WINTER 2017
LWINGS OFK
WINTER FUTURE OF SNOW
COPING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE
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Interview with Super Bowl Champion Ron Heller, Urban Moose, Worldwide Help for Animals, Art of Megan Atwood Cherry, Housing Hardships, 100 Years of Ranching, Schweitzer’s New Lodge, Shed Hunters, Calendars, Dining, Real Estate ... and an avalanche of others!
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© MMVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Claude Monet’s “Red Boats at Argenteuil,” used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated. Coeur d’Alene office: 208-667-1551, 221 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. Sandpoint office: 208-263-5101, 200 Main St., Sandpoint, ID 83864.
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© MMVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Claude Monet’s “Red Boats at Argenteuil,” used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated. Sandpoint office: 208-263-5101, 200 Main Street, Sandpoint, ID 83864.
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Charlie Parrish 208-290-1501
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www.Evergreen-Realty.com ~ www.SchweitzerMountain.com 321 North First Avenue, Sandpoint ID Toll Free 800.829.6370 ~ Office 208.263.6370 ~ Fax 208.263.3959 Evergreen Realty is pleased to sponsor our local Habitat for Humanity
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SANDPOINT Magazine WINTER 2017, Vol. 27, No. 1
Contents
FEATURES 71
Cover: birds
All about our feathered friends ‘whoo’ call North Idaho home in winter
37 Urban Moose Beware, moose love city life
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45 Snow Bikes Gearing up for sweet rides from dirt roads to snowy slopes 49 Shed Hunting The thrill of finding antlers in the woods 53 Schweitzer’s new Lodge A skyline gift for winter and summer 57 Artist Megan Atwood Cherry The art and mind of the third generation 61
Cross Culture From Japan to Idaho with Kambara Quest
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62 MakerPoint Tools for tinkerers to pros 66 World Vets Saving dogs and animals around the globe 78 The future of snow How snow in North Idaho is changing as the climate warms
DEPARTMENTS Almanac
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Calendar
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71 On the cover: The small, yet mighty pygmy owl by Don Jones. See all the other magnificent birds that call North Idaho home in the winter. Our winter birding feature takes flight on page 71.
Interview Ron Heller 31 Pictured in History
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Real Estate Classic Craftsman Housing Shortage Difficult Division Convention Ready? Marketwatch
88 91 95 99 100
Natives and Newcomers
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31 PHOTO BY CONNIE DAWSON-MCKENZIE
Lodging
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Eats & Drinks
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Dining Guide
125
Sandpoint of View 130
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On this page: Miles Wheatcroft, 9, pushes the winter ski season just a little longer in his Bonner County backyard while his dad, photographer Woods Wheatcroft, shoots the big air. Read about the future of snow, page 78. Amy Peterson captures her dog Topper with yet another “super find.” They make a game of shed hunting ... “Good pup, Topper.” See shed hunting story, page 49. Snowy owls are among the raptors that visit or live here in the winter – and are a thrill for wildlife watchers to spot. Photo by Don Jones. See our winter birding feature on page 71. SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
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editor’s note Home. Sandpoint is my home, in my heart and mind, even when I’ve been afar. It’s the place I found my love for journalism. So it is an honor to edit this edition of Sandpoint Magazine – the longest-running and authentic magazine in the area that tells stories about our neighbors, our surroundings and our culture as a small, rural mountain town that is ever evolving but always welcoming. In this edition, I’ve had the privilege of working with my Sandpoint High journalism teacher, who is the reason I’m sitting in the Keokee office today. Several writers in this issue were also an inspiration when, at age 18, I had my first newspaper internship at the Bonner County Daily Bee. I met the writer who beautifully crafted our feature story about the future of snow, when I was a journalism student at the University of Montana. She’s been a mentor – in life and work – for 20 years. One of my 4-H friends from my horse and cattle days is one of our spectacular photographers. A former editor of mine at The Spokesman-Review also has a byline. The degrees of separation in Sandpoint are small. Everyone knows someone you know – or is related. It’s so nice to have that “home” feeling every time I zip an email to someone or make a call. Sandpoint Magazine helps connect the community and inform both locals and visitors. This issue has something for everyone. We dig into our changing winters, introduce you to the new summit lodge at Schweitzer, challenge you to hike for sheds, give advice on how to avoid urban moose, and show why people are crazy about the new – Sandpoint-created – sport of snow biking. We talk to a third-generation artist and a Super Bowl champion raised in Clark Fork. We explore winter birds and the tight housing market, especially affordable rentals. We tempt you with cozy firesides, tasty lasagna and say goodbye to a legendary restaurateur. This magazine is dedicated to the fine folks of Sandpoint and the brave people at Keokee who gave me this wonderful opportunity to work at home. E.
Sandpoint Magazine is published twice yearly, in May and November, by Keokee Co. Publishing, Inc., 405 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864. Phone: 208-263-3573 E-mail: inbox@keokee.com Publisher Chris Bessler Editor Erica Curless Assistant Editor Beth Hawkins Advertising Director Clint Nicholson Art Director Laura Wahl
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66 Horses, dogs and livestock from around the globe are helped by World Vets, founded by a Sandpoint native.
CONTRIBUTORS
Brian Baxter
loves birds and sharing his passion with others. The Libby, Mont., resident is fascinated with birds of prey, especially after conducting owl and forest hawk research. Besides studying forestry and wildlife management, he has more than 40 years of field experience in North Idaho, British Columbia and western Montana. He teaches various outdoor education courses for many groups, schools and nonprofits. He shares his knowledge of winter birding with readers (page 71), encouraging them to bundle up and find the winter birds who call the region home. When not birding, writing about birds or teaching, Baxter reads, elk hunts and ice fishes.
