The folks at REI yesterday sent out a press release about their Seattle flaghsip serving as the backdrop for a portion of Monday's episode of "The Bachelor."

It seems that the store was selected for a private "one-on-one date" to showcase the outdoor recreation interests of Jason Mesnick, the show's bachelor. Mesnick, a single dad from Kirkland, visited the Puget Sound area with the five remaining women for Monday's episode.

The date features the couple climbing the store's 65-foot pinnacle, one of the world's tallest indoor climbing structures, and enjoying "private time" in front of the two-story rock fireplace, the press release said. Something tells me the store won't be packed with Gore-Tex clad shoppers when Mesnick and the special lady sit down in front of the fireplace. Who knew REI would be a hot spot for romance?

The episode is scheduled to on at 8 p.m. PST.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission late Thursday announced it was closing tunnels 46 through 50 on the Iron Horse State Park-John Wayne Pioneer Trail. There is no timetable for making repairs to allow the tunnels to reopen.

Here is the rest of the news release:

Washington State Parks hired the engineering firm, Kleinfelder, Inc., to conduct a safety review of falling debris hazards in the tunnels. The firm determined that tunnels 46 through 50 all contain segments that have moderate, high or very high hazard ratings. For the safety of recreational users, the Commission has decided to close these tunnels until further notice. There is no estimated reopening date, although the agency is exploring options for repair.

The closed tunnels run from Snoqualmie Pass to Kittitas, and include Boylston Tunnel No. 46, east of Kittitas; Picnic Area Tunnel No. 47, west of Thorpe; Easton Tunnel No. 48; Whittier Tunnel No. 49, west of Easton; and Snoqualmie Pass Tunnel No. 50.

The report from Kleinfelder contains options for short-term action steps to reduce areas with high or very high hazard ratings to a moderate rating. The report also estimates costs to bring all tunnels to a low hazard rating at $9 million. Funds for repairs have been included in agency budget requests for the 2009-2011 biennium.

Iron Horse State Park is a 1,612-acre park that was once part of the path of the Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad. More than 100 miles of trail extends from Cedar Falls to the Columbia River. High trestles provide spectacular views of the valley below.

The Mason County Bicycle and Recreation Map is now online. The map was released earlier this month.

Click here to see the online map.

Paper copies also are available from Mason County Parks, North Mason Chamber of Commerce and the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce.

Registration for spring and summer Mount St. Helens climbing permits starts Feb. 2 at 9 a.m.

Climbing permits are $22 per person and can only be purchased via the Mount St. Helens Institute’s website, mshinstitute.org

“This year climbers will be able to gaze into the crater at the massive new lava dome that was erupted between 2004 and 2008 and see the glacier that was pushed aside by the eruption,” Monument manager Tom Mulder said in a prepared statement. “Interest in climbing Mount St. Helens continues to be high. Even though our weekend climbing dates tend to sell out relatively quickly, the online permit system allows folks to locate and purchase available week day permits up to 24-hours in advance of their climb.”

The institute also offers guided climbs.

Permits are required above 4,800 feet on the 8,365-foot volcano between April 1 and Oct. 31. Only 100 permits are sold per day between May 15 and Oct. 31.

I spent Friday and Saturday eagle watching on and along the Skagit River. I was in the Concrete-Rockport-Marblemount stretch and was able to catch the first day of the Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival.

If you want to check out the eagles, you better hurry as the number of birds in the area are starting to decline.

If you can't make it up there this year, I thought I would post these photos.

If you want to plan for next season, the majority of the eagles are in the area in December.

A seemingly shy bald eagle takes off from the rocky bank of the Skagit River just upstream from Rockport.

An immature bald eagle, left, and mature eagle take off from a riverside tree downstream from Rockport on the Skagit River.

Les Stroud, the star of the Discovery Channel’s “Survivorman series, will be at the Seattle REI store on Saturday.

The survival expert and television host will be there to promote his new book titled “Survive! Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere – Alive.” He’ll share highlights from the new season of the series “Survivorman.”

Stroud also will tout the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger, a handheld product that combines GPS and commercial satellite technology. The device allows users to alert emergency responders to a location, allow family and friends to track their progress or request help and provide safety check ins. The personal GPS device was introduced in August 2007.

In 2000 Stroud took a few small cameras out into the wilderness of Northern Ontario, Canada and spent a week surviving alone without food, water, equipment or camera crew. He single-handedly created, produced, wrote, filmed, hosted, edited and composed the theme music for these first two original, one-hour pilots for what would eventually become “Survivorman,” according to his online biography.

“Survivorman” has become the highest rated show in the history of both OLN Canada and the Science Channel and quickly became one of the most popular shows on the Discovery Channel.

Stroud has more than 20 years experience as a naturalist, outdoor adventurer and instructor in survival, white water paddling, sea kayaking, hiking, dog sledding and winter travel, according to his biography. His career in film began in the early 1980s working on rock videos and eventually becoming a producer of MuchMusic TV, the Canadian music video channel.

Stroud is scheduled to be at the store, 222 Yale Ave. N., Seattle, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Click here to learn more about the series.

From the Associated Press:

GOVERNMENT CAMP, Ore. — Large chunks of falling ice hit a woman climbing Mount Hood and sent her 400 feet to her death on Wednesday, authorities said.

Brooke Colvin and her husband, Thad Stavn, were at about 10,000 feet on the 11,239-foot mountain when the accident occurred, said Clackamas County sheriff’s detective Jim Strovink.

Strovink said Stavn saw his 31-year-old wife hit by falling ice and thrown down the mountain. Strovink said Stavn was able to get to her, but she died instantly. Rescuers were trying to recover the body.

Stavn was able to get back down to Timberline Lodge from the area of the accident, known as the Pearly Gates. An Oregon Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter was called to airlift the pair off the mountain, authorities said, but was recalled after one climber was reported dead and the other had climbed down on his own.

Strovink said warm weather has created treacherous climbing conditions on Oregon’s highest mountain by making snow unstable and loosening boulder-size chunks of ice. The fall was at the same spot as an accident Saturday that also required a rescue.

Mount Hood, about an hour’s drive east of Portland, is one of the more frequently climbed glacier-covered peaks in the United States.

In 25 years it has claimed at least 36 lives, including three who attempted the more dangerous north face in December 2006.

Clif Bar is voluntarily recalling a host of its energy bars containing peanut butter as a national salmonella investigation continues.

Here's the statement from the company:

On January 19, 2009, we announced a voluntary recall of 14 U.S and 4 Canadian products including CLIF Bar, CLIF Builder’s, CLIF MOJO, CLIF Kid Organic ZBaR and LUNA Bar, in the U.S. and Canada because the peanut butter in those products was sourced, for a limited period of time, from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). PCA is a manufacturer and supplier of peanut butter for many food companies and manufacturers.

