I was out of town Friday afternoon when the announcement was made, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has chosen Minnesota artist Joseph Hautman's image of a pair of Northern pintails to be the 75th anniversary Federal Duck Stamp.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Joseph Hautman's image depicts a male and female
pintail nestled among reeds and cattails.

The Plymouth, Minn., resident was also the winner in 1992 and 2002. Waterfowl painting must run in the family, since his brothers, Bob and Jim,
also are multiple federal duck stamp winners.

Ninety-eight percent of the proceeds from the $15 stamp go to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, which supports the acquisition of wetland and associated upland habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System, according to a FWS news release.

The contest for next year is under way. Each year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service chooses five species any which of one may be painted. This year’s species are: Brant, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy duck, Canada goose and Long-tailed duck, according to the WSFWS. All artwork must be postmarked no later than midnight Aug. 15.

Click here for details of the program and 2008 contest.

Tonight is the first of two meetings Mount Rainier National Park officials are holding as they develop an Environmental Assessment for possible repairs of the Carbon River Road.

Today’s meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Enumclaw Public Library, 1700 First St., Enumclaw.

Tuesday’s meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Tacoma Mountaineers Clubhouse, 2302 N. 30th St., Tacoma.

Park staffers will discuss proposed alternatives for dealing the road, which has been closed to vehicles since more than two miles of road was damaged in November 2006 by flooding.

Access to Ipsut Creek Campground and trails in the northwest corner of the park is by foot and bicycle only.

The assessment will analyze several alternatives for the road, including closure of all or part of the road.

Click here to learn about park plans.

George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, died on Friday. He was 88 years old.

During his nine-year tenure, 1964 to 1973, Hartzog led the largest expansion of the National
Park System in its history, according to an NPS news release.

During those nine years, 72 sites were added to the national park system, sites that included national parks, historical and archeological monuments, recreation areas, seashores,
riverways, memorials, and cultural units comemmorating minority experiences.

Here is more from today's news release:

“George Hartzog was one of the great champions of the National Park Service,” said NPS Director Mary A. Bomar. “His vision of what the national parks should be and should mean to the American people left an indelible mark on the agency he so loved and believed in. His goal of making the National Park Service relevant to people who previously had been overlooked, especially minorities and women, has strengthened our agency.”

“I was fortunate to have known Mr. Hartzog, he truly inspired me early in my career as he did so many others who knew him through the impact of his legacy. Once I assumed my directorship - we got to know each other personally then I found myself truly inspired by him -- his big ideals of
public service, as well as his passion for the National Park Service and its employees. My special memory of him was at the White House this past Christmas celebrating our National Parks -- he was so happy at that event. Our hearts go out to his wife Helen and their children who I know will miss him greatly. His National Park Service family will miss him too, but we all thank him for helping make us what we are today.”

Hartzog joined the NPS in 1946, when he entered the service as an Attorney. Field assignments as assistant superintendent at Great Smoky Mountains and Rocky Mountains national parks came along soon after. While serving in St. Louis, he brought to completion one of America’s most recognizable landmarks, the Gateway Arch.

Former Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall noted "Hartzog was able to leave behind a legacy that to this day is unsurpassed in the amount of land acquired, and the amount of legislation passed to protect public lands.” He described Hartzog as a reminder "of the glories of public service and
the legacies our best bureaucrats leave to future generations."

The state Department of Natural Resources just announced South Fork Hoh Campground, located south of Forks, will be closed from July 7 to Aug. 1. Construction crews have to close the access road to the campground for culvert replacement projects.

Here is the rest of the news release:

This closure will also restrict access to the South Fork of the Hoh Trail in Olympic National Park. South Fork Hoh Campground is one of nine DNR campgrounds located on the North Olympic Peninsula.

The culvert replacement activities are mandated by State Forest Practices rules designed to protect water quality and fish and wildlife. The old culverts, already in need of repair, will be replaced with larger culverts that meet the new fish passage laws.

“Fish passage projects like this must be completed in the summer, to avoid key seasonal impacts to the fish, such as spawning,” said John Viada, Region Manager, DNR Olympic Region. “Unfortunately, that means closing the campground during prime camping season.”

From the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club:

Seeker, the pretorian 35 out of Mukilteo, is running first so far in the 2008 Vic Maui. This is now Day Six of the international ocean race and all the boats are far offshore.

Seeker is by far the smallest boat in the fleet. Yet, even with that huge disadvantage, skipper Kenneth Gref and his crew are maintaining amazing speeds and staying among the front-runners. That shows excellent boatmanship and strategic thinking.

Also, it looks like the long-standing record of 10 days, 2 hours set by Lahaina's Grand Illusion is about to be smashed by Strum, the brand-new, carbon composite Riptide 50, that goes twice as fast as the other boats.

An update on the Victoria to Maui sailing race from the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club:

The 20th Vic Maui race started in perfect conditions with winds of 15 to 20 knots and under sunny skies. The boats just zoomed out of the Sound past Cape Flattery and now are heading due south before they decide to make a run for Hawaii.