Don Jones is a full-time wildlife photographer who captured the birds profiled in our winter birding feature (page 71) and the cover shot of an adorable pygmy owl. He travels from the Arctic to the Everglades in search of wild subjects. He is the author of 11 books of North American wildlife, and his work graces the pages of magazines published around the world. Of the more than 750 magazine covers he has accumulated during the last 25 years, the one he holds dearest is his first cover on Ranger Rick — a magazine his mother subscribed to for him as a small boy growing up in Chicago. For more of Don’s work, check out his website at www.donaldmjones.com.
Ad Design Robin Levy, Pamela Morrow, Jackie Palmer Office Manager Beth Acker IT Manager Landon Otis Contributors Jeff Balch, Cameron Barnes, Brian Baxter, Kim Birkhimer, Corrin Bond, Sandy Compton, Kevin Davis, Connie Dawson-McKenzie, Sherry Devlin, Trish Gannon, Steve Gevurtz, Brenda Haase, Fiona Hicks, Cate Huisman, Steve Jamsa, Don Jones, David Keyes, Marlisa Keyes, Carolyn Lamberson, Jennifer Lamont Leo, Marianne Love, Doug Marshall, Jim Mellen, Sandii Mellen, Eric Morgan, Jerry Pavia, Amy Peterson, Tamara Porath, Kevin Sawyer, Nancy Schmidt, Sally Sutherland,
Sherry Devlin
is no stranger to snow or change. She was the longtime natural resources reporter for the Missoulian newspaper, writing and editing the newspaper’s weekly Outdoors section, as well as taking the lead on coverage of the Clark Fork River, endangered species, the timber industry, national forests and parks, and outdoor recreation. For 10 years, she was editor of the Missoulian and Missoula Magazine. Today she is a freelance writer and editor based in Missoula, Mont., and dug deep into the details of our
changing winters and the future of snow (page 78).
She enjoys music, hiking, travel and spoiling her soonto-be-four grandchildren.
Cameron Rasmusson, Marie-Dominique Verdier, Betsy Walker, Woods Wheatcroft. ©2016 by Keokee Co. Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Subscriptions: $12 per year, payable in advance. Send address changes to the address above. Visit our web magazine published at www.SandpointMagazine.com. Printed in USA by Century Publishing, Post Falls, Idaho.
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A L M A N AC
1 IF CHRIST HAD LIVED IN NORTH IDAHO
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he stained glass windows in Trinity Lutheran Church in Bonners Ferry bring the story of the Bible home to the Kootenai Valley, relating the stories of long ago in a faraway “holy land” directly to the local mountains, river and farmland. Bonners Ferry artist Heidi Brown worked with a church committee to create the vision. “We finally settled on a theme about the valley and the area and bringing it to the church,” she said. The windows were a multi-year project, funded in part to memorialize church member and artist, Kamara Schnuerle, 23, who died in an auto accident in 2003. “She thought stained glass was a wonderful art form,” said her mother, Kathy Schnuerle. The summer before she died, Kamara Schnuerle mentioned on the way home from church that “if she ever had money to give to the church, she would give it for stained glass windows.” –Cate Huisman
Queen Mountain, northeast of Bonners Ferry, is recognizable under a winter night sky with a single bright star. It illustrates what North Idaho might have looked like the night of Christ’s birth. Perhaps today’s Kootenai tribal members saw this view more than two millennia ago.
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The wood family knows timber
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he Wood families of Bonner County — Jim, Virginia and their progeny — were honored by the American Tree Farm System as 2016 Idaho Tree Farm of the Year. Idaho Forest Group forester Tim Kyllo made the nomination, noting that the Woods have 13 separate properties in the system, totaling 2,000 acres. At the suggestion of Jim and Virginia’s son Steve Wood, Kyllo nominated all of the properties as one operation. The land was toured by 200 Tree Farm members in September. “Each family member did a talk at each stop,” said Janice Schoonover, Steve’s sister, “letting people know how we work together, even though we run individual businesses.” –Sandy Compton
Luke Peterson falls one of the Wood family trees near upper Gold Creek. Harvesting is part of the management plan. PHOTO BY AMY PETERSON
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PHOTOS BY JERRY PAVIA AND STEVE JAMSA
“The Harvest” shows ripening wheat and fruits with Goat Mountain in the background. Hall Mountain is the backdrop for Jesus as a “fisher of men.” Artist Heidi Brown learned to knit cop-
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per wire to create the fishnet drying on a fence post. A monochrome Clifty View portrays the despair of the crucifixion with little color in the sky or fields, and a fence post with a broken rail is vaguely remi-
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niscent of a cross. Green shows the promise of new growth and a rose-colored sunset sky in the joy of the resurrection.
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Artist creates Chocolate fashion
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ayC Hummingbird has long played with chocolate. For several years, her “art foundry” produced paintings and other artful goodies out of chocolate. Last year, a “morning thought” came to her to tie chocolate and fashion, said KayC, known locally as Laura Crawford. KayC, who splits her time between Sandpoint and Bellingham, Wash., thought of packaging chocolate with a line of jewelry. For her Candy for Humanity line, she created the molds for earrings, bracelets and necklaces, all designed to evoke chocolate shavings, and emblazoned with the word “chocolate.” The logo is created out of sparkly, edible chocolate. The jewelry pieces, in silver and gold, retail from $140 to $240; she hopes to have them in Sandpoint stores soon. She’s expanded her fashion line to include chocolate inspired shoes, belts and bags. “I’m trying to make a chocolate world,” she said with a laugh. Artist KayC sweetens humanity with candy–Carolyn Lamberson inspired jewelry.