=> Read more!

Quick, head for the mountain. The road to Paradise is open this afternoon and tomorrow.

Thanks to near perfect weather conditions at Mount Rainier National Park -- alhtough it’s hard to tell from fog-bound Tacoma -- the road to the popular winter play area is temporarily open on weekdays.

Park officials announced last week that the road to Paradise would be open only on weekends and holidays because of a slide that took out one lane of the road on Glacier Hill.

But sunny skies and warm temperatures are allowing the park to open the road at least for today and tomorrow.

Drivers should watch for stop signs or other traffic controls that will be used to get vehicles through the damaged area. About 100 feet of roadway slid 30 to 40 feet on the hill above the Nisqually River bridge.

The park is stationing flaggers above and below the slide to control traffic on weekends and holidays, when there is more traffic. Acting superintendent Randy King said the road would be closed weekdays because the park didn’t have the money to have flaggers there seven days a week.

On Wednesday morning, the park announced the change.

“When the weather conditions are pretty much perfect, they will open the road on weekdays,” said spokeswoman Patti Wold.

That means weekday visitors shouldn’t get their hopes too high. Springlike conditions at Paradise -- highs in the upper 50s and low 60s -- have allowed this opening.

“Under normal winter conditions, we likely won’t open the road on a weekday,” Wold said. “It’s just too dangerous with rock fall and avalanche dangers.”

Park visitors can call 360-569-2211 for the latest road conditions. Wold said she also is building a Web page to allow visitors to check on the road’s status.

A citizen’s tip resulted in a Thurston County man with previous felony convictions and a history of big-game poaching being arraigned Tuesday on multiple charges of illegal firearms possession and unlawfully possessing big game.

Here is the rest of the news release, sent out Tuesday afternoon:

William Wilder, 65, was arraigned in Thurston County Superior Court on 11 counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree, which is a class C felony. The additional charge for unlawful possession of big game is a gross misdemeanor. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to court records, Wilder has a history of felony convictions, including theft, welfare fraud and a felony hunting violation, said Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Toynbee.

If convicted of current charges, he could face up to five years in prison on each of the firearm charges, and one year on the gross misdemeanor, Toynbee said. Each of the felonies carries a fine of up to $10,000. He could also face a $2,000 civil penalty if convicted of the big-game violation.

Charges were filed by the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office earlier this month following a deer-poaching investigation conducted by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers last October.

In the past, WDFW has removed illegally hunted deer and elk from Wilder’s residence, resulting in a revocation of his hunting privileges, said Mike Cenci, deputy chief of WDFW’s enforcement program.

"As a convicted felon he’s not allowed to own or possess firearms and because his hunting privileges were revoked, he’s definitely not allowed to hunt," Cenci said.

Acting on a citizen tip that Wilder was hunting illegally, WDFW enforcement officers searched his residence and seized Wilder’s vehicle along with 11 firearms and hunting equipment, which were forfeited to the state. During the investigation officers also confiscated a dead deer they found on the premises.

Cenci commended the citizen who reported the poaching activity.

"One of our priorities is to stop the worst offenders and protect the state’s natural resources," he said. "It’s encouraging that members of the community will step forward to help us ensure sustainable fish and wildlife populations."

Cenci asks that anyone who witnesses poaching violations to call WDFW’s toll-free Poaching Hotline at 1-877-933-9847. The identity of those reporting violations is kept confidential.

The 22nd edition of the Washington Sportsmen’s Show opens at noon today and will run through Sunday at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.

This year's show features the “Steelhead River,” an Army marksmanship trainer and the Gore Extreme Weather Chamber. Attendees will also be hear to from several members of the U.S. Olympic shooting team.

In Thursday's Adventure section, I list my top 10 reasons for attending this year's show.

Hours: Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Admission: adults, $10 or $7 with a coupon; children ages 6-16, $5; and children 7 and younger, free. Discount ticket locations and discounts online/

Information; 503-246-8291, www.otshows.com

The Carbon River has been reopened, effective immediately, by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The department just announced the reopening.

Anglers will need to follow the rules and seasons listed in the 2008-09 Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet.

The reopening allows anglers to keep surplus hatchery steelhead on the river. This will help reduce the genetic and ecological competition between hatchery and wild fish.

Fishing had been closed since Dec. 15 because of poor returns to the Voights Creek Hatchery of hatchery steelhead earlier in the season.

From the Mount St. Helens Institute:

The Mount St. Helens Institute, a non-profit organization, has opened online registration for its 2009 Field Seminars and Guided Climbs. A wide variety of field classes are being offered to explore the Northwest's volcanic landscapes and to gain a greater understanding of Mount St. Helens' natural and cultural history.

"We are excited to be offering a wide array of subjects this year and especially pleased with the quality of our instructors" said Jeanne Bennett, Mount St. Helens Institute Executive Director. "In addition to several guided geology climbs that anchor the series, we are also offering astronomy, history, photography and unique opportunities to explore Mount St. Helens with extremely knowledgeable instructors. Complete information and instructor biographies and registration are available through the Institute's website at www.mshinstitute.org.

· January 31 & March 7/8 Two Part Class: Snow Camping in the Cascades with Henry Panter

· April 4 -- Winter Climb of Mount St. Helens with Henry Panter

=> Read more!

In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Olympic National Park
will present “A New Time, A New Voice”, a 30-minute video program about King this holiday weekend.

The program will be shown at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Additional viewings will be available on request.

The visitor center is located at 3002 Mount Angeles Road, Port Angeles. It is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.

“This is an excellent film and a great way to remember and learn more about Dr. King’s life and contributions,” Olympic National Park
Superintendent Karen Gustin said in a news release. “I warmly invite our visitors and neighbors to enjoy the film, and to enjoy all of Olympic over this holiday weekend.”

Other park facilities will also be open throughout the holiday weekend. Weather permitting, the Hurricane Ridge Road and Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center are scheduled to be open 9 a.m. until dusk, Friday through Monday this weekend, the release said. The snack bar and ski rental shop and downhill ski area (rope tows only) are also scheduled to be open, weather permitting.

Click here for current road and weather information about Hurricane Ridge Road, then click on “Hurricane Ridge Current Conditions.”

People may also call the park’s Road and Weather Hotline at 360-565-3131.

The road to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park will reopen for the upcoming three-day holiday weekend. But the road to the park’s most popular winter play area will be open just weekends and holidays likely until spring.

