I snapped this shot the other day while taking a quick walk at Snake Lake.

A state official said razor clams will be tested for Paralytic
Shellfish Poisoning toxins prior to a dig scheduled for later this month. This follows yesterday's announcement that beaches at Olympic National Park will be closed to shellfish harvest because of high levels of PSP.

“We will certainly be testing razor clams for both domoic acid and PSP,” said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“Razor clams don't seem to accumulate PSP as much as they do domoic acid. However, there have been razor clam closures due to PSP,” Ayres said.

The last razor clams closure due to PSP was at Twin Harbors and Long Beach in 1992, he said.

The next scheduled razor clam did is scheduled to take place Nov. 13-16 at Copalis and Mocrocks, as well as Nov. 14-16 at Long Beach and Twin Harbors.

A GHOST IN THE KNOW?

Had we remembered what the woman in white told us 24 years ago, we would have known precisely when Mount St. Helens was going to ooze lava in 2004.

"You are right," said ghost expert Barbara Smith, her voice wavering momentarily as if she was chilled by the idea (or the snow she was watching fall outside her Edmonton, Alberta, home). "However, people had long since written that story off as an urban legend."

But urban legends have to start somewhere. And, yes, there are even urban legends about the Great Outdoors.

"Most of the time they start with a real encounter," said Smith, author of " Ghost Stories of Washington" and 21 other books about apparitions. "Then the stories get better and better as the story gets retold."

Maybe that's what happened with the woman in white.

For nearly five months after Mount St. Helens blew its top on the morning of May 18, 1980, stories of a spooky female hitchhiker started to make the rounds.

So many people said they saw the woman that the stories were retold in mainstream media reports. Police in Southwestern Washington towns were even notified that drivers might report seeing the woman, Smith said.

Driving at night on Interstate 5 and local highways, many drivers were stunned as their headlights revealed a woman in a white dress walking on the shoulder and signaling she needed a ride.

When cars stopped, she crawled into the back seat and sat quietly as they continued on their way. But eventually, the woman would talk about Mount St. Helens.

The volcano's dynamic display that spring was a common conversational icebreaker at the time, so drivers certainly weren't surprised by the woman's choice of topics.

But what happened next certainly sent chills down their spines.

The woman in white would lean forward and say something like, "You know it's going to erupt again."

When the driver glanced at the woman in the rear view mirror, she was gone.

Similar stories circulated in the area, getting more and more specific each time until, in some of her final appearances, she told drivers, "The volcano is going to erupt again between Oct. 12 and 14."

As the date approached, the sightings became more rare until they stopped altogether. When Oct. 12, 1980, came and went, people started kicking themselves and laughing at each other for giving validity to such a tale.

Some people, Smith said, wrote off the ghostly prediction as a morality tale, a reminder to always respect the power of Mother Nature.

"It would have been natural to assume she meant Oct. 12, 1980," Smith said. "But years don't matter to ghosts."

When Mount St. Helens awoke in late September 2004, the story of the woman in white had almost entirely vanished from local lore. As St. Helens spewed ash and steam, scientists theorized that the main event would be molten lava punching through to the surface.

They were right. After weeks of anticipation, scientists recorded lava finally pushing through the crater floor - on Oct. 12.

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The Olympic National Park Pacific coast will be closed to the harvest of all shellfish starting Satturday because of the presence of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning toxins in shellfish.

The park’s 73-mile coastline had been scheduled to open for shellfish
harvest beginning Saturday1, but this opening is now delayed until further notice.

The park issued a news release a short time ago.

This closure applies only to the park’s coastline. Toxin levels on the southern Washington coastline have been lower than within the park. However, a decision to close those beaches to harvest may be made separately by the state Department of Health and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife in the future.

Here is the rest of the release:

“Human safety is the most important consideration, and after consulting with the Washington State Department of Health, we have enacted this closure,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Karen Gustin. “We will continue to monitor PSP levels along the coast, and will reopen shellfish harvest when it is safe to do so.”

Shellfish species affected by this closure include hardshell clams (butter, cockles, horse, littleneck, manila), mussels, gooseneck barnacles, Dungeness crab and red rock crab. Razor clam harvest at Kalaloch is already closed until spring 2009 to allow the small clams there an opportunity to grow to a harvestable size.

PSP is produced by a natural marine alga. Often present during the summer months, it is usually absent during fall and winter. However, on Sept. 30, PSP levels within the park were five times the human health threshold established by the Washington Department of Health. PSP samples from Second Beach on Oct. 21 were also above the human health threshold.

Commercial shellfish operations on the southern Washington coast undergo intense human health testing and have not been affected by the current PSP outbreak.

I noticed this morning that Mount Rainier National Park has a couple of new Web cams operating from the new Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center.

The camera facing east looks across the upper parking lot toward the Paradise Inn.

The camera facing west looks down the road toward the original visitor center.

Both cameras offer good views of the area, and should give visitors an idea of what conditions are like at Paradise as winter sets in there.

Want a chance to catch a large rainbow trout? Put some suddenly cheaper gas in your rig and head toward Issaquah and Sammamish next week.

Your target is Beaver Lake, where the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has plans to release 1,800 hatchery rainbows weighing between 3 to 5 pounds each. That's about 3 tons of rainbows waiting to be caught.

