The recent arrival of rainfall on the peninsula has prompted Olympic National Park officials to reopen most of the rivers, creeks and streams in the park to recreational fishing effective today.  An emergency closure of the park’s river systems was implemented October 6 following near drought conditions during the summer resulting in severe low water flow and threatening spawning grounds for the fish. The recent rainfall has restored sufficient water levels that salmon and other fish now have greater access to spawning areas. However, two rivers – the Queets and Salmon Rivers – will remain closed to recreational fishing until further notice due to higher than expected in-river harvest levels. An Olympic National Park news release says those continued closures will provide added protection to Chinook salmon making their way to spawning areas in the national park.

Virtually all rivers and streams in the Olympic National Park have been closed to recreational fishing effective immediately. The emergency closure  that went into effect today was ordered in efforts to protect several fish populations because of ongoing severe low-flow water conditions.  An ONP park news release says this year’s severe drought conditions have reduced river flows to at or near historic low levels.  Water conditions are low enough they could impede upstream spawning migrations and increase the vulnerability of salmon to angling as fish concentrate in smaller and smaller pools.  The broad application of the closures are necessary to better protect Pacific salmon, steelhead trout and federally threatened bull trout in the park’s rivers and creeks, according to the news release. A list of the rivers and streams closed to recreational fishing in Olympic National Park – virtually all of them – is available on the ONP park website.

The adventures of accessibility advocate Ian Mackay and his motorized wheelchair are drawing more national media attention. Ian’s efforts to set a new Guinness World Record by traveling the greatest distance in 24 hours by a motorized wheelchair are featured in a Sports Illustrated Daily Cover story.

The article, “How One Bike Rider Turned Personal Tragedy into a World Record” describes the Port Angeles quadriplegic’s passion about advocating on behalf of mobility challenged people and encouraging them to get outside.

The www.iansride.com website describes his work as a mission of promoting outdoor accessibility, further the availability of technology and encourage support services for those with mobility impairment. Ian says he’s both humbled and elated with publication of today’s Sports Illustrated Daily Cover story.

“I never thought when I was miserable after my injury and I went out on the Olympic Discovery trail and found a little spark of happiness and that would lead to having long distance wheelchair rides actually be a thing. And here we are demonstrating just that. And yeah, it’s been an honor and I’m still a little flabbergasted and overwhelmed by it all. I’ve been receiving a lot of nice messages all day long.

The heart is full.”   

The story can be accessed online by googling Sports Illustrated Daily Cover. https://www.si.com/sports-illustrated/2022/09/14/ian-mackay-wheelchair-daily-cover.  Ian says it’s his understanding that the story will be included in the Sports Illustrated magazine issue appearing on newsstands across the country today.

Ian has completed numerous long distance wheelchair rides. The most recent was June 21st during the summer solstice when he smashed the world record by traveling 184.4 miles in less than 24 hours during a ride on Sauvie Island along the Columbia River near Portland.  Next week he will be starting another odyssey traveling on an east coast leg of the Great American Rail Trail, He’ll be starting in Washington, DC and traveling 475 miles over twelve days to Columbus, Ohio. 

IAN MACKAY TACKLES GREAT AMERICAN RAIL TRAIL  

The North Olympic Peninsula’s most prominent accessibility advocate Ian Mackay will be taking on yet another marathon long distance ride on his motorized wheelchair next week.  This time he and his support team will be attempting a 475 mile 12 day trek from Washington, DC  to Columbus, Ohio, the first leg of a journey along the Great American Rail Trail.

“We’ll be doing the Great American Rail Trail, which is not fully complete yet but when it is it will unite the coasts. The east coast and west coast will be connected via this trail.  The Olympic Discovery Trail is the westernmost end of the trail that I’ll be going on.”

He’ll be flying to DC Monday. The ride will kick off Wednesday.

“On Wednesday we’ll be at the Capitol and right on the National Mall. We’ve got a permit and there’ll be some speakers and some media and possibly some policy makers that’ll come across the street and speak with us. I’ll also be encouraging a lot of ride-alongs so other wheelchairs and other cyclists will be joining along whenever they can. We’ll be doing about 40 miles per day.”

This ride is supported by two large non-profit organizations, the Rails to Trails Conservancy ...

