Spring Chinook, caught at Barrier Dam pool, May 20.

Opposite bank at Barrier Dam, closed waters.

I was there this afternoon and two guys were visited by our local friendly WDFW enforcement officer. They didn’t have any fish, so they didn’t get a fine for that, but they did spend some time talking with the officer.

And remember that the Cowlitz River is a barbless zone nowadays. there was a group of guys that were popped for closed waters, fish, barbed hooks and who knows what else on May 1, the day the barbless law came into effect.

Karen Glaser of Barrier Dam Campground said that there have been a few summer-run steelhead caught lately.

“They’re still getting some nice springers,” Karen said. “And they are some really nice fish, have good size on them. But, as usual, some days they’re biting, some days they’re not.”

Last week Tacoma Power recovered 456 spring Chinook adults, 51 jacks, 52 winter-run steelhead and 18 summer-run steelhead during five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.

During the past week Tacoma Power employees released 189 Chinook adults, 16 jacks and five winter-run steelhead and into the Cispus River above the mouth of Yellow Jacket Creek, and they released 81 spring Chinook adults, 25 jacks and two winter-run steelhead into Lake Scanewa above Cowlitz Falls Dam.

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 5,240 cubic feet per second on Monday, May 20. Water visibility is 11 feet. River flows could change at any time so boaters and anglers should remain alert for this possibility.

The post Cowlitz River Fishing Report (5/20/13) appeared first on Almost Daily News.

Can I get an “Amen!”

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I was born into a family chock full of Adventurers. They would probably never categorize themselves as such, but I think they would be very proud of the label.

None of them climbed Mount Everest or paddled down the Amazon River. They didn’t so much as even backpack through Europe. But they were Adventurers, nonetheless. They said “Yes!” to opportunity, they answered “I will” when asked for help, and their actions consistently spoke of inner courage and strength as they answered the call to new (and sometimes even daring) deeds with “I’ll try my best.”

I was born a hesitant child — and I know that those of you who know me now and didn’t know me then would laugh at the very idea of it, but I was. I was a hesitant child born into a family of doers and say-ers and helpers and triers. I was quiet, I was reserved, I was the least athletic and the tiniest child in the classroom. When asked to go swimming I may say yes, but I was a toe-dipper, never a diver.

Because of my hesitant nature, I always felt as though I was kind of the odd man out in my family. But I was rarely shown any sort of impatience for being who I was. I was accepted “as is” and, when the opportunity came along, I was encouraged to take just one step, one step further into the unknown, the frightening, the new, and the different.

Living outside of my comfort zone has become a habit with me now. There is still a hesitant child inside of me that thinks I’m a little reckless at times, but I have learned how to deal with her fears. I do not scold her for her fears, but instead give her gentle words of encouragement. “You can do this. And if you don’t like it you can stop. But just try it, take one step. You might like it.”

She often protests and whines, “But this is HARD!”

And I answer, “Yes, it is hard. But you’ve done hard before and you can do it again.”

For All Who Nurture, Thank You

Today is Mother’s Day. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful mother and four wonderful children, all of whom feed my spirit, body, and soul in so many ways.

But it is an unhappy holiday for many, some who have lost their mothers or their children and some who never had a mother to care for them or children to care for. I often wish that Mother’s Day and Father’s Day could be labeled as “Nurturer’s Day.”

Nurturers are the mothers, fathers, children, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, neighbors, teachers, friends and coworkers who help lead us along through our lives. They lend us courage and support. They shed tears with us and for us. They feed us when we are hungry, they clothe us when we are naked, they visit us when we are in prison or are sick.

The Nurturers shepherd us when we need shepherding most. Sometimes that shepherding consists of a gentle call to action as they walk by our side. At other times they push us forward through strong leadership.

Who in your life is a Nurturer? Who can you call upon in times of need. Who lends you courage? Who brings you comfort, who pushes you forward, who challenges you?

And if you can say that sometimes that very special Nurturer is yourself, who speaks to the hesitant child who still lives within your heart. And if you continue to challenge and nurture that child to move forward and take a step beyond his/her comfort zone, then I say, “Happy Nurturer’s Day to you. You’re doing a really, truly, GREAT job. Thank you.”

The post Momma Says: Take a Step Beyond Your Comfort Zone appeared first on Almost Daily News.

