Pointing a pair of skis or a snowboard down a snow-covered slope, even the gentle bunny hill, for the first time clenches up a lot of teeth each winter. [...]
I don’t want anyone to start feeling itchy or creepy over breakfast, but this is shaping up as an epic year for ticks – the nastiest parasite in the Northwest. [...]
The Olympian's corps of loyal outdoors readers usually has just one chance a week to win an Olympian Outdoor ballcap -- through the Sunday photo contest. [...]
I've seen so many bald eagles this winter -- here in South Sound and also in Oregon.
I'm used to seeing the big birds during salmon season -- they love to eat dead salmon -- but I've seen a lot of them all winter long.
Bald eagles are hanging out near Priest' [...]
Snowboarders have a big event -- and a chance to get into the U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships in Stratton, Vermont -- this weekend at the Summit at Snoqualmie. [...]
I'm still shaking the sand of Sayulita, Mexico out of my ears, but I see that the big Washington Sportsmen's Show opens Wednesday at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. [...]
White Pass Ski Resort will re-open Saturday and be fully operational from 8:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. The resort posted on its web site that it will be open Sunday from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. It has 80 inches of snow on the base and 110 inches at the [...]
You skiers and snowboarders out there probably have already heard that Crystal Mountain will be opening to limited operations Saturday. Mission Ridge, near Wenatchee opened today. [...]
Bob Brown spent part of the weekend at the Weyerhaeuser Vail Tree Farm to talk to deer hunters participating in the late buck season. Here's his report: [...]
Once again WeyerhaeuserÂ’s Vail Tree Farm attracted the attention of hundreds of hunters who entered the farm in droves Saturday morning. Weyerhaeuser security counted 285 vehicles entering the farm within 30 minutes of the Vail gate opening. It was estimated twice that number would eventually enter the farm during the [...]
I was out at Vail Tree Farm for the modern firearms deer hunting opener on Saturday, and I saw state Department of Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers checking just about everyone for loaded rifles in their vehicles. [...]
Check this blog Monday afternoon to read more about Chester Allen's experiences as he visited Vail to talk to deer hunters about the opening day of modern firearms season Saturday. Chester wrote a column on the opener that appeared in The Olympian's print edition and online Sunday. [...]
Got 10 bucks in your pocket? You’ll need it to buy a new crabbing license in 2010 — if you don’t turn in your 2009 crab report cards for the summer and fall seasons. [...]
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider imposing a $10 penalty for sport crab fishers who fail to comply with catch-reporting requirments during its Sept. 5-6 meeting in Olympia. [...]
Start untangling those decoy anchor lines and patch up those shot holes, as waterfowl season is less than two months away. And a special duck season for youth hunters will happen on Sept. 20 through 21. [...]
I'm here in familiar digs -- Hood River, Ore. -- on my nine-day "Staycation," and the local blueberry crop is coming off the vines and pretty directly into my mouth. [...]
I found myself in the famous Miner's Drive-In hamburger joint right outside of Yakima Monday afternoon, and I couldn't resist going in for a big burger -- a really big burger. [...]
So, I'm on the outdoors road around Oregon and Washington this week, and I'm finding that the reading-- in the form of bumper stickers -- is good while you're driving.
Seen on Highway 26 in Oregon: "PMS = Punish Men Severely."
Seen at Camp 18 -- the famous logger's restaurant on Highway [...]
The popular South Fork Hoh Campground will close from July 7 through August 1.
The closure will restrict access to the South Fork of the Hoh Trail in Olympic National Park. [...]
I wrote an outing story earlier this week about setting aside some time in mid-June to explore a South Sound beach during the lowest tides of the year. [...]
The historic Paradise Inn in Mount Rainier National Park will reopen on May 16 -- two years after closing for a major restoration of the landmark building. [...]
The states of Washington and Oregon put a halt to capturing and relocating salmon-eating California sea lions below Bonneville Dam after six of the big animals were found shot Sunday. [...]
Well, the Cascades are supposed to get another foot or so of new snow this weekend -- even as Washington ski areas prepare to start shutting down the lift bullwheels. [...]
Well, the Cascades are supposed to get another foot or so of new snow this weekend -- even as Washington ski areas prepare to start shutting down the lift bullwheels. [...]
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has removed gray wolves from the federal endangered species list in eastern Washington, but the animals are still fully protected as a state endangered species. [...]
Staircase -- that stunning part of Olympic National Park that is soooo close to us in South Sound -- probably won't open until June 9 because of slides on the access road. [...]
