Outdoors Report: On Locked Gates, Dam Promises and Essential Memories

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It’s strange how something like a new year makes the mind wander back to things that are now, all of a sudden, old.

In a few days, we’ll move into another decade as seamlessly as a duck’s underwater stride. On paper it appears momentous — 2020, such a round and balanced number that always seemed to convey some sense of hope for a better tomorrow. If Y2K and the new millennium was the clumsy stumble into a bold new world, surely we’d have all the bells and whistles figured out over the ensuing couple of decades. All that should be left to do is plug in our robots and let our auto-pilot flying cars chauffeur us around our postmodern world of perfection.

Someone from the past would logically assume that by now we’ve no doubt figured out how to delicately buff the rough edges off where the wild meets the domesticated. Surely by 2020 the great human experiment would have mastered the art of preserving and protecting our most iconic species and places. The tenants of self preservation alone should dictate that we’ve made the strides necessary to protect our water, air and terrain along with the means to make a living without sacrificing the foundational pillars of what it means to be alive.

But humans are nothing if not dependably flawed and the only thing more unrelenting than the ferocious whims of nature is the syncopated drum beat of time.

Like sand through the hourglass, we’ve seen smelt runs all but disappear on our rivers. Where grandpas and youngins used to scoop the tiny fish from the channel by the long handle full, these days an entire squadron of dippers might wind up with only one minuscule fish to split 1,000 ways.

It’s a similarly depressing story for salmon, whether they be kings or silvers, and steelhead too, whether you call them a trout or not. Official return projections have a frustrating tendency to come in lower than expected, leading to emergency closures meant to ensure enough fish make it back to the hatchery in order to attempt the flawed experiment all over again.

On the Cowlitz River just a few years ago, those state-sanctioned fish handlers managed to misplace more than a half million steelhead smolts, and getting them to admit it was tougher than pulling teeth from a crocodile. First they blamed the missing fish on hungry birds. Then, after a pledge to recalibrate their counting machine, the hatchery wound up counting more fish on the next release date than had been put in the rearing pools in the first place. The powers that be argued that sometimes sticks and other debris wind up being counted as fish in an attempt to explain the discrepancy. But if sticks and feathers can be counted as fish, one has to wonder how many more fish were actually missing in addition the half million smolts that were officially unaccounted for.

Where our native and hatchery salmonids have turned scarce at worst, fickle and unpredictable at best, the waters of Puget Sound have had no shortage of non-natives species to compete for scarce resources. When net pens containing Atlantic salmon failed and allowed close to 300,000 adult interlopers to escape, the company in charge was quick to blame the collapse on high tides and a solar eclipse. Eventually the blame was more accurately pinned on a failure to perform required maintenance that allowed marine debris to drag down the net pens. Officials claimed that the fish would die off quickly without the ability to feed or fend for themselves, but eight months later those alien fish were still being found as far away as the headwaters of the Skagit River. Now, that same company is proposing an expansion of its business by switching to farming steelhead in the Old Salish Sea and we’re supposed to take their word that the operations will be safer than ever, which isn’t saying an awful lot.

As those sacred salmon runs become more haphazard and smaller in size, the predators that depend on them have also found themselves more and more desperate. That’s why you see sea lions swimming 50 miles past Grays Harbor and up into the verdant hillsides and cow pastures above Oakville in search of salmon. It’s also why pinnipeds are staging along the banks of the Columbia River where they know they can find a smorgasbord of trapped fish trying to figure out how to climb the ladders at Bonneville. The only solution that’s gained any traction so far is to shoot the sea lions, like some sort of sordid aquatic safari.

And sea lions aren’t the only critters feeling the pinch as they try to scratch out a living. Washington’s resident killer whales are starving to death in real time and their population is at a 30-year low not seen since the majestic animals could still be hunted by profiteers. Studies show that the youngest adult orcas are now maxing out several meters shorter than their elders, and those are the lucky ones. As their fat stores deplete from too few fish pregnant whales are struggling to birth full term healthy baby whales. The most gut wrenching evidence of this crisis came from a whale named Tahlequah who broke hearts all over the world last year when she kept her stillborn calf afloat for all to see during a 17-day tour of heartache around Puget Sound.

The ocean and its sandy shores are far from impervious to the swell of change as well. Tides are rising, the coastline is crumbling, tsunami towers are going up at the beach while populations descendent from time immemorial make plans to move away from the only places they’ve ever called home.