The start was absolutely heart-stopping with Strum, the high tech racing machine, bolting over the line a mini-second before the gun. Even with that minor setback, Strum quickly blasted to the lead and has been getting further and further ahead of the pack. At last count, it had a lead of more than 250 nautical miles and was averaging speeds of 12 to 14 knots.

=> Read more!

Recreational halibut fishing will reopen Saturday off the north coast to allow anglers to harvest the June portion of the quota, according to a state Department of Fish and Wildlife new release issued a short time ago.

Fishing in marine areas 3 and 4 (La Push and Neah Bay) will be open for halibut fishing at all depths from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Saturday.

Here is the rest of the news release:

Enough quota remains in the fishery for another offshore day, said Heather Reed, coastal policy coordinator. To date, anglers have caught the May quota of 79,194 pounds and are now fishing on the 30,798 pounds set aside for June.

“With some of the remaining May quota added to the June set-aside, we were able to add two offshore and two nearshore days earlier in June,” Reed said. “There’s still enough quota remaining to offer one more offshore day. If sufficient quota remains after the 28th, the fishery will reopen in the nearshore area.”

All other marine areas are now closed to halibut fishing except the nearshore fishery in Marine Area 2 (Westport), which is open Fridays and Saturdays, and Marine Area 5 (Sekiu), which is open five days a week, Thursdays through Mondays, through July 21.

To help celebrate the centennial anniversaries of the Gifford Pinchot, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanogan-Wenatchee national forests our lead story offers you a list of 100 things to do on national forest land from the Canadian border to the Columbia River. We're sure you can find something to do this summer from that list.

Also, we got a story about the two public meetings Mount Rainier National Park officials are going to hold next week to get public comment on proposed fixes for the Carbon River Road.

Craig has his monthly update on the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to be held in Vancouver, including the retirement of Crystal Mountain alpine skier Libby Ludlow, who had her competitive skiing career hampered by injuries.

Our Hike of the Week is along the Big Quilcene River, while the Gear Guy is talking about backpack needs for a trek on the Appalachian Trail.

As expected, anglers can again keep the hatchery chinook salmon they catch while fishing on the Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis rivers in southwest Washington.

In addition, the catch limit for steelhead has been increased to six hatchery steelhead per day on the Cowlitz and North Fork Lewis rivers.

Both changes take effect today, according to a news release from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Here is the rest of the release:

Pat Frazier, regional fish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), said fishing rules for those rivers can be liberalized now that it appears enough fish are returning to meet hatchery production goals.

"Spring chinook returns have been nip and tuck this year for some hatcheries," Frazier said. "But after a late surge of fish, it now appears that the hatcheries will get the fish they need for broodstock."

In recent weeks, anglers have been required to release any chinook salmon they caught on the Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis rivers in response to lagging returns.

Under the new rules, anglers will be able to retain six salmon - including two adults - per day on designated portions of those three rivers through July 31. On the Cowlitz River, however, only one of those two adult salmon may be a chinook.

All wild chinook and wild coho salmon, which can be identified by an intact adipose fin, must be released.

On the Cowlitz River, the new chinook-retention rules will be in effect from the boundary markers at the mouth to Mayfield Dam. On the Kalama River, anglers will be allowed to retain chinook salmon from the boundary markers at the mouth to the Kalama Falls Hatchery. In addition, chinook retention will be permitted from the mouth of the mainstem Lewis River to the mouth of the East Fork and from there to Merwin Dam on the North Fork Lewis River.

Frazier said hatcheries on the Cowlitz and North Fork Lewis rivers now have all the steelhead they need to meet egg-take goals, allowing fishery managers to increase daily catch limits for hatchery fish on those rivers. Through last week a thousand steelhead had returned each of the facilities on the Cowlitz and Lewis and more are on the way.

"Boat anglers are reportedly doing very well fishing for hatchery steelhead on both of those rivers, although bank angling is somewhat limited by high flows," Frazier said. "Steelhead fishing on the Cowlitz has been best around Blue Creek."

The new six-fish steelhead limit will be in effect on the lower Cowlitz River from the Highway 4 Bridge at Kelso upstream to Mayfield Dam. On the North Fork Lewis, it will be in effect from the Interstate 5 Bridge upstream to Merwin Dam.

The biggest threat to many of Washington’s trails is not storm damage or overuse, but a lack of funding.

That is the thrust of an annual report released today by the Washington Trails Association that identifies the state’s most threatened trails.

Click here to view the WTA’s Endangered Trails Report.

The trail advocacy group called on Congress to turn around more than a decade of inadequate funding that has resulted in a federal trails system near the breaking point, said a WTA news release.

The report names 10 trails that suffer from a deep, systemic problem on Washington’s public lands, the ongoing shortfall in U.S. Forest Service appropriations, the release said.