Dr. Marlin Geist, an Olympia High School graduate, will talk about his experiences on the first expedition to attempt the summit of Chong Kumdan 2 on Friday evening at The Alpine Experience, 408 Olympia Ave. NE. [...]
I'm sure that most of us have noticed that big, beautiful block of huge trees that shades a half-mile of road near the main entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. [...]
I went outside Monday morning and it was dead calm -- not a breath of wind. That little voice we all carry around in our outdoor-addled heads whispered: "If it's calm here, it may be calm in Westport." [...]
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has removed gray wolves from the federal endangered species list in eastern Washington, but the animals are still fully protected as a state endangered species. [...]
Staircase -- that stunning part of Olympic National Park that is soooo close to us in South Sound -- probably won't open until June 9 because of slides on the access road. [...]
Dr. Marlin Geist, an Olympia High School graduate, will talk about his experiences on the first expedition to attempt the summit of Chong Kumdan 2 on Friday evening at The Alpine Experience, 408 Olympia Ave. NE. [...]
I'm sure that most of us have noticed that big, beautiful block of huge trees that shades a half-mile of road near the main entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. [...]
I went outside Monday morning and it was dead calm -- not a breath of wind. That little voice we all carry around in our outdoor-addled heads whispered: "If it's calm here, it may be calm in Westport." [...]
The White Pass Hammerhead Rail Jam -- where skiers and boarders slide along a rail and then land on the snow -- cranks up at White Pass ski area Saturday. [...]
Bob Ernst, director of rowing and head coach of the University of Washington rowing team, will speak at the Olympic Area Rowing's annual banquet Saturday. [...]
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife will feed hay to about 400 elk in a 2,744-acre wildlife area at the base of Mount St. Helens this winter. [...]
Black bears are chomping -- and killing -- a lot of Douglas fir trees in the Capitol State Forest, so hunters will whittle down the bear population during special hunts this spring. [...]
I sat down with my daughter Courtney last night to watch "One California Day" -- a new video about how present-day California surfers and surfboard shapers are connecting to great surfers and shapers of the past. [...]
Well, it's been a long night of reading e-mails and thinking. I wrote a column for Tuesday's paper about a proposal to allow people to carry firearms in national parks. [...]
Confession: I snowboarded over the New Year holiday at Mood Hood Meadows in Oregon, and I haven't yet ridden the new Northway chairlift at Crystal Mountain. [...]
Crystal Mountain may open the new Northway chairlift -- yeah, the one that opens up hundreds of new, expert acres to advanced skiers and boarders -- today. [...]
I'm still in Hawaii for a few days, but I got a storm of e-mails about Crystal Mountain's own Scott Macartney taking third place in the men's World Cup downhill race in Val Gardena, Italy. [...]
White Pass Ski Area announced today that the lifts will start running again on Saturday. Lots of snow is in the Cascades weather forecast, so it looks like ski and snowboard season is finally here to stay. [...]
White Pass Ski Area will not open Saturday. White Pass is waiting for more snow after this week's warm rains washed away a lot of the white stuff. [...]
Let the ski and snowboard season start again!
Torrents of warm rain washed out a few days on the slopes -- and quite a bit of snow -- but Crystal Mountain will open on Saturday with the Chinook, Forest Queen, Rainier Express and Green Valley chairlifts. The Discovery lift -- [...]
White Pass Ski Area and Crystal Mountain wallowed in heavy snowfall over the weekend, but a lot of that snow is probably already flowing downhill toward the Pacific Ocean. [...]
Crystal Mountain is opening Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This opening is limited, and the Discovery, Forest Queen and Chinook chairlifts will be open. [...]
Crystal Mountain will open on Saturday with three lifts working -- Discovery, Chinook Express and Forest Queen -- if snow falls today and Thursday. [...]
Well, Crystal Mountain and White Pass got 8 inches of new snow last night, which is great, but it's not enough to get the lift bullwheels turning. [...]
The U.S. Forest Service has signed off on White Pass Ski Area's proposal to expand by 767 acres -- and add two new lifts, 18 new trails and a mid-mountain lodge in the Hogback Basin. [...]
The Olympia Ski Club's annual ski swap and sale will start at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Washington State Armory at the corner of Eastside Street and Legion Way. [...]
Mission Ridge Ski and Board Resort plan to crank up the lift bullwheels on Nov. 23.
Wow. How can they do that? There isn't much snow in the Cascades yet. Well, Mission Ridge has a big snowmaking system. [...]
I got a sneak peek at the new Cabela's store in Lacey today during a media tour.
The store opens on Nov. 16, and it's not quite done yet -- the sharp scent of freshly varnished stairs hit my nose the minute I walked into the door. [...]
