OK, most of us haven't even started this weekend yet.

But there's nothing to say we can't begin planning for our next work-week break. I mean, next week is a short week after all. Might as well get a jump on the crowds.

Two big events stand out on June 5 — National Trails Day and Maryland Free Fishing Day — each of which anchors lots of local doings.

Perhaps the biggest trail happening June 5 is the opening of the Appalachian Trail Museum in Gardners, Pa., about the halfway point on the 2,100 path from Georgia to Maine and less than two hours by car from the Baltimore area.

Requiring more than a decade of planning and fund raising, the museum features exhibits that highlight the exploits of the first end-to-end, or "thru" hikers and takes note of today's adventurers, some of whom will probably be sitting on the front porch, resting their feet before continuing on.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony begins at 11 a.m. and there's a parking and shuttle system to get folks into Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Get all the details at www.atmuseum.org.

National Trails Day has lots of other activities closer to home, from walks in parks to restoration projects. You can help REI Timonium rebuild trails at Patapsco Valley State Park or take a 4-mile hike at Patuxent Resaerch Refuge along a path dedicated to one of the world's greatest bird experts, Chandler Robbins, who has spent more than half a century working at the research refuge.

Some programs require registration. Details of all 26 Maryland NTD events are at http://www.americanhiking.org.

Next Saturday is the first of the state's three free fishing days. The event extends to adults the same privilege enjoyed by anglers under the age of 16: no license required.

Free fishing can take place on any piece of freshwater, tidal water or saltwater in Maryland. All rules and regulations about number and size of fish still apply, so be sure to read up on that stuff before you go. The complete list is at on the state's website.

For the kids, there's a fishing derby at Piney Run Park in Sykesville. The 300-acre reservoir has two floating docks, perfect platforms for little feet, and lots of panfish. The derby runs from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., and includes a casting contest and tons of prizes. The cost is $5 per kid. The entry form is at Carroll County's government's website.

Also for the kids, is the 13th annual Ducks Unlimited Greenwings outing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the Baltimore County Game and Fish Protective Association, 3400 Northwind Road, Carney.

Activities include casting, archery and bird box building. There will be falconry and turkey-, goose- and duck-calling demonstrations.

The event is open to all kids up to age 17, accompanied by an adult. Admission is $10 per person, which covers lunch, a T-shirt, and a Ducks Unlimited Greenwings membership.

Call Robert Batchelor, 410-592-9276, for more information.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 8:10 AM | Permalink
        

ABOARD THE MISS GRACE — As many as 200 striped bass took brief detours from their home in the Chesapeake Bay Thursday morning and reentered the water with a new accessory that makes them even more desirable to anglers: a neon-green tag that could be worth $10,000.

The Maryland Fishing Challenge Featuring Diamond Jim, is a promotion by the state to coax lapsed and new anglers to join the hundreds of thousands of others who fish from Deep Creek Lake to the Atlantic Ocean. The Diamond Jim portion of the event designates one tagged striper as the money fish. Beginning Friday (May 28), that fish is worth $10,000. If no one catches Diamond Jim, the July fish will be worth $20,000. If the same scenario plays out, the August striper would be worth $25,000. Each caught imposter earns an angler $500.

A dozen charter boats left from docks along the bay filled with tagging teams of school children and state Fisheries Service staff. Fishing was better the further south the boats traveled. Aboard the Miss Grace, youngsters took turns reeling in glistening striped bass and turning them over to Department of Natural Resources biologists and technicians.

Quickly, the DNR teams measured the fish to ensure they were over the 18-inch legal minimum and inserted the thin plastic tags in their sides. Lowered over the side, the stripers disappeared in a flash.

The other component of the Challenge makes anglers eligible for prizes and fishing trips if they catch a legal-sized fish in any of 60 species found in Maryland’s freshwater, tidal water and saltwater. There is no fee to enter.

The Challenge ends Labor Day, and prizes will be awarded at a ceremony on Sept. 11 at the Maryland Seafood Festival at Sandy Point State Park. Grand prize winners, randomly drawn from all entries, will select from merchandise or trips supplied by Bass Pro Shops, Bill’s Outdoor Center, Under Armour and the World Fishing Network.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

A Glen Burnie man who pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in a 2009 fatal boating accident has been sentenced to spend 90 days in the Anne Arundel County Detention Center.

