The underprepared and overanxious couple mingled nervously at the trailhead while morning songbirds finished their chorus. He flicked a cigarette and paced while she stretched in place.
Perched on sagging limbs of thirsty trees the birds seemed excited to have a new audience. The earth worms rarely dared to show themselves and the bears always seemed to prefer the sound of their own snoring snouts as they lazily strived for extra slumber before the summer sun ratcheted up its intensity from balmy to unbearable.
With his morning smoke ashed, he kept looking through the car as if he’d forgotten something but he wouldn't say what. She kept asking if she could help but it only seemed to fluster him even further so she opted to wander away and listen to the birds sing while the wind whispered secrets softly through the canopy.
She hated it when he got like this and she had yet to find a way to fix it. Time was the only tonic that ever seemed to soothe his frustration. The more she pressed to get close the harder he pushed to keep her away. It’s just the way it was. The same way it always had been.
While he tore into the glove box and trunk like a rabid raccoon in the garbage she got up close with the moss that clung to the old growth bark. It was dappled in morning dew that made visible the tender silver tinsel of a spider’s tiny web. While he dumped out his travel pack and rummaged beneath the seats she sat down near a fragile patch of indian pipe flowers that popped up next to a crumbling cedar log. The trunk fell apart in cubed chunks of dead sapwood. Tiny seedlings sprouted from the cracks as ants and beetles marched merrily through the tree’s gridwork of decay.
Everywhere she looked the forest revealed itself in its own unique rhythm and cadence. As the tree’s rings fell apart they revealed the secrets of the past where drought, and fire, and downpour dictated its rate of growth. In any case, the tree seemed to have simply carried on carefree. It had not been hampered by preconceived notions of productivity and progress. It was where it was and it wasn’t going anywhere. It simply grew as best it could until it tipped over and became a repository for the forest’s future.
Brown cones and green needles fell softly from the overhead as chipmunks and ravens hopped and scurried in the branches overhead. A butterfly bobbled in on the breeze before stopping for a sip of nectar on the purple petals of a flowering foxglove. With a flap of its wings it continued on its way having left no trace of its existence other than the fresh pollen in its wake.
Back at the gravel pull out where his dusty car sat awkwardly with two wheels in the ditch and two wheels out the sound of slamming car doors resounded like rifle shots in a cemetery. She could hear the harried pace of his footsteps growing near and in an instant she began to wish she could simply disappear, and yet remain, like so many leaves on the forest floor.
She sat cross legged and looked up through the matrix of thriving branches overhead as he stopped in front of her and let out an exasperated exhale.
“What are you even doing over here?” he asked. “Don’t you even care about this hike?”
“I’ve just been sitting here,” she said. “The forest never waits for us to listen.”
“I couldn’t find my GPS or my phone,” he said. “What a waste of time this has been.”
She didn’t say anything in return. She just grabbed his hand and headed up the trail and hoped that in time he would learn to listen when all he wanted to do was shout.
FISHIN’
Reports from area rivers continue to leave much to be desired in the hearts and creels of anglers. Salmon fishing is closed on most waters and the steelhead bite has only been sporadically flirtatious which has led to great frustration amongst both bank and boat fishers.
Last Saturday the WDFW counted 128 boats along with 268 anglers on the Washington shore between Cathlamet and Bonneville Dam. Sampling results indicate that the steelhead bite was most active between Longview and Kalama. However, the majority of the catch near Kalama was tossed back, most likely for having too many fins, while the bulk of the Longview sample wound up bonked and counted on catch cards.
On the Kalama River proper the WDFW sampled seven bank anglers last week with no catch at all while another four bank anglers on the Elochoman River reportedly released one steelhead. Eight bank anglers on the Lewis River released one steelhead while nine rods on five boats released three steelies.
Action and effort was a bit more interesting on the Cowlitz River but the bite has still been fairly reserved compared to expectations. Last week the WDFW sampled five bank rods below the I-5 Bridge with no catch at all. Between the bridge and the Barrier Dam, though, 55 bank rods showed 16 steelhead on stringers with eight Chinook jacks tossed back. Another 133 rods on 45 boats were able to catch and keep 73 steelhead while releasing one steely, one Chinook and one jack.