I spent some time at two of our more picturesque and fine-fishing local ponds this week: Swofford Pond (Mossyrock) and South Lewis County Pond (Toledo). I didn’t catch any fish, but that was probably because I was concentrating my efforts on photographing the wildlife — some of which was very weird wildlife.

South Lewis County Pond is a local favorite for trout. The daily limit for trout is five fish. Some locals have been catching so many in just a few hours, I heard they switched to barbless hooks to make it easier to let them go. (Reminder: when fishing with bait, you must count all fish as part of your daily limit, whether you keep them or not.)

A Double-crested Cormorant at South Lewis County Pond in Toledo opens wide to show just how big of a fish can fit inside. This diving bird eats fish ranging from tiny fry to hefty 16-inch trout. Cormorants are opportunistic diners who enjoy patronizing freshly stocked lakes and ponds for easy pickings.

Double-Crested Cormorants

But the Double-crested Cormorants that feed on this lake know of no such limits.

Earlier this year, as the cormorants congregated on their nesting grounds along the Columbia River, they were blamed for consuming 22.3 million salmon and steelhead smolts. At the end of nesting season, they moved on to freshly stocked lakes and ponds, where the pickings are easy.

Double-crested Cormorants are large birds, growing over two feet long, with a wingspan of four feet. They are accomplished divers, reaching depths of up to 30-feet and they eat fish ranging from tiny fry to hefty 16-inch trout.

Unfortunately, they aren’t particularly fond of American Bullfrogs as dinner fare. Bullfrogs are an invasive species, commonly found in local lakes and ponds, who have contributed to the drastic decline of native amphibians and reptiles.

Nor do the cormorants perch and poop their toxic waste on and kill aquatic invasive species such as the Yellow Flag Iris (due to bloom any day now), or lay waste to the Scotch Broom bushes that line many of our favorite waterways.

No, they generally lay waste to native plants with their waste.

Red-eared Slider Turtle

Unambiguously Aggressive Amphibians

When people let their no longer treasured, cold-blooded pet go free, they cause more than a little trouble to the local residents.

Bullfrogs are outcompeting local amphibians for food — and eating them as well.

Bullfrogs are “sit and wait” predators who will attack almost any living, moving creature smaller than itself, including insects, frogs, tadpoles, fish, small snakes, turtle hatchlings, newts, salamanders, bats, hummingbirds, and ducklings.

Swofford Pond is rife with bullfrogs and Silver Lake in Cowlitz County produces some of the best jumping frogs for Toledo Cheese Days Frog Jumping contestants.

I found three good-sized Red-eared Slider Turtles — former pet store residents — sunning themselves on log beside the South Lewis County Pond on Sunday.  These colorful, non-native turtles compete with native turtles — including the endangered Western Pond Turtle — for food and basking sites. If you think you see a Pond Slider, WDFW says, “confine it and look for an owner in your neighborhood.”

This odd duck is just one of many residing on local small ponds such as Fort Borst Park Pond in Centralia and South Lewis County Pond in Toledo. The upcurled central tail feathers and green head mark this duck as part Mallard, the white on the chest marks it as domestic, the giant black-tipped grey bill and cinnamon body may come from a Widgeon.

Odd Ducks

Fort Borst Park and South County Ponds both have a healthy local population of domestic duck/Mallard crosses. Such concentrated populations compete with natives for food and nesting space and they dilute the gene pool and may introduce diseases that the wild duck population doesn’t have the immunity to overcome.

These ponds also support a healthy local population of native waterfowl who, when they migrate, may take domestic disease with them and spread it to the wild populations.

At Swofford Pond, May 10, 2013, with friend Jody Vogel.

Fur-Bearing Thieves

While kayaking along the shores of Swofford Pond on a beautiful morning last year with Mossyrock local Lesa Horton, I spotted several otter slides along the southwestern end of the pond.

Moments later we were rewarded with a view of an otter, who was probably heading out to make his afternoon rounds of anglers’ stringers along the shoreline.

Offut Lake also has a good-sized population of these fish-stealing mammals. Becky Pogue, an owner of Offut Lake Resort, recommends that all dock fishermen have a cage to keep their trout safe from the purloining population.

“You ‘otter’ have one,” the sign says in her resort store.

River otters are cute, but they are also 4-feet and 25-pounds of unpredictability with teeth. Never confront an otter. When he asks you for your fish, just put up your hands and give up the fight.

