Nordic Ski Challenge Off; Good Weather Blamed

They were supposed to come from across North America - two National Olympic teams challenging each other with waxed nordic skis and ambitions of winning Mount Spokane’s first internationally sanctioned Wild Moose Cup.

They would have been better off having a tennis tournament.

In its first year of hosting the Canadian and U.S. Olympic teams to Mount Spokane, the Inland Empire Nordic Club has been forced to cancel the event because there is not enough snow.

“We’re very disappointed,” said event coordinator Gino Lisiecki. “But cross country ski races need snow, and unfortunately, mother nature didn’t give us any. It’s the first time in 20 years there hasn’t been snow on Mount Spokane in mid-December.”

The Wild Moose Cup was supposed to be a three-day Freestyle and Classic race, open to the public as well as a challenge between the Olympic teams. Between 250 and 300 skiers were supposed to participate.

Rock-climbing revisions

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Friday will discuss revisions to a 25-year-old rock-climbing policy, which details how and where rock climbers can scale peaks and cliffs.

The new policy proposes to allow rock climbing in all state parks, except in environmentally sensitive areas, such as areas which contain Indian petroglyphs and endangered plants and wildlife.

The new policy also proposes to allow overnight camping on rocks, permanent bolts to be placed in rocks and limited use of power drills to install permanent handles in rocks.

“State Parks staff worked extensively with rock climbers, commercial outfitters, guide services, climbing gyms and Native American tribes in developing this policy,” said Cleve Pinnex, State Parks director.

Turner to chair Salmon Commission

Bob Turner, Washington’s fish and wildlife director, has been named chairman of the Pacific Salmon Commission.

Turner, a presidential appointee to the commission, is the new chairman of the U.S. section of the commission and will become the head of the full international panel in January. The U.S. section includes representatives of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Indian tribes.

The commission has been struggling to agree on a cooperative coast-wide plan to rebuild dwindling salmon stocks, with a fair harvest to both Canada and the United States.

Turner’s one-year term as chairman is unpaid except for expenses.

Mount Spokane gets snowmobiles

Two new snowmobiles have arrived at Mount Spokane State Park to remobilize rangers who were left bound to the plowed roads last year after the last of their over-snow machines went belly-up.

“We’ll have them available in case someone gets hurt or there’s a search-and-rescue and for occasional patrols,” said Pete Wood, park manager.

Gregg Sowder of Mount Spokane Ski Corporation said snowmobilers occasionally create a hazard by driving illegally up the south face of the mountain and into the downhill ski areas.

“But we can’t enforce the boundary,” Sowder said.

“We would try to respond to a call from the ski area, but a lot of times by the time they get a report and we can load up and get up there, the snowmobiler causing the problem has already left,” Wood said. “By that time, the skiers usually have pelted them with a few hundred snowballs.”

Steelhead limit at two

Anglers are allowed to keep two steelhead per day in the Tucannon River from the Highway 12 bridge to the hatchery intake area, officials say.

The Washington Fishing Regulations Pamphlet mistakenly lists the limit at five.

, DataTimes