See more at www.kaychummingbird.com
COURTESY PHOTO
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A L M A N AC
ERNIE BRANDT TURNS CANTS INTO CAN-DO
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he logging and forestry industry has a language all its own, with terms such as boom, dibble, flitch and pollard. A cant, for example, is a square-cut log, and similar to many milling processes, it can create leftover wood. For Ernie Brandt, who has more than 35 years as a certified forester, not to mention mill experience, any leftovers — cants included— are opportunities. That’s the genesis of Wildwood Grilling, as Brandt’s company has been known since 2014. It specializes in cedar-based grilling products, including planks — think salmon, or, if you attended The Festival at Sandpoint last summer, those caramel-sweet grilled peaches — and veneer-thin wraps. In addition to cedar, Wildwood Grilling also works with specialty woods such as hickory, cherry and maple in its planks and wood chips for smokers. Along with wife Nancy and four young daughters, Brandt opened Alpine Cedar in the Shingle Mill Road facility in 1992 on a long-standing mill site and maintains an additional facility next to Lignetics, Inc., on Highway 200 in Ponderay. The company made Adirondack chairs, sauna parts and cedar planks, eventually honing its niche to just cedar planks. “Wood smoke adds great flavor,” said Ernie Brandt, who recommends alder planks for halibut and cedar for bone-in chicken thighs. “But more importantly, our products offer an opportunity for people to connect. You don’t fire up the grill or the smoker to cook for yourself. You are cooking for a group. And cooking for people is powerful.” –Carrie Scozzaro
Jennifer Plummer, Kinderhaven’s new executive director. CAMERON RASMUSSON
More info at www.wildwoodgrilling.com Salmon grilled on cedar planks served during The Festival at Sandpoint. PHOTO BY CAMERON BARNES
A balanced life Training for Telemark Sandpoint High junior Farli Boden thrives in school, on slopes
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hile most of her peers were trying to master the art of walking, Farli Boden was on her first pair of skis. The Sandpoint High School junior learned how to ski at age 2 and began to telemark at age 5. Now 16, Boden is ranked second in the nation for women’s junior telemark, a type of skiing where the heels of the skier’s feet are not
attached to the ski. Boden competes on the U.S. Telemark Team and the local Schweitzer Alpine Racing School downhill team. She misses school to compete yet maintains a 4.0 GPA, works, runs cross country and plays violin. Boden’s goal is to compete in the International Ski Federation Telemark World Cup next winter. She loves sharing skiing with her friends. “Oh,” she said, “and I really like the speed.” –Corrin Bond
Farli Boden telemarks at a recent competition COURTESY PHOTO
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A L M A N AC
HEALTH CARE ON THE SUBSCRIPTION PLAN
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fter 30 years as a family practitioner, Dr. Frazier King was spending too much time with insurance companies, not patients. About 30 to 40 percent of his professional efforts went toward dealing with insurance – filling out forms and getting (or failing to get) authorization for treatments and medications. He considered leaving medicine. Then he heard about “direct primary care” at a medical education conference. The approach revived his desire to carry on medicine as Sandpoint Direct Primary Care. Now King doesn’t deal with insurance companies. Instead, patients pay a monthly fee, and he sees them as much as needed. With 390 subscribers (topping out at 500), he meets overhead for a small office, nurse and an administrative staffer. He doesn’t have to pay a staffer to bill insurance companies or patients for copays, coinsurance or deductibles. Every visit is covered by the monthly fee, whether a patient comes in twice a year or twice a week. “It’s suitable for everyone with and without insurance,” King said. “It’s less appealing to people with good insurance with low copays and low deductibles. The important thing to point out is that this is primary care – it’s family practice,” he said. Complex treatments such as brain surgery and oncology are beyond his scope of training, and his patients must find other ways to pay specialists. But for the basics, King said: “I provide day-to-day care at an affordable price.” –Cate Huisman Dr. Frazier King focuses on patients, not insurance. COURTESY PHOTO
Go to www.sandpointdpc.com
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NEW FANS OF LOCAL HISTORY, MUSEUM Old. Things in the Bonner County
History Museum are old – a collection to maintain a material record of the county’s past. Yet old doesn’t attract visitors. It’s an inherent contradiction perceived by Olivia Luther Morlen, the executive director. “New is what entices people,” Morlen said. So to attract new visitors to see the old artifacts, the museum must constantly offer something fresh – a slate of outreach events. Many activities are tied to its “Tales from the Wardrobe” exhibits of clothing that county residents wore at different periods since the turn of the 20th century. When the museum exhibited Victorian clothes, it held a popular afternoon tea. A game night gave visitors a chance to play games that county residents played during the Great Depression, such as Scrabble and
Monopoly. A history mystery evening put visitors in the midst of a World War II-style United Service Organizations event with music, dancing and dinner. It included a 1940s-style radio show put on by volunteer actors. Other events have provided different kinds of attractions. Last summer the museum showed a movie in the park and encouraged visitors to picnic. Many had a chance to look around the museum and discovered they wanted to come back to explore further. Free admission on the first Saturday of every month has helped, too. “Over 50 percent of visitors on free first Saturdays have never been here before,” Morlen said. Winter brings a Veterans Day event potentially coordinated with the Veterans of
Shawna Parry paints at the museum’s summer “Paint and Sip.” PHOTO BY CAMERON BARNES
Foreign Wars and Christmas brings holiday shopping and crafting. –Cate Huisman Go to www.bonnercountyhistory.org
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RANCH BRANDED A LEGACY
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ne hundred years. That’s how long the Albertson family (five generations and counting) has raised cattle on nearly 800 acres in the Gold Creek area. And now the longtime A-T Ranch – named for brothers Charlie and W.T. (Bill) Albertson – is a rare North Idaho recipient of the Century Ranch Award, a statewide program between the Idaho State Historical Society and the Department of Agriculture that recognizes a farm or ranch owned and operated by the same family for at least 100 years. The A-T Ranch is just the fifth in the five northern counties of Idaho to receive this award. “It surprised me,” said Tracie Roos, a third-generation Albertson family member who still lives on the property. Roos said the property was purchased in 1916 during a time when the Humbirds, the family that owned the Humbird Lumber Company, were selling off the land. “This was one of the first ones.” For third-generation rancher Scott Albertson, 48, who also lives on the property, the award goes hand-in-hand with his family’s way of life. “It means a lot to be on the property, and to be a steward of the land.” Albertson said. “It’s all we know.”
