Outdoors | Winter in July: The Summit stays busy

The heat of summer is in full swing, but The Summit at Snoqualmie is hard at work preparing for winter's snowsports.

The area recently begun construction on a new high-speed quad chairlift, named Silver Fir Express, located just east of The Summit's Central Base Area.

"Silver Fir serves as a means of access to many of our gladed trails and allows for easy connectivity between two of our base areas — Summits Central and East," said Dan Brewster, The Summit's general manager, in a news release. "This improvement marks the start of an exciting new phase at The Summit."

The new express lift will replace the Silver Fir triple chair, installed in 1988, and work is expected to be finished by November. The company is already disassembling the triple chairlift.

The project — estimated to be $4.5 million — will continue throughout the summer and fall, and will involve the use of a helicopter to install the lift towers.

The lift ride time will go from 10-plus minutes to just over four minutes. Lift capacity will increase to 2,400 skiers per hour. The new lift is a Poma-Leitner detachable quad with a 1,030-foot vertical climb.

Several other improvement projects are under way at The Summit areas:

• The Plaza Extension at Summit Central includes renovation of the lower lodge entrance by the Bier Stube and restrooms, plus completion of backup generators.

• Alpental and Summit Central will receive new ski-snowboard rental equipment for the upcoming season.

• There also will be new log-cabin-style lift shacks at Holiday, Triple 60, Gallery, Dodge Ridge and Little Thunder.

• The brush will be cut on a majority of all lower slopes, which allows earlier opening of slopes and provides better access to more terrain.

• The final phase of the Alpental Road repaving project is under way.

New boat launch on the Lower Columbia

Anglers heading to the Lower Columbia will have another option to launch their boats.

State Fish and Wildlife recently leased a new boat launch site on Deep River in Wahkiakum County to serve anglers fishing in the estuary.

Called Lori's Launch, the site is open daily to the public at no charge, and is on Waranka Road, about a half-mile south of State Route 4 off Miller Point Road.

The new ramp is located less than a quarter mile upriver from a private launch site on Oneida Road that closed last year, and was an important site for sturgeon anglers.

"We received a lot of calls from anglers concerned about the loss of the only launch site on that stretch of the river," said Chuck Leidy, a state Fish and Wildlife regional lands agent. "It's more than 10 miles downstream to the launch in Chinook or upstream to Skamokawa, which translates to a lot of gas consumption either way."

The site has a bigger parking lot, gravel launch and the water is deep enough so bigger boats can use it.

The 31-acre site is owned by Lori Fanoni, who is credited with cleaning up the property, once a dumpsite and wrecking yard.

Notes

• The 50th anniversary of the first Thunderbird class sailboat is Aug. 1-3 in Gig Harbor. Festivities begin at the free kick off from 4-6 p.m. Aug. 1 at the Eddon Boatyard, the birthplace of Thunderbird Hull Number 1. Learn about the history of the property and its new life as the Gig Harbor BoatShop. Events begin at 9 a.m. Aug. 2, and include the launch of Thunderbaby, the newest addition to the Thunderbird fleet; a regatta at noon in the Narrows waterway; and music, sailboat displays and banquet. Details: www.gigharborguide.comor www.tbird50years.comor 888-VIEW-GIG.

• Fly tying expert Steve Rohrbach will host a free seminar titled "Fly Fishing Puget Sound" at 1 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Orvis Store, 10223 N.E. 10th St. in Bellevue. Rohrbach will tie some of his favorite Puget Sound baitfish patterns and discussing his secret fishing spots. Details: 425-452-9138.

• The Icicle Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited Conservation banquet and auction is 5 p.m. Aug. 2 at the Enzian Motor Inn, 500 U.S. Hwy. 2 in Leavenworth. Cost is $45 per person and includes a steak dinner. Purchase tickets by Friday. Details: 509-548-7526 or 509-548-7662.

• The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group is seeking volunteers to help with the summer chum project on the Union River in Belfair. Work is needed from Aug. 15-Oct. 15. Details: 360-275-3575.

• The Elliott Bay Salmon Derby is Saturday, with proceeds going to the North Seattle Boys & Girls Club. Largest fish is worth $1,500. Cost is $25. Details: 206-399-3575 or www.elliottbaysalmonderby.com.

• The Tacoma Outboard Association Salmon Derby is Aug. 23. Largest salmon is worth $1,000. Cost is $10. Weigh-in at the Narrows Marina. Details: 253-564-1468.

• If you thought skiing and snowboarding are over, you might want to recheck your summer plans and head to Whistler-Blackcomb Resort, where the Horstman Glacier is open, and the area is doubling its terrain park features and upgrading to a Superpipe. Horstman Hut will be open and offers patio BBQs and light refreshments. Chair upload from the valley is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for sightseers and 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. for skiers and boarders. Glacier skiing is open from noon-3 p.m. and runs through July 27. Details: www.whistlerblackcomb.com

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com