A park official late Wednesday announced plans for getting vehicles and park visitors around the 100-foot slide on Glacier Hill, above the bridge over the Nisqually River. The slide was discovered a week ago as park staff tried to reopen the road following a week of heavy snow then rain. Half of the uphill lane slid 30 to 40 down the steep hillside.

Because the damage was done in an area prone to avalanches, repairs won’t occur until winter snows subside, probably in May, said park spokeswoman Lee Taylor.

To get vehicles through the area, flaggers will be stationed near the bridge and at a spot at the top of the hill where it is safe for cars to line up. The flaggers will allow traffic to move through the area, one direction at a time.

“The traffic through the damaged area will have to be pretty tightly managed,” Taylor said. “We don’t people stopping in that area.”

Drivers shouldn’t expect lengthy delays, though, because the majority of the traffic is going uphill in the morning and down in the afternoon.

The decision to open the road only for weekends and holidays, Taylor said, was based on several factors: the cost of stationing people on the road seven days a week, to allow plows to work unhindered by traffic on Fridays to have it ready for the weekend and traffic volumes.

On weekends, 300 to 600 cars use the road on weekends, compared to 100 to 200 on weekdays, she said.

“It’s a weighing of the cost versus the benefit,” Taylor said.

The road will be open at Longmire as soon as crews have cleared any new snow. Park visitors should call 360-569-2211 for the latest road report.

You can be assured of two things if you teach your kids how to ski and snowboard at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park.

First, you are going to save a small fortune.

Second, your kids are going to be a little tougher than they would be if they’d learned someplace with extravagancies like chairlifts.

At Hurricane Ridge a family can ski all year for $375, but they’ll have to ride rope tows and be content with never seeing the best runs groomed.

“Kids who learn to ski here, can ski anywhere,” said Lori Lynn Gray, head of the Hurricane Ridge ski and snowboard school. “You have to hike to get to the good stuff.
“Hurricane Ridge is not for wussies.”

In fact, Gray isn’t opposed to poking some good-natured fun at those who flock to the big mountains in the Cascades to cruise groomed runs.

“You go to a place like Crystal and ride up the hill on those soft, couch-like chairlifts and then ski down a trail that’s been groomed for you,” Gray said. “That’s not skiing.”

=> Read more!

Mount Rainier National Park trails crews will proceed this spring or summer with a reroute of the Wonderland Trail in the Carbon River area.

Park officials this morning announced that the environmental review process has been completed for proposed trail repairs to a
flood-damaged section of the trail.

The Finding of No Significant Impact was signed by Acting Regional
Director George Turnbull on Dec. 10. The finding records the decision of the National Park Service to relocate the damaged portion of the trail to higher ground above the floodplain, said a park news release.

The reroute will provide access to the Carbon Glacier and Carbon River wilderness and will retain a historic segment of the Carbon River Wonderland Trail.

The project involves relocating approximately 1/4-mile of trail to higher ground above the floodplain of the Carbon River as described in the Environmental Assessment. Trail construction will occur in designated wilderness and will include blasting of bedrock to create a pathway along steep side slopes. The project will include measures to avoid and minimize harm to federal and state protected species and their habitats, wilderness values, and other protected natural and cultural resources, the release said.

This spring or summer, volunteers and conservation corps members will assist park trail crews in building the reroute. Although a bypass trail will remain open during the construction period, hikers may experience short delays during blasting operations. The project is expected to be completed by October 2010.

Click here to see both the finding and EA. Choose Mount Rainier National Park from the drop-down menu.

Director Mary A. Bomar announced yesterday she will retire on Tuesday, capping a 25 year federal career that included becoming the first naturalized citizen to lead the NPS.

I've met Bomar once and interviewed her several times. She seemed genuinely concerned when she visited Mount Rainier National Park after the historic November 2006 flood. I remember her stopping to talk to as many of the frontline employees that she could while touring the park.

Bomar also worked to get children more involved with national parks, a theme I've been pushing for several years. To that end, the NPS launched a new kids Web site last year.

Here is the rest of the news release:

“It has been my privilege to lead the 20,000 men and women of the National Park Service for the past 27 months,” said Bomar. “But Inauguration Day marks the end of my tenure as Director. It is time for me to hang up my ranger hat, finish my Park Service career and retire with over 25 years of government service.”

Bomar became the 17th Director of the National Park Service on Oct. 17, 2006. She leads a team of 20,000 employees and 172,000 volunteers in administering 391 national park units and related cultural and natural heritage programs. The parks welcomed more than 275 million visitors in 2007.

Bomar’s tenure was highlighted by the largest increase in operational funds for fiscal year 2008, and an ambitious plan preparing for the NPS Centennial in 2016. In 2008, the National Park Service Centennial Challenge leveraged a $25 million appropriation with private sector matching money to fund 111 programs benefitting 76 parks in 38 states.

In a memo to NPS employees, Bomar wrote, “If parks are America’s best idea,then certainly you are the best America has to offer…there is a new hope and confidence in the future—that we will enter our second century prepared to meet any challenge we face.” She added, “Directors will come and go, but the places are timeless—and the hearts of those who care for them are bigger than the 84 million acres in the system.”

Bomar and her husband will relocate to Texas, where she spent the early days of her NPS career, which began at Amistad National Recreation Area, Texas, where she became chief of administration. During her four-year tenure at Amistad, the NPS took advantage of her management expertise, assigning her a portfolio as a management circuit rider, assisting many national park sites in the Southwest.

In January 1994, Director Bomar accepted a management position at San
Antonio Missions National Historical Park—home to the largest collection of Spanish Colonial resources in the United States—and was promoted to the position of assistant superintendent. Before her move to Oklahoma, she completed a detail as the acting superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.

Director Bomar served as superintendent of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia from 2003-2005. There she presided over what was termed the "largest urban redevelopment project in America," a $340 million reconstruction of Independence Mall. The project included the relocation of the Liberty Bell to its new home in the Liberty Bell Center.

Selected as Regional Director of the NPS Northeast Region in July 2005, Director Bomar led the strategic planning, management and operation for more than 100 parks and areas of national significance plus numerous technical assistance and partnership programs in the 13-state region.

Prior to her National Park Service career, Director Bomar worked for the United States Air Force in the Morale Welfare and Recreation Program at various bases in the United States and Europe, and as a member of the Inspector General team.

Deputy Director Dan Wenk will serve as Acting Director until a new NPS Director is nominated and confirmed. “Dan has done a great job as Deputy Director,” said Bomar, “and I know he will continue to take care of the people, programs and places in the National Park Service.”

Skiers and snowboarders are rejoicing over the abundance of good conditions in the mountains this week after flooding closed all six of Washington’s Cascade ski areas last week.