Out beyond the breakers, “The Blob” of warming water wreaks havoc and sends domoic acid sifting into the sands of time where it’s absorbed by clams and other surf cleansing bivalves. The toxin can be fatal to humans and has caused entire razor clam digging seasons to be called off. Meanwhile, at Kalaloch Beach the clam population has been so depleted that only a pair of digs have been offered to the public since 2012. And both of those openings were so disappointing that officials were left wondering where all the clams had gone. The only theory that seems to hold any water is that a fleet of gray whales discovered they can literally eat the beach during high tide when they think that no one is watching.

But as the oceans rise and whales starve, the rivers seem to be alternately dying of thirst or bursting at the seams depending on the season. Winter storms regularly push flood waters where we wish they wouldn’t go. Then in the summer extended droughts leave creeks and streams dry. Even in the main channels soaring water temperatures and trickling tributaries leave salmon stranded and then scalded before they can spawn.

At Riffe Lake the powers that be have pulled down the water level for the “foreseeable future” due to concerns about safety with the aging infrastructure. For years the surrounding boat launches and swimming areas were left as abysmal mud flats. Elsewhere (like the Elwha) entire dams have been torn down and natural systems long eviscerated have begun to rebuild in a sort of fast forward toward recovery. There’s even talk of removing dams on the mighty Columbia and the Snake River system. In Pe Ell, though, engineers are convinced they can outsmart nature so there’s a new push to dam one of the final free flowing entities of God. It will be good for fish, they say.

Out in the backwoods we learned that poachers rarely take a day off. When they’re not stuffing dead bears and cougars into culverts they’re taking their grandchildren out to join the fracas with baying hounds in order to get blood on their innocent hands. Fish and Wildlife police spent years and fortunes tracking their every sordid move but when it comes time for justice the buck stops short. Paltry monetary fines and the loss of hunting licenses are hardly a deterrent for people who have no use for following the rules anyway.

All the while, hunters who choose to abide by regulations of both God and Caesar find themselves holding the short end of the stick. Gates to traditional hunting grounds continue to turn up locked and the cost of access permits have driven generations of common folk out of the game. Those that remain are forced to pump mountain bikes over muddy trails just to see what they can see. Often what they find are elk afflicted with a hoof disease that’s spread from Mt. St. Helens, over to the Willapa Hills, and into all parts of western Washington. The malady causes hooves to ooze and fall apart until the animals can no longer move and ultimately die from starvation.

Deer have managed to fare better, except for the poor orphans who wound up rescued in Rochester. The WDFW determined those Bambies were entirely too friendly and, ironically, posed an unbearable threat to humans. So they rounded up the deer (and one elk calf) and killed them. Only after a wave of public outcry were the rest of the deer released in a top secret location. For the record, there have been no reports of deer attacks since the animals were granted their freedom.

Luckily, the state relented a bit during the last decade and finally made legal the decades old practice of salvaging roadkill animals to put in the big white coffin in the garage. Nowadays, you can keep deer and elk that have met the business end of a vehicle and all you need is a free permit provided by the WDFW. Who says we haven’t made much progress?

Rumors of wild hogs in Washington have been around for decades now but the state has yet to confirm any established populations. That doesn’t do anything to diminish reports that have ranged from Quinault, to the Wynoochee River, and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The scourge of feral hogs coming in from Canada has scared Montana so bad that the state has declared all-out war on the relentless scavengers. 

Likewise, Washingtonians have learned over the last decade that they’ve got to watch out for wolves. As the big dogs move back into the state the official rule is that we must make room for them to spread out, even when conflicts with humans, pets, and livestock inevitably arise. Like pigs undercover, rumors of their presence are all around and it won’t be long before confirmed reports of timberwolves are rolling in from west of Morton and White Pass.

A few weeks ago, on a picturesque autumn day, I wound up sharing a view with Lewis County commissioner Gary Stamper near the Newaukum River in Onalaska. We were there for the unveiling of a newly reconfigured water passageway that now allows salmon and other aquatic species to freely travel during both high and low flows. As swans bobbed on the glass top of Old Mill Pond the commissioner from East Lewis County took a moment to reflect on the wild world as it stands today.

“Things change. We know times have changed but one thing that’s constant is all the local people and the people who come here, they fish. They fish and they hunt. It’s not that long ago that everyone knew what it once was,” said Stamper. “We’d like to do everything we can to restore those runs so young people, generations below us can have more opportunity to go out and enjoy the same things we do.”

With that perspective it’s all too clear that the future is now, and we are it, even if sometimes we’re not often particularly pleased with the reflection in the mirror. Looking forward, it seems the key to a better vision in 2020 can be found in the hindsight.

FISHIN’

The high waters are receding, the drift logs are fewer and farther between, and nearly all the froth has dissipated on the surface of area rivers but that doesn’t mean prospects have recovered yet from a complete washout last week.