The department is scheduled to release the fish next week. The trout were part of an educational display at the state’s Issaquah Hatchery, said a news release from the department.

Beaver Lake is best fished by small boat, although anglers can find places to fish from shore, said Chad Jackson, a state fish biologist.

The lake’s access site is most easily reached by way of East Beaver Lake Drive Southeast, off Southeast 24th Street in Sammamish. Parking for vehicles and boat trailers is limited, and a valid WDFW vehicle access permit must be easily visible in or on vehicles parked at the access site.

Beaver Lake is one of several westside lowland lakes open to fishing year-round. Internal combustion boat engines are prohibited on the lake. The daily bag limit is five fish, and bait anglers must keep the first five trout they catch.

The Summit at Snoqualmie plans to fly the towers into place for its new Silver Fir high-speed quad Thursday morning.

Starting this season riding the Silver Fir lift at Summit Central will no longer take 10 minutes. The new high-speed quad will shorten the ride to just more than four minutes.

“Hopefully it will expose more people to that area,” Summit spokeswomen Holly Lippert said.

The ski area is also adding a new parking lot near the tubing center, a remodeled women’s restroom at Summit Central and new rental gear.

This just in from Olympic National Park:

Winter Schedule Set for Hurricane Ridge 2008 – 2009; Tire Chain Requirement to Take Effect November 21

Olympic National Park’s Hurricane Ridge winter schedule has been announced for the 2008– 2009 season.

“I’m eager to experience my first winter in Olympic National Park and look forward to a safe visitor season at Hurricane Ridge,” said Karen Gustin, Olympic National Park Superintendent. “Although it’s close to town, Hurricane Ridge is at the top of a mountain and nearly a mile above sea level – planning and preparation for winter conditions are always vitally important.”

=> Read more!

I spent last weekend in eastern Washington deer hunting. On a very sunny and warm Sunday, I came acoss this butterfly.

I wasn't sure if it was following me, or I was following it.

But when it landed on the trunk of a Ponderosa pine tree, I took a few photos.

Jeffrey P. Mayor
A Red Admiral suns itself on the rough bark of a Ponderosa pine tree.

In looking at a couple of guides, I think it is Red Admiral butterfly. If anyone thinks otherwise, I'm open to changing my identification.

In the same area, I saw a Downy woodpecker flitting about on a pine tree. It never sat still enough to let me get a good photo. They might not have been the white-tail buck I was really looking for, but it made for a fun few moments in the woods.

Crab fishing in waters north of Tacoma and in Hood Canal will reopen on Nov. 1.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this afternoon that four areas of Puget Sound will reopen to recreational crab fishing, based on summer catch assessments.

Starting Nov. 1 at sunrise, marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and 12 (Hood Canal) will reopen for sport crabbing seven days a week through Jan. 2.

Crab fishing remains open seven days a week through Jan. 2 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), and 13 (south Puget Sound), where the fishery has continued uninterrupted since June 18.

Sport crabbing will not reopen this year in Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands), marine areas 8-1 and 8-2 east of Whidbey Island and Marine Area 11 (Tacoma/Vashon Island), where the summer catch reached the annual quota, said Rich Childers, shellfish policy coordinator, in a news release.

Johnston Ridge Observatory, the closest observatory to Mount St. Helens, will close for the winter Nov. 9 according to the National Forest Service.

The observatory will reopen in mid-May if weather permits.

The visitor center at Silver Lake, five miles east of I-5 on Highway 504 will stay open for the winter according to a statement from the forest service.

Other viewpoints and trails on the northwest side of the volcano will be open and the Department of Transportation will maintain Highway 504 as far as Coldwater Lake. However, the forest service says visitors should prepare for winter driving conditions, which could include sudden road closures.

The winter climbing season start Nov. 1. Climbers are required to get permits at the Lone Fir Resort in Cougar on the south side of Mount St. Helens.

“It’s important that people come prepared with the 10-essentials including compass, map, extra warm clothing and rain gear,” said Peter Frenzen, Monument Scientist, in a prepared statement. “When fog or blowing snow reduces visibility it’s good to have an experienced climber along to lead folks back to the trailhead.

"As wind and snow begin to rebuild the overhanging snow cornices on the crater rim it’s also important to carefully assess how close to go and where it’s safe to look into the crater."

A climber fell into the crater last winter when a cornice collapsed.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has closed its Milepost 8 water access site on the Yakima River in Kittitas County. The site is closed through Nov. 15 for construction, said a department news release.

A department crew is working with heavy equipment at the site to improve the boat launch and add a disabled-accessible toilet, paved parking lot and nature trail.

The work is funded by a $238,000 state lands development grant from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, the release said.

Other water-access sites in the Yakima River Canyon remain open, including two managed by the department. Information about all the department’s water access sites in south-central Washington is available at .
The News Tribune

Defending Skate America champ Kimmie Meissner addresses the media Thursday afternoon.

Skate America, the first major event of the figure skating season starts Friday at 3 p.m. in Everett.

Some of the best skaters in the world will be at the Comcast Center for the three-day event. This season is especially important for the skaters because it sets the tone for next season when the big prize will be the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

I'll be at the Comcast Center this weekend covering the event. You can read my dispatches on my 2010 Olympics blog or daily in The News Tribune's sports section.

