golfer.”

On Kircher’s down-to-earth style:
“A lot of other people might play the socialite roll. He could. But he knows those people fade as fast as they rise. John is from a different mold.”

“I remember one time we were having lunch and he said he decided to build a new lodge at one of the resorts. I said you’re just going to make a $2-4 million decision over a hamburger. He said, ‘I think it will work.’
“He says it like it is. He’s not a Harvard business school guy, he just knows what skiers want and he gives it to them.”

Hope you read today's story about Bobby Goddard and his family. Goddard is battling tongue cancer and his family is putting on the Live Love Run! in his honor Saturday at Point Defiance Park.

If you are fit enough to run the 10K you're probably fit enough to train for the May 10 Tacoma City Marathon.

Here is a 16-week training guide provided by race organizer Paul Morrison. Jump in at week 3 and get running.

16-week Marathon Training Guide

PHOTO BY: PETER HALEY/THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Longtime runner Bobby Goddard, center, is surrounded by family members who are organizing the Live, Love, Run! fundraiser on Saturday. With Goddard, who is battling tongue cancer, are, from left, Susie Goddard, Rochel Cobb, Lilli Phairow (22 months), Rai Phairow, Brian Goddard, Jackie Phairow, Kaili Phairow (5), Jennifer Frisk, wife Jamie Goddard, Justeen Allen and Wesley Frisk (3).

This weekend marks the two-year countdown to the Vancouver Olympics. A World Cup freestyle event will be held at Cypress Mountain today and tomorrow.

John Kircher of Bellevue operates Cypress along with Crystal Mountain and the Summit at Snoqualmie. We'd hoped to run a feature on Kircher yesterday but the story had to be moved to Monday.

Here's another story about Kircher to tide you over until then.

Big Sky Resort manager Taylor Middleton has seen John Kircher stiff-arm death before.
In the early 1990s, the men were researching one of Kircher’s ideas. Kircher wanted to run a tram to the top of 11,166-foot Lone Peak, the highest point at Big Sky Resort. Today, the tram is one of the United States’ most famous lifts, but on the day a helicopter dropped Kircher and Middleton off on the peak Middleton wasn’t so sure.
After Middleton and some ski patrol directors skied the mountain’s steep upper slopes, it was Kircher’s turn.
“John jumped in and kicked off this huge avalanche,” Middleton said. “He’s a great skier and he was able to ski out of it just before it would have taken him over a cliff.”

I nearly bit it this morning on Highway 3 in Canada. I was trying to get to the Manning Park Resort ski area when I hit nasty compact snow and ice.

The semi behind me had just caught my attention. I thought to myself, "If I spin out I'm done because there is no way that semi is going to be able to stop."

Turns out I was wrong. Thankfully.

Unable to tell the difference between the road and the dirt shoulder on the 2-lane highway I slipped off the road and spun out.

Heading east, I spun backward into the westbound lane as the semi rumbled past. Then I smashed into the snowbank and came to a stop facing west. No damage, just a major scare.

Luck or providence (I call it the latter) I was grateful to be alive and in one piece. Considering I was now facing west, I took it as a sign I should head back instead of taking a chance by driving the final 18 miles to the ski area.

Instead, I headed to Hemlock Valley closer to Vancouver for a few runs (and helped a family dig themselves out of a similar incident on a less crowded road). After sampling the heavy coastal powder I returned home after bagging four ski areas in four days.

Here's a picture of the hole I left in the snowbank on Highway 3.

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.

Due to severe weather conditions and high avalanche danger, the Washington State Department of Transportation has closed U.S. 2 from Scenic to Rayrock. The highway will remain closed until WSDOT crews are able to safely clear debris from an avalanche that occurred earlier today. Visiting guests and Stevens Pass employees have been safely transported off the mountain.

With currently existing and expected high avalanche danger, an opening date and time has not been set. As a result, Stevens Pass Winter Resort will remain closed through Saturday.

Check the resort’s website for the most current weather and operational information.

About 49,000 Trek MT220 girls bicycles, manufactured in China and Taiwan and imported by Trek Bicycle Corp., have been recalled because the frames can break during use.

The company has received 13 reports of broken frames, including four reports of minor injuries.

The bikes were sold at authorized Trek dealers around the country between April 2004 and June 2007.

For details, call 1-800-373-4594 or visit www.trekbikes.com or www.cpsc.gov.

The road from Paradise to Longmire at Mount Rainier National Park has been closed because of winter conditions.