According to the report, the 10 most endangered hiking trails in Washington are:

Circle Peak/Crystal Lake, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Icicle Gorge Loop, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Headlee Pass, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Gee Point, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Colonel Bob, Olympic National Forest

Loowit Trail, Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Middle and South Fork Cascade River, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Miners Ridge, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Foggy Dew Ridge, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Boundary Trail, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Leave a comment if you feel any South Sound trails should have been included on WTA’s list this year.

Mount Rainier National Park officials will hold two public meetings next week as they begin an Environmental Assessment on possible repairs of the Carbon River Road.

The first meeting will be June 30 at the Enumclaw Public Library, 1700 First St., Enumclaw. The second meeting will be July 1 at The Mountaineers Clubhouse, 2302 N. 30th St., Tacoma. Both meetings will start at 7:00 p.m.

Park staff will be on hand to discuss proposed alternatives for the road, which has been closed to vehicles since November 2006 when flooding and high winds caused damage throughout the park.

Access to Ipsut Creek Campground and trails in the northwest corner of the park is by foot and bicycle only.

During the flood gullies measuring about 0.95 miles, or 17 percent of the road’s 5 1/2-mile length, were formed at Falls Creek and beyond Chenuis Falls Picnic Area, according to a park news release. Another 600 feet of road was damaged when part or all of one lane washed away.

Another mile of roadway was damaged so grading would be needed and culverts would need to be added and/or replaced if the road was stabilized or fixed.

While the park’s General Management Plan, approved in 2002, calls for the eventual closure of the road, it does not establish guidelines for that to happen, the release said.

As a result, park staffers are developing an environmental assessment to analyze several alternatives for the road, including closure of all or part of the road and to have additional public participation in the decision-making process.

Those wishing to comment should submit them:
In writing: Superintendent, Mount Rainier National Park, 55210 238th Ave. E., Ashford, WA 98304-9751
E-mail: mora_superintendent@nps.gov
Online: Click here and then go to the Mount Rainier link.

Click here for more information about park plans.

I'm in Coulee Dam, Wash., this morning exploring the many trails and recreational opportunities for a future story. So far this area has blown me away as it's illustrated the amazing spectrum of terrain in Washington. Above is a picture I snapped from inside a cave above Lenore Lake, a reservoir on the Columbia River.

HOW TO BE HEARD
Here's how to send your comments on the Dosewallips Road project to Olympic National Forest:
- Read the Environmental Impact Statement.
- Send an e-mail to Olympic National Forest.
- Call the forest 360-956-2375.
- Write the forest: 1835 Black Lake Blvd. SW, Olympia, WA 98512-5623

Six years after a storm washed out a portion of the Dosewallips Road in Olympic National Forest, the forest service has come up with three options for fixing the road according to statement released it released earlier this month.
The environmental impact statement for the project was released June 13 and is open for public comment until Aug. 12.

Forest officials have proposed the following solutions for the popular road that also access Olympic National Park.

1. The first proposal is to reroute a mile of the road resulting in clearing of 7.1 acres at a cost of $2.6 million.
2. The second proposal would cost more ($3.8 million) but clear less acreage (6.5 acres).
3. The final proposal is to build an $8.8 million, 700-foot-long bridge over the washout area.

Forest service officials estimate the project will be done by 2012.

The three proposals were selected from the original 14 possibilities. Possibilities that didn’t restore the road – including a proposal to turn the road into a trail beyond the washout – were not considered. They did not meet the purpose of the project, the forest service’s statement said.

Vehicle access was considered important because the Dosewallips Road - or Forest Service Road 2610 - is one of only two east side access roads to Olympic National Park.

“It's nearly 10 miles round trip from the washout to the Dosewallips Campground in the park, and that's a hike that many are not willing to endure or in other cases not capable,” forest supervisor Dale Hom said in a prepared statement. “ Others believe that the reroute of the road is unnecessary. This comment period will allow us to officially capture the comments and opinions from all sides of the issue.”

The Washington Trails Association built a trail through the washout area and has been supportive of rebuilding the road. However in statement released this week it said “after the National Marine Fisheries Service released a letter indicating that rebuilding the road could harm returning Chinook salmon, we reluctantly opposed rebuilding the road in place.”

The organization also said it is “carefully considering our position on the alternatives proposed.” The WTA asked its members to send its comments to it at wta.org as well as the forest to help the organization form its opinion.

Mount Rainier National Park officials this morning released an Environmental Assessment for repairs to the flood-damaged Glacier Basin Trail.

Of the three alternatives, the staff’s preferred alternative is to reroute the trail above the White River floodplain.

Click here to read the assessment.

A one mile stretch of the trail west of the White River Campground was destroyed by the November 2006 flood. The Inter Fork of the White River cut a channel through the area where the trail was, and currently only about 1,000 feet of intact trail tread remains, according to a park press release.

Also lost in the flood was the foot log cutting off access to the Emmons Moraine Trail.

The trail is the main access route to Glacier Basin, Camp Schurman, Camp Curtis, Emmons Flats, the Inter Glacier and the Emmons Glacier route to Mount Rainier’s summit.

The missing trail tread, glacier river crossings, lack of a defined route and continued exposure to flooding are creating conditions that are unsafe for hikers and damaging to park resources, park officials said in the release.

