Out & About: Mt. Baker opens Washington’s ski season

OUTPOW – Ski season began in Washington Thursday as Mt. Baker Ski Area opened with a good base of cold snow.

Most area winter sports resorts open around Thanksgiving or later. While recent storms brought fresh powder to the region, the high ski runs of Baker, a volcano looming above Bellingham, is leading the way in snow accumulation.

Other alpine resorts are hoping more snow falls so they can open for the usual target – the day after Thanksgiving.

Nordic skiing also is underway in Washington.

Methow Trails got their earliest-ever start to a season on Thursday as they groomed trails in the Mazama, Sun Mountain and Winthrop areas.

Bald eagles at CdA

OUTSEE – About 40 bald eagles were counted at Lake Coeur d’Alene’s Wolf Lodge Bay this week for the annual gathering to feast on spawning kokanee. Eagle numbers will grow and peak in December.

Pheasants releases

last of season

OUTFOWL – Pheasants are scheduled to be released this week at up to 44 Eastern Washington sites detailed in the Fish and Wildlife Department’s Pheasant Enhancement Program website.

The first releases occurred in September in advance of the youth upland bird season. This week will mark the fourth and last release.

“We usually do not say when we release pheasants, but our last release of the year usually has been the week of Thanksgiving,” said Joey McCanna, who coordinates the release of pen-raised pheasants in the Spokane Region. “All sites in Region 1 will receive pheasants.”

A good crop of wild birds can still be found in good habitat around the region, McCanna said.

Kayakers in Canada

OUTPADDLE – “Great Slave Lake Expedition,” a program by wilderness paddling adventurers Harvey Brown and Rosemarie Bisiar, will be presented at 7 p.m. Monday at Mountain Gear Corporate, 6021 E. Mansfield in Spokane.

The couple flew in with an inflatable sea kayak for their voyage across the remote lake in Canada’s Northwest Territories.