“The Rails to Trails really can benefit from demonstrating to user groups to utilize their trails such as the disabled community.”

… and United Spinal.

“And they’re excited to highlight outdoor recreation for people of all abilities.”

Ian’s long distance rides in the past have been on hard surfaces.  This ride will be different – almost entirely on dirt trails

”And so it’s going to be a little rougher and weather could end up creating a bigger challenge with mud and you know just kind of soft areas.”

Blogs with updates about his progress will be posted daily on www.iansride.com

They’re no longer going to be called “Murder Hornets” – or even “Asian Giant Hornets.”  The world’s largest species of hornet, which has been found in three nest sites in Whatcom County in the Blaine area near the Canadian Border in the last two years has officially been renamed by the Entomological Society of America.

“Northern Giant Hornet” will be name of the species otherwise known as Vespa Mandarinia in the society’s Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms list.  The new official name is intended to comply with ESA’s insect common names guidelines, which include avoiding naming insects using geographic regions.  So for now, they shall be forever be known as “northern giant hornets.”  And the search continues for more nests – primarily in Whatcom County – as officials seek to eradicate them.

See Video below for some real BAD hornets!   

As many as 60 small electric scooters may be plying the streets of downtown Sequim soon.  The Sequim City Council approved a proposal last week to enter into a year-long temporary contract with the Bird Rides, Inc company to bring electric stand-up scooters into the city. Mike Butler, a company representative, says the company is in the process of analyzing the Peninsula as part of a region with neighboring cities as a whole to bring  the scooters into Sequim and Port Angeles  If the scooters do come into Sequim it’ll take four to six weeks to bring the equipment into the city.  Users would be required to use an app to pay and ride. During last week’s city council meeting councilor William Armacost said he supported the project.

ARMACOST: “We have an incredibly active, robust senior population.  If you go by at any given day with the pickleball court you will see exactly that in full display. They are ambitious and vigorous and they’re going at it.”

Citing the experience in Seattle as reported by the Seattle Times, Councilor Lowell Rathbun said he’s willing to give the project a try in Sequim, noting that the scooters are used primarily by people below the age of 44.

RATHBUN:  “I don’t think seniors are going to use scooters. Will this program take off in Sequim? And from my point of view I’m very much in favor of anything that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions here in this city. We have an extremely high density of motorized traffic. All you have to do is look at what happens on Friday afternoon.  So I’m thinking, I’ve done a little bit of research, and something like low speed vehicles or a souped up golf cart might be a little bit better for us seniors. But I’m in favor of looking at a pilot program just to see how this works.”   

The council voted 5-to-2 to enter into a temporary operating agreement with Bird rides to test the scooter project in the city through September 30 of 2023 for people 18 and up to use.  

Peninsula Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry acknowledges while the BA.5 coronavirus sub-variant has become the dominant strain and is causing a spike in new cases, it is not the worst variant ever. During her coronavirus briefing with Jefferson County Commissioners this week she suggested caution be exercised when hearing reports about the severity of the variants.

BERRY:  “There’s unfortunately a tendency to try to kind of raise everybody’s blood pressure because it makes you quick. But right now we don’t have any variants circulating that strike me as the worst variant ever. The worst variant we’ve seen so far for COVID was the Gamma variant, which thankfully did not take hold the way the Delta variant did. But right now what we’re seeing is a highly transmissible that can get around prior immunity, but we’re not seeing severe disease.

And really what we would worry about as a public health community would be the combination of all three of those: transmissible, immunity and severity. That would make me very nervous and we’re not seeing that yet.”   

However she says the BA.5 variant is the most transmissible that’s been seen so far and is truly airborne at this point. That means that distancing doesn’t help that much. But she says the disease is not more severe for those who are fully vaccinated and boosted but can be quite severe for those who are unvaccinated and for those over 65 who don’t have all four vaccinations.  

The phlox that I bought last fall looks sad this summer.  We re-potted it in April but maybe we need a larger pot.

The water runs right through it. Will it recover?

Bev -Edmonds

(You know...we really have been blessed, huh?)

Please see the video presentation below...

Hi Ciscoe,

My asparagus has some kind weird issue and I can’t find any info online about possible pests or disease that matches what I’m seeing. Can you offer any advice?  I’ve been cutting off most of every stalk because it looks very unappealing.   Anna in Allyn