The alternatives are:

-- Allowing trail use to continue as is, including using informal bypass trails.

-- Repairing the damaged section in the existing alignment along the Inter Fork of the White River.

-- Relocating the damaged trail to higher ground above the flood zone. That would require establishing new trail in bedrock, which means crews would have to do blasting during the work.

The assessment is also available in local public libraries. To receive more information or to request a CD copy, call 360-569-2211, ext. 2301.

Those wishing to provide comments should submit them in writing to: Superintendent, Mount Rainier National Park, 55210 238th Ave. E., Ashford, WA 98304; or electronically by clicking here.

Comments should be postmarked or electronically date stamped no later than July 18.

An assessment for the Wonderland Trail is expected to be released for public review in early July.

From Mount Rainier National Park:

Mount Rainier National Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga has announced that an Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared for a proposal to repair or reroute one mile of the flood-damaged Glacier Basin Trail in the White River Valley. The public is invited to review the EA and provide their comments.

The Glacier Basin Trail (GBT) serves as the main access to Glacier Basin, Camp Schurman, Camp Curtis, Emmons Flats, the Inter Glacier, and the Emmons Glacier climbing route. A mile-long section of the GBT was destroyed by flooding in November 2006. The damaged trail section is located in Wilderness, west of the White River Campground. The Inter Fork of the White River cut a channel through the area where the trail was, and currently only about 1,000 feet of intact trail tread remains.

=> Read more!

Members of Eyes in the Woods, a volunteer conservation organization, is looking for volunteers to clean litter on private timberlands this month.

The group is leading events at:

Olympic Peninsula: Meet at 9 a.m. Saturday at the state Department of Fish and Wildlife Region 6 office, 48 Devonshire Road, Montesano. The work, to be done on land managed by Weyerhaeuser and the Campbell Group, will continue until 6 p.m.

Mount St. Helens: Meet at 9 a.m. on June 28 at Drews Grocery on Highway 504 in Toutle. Volunteers will work on Weyerhaeuser’s Mount St. Helens Tree Farm through 6 p.m.

Eyes in the Woods volunteers play an important role in wildlife management by monitoring hunter activity, staffing check stations and posting signs, said Dave Ware, state game manager, in a DFW news release.

These cleanups are another example of that help, Ware said.

"Access to private lands is a major issue for hunters and this department. This is a way for hunters to show their appreciation for landowners who open their lands for outdoor recreation," he said in the release.

Click here for more information about these events or call 360-480-6689.

Starting Saturday, Mount Rainier National Park will offer weekend shuttle service from Ashford to Longmire and Paradise, park officials recently announced.

The park also plans to offer another shuttle from Longmire to Paradise starting Friday.

According to a statement from the park shuttles will leave Ashford every 30 minutes from 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. and every hour and 15 minutes between noon and 5 p.m.

The Ashford shuttle pickup will be be near Whittaker's Bunkhouse where free parking is available according to the park's press release.

“This shuttle will help reduce parking congestion at Paradise and give visitors a convenient way to see the park,” park superintendent Dave Uberuaga said in a prepared statement.

The park started the Longmire-to-Paradise shuttle in 2006, but this is the first year for shuttle service from outside of the park according to the park press release.

“Providing shuttle service like this is in line with our long-term transportation vision for the park,” said Uberuaga in the press release.

The shuttle is free, but there is a charge of $5 per person to enter the park.

Fans of fishing for chinook salmon and hatchery steelhead will want to head to the Columbia River as major stretches reopen Monday.

Sport fishing for summer chinook salmon will open from Bonneville Dam to Priest Rapids Dam and run through July 31. Below Bonneville Dam, anglers can retain adult chinook salmon June 21-28.

Fishing for summer steelhead also opens Monday, from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line up to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco. As in past years, anglers must release any steelhead not marked as a hatchery-reared fish by a clipped adipose fin.

Approximately 52,000 summer chinook salmon are expected to return to the Columbia River this season, up from 37,200 last year, said state fish biologist Joe Hymer, in a news release. The forecast for upriver summer steelhead is about 325,000, similar to last year.

Summer chinook are popular with anglers because they are bigger, sometimes weighting 40 to 50
pounds. Spring chinook generally average between 12 to 20 pounds, the release said.

Hymer cautioned anglers to be careful in midriver because the river is running high and fast, but added that the chinook tend to hold close to the bank.

Read Saturday's Sports section for a complete fishing report.

From Mount Rainier National Park:

Mount Rainier National Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga, Washington State Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration officials announce that the rehabilitation of State Route 123 and SR 410 is scheduled to begin the week of June 16, 2008. Project completion is expected this October.

Approximately 5.8 miles of SR 123 from two miles south of Deer Creek Bridge to the intersection of SR 410 at Cayuse Pass and 1.5 miles of SR 410 from a 1/4 mile north of Cayuse Pass, east towards Chinook Pass to the first major switchback are slated for improvements.

=> Read more!