Even the Columbia River, where anglers are still allowed to pursue salmon and steelhead from the edge of the estuary up to Bonneville Dam, is running wide and chunky. And on most lower Columbia tributaries last week there was hardly anything for WDFW creel checkers to report. Three bank anglers on the Klickitat River had no catch and one bank angler on the Grays River was skunked as well. Meanwhile, 23 brave souls hit the banks of the Elochoman and managed to keep ten steelhead while tossing back a silver, and one boat also released a silver. 

The Cowlitz River was as quiet as anywhere last week with one sampled bank angler reporting no catch. This week’s river report from Tacoma Power reported river flow just below Mayfield Dam at 2,750 cubic feet per second. Water temperature was 46.4 degrees with visibility of 11 feet.  

At the Cowlitz salmon hatchery last week fish crews recovered 1,385 coho adults, 47 silver jacks, three summer steelhead, three cutthroat trout, and one fall Chinook. Fish handlers also released 64 coho adults and six coho jacks into the Cispus River by Yellow Jacket Creek near Randle and deposited 600 coho adults, nine coho jacks, and one cutthroat trout into Lake Scanewa located near Randle. Another 137 coho adults and two coho jacks were released at Franklin Bridge in Packwood and 579 coho adults, 25 coho jacks, and one fall Chinook adults were put into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton.

All that said, luck is bound to turn around quicker on the Cowlitz River than the Chehalis River and its tributaries. Those waters, while open for hatchery coho, are all so thick with mud at the moment that there’s no telling if the late-run fish or the viscous runoff will be darker.

Of course, salmon anglers will once again be permitted to target salmon in Marine Area 13 beginning on Jan. 1. That portion of South Puget Sound was closed to salmon fishing in late fall in order to protect returning chum salmon. Now that the vast majority of returning chum have made it to their home streams the WDFW decided it’s no longer necessary to limit anglers in the salted waters of the old Salish Sea

In all reality though, if you’re dead set on casting a line in the coming days there’s hardly a better place to try your luck than area lakes and ponds. The protected waters keep the fish hungry even after storms and a concerted trout stocking effort prior to Thanksgiving continues to pay dividends for anglers with any touch at all.

First-hand accounts from South Lewis County Park Pond indicate that gaggles of teenagers with free time on their hands have been hauling forearm length trout out of those old quarry pools. Mineral Lake saw its prospects improve on Dec. 11 when it received a shipment of 60 ten-pound whoppers and another 130 trout weighing about five pounds each.

Elsewhere, Lake Sacajawea was planted with 2,500 fingerling rainbow trout on Dec. 23 along with 1,000 rainbows weighing more than a pound each on Dec. 18. The day before that Longview’s crown jewel received 25 big boy triploids weighing about ten pounds each. In Clark County, Battle Ground Lake received 2,000 fingerling rainbows on Dec. 16. Klineline pond was also planted that day with a shipment of 4,185 rainbow fingerlings, and on Dec. 4 the pond was planted with 30 ten-pound trout and 70 five-pounders.

HUNTIN’

Rule abiding hunters should take note because a rash of hunting seasons are set to close with the end of the year.

First and foremost, archery hunts for black-tailed deer will end at dusk on Dec. 31 in GMUs 407, 410-417, 419-422, 454, 505, 564a*, 624, 627, 636, 648, 652, 654, 655 and 660-672.

Likewise, hunts for forest grouse (Blue, Ruffed, and Spruce), crows, and the last of the remaining wild turkey hunts will also be shuttered just before the new year. 



Cougar hunts will also be subject to harvest review once the ball drops on 2020. Most areas typically remain open into April but the WDFW reserves to close hunts in any unit at any time once harvest limits have been attained by hunters.

Coote and snipe season will remain open through Jan. 26, for whatever that’s worth. Meanwhile, duck hunting will also remain open through Jan. 26 in Southwest Washington. The recent rain storms have brought thousands of new waterfowl into the area and dispersed their flocks across great swaths of flooded farm fields. Of course, big water like the Columbia and Chehalis rivers, as well as Willapa Bay, are still drawing in many birds who prefer to fly the coastline.

Goose hunting will also remain open through Jan. 26 in some local shooting grounds. In Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties, hunters are required to obtain a special permit, and Dusky Canada geese are off limits entirely. In Goose Management Area 2 (Coast) in Pacific and Grays Harbor counties west of Highway 101, goose hunting just reopened and is now an option on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays through Jan. 20. In Goose Management Area 2 (Inland), which includes Grays Harbor County east of Highway 101, hunting is allowed Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays through Jan. 13. Additionally, a brant-only goose hunt will take place in Pacific County on Jan. 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, and 26

Looking back toward big game, most archery hunts for elk in Western Washington came to a close on Dec. 15. However, GMU 407 will remain open through Jan. 20. That GMU will also remain open for musketmen in search of elk.