First in Fashion
Visit us downtown and pamper yourself with unique, carefully chosen apparel collections and accessories to complement you and your contemporary lifestyle. 326 North First Avenue, Sandpoint 208.263.0712
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Bill Albertson (left), Don Albertson (right) help Tom Albertson (the current Sandpoint High principal) ride “Gentle Cow,” circa 1960s. PHOTO: ALBERTSON ARCHIVES
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The family still raises around 95 head of Angus-cross cattle on the ranch, and calve about 50 annually. Albertson said that knowledge is also a legacy that was passed down from his grandfather, Bill. “He was the first true cowboy here,” Scott Albertson said. “Grandpa was the only one who knew how to cut colts. He taught a lot of people about ranching and cattle.” Besides ranching, the Albertsons are known teachers. In fact, Tom Albertson, who rode cows as a boy, is the Sandpoint High School principal. His father, Don Albertson, taught for 34 years, retiring in 1995 from his longtime position as the Sandpoint High biology teacher. To celebrate the historic achievement, the extended Albertson family – including Don and Terri Albertson, the family’s second generation – invited a few hundred friends to a ranch-style barn party this past June – complete with an award ceremony, barbecue, dancing and kick-up-your-boots fun. It was a celebration for the ages! –Beth Hawkins
Financial Guidance
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Teresa Albertson hugs Cindy DeMers. Tom Albertson is in the background (blue shirt).
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A L M A N AC
COUPLE RECLAIMS A CAROUSEL OF SMILES
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Clay Hutchison (right) bought his wife Reno Hutchison (left) her dream carousel and is bringing the horses to Sandpoint for restoration. COURTESY PHOTO
hey bought a 1920s vintage carousel with 36 hand-carved horses, 14 shields and the original mechanism years ago. The antique carousel once toured fairs and festivals around the country but had been packed into two old semi-trucks and parked in a New York sheep meadow since 1952. On Dec. 3, Clay and Reno Hutchison will unload the carousel for its first time in 64 years at a warehouse next to Evans Brothers Coffee. The public is invited to participate in Reno’s childhood dream that she’s had ever since the carousel in her hometown of Butte, Mont., burned in 1973. Now the Hutchisons want to turn Reno’s dream into a reality. They plan to restore the carousel and find a community to adopt it. They hope that community is Sandpoint. To accomplish the restoration they are creating a nonprofit organization and recruiting volunteers and donors. The Dec. 3 unloading event is everyone’s chance - including the Hutchisons - to see the nearly century-old carousel emerge again from its trailers. The public is also invited to visit the warehouse during winter as restoration work begins. It’s a huge project, and begs the question: Why? “There’s just magic in them,” says Reno. –Erica Curless More details at www.thecarouselofsmiles.org.
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A L M A N AC
IT’S AN OLD-YET-NEW PLANE AWARD
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or nine years, Jan Lee worked with a team of mechanics to remanufacture his wife’s 1965 Alon A-2 Aircoupe airplane – making it better than it was when new. All that work paid off with a Gold Lindy award in the Contemporary Vintage category at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture Oshkosh Fly-in 2016 in Wisconsin in July. The award honors high achievement in aircraft construction or restoration. The plane’s fuselage is original. Pretty much everything else is new, said Lee, who worked as a mechanic in a previous life before opening a home inspection business in Sandpoint. “Everything’s been replaced in it. Every bolt, every nut, every joint,” Lee said. “It has totally upgraded avionics, autopilot, engine, a lot of custom stuff.” The Alon A-2 is one of three planes Jan and Paula Lee own. –Carolyn Lamberson
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Jan Lee and the award-winning Alon A-2 Aircoupe at the Oshkosh Fly-in. COURTESY PHOTO
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BOOTY SHOTZ
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kiers have a knack for bombing down steeps during the days and downing shots at night. The shot ski – shot glasses attached to a single ski so multiple drinkers can indulge in a blast of booze – is a testament to the party ski culture. Not content with gluing shot glasses to the top of random skis, Scott Evans founded Shotzski in 2004. The glasses look like miniature ski boots with a functional “binding” that holds the shot glass boots onto the ski. As demand grew, Evans set up shop in the warehouse between Oak and Church streets to produce and store inventory. The most popular designs are built on classic planks from the “good old days.” “We’re also seeing rapid growth in the fully customized skis that we’re able to produce,” Evans said. –Terry McLeod Go to www.shotzski.com
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his pooch may be small but she has the heart of a wolf.’ That’s how Lindsey Simler describes Rosie, her blue heeler mix. And Rosie just might need that outsized heart in the next year as Sandpoint’s very first Ambassadog. Rosie captured the coveted title after a summerlong contest kicked off by Sandpoint Magazine on behalf of Visit Sandpoint and the Panhandle Animal Shelter. A total of 59 dogs were nominated to raise funds for the animal shelter. Enthusiasts could “buy” votes and more than $2,400 was raised. Five finalists were drawn at random, to appear before judges – who Rosie proceeded to win over with her sweet disposition and some nifty tricks that included a hop onto Lindsey’s back. “Rosie displayed all the essential qualities for an ambassador, such as shaking hands, kissing babies and being an exceptional listener!” said judge and shelter executive director Mandy Evans. Added Kate McAlister of the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce: “Rosie has definitely set the bar.” Watch for Rosie this year, as she represents the spirit of Sandpoint at local events.
