Outdoors
Notebook: Everett Boat Show features more than 100 exhibitors

By Mark Yuasa
Seattle Times staff reporter

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This new, and largest-ever, indoor recreational marine expo in Snohomish County features 100,000 square feet of more than 77 different brands of boats for families, fishing, cruising and water skiing.

"We'll have more than 100 exhibitors displaying the newest and finest boats and accessories the industry has to offer," said George Harris, the show's director. "This is the ideal opportunity to comparison shop and strike a deal in your own backyard."

If the lowest short-term interest rate in nearly 50 years isn't incentive enough to purchase a watercraft, Boater's World Discount Marine Centers is offering a $200 gift certificate with each boat purchase during the event.

There will be a wide range of educational seminars offered. Topics given by experts range from fishing to crabbing to sailing, and cooking to cruising.

The marine art gallery features nautical-theme works of 24 popular Northwest artists.

Discover Northwest Fishing Center Information is the one-stop fishing resource featuring some of the Northwest's top fishing experts, including Tony Floor, along with news about the current Northwest Salmon Derby Series. Details: www.DiscoverNWFishing.com.

Boat show hours are: Wednesday-Friday, noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cost is $7 for adults, $3.50 for youth ages 11-17, and children under age 10 are free. All advanced tickets purchased online include free parking at the Snohomish County Parking Garage after 4 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. Details: 206-634-0911 or www.everettboatshow.com or www.nmta.net.

Local wins banked slalom

Stacy Thomas, age 19, a member of The Summit at Snoqualmie Syndicate Freeride Team, took first place in the women's pro division of the Mount Baker Banked Slalom with a time of 1 minute, 43.63 seconds.
 
Thomas edged out six-time champion Karleen Jeffery. Thomas is one of the youngest women to win the pro division in the 20-year history of the event. At age 14, Thomas competed in the banked slalom, and she won the women's amateur division when she was 15.

Notes

• The United States Snowboard Association's North American (NorAm) Race is tomorrow and Tuesday at Crystal Mountain Ski Resort.

The Race to the Cup at Crystal is expected to draw world-class competitors, including snowboarders from the U.S. and Canadian Snowboard Team. The alpine snowboard parallel giant slalom is tomorrow, parallel slalom on Tuesday. Qualifying rounds begin at 9 a.m., and finals at noon both days. All events take place on a run called Gold Hills. Details: www.skicrystal.com.

• The Northshore Trout Unlimited meeting is 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the American Legion Hall, 19215 Bothell Way N.E. Guest speaker Eli Rico of Hot Shot Guide Service will talk about fishing in Northwest rivers. Details: www.northshoretu.org.

• The sport clam season at Point Whitney Tidelands (excluding the lagoon) in Hood Canal is opening earlier than expected. It begins tomorrow and ends March 31.

The sport clam season at Point Whitney Lagoon has been extended by two weeks, opening April 1 through May 31.

Biologist surveys indicate an increase in the clam population at Point Whitney Lagoon, allowing for an extended season. At Point Whitney Tidelands, the season has been moved up one month earlier to provide a more continuous string of sport-harvest opportunities at local public beaches.

• The Cascade Mountain Men are hosting the Muzzle Loading Arms and Pioneer Craft Show 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 13-14 at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. Included will be wool spinning, hand weaving and wood carving, along with an 18th-century fashion show and other vendor tables. Cost is $5 per day; kids under age 12 are free. Details: 360-652-4749 (daytime).

• The United States Power Squadrons boating course takes place in March, April and May at various locations in Bellevue and Redmond. Classes meet from 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for two weeks. Details: 425-869-7334 or 425-254-4907.

• The Sky Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited meeting is 7 p.m. March 9 at the P.U.D. Building, 120 East Fremont St. in Monroe. Guest speaker Dave Vedder will present a slide show on fishing for peacock bass in South America. Details: 360-794-6378 or e-mail nshore@nwlink.com.

• The South King County Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers meeting is 7 p.m. March 10, at Green Acres Zenith Place Hall, 1826 S. 240th St. Josh Hughes from Auburn Sports and Marine will offer tips on how to catch spring chinook and sturgeon in the Columbia River, and Paul Pfleger from Gold River Anglers Club will do a presentation on fishing in Nootka Sound, B.C. Details: www.geocities.com/skcanglers.

• The Evergreen Sportsmen's Show is 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. Cost is $9 for adults, $5 for children 6-16, and free for children under 6. Details: www.sportshow.net/monroe.

• The Lake Washington Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation super fund banquet and auction is March 7 at the Embassy Suites in Eastgate. Details: 206-542-5556 or lakewashnwtf.tripod.com.

• The Murray's Geoduck Salmon Derby is March 6-7 in Brinnon. Cost is $5 per angler. Biggest fish on Saturday wins $100, and the largest overall fish wins $500, plus more than 100 donated prizes. Details: 360-796-4430.

• The SKIFORALL Spree is 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 13 at the Summit at Snoqualmie ski area. The Sturtevant's Ski Shop and representatives from Atomic, Boeri, Head, Marker, K2, Rossignol, Volkl, Volant, Dynastar and Salomon will be on hand to demonstrate products. Red Robin provides lunch, with unlimited racing sponsored by City League. Also included: breakfast, T-shirt, after-ski party and an all-day lift ticket. Cost is $79. Details: 425-462-0978 or www.skiforall.org.

