I’M NOT SURE what to say here.
Sometimes going Christmas shopping is actually the right thing to do.
Consider this weekend, almost completely devoid of outdoor action because of raging rivers and repetitive rainfall, one of those times.
So go and get little Ian an Iron Man, Danielle a Dance Star Mickey or Zelda a Zhu-Zhu pet.
But don’t waste your time wading around Bogachiel, Calawah or Hoh rivers in search of steelhead.
The way Bob Gooding at Olympic Sporting Goods (360-374-6330) in Forks tells it, one can’t even practice the subtle art of plunking in those waters these days.
“It’s horrible,” Gooding said, referencing the blown-out rivers of the West End. “The fishing is nonexistent after all the rain we had. All of the rivers are all completely out.
“There are plenty of fish around still. It’s been pretty good [on the Bogachiel]. They were taking a few fish out of the Hoh, too.
“After this all settles down there might be more, but I don’t know.
“If you look at the weather report it’s going to be a while until it settles down. It’s showing nothing but rain, rain, rain.”
Those truly desperate to make a go at the steelies have some options.
Smaller rivers like the Lyre, Hoko and Pysht tend to come into shape rather quickly after the sort of blow-out scenario currently threatening the North Olympic Peninsula.
Each receives a run of hatchery steelies as well.
So don’t say I failed to give you any outs.
“It’s always possible, [the] Goodman and some other stuff like that,” Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles said.
“But it’s pretty marginal at best. You’d have to do a lot of traveling around to find out.
“My suggestion is you take the weekend off.”
Winter opener
The official kickoff to the winter sports season arrives this weekend at Hurricane Ridge.
Just don’t expect it to be accompanied by some operational rope tows on the bunny and intermediate slopes.
“I don’t really have any estimation on when we’re going to open yet,” mountain manager Craig Hofer said. “I know it won’t be this weekend.”
Olympic National Park set Saturday as the opening date of organized skiing and snowboarding activities at the Ridge.
But just as the case has been every year, all the things needed to be in place to make that happen have yet to be completed before that date.
While work on the bunny tow is all but finished, there is still much to do on the intermediate hill. In fact, the latter still needed a few more feet of snow as of last weekend.
With all the powder pelting the Ridge this week — Olympic National Park’s website reported 48 inches at the sensor — that might have changed, however.
“This snow that’s been coming in this week at 28-32 degrees, that’s really nice snow for buildup. It has some body to it,” Hofer said. “Now we’re starting to build a snowpack.
“We’ve probably got another three or four good days of work left up there, and that’s all going to depend on weather and people.”
If I had to wager a guess, I’d estimate the rope tows will be up and running sometime around Christmas.
That generally seems to be the time things get going every year. Then again, what do I know?
For more information on organized ski activities at the Ridge, visit hurricaneridge.com.
Snowshoeing
Skiing or not, there should still be some things to do at the Ridge today through Sunday.
Ranger-led snowshoe walks are set to begin today, weather permitting, at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.
The one-mile walks last 90 minutes and will be offered for individuals and families at 2 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Monday holidays through March 27.
Space on the walks is limited, so interested parties are asked to register at the visitor center information desk 30 minutes in advance.
While the walks are technically free, a $5 donation is suggested.
Organized groups can make advanced reservations for ranger-led snowshoe walks on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Monday holidays at 10:30 a.m.
Group leaders should call Olympic National Park at 360-565-3136 for reservations.
More snow
Among the other activities available to Ridge goers this weekend are cross country skiing and snowball fighting.
Sledding and tubing on the Small Children’s Snowplay Area west of Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center is still closed, according to the park’s website (www.nps.gov/olym).
Hurricane Ridge Road is scheduled to open today though Sunday from 9 a.m. to dusk, weather permitting. Daily access begins next Friday.
Road and weather condition updates are posted on the Olympic National Park website.
Those are also available by calling the park’s Road and Weather Hotline at 360-565-3131.
For more information on winter activities at the Ridge, visit www.nps.gov/olym.
Backcountry films
One doesn’t need to head up the hill to tap into some winter fun this weekend.
Hurricane Ridge Winter Sport Club will host the Backcountry Film Festival at Bar N9ne, 229 W. First St., in Port Angeles on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The festival, open to all ages at a cost of $10 at the door, features several films documenting snowboarding and skiing at locations across the globe.
“I’ve seen the movie, and the footage is inspiring,” event organizer Greg Halberg said in a news release.
The film festival is a product of the Winter Wildlands Alliance (WWA), a national nonprofit that promotes and preserves winter wildlands and snowsports on public lands.