PHOTO BY CHRIS BESSLER
TAP ROOM
REOPENING SOON
Rosie FETCHES Ambassadog WIN
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Not convinced that the world needs more trendy toys for drinking alcohol? The silver lining is Shotzski donates to clubs and charities. Local beneficiaries include The Festival at Sandpoint and 24 Hours for Hank.
Clockwise from opposite page: Schweitzer Snowsports students partake in an après-ski tradition and (right) Shotzski shots at an endof-season ski party. Hank (above), with his parents Brian and Tricia Sturgis, is the inspiration for 24 Hours for Hank, one of the charities Shotzski supports. COURTESY PHOTOS
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SANTOSHA CONNECTS GLOBAL THREADS
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simple trip to Southeast Asia turned into a life-changing journey for Susan Wentz. While in Vietnam to help a nonprofit for the visually impaired, Seeing Hands, Wentz noticed a large amount of sewing shops. Family tailors were everywhere, sewing comfortable clothing from the silks and linens that are common in the area. She purchased about 100 different pieces, and came home to start Santosha, a small retail clothing designer and store located at 212 N. First Street. Santosha is Sanskrit for contentment. From that simple beginning in 2014, Santosha has grown to selling to 60 stores across the United States. It continues to buy from the same family of fourth-generation tailors, only now it requires two families to fill the orders. These two families live together behind their storefront and have a workroom upstairs dedicated to customsewing Santosha’s products. Wentz designs some of the clothes. The boutique carries an eclectic blend of stylish clothes that are easy to wear and appeal to a broad range of ages. It also sells accessories and jewelry. Wentz is proud the merchandise is 100 percent fair trade. She contracts directly with the craftspeople so Wentz knows exactly where the money is going. In addition to Vietnam, it imports products from Bali, Thailand, Australia and Nepal. A portion of Santosha’s profit goes to Seeing Hands, the nonprofit that teaches the visually impaired acupuncture as a trade and initially brought Wentz to Vietnam. She also donates profits to the Duc Son Pagoda Orphanage in Hue, Vietnam. –Terry McCleod See more at www.santoshaimports.com
Susan Wentz at a Vietnamese orphanage and (below) with the suppliers for her Sandpoint-based Santosha shop.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Dogs, skiing, love fill ’Rom-com’ Read
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andpoint writer Susan Daffron captures canine characters — and the character of old Sandpoint — in her fiction books. Moving to Sandpoint and finding a dog, Tika, at a Sandpoint rescue figured prominently in a new direction for Daffron: rom-com or romantic comedy fiction. A former technical writer for Intuit and IBM, she introduces characters and settings loosely modeled after her own experiences and love for Sandpoint. The latest book in her Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy series is “Daydream
Retriever.” Daffron incorporates elements of Schweitzer Mountain Resort life, including her own skiing experience, along with the requisite love story. The books, Daffron said, are about more than just love between animals and people or people and people. Just like “Chez Stinky,” the first in the series where the main character falls in love with Sandpoint and can’t leave, the books are all about her love for Sandpoint. –Carrie Scozzaro
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A LW AY S S O M E T H I N G D I F F E R E N T Always Something Local
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C alendar
C al e n da r NOVEMBER 2016
5 Sandpoint Film Festival. Locally made films at the Panida Theater. Film blocks begin at noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. (208) 290-0597 11 Annual Harvest Dinner. Hope’s Memorial Community Center hosts traditional turkey meal with trimmings. (208) 264-5481 12 SARS Ski Swap. Sell, buy ski gear and outdoor wear at the Bonner County Fairgrounds; proceeds benefit Schweitzer Alpine Racing School. (208) 263-1081 18 Live Voices: “Native Vision.” See POAC calendar. 19 Christmas Fair. Festive shopping event at the Bonner County Fairgrounds 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (208) 263-8414 19 Golden Age of Hollywood Panida Fundraiser Gala. Don your finest vintage wear! Start with Little Theater Black Box Speakeasy for drinks and hors d’oeuvres, followed by the Golden Age of Hollywood musical celebration in honor of our historic theater. Panida.org. 19 The New Mastersounds. Get funky at The Hive, 9 p.m. LiveFromTheHive.com. 19-27 LPOIC Annual Fall Derby. Put on your long johns and join this fishing competition on Lake Pend Oreille. (208) 448-1365 25 (thru Jan. 1) Holidays in Sandpoint. Tree lighting ceremony at Jeff Jones Town Square and visit from Santa opens the holiday season in Sandpoint. DowntownSandpoint.com. (208) 263-2161
See complete, up-to-the-minute calendars at SandpointOnline.com
HOT PICKS
Film fest fuels SOLE outdoor program
The Winter Wildlands Backcountry Film Festival, happening at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 in the Panida Theater, is the annual SOLE fundraiser. Every fifth grader in the Lake Pend Oreille School District gets a SnowSchool Experience to explore and learn about local winter wildlands, thanks to SOLE (Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education). The festival’s series of juried films (all of which celebrate the human-powered experience), plus a great holiday silent auction, raffle prizes, brews and special surprises make the festival a family-fun event that’s worth supporting! All proceeds support SOLE’s good work. Ticket info at SoleExperiences.org. (928) 351-SOLE
local Star power
Filmgoers and movie critics are raving about “Captain Fantastic,” an awardwinning film that’s set in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Local fans are in for a treat when the film’s star appears as the special guest during An Evening with Viggo Mortensen held two nights, Jan. 13-14, in the Panida Theater. Mortensen will introduce the movie, and after the screening give a brief talk and hold a question-and-answer session. Presented by KRFY 88.5 Sandpoint Community Radio. (208) 263-9191