Click here for info on tickets.

Perhaps he’s learned his lesson.

Staffers at Mount Rainier National Park believe a young black bear has gotten the message that hanging around the garbage containers at Paradise isn’t the best place to be.

Mount Rainier National Park
A small black bear leaps out of a trap at Paradise on Oct. 15 as park rangers stand by. The used rubber bullets and loud noisemakers to scare the bear away. The photo was taken by Jill Baum, Mount Rainier Student Conservation Association program director.

Ellen Myers, acting park wildlife biologist, sent me an e-mail saying: “The bear we ‘educated’ may have decided to leave the area because of a combination of events -- the aversive conditioning, public education by volunteers and employees and the change in weather (there is snow at Paradise) that has encouraged its exodus.

“The bear we shepherded hasn't been seen in the Paradise area since (Oct. 16).”

Myers said it is too soon to say for sure, but she’s hoping the bear won’t be back.

The bear, believed to be a 2-year-old, was causing some concern at the end of the season at Paradise. Staffers at the inn found it sitting on a garbage container one afternoon. The bear also took some food left by a visitor staying at the inn. It also broke a dining room window at the inn. The bear didn’t seem bothered by humans.

Park staff eventually were able to trap the bear and used noisemakers, rubber bullets and bean bags to chase the bear out of the area. Myers said they wanted to teach the bear that it would be better off away from the developed area.

Myers added that a smaller cinnamon colored black bear was seen in the Paradise area, but it was acting appropriately, grazing on huckleberries but not getting too close to the general public.

I once asked John Kircher, owner of Crystal Mountain, to rank his ski area's night life on a scale of 1 to 10.

"We probably rate a minus-50 nationally," he said. "But for Washington, we're a 10."

Because Washington lacks a destination ski area, it's never had a killer night life like Whistler or Sun Valley.

But if the November issue of Skiing magazine is any indication, Washington's ski bars might finally being making a name for themselves.

Two bars were featured in an article called "34 Reasons to Drink in a Ski Town.

No. 7 was Shot Skis at the Snorting Elk Cellar at Crystal Mountain. This is a ski with about four shot glasses attached to it. A group loads up the glasses and all at once tip them back.

And at No. 11, The Foggy Goggle at Stevens Pass made the list based entirely on it's name. It shared the honor with a bar of the same name at Seven Springs in Pennsylvania.

The magazine also recommends the North Bend Bar and Grill for the drive home from the Summit at Snoqualmie.

Chris Biddle, a 39-year-old Puyallup resident, was injured Sunday after falling while climbing Mount Hood, Oregon’s tallest mountain.

Biddle fell 300 feet suffering bruises and scrapes on his face and was airlifted off the mountain by an Oregon Army National Guard helicopter, according to a report in the Oregonian.

Biddle told the Portland newspaper he did not suffer any broken limbs but said his face felt numb because of swelling.

Biddle lost his footing after summiting 11,249–foot Mount Hood

"I remember thinking that I might just slide a long, long ways down the hill," Biddle told the Oregonian on Monday. "I must have stopped on my own."

Biddle was taken to the hospital at Oregon Health and Science University and told the paper he hoped to be discharged Monday evening.

"I feel fine. I'm not in any pain," Biddle told the Oregonian. "It looks a lot worse than it feels."

From the Associated Press:

PORTLAND -- An Oregon Army National Guard helicopter airlifted an injured climber off Mount Hood.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said that the climber suffered arm, leg and head injuries in a 300-foot tumble.

A fellow climber reported the fall and stayed with the injured man until a search and rescue crew arrived late Sunday afternoon.

The flight crew said the injured climber was in good condition on his way to a Portland hospital.

His name has not been released.

The Sheriff's Office initially reported that two climbers had fallen, but learned otherwise later in the day.

From the Associated Press:

YAKIMA, Wash. -- A 27-year-old Oregon climber who survived five days on southern Washington's Mount Adams with a broken ankle told rescuers he ate centipedes and drank water from creeks as he tried to crawl to safety.

A dog from a search and rescue team located Derek Mamoyac of Philomath, Ore., just below the 6,000-foot level on the west side of the mountain Friday afternoon.

He was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Portland, Ore., where he was listed in fair condition. In addition to his ankle injury, he was dehydrated and had swollen legs.

Family members who spoke with him briefly by phone said he sounded well.

"It's like waking up from a horrible dream," said his sister, Sophia Mamoyac.

Mamoyac started up the 12,277-foot mountain Sunday for a one-day climb. Family members reported him missing Monday when he failed to show up for work.

Jill Bartlett and other rescuers spoke glowingly of Mamoyac after he was found alive after five frigid days and nights on the mountain.

"He was in very good shape for what he went through," she told The Oregonian.

As she and several other rescuers waited with him before he was flown from the mountain, he told them he ate centipedes and other bugs after running out of food early in the week. He drank water from creeks.

He was wearing water-resistant pants, insulated boots and gloves but was still very cold.

"We put all our coats on him, and he was still shivering," Bartlett said. "We asked him, 'Are you warm? and he said 'yeah.' "

Mamoyac was found by the team of Greg Varney with his search dog, Trulee, a golden retriever, and navigator, Ron Buermann, who kept them on course.

