Roads closed to protect wintering wildlife on state Department of Fish and Wildlife wildlife areas in the south central area of the state will re-open at 6 a.m. Friday or as otherwise posted.

Here is the rest of the release:

Two exceptions are the Joe Watt Canyon and Robinson View roads west of Ellensburg in Kittitas County on the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area.

Roads re-opening include Robinson Canyon Road on the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area and the Mellotte Road on the Wenas Wildlife Area.

Roads closed to motorized vehicles on the Whiskey Dick

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I was out of town early this week, so this is the first opportunity I’ve had to post this release from the state:

An improved average catch rate and some bigger fish made cool, windy weather tolerable for thousands of anglers during the April 25 Washington lowland lake fishing season opener.

“The blustery weather kept some people hunkered down, so the boat ramps were not as busy for this opener,” said Jon Anderson, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fish biologist, who compiled results from creel checks across the state. “But there were some pretty

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Yes, senior citizens are the primary volksmarchers in this area but if you are looking for cheap recreation or something to keep you motivated to walk or bike volkssporting might be for you too.

Take a look at the following three volkssport club websites for a list of their year round volksmarches. You can do these any time. Just go to the start area, look for the walk box, sign in and a grab a map.

- The Evergreen Wanderers
- The Over the Hill Gang
- The Daffodil Valley Volkssport Club

Click below for details on local year round volksmarches.

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From Mount Rainier National Park:

A Mount Rainier National Park climbing ranger and a renowned Mount Rainier climbing guide will be receiving a Valor Award and a Citizen’s Award for Bravery from the U.S. Department of the Interior at an awards ceremony in Washington D.C. on May 6. National Park Service Climbing Ranger Chris Olson and Climbing Guide Dave Hahn, who currently works with Rainier Mountaineering Inc., of Ashford, Washington, will be receiving their awards from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar for the rescue of a badly injured climber on Mount Rainier on June 25, 2002.

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Ski season is down to its final week.

Once again Alpental on Snoqualmie Pass will be the last ski area in the state to close when it holds its season ending party May 5.

Alpental will be open Saturday and Sunday and May 5. Washington other ski areas closed earlier this month.

Many who visit Alpental for it’s traditional Cinco de Mayo festivities choose to ski and snowboard in costume. The Summit at Snoqualmie will hold a snowboard rail jam called Kinko de Mayo on Saturday at Summit West. The event is free. Visit summitatsnoqualmie.com for

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From the PNSAA:

The membership of the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association is pleased to announce that Duncan Howat has been honored with a prestigious Mel Borgersen Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is bestowed upon an individual who – over the course of an extended ski industry career – has made significant contributions to Pacific Northwest ski and snowboard facilities.

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Anglers hoping to fish Anderson Lake in Jefferson County during Saturday’s trout season opener will have to find another lake. The state just announced that Jefferson County Public Health and Washington State Parks have closed public access to the lake due to the presence of toxic algae.

Here is the rest of the release:

Jefferson County Public Health has determined that algae blooms in Anderson Lake are producing a dangerous neurotoxin, which poses a risk to public health, said Thom Johnson, district fish biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“Because the health

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From Olympic National Park:

Environmental analysis for rehabilitation of the Graves Creek and South Shore Roads in the Quinault Valley of Olympic National Park has been completed and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) has been released.

An Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluating alternative proposals to repair the two roads was released in September 2008; both roads sustained heavy damage during a major storm late in 2007. Based on input provided during the public comment period, a combination of two of the alternatives will be implemented, with the goal of restoring and providing sustainable access to the Graves Creek and South Shore roads with the addition of selected improvements that incorporate protective measures for habitat restoration.

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