The post Space Invaders: A Short Study of the Abundant and Abundantly Interesting, Irritating and Destructive Species in Local Waters appeared first on Almost Daily News.

“Is it a keeper?” asks Norma Jean, Two Bucks Espresso in Chehalis. Norma Jean and friends have hit Swofford Pond several times over the last few weeks and reports that easy 2-hour limits of trout have been the norm … for Norma.

The weather has been fantastic this week and so has the fishing.

Lakes & Ponds

Swofford Pond is fishing well, and there are easy 2-hour limits to be had for the asking, according to Norma Jean, of Two Bucks Espresso in Chehalis.

(By the way, there are no largemouth bass, I repeat, NO LARGEMOUTH BASS at Swofford Pond. None at all. And even if you do catch a bass at Swofford, you’d better put it back because it’s mine. The sign says so, right there at the boat launch. It’s in the new regs too, I’m almost certain of it. “Swofford Pond … return all largemouth bass, they belong to Kimberly Mason.”)

Anglers are pulling some mighty big fish out of Offut Lake, according to Charles McElroy, a sporting goods clerk at Sunbird Shopping Center in Chehalis.

“And Merwin is fishing outstanding,” he said. “They’ve upped the limits to 10 kokanee and 5 trout, so you can come home with a mess of ‘em. I talked to two guys who fished it last weekend and said the average size was 2-pounds. They both were using the two-pole endorsement, so sometimes all four rods were going off at once, they said. It’s THAT good.”

American Lake has also been a hot spot recently.

Riffe Lake is fishing well near the dam.

“But there’s a lot of mud still out there, so the boats will have some trouble getting to the best spots on Riffe,” said McElroy.

The following local lakes have recently received trout plants since Apr. 21:

Thurston County

• Clear Lake:4,114 catchable rainbows, 200 jumbos
• Munn Lake: 500 catchable rainbows
• Long Lake: 6,248 catchable rainbows
• Hicks Lake: 6,800 catchable rainbows
• Pattison Lake: 11,005 catchable rainbows
• Summit Lake: 3,666 catchable rainbows

Cowlitz County

• Lake Sacajawea: 1,898 brown trout

Lewis County

• Plummer Lake: 2,000 catchable rainbows, 294 jumbos
• Ft. Borst Park Pond: 5,239 catchable rainbows, 372 jumbos

A 14-inch rainbow trout from Swofford Pond, caught by Norma Jean of Two Bucks Espresso, Chehalis.

Rivers & Streams

They are pulling some nice spring Chinook out of the Chehalis River, according to McElroy.

“They’re best from Oakville on down,” he said.

The Cowlitz River has been slow.

“Seems like there is only one good day a week lately,” said Jay Pattee, Salkum, a field correspondent for ADNews. “But try early morning or late afternoon for the best bite. Some of these fish have been really HUGE, it’s worth the effort.”

“They keep messing with the water levels,” said McElroy, “if you get two good days in a row of steady water levels then you’ve got a chance. Otherwise, it’s been slow.”

At the Beach

Bottom fishing has been very good — halibut, lings, and sea bass.

There is a clam dig on this week.

“The crabbing has been outstanding,” said McElroy. “Get your limits of razor clams and then grab your crab traps and start fishing. The south jetty at Westport has been fishing good for surf perch too, take your pick.”

At Grayland beaches, getting ready for surf perch fishing.

The post Fresh & Saltwater Fishing Report (5/9/13) appeared first on Almost Daily News.

State shellfish managers today approved a morning razor clam dig May 8-14 at Twin Harbors and May 10-11 at Long Beach.

No digging will be allowed at either beach after noon.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the dig after marine toxin tests showed the clams at the two beaches are safe to eat.

Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, said two other razor-clam beaches – Copalis and Mocrocks – are now closed for the season, because harvest guidelines at those beaches have been met.

“We still have clams available for harvest at Twin Harbors and Long Beach, and we want to give diggers a chance to catch their limit before the season comes to an end,” Ayres said. “After this opening, we’ll take another look at how the catch on those beaches measures up against the harvest guidelines.”

