Mike Mostyn

The Department of Natural Resources announced on December 1, it will reopen two campgrounds west of Belfair in Tahuya State Forest — Camp Spilman and Kammenga.

Budget cuts closed the campgrounds two years ago but received grant funding from the Non-highway and Off-road Vehicle Activities program.  The new funding will help pay for enforcement, maintenance and staffing. Crews from the Mission Creek Corrections Center will help maintain the facilities and trails and will installing small bridges where needed.

This is an area made popular with off-road trail riding.  See a video made last year.

Visitors can start camping Jan. 6 at the Tahuya River Horse Camp on a first-come, first-served basis.  Click here to download a map of the park

The Olympic Peninsula Rain Shadow did it again!

A fall storm, not unlike any other on the Olympic Peninsula, hit us November 16 and 17.  It poured in Seattle, caused power outages in Tacoma but less than 50 miles as the crow flies on Discovery Bay in Sequim, the day was clear. Again, we experienced the effects we call the “Olympic Rainshadow”

It stormed in Seattle but in the Olympic Rainshadow, the sky was clear - courtesy of http://www.olympicrainshadow.com

The Olympic Rain Shadow is a small region northwest of Seattle which experiences significantly dryer and brighter weather than surrounding locations. WHY? The Olympic Mountain range, home of the Olympic National Park protects communities directly east and northeast and depending upon the direction of the weather, get much less rainfall and in some cases even more sunny days.

That was the case yesterday.  The storm tracked from the WSW and areas of Sequim had a sunny day, albeit with a bit of wind.  To explore more on this frequent natural phenomenon, go to http://www.olympicrainshadow.com/.

At the Big Bend on Hood Canal near Shelton, snaggle-nosed chum salmon take over the fishing spotlight about this time each year.  Between the Coho and winter steelhead runs, I can report the Chum have arrived right on time.

State Fish and Wildlife Department checked at the Hoodsport Hatchery on Hood Canal one day last week and counted 23 beach fishermen with 76 chums.  That’s hard-to-beat salmon fishing, particularly considering you don’t need a boat. These fish are in good shape and plentiful but they won’t stay that way very long.

The tribal beach fishery started on the Olympic Peninsula Nov. 14, according to a state spokesman at the hatchery, running Monday, Wednesday and Friday at least through the end of the month. Sport fishing is concentrated along the hatchery stream channel, using steelhead-type gear, and since it’s necessary to keep firm control of hooked fish, thicker line is better than light. Fly fishermen score as well, working surrounding water.

This area of Hood Canal also has a handicapped fishing platform for wheelchair-bound anglers, best at high tide. Call the hatchery’s recorded fishing line for current conditions, at 360-877-5222.

SHELTON, WA – TAKE A LAP ON THE WORLD’S NEWEST AUTO ROAD RACING COURSE

For those motorheads who are following the building of Ridge Motorsport Park, the road is in.  The world newest purpose-built road race course is now in asphalt.  Take a ride on this YouTube video.

I have a question to those sport car fans – you know who you are.  The question: What kind of a car was used to take this video?  My guess: an Austin Healey Sprite or maybe a TR-6.

For those old enough to remember, this is history repeating itself.  Fifty years ago, before there was a Pacific Raceway or a Portland International Raceway, Shelton Washington was the northwest center for auto racing. Famous drivers, such as Lotus team member and F1 driver Pete Lovely, drove race cars like Lotus 11s and Ferraris between the hay bales at the Shelton Airport for little more than the sport of racing.

Recently, a group of autosport enthusiasts have been trying to return this tradition to Mason County with the creation of The Ridge Motorsports Park. It’s been a long and winding road but the Shelton City Council approved a “special use permit” to operate a race park. Located on the back side of the Shelton Airport, the park will include a 2.5 mile road course and 4-lane quarter mile drag strip.

The road course is now a road. About halfway through the course, there is even a corner reminiscent of the Cork Screw at Laguna Seca – should be thrilling to drive.  Now comes the task of building the world-class facilities to make it truly a destination race track for sports car, motorcycle and drag racers to enjoy. You can view how the course was built at their website at www.ridgemotorsportspark.com.

The South Sounder would like to thank everyone for their supportive comments and enthusiasm for this project and facility. Although there is a huge amount of work yet to do to get this project done in time for 2012 events, we are thrilled to welcome The Ridge to Shelton.

Christmas tree cutting permits are now available from Olympic National Forest offices.

According to Lorina Madinger, Support Services Specialist with the Forest Service Headquarters in Olympia, permits cost $5 each (cash or check only) and can be purchased during regular business hours at:

Forest Service Headquarters in Olympia
Hood Canal Ranger District Office in Quilcene
Hoodsport Visitor Information Center
Pacific Ranger District Office in Quinault
Forks Visitor Information Center.

The permit entitles you to cut one tree larger than two feet but no more than 20 feet in height. Maps and information about cutting locations will be provided with each permit sale. Mail order permits are available from the Olympia, Quilcene, and Quinault offices through the Forest Service website:www.fs.usda.gov/olympic.

If you plan to take advantage of this opportunity, Madinger suggests you be prepared for winter weather and winter driving, packing warm clothes and changes of clothes, blankets, and chains for your vehicle. Also, you should let someone know where you are going.