“The sun is a very welcome sight …,” said Crystal Mountain spokeswoman Tiana Enger. “Skiers and snowboarders are soaking up the sunshine and vitamin D while cruising the … slopes.”

The National Weather Service is predicting a good three-day weekend for hitting the slopes. While there’s no fresh powder in the forecast, temperatures are predicted to be in the 40s.

The Summit at Snoqualmie reports that its snowpack is still in good shape after last week’s storm, with the notable exception of Summit East.

An Avalanche ripped through Summit East damaging buildings in the base area during the storm. Summit East, which typically only opens on weekends, is closed indefinitely.

The Nordic Center at the Summit reopens Friday according to the resort’s website.

White Pass Ski Area replaced the engine on its high-speed quad lift and the lift is now running at full speed.
Crystal Mountain is letting people ski for free midweek until Jan. 30 when they bring somebody in for a beginner lesson.

Expect delays if you’re heading to Mount Baker. According to the resort website, mtbaker.us, the Mount Baker Highway has only one lane open for a mile stretch. Flaggers are directing traffic at the area between mileposts 15 and 16.

However, it might be worth the wait. Mt. Baker is reporting a 130-inch base on Pan Dome.

Saturday is the start of National Ski Area Association Safety Week, which will be recognized at several Northwest ski areas including Crystal, the Summit at Snoqualmie and Mount Hood Meadows. Events include safety tips and discounts on helmets. A neurosurgeon will speak at Summit West at noon Saturday.

Monday, Martin Luther King Day, is one of the busiest days of the year at local ski areas.

(Picture courtesy of Crystal Mountain Ski Area)

The road to Paradise could reopen by this weekend.

Eric Walkinshaw, civil engineer at Mount Rainier National Park, said that will happen if federal highway engineers today determine the remaining roadway is safe.

A 100-foot section of the road on Glacier Hill, just above the bridge over the Nisqually River, fell away last week. The damage was discovered on Thursday as crews tried to reopen the road from Longmire to Paradise.

Walkinshaw, other park staffers and the federal engineers were examining the site this morning.

If it decided that the remaining lane is on solid bedrock, park staff will meet Wednesday morning to discuss how they can get traffic through the damaged area.

Among the options are using pilot cars or using checkpoints above and below the area to alternate traffic through the area. Walkinshaw also said they have to decide whether to keep the road open seven days a week or just on weekends.

“We would need some time to install Jersey barriers, signage, make staffing assignments, so the hope would be to be able to open to the public this weekend,” Walkinshaw said this morning.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Monday published in the Federal Register a proposed rule that modifies language regarding existing hunting programs at 76 national wildlife refuges.

Here is the rest of the news release:

The proposed rule has a 30-day public comment period. The service hopes to finalize the rule in time for the early winter and early spring 2008-2009 hunting seasons.

The proposed rule does not expand or create hunting programs but clarifies minor administrative matters such as opening hours for hunter registration and approved weapons for big-game hunting.

Click here to view the proposed rule.

The public comment period closes Feb. 12.

Click here to provide comments online. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Comments also may be sent by mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: RIN 1018-AV20; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. E-mailed or faxed comments will not
be accepted.

Just got an e-mail from White Pass Ski Area stating that the ski area has installed a new engine on its high-speed quad lift. The lift is now operating at full speed.

Highway 12 is open allowing access to White Pass via Yakima or Packwood.

Due to extreme weather conditions, the state has temporarily closed several Sno-Parks. The State Parks and Recreation Commission Winter Recreation Program issued a news release a short while ago:

Before heading out this weekend, check the following sources to make sure roads are passable and Sno-Parks are open:

For Sno-Park information

For pass and road conditions

For avalanche information

Here is the rest of the release:

State Parks Winter Recreation staff reminds visitors weather conditions sometimes interfere with or limit access to winter recreation sites, and extreme conditions can make plowing and grooming hazardous to equipment and operators. Sometimes equipment can not keep up with extreme snow fall, and equipment breakdowns take time to repair.

Funding for plowing and grooming (from the sale of Sno-Park permits) is limited due to heavy snow conditions. Heavy snow years can quickly exhaust annual funds allocated for Sno-Park areas.

The Winter Recreation Program, which administers the Snowmobile and Non-motorized (winter sports) programs, was created by recreationists in the 1970s to help fund winter sports and recreation. Today’s program removes snow from more than 100 parking lots, maintains 3,500 miles of groomed snowmobile trails and 700 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails, including marked snowshoe and dog sled trails, and provides tubing hills, signage, mapping, education and enforcement.

The brant goose hunt in Skagit County will proceed as planned after an aerial survey tallied about 16,200 brant in the area. The count, the largest in 14 years, allows the hunt to go forward.

Here is the rest of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife release:

Brant hunting is scheduled Jan. 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, and 25 with a daily bag limit of two geese.

The 16,200 brant counted during today’s aerial survey of Fidalgo, Padilla and Samish bays represent the highest total number of birds observed in those areas since 1995, when nearly 17,000 brant were counted, said Don Kraege, waterfowl section manager for WDFW. At least 6,000 brant must be counted in Skagit County before hunting is allowed.

"The high count is likely due to another season of good production at the birds’ breeding grounds in the Canadian arctic, and severe cold up north pushing more birds south into the area," Kraege said.

Last year, WDFW wildlife biologists counted about 9,200 brant - slightly above the long-term average. About 6,100 brant were counted during aerial surveys in 2007 and about 9,500 the previous year.

Hunters participating in the brant season must have prior written authorization and a harvest information card from WDFW. Hunters need to record their harvest information immediately after taking a brant, and return the completed harvest report to WDFW by Feb. 15. Hunters who fail to return the report by Feb. 15 will be ineligible to hunt brant in the 2009-2010 season.

Hunters who harvest a brant implanted with a radio transmitter should call Kraege at (360) 902-2522. WDFW biologists would like to retrieve the transmitters, which are used to track the migration pattern of the birds.

Hunters who harvest a brant fitted with a colored leg band should also report the leg band’s numbers and color to WDFW. Birds fitted with metal leg bands can be reported by calling 1-800-327-BAND or at www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl . The leg bands help biologists identify and track the birds.

Click here for more information on brant-hunting requirements and WDFW’s Migratory Waterfowl and Upland Game Seasons hunting pamphlet.

This just in from Mount Rainier National Park:

Mount Rainier Acting Superintendent Randy King advises that the road between Longmire and Paradise will not open this weekend, due to damage from the storm that hit the Pacific Northwest earlier this week.
Significant damage has occurred to about a 100' section of the roadway on Glacier Hill approximately 3/4 mile above Glacier Bridge. A portion of the outside edge of the road has sloughed off in this area, making it unsafe for traffic at this time. Park personnel and engineers from the Federal Highway Administration will be assessing the stability of the existing roadway next week and discussing repair options. This damaged area receives heavy snow during the winter and the steep hillside is susceptible to avalanches.

