OUTDOORS: Five best bets for things to do around the Peninsula this weekend

• Steelhead season — Hatchery steelhead season is at its peak.

There are clipped steelies swimming all over our happy little hamlet. Tie on a bobber and jig, and you just might hook one (on the Bogachiel).

• Bird count — Citizen science is calling your name.

Admiralty Audubon will hold its Port Townsend Christmas Bird Count this Saturday. Those looking to join can contact Dick Johnson (360-385-5418).

A potluck will follow the count at the Rosewind Commons, 3121 Haines St., in Port Townsend beginning at 6 p.m.

• Winter wonderland — Even if the skiing doesn’t go down, there’s still much to see and do atop Hurricane Ridge this week.

The free (OK, so it’s $5) ranger-led snowshoe walks are one such option. The walks last just 90 minutes and are offered at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Participants are encouraged to register at the visitor center information desk 30 minutes prior.

• Holiday hike — Washington Trails Association featured a jaunt down Cape Flattery Trail as one of its top outdoor holiday excursions. Sounds good to me.

That hike almost always pays off with some great wildlife viewing. The Makah Cultural and Resource Center in nearby Neah Bay is always worth a visit as well.

(Side note: If it’s open, stop by Take Home Fish Co. in Neah Bay and get some smoked salmon. Just trust me on this one.)

• All about the W’s — Maybe it would be better for the Seattle Seahawks to lose the rest of their games and lock up a top-10 draft pick.

Too bad, because the Hawks are going to cover the 7-point spread in its home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Why? Because the Bucs need the top-10 pick even more than the Hawks do.

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