For more information by telephone, contact one of the offices:

Olympic National Forest Headquarters Olympia (360-956-2300)
Hood Canal Ranger District Office in Quilcene (360-765-2200)
Pacific Ranger District Office in Quinault (360-288-2525)

The Hood Canal Coordinating Council announced that on Friday, November 4th, seven award-winners will be honored for their help to protect and restore Hood Canal.

These seven people “embody the spirit of fostering cooperation, collaboration and lasting relationships to achieve a healthy Hood Canal,” said Robin Lawlis of the coordinating council.

The seven will be recognized in Port Townsend at a conference titled “Celebrating Actions in Hood Canal.” The conference will be at Fort Worden State Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Limited space remains available. Reservations can be obtained by calling Lawlis at 360-981-4214.

To read more about both the conference and the seven honorees, go to  http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/nov/02/hood-canal-award-winners-named/

Shelton’s Salish Cliffs Golf Club

Shelton’s brand-new Salish Cliffs Golf Club at Little Creek Casino Resort is the nation’s top course to open in 2011, and No. 8 overall, according to “Golfweek’s Best 2011: Best New Courses” ranking, released today.

Salish Cliffs, a Gene Bates design that opened to the public on Sept. 16, was chosen by Golfweek’s nationwide team of course raters. The elite ranking is reserved for courses that debuted in 2010 or 2011. Not only was Salish Cliffs the top-ranked layout to open this year, but it was just one of two Pacific Northwest courses on the list, along with Old Macdonald in Bandon, Ore., which earned the No. 1 spot.

“We have known all along Salish Cliffs is a special course, one we hope golfers will rate among North America’s finest,” said Head Professional David Kass, PGA. “It’s a great honor that, less than six weeks after opening to the public, we’ve already received national recognition from Golfweek.”

Shelton’s Salish Cliffs has received national acclaim for its stunning beauty and clever design since opening. It has also received praise for its reasonable rates and was included on Forbes.com’s list of the “12 Best Value Courses in the U.S.”

The par-72, 7,269-yard championship course provides an intimate setting with 16 of 18 holes encircled by lush forestry. The course is friendly to players of all levels thanks to five sets of tees and offers stunning scenery with 360-degree views of Olympic Peninsula’s Kamilche Valley. The black “tips” received a rating/slope of 75.4/137 from the USGA while the 5,313-yard forward tees come in with a 70.7 rating and 125 slope.

Shelton Golf has Reasonable Rates

Public rates through Oct. 31 are $69 (Monday-Thursday) and $79 (Friday-Sunday) for 18 holes and $40 and $50, respectively, for nine, including green fees and cart (but not applicable tax). MVP Player’s Card Holders will pay $64 (Monday-Thursday) and $74 (Friday-Sunday). Twilight rates, which begin at 3 p.m., are $40 (Monday-Thursday) and $50 (Friday-Sunday).

Tee times can be booked with a major credit card up to 10 days in advance at www.salish-cliffs.com. Advanced tee-time booking up to 60 days in advance is available for those with confirmed Little Creek Casino Resort hotel reservations by calling the golf shop at 360.462.3673.

For hikers, bikers and other non-motorized adventurers, there is news from the Olympic Discovery Trail. Another mile west of Port Angeles has been completed.  18 volunteers helped turn more former railroad rails into smooth grade between 10^th and 18^th as they continue to Lower Elwha Road to meet the section being built by the Lower Elwha Tribe.  So far, 40 of the 128 mile trail is be complete.

Currently the trail runs from Ediz Hook in Port Angeles to the Blyn just east of Sequim. The final goal of this ambitious project is the development of a non-motorized multi-use trail that will connect Port Townsend on the East, through Sequim, Port Angeles to Forks on the West coast.

Portions of the trail are located on the trail bed of a former train route that ran between Port Angeles and Port Townsend. Funding, design and construction of the first phase of the trail was received from the National Scenic Byway Program, the Washington State Department of Transportation, a Federal STEA program and the County. Private property owners also made generous donations of easements to extend the trail through their properties.

To download maps of the Olympic Discovery Trail, use this link for the eastern portion through Sequim: http://www.olympicbikeadventure.com/ODBA%20map%20east.pdf

Here is the link to the western portion through Port Angeles: http://www.olympicbikeadventure.com/ODBA%20map%20west.pdf

Ex-Governor Rosellini

The former governor of the State of Washington and friend of the Olympic Peninsula has died at his home at 101.

Rosellini was chairman of the Toll Bridge Authority in the 1950s and as governor was a proponent of a floating bridge across the saltwater Hood Canal.  This bridge was perhaps the single piece of infrastructure that changed the face of the Olympic Peninsula forever, giving millions easy access to the undeveloped beauty that is our home.

The Hood Canal Floating Bridge was a concept engineers worried would not only be susceptible to salt corrosion but to tidal motions that raise and lower the bridge up to 16 feet.  There were problems with the pontoons that required more funding buy in August 1961, motor vehicles could reach Jefferson and Clallam counties without having to drive from Olympia, Shelton or Aberdeen.

Governor Rosellini will also be remembered as the chief executive during the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962.  This blogger still remembers him standing under the Space Needle with Elvis Presley, signing autographs as if he was a rock star.  Governor Rosellini will always be remembered to have the vision and drive to open the State of Washington and the Olympic Peninsula to millions of Americans vacationers.