26 The Shook Twins – Giving Thanks. Panida Theater and Sandpoint Reader host holiday concert with Sandpoint natives The Shook Twins. (208) 263-9191
DECEMBER 2016
1-3 Festival of Trees. Family Night Dec. 1, Holiday Luncheon Dec. 2 and Grand Gala Dec. 3 at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. Benefits Kinderhaven. (209) 610-2208 1 Chris Robinson Brotherhood. Spreading their love at The Hive, 9 p.m. LiveFromTheHive.com. 2 Backcountry Film Festival. See Hot Picks. 3 Ballroom Dance. Sandpoint’s Chapter of USA Dance hosts dance lessons at 7 p.m.; general dancing, refreshments and door prizes at 8 p.m., at Sandpoint Community Hall. (208) 699-0421 9 Community Day Fundraiser. Ski or ride for only $10. Schweitzer Mountain Resort donates 100 percent of lift ticket proceeds to
Making a difference A funky spectacle for the senses
It’s gonna get funky and loud ... but that’s OK when you’re ringing in 2017! The 3rd Annual Hive New Year’s Eve Ball on Dec. 31 is a party for the ages, featuring the Pimps of Joytime and a New Year’s Eve countdown with confetti and a balloon drop. Not only is this the Inland Northwest’s biggest and best New Year’s Eve celebration, a portion of each ticket benefits our local nonprofit Angels Over Sandpoint. Ages 21 and older only. Ticket info at LiveFromTheHive.com. W I N T E R 2 0 17
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Hank was a baby and newly diagnosed with cystinosis when the 24 Hours for Hank nonprofit organization was started to support medical research for the rare disease. Hank is now 10 years old, and nearly $1 million has been raised by the group for the Cystinosis Research Foundation – a huge community accomplishment as the quest continues in finding a cure. Schweitzer Mountain Resort hosts the 9th annual 24 Hours of Schweitzer, a 24-hour charity ski and snowboarding team event for participants of all ages, March 24-25. Come join the fun! 24HoursforHank.org. SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
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C alendar
POAC
2016 - 2017 PERFORMANCE SERIES
World-class entertainment arrives in Sandpoint with the 33rd season of the annual Pend Oreille Arts Council (POAC) Performance Series. All of the performances are held in The Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. Tickets are available in the POAC office, 302 N. First Ave., or online at www.ArtInSandpoint.org. Other ticket outlets accept cash and checks only: Eve’s Leaves, 326 N. First Ave., Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St., and Winter Ridge, 703 Lake St. All performances are ADA accessible; doors open 30 minutes prior to each performance. (208) 263-6139 Live Voices: “Native Vision” – Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. In this theater and video production, a Navajo girl explores her family’s past while struggling to keep her culture in a government-run boarding school. Her vision to become a modern healer in a changing world is brought to life as her community joins the U.S. in World War II.
Schweitzer Mountain Resort’s Nordic trails, plus cross-country and skate ski lessons and equipment rentals. (208) 255-3081 13-14 Captain Fantastic with Viggo Mortensen. See Hot Picks. 14 Northern Lights at Schweitzer. Fireworks and a torchlight parade light up the evening over Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Weekend. Festivities wrap up with a party featuring live music in Taps. (208) 255-3081 19-21 Banff Mountain Film Festival. Mountain films screen at the Panida Theater over three nights; benefits the Satipo Kids Project and NIMSEF. (208) 661-3857 28 Ballroom Dance. See Dec. 3.
FEBRUARY 2017
Eugene Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” – Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. Experience the holiday spirit and a little magic with loved ones of all ages at The Nutcracker. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier will fly you away to the Snow Kingdom and the Land of the Sweets, but not before battling the not-so-scary Mouse King and his Pirate Henchmice. Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas – Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. Fraser, long regarded as Scotland’s finest fiddler, and the sizzingly talented young California cellist Haas once again unleash their dazzling teamwork and shared passion for taking the infectious melodies and grooves of Scottish music on an exciting new journey. Rob Verdi’s Take 5 – Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. A glimpse at some of the most unusual saxophones ever made and a tribute to the legendary artists who gave the sax its unique voice in jazz. Our local student choir joins the stage with legendary saxophonist Rob Verdi for a night of Vaudeville jazz! Women of the World – March 24 at 7:30 p.m. Women of the World is an ensemble of musicians from different corners of the globe. In the spirit of friendship, they celebrate the beauty of diversity. They sing not just for tolerance, but wisdom, respect and joy. Missoula Children’s Theatre’s “Gulliver’s Travels” – April 29 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. MCT brings their famous red truck to Sandpoint once again to host a weeklong workshop in which the classic fairy tale “Gulliver’s Travels” is twisted into a fantastical musical performed by local children on the Panida stage. Fun for families and friends of all ages!
3-24 Starlight Racing. Schweitzer Mountain Resort hosts four weeks of evening racing on Friday nights, followed by fun and fabulous parties in Taps. (208) 255-3081 8 Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas. See POAC calendar. 10-11 Stomp Games Banked Slalom. Competition at Schweitzer. (208) 255-3081 16 Rob Verdi’s Take 5. See POAC calendar. 18-20 Presidents Weekend Celebration. Schweitzer Mountain Resort hosts special activities featuring Laser Light Show on Sunday with night skiing. (208) 255-3081 25 Ballroom Dance. See Dec. 3.
MARCH 2017
3-4 The Follies. Angels Over Sandpoint’s annual wild ‘n’ wacky fundraiser at the Panida. Tickets go on sale Groundhog Day, Feb. 2. (208) 290-5895 24-25 24 Hours of Schweitzer. See Hot Picks. 24 Women of the World. See POAC calendar. 25 Ballroom Dance. See Dec. 3.