The park will be open to Longmire and the National Park Inn will be open for business, providing overnight accommodations, dining, a gift shop and ski and snowshoe rental. Ranger-led snowshoe walks, normally done at Paradise, will be conducted at Longmire during the weekend. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing can be enjoyed in the Longmire area, but no sledding is allowed. Paradise is the only sledding area in the park. The Longmire Museum is open daily.

Visitors are reminded to be prepared for winter road conditions when driving in the park and to carry tire chains in vehicles. Watch for compact snow and ice and possible falling branches or trees during windy periods.

Businesses outside the park in the gateway communities of Ashford, Elbe and Eatonville are also open for business.

Visitor information websites are available at:

www.nps.gov/mora
www.visitrainier.com
www.mt-rainier.com</blockquote>

Tiana Enger of Crystal Mountain says the resort will stay closed Saturday due to closures on Highway 410. The resort hopes to reopen Sunday, Enger said.

Here's the statement released today by Crystal Mountain:

Crystal Mountain is forced to remain closed until further notice due to several mudslides and water over Highway 410, the only way to access Crystal Mountain during the winter. The Department of Transportation has told mountain officials that they hope to have the highway open on Sunday but can’t make any guarantees at this time. Crystal Mountain has been closed since Wednesday, January 7th, 2009.

All snowsports multi-week programs & the Miles Smart Steep Camp have been canceled for this weekend. The Level 1 Avalanche Hazard Class has been rescheduled for January 17-19, 2009.

On the bright side Crystal Mountain has received 24 inches of new snow over the past 3 days, so great conditions await the return of skiers and boarders.

This statement regarding the snowpack was released by Paul Baugher, Crystal Mountain Patrol Director. “The troublesome weak layers buried deep in the snowpack from early season have become more consolidated with the rain earlier this week and significant load. Lots of caution needs to be used right now but once the snowpack has adjusted to this new load it will be like hitting the reset button. The snowpack is much more friendly when you are just dealing with the new snow instability and not deeply buried weak layers.”

Stay tuned for information on a possible re-opening on Sunday, January 11th, 2009.

A statement released today by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service:

Despite record snowfall accumulations across Washington during the past month, the statewide mountain snowpack is average for this time of the year, according to USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

That’s right, just average.

“For all those residents who have been digging out their driveways and sidewalks for the past month, the notion of an 'average' snowpack must seem like pure hydrological nonsense,” said Scott Pattee, water supply specialist with the NRCS in Mt. Vernon. “But the numbers don't lie. The depth and water content of the snowpack statewide is just about average,” he said.

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Just saw this on Mount Rainier National Park volunteer coordinator Kevin Bacher's blog:

At Carbon River, Jim Hull made it in to the park facilities yesterday and reports minimal damage. We lost a little more ground along the river but not as much as expected. A team is hoping to explore further up the Carbon River Road today. At White River, Matt Knowles tried to get into the park yesterday, but was turned back by the flooding and mudslides on Highway 410 well before the park boundary. He'll try again today. No reports yet from Ohanapecosh, either. When the weather improves, we'd also like to do a fly-over to assess Highway 123 and the backcountry. I'll keep you posted.

Damage assessment continues on the road to Paradise as Mount Rainier National Park after park officials yesterday discovered a large washout.

About a 100-foot section of roadway, on Glacier Hill above the large bridge over the Nisqually River, slid downhill because of severe runoff from heavy rains. More than 8 inches of rain fell at Paradise during the recent storm.

Mount Rainier National Park A Mount Rainier National Park employee surveys the storm damage at Glacier Hill on the Nisqually Road below Paradise.

Engineers are expected to visit the site to determine how much damage has been done and how park staff can proceed with repairs.

The road beyond Longmire remains closed indefinitely.

The road to Longmire received minor damage during the recent storm, but remains opens to the National Park Inn, the museum and other buildings in the complex.

Mount Rainier National Park

The Summit at Snoqualmie ski area reopens at 9 a.m. after two days of closures because of adverse weather. However, not every ski area is as lucky.

All six ski areas in Washington's Cascades have been closed since Tuesday.

Crystal Mountain and White Pass remain closed because of road damage. White Pass plans to reopen Saturday, but the resort likely will only be accessible via Yakima.

Here's the scoop on all six areas.

Summit - OPEN
Crystal - Closed due to the closure of Highway 410.
White Pass - Closed due to closure of Highway 12.
Stevens Pass - Plans to reopen today at noon.
Mt. Baker - OPEN
Mission Ridge - OPEN

Olympic National Park seems to have fared quite well in the storm.

“It looks like we came through relatively unscathed this time,” said spokeswoman Barb Maynes.

The major issue is the Hoh River Road, Maynes said. There is some damage from water coming over the road outside the park, plus debris and water on the road in one stretch inside the park.

Maynes said Jefferson County officials anticipate having the road open to the park boundary sometime next week.

A 100-foot section of road in Mount Rainier National Park was damaged by floodwaters Thursday, acting park superintendent Randy King said.

Road crews are still accessing the damage and have not determined how soon they will be able to repair the only winter access route to Paradise.

The Nisqually Road has been closed above Longmire since Monday. The road closed entirely overnight, but partially reopened this morning.

The road damage is located just above the Nisqually Glacier View Bridge at about 4,000 feet, King said.

King said as much as an entire lane of the road was scoured away by the swollen river.

The area has not typically been susceptible to flood damage, King said.

Areas like Sunshine Point, Kautz Creek and Longmire damaged by the historic 2006 flood are holding up well, King said.
“It is not on the level of two years ago,” King said.

Flooded roads outside the park have kept officials from being able to reach areas like Carbon River Road and Ohanapecosh to check for damage. King is concerned heavy snow load on the building could cause damage.

Here is a quick look at some of the popular recreation areas in the South Sound. Co-worker Craig Hill is talking to folks at Mount Rainier and should be posting an udpate soon.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest
“Our biggest concern is the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District in Randle,” said spokesman. “They were moving vehicle to higher ground, as well as important items.”
Staffers were expecting the office to be flooded today.
Strebig said a plane will be used Monday to assess damage elsewhere in the forest.
Several roads, including Forest Roads 25, 54 and 90, have already experienced landslides and storm damage. The Cowlitz River was flowing over Forest Road 23 south of Randle.

