We’re launching a new project today.

Over the next year I’ll keep you updated as I train for the 2009 RAMROD – Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day. RAMROD is a one-day 154-mile ride that climbs 10,000 vertical feet.

Sound brutal? Well cyclists sign up in droves for this torture. In fact there is only room for 800 cyclists but almost twice that many sign up. The riders are selected by lottery.

I didn’t get in this year so I’m starting now for next year by volunteering at this year’s ride. By volunteering I assure myself of a spot in the 2009 ride.

I spent last night at a cabin in Ashford with 10 fellow volunteers with cycling exploits that made me feel quite inadequate.

One volunteer is training for Ironman. One just won a 538-mile race across Oregon. Another recently road 700 miles in 90 hours. Another used cycling to melt 10 inches off his waist.

Not sure I can keep up with any of these guys, but we do have one thing in common – we’re willing to spend a day smearing peanut butter on bagels for the chance to torture our bodies next summer.

Volunteering is tough. We spent last night eating salmon and lasagna.

This morning we were up at about 5:30 and dished out bagels and fruit to cyclists about 60 miles into the ride. Most were quite happy at this juncture but the hardest part of the ride was still in front of them.

From here, near the entrance to Mount Rainier National Park, the riders climb to Paradise then descend rapidly to Ohanapecosh. Then, 100 miles into the ride, they begin a 12-mile climb to Cayuse Pass.

The first rider reached our food stop at 8:03 a.m. and the first riders stopped at 8:14. By 8:40 the masses were starting to arrive and by 9:30 the line stretch about 100 feet.

All went smoothly with no major complaints from the cyclists. And most complaints could be addressed. One volunteer, Damon, even picked the nuts out of crunchy peanut butter for a cyclist with braces.

By 10:40 a.m. most of the cyclists were on to the big hills and we were cleaning up.

Now comes the hard part – training for next year when I’ll be on the other side of the food table.

My family and I just returned from a trip to Vancouver Island. We had a great trip, traveling from Nanaimo to the far north coast, and then over to the Ucluelet-Tofino area. We saw bald eagles every day and a number of black bears, including a sow with two cubs. I'll be writing about it for an upcoming Adventure story.

While I'm working on my story, I would love to include your thoughts on places people should visit on Vancouver Island and why. It seems to be one of those quintessential Northwest family camping trips. Send me an e-mail about where you like to visit while on the island and what makes it a favorite of yours.

Finally, while I was away, however, my e-mail shut down. So if you sent anything to me that bounced back, please send it again.

THERE WAS A MISTAKE IN OUR PRINT VERSION OF THE FISHING REPORT TODAY. SALMON FISHING STARTS AUG. 16 ON THE PUYALLUP RIVER.

Mike Chamberlain of Ted’s Sports Center in Lynnwood says lake fishing is starting to slow down around Western Washington.
“There are still fish, but you have to be willing to put in the time,” Chamberlain said.
Mineral Lake Resort manager Michael Gordon agrees. After several good weeks, he says the action is starting to slow on Mineral Lake.
One lake where the fish are still biting is Spanaway Lake.
“It’s not slow at Spanaway,” said Bud Herlitzka of the park boathouse. “Fishing is good and people are catching nice fish.”
Herlitzka says anglers are doing best using PowerBait. Limits are being caught off the dock and by those trolling across the top of the water.
LAKES
Washington: “Downriggers are a must right now,” Chamberlain said. Anglers are catching cutthroat and bass using downriggers and spoons.
Mineral: Cliff Stouffer of Tacoma recently landed a 2 3/4-pound rainbow trout from the dock using orange power eggs, Gordon said. However, Gordon says warm weather has led to slower fishing. The trout are staying low in cooler waters. Worms and marshmallows or power eggs continue to produce the best results.
Tanwax: There are rainbows and bass to be had off the dock and the bass are also biting near the lily pads. The crappie and perch are also biting.
Drano: WDFW reported recently that many anglers are catching their limit of steelhead.
Chelan: Anton Jones of Darrell & Dad's Family Guide Service says this is a good time for evening fishing. However, heading out early to troll near Minneapolis Beach is also a good way to land fish, he said. Jones suggests trying T-4 Purple Glow flatfish with an Action Disk.
RIVERS
Puyallup – Snowmelt has left the river nearly unfishable although some anglers are still trying according to the staff at Work, Sports & Outdoors in Orting. Salmon fishing opens Aug. 16.
Cowlitz: WDFW officials say steelhead fishing has been good with anglers catching summer run steelhead near the trout hatchery.
Kalama: There a steelhead to be caught accord to Pritchard’s Western Angler. Early morning and late evening are the best times to try.
Lewis: The WDFW reports that boat anglers are catching steelhead at the mouth of the river.
Skykomish: Steelhead fishing is good between Reader Pond and Sultan, Chamberlain said.
Wallace: Chamberlain says Chinook fishing is excellent at the mouth of the river.
SALT WATER
Tacoma: Fishing was good last week but slowed a bit over the weekend according to the Point Defiance Boat House. The best places to troll continue to be the clay bank and slag pile.
South Sound: Zittel’s Marina reports that anglers did better Monday than they did over the weekend. Those doing best are trolling near Johnson Point at a depth of 30 to 50 feet.
North Sound: Chamberlain says the best fishing continues to be near Port Townsend. He describes the fishing as OK but expects it to improve in the coming weeks.
Sekiu: Fishing has been best earlier in the morning according to Olson’s Resort.

