What's Happening

High country finally becoming snow-free

Enough snow has finally melted off on most high-country trail systems to make them navigable, even by groups with stock animals. Of course, all that freshly-melted snow also means mosquitos are at their nastiest in the high country right now.

Hikers taking off south from Chinook Pass can easily make it to Dewey Lake -- a trip that even three weeks earlier required traversing some broad, relatively steep snowfields -- though campers should note that fire restrictions are in effect within a quarter-mile of the lake. There are still some areas of downfall that will make it problematic for stock users, who would be wise to pack a saw with their gear.

The same is clear with hikers going north on the Pacific Crest Trail from Chinook Pass, or going either direction on the PCT from White Pass -- expect patches of snow and drifts, but not too bad. Some areas, though, are still messier than others; trekkers going north from White Pass can expect a
3- to 4-mile stretch of the PCT in the Crag Lake-to-American Lake area with enough snow that following the trail can be difficult.

Campfire restrictions remain in effect throughout the Naches and Cle Elum ranger districts except in designated Wilderness areas. Woodcutting is also prohibited.

Klickitat added to
pilot cougar program

Washington cougar hunters will see a drop of 40 percent in the allowable harvest in the five northeastern counties that have been part of the state's pilot program allowing hound hunting for cougars, but Klickitat County will join that program after last weekend's actions taken by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Klickitat was the only county to request inclusion into the program after the Legislature opened its doors earlier this year, and will be allowed limited-entry hound hunts for cougars beginning this year. Around the state, though, the annual cougar bag limit will be halved from two to one as Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to stabilize the state's cougar population.

The commission adopted similar waterfowl hunting seasons as last year's. The statewide duck season will be Oct. 11-15 and Oct. 18-Jan. 25; goose seasons will vary across the state, with most running from Oct. 11 into January. Canvasback will be closed this year and scaup season will be delayed until Nov. 1. Special limits for hen mallard, pintail, redhead, harlequin, scoter and long-tailed duck will remain the same.

Bird Alert: Crossbills make somebody's day

A couple of local birders were thrilled to see about 10 white-winged crossbills along the Middle Fork of Ahtanum Creek at the Clover Springs Campground. This medium-sized finch of the boreal forest likes to hang on cones of coniferous trees and use its oddly-shaped bill to extract seeds from the cones.

The Ahtanum also produced views of an adult northern goshawk along the logging road southeast of Snow Cabin Campground, a black-backed woodpecker, a couple of calling pine grosbeak and, at the Tree Phones Campground, a flyover of two black swift.

Reports of large numbers of hummingbirds are coming in from southwest of the Yakima airport, including immature male and female rufous; both male and immature black-chinned; and calliope hummingbirds. One resident reported being severely scolding by at least five hummers when he took the feeder down for cleaning and refilling.

Shorebirds noted around the valley included from the Grandview area, killdeer, American avocet, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, spotted sandpiper, western sandpiper, least sandpiper and long-billed dowitcher. Of special note were three solitary sandpipers and four semipalmated sandpipers, both uncommon fall migrants in Yakima County.

Among this week's reported sightings were 65 western kingbirds along Satus Road, a great egret hunting in the fields north of Pumphouse Road, three Vaux's swift flying over a Yakima home, a couple of flammulated owls and a long-eared owl.

Please call your bird sightings into the Yakima Valley Audubon phone line at 248-1963

-- Kerry L. Turley

AROUND AND ABOUT

ENCHANTMENT FEE HIKES: Wilderness permit fees in the ultra-popular Enchantment areas of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness will rise from $3-per-person, per-day to $5 in 2009. That covers the entire Enchantments permit area, from the Caroline Lakes on the Eightmile side west of the Enchantments basin to Snow Lakes on the east end. The permit season runs June 15-Oct. 15.

CLOSURES: Westside Road in the southwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park will be closed for repairs for three weeks, Aug. 18-Sept. 5. ... In the Wenatchee-Leavenworth area, fires have forced closures of two trails in the Jack Creek drainage in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. ... A fire closure on two trails is also in effect within the Foam Creek drainage off the White River north of Lake Wenatchee.

ON THE CALENDAR

SATURDAY-SUNDAY: On Saturday, the Cascadians will hike to Sheep Lake, Sourdough Gap and Crystal Pass (an 8-miler, 1,100 feet of elevation gain); Sunday's hike will be an advanced trek to Mount Ruth. For info on either hike, call Maurine Peck at
453-4244.

TUESDAY: The Cascadians will have an 11-mile round-trip hike, with 2,700 feet of elevation gain, to Panhandle Gap. (Or you can turn around at Summerland for an 8.4-mile, 1,500-foot gainer.) Hikers meet at the 40th Avenue Bi-Mart at 7:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: The Mount Adams Cycling Club starts its weekly 25-mile loop ride to Naches at 6 p.m. at the Fred Meyer parking lot off 40th Avenue. For info, e-mail anotherjones@earthlink.net.

THURSDAY (AUG. 21): The Cascadians' Pokies are going to Grand Park at Mount Rainier. For info, call Marion Mann at 452-4263.

SEPT. 13: The Yakima Valley Chapter of Coastal Conservation Association Pacific Northwest will hold its first banquet. For tickets and information, call Randy Mooney at 697-4661.

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