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Access to much of the forest, including the south end along Highway 410, is blocked by road closures outside of the forest.
“Our biggest concern is public safety. It’s not a real good idea to travel on the forest at this point time,” said spokeswoman Renee Bodine.
She said most of the forest roads are under the snow, so they won’t have any idea of the full extent of the damage until the spring.

Olympic National Park/Forest
The storm dumped more than 17 1/2 inches of rain on the Quinault area in a little more than 24 hours. I’m still trying to reach someone at the park to discuss storm damage.

Washington State Parks
Officials were hoping to get out today to assess damage done to state parks in Western Washington.
Parks in the southwest corner of the state were hardest hit, said spokeswoman Virginia Painter.

The Nisqually entrance to Mount Rainier National Park has reopened. The park just sent out a press release. Here is the rest:

Park officials closed the gate late Wednesday afternoon as a precautionary measure due to safety concerns of flooding conditions during the night. Those concerns did not develop and the entrance was reopened this morning. The road between Longmire and Paradise
remains closed at this time as crews are performing snow removal.

The National Park Inn at Longmire is open to the public for lodging and
dining.

Here's the lowdown on the ski areas. All six were closed yesterday.

Summit at Snoqualmie - Closed due to "extreme weather."
Crystal Mountain - Closed due to the closure of Highway 410.
Stevens Pass - Closed due to "extreme and continuing adverse weather."
Mt. Baker - Closed because of Mount Baker Highway closure.
White Pass - Closed because of the closure of Highway 12.
Mission Ridge - Closed due to wind damage.

The National Weather service is calling for the freezing level to drop to about 2,000 feet today and for snow to return. All of the ski areas plan on trying to reopen Friday.

Mount Rainier National Park will close the Nisqually Entrance near Ashford because of the threat of flooding. It could reopen as soon as Thursday morning.

The statement from the park:

Mount Rainier National Park officials will close the Nisqually Entrance gate into the park this evening as a precautionary measure due to the uncertainty of the predicted rising rivers. This step is being taken due to concerns for visitor and employee safety, given the current forecast for flooding and the unpredictability of the Nisqually River, Tahoma and Kautz Creeks, which run along and across the main road between the Nisqually Entrance and Longmire. No known major damage has occurred at this point, but both Tahoma and Kautz Creeks are continuing to rise. Forecasts call for stream levels to rise throughout the night.

The park will reassess the conditions Thursday morning.

A massive avalanche stripped the Summit East ski area of its snow base earlier today.

The slide reportedly damaged several buildings in the base area.

Here's a link to a story from our news partner, KIRO-TV.

And here's a link to their pics of the slide.

All six ski areas in Washington's Cascades are closed today and at least one will remain closed tomorrow.

Road closures on Interstate 90, Highway 410 and Highway 9 forced the closure of The Summit at Snoqualmie, Crystal Mountain and White Pass.

Stevens Pass and Mt. Baker closed because of heavy rain. Mission Ridge near Wenatchee is typically closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Mission Ridge announced today it will not open Thursdays because of wind damage, but hopes to open Friday.

Backcountry skiers should also check the Northwest Avalanche Institute hotline, 206-526-6677, before heading out. Skiing outside a ski area when conditions are high or extreme is not recommended.

On Wednesday the institute said avalanche danger was extreme in the Cascade and Olympic mountains.

The National Weather Service forecasts a return of snow to the Cascades today with clear skies Friday and more snow over the weekend.

If you are planning to head to the coast for the razor clam dig that opens Thursday, be very careful.

The forecast calls for swells to be 14 feet Thursday, dropping to 12 feet on Friday. Conditions will be better Saturday and Sunday, with swells at 8-9 feet.

The dig runs Thursday through Sunday at Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks, while Long Beach is open Friday through Sunday.

Digging will be allowed only between noon and midnight. Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager, said the best time to start digging at all beaches is an hour or two before low tide.

The evening low tide times for this dig are today, 4:13 p.m., -0.2 feet; Friday, 5:07 p.m., -0.8 feet; Saturday, 5:58 p.m., -1.1 feet; and Sunday, 6:45 p.m., -1.2 feet.

Here is an update I received from folks at Mount Rainier and Olympic national parks, plus a check on streamflows at some rivers in both areas.

Mount Rainier National Park

The road to Longmire is open, but some park employees are opting to work at the education center at the Tahoma Woods headquarters complex. The road from Longmire to Paradise will likley stayed closed until the storm has passed, assistant superintendent Randy King said.
With temperatures at Paradise hovering in the low 30s, the snowpack there has shrunk by 6 inches in the last 24 hours.

Local rivers

Puyallup River: Flows at 10 a.m. were 29,100 cubic feet per second, according to the gauge in Puyallup. The river was at 25 feet, below the 30-foot flood stage level.

Nisqually River: Flows at 10 a.m. were 7,130 cubic feet per second, according to the gauge near National. The river was .75 feet above the 10-foot flood stage level. The current forecasted crest will be around 12.6 feet about 4 a.m. Thursday, King said. The highest recorded mark

was November 2006 flood, when the river reached 13.1 feet.
Carbon River: Flows were at 9,600 cfs at 10 a.m., according to the gauge near Fairfax. The river height was 14.86 feet.

Olympic National Park

Nearly a foot of rain has fallen in areas along the coast, causing some washouts and sending water over other roads. The Quinault Valley has received 11 inches of rain since the storm started.

The worst damage is on the Hoh Valley Road on Jefferson County land outside the park, where there have been some major washouts, said park chief ranger Kevin Hendricks.

“We’re doing OK. We’ve gotten a lot of rain and some wind,” Hendricks said. “But we have no injuries and no structural damage, so far.”

Olympic Coast

Queets River: Flows reached 89,100 cubic feet per second at 9:45 a.m. today. On Sunday, flows were down below 4,000 cfs. The river’s height was 24.34 feet.

Hoh River: Was at 37,400 cfs at 10 a.m. Park ranger John Preston said he worries about the status of the Hoh River Valley Road when flows reach 40,000 cfs.

Flows at both rivers were still rising, but not as fast as they did overnight, which might be a sign that rivers have reached their peaks.

Olympic National Park officials this afternoon closed access to the Hoh and Queets river valleys as a safety precaution, said chief ranger Kevin Hendricks. In addition, crews doing spotted owl surveys were called out of the backcountry because of avalanche danger.

This afternoon's forecast calls for rainfall totals by Wednesday night to be 6 to 10 inches on the coast and up to 20 inches on the west facing slopes of the Olympic Mountains.

“(That’s) so we can remove the public from areas that might be blocked by rising rivers and fallen trees,” Hendricks said of the closures.

John Preston, a ranger based at the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center, left work earlier than normal this afternoon.

