*Editors Note: Due to the federal government shutdown Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area will not open for the season Saturday. The ridge road is locked at the Heart O’ The Hills as well.

OPENING DAY FOR Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area is set for Saturday. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Barring any unforeseen weather or road problems, as well as a government shutdown, we will operate this Saturday and Sunday, then close for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,” Frank Crippen said in an email. “We will then reopen for a seven day-stretch from Wednesday until Jan. 1. After that we are back to weekends and holiday Mondays.”

Operations will be pretty bare bones to begin with: two rope tows and no tubing or Poma Lift.

“They will be added as soon as snow and time allow,” Crippen wrote. “See you Saturday, get there early, park close together and have fun.”

The ski and snowboard area’s Facebook page also mentioned a visit by Santa himself Saturday.

Apparently, the big guy is taking some time out of his busy schedule to pick up a new Lib Tech Travis Rice pro model snowboard made by the folks at Carlsborg’s Mervin Manufacturing.

Santa will be shooting snowboarding videos and taking photos with visitors all day long.

And with the uncertain nature of the Olympic Mountain snowpack, the Ridge cautioned snow sport enthusiasts “to check the conditions around you before dropping in” to avoid avalanche danger.

As always, call 360-565-3131 to check on Ridge road conditions.

Speaker series starting

The Hurricane Ridge Outdoor Adventure Series, a fundraiser for ski and snowboard operations at the Ridge, will begin Jan. 19.

Lectures will be held on the Third Saturday each month through May at Studio Bob, 118 E. Front St., in Port Angeles at 7 p.m. Suggested donation is $10.

The schedule:

• Jan. 19: The Mongolian Experience: Bikepacking the Khangai Mountains with Steve and Adam Pazan.

• Feb. 16: Northwest Avalanche Center Avalanche Awareness with Sam Siemens-Luthy.

• March 16: Natural Intelligence with Ethan Strahan.

• April 20: Hiking the Alps: The Tour du Mont Blanc with Gary Holmquist.

• May 18: VideOlympics: Hurricane Ridge Film Festival.

Date set in Sequim

A date has been set for the 2019 Kids Fishing Day in Sequim.

It will be held Saturday, April 13 at Carrie Blake Park in Sequim, the North Olympic Peninsula chapter of Puget Sound Anglers said.

The date was moved to April to better ensure water conditions for the fish (it was traditionally held in mid-May but warm weather conditions killed off a number of fish and forced cancellation in 2018).

Fall trout planting has been so popular, club members said, that they will plant 2,000 fish in April and save the rest for fall and winter.

The move makes April even more important for teaching kids to fish.

The first Saturday in April is the traditional date for the annual Kids Fishing Day at the Lincoln Park Ponds in Port Angeles.

And the fourth Saturday in April is the traditional lowland lake opener around the state.

A rod and reel set and a firm commitment to take kids fishing in 2019 would be a great Christmas gift for plenty of youngsters.

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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.