Jon Randall Martins, 42, admitted he had a blood alcohol content of 0.18 when the boat he was driving in Marley Creek on Aug. 30 struck a vessel driven by Richard John Hynson, 47, of Glen Burnie. Hynson died of his injuries.

The legal limit is .08.

Anne Arundel Ciruit Judge Paul Hackner sentenced Martins to five years in prison but suspended all but 90 days to be served in the county facility.

Maryland had 16 boating accidents last year that resulted in 17 fatalities — the highest level in more than a decade. Half of the deaths involved alcohol or illegal drugs. So far this year, three boaters have died on the state's waterways, two in Somerset County and one in St. Mary’s County.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 3:01 PM | Permalink
        

The first fish was caught aboard the Miss Grace out of Deale.

Angler, Neil Villanueva, 11, caught the 19-inch striped bass that was tagged with a neon-green plastic tag that could be worth $10.000 in June as part of the Maryland Fishing Challenge, The Return of Diamond Jim.

As many as 200 tagged striped bass will be released today.

Photo by Candus Thomson

Posted by Candus Thomson at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Sometimes, the little guy wins.

In this case, avid angler Skip Zinck, who campaigned for a new fishing jetty at Sandy Point State Park, is getting his wish.

The O'Malley administration has set aside $550,000 in Waterway Improvement Funds to rebuild the stone structure just north of the Bay Bridge.

"Wow, that's great," Zinck said when I tracked him down on his boat Wednesday afternoon. "That's great news for shore anglers."

Earlier, Nita Settina, the superintendent of Maryland State Parks, called me to say the project has all required permits and will be put out to bid in June, with construction scheduled to start after Labor Day, when beach and boat traffic lessens.

"I was pretty shocked, too," she acknowledged. "Times are tight. We only have two projects and some maintenence budgeted. This made the very short list."

Blueprints call for a crested surface 7 feet to 8 feet wide, about 7 feet above the water. A surface of smooth stone would make walking safer and more comfortable. When completed, it will mirror a privately owned jetty just below the Bay Bridge.

Last September, Zinck buttonholed me for an inspection tour of the old jetty, whose underpinnings were compromised in the 1970s to make way for the second span of the Bay Bridge. Stones weren't restacked properly and storms battered what was left, creating a misshapen pile of boulders.

Despite the trying conditions, Western Shore anglers without boats have few alternatives, so they carefully pick their way out among the stones to wet a line.

Settina said when she walked it, she immediately understood the problem and quickly realized that a rehabilitated jetty could be part of a long-term improvement plan that includes a nature center and a new playground, "to make Sandy Point the model state park in Maryland."

With nearly 900,000 users last year, Sandy Point, just outside Annapolis, was the state's fourth most popular park.

"This is a good project and an asset for everyone," Settina said.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:00 AM | Permalink
        

I'm a sucker for critter cams, the tiny cameras that give us a window on wildlife from the comfort of our computers.

This year's obsession is from the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which has a camera and microphone trained on a bluebird nest on the grounds of its Harrisburg headquarters. The live feed is at www.pgc.state.pa.us. Click on the “Bluebird Nestbox Cam” icon on the homepage.

In late April, mama bluebird laid five eggs, which began hatching on May 13. It appears four babies are moving around; the unhatched egg is most likely infertile.

Biologists believe the four chicks may leave the nest and fly on their own by the end of this month or early June.

Game commission staff suspended fishing line over the entrance to the bluebird box to keep away house sparrows, known enemies of native bluebirds that steal nesting sites. They also added an infrared camera so that human visitors can peek in after dark.

It's cool. It's great for kids. See the babies before they fly away and make mama bluebird an empty nester.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 12:15 PM | Permalink
        

From Deep Creek Lake to the waters around Ocean City, kids wearing life jackets while boating this summer could win a free dessert for putting safety first.

Following the worst season for boating fatalities in more than a decade, Maryland Natural Resources Police officers will be giving away coupons for Rita’s Italian Ice as part of a stepped up education and enforcement program. Also, coupons will be given out wherever the colorful “Wear-it, Maryland” truck is on display.

The coupons are good for a free Italian ice at any of Rita’s 80 Maryland shops.

Last year, Maryland had 16 fatal accidents, resulting in 17 deaths--the highest number in more than a decade. Sixteen of the 17 victims were not wearing life vests.

Colonel George Johnson, NRP superintendent, called wearing a life jacket "the single most important tool in preventing boating deaths.”

Under a new law, children under 13 must wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) while aboard a moving vessel under 21 feet in length.

