Climbers from across the country will head to New Hampshire in February for the 10th annual Mt. Washington Valley Ice Climbing Festival.

The festival runs Feb. 20-23 and will offer opportunities for climbers of all ability levels.

Noted climbers from across the country will be on hand to guide climbs, give workshops, and provide evening slide shows.

Workshops and skills clinics for climbers of all ability levels will be available and will cover topics such as waterfall ice climbing, back-country medicine, and avalanche awareness.

More advanced climbers can enroll in a two-day clinic designed to help them prepare for ascents of Everest and Denali. Evening slide shows will be held at 7:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the John Fuller School in North Conway. The cost is $10 per show.

An offshoot of the event is called “Chicks With Picks East,” which will offer skills workshops exclusively for women. That event will run Feb. 17-19.

For more information on registration and fees, call 603-356-7064 or visit www.ime-usa.com.

East Grand Derby in progress

So, maybe you missed the flyer. Maybe you didn’t read about it in this paper. And maybe you just woke up very early this morning and are trying to figure out where to fish this weekend.

If any of those are the case, you might want to head Down East: The fifth annual East Grand Area Ice Fishing Derby is going on as we speak.

The derby runs today and Sunday, and a grand prize of $1,000 is up for grabs.

Of course, if you’re heading down there to fish, you’ll probably want to know how to enter … and most members of the East Grand Snowmobile Club are probably out fishing right now.

Don’t worry. You can register at several area businesses in Weston, Danforth, Houlton, Princeton, and Brookton.

Good luck!

Derbies on tap for next week

If you’ve been yearning to do some “competitive” ice fishing, next weekend might provide just the chance you’ve been waiting for.

According to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s Web site, there are five state-certified derbies scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 1-2.

Curious? Here’s the contact info, courtesy of the state.

. If warm-water species are your specialty, the Pushaw Lake Snowmobile Club is hosting a derby at Pushaw on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call Dale Pineo at 327-2226.

. If you’re one of those anglers who have figured out that Hancock County boasts some of the state’s most picturesque and productive waters, American Legion Post 207 has a deal for you. The post sponsors a derby on Feb. 2 that allows people to anywhere in Hancock County. For info, call Charles Farley at 667-9918.

. The Sheepscot Lake Fish & Game Association is sponsoring a statewide derby on Feb. 2. For more information, call Harry Holden at 589-3666.

. The Pittston Prowlers Snowmobile Club is sponsoring a derby on Feb. 2 that covers Nehumkeag Pond in Pittston. Call Gary Ashline Jr. at 582-0730.

. Down on the New Hampshire border, folks will head to Great East Lake in Acton for a derby sponsored by Beadle’s Bait, Tackle, and Archery. Call Donald Beadle at 339-0118 for information.

Penobscot Fly Fishers to meet

The Penobscot Fly Fishers will hold their monthly dinner meeting on Feb. 5 at Pete and Larry’s Restaurant at the Holiday Inn on Odlin Road in Bangor.

The casting pool opens at 6 p.m. with featured fly-tier Ron Newcomb. Following dinner, the club will hear from guest speaker Steve Wilson, the superintendent of DIF&W’s hatcheries division. Wilson will give an update on the hatcheries and discuss the recently passed hatchery bond issue.

The meeting is open to the public. For more information, visit the club’s Web site at penobscotflyfishers.com.

Moose permits lottery open

Perhaps you’re not interested in turkey hunting and let the state’s deadline for entry into that permit lottery pass. You may not be as quick to pass up on the annual moose permit drawing.

Although moose season is months off, if you enter now, you’ll have much more time to dream about your hunt, and to pick out the new freezer you’ll need if your name is drawn in mid-June.

The application deadline is April 1.

To apply, check out DIF&W’s Web site at www.mefishwildlife.com.

To submit an item for publication in the Outdoor Notebook, send e-mail to jholyoke@bangordailynews.net, fax to 990-8092 or mail information to Outdoor Notebook, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor, Maine, 04402-1329.