• Seattle Poggie Club offers salmon-fishing classes on Thursdays at 7 p.m. from March 11 through April 8 at the Northwest Senior Center, 5429 32nd Ave N.W. in Ballard. Cost is $60 per person, $30 for each additional family member. Details: 206-364-6361 or 206-527-9118 or www.seattlepoggies.com.

• The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust is hosting a Sammamish Stewardship work day, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 13 along Issaquah Creek near the Issaquah Costco. Volunteers can participate in a variety of restoration activities to improve the water quality in the Sammamish Basin. Details: 206-382-5565 or www.mtsgreenway.org.

• Northend Bassmasters is accepting new members who want to learn more about bass fishing. The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Crystal Creek Cafe, 22620 Bothell-Everett Highway (Canyon Park) in Bothell. Details: 206-789-4259 or e-mail Gary Millard at glmillard@comcast.net.

• The Washington Trails Association seeks volunteers to help repair trails damaged by fall and winter storms. Details: 206-625-1367 or www.wta.org.

• The Green River Gobblers Chapter of the Nation Wild Turkey Federation fund-raising banquet is March 20, 5:30 p.m. at Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn. Details: 253-833-4052 or email alan@poeengineering.com.

• The East Lake Washington Audubon Society is hosting a birdwatching trip beginning at 9 a.m. March 11 at the Green River Natural Resources Area, formerly known as the Kent Ponds.

This 304-acre site is a combined stormwater detention and enhanced wetland facility that provides a diversity of wildlife habitat. Meet at north end of the Newport Hills Park-N-Ride (I-405, Exit 9). Cost is $2 per person. Details: 425-746-6351.

• The Mount Rainier Chapter of the 10th Mountain Division Association Ski-In and Luncheon is 10 a.m. March 24 at the West Central Lodge at the Summit at Snoqualmie. Former World War II troops will ski in formation down the mountain wearing traditional white camouflage uniforms. Several of the participants have been skiing for more than 70 years. Details: 206-523-3497.

• The Washington Fly Fishing Club's beginning fly casting class starts April 8, and an advanced fly casting class starts April 7. Registration is required. Details: 206-542-4623.

• The Washington Butterfly Association is hosting a seminar titled "Tracking the Wild Elfin — Native Butterflies and Their Habitat in Oregon's Outback," with Neil Bjorklund, who explored Oregon's obscure canyons and mountain meadows last summer. The seminar is at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 N.E. 41st St. in Seattle. Details: www.naba.org/chapters/nabaws.

• Those interested in undertaking an upland game bird habitat enhancement project in Central Washington may apply for funding through Friday from state Fish and Wildlife.

The funds are from the Dave Wallace Account for Upland Game Bird Habitat Enhancement, and the money is for upland game bird habitat projects on public and private property in Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Grant or Adams counties.

Projects will only be considered that provide habitat benefits to upland game birds (chukar and Hungarian partridge, pheasant, and quail). Project requests should not exceed $1,000 and should be aimed at habitat development and enhancement. Requests for winter bird feed or to raise game birds for release do not qualify for funding.

Some of the projects funded in the past include spring developments, fencing of important habitat areas to protect them from livestock, plantings of trees, shrubs and herbaceous cover, and construction of upland game bird feeders.

Contact Washington Department Fish and Wildlife, Ephrata regional office, 1550 Alder St, Ephrata, WA, 98823-9699, or call 509-754-4624.

• Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson's inspirational slide show of a 1993 K2 climb and his quest to improve girl's education in remote Pakistan and Afghanistan amid Islam, war and turmoil is 7 p.m. April 15, Seattle REI, 222 Yale Ave. N. in Seattle. Cost is $5 at the door. Details: 206-223-1944 or www.ikat.org.

• The Port Angeles Salmon Club Halibut Derby is May 29-30 at the West Port Angeles Boat Haven launch ramp adjacent to the Port Angeles Yacht Club. Up to $20,000 in cash prizes headed by a $5,000 first prize and 30 prizes in all. Cost is $30 per angler. Details: 360-452-2357 or www.swainsinc.com.

• The Olympic Peninsula Coast Beach Clean is April 24, and volunteers are needed to remove debris from 120 miles of Olympic Peninsula coastal beaches between Ocean Shores and Hobuck Beach on the Makah Reservation.

To learn more volunteers may attend a meeting at 7 p.m. March 31 at the Dungeness River Audubon Center in Sequim, or at REI's Seattle store at 7 p.m. April 1. Details: 206-364-2689 or Jan Klippert at jpklippert@aol.com.

• The Washington Butterfly Association meets the first Wednesday of each month 7 p.m., at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 N.E. 41st St. in Seattle. The association is dedicated to the enjoyment, conservation and understanding of butterflies and their ecology through education and scientific understanding. Details: 206-633-2313 or www.naba.org/chapters/nabaws.

• The Washington Ski Touring Club offers trips, classes and volunteer opportunities for cross-country, telemark and backcountry skiers. Meetings are the first Thursday of each month, starting with a 6:30 p.m. orientation, at Seattle's REI store. Details: 206-525-4451 or www.wstc.org.

• The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group is offering a four-day Adventure Salmon Day Camp July 12-15 for youth in grades 4-5 on Hood Canal. Cost is $125, including food, transportation and supplies.

The camp aims to build an appreciation of wild salmon's role in the ecosystem. Activities include snorkeling, underwater photography, canoeing and campfire gatherings.

The group also offers an Adventure Salmon Overnight Camp for youth grades 6-9 on Aug. 16-19. Cost is $275 per person, and includes food, transportation and all camp supply amenities, except sleeping bag. Details: 360-275-3575 or www.hcseg.com.

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

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