Elk about to mate; let the bugling begin

Bull Elk begin bugling — their cry to chase off competitors during mating season — in early September. One of the best places to watch is around Raven's Roost in the Little Naches River drainage (follow Highway 410 northwest of Naches). For the best viewing, arrive just before daylight or plan to camp in one of the many Forest Service campgrounds. Walk the Cougar Valley trail. Elk are normally visible on the open hillsides until about 7 a.m., when they move down into timber. Before you go, check Wenatchee National Forest trail and road conditions: 509-662-4335.

Discover nature in the Old West style as you ride horseback along trails meandering through beautiful forests at Red Barn Ranch and Camp Berachah, 19830 S.E. 328th Place in Auburn.

Seattle Parks and Recreation Department offers two-hour horse ride and 30-minute nature walk to learn about plants and animals in the Northwest forest. Meet Sept. 14, 11:30 a.m., at Camp Long, 5200 35th Ave. S.W. in West Seattle. The group will return about 6 p.m.

Pre-registration and payment required by Tuesday. Cost is $36 for the all-day trip, which includes transportation, trail ride, nature walk and a snack. Don't forget to bring lunch, water, boots with small heels and money to tip the horse guide. Dress for the weather. Bring binoculars if you have them. Details: 206-684-7434.

The Lynnwood Parks and Recreation Department is offering a kayaking trip Oct. 5, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., for ages 10 to adult. No experience necessary. Paddle up the Snohomish River from the Everett boat launch, and past Jetty Island to explore the estuary areas of the Snohomish River and Ebey, Steamboat and Union sloughs.

Lunch break is usually taken on a white-sand beach at the north end of Jetty Island. Typical wildlife sightings include double-crested cormorants nesting atop pilings; osprey fishing to feed their young in about 12 active nests; bald eagles feeding on sand bars; nesting Canada geese; diving Arctic and Caspian terns, along with great blue herons, belted kingfishers, marsh wrens, greater and lesser yellowlegs, and flocks of dunlin. Cost is $75 for residents, and $85 for non-residents. Details: 425-771-4030.

The Agate Pass Power Squadron will offer two "Boatsmart" courses: one beginning Sept. 9 at the Madison Avenue Fire Station, 8895 Madison Ave. on Bainbridge Island, and the other Sept. 11 at Kingston Cove Yacht Club, 25915 Washington Blvd. N.E., in the Kingston Marina. The course starts at 7 p.m., runs for four sessions and costs $25 for materials.

The course will cover the handling of sail and power craft including such skills as anchoring, knot tying, chart reading, use of a compass, marine radiotelephone procedures, and safety. Details: 206-842-3958 or 360-297-3260.

Join speaker Alan Yen, botanist for Washington Native Plant Society, for a free talk on great hikes of the Central Cascades and plant species along the way. It's Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at the REI store, 222 Yale Ave. N., Seattle.

Orchids, lichens, saprophytes, 500-year-old cedars and more will be shown, with tips on hikes that feature these natural wonders.

This fall, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville will offer two-hour tours that follow an elk herd during the fascinating, noisy and turbulent "rut" or mating season.

Visitors will hear the males' high-pitch bugle that wards off competitors or watch the males, fully adorned with antlers, charge and clash against each other. The tour is guided by a naturalist who will discuss the elk's complex social behaviors and show how to bugle and call in the herd.

Tour includes continental breakfast. Dates are: Sept. 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29; Oct. 4, 5 and 6. Check-in at 7:45 a.m. Cost is $25 for adults; $15 for children 12 and younger. Details: 360-832-7166 or www.nwtrek.org.

The South Bend Festival Salmon Derby is Saturday and Sunday on Willapa Bay and its tributaries. Anglers may enter for one or both days. Cost is $10 each day. All proceeds go toward cash prizes. Other festival events include live music, food, a parade, exhibits, a 10K run and a softball tourney. Details: 360-875-5592.

Nahkeeta Northwest is hosting a four-part lecture series on "Arctic and Resident Shorebirds of the Salish Sea: From Sandpipers to Oyster Catchers." Cost is $140 for the series of four classes (or $35 per class). Schedule: Lecture, Wednesday, 7-9:30 p.m.; field study, Sept. 7, 2-6 p.m.; lecture, Sept. 11, 7-9:30 p.m.; and field study and wrap-up, Sept. 14, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The lecture will be at the Padilla Bay Breazeale Interpretive Center, Bay View, Skagit County. Details: 360-766-6008.

The Lake Union Boats Afloat Show is Sept. 11-15 at Chandler's Cove on South Lake Union. The show will feature more than 200 new and brokerage yachts, the latest motor-yacht offerings from international boat manufacturers, mono-hull sailboats and catamarans and exhibitors displaying products and services. The show is also hosting the "Sail Sand Point Benefit Regatta." Teams race for a $1,000 purse. Proceeds will benefit Sail Sand Point, which provides students with inexpensive access to sailboats. Show hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends. Tickets cost $10 (single day pass) or $20 (multi-day pass); $5 for youths 12-17; and free for kids younger than 12. Details: 206-748-0012 or www.boatsafloatshow.com.

More than 25 classic yachts are expected to rendezvous at the Poulsbo Marina on Liberty Bay during Poulsbo's Septemberfest on Sept. 21-22. The craft are part of the Pacific Northwest Fleet of the Classic Yacht Association. Most were built in the 1920s and 1930s. The yachts will be on display and many will be available for boarding from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday; and from 10 a.m.-noon on Sunday. Details: 360-297-3281.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering two courses on sailing. "Boating Safely" is a four-night class that begins Wednesday; and "Boating Skills and Seamanship for Sailors" is a seven-week program that begins Sept.18. Details: 206-282-9045.

The Washington Trails Association's Dark Divide Weekend is Sept. 7-8 at the North Fork Group Camp in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Hiking and camping along 100 miles of trails lined with high wildflower-covered meadows, peaks and old-growth forests. Details or to join the group: 206-625-1367 or www.wta.org .

Fishing, wildlife identification and map and compass reading will be among the outdoor skills taught by state Fish and Wildlife Department staff at the Washington Outdoor Women workshop Sept. 20-22 at Camp Waskowitz Environmental Learning Center in North Bend. Washington Outdoor Women is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching women outdoor skills and stewardship of natural resources. Cost is $175. Course descriptions and registration forms are available at www.washingtonoutdoorwomen.org or by calling 425-455-1986.

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780; e-mail: myuasa@seattletimes.com; fax: 206-464-3255; address: P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111.