Digging dates at those beaches, along with morning low tides, are as follows:

• May 8, Wednesday, 6:22 am -0.5 ft., Twin Harbors
• May 9, Thursday, 7:00 am, -0.8 ft., Twin Harbors
• May 10, Friday, 7:37 am, -0.9 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach
• May 11, Saturday, 8:12 am, -0.8 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach
• May 12, Sunday, 8:48 am, -0.7 ft., Twin Harbors
• May 13, Monday, 9:23 am, -0.5 ft., Twin Harbors
• May 14, Tuesday, 10:01 am, -0.2 ft., Twin Harbors

To participate, diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2013-14 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses are available online (https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/ ), by phone (1-866-320-9933) and from license dealers around the state.

Clam diggers are limited to 15 razor clams per day, and are required to keep the first 15 clams they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.

Ayres cautions clam diggers and other beachgoers to avoid disturbing western snowy plovers, which nest on the state’s coastal beaches from April through August. The small white birds are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act as threatened and by the state as endangered.

Plovers – and their eggs – are extremely vulnerable at this time of year because the birds nest in the dry sand, Ayres said.

Ayres also asks that diggers avoid signed upland beach areas at Long Beach and Twin Harbors, which are closed to protect nesting western snowy plovers.

At Long Beach, the closed areas are located north of the Oysterville Road from the state park boundary north to Leadbetter Point. At Twin Harbors, the closed areas are located from just south of Midway Beach Road to the first beach-access trail at Grayland Beach State Park

The post Razor Clam Dig, May 8-14 appeared first on Almost Daily News.

The Cowlitz River took a one day dip down to 6,490 cfs on Sunday and is back up to 10,200 cfs today. With the release of new smolt (I heard a new batch of coho went out on Friday) and the possibility of Spring snowpack melts flooding the waterways, the Cowlitz River has been a roller coaster of highs and lows … so, what else is new? Predicting or trying to understand the flow of the Cowlitz River has been the bane of every river angler’s existence since the beginning of time at the Barrier Dam.

“Seems like there is only one good day a week lately,” said Jay Pattee, Salkum, a field correspondent for ADNews. “But try early morning or late afternoon for the best bite. Some of these fish have been really HUGE, it’s worth the effort.”

Fishing has been slow because they keep messing with the water levels. If you see two good days in a row of steady water levels, then you’ve got a chance — and then, of course, by the time you see it, you’ve missed your chance.

Are you having trouble finding the Tacoma Public Utilities Cowlitz Fish Report? I did too. Apparently they have had a re-design of their website. You’ll now find the Cowlitz Fish Report at http://www.mytpu.org/tacomapower/fish-wildlife-environment/cowlitz-fish-report.htm. Make sure you update your bookmarks.

DO NOT FORGET! You gotta go barbless on the Cow, that rule went into effect on May 1. The following is from WDFW:

Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist, said he also expects to see fishing for spring chinook salmon and hatchery steelhead improve this month on the Cowlitz River. Prospects for summer-run hatchery steelhead are looking up in the Kalama, East Fork Lewis, North Fork Lewis, and Washougal rivers this month, he said, noting that selective fishing rules will be in effect through early June on the lower East Fork Lewis and Washougal rivers.

Anglers should be aware that – effective May 1 – barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon or steelhead on the Columbia River and most of its tributaries downstream from Chief Joseph Dam. That rule, adopted last month by WDFW, expands on a similar regulation previously in effect on the stretch of the Columbia River that constitutes the border between Washington and Oregon.

The new rule extends the ban on barbed hooks another 250 miles upriver on the Columbia River and to dozens of its tributaries, including the Cowlitz, Wind, White Salmon, Klickitat, Snake, Yakima and Okanogan rivers. Anglers fishing any of those waters will still be allowed to use single, double-point or treble hooks, so long as the barbs have been filed off or pinched down.

With only a few exceptions, the rule requiring the use of barbless hooks will be in effect on rivers and streams where a Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement is required in addition to a current fishing license.

Other fishing rules that take effect May 1 include:

• Cowlitz Falls Reservoir (Lewis County):  Salmon season opens year round in the reservoir, also known as Lake Scanewa.
• Fort Borst Park Pond (Lewis County):  Opens to all licensed anglers until further notice.  Two poles may be used with a Two-Pole Endorsement.
• Kalama River (Cowlitz County): Anglers may retain up to two hatchery steelhead starting 1,000 feet above the fishway at the upper salmon hatchery upstream to Summers Creek.
• Merwin Lake (Clark/Cowlitz County): The kokanee limit increases to 10 fish, and kokanee will not count as part of the trout daily limit.