Here's a statement just in from Gifford Pinchot National Forest regarding the Cold Springs Fire:

The Cold Springs Fire is currently 7,729 acres with 98% containment. Within the perimeter, the fire continues to smolder and creep with heavy dead and down fuels.

Firefighters have completed aggressive mop up and cold trailing 300 feet within the perimeter and are focusing on back-hauling the almost fifty miles of hose used for mop up. This is mean arduous work as firefighters carry out long sections of hose over shovels and other tools to clear the firelines. Palm Infrared (IR) readings, an on-the-ground technology measuring fire acreage, are almost completed. Palm IR is more accurate than aerial IR.

=> Read more!

O.K. the big ski-all-year project is coming to an unceremonious end and I blame Jeff.

I'd planned to head down to Mount Hood tonight to get in some runs tomorrow, however a change in Jeff's schedule means I have to spend the rest of the month in the office doing real work. (Meanwhlie, Jeff is fishing on Vancouver Island. Nice.)

So the streak will end at eight months in a row with at least one day of skiing.

My personal best is 18 months in row (2005-07). So it can definitely be done.

This year, unfortunately, I'm going to have to leave it to the hardcore skiers and boarders.

Check out the trip reports from some of those people on one of our region's coolest adventure sports websites: turns-all-year.com

Northwest Trek is opening the historic home located on its 435-acre free-roaming area for a rare set of public tours, the facility announced this week.

Formerly the residence of park founders Dr. David and Connie Hellyer, the home is now the Hellyer Natural History Center and closed to the public. The Hellyer’s donated the land around their home to Metro Parks in 1971 and in ’75 Northwest Trek opened. The Natural History Center opened in 2000. David Hellyer died in 2006.

Northwest Trek will open the home for tours one day per month for the remainder of the year. The tours will be limited to 40 people and will cost $3 ($2 for “Friends of Northwest Trek” members) in addition to regular admission ($15 for adults). Tour groups will travel to the home on the trams that are used for touring the free-roaming area, which is home to many animals including bighorn sheep, bison and caribou.

The tours are planned for Aug. 30, Sept. 14, Oct. 18, Nov. 23 and Dec. 6. Officials recommend making reservations by calling 360-832-7166 or e-mailing reserve@nwtrek.org.

The North Puget Sound seems to be the place to go this week if you are looking to catch salmon, said Mike Chamberlain of Ted’s Sports Center in Lynnwood.
While South Sound marinas are reporting slow action, the fishing has been solid in marine areas 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and 10 (Seattle and Bremerton).
“Areas 9 and 10 are the highlights right now,” Chamberlain said. “But I’d say the fishing has only been fair.”
Chamberlain says the best fishing has been near Port Townsend where anglers are landing salmon with herring, candle fish and Point Wilson Darts.

=> Read more!

I tried to take a quick mountain bike ride at Banner Forest with a friend today at lunch. Three hours later, I was bleeding, he had what we thought was a broken shoulder and the afternoon was shot (as far as work goes at least).

I was the first of us to biff hard when I lost my grip on a steep descent over a log and fell over my handlebars hitting the trail shoulder first.