ROAD CLOSURES: The letter race officials to Tacoma residents living near the race course.
Road Closures Letter

Race organizer Danette Felt says participants will see several key changes at the Sound to Narrows this year.

- The race will use chip timers for the first time. Runners will strap a microchip to their ankle that will automatically record their time. Walkers will not wear the chips, Felt said.

- Pierce Transit shuttle service to the race, which has been free in the past, will cost $1.50 each way. A new federal regulation prohibits Pierce Transit from letting race sponsor Multicare pay for the shuttle. Multicare paid $6,000 to cover shuttle expenses last year.

- The 5-kilometer course has changed so runners don’t have to spend as much time running on Pearl Street. The change will mean fewer traffic restrictions during the race, Felt said.

- For the first time medals will be awarded for the first 400 finishers in the junior shuffle, Felt said.

- Ignious Rocks, a band that has traditionally played along the course will play at the finish line this year.
“We think having the band at the finish line it will add to the atmosphere,” Felt said. “… We are excited about all the changes. I think its going to be a good year.”

Cougar Rock Campground opens today at noon, Mount Rainier National Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga said in a prepared statement this week.

This is two weeks later than the traditional Memorial Day weekend opening, according to a statement released by the park. Excessive snow and cold weather delayed the opening.

The park advises that there is still as much as three feet of snow in some areas of the campground and some sites remain buried buried in snow.

Snow was still falling in the park this week.

Eduard Burceag, the hiker who died Tuesday after getting trapped in a blizzard on Mount Rainier, died of hypothermia, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed Thursday night.

Burceag, a 31-year-old father and engineer from Bellevue, was caught in a storm Monday while hiking down from Camp Muir with his wife, Mariana, 31, and friend, 34-year-old Daniel Vlad.

The hikers dug a trench to try to survive the night. Burceag took the most brutal position on the bottom pressed against the snow and refused to rotate when his wife and friend requested, rescue rangers said. Rangers called his actions heroic.

Mariana and Vlad were airlifted off the mountain Wednesday morning. Rangers carried Burceag’s body off the mountain Wednesday afternoon.

VIDEO: Watch a video tour of the course with Sam Ring, who won the first Sound to Narrows and has run in them all.

In 2004 Curt Corvin, four-time winner of the Sound to Narrows,
and I drove the course so he could give us mile-by-mile
strategy for running the race.

Mile 1:
The down payment

  
The first mile of the race is down hill and loaded with temptation.

  
“A lot of people go out too quick,” Corvin says. “They have a lot of adrenaline, they want to set a mile PR, they are trying to get on the front page.

  
“You need to resist this temptation or you are going to feel it. Not here, but later.”

  
Most of the people who start the race this way are going to burn out.

  
“You need to be careful, save your body and set up the rest of the race,” Corvin says. “Think of it as a down payment for the end of the race when you’re coming back up the hill.”

=> Read more!

Rescue rangers are calling a Bellevue man who died on Mount Rainier Tuesday a hero whose sacrifice may have saved the lives of his wife and friend. Eduard Burceag, 31, died after the three day-hikers were trapped by a blizzard that hit mountain Monday.

The hikers dug a trench to escape the snow and 55 mph winds, and Burceag lay in the bottom with his wife, Mariana, 31, and friend, Daniel Vlad, 34, on top of him, incident commander David Gottlieb said.

In this position, he would have taken the brunt of the punishment, Gottlieb said. When his friend and wife tried to rotate positions with him, he refused, Gottlieb said.

The three, who were natives of Romania, were experienced climbers. Eduard Burceag and Vlad both worked as engineers.

A helicopter from the Fort Lewis-based 159th Aviation Regiment of the Army Reserve lifted the survivors off the mountain from Camp Muir at 6:15 a.m. Wednesday. Climbing rangers carried Burceag’s body off the mountain in the afternoon.

=> Read more!

The hiker who died Tuesday on Mount Rainier has been identified as Eduard Burceag, a 31-year-old father and engineer from Bellevue.

The survivors have been identified as Mariana Burceag, Burceag’s 31-year-old wife, and Daniel Vlad, a 34-year-old engineer who also lives in Bellevue.

Kevin Bacher, a Mount Rainier National Park spokesman, confirmed the identities of the hikers Wednesday afternoon.

Rescue rangers finished hiking off the mountain with Burceag's body by 5:30 p.m.

The survivors spent two hours at Seattle's Harbor View Hospital before they were released, said hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson. Both will return for a follow-up appointments in the coming weeks.

Hundreds of runners will take on the Sound To Narrows running course on Saturday. Adventure writer Craig Hill talks to runns about the biggest challenge they'll face -- the Vassault Hill -- the steep incline that leads to the finish line.

In my column this week, I offer some suggestions to several of our area parks on how they can attract more visitors and help people save some money during a summer when $3 a gallon gas is a distant memory.

Based on park records, this is the fifth snowiest season at Mount Rainier National Park. It's one of the items in our Mount Rainier notebook.

