OUT & ABOUT
OUTLANDISH
Leap of faith
Jamie Pierre apparently set a world record by skiing off a 245-foot cliff Jan. 25 at Grand Targhee Resort, Wyo.
Pierre, 32, of Salt Lake City, attempted the jump after practicing, jumping lesser cliffs, calculating and waiting seven years for the right conditions.
Five cameras recorded the stunt, but it wasn’t pretty. “I’m lucky to be alive,” he said.
About halfway, Pierre couldn’t keep his skis under him. He landed headfirst and blew a hole 6 feet deep into the powder. A photographer rushed in and dug him out to prevent suffocation.
OUTFITTER
On the rocks
Paul Fish, who founded Mountain Gear in Spokane 23 years ago, is anchoring a growing buzz among rock climbers near Las Vegas.
In 2004, the Red Rock Rendezvous attracted 200 climbers from 20-some states to learn the ropes in clinics taught by big-name climbers. This year, March 24-26, Fish expects 500 participants, including 100 rank beginners lured by special intro packages and gear offers.
Why Nevada? It’s the intro to the climbing season,” he said “It’s warm, easy to reach from anywhere in the country, and the Red Rocks area is spectacular.”
Why the effort? “Climbing is a big part of our company’s heritage. It’s important not to just sit back in a business, but to go out and build the sport.”
Contact: www.mgear.com
OUTDO
Backyard birds
Annual Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb 17–20, organized online by Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
In 2005, birders recorded 52,000 checklists with 6.5 million birds of 613 species.
Details: Get participation info and see how each personal submission translates into trend charts and alerts on decling species, www.birdsource.org/gbbc.
OUTLOOK
Best fishing times
The U.S. Naval Observatory lists peak fishing times in these lunar tables. To maximize results, be fishing at least one hour before and continue one hour after given times, which apply to all time zones (* indicates best days).
Today through Feb. 19
Today
12:30 p.m.
* Monday
12:30 a.m. 12:50 p.m.
* Tuesday
1:10 a.m. 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday
1:50 a.m. 2:10 p.m.
Thursday
2:30 a.m. 2:50 p.m.
Friday
3:10 a.m. 3:30 p.m.
* Saturday
3:50 a.m. 4:10 p.m.
* Next Sunday
4:30 a.m. 4:55 p.m.