Like the rest of the Cascades, the park has been hit hard by snow in recent weeks. Paradise, at 5,400 feet, has received at least a foot of snow every day but one since Jan. 28. More than 156 inches --13 feet -- of snow has fallen in the past 11 days.

“We’re closing the road from Longmire to Paradise to protect park visitors,” park superintendent Dave Uberuaga said in a release. “Continuous winter storms have increased the avalanche hazards and made it very difficult to keep the road open.

Heavy mountain snow and windy conditions are expected to extend through today and into the weekend.

“We have the plows and drivers necessary to clear the snow, and we will reopen the road as soon as conditions improve,” said Uberuaga.

To check road and weather information at the park, call 360-569-2211 and then select 1.

A water line break means the North Cascades Visitor Center near Newhalem will be closed until early March.

A break in the main water line has shut down all water resources to North Cascades National Park’s visitor center located on Highway 20, including restroom facilities and fire protection capabilities.

Repairs to the water line have been hampered by heavy snow and poor road conditions. The visitor center was closed last weekend to the public. Park managers are hopeful that the water system will be restored by the first weekend in March.

For additional park information, call the North Cascades National Park headquarters at 360-854-7200.

I’m in Hope, B.C., the morning after an epic day on the slopes and the roads.

I woke up this morning to almost 2 feet of fresh powder at Silver Star. It was like skiing in butter. I didn’t see my skis or boots for my first five runs. My guide was David Todd, a retired mountaineer. Together we mined the hill for stashes of powder all day.

The real adventure started when I hit the road. Conditions are as nasty up here as they are in the Cascades. My 3-hour drive from Silver Star to Hope turned into a 6-hour journey. Even with compact snow on the road in areas, it was easy cruising to Merritt where the highway was closed because of an avalanche on Coquihala Pass.

As I was planning an alternate route at a gas station in Merritt, the woman behind the counter suggested I just get a hotel in town. She said she heard stories of rocks on the road and nasty conditions in the Nicola Canyon between Merritt and the Trans-Canada Highway.

I told her I had a non-refundable room booked in Hope and was going to try anyway. She smiled and wished me luck. She was right about the road. It was horrible.

I had to swerve to avoid hitting three chair-size boulders. I had to stop at one point to clean my headlights with a handful of snow. I thought I was in the clear once I hit the TCH, but that’s when the rain hit. Standing water and poor visibility made the drive painful. As I write this I still feel queasy from the drive.

It was truly the type of day that makes ski road trips so memorable. But I’d trade 6 hours of torturous driving for 6 hours of Champaign powder almost any day.

Here’s some video of Todd taking a run through a skied off area late in the day. I shot the video while skiing behind him. Once again, this would look a lot better with a helmet cam. So, E-mail web editor Mark Briggs if you’re getting sick of the unsteady cam.

I skied at Big White today. While it has a reputation for being flat and well-groomed, my guide, Steve Threndyle, gave me a tour that unveiled numerous stashes of powder and glade skiing.

While it was a great day, I have to say the best thing about this area is that it lives up to its reputation as a family resort. Big White even guarantees it can teach you to ski in two hours or the next lesson is on them. The resort is packed with family friendly activities from skating, free hot chocolate around the bonfire each night and Nintendo DS stations for kids to play in the lodge.

One of the more interesting features of the upper mountain are the snow ghosts. These are trees that have been left in a deep freeze and take on interesting shapes. Here’s a picture of Threndyle in front of one of the ghosts.

And, as promised, here’s 42 seconds of Big White powder. It’s not deep and it’s used and probably not nearly as good as what you guys are getting in the Cascades this week, but it’s fun. Once again, this was shot with a handheld camera, so if it makes you sick e-mail web editor Mark Briggs
and ask him to spring for a helmet cam.

Mexico has been getting a lot of press lately as an adventure destination. Our top story in Thursday's section looks at some unique destinations for birding, fishing, climbing and hiking.

In my column, I urge the new Washington Coastal Cleanup Alliance to honor the man who got the Olympic Coast Cleanup started, Jan Klippert.

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, consider going to Mount Baker to watch the Legendary Banked Slalom, the event that gave rise to the sport of snowboarding.

If you want to stretch your legs, give Mount Pete a try, it's our Hike of the Week.

I spent the morning skiing at Apex Resort near Penticton, B.C. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a low key vacation spot with great skiing.

I was hooked on Apex from my second run, a high-speed run down The Chute, one of the resort's signature runs.

But even better was a run down the double-diamond Make My Day. Despite all the recent snow, this run is still so steep it gets skied out quickly. I clipped two tiny stumps.