Mamoyac told rescuers that his climbing trip turned bad as he was descending after reaching Piker's Peak at 11,657 feet, below the mountain's summit. He stepped in some snow he thought was solid, but it gave way.

Bartlett said the climber broke his right ankle tumbling down the mountain.

He spent nearly four days crawling and dragging his feet through the snow, trying to drag himself off the mountain.

When his knees hurt too much to crawl, he said he would turn around and scoot backward.

"We get happy endings, but not at the end of a five-day search," rescuer Varney said.

Just got this message and couple of photos from Jeff, who's hitting the road this weekend working on a future Adventure story. (Leaving me to work in the office, I might add.)

This Yakima River rainbow trout fell for a beadhead nymph.

If it's a nice weekend and you're looking for some fall foliage, find a reason to head over to Cle Elum, even if it's to go to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard.

I made the ride Friday afternoon and the hills were vibrant with colors. Trees and bushes painted hillsides red, orange and yellow -- which stood over even more against the green of the pines when the sun came out. It was hard to keep my eyes on the road, looking to up to the hills each time I rounded another corner of the interstate.

Once I got close to the Yakima River, my destination for a little fishing, the riverside cottonwood trees glowed yellow.

When I was suited up in my waders and had my fly rod rigged up, the trip down the trail at Irene Reinhart Park in Ellensburg was under a canopy of branches laden with red and yellow leaves.

The colors of fall continued to unfold as I landed my decent size trout of the day. It's back was dappled with black spots, a faint pink blush covered the gills and ran down its flanks.

It was a beautiful way to spend a fall afternoon. If you can squeeze in a trip between household chores, soccer games, shopping or whatever, this might be the weekend to head to the mountains.

Here is the view of Friday's sunset from the wild horse scenic viewpoint near Vantage.

Hurricane Ridge Road will reopen to bicycles Saturday morning, but road work will continue on the 17-mile road according to a statement released Friday by Olympic National Park.

The park has been closed to cyclist since May.

Construction is scheduled to continue on the road for three more weeks.

“We are very pleased to allow bicyclists to ride the Hurricane Ridge Road once again,” park superintendent Karen Gustin said in a prepared statement. “We appreciate the public’s patience and look forward to completing this project in early November (Nov. 7).”

The park says cyclists and motorists should still expect delays on the road.

The road Hurricane Ridge resurfacing project cost $12 million, according to the park's statement.

The 17th annual Washington Snowmobile Expo and Swap Meet is coming to the Puyallup fairgrounds this weekend.

Expo host, the Washington State Snowmobile Association, claims the show is the largest event held west of Minneapolis.

Fans of snowmobiling will be able to check out the newest machines, gear and accessories, plus learn about places to ride and stay. There also will be free seminars, including one for riders ages 12-16.

Admission is $10, children 12 and younger can get in free.

On Saturday, the show will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Click here to learn more about the association.

The road to Mount Rainier National Park’s Mowich Lake closes Monday. We’ll have a story Sunday with three suggestions for one last hiking hurrah this season.

Here are some pictures from a 7.5-mile hike I took at Mowich Lake on Oct. 10.

Mowich Lake.

Expect winter trail conditions if you hike at Mowich Lake this weekend.

The view from Ipsut Pass.

Eunice Lake.

A look up at the Tolmie Peak Lookout from the banks of Eunice Lake.

Mount Rainier from the trail above Eunice Lake.

Tolmie Peak Lookout.

Mount Rainier National Park staff were able to trap the young bear that has been causing concerns in the Paradise area.

Ellen Myers, the park's acting wildlife ecologist, sent me an e-mail saying the bear was caught in a live trap this morning.

"We'll be shepherding the bear tout of Paradise this afternoon in hopes of educating it with aversive conditioning," she wrote.

The park staff is hoping they can scare the bear, believed to be 2 years old, so that it will not associate Paradise with food. Park staff knows it has eaten garbage as well as food put out by a visitor.

The bear stands a much better chance of surviving if they can teach it to stay away from Paradise. In a previous interview, Myers said 60 percent of the bears that are relocated will die within two years.

Scroll down for the post I wrote on Wednesday about the situation.

Mild weather in the mountains has allowed Mount Rainier National Park to keep open the road to White River Campground and access to popular trails in the area, according to a statement from the park.

The area was scheduled to close Monday, but will now stay open until Nov. 3 if weather permits, the statement said.

Park officials advice visitors to carry tire chains in their cars and to be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions.

Officials at Mount Rainier National Park continue to try to chase a small black bear from the Paradise area. It is one of as many as three bears that have been frequenting the popular park destination.

The small black bear in particular has been the target of efforts over the last week to scare it away from human food sources.

An attempt to trap the bear Tuesday night failed, said Ellen Myers, the park’s acting wildlife ecologist.

Jeffrey P. Mayor/The News Tribune
A small black bear munches on vegetation Friday just above the parking lot near the main entrance to the Paradise Inn.

Park staff realized they might have a problem on their hands on Oct. 8, when the brown-coated bear, sporting a light colored stripe along its upper back, startled Guest Services, Inc., employees at Paradise Inn. They found the bear sitting atop a garbage container behind the inn. The bear then wandered over to the windows along the restaurant. When the bear stood up against a window, it broke one of the panes with a paw.