At the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator last week crews were able to retrieve 227 summer-sun steelhead, 36 spring Chinook adults, three jacks, and 86 mini-jacks. Those fish handlers then released four spring Chinook into the Cispus River near Randle along with six spring kings and one mini-jack from the Franklin Bridge release site in Packwood. Crews resumed steelhead recycling last week and bumped up the summer total to 319 fish that have been trucked back down to the I-5 Bridge boat launch for another run. River flow below Mayfield Dam were reported at 2,440 cubic feet per second on Monday with water visibility of 13 feet and a temperature of 51.8 degrees.
With depressed results on the flowing drainages the best piscatorial prospects may be lurking in the dammed reservoirs. Specifically, Lake Merwin and Mayfield Lake have both been the recipient of considerable stocking efforts as of late. On July 15 Lake Merwin was planted with 1,416 rainbow trout weighing an average of 5.56 pounds each along with an additional 1,142 rainbows weighing about 1.25 pound apiece. At Mayfield there have been 11,820 rainbow trout weighing about two-thirds of a pound each stocked since June 27.
Ocean fishing is also open in Marine Areas 1 (Ilwaco) and 2 (Westport). Last Sunday Rural Baseball Inc. southpaw pitcher, Cole Bowers, returned from a tournament in Calgary, Alberta and promptly set out for the docks in Astoria. After a day plying the waters off the coast with his father the lefty returned with two unclipped steelhead to show while one hatchery fish was able to shake the hook near the boat. Check in next week for additional information about the salmon bite out in the great wide open.
HUNTIN’
The time for leisurely bumbling about the backwoods in search of berries will soon come to a close, for black bears at least. On Aug. 1, the annual series of fall hunting seasons will begin with the opening of black bear seasons in all applicable areas of the state.
This year the WDFW has moved to make Aug. 1 the universal opening day for black bear hunting whereas previously, the opening dates had rolled out over a staggered series of dates. The change will result in an increase of between six and 11 days of hunting opportunity depending on the area.
Another change implemented by the WDFW this year simplifies the rules for the season harvest limit. Previously hunters were limited to two bears per season with just one bear allowed from east of the Cascade mountain range. The new limit allows hunters to take two bears per season regardless of location.
With the year’s most popular hunting seasons set to open in September the WDFW is encouraging prospective hunters to take the time now to complete their hunter education requirements.
"Since most hunting seasons don't open until September, summer is a great time to enroll in hunter education to ensure you can participate in fall hunting seasons," said David Whipple, WDFW hunter education division manager, in a press release. "WDFW recommends completing a hunter education course early because late summer and fall courses fill quickly.”
All hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972 are required to complete an education course prior to purchasing a license. This day in age hunters are able to fulfill their education requirements online or through a traditional classroom setting.
Of course, coyote hunting season never closes in Washington and the warm summer nights have had their collective hackles up as they howl at the moon.
For anyone trekking through Washington it’s important to remember that Evergreen state law allows for the harvest of most roadkill deer and elk 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 an effort to protect endangered populations of Columbia white-tailed deer. Permits are available online and must be obtained within 24-hours of any deer or elk salvage. Permits can be found at wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/game_salvaging/application.html.
MIGRATIN’
Ongoing efforts by the state of Washington will soon result in an additional 82 miles of navigable streams for native fish. Those efforts have been funded by $25 million worth of grants from the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board.
Those grants are being parsed out toward 50 fish passage projects across 20 counties. Most of the projects include reengineering and reconstructing outdated culverts that block the travel of salmon, steelhead, and other species as they look to spawn in headwaters.
“These projects build on previous fish passage investments by the Washington State Department of Transportation, forest landowners, and local governments,” said Tom Jameson, WDFW fish passage manager and chair of the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board, in a press release. “We’re excited that several projects will focus on watersheds that are particularly good habitat for chinook salmon, which are the main food source for southern resident killer whales (orcas). We appreciate the Legislature’s support so we can continue contributing to salmon and orca recovery.”
The Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board was created by the legislature in 2014. The board helps to coordinate fish passage improvement efforts on state, local, tribal, and private lands. Funding is derived from the sale of state bonds.