APRIL 2017
8-9 Schpring Finale. Closing weekend at Schweitzer Mountain Resort featuring the Big LeBREWski and Rotary Ducky Derby. (208) 255-3081 28 Ballroom Dance. See Dec. 3.
local nonprofits. (208) 255-3081 12 The Nutcracker. See POAC calendar. 16 MarchFourth. Multi-faceted experience at The Hive, 8 p.m. LiveFromTheHive.com. 16-18, 22-23 ‘Christmas Carole’ – The Musical. The Panida presents Dickens’ age old story with a twist and a kick! Musical theater performances at 8 p.m. Dec. 16-17, 22-23; 3:30 p.m. matinee Dec. 18. Panida.org. 23-24 Santa Skis at Schweitzer. Santa Claus skis, visits and delivers treats at Schweitzer. On Christmas Eve, Santa leads a balloon parade with Mrs. Claus and hears last28
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minute wishes at the Selkirk Lodge. (208) 255-3081 31 New Year’s Eve Parties at Schweitzer. Parties for all ages at Schweitzer, including a rockin’ concert in Taps, the tubing party, and ‘tween party for the kids. (208) 255-3081. 31 New Year’s Eve Ball. See Hot Picks.
JANUARY 2017
6-27 Junior Race Series. Schweitzer Mountain Resort hosts Friday night races in January on NASTAR. (208) 255-3081
28 Wine Festival. The Festival at Sandpoint gala at the Bonner County Fairgrounds with unlimited tastings of 150-plus premier wines, catered dinner, silent and live auctions and musical entertainment. (208) 265-4554 29 Missoula Children’s Theatre’s “Gulliver’s Travels.” See POAC calendar.
MAY 2017
18-21 Lost in the ‘50s. Annual retro celebration with a downtown car parade and show, music at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, fun run, car rally. (208) 265-5678
7 Winter Trails Day. Enjoy free access to W I N T E R 2 0 17
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RON HELLER NFL CHAMPION Interview by
Trish Gannon
From left: Ron Heller, Class of 1981, gave this photo to Clark Fork High School after his 1989 Super Bowl win. Heller presented the Golden Football, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Football League, in March. PHOTOS COURTESY OF RON HELLER COLLECTION
I
n the fall of 1978, freshman Ron Heller stepped onto the football field at Clark Fork High School. As at most small schools, playing time is virtually guaranteed, given every man standing is needed to field a team. During the next four years, Heller, known for his unusual combination of both size and speed, became a standout as a running back and linebacker. He also won state titles in track and was named to both all-state teams for basketball and football. For Heller, it was just the beginning of his glory years. Offered a football scholarship to Oregon State University, he studied kinesiology and secondary education and excelled at football, before joining the San Francisco 49ers. In 1989, during Super Bowl XXIII, against the Cincinnati Bengals in Miami, the tight end walked off the field with a Super Bowl ring. In 2006, NFL.com ranked this game as No. 1 out of the top 10 Super Bowls of all time. Heller went on to play for the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks before hanging up his cleats in 1993 and going to work
in the financial services industry. He cofounded Peritus Asset Management in 1995 and is the current CEO and senior portfolio manager. Heller married Connie Espinosa in 1989. The couple has four children and lives in Santa Barbara, Calif. Heller coaches football at Bishop Garcia Diego High School, where his son is following in his father’s footsteps as a three-sport athlete. He returns to Clark Fork frequently (particularly for the annual Alumni Tournament), where his father, Don, and a brother, Randy, live. Q. You have a sort of “rags to riches” story: small-town boy makes it to the big-time football league, given that you went to a small rural school and a college not known as a football powerhouse. Can a boy in a small rural school today follow in your footsteps? A. I don’t believe it is any harder today than back in 1981. The access to digital technology and social media creates a way for athletes to be seen where a coach does not have to travel to see it in
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I n t e rv i e w person. We had 8mm tape and that was not efficient. The number of sports camps, clinics and specialty training now is incredible and many colleges go there to find the athletes. At the end of the day, coaches want a great athlete who does not have any trouble in their past and who has a 3.0 GPA or better. Q. You were a three-sport star in high school. At a bigger high school, a kid is lucky to play (and do well) in one sport. Is there a benefit in one experience over the other? A. I speak to a lot of college coaches and they still prefer multisport athletes. This is because they are getting cross training in different movements and their brains have to think and react in different environments. There has been a slight move away from football at the high school level because the commitment is year-round and
many kids don’t want to have to go to a weightlifting class before school, spend all summer doing weights and football and enduring the mental and physical rigors the game requires. Q. Not counting Super Bowl, what moment in your football career was the “best?” A. The best moment I have clearly in my mind is when Coach Bill Walsh walked up to me after practice in my first year of training camp and pulled me aside and said, “Congratulations, you are now a family member of the 49ers.” He went on to tell me that they believed in me and what made the difference between me and another player for that roster spot was the fact that I played with a chip on my shoulder and that I wasn’t intimidated by anyone or by the level of the game and wouldn’t back away from any situation. I
Ron Heller No.89 and the San Francisco 49ers win the 1989 Super Bowl. Heller (left) stands with his team. PHOTOS COURTESY OF RON HELLER COLLECTION
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I n t e rv i e w attribute that to growing up in Clark Fork: we had 15 players and every game we played teams that had four to five times as many. Secondly, literally having to learn to eat what you kill, and being able to handle the rigors of the mountains, streams, rivers and lakes that could do harm to you if you were not careful – you had to learn proper preparation. Q. What other high school experiences were valuable? A. I had great teachers and coaches who didn’t allow me to slide in any way even though I was getting a lot of attention and offers from colleges. I worked several jobs while playing three high school sports, and that helped me learn to manage my time and calendar. Lastly, I had great friends and teammates like Todd Johnson and my brother Don (named after their dad) who would always find time
to work out with me whether it was at midnight or 6 a.m. Q. You went from football into financial planning. How did that come about? A. When I was with the 49ers, Walsh started a program to get the players to either continue their education or find work/internships during the off season and I did that. I spoke to Bill and my offensive line coach, Bobb McKittrick – a former OSU Beaver and one of my idols; I also played with his son Ladd at OSU – one day and they said if you want to be rich, either work like the rich or find a way to provide a service to them. I chose that teaching moment to start reading the business section of the newspaper first instead of the sports page.
