UPDATE

Just got an e-mail from Hyde. He’s still in Kathmandu. He said he started his Seven Summits journey in 1998 with Kilimanjaro. He climbed the Carsztenz Pyramid in 2006 and plans to climb Australia’s highest point, Kosciuszko, with his kids in the coming years.

University Place’s Charlie Hyde, 55, has reached the top of the world and one of mountaineering’s most sought after landmarks, an Alpine Ascents International spokesman said.

Hyde reached the summit of 29,035-foot Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, on May 24 with AAI guides, said Gordon Janow of

…

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Local ski resort manager John Kircher has been released from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., after receiving a liver transplant on May 20, Crystal Mountain spokeswoman Tiana Kircher said.

He is recovering in his apartment in Rochester with his brother-in-law who donated a portion of his liver.

Kircher is doing well according to an e-mail his wife, Kim, sent to friends and family this week.

According to the e-mail, Kircher is expected to spend the next two weeks in Rochester while doctors take daily blood tests and adjust his medication.

Kircher, 49, is the

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Two roads will open Friday at Mount Rainier National Park, according to statement issued today by park officials.

Stevens Canyon Road, which connects the east and west sides of the park, will open at 8 a.m., the statement said.

The road typically opens in time for Memorial Day, but efforts to clear the road were slowed by deep snow and a number of slides.

Park officials warned drivers to be aware that a lot of snow still sits on the steep banks lining portions of the road and they should watch for additional rock and snow slides

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The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has posted a notice that the North Fork Tieton River will open to fishing on Sunday.

Here is the department’s notice:

Action: Open the lower North Fork Tieton River (Yakima County) between Rimrock Lake and Clear Lake Dam to fishing.



Effective dates: June 1 – Aug. 15

Species affected: All game fish (with the exception of bull trout)

Location: From Rimrock Lake to the 400-foot “closed waters” boundary downstream of Clear Lake Dam, including that portion of the river that flows through the dry

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From Mount St. Helens National Monument:

Diana Perez-Rose was named the new Deputy Monument Manager of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Prior to her current position, Perez-Rose served as the Fisheries Program Manager at the Gifford Pinchot National Forest headquarters in Vancouver.

“I’m pleased to announce Diana’s new position,” said Monument Manager Tom Mulder. “Diana’s enthusiasm for the Monument’s special places, her natural resource background, and her commitment to working cooperatively with the local communities makes her a great choice as Deputy Monument Manager,”

said Mulder.

She replaces Maggie Dowd who accepted a

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A new exhibit from acclaimed photographer Art Wolfe will highlight critical Northwest wildlife species when it opens June 5 in Seattle.

The National Park Conservation Association will host the exhibit at its information center and gallery at 313-A First Ave. S., across the street from Elliott Bay Book Company.

The exhibit will include images of the Pacific fisher, the Olympic marmot, chinook salmon, the gray wolf and orcas, according to an association news release.

For more than 25 years, the Seattle photographer has been turning his lens on wildlife. Wolfe has taken an estimated one million images

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From the Associated Press:

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CRAIG, Mont. — Search and rescue personnel in western Montana have recovered the body of a woman from Tacoma.

They’re still looking for a Helena, Mont., man who was with her on a raft that capsized in the swollen and fast-moving Dearborn River.

Lewis and Clark County Coroner Mickey Nelson identified the dead woman as 48-year-old Melody Alvestad of Tacoma.

Sheriff Cheryl Liedle says she was found dead about noon Monday, not far from where another member of the rafting party was rescued Sunday night.

She and

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I’m in my tent right now listening to the rain patter on the fly. Memorial Day weekend is over and I camped three days without spending a nickel.

Where is that possible, you might ask.

A place my kids like to call “Dad is Cheap Campground.”

Our backyard.

It’s a perfect place – although I’m not inviting you guys over. Just suggesting camping in your own backyard might be fun and cheap. No driving means no gas.

Some other perks:

– It’s a full utility campground (Including newspaper delivery).

– The kids can

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