Small game hunts for bobcats, fox, raccoon, cottontail rabbits and snowshoe hares will be a viable option through March 15, and, of course, coyote hunts never end in Washington. Trapping season for beaver, badger, weasel, marten, mink, muskrat and river otter will continue through the end of March. Those animals may only be harvested by legal trapping methods.

Although nearly all elk and deer hunts are over, roadkill salvaging will remain legal in Washington with the use of an emergency permit provided by the WDFW. However, deer are not legal for salvage in Clark, Cowlitz or Wahkiakum counties in order to protect endangered populations of Columbian white-tailed deer. Permits are available online and must be obtained within 24-hours of any deer or elk salvage. Permit applications, and additional roadkill salvage regulations, can now be found online at wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/roadkill-salvage.

CLAMMIN’

Last week the WDFW gave the go-ahead to a unique set of razor clam digging tides on coastal beaches. That two-way window of opportunity began with a one-day opening on Monday, Dec. 23 and then reopened from Thursday through Sunday the rest of the week.

Those digs were approved after marine toxin testing by the state Department of Health confirmed that the meaty mollusks are safe for consumption. The remaining digs in the set will take place on the following dates, tides, and beaches:

• Dec. 27, Friday, 7:26 p.m., -0.9 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

• Dec. 28, Saturday, 8:05 p.m., -0.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis

• Dec. 29, Sunday, 8:43 p.m., -0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks 

No digging will be allowed on any beach before noon.

In a press release, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, Dan Ayres, explained that the tides have conspired to put the kibosh on the popular New Year’s clam digging tradition this year.

"We also avoided scheduling a dig on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, as we have found that past participation on those days is really light," noted Ayres. "We are hoping more people will be able to participate by extending the dig further into the next weekend instead."

With nighttime digging required due to the timing of the low tide Ayres added the following advice.

"Diggers want to be sure to come prepared with good lighting devices and always keep an eye on the surf, particularly at this time of year when low tides come at dusk and after dark," said the WDFW’s resident Clam Man.

The next proposed round of razor clam digging (subject to marine toxin testing) would take place on the following dates, beaches and tides:

• Jan. 8, Wednesday, 5:05 p.m. -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

• Jan. 9, Thursday, 5:47 p.m. -0.8 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis

• Jan. 10, Friday, 6:29 p.m. -1.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

• Jan. 11, Saturday, 7:11 p.m. -1.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis

• Jan. 12, Sunday, 7:53 p.m. -1.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

• Jan. 13, Monday, 8:36 p.m. -1.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis

• Jan. 14, Tuesday, 9:20 p.m. -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

Fifteen clams is the daily limit per person, and all diggers age 15 and older are required to possess a fishing license. Any clam that’s dug must be kept, regardless of size or condition, and individuals must carry their own harvest in a personal container.

HIKIN’

The Mount Saint Helens Institute is currently accepting reservations for what promises to be a memorable trip up and down the volcano.

On March 14 the MSHI will host an overnight trek up the snow-covered mountain with experts on hand to teach various mountaineering skills. Lessons will include ice axe techniques, use of crampons and snowshoes, the construction and utilization of snow shelters, and other ways to stay warm while snow camping.

There is no official barrier of experience in order to participate, although organizers advise that previous hiking experience on a mountain similar to St. Helens is preferable. Children age 12 and up are allowed to join the entourage but must be accompanied by an adult.

The MSHI noted that the challenge rating for the excursion is “extreme” with a 14-mile round trip hike and 6,500 feet of elevation gain. The group will seek to reach the summit at 8,366 feet.

Tuition is $500. Applications can be submitted online at tinyurl.com/uhzwj4u.

SHREDDIN’

Powder heads are busy trying to make up for lost time at White Pass these days now that the ski area is open for daily runs.

Since Thursday, when night skiing began, the slopes have been open from 8:45 a.m. until 9 p.m. Although no new snow had fallen late in the week the powder pile still sat at 35" near the summit and between 20" - 24" near the base. Late in the week daytime temperatures were hovering between 17 and 24 degrees.

This week the surface lifts, Far East, Chair 4, Great White Express and Basin Quad have all been in operation. The Nordic Center is also operating daily through Jan. 5. Additionally, Couloir Express, Ribeye Park, and the tubing area all opened up on Thursday, and Progression Park is set up with ten features.

Up to date conditions can be found online at skiwhitepass.com/snow-report, or by calling 509-672-3100.