Last week Tacoma Power recovered 157 winter-run steelhead, eight summer-run steelhead, 86 spring Chinook adults and five jacks during five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.

During the past week Tacoma Power employees released seven winter-run steelhead and four spring Chinook adults into the Cispus River above the mouth of Yellow Jacket Creek, and released one winter-run steelhead into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton.

Paul pulls up a chrome-sided jack at the Barrier Dam on May Day.

The post Cowlitz River Fishing Report (5/7/13) appeared first on Almost Daily News.

Living with wildlife is rarely all Bambi, Thumper and Disneyland magic — especially when you find Bambi in your orchard making applesauce out of your favorite eating apple.

Gazing outside your window to see a mother deer and her fawn is a beautiful and peaceful sight — that is until you realize that they are eating your favorite flowers. Watching your landscape investment eaten up by a pair of hungry herbivores — no matter how cute they are — can be a blood-pressure raising event.

Unless, like Master Gardener Nancy Palmer, of Lewis County, WA,  you have learned to live with the doe-eyed pests. In fact, she says, the deer in her spacious forest garden have become welcomed guests.

She enjoys watching them walk through her garden, speaks affectionately about the fawn that was born just beyond her back porch last year, and has learned to live with the nibbling ways of the gentle creatures

But her zen-like, peaceful relationship with the native nibblers did not occur overnight. It was only after a long struggle and a deepening awareness did she realize that learning to coexist with the deer wasn’t just the right thing to do — it was the only real solution for the survival of her woodland gardens.

Years of Trial and Error Experimentation

Seven years ago, when she moved into her new home in a wooded area, there was very little in the way of a formal garden space. In fact, the only plants growing in her backyard other than the native flora and fauna under the evergreens, was a clump of rhubarb just outside her back door. She pulled up the rhubarb and it grew back. She cultivated and planted new beds and the deer ate the plants.

“I used to get angry and frustrated,” said Palmer, “They’re just pests, really. But I finally decided to just go with it.”

Palmer’s deer-tolerant garden has evolved over the years through experimentation. She found that some of the plants recommended as deer-resistant in gardening books were actually quite palatable to the forest creatures in her own backyard.

“Everybody’s garden is different,” Palmer said, “You have to experiment to find out what works for you.”

There is no such thing as an absolutely “deer-proof” plant, said Palmer, “The only truly deer-proof plants are those the deer haven’t found yet or can’t reach.”

Tips from Nancy

Plants can only be called “deer-resistant,” never “deer-proof.” If the herd is large enough and food scarce enough, deer have been known to eat almost anything, Palmer said.

But even so, there are some plants that are much less palatable to deer and some places to put a plant that makes it less desirable.

For the tastiest of treats or “deer candy,” as Palmer puts it, plants such as roses, hostas, geraniums, lilies and others, must be planted near a main doorway or behind an eight-foot fence to survive. Deer will do almost anything to get at their favorites. And nearly every ornamental tree that keeps its leaves in the winter is a target for deer, says Palmer.

“For those, I put a fence around the tree until it gets large enough to withstand a little nibbling,” she said.

Plants at the outer edges of a garden are most at risk. Some plants, she notes, are more able to tolerate a little nibbling because they recover quickly through quick growth.

Keep an eye on new plantings, Palmer recommends, deer may taste the plant just to see if they like it, but then move on to more palatable fare once they discover something they like better. Young deer can do quite a bit of damage to your garden as they sample plants, developing their palate, nibbling, tasting and then spitting out those they don’t like.

Palmer will often surround more deer-desirable plants with those she knows the deer won’t eat, a kind of “camouflage” gardening technique.

Discourage nibbling by choosing plants with unpleasant tastes, textures or scents.  Plants that tend to deter deer have thick or leathery leaves, or have fuzzy, or spiny textures. Strongly scented plants — such as lavender, rosemary, thyme and sage — will often deter the deer and have the extra added bonus of providing beautiful flowers.

Although, in the end, a deer fence is your best insurance against lasting damage to your landscape, planting deer-resistant plants is the more aesthetically pleasing choice.

“Try it, keep an eye on it, and learn to live with a little nibbling,” as Palmer says.