Our Hike of the Week will take you to Big and Little Hump, while Lake Sammamish State Park is our Weekend Getaway. We also have stories about a special family campout in Lakewood and free camping opportunities in state parks for foster families.

The city of Lakewood is hosting a camping experience for families at a special community event on June 28-29.

The Lakewood campout, to be held at Fort Steilacoom Park, begins at 3 p.m. June 28 and will conclude at 11 a.m. June 29.

The Great American Campout is being held in communities across the country, said a city press release.

“The main purpose of the event is to provide a safe, local venue for families to have an enjoyable outdoor camping experience,” said Dennis Higashiyama, the city’s recreation coordinator, in the release.

Campsites will be marked on soccer fields at the park and amenities such as the restrooms will be open for use. A hot dog dinner and pancake breakfast will be provided. Workshops on a variety of outdoor skills will be taught by experts. Staff from REI will lead workshops on the “10 Essentials” and “Leave No Trace” principles.

The event is being organized by Eagle Scout candidate Curry McWilliams.

If you don't have basic camping equipment, the city may be able to loan the equipment for the event. Sign-up early especially if you have equipment needs. The cost is only $10 for a campsite adequate for six people. families must register by Wednesday at Lakewood City Hall or download the registration form on the city’s Web site at. For more information, contact Dennis Higashiyama at 253-589-2489.

Two injured hikers were airlifted from Camp Muir minutes ago, completing a rescue that started yesterday after the hikers were trapped in blizzard condition.

At 6:17 a.m. Kevin Bacher of Mount Rainier National Park confirmed that an Army Chinook helicopter took the man and woman, who have not yet been identified to Madigan Hospital for treatment.

At 8:50 a.m. Bacher said the survivors were transfered to Harborview Hospital in Seattle.

A third hiker died Tuesday after spending Monday night stranded in blizzard conditions on the Muir Snowfield on the south side of Rainier.

The body of the dead hiker remains at Camp Muir and will be removed by private helicopter today if weather permits, Bacher said. If not, rangers will hike the body off the mountain.

The man who died was a 35-year-old engineer from Bellevue. His wife and friend, both 31, were the survivors. The man had children.

The families have requested not to be contacted by the media. Their names will be released at 4 p.m. by the park, Bacher said.

From Stacey Mulick:

STACEY MULICK; The News Tribune
Published: June 11th, 2008 05:55 AM
A Chinook helicopter was on its way this morning to rescuing two hikers injured during a day hike on Mount Rainier on Monday.

The Fort Lewis-based helicopter was expected to arrive at Camp Muir around a.m. to rescue the two men. They’ll be taken to Madigan Army Medical Center for treatment of frost bite, Mount Rainer park officials reported.

The weather above 9,000 feet was good, allowing for the morning flight.

A third hiker died after he and the two survivors got stuck in severe weather conditions while on a day hike to Camp Muir.

One hiker died and two others suffering from hypothermia and frostbite were awaiting rescue at Camp Muir on Tuesday after spending the night trapped in a blizzard on the south side of Mount Rainier.
Mount Rainier National Park officials and the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the death.
Blizzard conditions continued Tuesday keeping an Army rescue helicopter from retrieving the survivors and the body.
The three hikers – two men and a woman from Bellevue – were described as experienced mountaineers by park spokesman Kevin Bacher. Two climbed Rainier previously.
Rescuers hope to airlift the survivors and the deceased man off the mountain today.

=> Read more!

We’re looking for couples who met and fell in love while working at Mount Rainier? We’d like to talk to you for an upcoming story about people who got married after meeting at the mountain. Contact Jeffrey P. Mayor at 253-597-8640 or jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com.

A Bellevue hiker died on Mount Rainier overnight after being trapped by severe weather, a source told The News Tribune this morning.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner office confirmed that it is has been informed that there is a body on Rainier.

Rescuers are working to help two other climbers from the party who were suffering from hypothermic conditions, said the source, who asked not to be identified.

Park spokesman Kevin Bacher says rescuers are waiting for a clearing in the weather to fly the hypothermia victims off the mountain. The opening could come as soon as tonight or as late as tomorrow, Bacher said. Rescuers don't want to re-expose the hikers to the cold by hiking them down the mountain.

The survivors are being treated by three doctors who are clients in a climbing party led by Ashford-based Rainier Mountaineering Inc.

A group of three day hikers, all experienced climbers, were caught in bad weather Monday during a day hike to Camp Muir above 10,000 feet on Rainier. They spent the night at Anvil Rock, not far below Camp Muir, Bacher said.

This morning two of the hikers climbed back up to Camp Muir to ask for help.

Mount Rainier National Park rescue rangers are involved in the rescue.

This just in from Willamette Pass Resort:

Oregon Resort Reopens
The Oregon Skyway will begin Summer gondola operations this Saturday and Sunday, June 14th and 15th with sightseeing to the top of Eagle Peak in the snowcapped Cascades, and Skiing and Snowboarding on our Peak 2 lift.