“This board represents an incredible partnership that ultimately helps us open entire watersheds where we can make the biggest impact for fish,” said Kaleen Cottingham, director of the Recreation and Conservation Office, in the release. “A coordinated approach is key to helping fish reach the ocean, return home to spawn, and get to healthy habitats to feed, grow, and transition from saltwater to freshwater.”
The most recent round of grants included $1,606,571 for Lewis County, $1,700,000 for Thurston County, $1,095,293 for Cowlitz County, and $590,408 for Grays Harbor County. A complete list of project funding across Washington can be found online at rco.wa.gov/documents/press/2019/FBRBGrantsDescriptions2019.pdf.
RELOCATIN’
Another round of work to relocate mountain goats from the Olympic Mountain range to the North Cascades wrapped up on July 19. During the two-week capture and translocation effort a total of 89 goats were removed from the Olympic Peninsula. Of those 89 goats, 76 were successfully transported and released in the north Cascades while 13 died of assorted causes related to the removal efforts.
Efforts to remove mountain goats from the Olympic Peninsula, where they are a non-native species, began in September of 2018. Since then 174 goats have been successfully relocated. There were an estimated 725 mountain goats on the Olympic Peninsula before work began to remove them. Work to thin the herd in the Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest may continue into 2020 depending on the success of another round of relocation efforts slated for later this summer.
The task is being undertaken in a cooperative effort between the National Park Service, the WDFW, the U.S. Forest Service along with Native American tribal members. Mountain goats were introduced into the Olympics for hunting in the 1920s and their population has exploded in recent years. Meanwhile, historic populations of native mountain goats in the North Cascades are minimal to non-existent in many areas.
While 76 goats were successfully captured and relocated to the Cascades some of the animals were not as lucky. Five were killed incidentally due to capture efforts while three were euthanized after it was decided they were unfit for translocation. One animal died as a result of the transportation efforts, which in some cases include a dangling helicopter ride and refrigeration trucks, and four animals that proved too difficult to capture were killed instead.
“I am extremely grateful to the capture crew, park staff, and all of the partners and volunteers who worked so hard during the coldest and wettest two weeks of July imaginable,” said Dr. Patti Happe, Wildlife Branch Chief at Olympic National Park, in a press release.
Release sites included the Chikamin Ridge and Box Canyon areas on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Preacher Mountain on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (MBS), a site near Mt. Index on the Skykomish Ranger District of the MBS, and between Prairie and Whitechuck Mountains on the Darrington Ranger District of the MBS.
In August another removal effort will take place at Mount Ellinor in the Olympic National Forest. That action will result in the closure of many popular trails and roads in the area. Additional information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/olympic/alerts-notices.
LISTENIN’
Fish officials from Washington and Oregon are getting set for a meeting where they will discuss the future of salmon management on the Columbia River. The public is invited to attend but will not be allowed to comment.
The meeting will be conducted by the Joint-State Columbia River fishery Policy Review Committee. That group first began meeting in January. According to the press release, “The Aug. 1 meeting will include an overview of Columbia River fishery management, progress to date from the past PRC meetings, and discussions on ways to improve policy and regulatory concurrence between the two states in 2020 and beyond.”
The meeting is slated for Aug. 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Room located at 4034 Fairview Industrial Dr. S.E. in Salem, Oregon. The meeting will also be streamed online.
In 2018 the WDFW finished a five year review of salmon management outcomes in the Columbia River Basin. Materials from previous PRC meetings can be accessed online at wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/joint-policy-review-committee.
LOOKIN’
This weekend a pair of meteor showers will collide overhead during their peak of shooting star activity. The Delta Aquarids and Alpha Capricornids will both be in full effect on July 28-29.
According to sky scientists sky gazers could see as many as 20 meteors per hour from the Delta Aquarids and as many as five meteors per hour from the Alpha Capricornids. While the Delta Aquarids are best viewed from the southern hemisphere and southern latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere experts say that they will still be visible in our area. Conversely, in the Northern Hemisphere the Delta Aquarids will look like they are spiraling out of the constellation Aquarius from the low southern horizon.
The best time to view the meteor showers will be between midnight and dawn. A moonless sky should add to the number of meteors that will be visible. NASA suggests that shooting star enthusiasts lay flat on their backs in an area away from artificial light in order to catch the best glimpse. A thirty minute adjustment period should be expected for eyeballs to adjust to the dark.