The next day park staff tried to scare the bear -- believed to be a 2-year-old -- away using bean bags fried from a shotgun, rubber bullets and noisemakers, Myers said.

The park also called in Bruce Richards of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. He brought a Karelian bear dog to help scare the bear away.

Those efforts worked, for one night.

By Friday morning, the bear was entertaining hikers and visitors to the new visitor center at Paradise as he munched on grass and vegetation close to the inn.

“We try to shepherd the bear away from the area. We try to make it an unpleasant experience for the bear,” Myers said.

That is a preferred alternative to relocating a troublesome bear.

“Relocating is more of a feel good move. Within two years, 60 percent of them are dead. There’s several reasons -- you’re moving them to an area they don’t know, other bears may push them to a less desirable area and they don’t know the area and its resources,” Myers said.

“Our hope is that it would get cold and snowy, and that would send them into hibernation. But that won’t solve the problem for next spring,” she added.

The biggest concern is the bear, and others in the area, may be getting used to eating human food. They have been seen eating garbage and park officials know of at least one instance in which a park visitor left food on a windowsill at the inn before it closed.

“It’s exciting for the public to see them, but it can go from a good experience to a very bad experience really quickly. It’s great to make that connection, but not the wrong way, by feeding them,” Myers said,

“It’s been kind of an odd year for bears. Because the snow level was so low for so long, that might be reason they’ve stayed in Paradise this year.”

The typical fine for feeding wildlife is $100. But a more serious case could result in a mandatory court appearance and a fine up to $5,000, said park spokeswoman Jennifer Mummart.

Three residents of the Tacoma area plan to climb volcanoes in Mexico starting Friday to raise money for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Katie Veseth of DuPont and Emily Morris and Neil Wachter of Tacoma are climbing as part of the Climb to Fight Breast Cancer. The program has raised for more than $3 million – including more than $775,000 this year – since it started 11 years ago, according to a statement from the center.

They are among 100 participants in the climb. They will be climbing two peaks – 18,491-foot El pico de Orizaba and 17,126-foot Volcán Iztaccíhuatl – about 600 miles south of the U.S. border.

Veseth, a 27-year-old Air Force pilot, fitness trainer and seminary student, is climbing in honor of her great grandmother and her aunts. Her climbing experience includes Mount Rainier and Mount Hood.

Morris, an accountant, is climbing in honor of her mother who is battling breast cancer for the second time. She is friends with Veseth and this is the second time they’ve participated together in the Climb to Fight Breast Cancer.

Veseth and Morris have raised $4,440 of their $7,500 goal.

Wachter, a Kitsap County deputy prosecuting attorney, will climb Oct. 29 in honor of a friend, Robbi Huff, who is a two-time breast cancer survivor. Wachter, who has climbed many of Washington’s volcanoes, has raised $6,900 of his $10,000 goal.

If you want to catch some Humboldt squid, head to the Westport Boat Basin.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife earlier today announced there would be no daily limit on Humboldt squid in Marine Area 2-2, the Grays Harbor area. The previous limit was five per day.

The limit change is in effect through Sunday.

A large number of dead and dying Humboldt squid are in the Westport Boat Basin. These squid have spawned and increased harvest will not pose any conservation concerns for this species, said a new release from the department.

Janine Clayton has been named the new supervisor of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. She is expected to start her new job in early December.

Clayton, a 25-year Forest Service veteran, has most recently been working as the assistant director for minerals and geology in the U.S. Forest Service’s Washington, D.C., office.

The announcement was made Friday.

Clayton succeeds Claire Lavendel, who was the supervisor from 1999 to
2008. Lavendel is now director of Recreation, Lands and Minerals in the Forest Service Pacific Northwest regional office in Portland.

“I’m looking forward to being back in the Northwest and to discovering the Gifford Pinchot,” Clayton said in a news release from the agency. “I’m excited about the opportunities to work with communities, agencies and our partners. I’ve heard good things about them and know there is a good foundation on which to build.”

Clayton once worked an area mining geologist based in Corvallis, Ore., from 1989 to 1997. She also served as the acting forest supervisor of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit in 2005, and worked as a reclamation and energy minerals program leader in California for eight years. Clayton served as acting regional assistant director for natural resource management in Vallejo, Calif., in 2001, and was an area mining geologist in the Northwest for eight years. She holds a master’s degree in geology and a bachelor’s in anthropology and geology.

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest, named after the agency’s first chief, covers 1.37 million acres in southwest Washington, including the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Mount Adams and
seven wilderness areas.

A 33-year-old mushroom picker was rescued by Lewis County Search and Rescue on Sunday morning according to a statement released Monday by Lewis County's Sheriff office.

A search was launched after the sheriff's office received a call that the Glenoma woman was past due at a 11 p.m. Saturday.

The woman was not dressed appropriately for the cold and had a medical condition, the statement said. The search, which included a team of trained search dogs, started at midnight while temperatures were near freezing.

By 6 a.m. Sunday, 40 more rescuers from Lewis, Thurston, Cowlitz and Pierce counties joined the search.

The woman was found at about 9 a.m. According to the statement she was cold, wet and hungry but had no other problems resulting from her medical condition.

She told deputies she got lost once it became dark.