Willamette Pass Resort will NOT at this time be offering our extreme Mountain Biking.
Willamette Pass Resort will NOT at this time be offering our amazing Hiking.
Willamette Pass Resort will NOT at this time be offering our challenging Downhill Disk Golf.

BUT… The resort WILL be open this Saturday and Sunday for SKIING and SNOWBOARDING! …come ride the Oregon Skyway gondolas and ski and ride the Peak 2 Chair.

=> Read more!

Today's SoundLife section is packed with Fitness stories.

1. According to my cycling log I biked 26 days in May - Bike to Work Month - but I got out done by our arts critic, Rosemary Ponnekanti. She wrote a great story today about her adventures. When you read her story pay close attention to her wish list for Tacoma (especially if you work for the city). Our city streets aren't bike friendly.

2. I tried the Wii Fit last week and was unimpressed. I admit it was fun, but I hardly found the video game to be any more beneficial to my workout program than it's function as a fancy scale. Syndicated fitness columnist Marilynn Preston apparently agrees.

3. My contribution to the section was a story on polo. I took a polo lesson recently and had a blast (even though I stunk). You can do the same this weekend at the Tacoma Polo Club.

Shuttle service to the Sound to Narrows will cost runners $1.50 each way because of new federal regulations, a Pierce Transit spokesman said Friday.

The shuttle has been free in previous years.

Lars Erickson of Pierce Transit says new federal regulation designed to open special events to private charter companies means race sponsor Multicare can no longer pay fares for runners.

Erickson said Multicare requested to pay the fee, but Pierce Transit is now required to decline all third party reimbursement.

Erickson says Sound to Narrows is the first major event impacted by the new regulation that went into effect April 30. However, it will also impact service to events such as the Tall Ships, Taste of Tacoma and the Puyallup Fair.

The 36th running of the Sound to Narrows is June 14 at Vassault Playfield.

I happened to catch part of this morning's episode of "Inside Olympia" from TVW. State Parks drector Rex Derr and Mount Rainier National Park superintendent Dave Uberuaga were interviwed about what's going on in our parks.

The conversation convered a vareity of topics, from the climbing program on Mount Rainier to safety in our parks to attracting new residents to the various parks in Washington.

If you want to see the show click here.

From the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee:

Vancouver, BC – The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) today announced that The Whistler Sliding Centre will open its doors for tours this summer, providing the public with the first opportunity to personally touch and feel one of the 2010 Winter Games venues. Located on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler BC, The Whistler Sliding Centre will be home to bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions in 2010. It is one of only 15 international competition sliding tracks in the world, and one of four in North America.

=> Read more!

From Mount Rainier National Park:

Representatives from Mount Rainier National Park and the Japanese non-profit organization Groundwork Mishima will activate a new “bio toilet”
at Cougar Rock Campground at a ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, June 9, 2008.

The high-tech toilet, valued at $70,000, was donated to the park last fall by Groundwork Mishima, which works with citizens, local governments, and businesses to address environmental issues and promote volunteerism in Japan. The group is active at Mount Fuji, which has a “Sister Mountain”
relationship with Mount Rainier National Park. “We are pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with the people of Japan,” said Superintendent Dave Uberuaga. “This bio toilet will be a practical contribution toward our goals of environmental stewardship and sustainable design in Mount Rainier National Park.”

The toilet was installed in late August of last year with the help of students from the Japanese Volunteers-in-Parks Association, who have been contributing volunteer services at Mount Rainier since 1993. Due to the lateness of the season, the toilet was not activated last fall. Its unique design uses cedar chips and natural composting techniques to operate efficiently with very little water and with no odor.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be attended by Superintendent Dave Uberuaga; Dr. Toyohiro Watanabe, Executive Director of Groundwork Mishima; President from Toyo Kogyo, the toilet’s manufacturer; and representatives from the Morinaga Milk Company, which produces the popular “Mount Rainier Café Latte” drink (www.mt-rainier-cl.com) in Japan and whose financial support made the bio toilet’s donation possible.

Cougar Rock Campground is scheduled to open to the public at noon on June 13, 2008. Heavy snowfall last winter and a late melt-out this spring have delayed its official opening. Snow remains on the ground in the campground.

The busy season has begun at Mount Rainier National Park, but expect to see plenty of snow at higher elevations. That's just one of the things that will be different at the park this season. Craig Hill and I write about that in Thursday's lead story.

For all the hikers out, I talked with Bart Smith for this week's column. The Lakewood man has begun the final push -- if you can call 2,180 miles a final push -- to achieve his goal of hiking all 16,000 miles of the National Scenic Trail system.

For the kids, our monthly "With Your Kids column is all about banana slugs.

Among the other stories, the Gear Guy is writing about women's undergarments, the Hike of the Week is Mount Si and we have a preview of the Friday and Saturday meeting of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Adventure writer Craig Hill passed along this update on a recent story:

Puyallup triathlete Gary Tucci has returned from France and wants to set the record straight about his decision to pay $55,100 for a spot in this year’s Ironman World Championship.