But my buddy, on the other hand, had a much more epic wipeout. Not only did he fly over his handlebars at high speed, but he skipped off the dirt road into a ditch under a shrub. As the dust flew insult was added to injury when his bike careened into him.

For a few minutes the pain was so bad he had to sit down to fight off nausea. He was able to ride the dirt road back to the car. We stopped for ice and I took him to the doc for an X-ray.

He called a few minutes to say his no bones are broken. This is good news for both of us. For him for obvious reasons and for me because I can now start making fun of him.

Two history-making former University of Puget Sound rowers will soon set out on their newest adventure.

Two years after becoming the first Americans to row across the North Atlantic, Jordan Hanssen and Greg Spooner plan to row around the Olympic Peninsula.

The men will leave from Gig Harbor on Aug. 4 and row counterclockwise around the peninsula. The Adventure is expected to last two-three weeks.

There route will take them through Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Pacific Ocean. They then plan to return to the sound via Grays Harbor and inland rivers.

"Sections of the river will test the rowers' route finding abilities, but dazzle them as they encouter jungle-like waterways, lush wetlands, over 40 bird species and rare indigenous wildlife," said a statement released by the men on Monday night.

The trip is a training row for their 2011 expedition when they plan to row 7,000 miles from New York to Nome, Alaska.

The lead story in this week's section is based on a recent trip I took to the Deception Pass area. I knew the state park there was the most visited of our state parks, but I wanted to know what else there was to do in the area. The answer is plenty. We went on a wildlife watching tour, hiked, played on beaches, watched boats cruise the North Sound and based in the sunshine.

We also preview Saturday's TrailsFest 2008. This is the annual event put on by the Washington Trails Association. Individuals and families will find plenty of activities all designed to get people outdoors.

In my column, I talk to famed climber Lou Whittaker about the 20th anniversary of the American Lung Association's Climb for Clean Air.

We also have a preview of the upcoming western regional waterskiing championships to be held outside of Orting.

Among our regular features, the Gear Guy is talking about bike racks, the Weekend Getaway will take biking at Mount Rainier National Park and the Hike of the Week is Rattlesnake Ledge.

Families who haven’t tried camping before, or want a little help getting started, should plan on attending a family campout July 26-27 at Kopachuck State Park.

Metro Parks Tacoma and REI are teaming together to help families who are less experienced with camping, said Tony Trautmann of Metro Parks.

The event will include several interpretive programs like a guided walk, a variety of outdoor activities and games. It also is an opportunity for families to learn about equipment and basic camping skills, said Trautmann. Staff members from both organizations will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice.

“We will educate families that are new to camping with the essential tools that it takes to be in an
overnight camping environment,” Trautmann said.

This is the fourth year of program and the second year in which campers have gone to a state park. Last year, participants went to Belfair State Park.

“We want to get them into a more natural setting,” said Metro Parks’ Julie Dames.
“We also made it longer so we can give them more information and resources so they can do this themselves,” Dames said.

Getting there: Kopachuck State Park is located five miles west of Gig Harbor. Take the second Gig Harbor exit off Highway 16. Look for the Kopachuck State Park sign. Take that exit and follow signs to the park.

When: July 26-27. Check in will be between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on July 26 at the campground.

Equipment: A list of recommend equipment will be mailed out. A limited amount of equipment, including tents, sleeping bags and sleeping pads will be available.

Cost: $5 for residents of the Metro Parks district and $7 for nonresidents.

To register or for information: Contact REI’s Brianna Charbonnel at 253-591- 5297 or bcharbo@rei.com.

Here is an interesting item from The Associated Press:

The U.S. House has passed a bill that would continue fish stocking in North Cascades National Park if the National Park Service determines it won’t hurt lake ecosystems.

The bill sponsored by Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., passed Monday. An amendment limits the program to 42 lakes and to fish that are sterile and native to the Cascade Range.

The park service had asked Congress to grant it legal authority to continue stocking trout in the North Cascades, a practice fishermen began in the late 1800s. Most national parks have discontinued stocking trout in lakes that historically had no fish.

The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate.

A 55-year old Seattle area woman is getting treated for rabies after being scratched by a bat in the Ozette campground late last week. Three Olympic National Park employees who responded to the incident are
also receiving treatment.

