We’re launching a new project today.

Over the next year I’ll keep you updated as I train for the 2009 RAMROD – Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day. RAMROD is a one-day 154-mile ride that climbs 10,000 vertical feet.

Sound brutal? Well cyclists sign up in droves for this torture. In fact there is only room for 800 cyclists but almost twice that many sign up. The riders are selected by lottery.

I didn’t get in this year so I’m starting now for next year by volunteering at this year’s ride. By volunteering I assure

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My family and I just returned from a trip to Vancouver Island. We had a great trip, traveling from Nanaimo to the far north coast, and then over to the Ucluelet-Tofino area. We saw bald eagles every day and a number of black bears, including a sow with two cubs. I’ll be writing about it for an upcoming Adventure story.

While I’m working on my story, I would love to include your thoughts on places people should visit on Vancouver Island and why. It seems to be one of those quintessential Northwest family camping trips. Send me an e-mail

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THERE WAS A MISTAKE IN OUR PRINT VERSION OF THE FISHING REPORT TODAY. SALMON FISHING STARTS AUG. 16 ON THE PUYALLUP RIVER.

Mike Chamberlain of Ted’s Sports Center in Lynnwood says lake fishing is starting to slow down around Western Washington.

"There are still fish, but you have to be willing to put in the time," Chamberlain said.

Mineral Lake Resort manager Michael Gordon agrees. After several good weeks, he says the action is starting to slow on Mineral Lake.

One lake where the fish are still biting is Spanaway Lake.

"It’s not slow at

…

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Here’s a statement just in from Gifford Pinchot National Forest regarding the Cold Springs Fire:

The Cold Springs Fire is currently 7,729 acres with 98% containment. Within the perimeter, the fire continues to smolder and creep with heavy dead and down fuels.

Firefighters have completed aggressive mop up and cold trailing 300 feet within the perimeter and are focusing on back-hauling the almost fifty miles of hose used for mop up. This is mean arduous work as firefighters carry out long sections of hose over shovels and other tools to clear the firelines. Palm Infrared (IR) readings, an on-the-ground technology measuring fire acreage, are almost completed. Palm IR is more accurate than aerial IR.

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O.K. the big ski-all-year project is coming to an unceremonious end and I blame Jeff.

I’d planned to head down to Mount Hood tonight to get in some runs tomorrow, however a change in Jeff’s schedule means I have to spend the rest of the month in the office doing real work. (Meanwhlie, Jeff is fishing on Vancouver Island. Nice.)

So the streak will end at eight months in a row with at least one day of skiing.

My personal best is 18 months in row (2005-07). So it can definitely be done.

This year, unfortunately,

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Northwest Trek is opening the historic home located on its 435-acre free-roaming area for a rare set of public tours, the facility announced this week.

Formerly the residence of park founders Dr. David and Connie Hellyer, the home is now the Hellyer Natural History Center and closed to the public. The Hellyer’s donated the land around their home to Metro Parks in 1971 and in ’75 Northwest Trek opened. The Natural History Center opened in 2000. David Hellyer died in 2006.

Northwest Trek will open the home for tours one day per month for the remainder of

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The North Puget Sound seems to be the place to go this week if you are looking to catch salmon, said Mike Chamberlain of Ted’s Sports Center in Lynnwood.
While South Sound marinas are reporting slow action, the fishing has been solid in marine areas 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and 10 (Seattle and Bremerton).
"Areas 9 and 10 are the highlights right now," Chamberlain said. "But I’d say the fishing has only been fair."
Chamberlain says the best fishing has been near Port Townsend where anglers are landing salmon with herring, candle fish and Point Wilson Darts.

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I tried to take a quick mountain bike ride at Banner Forest with a friend today at lunch. Three hours later, I was bleeding, he had what we thought was a broken shoulder and the afternoon was shot (as far as work goes at least).

I was the first of us to biff hard when I lost my grip on a steep descent over a log and fell over my handlebars hitting the trail shoulder first.

But my buddy, on the other hand, had a much more epic wipeout. Not only did he fly over his handlebars at

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