“I’m not some rich guy buying my way into the race,” said Tucci, who was unavailable to comment for The News Tribune’s story on May 13.

Tucci got the spot with his bid on eBay. Race officials sell entries on eBay to raise money for charities including the American Cancer Society. The regular entry fee is $550.

Tucci says he saw the opportunity as a chance to honor his brother, Joe, who died of cancer in 2000.

It was Joe’s death that motivated Gary to start running marathons in 2001. And it was marathon running that eventually evolved into triathlons.

“I watched him get sick, and it made me think ‘Who knows when you are going to go?’?” Tucci said. “I thought if I end up in that situation I want to be strong.”

Tucci is raising money to pay for his winning bid, and he put up the first $10,000. He said he has already raised $25,000.

“I hope to raise more than the $55,000 (bid),” Tucci said.

Tucci bid for the spot in the Ironman after coming within an hour of qualifying twice. He also failed to win the Ironman lottery selection twice.

Cougar Rock Campground at Mount Rainier National Park will not open Friday as scheduled, a park official said this afternoon.

“It is starting to clear off, but there’s several feet of snow in places,” Chuck Young, the park’s chief ranger, said when we talked today about park conditions. “The road pavement is cleared off, but the sites have not been cleared. Most of the tables are covered in snow.”

Crews also are working on getting water to the restrooms.

The campground is now scheduled to open June 13.

Young said while the summer season might have started, it is still winter at the park. Visitors should be prepared for snow-covered trails, especially at higher elevations.

From the Associated Press:

GOVERNMENT CAMP, Ore. (AP) — A legally blind mountaineer climbed Mount Hood — making it to the top.
With the help of his guide dog Rasha and his best friend Diego, 37-year-old John Wimmer has already conquered about a half a dozen mountains across the western United States.
Wimmer says he may have lost his eyesight when he was five, but he never lost his spirit. His message to others: Go after your dreams.
Wimmer said Sunday that people have stereotypes about abilities and limitations and he would like to abolish those to motivate someone else.
On Monday the trio are heading up north to tackle Mount Rainier.
Wimmer says they will also be using their trips to document the effects of pollution, raising money for UNICEF and raising awareness about climate change.
You can track their adventure by logging onto WhatsYourImpossible.com

Last year blind climber Scott Smiley summitted Rainier.

I got my day of skiing for June out of the way early with a quick dash to Snoqualmie Pass on Sunday morning to take advantage of the lingering snow.
I’d hoped to hike up Alpental and maybe get a run in on International, but when I arrived the idea suddenly seemed less appealing.
The fog was so thick I could only see about 50 yards up the hill. However, I could hear the running engine of a snow cat on the hill. I decided to look for another place to get in a run.
So I drove across the street where the snow was much thinner. I worked my way down the road until I got to the Silver Fir Lift. The snow looked OK, the fog wasn’t as bad so I decided to give it a try.
I spent 30-40 minutes hiking up the hill, where I relaxed next to the lift terminal for a few minutes before skiing down. The dirty snow was sticky, making for slow skiing and I had to dodge a number of bushes and bald patches.
Still I was skiing and skiing always feels great. I would have hiked back up for a couple more runs if I had more time.
As far as I can tell the snow will probably be suitable for poaching runs for the rest of the week. Maybe a little longer at Alpental. That said, it’s supposed to rain on the pass most of the week, so the snow might be gone even sooner.

The snow is dirty and slow under the Silver Fir Lift, but the coverage is still decent.

The steepest patches were pretty bare.

The view from the top.

This is the sixth of 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.

From time to time I get to step out off my Adventure writer role to try something a little different. I’ll have three such stories in June. Here’s a sneak peek.

MINI GOLF
A few days before Christmas I teamed up with sportswriter Todd Milles for mini golf match against touring pros Michael Putnam and Ryan Moore. We played the Putting Zoo in Puyallup. You’ll have to read Sunday’s story to see who won. (Hint: Ryan Moore is hirer ranked putter than Tiger Woods this season. Luckily we didn’t have Tiger on our team.)

PGA golfer Ryan Moore, sportswriter Todd Milles and Adventure writer Craig Hill watch pro golfer Michael Putnam take a key putt.

POLO
The Tacoma Polo Club in Roy invited me out for hitting lesson last weekend. I couldn’t turn down that offer. Look for the story and how you can try polo on June 9.

A member of the Washington State University Polo club warming up in Roy.

TALL SHIPS
I recently took a trip to Ilwaco to spend a day on the Hawaiian Chieftain. As part of my tour I got to climb the mast for a furling lesson. Look for the story in late June as we kick off our coverage of the Tacoma Tall Ships festival.

The Chieftain from about 60 feet above the deck.

That's me hanging out on the course yard with nothing under my feet but a piece of rope.

The new Pierce County Bike Map is finally available.

After some starts and stops, the free bicycle route map is available at locations around the county.

Mike Galizio, senior transportation planner for Pierce County Public Works & Utilities, said in a press release said the Web site will be updated as additional locations are added.

Click here for a list of locations to get your free county bike map.