NATURAL RESOURCES PRETTY FISH.

Don't tell Jay Yelas that any bass is an ugly bass. Yelas reeled in $200,000 in winnings during his BASSMASTERS Classic title in Birmingham, Ala., last weekend. Yelas couldn't have been blamed if the Texan had just about fallen in love with the four-pound, 13-ounce largemouth he landed on the last day of competition to clinch his championship.

But one of the best bass Web sites is uglybass.com. Indeed, the animated critter on the site's front page is indeed homely and the slogan, 'That is one UglyBass,' appears adjacent to the fish.

But this is a beautiful place for bass lovers to meet that perfect catch. There are the usual assortment of goodies to click on: bass fishing hot spots, tackle reviews, tournament information and the always entertaining chat room.

Maybe the site would be wiser to get Stuart Smalley, the ``Daily Affirmation'' guy from ``Saturday Night Live'' skits, to give the ugly bass of the waters a pep talk. Otherwise, a more PC Web site could be called, ``All bass are cute.''

--More bass: Want to know how Yelas won the big bass bucks at the most prestigious fishing tournament out there? Check out the ProBass Networks Web site (www.probass.net).

- Chris Cocoles

A WHITNEY COMPENDIUM

``Mount Whitney - The Complete Trailhead-to-Summit Hiking Guide''

By Paul Richins, Jr. (The Mountaineers Books), $14.95

For many, climbing Mount Whitney is a high point in their lives - pun intended. My son climbed Whitney when he was 10. The experience is one he looks back on for positive vibes whenever he doubts his own capabilities.

This guidebook by Paul Richins is a comprehensive tour of 13 ways to climb Whitney - at 14,491 feet the highest peak in the lower 48 states. The routes range from multiday expeditions to single-day assaults. There is even information about making a climb by moonlight.

Early chapters give the history of Whitney and some brief but useful information about dealing with acute mountain sickness, water purification, bears and other distractions. What to take and how to get a permit are described.

The meat of the book is in the comprehensive trail descriptions for the 13 routes, which include maps and trail-elevation profiles. They are rated by difficulty. The longest is the 61-mile High Sierra Trail. The shortest and most difficult is the five-mile Mountaineers Route, which can require an ice ax and crampons early in the season. But none of the routes described require technical rock-climbing skills or rope work.

There might be prettier places in the Sierra to hike than Whitney, but they don't come with the same sense of accomplishment.

Richins says about 30,000 people get a wilderness permit to climb Whitney every year, but only a third make it. Reading this book is sure to improve your odds.

- Bill Becher

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