EXCEPT FOR THE boat that went wide around the far corner and flipped over onto an earthen berm, last Saturday’s Sprint Boat races at the Extreme Sports Park provided a speed-filled, yet orderly day of entertainment.
That changes Saturday, Sept. 20, when the park converts into the site of the third annual Run A Muck Obstacle Challenge.
Instead of the methanol-fueled motorized mayhem of the biggest Sprint Boats, this event is a people-powered clamber over, under and through all manner of mud-filled obstructions.
The 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) course contains 27 such obstacles, with whimsical names like “Dragon’s Back” and “Bath Time,” that belie how difficult they will be to master and how dirty contestants will be upon completion.
Muddy bogs, tunnels, balance beams, concrete pillars, hay bales, large tires and a 90-foot-long water slide have been hallmarks of the course in past years, and organizers will add in new surprises.
Gates open at 8 a.m. with heats starting at 9 a.m. and running every 15 minutes.
Special heats for a Business to Business Challenge competition are also planned.
Groups can challenge other businesses in a head-to-head competition in this aspect of the event.
Prizes will be awarded to the contestant who submits the fastest time, as well as “The Muckiest Group” and the best group costume.
Spectators are welcome to attend the event for free.
Entrants must be 10 years of age or older to participate.
Adult registration is $45, children and military members are $35, and groups and Business to Business Challenge teams of eight or more people are $35 per person.
Online processing fees of $3 to $4 per competitor will be added to registration costs at checkout.
Registration deadline is 11:59 p.m. Monday.
To register or for more information, visit
getmucked.com/registration.
Sekiu Salmon Derby
The “No Fin, You Win” salmon derby is set for Saturday in Sekiu.
The Clallam Bay-Sekiu Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the event, with the first-prize winner taking home 50 percent of ticket sales, second place coming back with 20 percent and the third place receiving 10 percent.
Derby tickets are $15 and available at Olson’s Resort (360-963-2311) and Van Riper’s Resort (360-963-2334) in Sekiu.
The derby wraps at 3 p.m. with a weigh-in at Van Riper’s.
Spot shrimp closure
Fishing for spot shrimp will close at 9 p.m. Monday in Marine Areas 4 (Neah Bay-east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line); 5 (Sekiu) and 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca).
The closure is intended to protect female spot shrimp during the onset of the egg-bearing period, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Other information: Marine Areas 4, 5 and 6 will remain open daily until Oct. 15 for coonstripe and pink shrimp fishing.
Area 6 will have a 200-foot maximum fishing depth restriction starting Monday and running through Oct. 15.
All other Puget Sound marine areas are already closed to spot shrimp fishing.
Quilcene Bay closed
Marine biotoxins that cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, or PSP, have been detected at concentrations above the closure level in shellfish samples collected from Quilcene Bay.
As a result, the state Department of Health has closed Quilcene Bay beaches to recreational shellfish harvest.
Shellfish harvested commercially are tested for toxin prior to distribution and should be safe to eat.
The closure includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and other species of molluscan shellfish.
Symptoms of PSP can appear within minutes or hours and usually begin with tingling lips and tongue, moving to the hands and feet, followed by difficulty breathing and potentially death.
Recreational shellfish harvesters should visit tinyurl.com/PDN-BeachClosures or phone the state’s Biotoxin Hotline at 800-562-5632 before harvesting shellfish anywhere in the state.
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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.