According to a park news release, the bat approached the visitor unnoticed while she was in her campsite around dusk. When she found the animal, she knocked it to the ground, receiving a scratch in the process.

The bat was stunned and remained on the ground in her campsite until the next morning when she reported the incident to park employees, the release said. The employees removed the bat and sent it to for testing. The rabies virus was found in the bat and preventative treatment began for all four people.

Here is the rest of the release:

“We’re very glad that this incident was reported to us and that the people involved are receiving treatment,” said park superintendent Karen Gustin. “Rabies exposure is extremely rare, but it does underscore our standard precaution –- to never approach or allow yourself to be approached by a wild animal.”

The only other known case of rabies in Olympic National Park was recorded 33 years ago in July 1975, when a child was bitten by a bat in the Elwha Valley.

The risk of acquiring rabies is extremely low, but the disease is fatal if not treated early after exposure, making it vitally important to treat any possible threat of exposure seriously.

Anyone observing unusual or aggressive behavior among park wildlife, including bats or other mammals that approach or appear fearless of humans, should inform a park ranger as soon as possible.

Here are links for more information about bats and rabies exposure:

Centers for Disease Control

National Park Service Public Health Program

What a difference a day and two gallons of fluid make.

After a day of cramping I decided not to head back to Centralia, but rather ride the final 56 miles from Kelso to Portland with the rest of my team.

Don’t worry, I intend to cut off a quarter of my finishers patch because I only rode about 150 of the 200 miles. I also rode the final 50 miles with a mark of disgrace. My wife took a highlighter to my bib number, 9150. She crossed out the 9 and circled and highlighted the 150 to draw attention to how many miles I was actually riding.

As painful as my killer cramps were Saturday, the heat was much crueler to another member of our team.

Rick Beitelspacher of Puyallup finished the first 150 miles strong Saturday and looked fine at dinner. But before he could order he excused himself back to his room.

By 1 a.m. he asked his wife, Kim, to take him to the hospital where he was treated for dehydration. He smartly chose to sleep in Saturday while Scott Wagar and Russ Meyers and I finished the ride.

I was a little nervous getting back on the bike, but I actually felt pretty strong. Russ and Scott on the other hand are always strong.

Russ is a cycling nut (he’s in a Tour de France fantasy league) and Scott is naturally fit (he didn’t even break a sweat in the 90 degree heat).

Once we crossed the bridge over the Columbia River into Oregon we flew into Portland with just one stop in St. Helens. We maintained a 23 mph pace for about 10 miles before Russ got a flat tire.

We were over 20 mph most of the way into Portland before the slow final roll through the city dropped our average to 18.6 mph.

After we crossed the finish line, hugged our kids and kissed our wives we posed for a picture. For good measure we called Rick at the hotel and held up the phone to complete the team picture.

The team photo at the finish. (L-R) Russ Meyers, me, Scott Wagar. That's Rick Beitelspacher on the cell phone.

Read tomorrow’s News Tribune for a story about some of the people I met along the route this weekend. Until then here are some interesting folks I met but couldn’t squeeze into the article:

- The four-person Braden family of Port Townsend did the entire ride on one bike. Dawn Braden and her 11-year-old daughter pedaled the first 150-miles on a tandem bike on Saturday. Sunday her husband, Peter, and 8-year-old son Tate finished the ride.
Tate hates wearing sunscreen – a must in 90 degree heat – so he compromised by wearing long sleeves and knee-high yellow socks.

- Mike and Alex Blore of Bellevue were a little older father-daughter couple doing the ride on a tandem. Alex is Mike’s 21-year-old daughter and joked that she sometimes fell asleep on the back of the bike making her dad do all the work.

- I met Team Tailwind in St. Helens, Ore.. The team of six men – Phil Meyer, Pat Burton, Matt Kincade, Tim Hegg, Kelly Cammack and Steve Blann – have done a combined 21 STPs and 10 of those belong to Phil. Phil owns Phil’s Cyclery in Federal Way.
While they enjoy the STP it’s probably not their favorite ride. The men are partial to their ride, the May Day Metric held the first Sunday of May in Federal Way.
The ride is best known for passing out Twinkies and Ding Dongs at rest stops. It also has a fire pit and hot soup for riders at the 50-mile mark and riders get a slice of apple or mixed berry pie at the finish line.
“No pie at the finish today,” Phil said. “Just beer.”