Also, a child under the age of 4 must wear a life jacket equipped with an inflatable headrest collar for added buoyancy, a web handle for gripping, and a strap that is secured between the child’s legs to fasten the front and back of the jacket together to prevent it from slipping off.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Keeping Maryland trout streams free of the algae that suffocates prime trout habitat might require anglers to toss out perfectly good felt-soled waders.

It would be worth it.

Didymo, nicknamed rock snot, already has found its way into the Gunpowder and Savage rivers. In both cases, the most likely carrier were waders used in infested waters before coming here.

The stuff is exactly as its nickname implies. Yellow-brown and slimy, it coats rocks, stream bottoms and snags. Bugs and other tiny critters that trout rely on for food perish under its weight. As goes the food source, so go the trout. And like a bad cold in summer rock snot doesn't go away.

After didymo was discovered in the Gunpowder, the Department of Natural Resources built stations for anglers to wash their boots, but that didn't stop it from spreading. So now the agency is thinking of banning felt soles, beginning next year.

Some manufacturers, such as Simms and Orvis, already are making felt-free wading boots, and Trout Unlimited has asked all of them to switch to rubber-bottomed boots and waders by the end of the year.

The Fisheries Service, at the urging of the Maryland's invasive species experts, proposed a statewide ban at a meeting earlier this month. Public comment is being collected by the state and a proposal will be unveiled in the fall at another meeting.

After a serious outbreak of didymo, New Zealand banned felt boots. Alaska has banned them in parts of the state and Vermont is considering a prohibition.

In its June issue, Field and Stream tests five pairs of boots, ranging in price from $100 to $200.
A pair of Simms Headwaters that I've been wearing for two seasons are holding up just fine. No matter which brand you go with, however, make sure they have metal studs.

Normally, I don't see any reason to part with gear before it's ready to depart. But with the health of Maryland's trout streams at stake, there's really not much choice.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

The difference between turkey parm and Big Pharm is about five hours.

Just ask Bart Rogers, who one day last week bagged a 14-pound turkey on the Eastern Shore in the morning and his doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, in the afternoon.

Spring turkey season ended noon Monday and the final tally won’t be known until later this week. It likely won’t be a great year by historical measurements, but don’t try telling that to Rogers.

An avid hunter who lives in the shadow of Camden Yards, Rogers travels almost every weekend from September through January to his stomping grounds on the Eastern Shore to hunt deer, waterfowl and turkey — whatever is in season.

“No one from my family hunts,” says Rogers, 30. “I was drawn to it … I’m almost obsessed with it all.”

Obsessed, but patient. He hunted turkeys for 10 years before he shot his first bird. With the season running out last week, Rogers knew he had just a few days left to get No. 2. And if the day just happened to be May 20, graduation day, well, “I had so much to wrap up. It was the one opening I had,” he explains.

He got up at 4 a.m. and met his friend, taxidermist Jason Kephart, for a trip to a farm near Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. On most hunts, Rogers opts for public land, “for the challenge.”

The two had hunted the same land earlier in the season and had seen only one bird.
This time, however, was different.

“It was a magical morning. Turkeys were all around us,” Rogers recalls.

All of the sudden, two young males — jakes — were walking directly toward the hunters.

Rogers whispered to Kephart, who was packing a lighter shotgun, that he should take the closest one while Rogers would zero in on the trailing bird.

Rogers thought Kephart said he was ready to shoot and fired at the second bird. But Kephart wasn’t ready. His bird took off at the sound of the shot.

“I felt awful,” says Rogers.

Ever a sportsman, Kephart snapped a picture and just before 11 a.m., Rogers fairly flew to his parents’ home to call in his kill to the state, clean the bird, shower and get ready for the dash with his family across the Bay Bridge to his graduation ceremony in Baltimore.

“I was sweating a little bit, praying we wouldn’t hit bridge traffic,” he says.

At the doctoral ceremony, his adviser got a laugh from the 80 or so graduates and their families by telling the story.

Rogers laughs, too. “It was pretty amazing,” he says.

The hunter, whose studies in the field of pharmacogenics may lead some day to the individualized treatment of medical conditions based on genetic markers, also employs patience when inquisitive colleagues ask him about hunting. He’s even taken a few out in the field to show them the ropes.

Being in the outdoors has been a great way to unwind after work and school, he says.

And in addition to being a good story, the bird — with a mozzarella and tomato salad on the side — made a delicious Italian dinner last Sunday night.