I hooked up with Dave Wood, my guide, at about 11 a.m. and he took me on some cool runs.

Wood moved to the area from Edmonton to play Hockey, but he says Apex is what has kept him here.

“It’s the best skiing in the (Okanagan) Valley,” Wood said. “It’s a skiers' mountain.”

I’m skiing family-oriented Big White tomorrow.

Here are a few pictures from my overcast day at Apex.

Here's a look down from the top of Make My Day, one of Apex's famous Gun Runs. The ski patrol guy to the left is about to bite it.

Not sure if you can tell from this picture, but this run is steep. This looking up at the ski patrol guy giving up. I think he was planning on hiking back up. He says he said he was it was one of his first days on telemark skis. This run is so steep that even with all the snow stumps like this (right) sneak up and scuff your skis.

This is my guide, Dave Wood, skiing Little Colorado. Some skiers jump off that rock outcropping in the background. Not me.

This is the second of at least 12 installments from Craig's attempt to ski at least once each month this year. He's done this before but this is his first time writing about it. He'll write more in the summer months when the skiing is a little more difficult to find.

We're getting good response from you guys about our story on what some outdoor companies and park services are doing to limit their environmental impact. Thanks.

One letter comes from a company we didn't include. Here's what they want you to know.

Your article in today’s paper is great – thank you for covering what the outdoor industry is doing to help the environment. We’re a little disappointed that we didn’t get to talk to you, as we’re proud to be a local company, still manufacturing the majority of our products at our headquarters in Seattle.

In fact, over 90% of MSR, Therm-a-Rest, Platypus and SealLine products are made at the Cascade Designs Headquarters at a brown field location in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle. This urban location allows us to provide living wage U.S. Manufacturing jobs and more alternative commuting options for our employees. We’re also in a city with strong environmental standards and carbon neutral electricity – and close to the shipping port. “Lean manufacturing” techniques are used in the manufacturing process to limit waste in the form of materials, space and ultimately energy. Examples of this include re-use of shipping boxes, energy efficient lighting and keeping heat low when space in not occupied. The high quality, durable products made here are built to last a lifetime and are warranted for repair in an effort to keep them out of landfills. Our marketing materials are also designed to be recycled by using recycled content paper and soy based ink. Additionally, we give to organizations locally, nationally and globally that help conserve wild areas and maintain access to them for responsible recreation such as Washington Trails Association, Washington Water Trails Association, Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club, Leave No Trace, American Hiking Society, The Conservation Alliance, The Access Fund and Winter Wildlands Alliance.

- Tami Fairweather

Twin Harbors will open for late-evening digs Wednesday through Saturday, while Long Beach will open on Friday and Saturday. The digs were approved this afternoon after marine toxin tests showed 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 season.

Depending on the harvest for this dig, the state may announce additional digging opportunities in March, but likely only at Twin Harbors, Ayres said.

Low tide times are: Wednesday, 6:15 p.m., +0.1 feet; Thursday, 6:52 p.m., 0; Friday, 7:27 p.m., +0.1 feet; Saturday, 8:02 p.m., +0.4 feet.

The overall budget request for the National Park Service in FY2009 is $2.4 billion, based on information released Monday. That is $13.9 million above the enacted FY2008 budget. That's an increase of just .58 percent. The request for the park service is part of a $10.7 billion request for the Department of the Interior.

There is some brighter news contained within the budget, including an 8 percent increase in the service's park operations budget.

What does this mean for the national park units in Washington? Good question.

I've talked with people from all three of our major national parks and no one has any details yet on specific budget requests for each park. One person said they should learn those details in the next few weeks. Seems to be an odd way of doing business, but we are talking about the federal government here.

Click here for a report highlighting the budget request for the National Park Service.

The public will be able to listen to the state Fish and Wildlife Commission's conference call Friday at four Western Washington locations. The commission is expected to vote on new allocation guidelines for the Columbia River spring chinook fishery.

People interested in hearing the discussion can do so via speaker phone at 5 p.m. at state Department of Fish and Wildlife offices in Olympia, Montesano, Mill Creek and Vancouver, Wash. No public comments will be taken at Friday’s meeting.

The conference call was scheduled after commissioners split 4-4 on a proposal made by commissioner Conrad Mahnken at a public meeting Saturday that would change allocation guidelines for this year’s spring chinook fishery on the lower Columbia River in favor of recreational fisheries.

Click here for addresses of the offices were you can listen to the conference call.

Click here for a story from Sunday's News Tribune covering the commission's debate.