As I laid on my back looking up at the blue and white roof of the massage tent in Centralia a few hours ago, I thought I would reach my goal of pedaling the first 150 miles of the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic on Saturday.

Centralia is the halfway mark of the 204-mile ride, but in the 92-degree heat I was one of many of the 9,500 who was battling cramps.

I drank about 140 ounces of liquid between Spanaway and Centralia, but it wasn’t enough.

My masseuse, Pilar Galup, was telling me about how the 14-table massage tent had been busy all day, when my left hamstring cramped so bad that, in the words of my wife, I yelped.

Apparently every head in the tent turned to look at me and two of Galup’s colleagues left their clients to try to help me. For almost 10 minutes the three of them worked on my leg trying to get out the cramp before finally calling over a doctor from the neighboring first aid tent.

I spent the next 20 minutes on a cot in the shade drinking GatorAid after taking two ibuproferen and four Tums (for the calcium).

The doctor explained to me that while I was consuming a good amount of liquid I probably should have consumed twice as much. He also told me I should call it a day.

(This probably is a good time to point out that it’s probably unfair to place all the blame on the heat. Since riding the STP in one day last summer, I’ve gotten, in the words of my 9-year-old daughter, ‘pleasantly plump.” I also only got in about 900 training miles this year.)

As I agonized in Centralia, the rest of the team – Scott Wagar of Federal Way and Rick Beitelspacher and Russ Meyers of Puyallup – pedaled the final 50 miles to Kelso.

Tomorrow we’ll ride to Portland. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll head back to Centralia in the morning to ride the full 100 miles or if I’ll just stick with the team. Either way the team is sure to ridicule me all the way there.

Now that I’m in Kelso with the cramping subsiding I can’t help but recall the words of two men I met in Spanaway. They were wearing jersey’s that boasted “Hella Fool!!!”

“People who do this are crazy,” said M.J. Miranda who traveled from California to ride the STP with Chris Garcia. “People ask why we do it. You finish and you look pretty ragged, but you have bragging rights. That’s what it’s about.”

I posted a story a short while ago about Justin Merle who on Wednesday set the record for the fastest climb from Paradise to the summit of Mount Rainier and back.

The 29-year-old guide from Ashford on Wednesday broke the record set by Chad Kellogg in 2004.

It took Merle 4 hours, 49 minutes and 35 seconds to go from Paradise at 5,400 feet to the summit at 14,411 feet and back down.

Click here to read the complete story.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest Forest officials will reopen Road 25 Saturday. This road provides key north/south access from Randle and Packwood to Swift Reservoir and other areas on the south end, and also on the east side of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, according to a U.S. Forest news release.

Drivers should use caution on Forest Road 25 as some road areas may have settled, and rocks and other debris may be on the road bed.

At the north end of Forest Road 25, a bridge project will enable coho salmon to access additional habitat in Woods Creek. A temporary bridge bypass allows drivers to access Forest Road 25 with only minor delays at milepost 4, south of Randle. This project will begin later this month.

Here is more from the release:

Forest Road 99 which provides access to Windy Ridge Interpretive Site is not open. Forest road crews are assessing the heavy snow pack and winter storm damage effect on this higher elevation Forest Road.

Forest Road 23, a major cross-Forest route between Randle and Trout Lake remains closed by snow. A washout 0.8 miles north of the junction
with Forest Road 90 will only allow access to Takhlakh Lake Campground by traveling south from Randle, on Forest Road 23. Construction to repair this section of road will begin later this summer.

Due to flood damage, Forest Road 81 remains closed between Kalama Horse Camp and Forest Road 830 leading to Climbers Bivouac (Forest Road 830). Construction to repair this section of road is scheduled for the summer of 2009.

Access to the Climbers Bivouac remains limited due to snow, the closest access point is currently the junction of Forest Roads 81 and 830.

Forest Road 83 is open to the Marble Mountain Sno-Park. But Road 83 is closed to all motorized traffic east of the Marble Mountain Sno-Park, due to flood damage. This has closed access to the Lahar and Lava canyons on the south side of Mount St. Helens. Construction to repair this section of road is scheduled begin in late summer of 2008.

Click here for more information about accessing the forest.

Here we go again.