As for Kephart, he got the turkey that made a turkey of him, just hours before the end of the season.

“That’s a relief,” says Rogers. “It’s a monkey off my back.”

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

You have to go back to the last century to find a year when boating fatalities were higher than in 2009.

Seventeen people died, eight more than in 2008. Only one victim was wearing a life jacket.

But even without counting the deaths, Maryland's 2009 season was grim. Natural Resources Police responded to 299 accidents last season, 123 more than in 2008 and 201 more than in 2006.

That's plain ugly.

The summer boating season starts in earnest this weekend. If the weather is decent, lots of folks will be out on the water for the first time in more than seven months. Skills get rusty and poorly prepared boats can cause trouble.

In order, the top five months in Maryland for boating accidents are: July, August, June, September and May. Noon to 6 p.m. is the most dangerous window.

The non-profit Sea Tow Foundation for Boating Safety and Education offers these 10 tips to help you stay dry and upright this season:

1) Wear a life jacket, regardless of your age. Coast Guard statistics for 2008 show that more than two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims drowned – and of those, 90 percent were not wearing a life jacket.

2) Choose a designated boat driver. The Coast Guard says alcohol is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents. Alcohol and/or drugs were a contributing factor in seven of Maryland's 17 fatalities last year.

3) Check your fuel level. Sea Tow recommends starting each outing with a full tank and an adequate oil supply, particularly for two-cycle outboard engines. Don’t trust your fuel gauge – know your boat’s fuel consumption per hour and keeping track of the time you have been under way.

4) Vent your bilge. Always remember to shut off the engine while fueling and run the blowers for the required amount of time to vent all fumes from the bilge before restarting.

5) Inspect your bilge. Make sure to visually inspect the bilge for excess water and ensure the bilge pump is in proper working order before leaving the dock. If you are putting in at a boat ramp, spare yourself an unexpected bath by replacing the drain plugs before launching.

6) Update your charts. Another frequent call for help comes from boaters who have run aground. Make sure you have the latest charts on board, both paper and – if you have a chart plotter – digital, so you can stay up to date on shifting shoal areas and other submerged hazards. For more information, visit Alliance for Safe Navigation.

7) Check the weather, which is responsible for about 10 percent of Maryland's boating accidents. Be sure to look at the tide tables, if you boat in tidal areas, and get an updated forecast before setting off for a day of boating. Learn to read cloud formations and look for the telltale “anvil” clouds that signal the approach of a thunderstorm. For more information, also be sure to listen to the National Weather Service broadcasts via your VHF radio.

8) Test your VHF. No matter the size of your boat, a VHF radio is an essential safety tool. Make sure it is in working order before you leave the dock. A cell phone can be a useful back-up (especially if your boat has a 9-volt outlet you can use to charge the battery), but due to the unreliable nature of cell signals on the water, it should never replace a VHF.

9) File a float plan. Leave a float plan with details of your planned boating itinerary with a reliable person ashore whom you can count on to notify the Coast Guard and Maryland Natural Resources Police if you don’t return by a designated time. For a detailed, Coast Guard-designed float plan template that you can fill in online and print out or download at http://www.floatplancentral.org.

10) Carry an anchor. It’s surprising how many boats leave the dock without an anchor and an adequate amount of rope. This vital safety tool can save your life in the event of engine failure by securing your boat until help can reach you.

A reminder: A law signed in April by Gov. Martin O'Malley requires children under 13 to wear a personal flotation device (PFD) while aboard a vessel under 21 feet in length.

Finally, to report an accident or unsafe or illegal activity on Maryland's waterways, call 1-877-224-7229.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:30 AM | Permalink
        

Wildlife managers in Maryland and Pennsylvania have once again delivered good news regarding the spread of the neurological disease that has killed tens of thousands of deer and elk from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast: it’s not here.

The two states tested the brain stems of more than 5,000 deer during hunting season without finding a single case of Chronic Wasting Disease, which was first identified in Colorado more than 40 years ago. In addition, tests of tissue samples of sick and dead deer came back clean as well.

The fatal ailment has been detected in 18 states and two Canada provinces. Most recently, it was found in upstate New York and in West Virginia, just miles from the Maryland state line, raising concerns among regional wildlife managers.

George Timko, a Maryland DNR biologist, calls the extensive monitoring program “an agency priority” that is paramount to keeping the state’s 230,000 deer healthy.