Sheriff Steve Mansfield issued this statement:

“Becoming lost is, for the most part, preventable if you take the necessary precautions. Unlike most hunters, many mushroom pickers are historically ill prepared or equipped to deal with harsh weather conditions or spend the night in the woods. Often they become lost or disorientated because they spend so much time looking down at the ground while searching for mushrooms and not watching for landmarks to help find their way back. As with any travel in the woods or backcountry, be prepared and aware of your surroundings. A simple map and compass could have prevented this incident. Had this incident occurred later in the year when conditions are much colder and rain more likely this may very well have been a recovery instead of a rescue situation."

All eight South Sound athletes who qualified for the Ironman World Championship, finished the grueling triathlon Saturday.

An Ironman triathlon is a 2.4-mile swim, 112 mile bike and a marathon run in succession.

Elizabeth Thiel, 30, of DuPont and Caroline White, 23, of Lakewood had the best performances of the locals. Thiel's time of 11 hours, 12 minutes, 36 seconds was best of the South Sound competitors. Thiel finished 24th in her age group.
White had the best finish of locals, taking 12th in her age group in 11:36:08.

Nancy Larson, 57, of Kent and Jennifer Block, 47, of Puyallup each finished 30th in their age groups.

Gary Tucci, 52, of Puyallup paid $55,100 in an online auction for a spot in the race, but proved he fit in as well as those who qualified. Tucci finished 76th of 99 competitors in his age group with a time of 13:11:07. Tucci raised much of the money he paid for his spot in the race. The money went to several charities including the American Cancer Society. Tucci's brother, Joey, died of cancer in 2000.

SOUTH SOUND IRONMAN FINISHERS

Spent all day Friday at the new Jackson Visitor Center, I think people will be pleased.

You can't help but be impressed with the look and feel of the building, especially the interior. To borrow a cliche from all those home rebuilding shows, "it's warm and inviting," much more so than the old building.

My biggest concern was the views. I will miss the 360-degree view from the top observation area at the old building. But when I was sitting at one of the tables in the cafe, I had a great view of the mountain. The second-floor windows also give you good views of the mountain and the Tatoosh Range.

The exhibit area seemed to be a hit with the kids I talked to, including my own children.

Be sure to catch the new movie. It is well done and gives you a great sense of the mountain and the park so many South Sound residents love.

There was plenty of positive energy in the building, and I hope that lasts.

Everyone who was involved in the project deserves to take a deep bow. It's a job well done.

While Jeff is at Paradise today, I was working on a different story near Mowich Lake. (It was due this morning. Don't tell my editor.)

I hiked up to the Tolmie Peak Lookout where I snapped this photo at about 1 p.m. That's Rainier, of course, over Eunice Lake.

The state Department of Natural Resources says two of its Pacific County campgrounds will likely be closed for the remainder of the hunting seasons.

In a news release sent out this afternoon, the department announced that Western Lake and Snag Lake Campgrounds are closed as a public safety measure during salvage logging operations. The C-Line, C-2600, and C-4000 roads are closed to public access until further notice.

The campgrounds are popular with hunters all over the state, the state said. With the number of logging operations currently scheduled, it is unlikely that they will reopen before the end of hunting season.

Our focus in this week's section is on the new Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Mount Rainier National Park. The $22 million building will open on Friday, and we look at the new exhibits and the energy-efficient building itself.

We have a preview for the general modern firearm deer hunting season that opens Saturday. Based on reports from early hunts, there seems to be plenty of deer in the woods.

For folks who want one boot that can handle mountaineering and trekking, the Gear Guy has a couple of suggestions.

We also have a preview of the first razor clam dig, that begins one week from Thursday.

With the snow level dropping to 4,000 feet in the Cascades today, Washington's ski areas are reporting their first dusting of snow of the season.

"It looks like a winter wonderland here at Crystal Mountain," said Tiana Enger, Crystal's spokeswomen. "We’ve seen snow up high a few times already but it touched down at the base area (4,400 ft) for the first time this morning."

"... Could this be a sign of an early winter? I hope so."

More snow is in the forecast this week.

Crystal Opened in early November in 2005 and '06, but open in late November last season.

Here are some photos taken this morning at Crystal from Enger:

A hunter lost near Packwood was rescued by Lewis County Sheriff’s deputies Monday night, according to a statement released by the sheriff’s office.

The lost man, a 57-year-old Poulsbo resident, was using a GPS unit but could not use it because heavy tree cover kept him from getting a signal, the statement said.

The man started hunting at 10:30 a.m. and his 51-year-old partner called for help when his partner was 2 ½ hours late for a rendezvous.

The lost hunter tied an orange ribbon around a tree and passed it three times as he tried to find his way. Eventually, he decided to stay put and wait for help to arrive.

Deputies used GPS, maps, two-way radios, sirens and lights to direct the man out of the woods, the statement said. The lost hunter emerged from the woods at 7:52 p.m.

According to the statement, the hunter was well prepared for a day hunt but not for an overnight stay.

The sheriff’s office issued this statement for those who rely heavily on their GPS units for route finding: “Technology plays an important role in our lives but it does have limitations. The best tried and true practice is still to have a map and compass, know the area you hunt, hunt with a partner and, if lost, don’t panic. This hunter did not panic and showed good judgment in staying put and being prepared with a two-way radio, other supplies, and a well-communicated plan with his hunting partner. All of the precautions the hunter took before trudging off into the woods helped keep him safe until we were able to rescue him.”