The Adventure Guys will once again be tagging along with the 9,500 participants in this weekend’s Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic.

Jeff, who hasn’t been on a bike since Nixon was in office, has trained nearly as much as me for the STP but he’s decided I’ll be doing the ride again this year.

It could get really ugly this year. I’m about 15-20 pounds overweight (not pretty in spandex and a bike jersey) so I’m planning on doing the ride in two days. Last year I did it in one day. I only have 900 training miles and my bike broke after 60 miles on my only century training ride.

I’ll be riding from Seattle to Kelso on Saturday (about 150 miles) and finishing up Sunday with a leisurely 50-mile roll into Portland.

I hope to talk to many riders along the way and I’ll post some of their stories here during the ride. Also check Monday morning’s News Tribune for coverage of this year’s event.

The state Department of Natural Resources announced a short time ago that two trails on Tiger Mountain are closed to the public.

The Northwest Timber Trail/Connector Trail are closed for bridge re-construction and are scheduled to reopen Aug. 8. This trail closure affects equestrians, mountain bikers and hikers, according to a DNR news release. A detour route is posted at the site and can be accessed from the 4000 and 7000 roads.

The South Tiger Traverse Trail is not expected to reopen until Nov. 1, after the Peacock Timber sale. This trail closure affects equestrian users and hikers, the release said. The Tiger Mountain Trail will remain open during the harvest operations.

The National Park Service has launched a Web site to aid visitors with disabilities and special needs to find accessible trails, programs, activities and other features at national park units nationwide.

Click here to visit the “National Parks: Accessible to Everyone” site.

It is hoped that we can assist visitors and their families and friends in travel planning to the NPS site of their choice, said NPS spokesman Gerry Gaumer in a news release sent out a short time ago.

National park units are constantly working to provide accessible trails, campgrounds, museum exhibits, ranger programs and other visitor opportunities for visitors with disabilities, he said.

The Web site will remain a work in progress and staff will continue to add information as it becomes available.

Eight treaty Indian tribes on the Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park will sign tomorrow a Memorandum of Understanding designed to increase open dialogue and improve coordination and collaboration between the tribes and National Park Service, according to a news release from the park.

The agreement involves the Hoh Tribe, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Makah Indian Tribe, Quileute Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe and Skokomish Tribe.

The ceremony is going to be held at the Quinault Beach Resort & Casino near Ocean Shores, starting at 10 a.m.

Among the projects that will have priority following the signing of the agreement are the Elwha River restoration and restoration of Quinault River sockeye runs.

An reception will be held Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the sixth annual Tacoma Mountaineers photography exhibit. The reception will be from 6 to 8 p.m., according to a release from the local outdoors group.

The show, which runs through Aug. 31, is being held at the Tahoma Gallery at the Tacoma Catholic Community Center, 1323 S. Yakima St., Tacoma. The center is the former St. Leo’s School. The exhibit is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

The Department of Interior earlier today announced a 30-day extension so the public could comment on proposed changes in rules regarding guns in national parks and wildlife refuges.

Comments are now due July 30. The initial comment period ended on Monday.

Sean Smith of the National Park Conservation Association’s Seattle office said in an e-mail that on June 26, the chairmen of the House and Senate subcommittees with jurisdiction over national parks wrote Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne requesting the extension.

Smith wrote that Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, and Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, said the previous 60-day comment period was an inadequate amount of time for the public to comment “on such a controversial and complex proposal.”

The department’s proposal would allow visitors to carry loaded, concealed firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges in states where guns are allowed in parks and refuges under state law. The current rules require guns to be unloaded and locked away during visits to parks and refuges.

The proposed change can be read by clicking here.

Click here to send comments, which should be identified by the number 1024-AD70.

The state Department of Natural Resources issued a news release earlier today announcing closures and restrictions at the Capital State Forest. The restrictions are due to winter storm damage or construction.