I'm in Wenatchee right now on my way to Osoyoos, B.C. Just went over Snoqualmie and Blewett passes. Both were in great shape.

To say I wasn't looking forward to crossing Snoqualmie Pass would be an understatement considering the trouble I-90 has had staying open of late.

The road was bare and wet even though traction tires were required and temperatures were about 30 degrees. It was a bit like driving down a bobsled track however, with snow so high on the side of the roads it was hard to get a good look at the ski areas. Safe to say skiing must pretty good right now.

I only dipped below 60 mph once (I got stuck behind a minivan caravan.)

Snow is coming however, so pass conditions could change soon. Call 511 from your cell for the latest conditions.

I hope to ski Apex tomorrow. I'll try to post pictures and my thoughts tomorrow night.

OK, you're probably going to spend the day watching the Super Bowl, but if you don't like football ESPN Classic has an awesome alternative.

ESPN Classic is airing a Warren Miller movie marathon until 5 p.m. At the moment they're showing guys in straight skis and too-tight pants ripping moguls. If nothing else, watching will make you grateful for your shaped skis.

By the way, I spoke to Warren Miller by phone about a week ago.

The skiing icon was in Montana and seems to be doing as well as ever at the age of 83.

On Sunday we'll be looking at 20 companies and park services that owe their existence to outdoor recreation. We asked them what they are doing to reduce their impact on the environment. The story relays what they told us.

So, what can you do to reduce your impact on the environment on your next camping trip?

Here are 20 suggestions:

1. Stay on the trail when you hike – even if that means walking through mud puddles. Cutting from one part of the trail to another on a switchback causes erosion that can damage plants. Walking off trail to get around puddles also damages plants.
2. Don’t use soap when washing dishes in a creek or lake. Wash dishes with a reusable cotton towel rather than disposable wipes.
3. Camp only in established sites. Cook over the fire rather than using a stove.
4. Use rechargeable batteries for all of your backcountry electronics. Solio (solio.com) sells universal solar chargers that work on cell phones and iPods.
5. Don’t use disposable dishes and utensils.
6. Bring your own firewood or collect only fallen branches. Check to make sure collecting fallen wood is allowed at your campground.
7. Reuse zip-lock bags and recycle empty stove fuel canisters.
8. Take bulk foods like trail mix rather than individually wrapped items like energy bars.
9. Turn off all your lights and appliances (other than the fridge, of course) before you leave the house.
10. Check your campsite for any litter before you leave. Then double check.
11. When nature calls be kind to the environment. Dig a hole to bury your business. (Note: This doesn’t work on snow. The snow melts leaving summer trouble.) Either wipe with something natural like moss, leaves or snow or pack out your toilet paper.
12. Buy a down sleeping bag and leather hiking boots instead of a bag and boots made of synthetics.
13. Print your maps at home and use one large sealable bag to keep them dry rather than laminating each map.
14. Buy a hybrid car or at least carpool and don’t over pack your ride with gear.
15. Boil your drinking water instead of chemically treating it.
16. Borrow or rent gear rather then buying new.
17. Ride your bike to the grocery store.
18. Stay in a tent rather than a cabin or hotel.
19. Don’t wash your car after your trip.
20. Be creative. I have a buddy that used his vasectomy sperm sample jar (he says he never used it that way) as a reusable mini peanut butter container. You likely have many things around your house that have multiple uses.

If you read our story on Personal Locator Beacons last month, you are aware of the benefits and concerns of carrying one of these $700 devices. Here's a PLB story with a happy ending. This is a press release from PLB manufacturer ACR of Florida.

­Search and Rescue (SAR) crews saved solo hiker Nate Freund, 27, on Tuesday, January 22 in the San Bernardino Mountains, east of Los Angeles. A week prior, another hiker went missing in nearby mountains and was never found.

=> Read more!

Anglers will learn about salmon run sizes for 2008 when the state Department of Fish and Wildlife holds its annual forecast meeting on March 4. Those run numbers will help shape coastal, Puget Sound and river fishing seasons for the coming year.

Kicking off the annual salmon season-setting process, the department will present initial forecasts – compiled by state and tribal biologists – of 2008 salmon returns. The meeting is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the General Administration Building Auditorium, at 11th Ave. and Columbia St. on the Capitol Campus in Olympia.

This meeting marks the start of the annual “North of Falcon” season-setting process. Throughout March and early April, state, tribal and federal fisheries managers will meet to establish salmon seasons for Puget Sound, the Columbia River and Washington coastal areas.