State wildlife officials will discuss on Oct. 17 proposed changes in elk-hunting rules to help control crop damage and other problems caused by foraging elk in the Cowlitz River Valley.

The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. at the Packwood Community Hall.

In developing statewide hunting seasons for 2009-11, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed two possible changes in elk-hunting rules designed to address increasing complaints about elk damage in the Cowlitz River Valley, Sandra Jonker, regional wildlife manager, said in a department news release.

Good forage in the valleys below the hills of the Gifford Pinchot National Forests draw large numbers of elk into the area, especially during hard winters, she said.

One proposal would create a new special-permit hunting area one mile from either side of U.S. 12 from Morton to Packwood. The other would allow hunting of cow elk -- rather than just branched antler bulls -- during the general hunting season in the Davis Lake Valley, the release said.

The two changes are being proposed to reduce property damage and other elk-related problems in the area, Jonker said.

Local no-shooting zones would remain in place and not be affected by the department’s proposals, the release said.

Bob Mortimer, the triple amputee who cycled across America with his family this summer, had a brush with death earlier this week while making a side visit in Indiana Amish country as they returned home to Gig Harbor.

Mortimer and his family were scattered across the road while taking a buggy ride with some new Amish friends. The buggy was hit by a dump truck.

This morning Mortimer e-mailed this account of what happened:

A pleasant afternoon, quiet country roads, an Amish buggy ride…what could go wrong? We found our spots in the buggy. It was actually an open cart with two bench seats. I sat in the middle of the back bench. The twins found it fascinating to see me climb to the floor of the cart and maneuver myself up onto the seat. Chanel and Darla sat on each side of me. Marlin, the driver, sat in the middle front with Grant and Marilyn on each side. We had traveled a few miles and were heading back to the house. We passed an Amish house and a little boy ran out on the porch to wave at us. He was wearing a “Hope and Courage” button we had given him in the school earlier. I was watching a dump truck coming toward us in the other lane. No problem, we had been passed by cars and trucks going both directions during the entire ride. As soon as the truck reached our cart the horse turned directly in front of it. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I shouted, “Watch for the truck!!!”, but it was too late. The truck hit the horse and the front of the cart. The cart spun as the truck rolled past dragging the horse with it. I fell to the floor of the cart while all the others were scattered to the road.

The cart and truck stopped and for an instant there was an eerie silence. I made a quick assessment I had not broken anything and pushed the cart debris away and sat up. Grant was coming toward me and I saw Darla up and moving toward Chanel, who was also getting up. “I’m OK! Darla? Grant? You alright? How’s Chanel?” They were all OK. Then we looked for the Amish twins. They were both down on the road and they didn’t look good. I climbed over the side of the cart and lowered myself to the road. I scooted over to Marlin while Darla went to Marilyn. Darla was calling out to God as she moved. Marlin was folded onto the road and at first glance looked as if he had broken an arm along with a lot of scrapes. Marilyn was still at first, became conscious, shuddered with convulsions and went still again. Darla was afraid she had died. More prayers. She regained consciousness and stayed awake. Darla and Chanel sat next to her. An Amish woman came out of the house with a cell phone and I heard her giving directions. Good. EMTs were alerted. I looked up and saw the horse try to stand. It was seriously wounded and we all became aware of how vulnerable we were if it panicked. More prayers. The horse fell back to the ground and never got up again. Marlin half sat up and I asked him to move his arms. He blankly obeyed and I could tell they were not broken. Great. I asked Grant to stay with Marlin and not let him stand up. I scooted over to Marilyn to check her condition. She was conscious but disoriented. We kept her down and awake. How long does it take for the EMTs?

The driver got out of the truck and came around to see the scene. He was a 21 year old Mennonite and he was shaken up. He stood in the grass shaking. Darla got up and went over to him. She hugged him and told him it was not his fault and everything would be OK. Another couple came around and offered help though there was nothing they could do. They considered getting a gun for the horse. It wouldn’t be necessary. The horse would pass soon. We asked the Amish woman to call Ruth, the twins’ mother. We were close to their home. Ruth came up the road on her bike just before the first EMT and Sheriff. We directed them to the twins as they tried to figure out what happened. The ambulance came shortly after. A crowd of Amish started gathering behind the yellow tape. Many were children from the school we had spoken to and their parents. We saw “Hope and Courage” buttons on most of them. The Amish community is amazingly geographically close.

As the EMTs took over we were able to relax. Chanel came and sat next to me on the ground. “Daddy, I didn’t want to say anything until the twins were taken care of but my leg really hurts.” I called an EMT over and had him check her thigh. He said it would be good to have it checked out. “Who else was in the crash?” All of us, I said. “All of you?” We rechecked our wounds. Darla had a pain in her knee and chest. Grant had a laceration on his heel. I had a pain in my shoulder blade. We decided I would drive to the hospital for x-rays. The ambulance took Ruth and the twins. We told Ruth we would meet her there and see her through it. We called the Stoltzfus’, Mennonite pastor friends, and asked them to meet us there.

