Outdoors -- Climbers With A Cause Are Honored -- Mountain Of Trash Is Conquered

For Seattle's Scott Fischer, Brent Bishop and a group of climbing colleagues, the experience of climbing Mount Everest - and removing 2.5 tons of garbage at the same time - was enough of a reward. But the members of the Sagarmathat Environmental Expedition got another one in Utah last week.

The expedition was awarded the David Brower Conservation Award by the American Alpine Club at a gathering at Snowbird, Utah. It is considered the Alpine Club's highest honor.

The team, which also included Steve Goryl and Rob Hess of Wyoming, Steve Gipe of Bozeman, Mont., and environmental manager Chris Nauman, also of Bozeman, was honored for its entrepreneurial approach to removal of the trash, which included 250 oxygen bottles from high on the busy South Col summit route.

The team developed a "market-based" approach, paying local Sherpas a small bounty for every pound of garbage collected from the mountain.

The group hopes its expedition will serve as a model to future expeditions, leaving Everest cleaner after each climbing season than it was before. Expedition leaders say that ethic is a reflection of the teachings of the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyo. Four of the six climbers are or have been instructors at the school.

Freebies abound this weekend

The weekend brings a bonanza of free outdoor-related activities to the region. A sampling:

-- Cast Call: Some of the world's top fly-fishing experts will

appear at fly shops in Seattle and Bellevue today on behalf of Sage, the Bainbridge Island fly-fishing rod manufacturer. The experts will be available to demonstrate casting techniques, offer advice and talk with fishermen from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. today.

The list of experts, nearly a who's who of fly fishing, includes Lefty Kreh, Chico Fernandez, Dave Whitlock, Flip Pallot, Jim Green and Lani Waller. Shops staffed with experts: The Avid Angler, 11714 15th N.E.; Kaufmann's Streamborn, 15015 Main, Bellevue, and 1918 Fourth Ave., Seattle; Morning Hatch, 3630 S. Cedar St., Tacoma; and Swallow's Nest, 2306 Sixth Ave., Seattle.

-- Skinny Ski Special: Cross-country skiing is free tomorrow at the Ski Acres Cross Country Center, which is hosting a Cross-country Ski Festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The promotion, backed by ski-gear manufacturers, retailers and resorts, includes free demos, free lessons, a free trail pass to the lower trail system, free rentals and free snow shoe demos. If you've been tempted but haven't jumped, this is a good intro. And free is a good price. Details: 632-2021.

-- Swish, swoosh, Swatch: Downtown shoppers will be in the presence of Olympic gold today when speed-skating gold medalist Dan Jansen drops by the Bon Marche. Jansen will host a breakfast benefiting Special Olympics at 8:30 a.m. in the Cascade Room on the sixth floor. After that, he'll be signing autographs and selling watches in the fashion watch department on the store's main floor until 1 p.m. Details: 344-2121.

Notes

-- Remember to buy a state Sno-Park permit before venturing to one of the state's 45 snow-play areas for skiers, tubers, snowshoers and snowmobilers. The permits, good for two vehicles from the same household, are $10 for three days, $20 for the season. They're available at U.S. Forest Service offices, state park offices and many outdoor retailers.

-- Olympic skier Bill Koch will be at the grand opening of Sportmart from 6-8 p.m. Monday, at 1980 44th Ave. W., in Lynnwood.

-- Thursday night's free clinic at REI, 1525 11th Ave., shows the ups, downs, ins and outs of heli-skiing. The speaker is Ken Brooks of North Cascades Heli-Skiing. Theme: Heli-skiing isn't necessarily a dream that's out of reach. In Lynnwood, Tuesday night's free clinic is backcountry snowboarding with Marc Fairbanks, Bruce Bauer and James McMurrey. At the Bellevue store, NE 20th and 156th Ave. N.E., Wednesday night's topic is winter mountaineering safety, with Outing Club Director Lance Young. All clinics start at 7 p.m. Details: 344-2121.

-- The Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation is seeking a new logo design for the 19th Pole Pedal Paddle race from Mount Bachelor to Bend, Ore. The Pole Pedal Paddle, similar to the popular Ski to Sea race from Mount Baker to Bellingham, combines alpine and nordic skiing, cycling, running, kayak/canoeing and a sprint to the finish. Deadline for logo submissions is Jan. 16. The winner receives a commemorative plate from Blue Spruce Pottery, a framed event poster of their design, a logo T-shirt, a logo sweatshirt and $150 cash. Call (503) 388-0002 for other entry details, and mail entries to Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation, P.O. Box 388, 1004 SW Emkay Dr., Suite 400, Bend, OR 97702.

-- The Washington snow avalanche hotline is (206) 526-6677; the Oregon snow avalanche hotline is (503) 326-2400.

-- Planning a Christmas ski trip to a ritzy resort? Here are reports from some popular destinations:

California - Heavenly, 36-80 inches, 19 lifts; Mammoth, 66-84 inches, 16 lifts; Northstar, 55-102 inches, eight lifts; Squaw Valley, 96-126 inches, 18 lifts. Colorado - Aspen, 35-39 inches, six of eight lifts open; Breckenridge, 27-35 inches, 10 of 17 lifts; Copper, 26-inch base, 11 of 19 lifts; Snowmass, 33-47 inches, 10 of 16 lifts; Steamboat, 42-44 inches, 13 of 21 lifts; Telluride, 36-42 inches, eight of 10 lifts; Vail, 26-34 inches, 19 of 25 lifts; Winter Park, 31-inch base, 14 of 20 lifts. New Mexico - Taos, 57-inch base, all lifts open. Utah - Alta, 73-inch base, all lifts open; Deer Valley, 58-inch base, 12 of 13 lifts; Park City, 67-inch base, 13 of 14 lifts; Snowbird, 66-inch base, five of eight lifts. Wyoming - Grand Targhee, 75-113 inches, all lifts open; Jackson Hole, 17-62 inches, eight of nine lifts open.

-- The ski rope tows at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park are open weekends from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Sunrise tubing area, ski shop, visitor center and snack bar are open during business hours. Ranger-guided snowshoe walks begin next Saturday. Call (206) 452-0330.

-- Washington State Parks Commission will extend the 1995 campsite reservation system to allow reservations from March 31-Sept. 30, instead of Memorial Day to Labor Day.

-- Washington hunting season closure dates - Dec. 31, end of state forest grouse and eastern Washington pheasant seasons; Jan. 10, end of state duck season; Jan. 15, end of eastern Washington partridge and quail seasons.

-- State Fish and Wildlife Tribal steelhead net-fishing schedules and sport fishing reports - (206) 586-8391, for Puget Sound; (206) 586-8392, for coast and Olympic Peninsula.

-- Upcoming events - Jan. 4-8, International Sportsmen's Exposition, Portland Convention Center, Oregon; Jan. 13-22, Seattle International Boat Show, Kingdome; Jan. 25-29, Washington Sportsmen's Show, State Fairgrounds in Puyallup; Jan. 26-29, International Sportsmen's Exposition, Kingdome.

Notes compiled by Mark Yuasa, Seattle Times staff.