The organization advocated for the opening of Hurricane Ridge to seven-day-a-week access and is a sponsor of SnowSchool, the nation’s largest on-snow winter ecology education program.
“This event incorporates several concepts important to our community,” said Halberg, a member of the Winter Sport Club.
“We want to have an event in the downtown area to create an aprîs ski atmosphere. We want to highlight the backcountry potential in the Olympics.
“We want to increase awareness of SnowSchool for our youth on the Peninsula and throughout the northwest. We want to show appreciation for the help provided by WWA for seven-day-a-week access.
“Finally, we always can use more funds for the Ski Club. This event will accomplish all these objectives, and should be a great time as well.”
(Side note: I just looked up “aprîs-ski” and found out it’s a fancy way of saying “boozing and socializing after skiing.” Sure glad we came up with a term for that.)
This is the first in series of presentations by the Winter Sports club at Bar N9ne coinciding with the second weekend downtown events. That includes events in January, February, March and May.
For more information, visit www.hurricaneridge.com.
Crabbing, hunting and more
• Crabbing appears to be hit-or-miss throughout the Peninsula.
Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim suggested that those wading for the cantankerous crustaceans have fared better than others.
Unfortunately, the next crab wading event won’t happen until the weekend of Dec. 18-20 when minus tides return to the area.
• Big game hunting season is all but over.
Late muzzleloader (Hoko and Matheny GMUs) and archery elk (Pysht, Goodman and Clearwater) seasons come to a close after Wednesday.
Muzzleloader deer (Dickey only) ends on the same date, while archery deer (Coyle and Pysht) comes to a close after New Year’s Eve.
• Hunters who report this year’s hunting activities for black bear, deer, elk or turkey by Jan. 10 will enter themselves into a drawing for nine special hunting permits.
Those who meet the deadline will be included in a drawing for five deer permits and four elk permits in various areas of the state.
All hunters, whether successful or not, are required to submit hunting reports for those species by Jan. 31.
Hunters can report by phone (877 945-3492) or the Internet http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.
Also . . .
• Fish and Wildlife will hold a public meeting discussing a possible five-year fishing moratorium on the Elwha River watershed Wednesday in Port Angeles.
The moratorium, which could include a five-year closure of Lake Sutherland, will be done in conjunction with the removal of two major dams on the Elwha.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. on the Peninsula College campus, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., in Room M-125 of the Information Technology Building.
• Jack Ganster of Survivor’s Outdoor Experience will lead an interpretive walk through Dungeness Wildlife Refuge on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Hikers will trek along picturesque Dungeness Spit. A $5 donation is suggested.
• Dungeness River Audubon Center will warm up for the annual Christmas Bird Count with a trip around Dungeness Valley on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A group will meet at Railroad Bridge Park to view birds of the forests before heading to Dungeness Landing Park at noon to view saltwater birds.
Christmas counts are set for Dec. 18 on the Quimper Peninsula, Dec. 20 in the Sequim-Dungeness Area and Jan. 2 around Port Angeles.
• Bob Whitney will lead a birding trip looking for the elusive Yellow-billed loon and other seabirds at Point Wilson this Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
The group will meet at the parking lot next to the lighthouse at the end of Fort Worden Beach Road.
To register for the trip, phone Whitney at 360-531-0116.
• State Crab Advisory Board member Don Williams will talk shellfish at the Puget Sound Anglers-East Jefferson Chapter monthly meeting Tuesday in Port Townsend.
Williams will discuss the Dec. 6 Fish and Wildlife shellfish meeting and future crabbing opportunity.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Marina Room at Hudson Point Marina.
• Fish and Wildlife is seeking nominations for the Anadramous and Marine Resources Sport Fishing Advisory Group through the end of the year.
The group provides guidance to the state on issues affecting recreational fisheries for salmon, rockfish and other marine species.
Nominations may be submitted to Pat Pattillo by mail: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA, 98501; or e-mail Patrick.Pattillo@dfw.wa.gov.
For more information, contact Pattillo at 360-902-2705.
Send photos, stories
Want your event listed in the outdoors column?
Have a fishing or hunting report, an anecdote about an outdoors experience or a tip on gear or technique, why not share it with our readers?
Send it to me, Matt Schubert, Sports Department, Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362; phone, 360-417-3526; fax, 360-417-3521; e-mail matt.schubert @peninsuladailynews.com.
__________
Matt Schubert is the outdoors columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Thursdays and Fridays.