Here is the full list, according to the release:

FACILITIES
Porter Creek Campground can no longer be accessed via the B-line Road from Porter. The road is closed just past the intersection of the B-line and the C-1000 roads. This leaves three options to access Porter Creek Campground:
From the west: Start at the C-line Road entrance from Hwy 12. Follow C-line Road east to the C-4000 Road; continue north on C-4000 Road past Capital Peak to the B-1000 Road; continue west to Porter Creek Campground.
From the north: Enter from Hwy 8 (two miles east of the ORV Park); turn south onto the B-5200 Road. Continue south on the B-5200 Road to the B-5000 Road. Turn east on the B-5000 Road and continue to the B-line Road. Turn west on B-line Road and follow to Porter Creek Campground.
From the east: Enter from Waddell Creek Road to Sherman Valley Road and onto the C-line Road Continue west on the C-line Road to the C-4000 Road and follow the C-4000 Road north past Capitol Peak to the B-1000 Road. Travel west on the B-1000 Road to Porter Creek Campground. 

ORV TRAILS
North Rim #1, north of Porter Creek Campground: Swan Creek Bridge footing washed out.
Rock Candy West, south of Rock Candy entrance, is damaged in multiple locations due to mudslides.
Mount Molly Porter #3 and North Rim #1: In the Camp Four Creek and Potosi Creek drainages, the trails are damaged in multiple locations due to mudslides.
Trail #40, east of Middle Waddell Campground: Middle Waddell Bridge is closed due to damage from a fallen tree.

NON MOTORIZED TRAILS
Green Line #6, east of Porter Creek Campground, is damaged in multiple locations due to mudslides. The Iron Creek Bridge footing has washed out.
Mima Porter #8, southeast of Porter Creek Campground, is damaged in multiple locations due to mudslides. The Hell Creek Bridge footing has washed out.
Mima Porter #8, east of Wedekind: Stream crossings are damaged due to high water.
Trail #6-A, north of Mima Falls Trail Head: Culvert washed out due to high water.
Waddell Loop, east of Margeret McKenny Campground: Margeret McKenny Bridge washed out due to high water.

Mike Galizio, senior transportation planner for Pierce County Public Works & Utilities, sent an e-mail this morning saying you can now pick up the new Pierce County bike map at nearly 100 locations.

Click this link for the county’s Bike Map Web page to find the location closest to you.

Galizio said while they will work to add more locations, the map team “will now focus our efforts on working on the online version of the new bike map.”

Our Adventure cover is all about boating and Mount Rainier.

Our lead story offers tips from local sailors on some of the best places to go sailing in the area, for a day trip or an overnighter. It’s part of our Tall Ships Week in the SoundLife section.

We have a story with tips on how to stay safe while boating, especially during the busy holiday weekend. We have a related story talking about the 26 percent rise in boating fatalities in the Northwest compared to last year.

As for Mount Rainier, I covered Tuesday night’s meeting about the Carbon River Road. The park has come up with three preliminary alternatives for dealing with the flood-damaged road.

You can read the story online now by clicking here.

Inside, this week’s Mount Rainier notebook looks at shuttle ridership numbers and the final snowfall total for the 2007-08 season.

The Summit at Snoqualmie has received the go ahead from the U.S. Forest Service to begin the installation of a new high-speed quad chairlift. The ski are made the announcement this afternoon.

The Silver Fir Express, to be located east of the Central base area, will replace the current Silver Fir triple chair originally installed in 1988. Construction of the new lift is expected to be completed by November, the news release said.

Crews will begin this week taken down the existing Silver Fir triple chairlift. The $4.5 million project will involve the use of a helicopter to install the new chairlift towers.

While this new lift will serve the same terrain as the existing chair, ride times and lift capacities will be improved. The length of ride time will shorten from its current 10-plus minute ride to just over four minutes. Lift capacity will increase to 2,400 skiers per hour, the release said.

Click here to track the progress of the work.

Visitors will have more places to go, sort of, at Mount Rainier National Park starting Thursday.

The road to Sunrise, Sunrise Lodge, snack bar and visitor center will open Thursday. Don’t plan to do much hiking there, however. A park news release said there is 3 to 10 feet of snow still on the ground and trails in the area are generally inaccessible.

Also scheduled to open Thursday is the the White River Campground. That might be delayed because silt from the heavy snow melt is clogging the water system. The release said park maintenance staff are hoping to have the system operating and tested by Thursday. For updates on the campground, call the park at 360-569-2211.

Elsewhere in the park, Mowich Lake Road is open to the Paul Peak Trailhead. Up to 8 feet of snow remains on the road beyond Paul Peak.

Carl Fabiani told me last night that visitors should expect to find snow, lots of it in many places, on any trail above 3,500 to 4,000 feet in elevation.