THIS IS REALLY getting old.
The sky just doesn’t want to cooperate for winter sports enthusiasts.
It’s cold out there, check. There are some clouds around, check. The rope tows are up and ready to go on Hurricane Ridge, check.
There’s some snow up on the Ridge, check. But not enough to get started with downhill skiing.
It’s been dry this week after a somewhat rainy week (down low) last week. It snowed in the mountains but just not enough to start a party.
Lori Lynn Gray, Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club president, was a little testy on Wednesday afternoon and just didn’t want to talk about the Ridge until there’s positive news to report.
But she did open up a little.
“We still need another foot [of snow],” she said. “We’re on hold for now.”
Mountain manager Craig Hofer was on the Ridge on Wednesday afternoon checking the snow level. He was set to report his findings to Olympic National Park officials afterwards and a determination as to whether the Ridge will be open to downhill skiing would be made at that time.
But don’t hold your breath for this weekend, even though it is another three-day holiday weekend.
So far the Ridge has been closed for downhill skiing for all the major holidays of the winter sports season.
Thanksgiving holiday weekend missed, check. Christmas holiday weekend missed, check. New Year’s holiday weekend missed, check.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend missed, well, uh, that one is still up in the air but it doesn’t look good.
Hey, there’s still Presidents Day holiday weekend in February. Whoopie, let’s party.
According to the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center web site, www.nwac.us/weatherdata/hurricaneridge/now/, the Ridge had 48 inches of snow as of 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Hunter’s courses
It’s time for youthful potential hunters to think about taking a hunter’s education/safety course this year.
The North Olympic Peninsula Hunter Education program will be holding five classes in 2012.
They are set for Feb. 7, March 6, May 1, June 5 and Aug. 7, all Tuesdays.
All classes start at 5:30 p.m. at Port Angeles Veteran’s Center, 216 S. Francis St., Port Angeles.
All enrollment is online this year at http://tinyurl.com/23p4b5o.
Sponsored by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, the classes offer one or more instructors offering detailed classroom instruction, practical exercises and live-firing activities to prepare successful students.
The classes focus on three broad topical areas, including firearms and outdoor safety, wildlife management and hunter responsibility.
The average class includes four to six sessions, spanning 16-plus hours.
Successful students must pass a written test, demonstrate safe firearms handling skills and a positive attitude.
All hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972 are required to show proof of hunter education course completion or a previous Washington hunting license before purchasing a new hunting license.
Increasingly, states require proof of hunter education training prior to purchase of an initial hunting license.
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Matt Schubert, PDN outdoors editor, is out of town this week.