“The pond next to the visitor center was coming up. I was watching the stream flow gauge all day,” Preston said. “It was a good time to get out of there.”

The U.S. Geological Survey streamflow gauge on the Hoh at U.S. 101 showed flows were steadily rising this afternoon, reaching 4,230 cubic feet per second at 3:15 p.m. Flows were as low as 1,670 cfs Sunday afternoon.

Preston said the storm is a dual threat. Not only is a lot of rain forecast to fall, it also will melt the snow that has fallen in the last month.

“The snowpack has reached saturation. It can’t absorb any more heat energy from the rain, so the rain is starting to melt the snow,” he said.

“They’re calling for 12 inches of rain. That would be a major flood event if that happens. So far, they’ve been spot on,” Preston said.

A foot of rain would be comparable to the December 2007 storm that caused flooding in Chehalis and shut down Interstate 5.

“It’s going to be wild and wooly in the Hoh the next few days,” Preston said.

Mount Rainier National Park officials are keeping an eye on the rainfall gauge and roadside trees.

I just spoke to Randy King, assistant park superintendent, and he said the park is expected to receive three inches of rain in the coming days. He said staffers will be monitoring streams and key roads to watch for flooding.

King said Mount Rainier should fare better than Olympic National Park, where the forecast is calling for 20 inches of rain.

Both parks have been working to recover from severe flood damage done in the last two years.

Because of the threat of avalanches, King said the road from Longmire to Paradise will be closed Wednesday.

The status of the road from the Nisqually entrance to Longmire will be decided in the morning. Snow-laden trees and branches have been falling on the road, King said. The road was closed Monday because 40 trees had fallen across the road. At least one car was struck by a falling branch.

The National Park Service this morning announced it has issued a Record of Decision to implement Alternative B, the preferred alternative, for the Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement for North Cascade National Park.

This action will eliminate high densities of reproducing fish populations from select lakes and allow low densities of reproducing fish populations to remain in others, said a park news release. Non-reproducing fish will be stocked in certain lakes provided impacts to biological resources can be minimized. Lakes that are currently fishless will remain fishless. Up to 42 lakes may be stocked or otherwise remain fishable.

Click here for the plan, EIS, Record of Decision, Frequently Asked Questions, fact sheets, research papers, and an administrative history. Select “Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan/EIS.”

Here is the rest of the news release:

The implementation of the preferred alternative, which would allow continued stocking of non-reproducing fish in 42 select lakes, will require authorization from Congress that fish stocking is appropriate within the park complex. Such authorization is needed because the 2006 National Park Service Management Policies prohibit stocking in naturally fishless lakes to preserve and protect naturally fishless aquatic ecosystems.

If the National Park Service does not have authorization by July 1, it will implement Alternative D, the environmentally preferred alternative, which will work to restore native ecosystems through the cessation of stocking mountain lakes and the removal of reproducing fish populations from mountain lakes where it is feasible to do so. Until July 1, the National Park Service will continue long-term ecological monitoring and test gill net fish removal methods at select mountain lakes while continuing cooperative fisheries management with the state of Washington.

The Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan is based on more than 10 years of research regarding the ecological impacts of fish stocking within the North Cascades ecosystem and was developed via unprecedented collaboration between the National Park Service and the state of Washington. It will substantially improve existing ecological conditions while continuing to provide sport-fishing opportunities in reservoirs, rivers and streams, and select mountain lakes within each of the three units of North Cascades National Park Service Complex (North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area).

The National Park Service’s preferred alternative would, if stocking is authorized by Congress, result in adaptive management of the 91 natural mountain lakes within the park complex with a history of fish stocking and up to 42 of these lakes will remain fishable. The management action will eliminate high densities of reproducing fish populations from lakes using several methods including gill netting and habitat modification (in smaller lakes) and application of the piscicide antimycin (in larger lakes), and also allow continued stocking of select lakes with trout species incapable of reproducing due to habitat and life history constraints (i.e. species considered functionally sterile). The impact analysis indicates that continued stocking (at low densities with non-reproducing fish) will have negligible to minor impacts to aquatic life.

Here is a follow up to the story I posted yesterday about the world record non-typical American elk taken in Utah last fall. The story comes from Brett Prettyman of The Salt Lake Tribune. He posted the story yesterday.

Click here to see a video of the elk, taken by guide Doyle Moss.

Here is Brett’s story.

It's official.

A behemoth male elk dubbed the "Spider bull," taken by a hunter on
Monroe Mountain in central Utah last fall, carried the largest antler
rack ever recorded by the Boone and Crockett (B&C) Club and has been
recognized as the new world record for a nontypical American elk.

The antlers did more than land at the top of the record books - they
also proved to be points of contention among hunters.

The final measurements -- 478 5/8 -- shattered the existing record of
465 2/8 taken from a bull found frozen in a lake in British Columbia
in 1994. The points based on a combination of measurements from the
antlers.

Doyle Moss, head guide for Utah-based MossBack Guides and Outfitters,
led hunter Dennis Austad of Ammon, Idaho, to the bull.

"We all knew he was a special bull, but the reality of just how big
he was really set in when we walked up to him," Moss said.

A quick measurement by Moss in the field turned up a gross score of
more than 500 points. And that's when the controversy started.

Online hunting forums buzzed with rumors that the bull had escaped
from an elk farming ranch or a hunting preserve. Columnists from
national hunting magazines joined the fray and criticized the program
that allowed Austad to bid and win a $150,000 elk conservation permit
to hunt anywhere in the state for several months.

Money from the permit program funds conservation projects around the
state. More than $17 million has been raised by the program in the
last 12 years, $2.9 million of it in 2008.

But investigations by the state of Utah and B&C confirmed the animal
was wild, was taken on public land, and was killed legally, which
qualified it for the record.

"We are confident it was not a farmed elk," said Terry Menlove,
director of the animal industry division of the Utah Department of
Agriculture. "We keep an inventory and there were no missing animals
and it had none of the required markings for an elk on a farm."

Moss can understand why some people figure the bull must have escaped
from a breeding facility. He first heard about the bull when friend
e-mailed him some pictures.

"Even I questioned how he could be so big," Moss said. "There had
never been a bull killed on that mountain that scored 400 inches. It
was kind of shocking."

Moss says anybody who spent time trying to find the bull during
hunting season will confirm it was born in the wild.

"After seeing him disappear like he did during the hunts it is easy
to see how he could have survived the last couple of years," Moss
said. "He was very nocturnal. We would see him the last few minutes
of light before dark and at first light, but that was it."

Jim Karpowitz, director of the DWR, uses that point to counter the
argument that only a hunter with the means to pay $150,000 for a
permit and guide fees could take such a trophy.

