I took a few hours this afternoon to walk around the 2012 edition of the Washington Sportsmen’s Show.

Here are four things that caught my attention as I wandered among outfitter booths, demonstration tanks and manufacturer displays.

Get involved: Even as you look for a deal on a hunt or fishing rod, you can help out. A number of groups are on hand that do good work and could use your financial support. Among them is Outdoors For All, a group that takes special needs children on hunting trips. In their second year, the group is taking five kids on

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The Washington Sportsmen’s Show, which bills itself as a one-stop shopping destination for hunters and anglers, begins today at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center. It runs through Sunday.

The show also provides a wealth of information through more than 150 how-to presentations and the chance to develop local contacts.

Get connected: The show is a great opportunity to visit with people from the area who enjoy the same activities you do. There will be dozens of hunting and conservation organizations; groups representing different breeds of hunting dogs; and groups with a passion for trout, bass or salmon. Take a

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The City of Gig Harbor Parks Commission will host an open house regarding a trail plan for Wilkinson Farm Park on Wednesday.

The open house will be at the beginning of the next commission meeting, from 5-6 p.m. at the Gig Harbor Civic Center, 3510 Grandview St., Gig Harbor.

The parks commission is taking public comment on a conceptual trail plan for the park. Elements of the preliminary plan include additional new trails, viewing platforms, footbridges and potential wetland restoration areas.

For more information, contact Terri Reed at 253-853-7640.

UPDATED 10:29 A.M.

Mount Rainier National Park officials just announced the road to Paradise will remain closed at Longmire today.

The latest winter storm has brought 7-9 inches of new snow to Paradise, and more is expected today. The current National Weather Service forecast is calling for another 12-20 inches of snow today and tonight at Paradise.

Despite today’s closure, the park is planning for Paradise and the snowplay area to be open for the entire weekend, said Chief Ranger Chuck Young.

“The only thing that would prevent that would be if weather and snow is so extreme

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UPDATE, Tuesday, 9:20 p.m. -

The chances of finding four missing people alive on Mount Rainier are “very minimal, minimum to none,” park spokesman Patti Wold said Tuesday.

Heavy snow and winds gusting faster than 90 mph prevented searching on Tuesday and the park decide Monday to start scaling down the search.

Missing are two campers and two climbers, both more than a week overdue. Mark Vucich, 37, of San Diego and Michelle Trojanowksi, 30 of Atlanta, planned to conclude their camping trip on the Muir snowfield on Jan. 15.

Sork Yang of Springfield, Ore., and Seal Hee Jin of

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While the 2012 smelt forecast for the Columbia River and its tributaries is favorable, both recreational and commercial fisheries are expected to remain closed this year,
The 2012 run is forecasted to improve from 2011, but is still expected to be at a low level, said Joe Hymer, state fish biologist. He said this year’s run could possibly be better than the past couple of years but will still weaker than the brief rebound years of 2001-2003.

On May 17, 2010, Columbia River smelt, also known as eulachon, were federally-listed as threatened under the Endangered Species

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UPDATED 3:27 P.M.

Searchers have yet to find any sign of two groups of people stranded on Mount Rainier by the recent storms.

Park spokeswoman Patti Wold said the search crews have yet to return from the field, but they had not reported any findings.

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Two helicopters and a plane have joined 40 people on the ground as the search continues today for four people stranded on Mount Rainier for more than a week.

A break in the weather this morning has allowed a Chinook helicopter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and a Bell 206 helicopter from

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From the National Park Service:

Ryan Hiller, an employee of Delaware North Companies and a former seasonal protection ranger for the park, died last Saturday when a tree landed on his tent cabin in the stables housing area during a storm. The park has released the following statement: “With intense sadness, we share with our employees and partners the news regarding the death of Ryan Hiller during Saturday’s winter storm event.  Ryan was employed by DNC and worked this past summer for the Yosemite Protection Division at Little Yosemite Valley, where he was involved in many Half Dome emergency responses.  Although the

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