Marilyn was released with some serious bruises and a lump on her head. Marlin was kept overnight to watch a cracked sternum. Chanel was bruised. Grant did not require stitches. Darla’s knee would swell and still is tender. I bruised but am OK. One EMT said it was a miracle. (We are not surprised.) Typically when a buggy crashes with a big truck they sustain very serious injuries and need to be flown to distant hospitals. Another EMT told me later when he got out of his truck and saw me sitting on the ground he thought, “This is really bad. That guy has lost at least one limb. I better call the helicopter.” I asked him if he was ready to start looking alongside the road for my limbs. He said, “Yes, I was!” I assured him I arrived at the crash in this condition.

In the six days following the crash we took Wednesday off to comfort our family, spoke in seven more Amish schools, one Mennonite school, preached at a Mennonite church, had supper in three Amish homes and made several visits to the Amish disabled. It is amazing how we have been accepted. We had Amish come to the Mennonite church to hear us. One very elderly member of the church said she had never seen an Amish come through those doors. Vic Stoltzfus, our friend that took us out to our first Amish acquaintance in July, said he has never seen an outside family so quickly trusted and accepted by the Amish. I don’t know what all of this means. I just know that Hope and Courage Across America did not end when we got off our bikes.

Ski season is a little more than a month away, enough time for you to start saving for the most expensive lift tickets in Washington state history.

This winter Crystal Mountain and Stevens Pass will become Washington's first resort to charge $60 for lift tickets.

Crystal is charging $60 and a weekend pass at Stevens Pass will cost about $61 with tax.

The average cost of a lift ticket to the state's six biggest resorts will be $53.50 up from $48.35 last year.

In the 2004-05 season Crystal charged $45 a lift ticket. Resort operators say the cost of energy is the primary reason for increased lift ticket prices.

While $60 lift tickets might lead to some sticker shock, lift ticket prices in the Northwest remain a bargain compared to many resorts.

Here's what they're charging at some of North America's top resorts. (NOTE: Some prices are estimates from resort ticket offices. Prices should be finalized by November.)

LONE PEAK*, Montana: $89
ASPEN SNOWMASS, Colorado: $90
SUN VALLEY, Idaho: $80
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB, B.C.: $89
DEER VALLEY, Utah: $83
* Rate to ski Moonlight Basin and Big Sky on Montana’s Lone Peak.

Here are what Washington's top six ski areas are planning to charge for a lift ticket this year. The prices are subject to change. Prices estimates including tax for the Summit, Stevens Pass and Mount Baker.

If you saw the sun today, it might be the last time in a while according to weather reports. The rainy season starts Thursday.

Well, the good news is ski season should be here sometime next month.

Until then, we need your help. We are preparing the 2008-09 Snow Ride Guide and trying to find the best skiing and boarding in the Northwest.

We're asking you and our readers at our sister papers (Anchorage, Bellingham, Boise, Olympia, Tri-Cities) to tells us what they like best about Northwest slopes.

Please click below and take a minute to fill out the survey.

2008-09 Snow Ride Guide Survey

We have a lot of local stories in tomorrow's section.

Check out Bill Hutchens' guide to the Olympic Peninsula for first-time visitors. Bill has 10 recommendations.

We've got the news on the first razor clam dig of the season, plus the outlook for each of the five beach area.

I was at the Jackson Visitor Center Sunday afternoon and write about the final hours before the center closed for good. We'll take a look at the new center in the Oct. 9 Adventure section.

Pheasant hunters will likely see fewer birds in the field this season. That's the forecast from the state and Pheasants Forever.

Also, we have our annual ski survey in the section. But you also can find it online here.

Bart Smith has completed his 16-year journey to hike all eight national scenic trails. It is a journey that has carried him 16,415 miles.

Smith, 49, of Lakewood, reached Island Park, Idaho Tuesday afternoon, completing his journey by stepping into the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River.

(Photo supplied by Bart Smith)
Bart Smith celebrates the completion of his 16-year journey to hike the entire National Scenic Trail system standing in the Henry's Fork of the Snake River near Island Park, Idaho. The photo was taken by Smith's friend Tom Richardson.

He then drove to Yellowstone National Park and hiked a short section of the Continental Divide Trail to symbolicaly complete his journey at Old Faithful, where he was greeted by Tim Townsend, deputy district ranger for the Old Faithful District in the park.

“I am thankful for the blessings of good health, good fortune and an amazing and supportive wife without whom I would not have been able to succeed on this epic adventure,” Smith wrote in an e-mail to me.

Smith is now flying to Washington, D.C. where he will take part in the 40th anniversary celebration of the National Trail System Act. He will give a presentation on the journey that began with the Pacific Crest National Scenice Trail and has now carried him through 35 states.

When Smith and I talked on Monday, he credited the good weather for allowing him to complete his journey on time.

“It’s been better in September than it was in August,” he said.

When I asked if he was sad to see this journey come to an end, Smith said “I think (Sunday) I started feeling a little bit nostalgic for the trails. I’m going to miss it a bit.”

In addition to hiking each of the trails, Smith has carried 20 pounds of camera gear along with his 50-pound pack. He has published four photo books already, with a fifth due to come out soon.

Here are the trails (and mileage) that make up the National Scenic Trail system:

Natchez Trace 500
Potomac Heritage 704
Ice Age 1,200
Florida 1,400
Appalachian 2,175
Pacific Crest 2,650
Continental Divide 3,200
North Country 4,200