"All the other permitted hunters - archery, rifle and most of the
muzzleloaders - had a crack at that bull," Karpowitz said. "A lot of
other people knew it was there and they all looked for it."

Austad hunted with MossBack guides for 12 days in early September
before leaving due to other obligations. He managed one shot at the
"Spider bull" during that time. A Mossback guide spotted the bull,
alive and well, on Sept. 28, two days before Austad was scheduled to
return. Early on Sept. 30, Austad dropped the bull with one shot from
a rifle he designed himself.

Karpowitz was impressed with the bull, but said it has never been the
agency's goal to produce a world record.

"Our objective is to maintain healthy population of elk and provide a
diversity of hunting opportunities," he said. "It's exciting that we
produced the largest elk ever known in the wild and an indication of
the high quality elk program we have in Utah."

The threat of avalanches has led Mount Rainier National Park officials to close the road from Longmire to Paradise.

The current forecast calls for heavy rain and the freezing level rising to 7,000 feet, creating extreme avalanche conditions today, said a park news release. With the threat of slides, park officials have opted to close the road.

The road to Longmire, however, reopened earlier this morning after it was closed Monday. The release said the road was closed Monday due to the danger from numerous falling trees. Since conditions stabilized, park officials reopened the road at 7:30 p.m.

A Utah bull taken in 2008 by a hunter on public land has been confirmed as a new world record. The official declaration was made Friday by the Boone and Crockett Club.

The club sent out the news release this morning. Boone and Crockett officicals said the elk might be the largest ever produced in the wild.

A special judges panel determined a final score of 478-5/8 B&C non-typical points, 93-plus inches above the Boone and Crockett minimum score of 385 for non-typical American elk, and more than 13 inches larger than the previous world record, said a club news release.

Boone and Crockett Club
Denny Austad of Ammon, Idaho, poses with the world record non-typical American elk he shot while hunting in Utah Sept. 30.

Denny Austad of Ammon, Idaho, took the elk while hunting the Monroe Mountain District in south-central Utah. Hunting with a self-designed rifle, Austad killed the bull on Sept. 30. He hunted for 13 days before connecting with the trophy, dubbed “spider bull” for its unique antler configuration.

It is the only elk on record with a gross score approaching the 500-inch mark, at 499-3/8. Official data dates back to 1830.

The giant bull has nine points on the left antler and 14 points on the right. The larger antler has a base circumference topping 9 inches.

Here is the rest of the news release:

The Boone and Crockett scoring system, long used to measure the success of wildlife conservation and management programs across North America, rewards antler size and symmetry, but also recognizes nature’s imperfections with non-typical categories for most antlered game.

The bull’s final score of 478-5/8 inches includes 140 inches of abnormal points.

“Along with measurements that honor the quality of the animal, Boone and Crockett Club records also honor fair-chase hunting,” said Eldon Buckner, chairman of the Club’s Records of North American Big Game committee. “Through our entry process, signed affidavits and follow-up interviews with the hunter, his guides, and state and federal officials, we were satisfied that this bull was indeed a wild, free-ranging trophy and that the tenets of fair chase were used in the harvest.”

On behalf of the Boone and Crockett Club, Buckner congratulated Austad and credited his new World’s Record to the tremendous management of habitat and wildlife by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Fishlake National Forest.

“Utah’s conservation professionals really deserve a pat on the back, as do the citizens of Utah for their support of their state’s wildlife programs,” said Buckner.

Across North America, ever-improving conservation practices have translated to flourishing big game populations, with balanced age-class and mature, trophy animals. Over the past 30 years, qualifying Boone and Crockett records book entries for American elk have increased 193 percent from a total of 14 in 1977 to 41 in 2007.

Across all categories of native North American big game, the overall trend is even higher with 344 qualifiers in 1977 up to 1,151 in 2007—a 234 percent increase.

The previous world record for non-typical American elk was 465-2/8 B&C points. That bull was found dead, frozen in Upper Arrow Lake, B.C., in 1994, and was entered into Boone and Crockett Club records by the provincial Ministry of Environment on behalf of the citizens of British Columbia.

For hunter-taken non-typical American elk, the previous top bull scored 450-6/8 B&C points, taken in 1998 in Apache County, Ariz., by Alan Hamberlin.
The Boone and Crockett Club also keeps records for Roosevelt’s and Tule elk. World’s Records for these categories are substantially smaller than those for American elk.

Staffer Scott Hansen recently visited the Summit Nordic Center and filed this video:

This is a photo I took -- while stopped -- as my family and I left Mount Rainier National Park on Tuesday. This was taken on the road from Longmire to the Nisqually entrance.

Jeffrey P. Mayor
The snow in the foreground is on the hood of our SUV and came from the 11 inches that fell Monday and Tuesday morning.

If you are thinking of heading to the mountain this weekend, call ahead or check the park's Web site. Based on Webcam views this morning, getting to Paradise could be a bit dicey. In the last 24 hours, nearly a foot of snow has fallen at Paradise.

A few minutes ago I called the park and the advisory said the road to Paradise would be closed all day. Visitors should watch for crews removing snow and trees on the stretch from the entrance to Longmire.

The next razor clam dig will open as scheduled on Thursday. Officials with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife made the announcement this morning.

Four evening digs are scheduled at Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks
from Thursday through Jan. 11, while Long Beach is scheduled for three days of digging, Jan. 9 through Jan 11.

Digging will be allowed only during the hours between noon and midnight.

Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager, said the best time to start digging at all beaches is an hour or two before low tide.

The evening low tide times for this dig art:
Thursday: 4:13 p.m., -0.2 feet
Jan. 9: 5:07 p.m., -0.8 feet
Jan. 10: 5:58 p.m., -1.1 feet
Jan. 11: 6:45 p.m., -1.2 feet

Because the low tides are happening late in the afternoon and into the evening, Ayres reccommends diggers take lights or lanterns. It also is a good idea to place some sort of light in your vehicle so you can find it when you are done digging.

Diggers also should check weather and surf forecasts at the National Weather Service Web site before heading out. Ayres recommends people consider staying off the beach if swell heights reach 12 feet.

Click here for an updated coastal forecast.

Because of poor weather conditions during previous sig, harvest data shows there were enough clams on the four beaches to offer additional digging opportunities, Ayres said.

"We had some rough weather during the fall openers, which prevented
some people from getting out," Ayres said in a news release. "The good news is there are plenty of clams to harvest. Now we just hope the weather cooperates."

A February digs has been tentatively scheduled for: Feb. 6-8 Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks and Feb. 7-8 at Long Beach.

Kalaloch Beach in Olympic National Park is closed, but may open in the spring if clams there grows to harvestable size.