The post Making Peace with Bambi in Your Garden appeared first on Almost Daily News.

Common Yellowthroat

Saturday, April 20, 8:30 am – 12 noon
Birds of a Feather: Take Flight on a Bird Walk
With spring migration in full swing, the Refuge is all aflutter! Experience the thrill of seeing swallows (four different species) or the “wichity wichity” of the common yellowthroat. Join experienced birder Eric Slagle for a guided walk full of the sights and sounds of one of the Refuge’s largest treasures – the birds! Meet at the landing overlooking the pond at the Visitor Center.

Sunday, May 5, 9 – 11 a.m.
It’s in Your Nature; Exploring the Wild
From bitterns to butterflies, chickadees to crabapples, the Refuge is home to many types of wildlife. Join naturalist Jan Seguin on this nature walk that is sure to teach you something new about the creatures of the Refuge. Meet in the Visitor Center.

Sunday, May 5, 1 – 2:30 p.m.
The Nisqually and Medicine Creek: Where Nature, Culture and History Converge
Learn about the events surrounding the signing of the Medicine Creek Treaty; explore how the Nisqually people came to the Nisqually delta and how their lives changed with the settlement of Europeans. Lynn Corliss leads you down history’s winding path, where you will discover important things about the people who enjoyed this land before you did. Meet at the flagpole in front of the Visitor Center.

Visit the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge website.

The post Nisqually NWR Guided Weekend Walks, May 4-5 appeared first on Almost Daily News.

Photo credit: Selket Guzman, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

EATONVILLE — Are you ready to climb, swing, soar and explore this weekend in the sunshine? Well you’re in luck,  Zip Wild Adventure Courses at Northwest Trek open tomorrow! Reserve your space today at www.nwtrek.org.

The complex of four courses, situated in Northwest Trek’s lush forest, provides recreational opportunities for a wide range of ages and sizes, including kids as small as 3 feet, 3 inches tall.

Reservations are required and prices range from $19.95 to $59.95, in addition to general admission to Northwest Trek. Each course contains sections of zip line separated by barriers that must be walked over, climbed or crawled over or clambered through. The challenges vary from course to course, but they include elements such as swinging log bridges; bridges consisting of slatted steps spaced about two feet apart; cargo nets; balance beams; and tight ropes.

No course is solely a harness-in-and-slide-along zip line; all require some mental toughness and physical agility.

Based on age, height and ability, adventure-seeking wildlife park visitors can pick from:

• Super Kid (ages 6 and up, minimum height of 3 feet, 3 inches): This is a relatively low-to-the-ground circuit with two sections of zip lines and nine challenges. The highest point on the course is 5.5 feet.
• Discovery (ages 8 and up, minimum height of 4 feet): Greater challenges – higher into the trees, Discovery consists of two zip lines and 10 obstacles. It begins with a 14-foot-high climbing wall that must be scaled to get onto the course, which rises as high as 17.5 feet into the canopy.
• Adventure (ages 10 and up, minimum height 4 feet, 7 inches): This zip line/challenge course is already highly popular. It has a total of six “zips” or lengths of zip line, separated by an array of challenges that include cargo nets, swinging, slatted-step bridges and a tightrope. Zipliners must scale a 30-foot wall to get onto the course, which is 55 feet high at its tallest. That’s nearly as high as a six-story building.
• Emotion, or Extreme (ages 18 and up, minimum height is 5 feet, 2 inches): This is the big one. It combines all the elements of the Adventure course with two more zip lines, for a total of eight zips and 18 obstacles. It soars to a height of 78 feet – think eight story building – and requires participants to climb up – and down – rope ladders that many people might find hair-raisingly high. Thrill seekers will find this course and its challenges both mentally and physically demanding.

In addition to the age and height restrictions, there is a 275-pound maximum weight limit for all courses. Children 17 and under must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian along the way. Closed-toed shoes are required, dangling jewelry is not permitted, and long hair must be tied back. Long pants are recommended.

If visitors want to watch the action on Zip Wild and listen to the thrumming of the wires as adventure seekers whiz by at up to 33 feet per second, they can do that, too.

More information and the reservations pages are www.nwtrek.org. Click on the Zip Wild slide at the top of the page.

The post “Zip Wild” opens at Northwest Trek appeared first on Almost Daily News.