CWD, which is like mad cow disease, often appears in captive herds, and spreads animal to animal. It is not known to affect people. Maryland has banned the keeping of penned deer and elk, but Pennsylvania has not.

The disease attacks the brains and spinal cords of animals in the deer family. Hunters and wildlife watchers have been asked to report sightings of emaciated or staggering, drooling deer.
In eight years, Maryland has tested more than 6,700 deer and Pennsylvania has tested more than 26,000 deer. Both states say they will continue monitoring for the disease, especially near the West Virginia border.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 9:00 AM | Permalink
        

So you still haven’t made Memorial Day weekend plans yet. For the first time in forever, I actually have a plan. But, believe me, I feel your pain.

Let’s throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and see what sticks. We’ll keep adding all week, so check back.

If you have a can't-miss suggestion, jump in.

1) On Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, take a guided bicycle ride on the Western Maryland Rail Trail near Hancock. Just meet other riders at Hancock Bike Shop, 9 S. Pennsylvania Ave. It’s free. Call 301-842-2155 for more information.

2) The fishing is easy and fun from the two floating piers at Piney Run Park in Sykesville. Kids can catch bluegills, sunfish, largemouth bass and catfish. Rent a canoe or kayak or pay $8 to launch your own non-gas-powered boat. The 300-acre reservoir is surrounded by nearly twice as many acres of woods. Park entrance fee is $5 for each carload of Carroll County residents and $10 for a carload of nonresidents. The park phone number is 410-795-3274.

3) See Maryland’s largest cascading waterfall at Cunningham Falls State Park. The 78-foot-high plume is just a short walk from Route 77 outside Thurmont. Cross the road and stop at the visitor center at visit Catoctin Mountain Park, run by the National Park Service. Drive the Park Central Road for easy access to vistas and overlooks. Try to guess where Camp David is located within park boundaries. Do not annoy the Secret Service.

4) For a chance to see bald eagles, osprey and herons on Harness Creek outside Annapolis, take a guided paddling adventure Friday night or Saturday morning that starts at Quiet Waters Park. The price ranges from $35 to $60, depending on the trip and type of boat you want. For an unaccompanied paddle, canoes and kayaks run from $15 to $60, depending on the length of the rental. Details are at 410-271-7007 or paddleorpedal.com.

5) Take a wildlife tram tour through the wetlands and forests of the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel. The open-sided tram runs at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The National Wildlife Visitor Center is off Powder Mill Road, between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Route 197 south of Laurel. Tickets are $3 for adults, $2 for senior citizens 55 and older, and $1 for children under 12. The visitor center number is 301-497-5580.

6) Take a seven-mile hike Saturday on the Valley View Trail along the Patapsco River with the Howard County Sierra Club. There will be several stream crossings. Bring lunch and water. Meet at 9:30 a.m. in Rockburn Branch Park, the entrance off Landing Road one mile north of Montgomery Road. Park in the lot at the end of the road under the power lines. For details, call James Perschy, 410-964-1902 or jameshike@verizon.net.

7) On Saturday or Sunday, pick up some items for you boat at the Annapolis Nautical Flea Market, Navy Marine Corps Stadium, Rowe Boulevard and Taylor Avenue. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday; 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday. Tickets: $5. Parking: $5. Details: 410-268-8828 or sheilaj@usboat.com.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The hard part of sustaining a fishing tournament is keeping the buzz alive. Even outfits like BASS have to add and subtract from the formula to keep the whole thing from smelling like a week-old crappie.

It's even harder when you're the state agency charged with promoting fishing opportunities but lacking the money to do it. Talk about relying on the kindness of strangers.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

For many of us, the outdoors has nothing to do with work or obligations. It is that immense space between the office door and the car door where we recharge and regroup, whether it involves wetting a line or watching the stars outside our tent or marveling at the other creatures moving around.

It doesn't really matter what we do in our space just as long as we do it.

There are no hat tricks or triple-triples or perfect games, unless you're going for friendly family bragging rights -- and I'm all for that, just ask my husband.

I have my favorite places and activities and I'm guessing you do, too.

This space -- there's that word again -- is brand new. It's here to celebrate the outdoors.

I'll be posting and I hope you will join me, with your observations, photos and videos.

There are no perfect answers. Spelling and grammar won't count, although we appreciate it when we see it. And you don't have to worry about being color-coordinated.

Watch this space. Participate in this space. And make it yours.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)