Heller with wife, Connie; with his father Don Heller. COURTESY RON HELLER Taylor McKenzie with Heller’s Super Bowl ring. PHOTO BY CONNIE DAWSON-MCKENZIE
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Q. Have your views about participation in team sports changed as a parent? A. I have four kids and I have coached many sports, both girls and boys, and the political correctness that has taken over has done damage to our culture. Everyone gets a trophy or ribbon just for showing up - that is not acceptable. Kids need to learn there are different roles on every team/business. Some excel or grow faster than others and you need to keep working hard, learning and your time will come. Lastly, parents allowing kids to quit during a season is wrong. It teaches no commitment. Q. A lot of young athletes in Clark Fork have gotten to wear your Super Bowl ring. What is it like coming back to Clark Fork as a “superstar” to the young ones? A. I have never seen myself as a superstar; I am just a country boy who loves my town and country and the people in it. I still get up and go through the same struggles as they do. Q. If not a superstar, you’re definitely a role model. And when you play basketball at Alumni, you’re a bit of a beast on the court. Is that intentional? A. I don’t play down to anyone; I love to win and only my daughters have that privilege. In football, every play mattered; never give the opponent the edge. That’s a good life lesson about excellence and effort.
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Q. For the 50th anniversary of the National Football League, all players and head coaches who were part of a Super Bowl roster were given golden footballs to present to their high schools. This spring, during the annual Alumni Tournament, you presented one to Clark Fork High School. What was that like?
Ron Heller with classmates, staff and family. PHOTO BY BRENDA HAASE
A. It was a small token of my appreciation to the community that helped me in so many ways to reach that dream. I had people hire me, feed me, drive me, tutor me, and give me love and advice all along the way. One doesn’t wake up one day as a pro athlete; they grow into that, and much of it is because of the experience, struggles and successes you have during your younger years. Q. There are always arguments about whether taxpayers should be funding organized sports in the public schools. What are your thoughts? A. There should be some level of funding for school programs. This gives many kids that don’t have the means to play club or all-star sports another avenue of learning. Sports teaches kids many life lessons, and I encourage all kids to play a sport. Q. You went to OSU on scholarship. Did it fully pay your expenses? What do you think about paying college athletes? A. College sports is a multibillion dollar business, and that revenue should be shared with the athletes. They don’t deserve big salaries but allowing for expenses, travel, etc. is important. I was a starving student athlete, and I mean starving. The athletes do get their education paid for, but so do many regular students and the athletes put in many, many hours that the non-athletes don’t. Q. You played pro ball at a time when salaries weren’t all that great. Do you think the higher pay is, overall, a good thing for the sport? A. What a difference a few decades make! In my third year, the year we won the
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Super Bowl, my salary was $70,000. The rookie salary now is somewhere around $450,000. The pay is justified as a percentage of revenue for the NFL, as the players risk everything to put on that show we call the NFL. Unfortunately, there are not enough players helping players through their careers in the way of mentoring and guiding these young men. Q. Injuries are another big issue in football. How did football treat you? A. I just had another partial knee replacement, which was my 16th surgery. I just do my best to eat clean and exercise. When I played you were pushed back onto the field as soon as you could endure the pain. As an example, I had a knee surgery on a Tuesday night during the 1990 season, and I played five days later. Today, they allow several weeks for recovery. Did that have an effect on my career, and was I compensated for it? Well, it did have a negative effect and, no, I was never compensated for that. After retiring I was left with no health insurance or retirement plan. Q. Do you think it’s possible for an athlete to be a standout in sports today without the use of performance-enhancing drugs? A. Kids can excel without drugs. The science behind nutrition and supplements is so good, you can be a top athlete without them; it just doesn’t come as fast or as strong as drugs. The leagues just need to spend the money for blood testing and that will eliminate most of the cheating, but that is very expensive and time consuming. Q. Would you do it all again? What advice would you offer to young athletes today? A. I would do it again. The life lessons that this game, and only this game, teach are priceless. You have to work longer hours, spend summers and train more than any other sport requires. This doesn’t even take into account the mental challenges it requires from dealing with pain and injuries to overcoming fears of hitting and being hit. Young athletes need to study the game, study how those who made it got there and what helped or hurt them. When you figure this out, take that baseline to another level. Lastly, don’t let anyone tell you it’s not possible; don’t believe it for a second. W I N T E R 2 0 17
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wildlife
Urban moose
The good life in the city
N
ot every city in America has a webpage entitled “There is a moose in my yard?” The City of Sandpoint does, with advice about what to do if a moose calls. Obviously, moose are frequently seen in Sandpoint: wandering through
back, front and side yards of homes in search of whatever it is that moose search for in urban areas. Or anyplace for that matter. Moose, Alces alces for you Latin speakers, are herbivores, and what they are mostly searching for are plants to eat and comfy places to W I N T E R 2 0 17
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Words by
Sandy Compton
digest them. It takes many plants to keep a moose going. On average, an adult moose needs almost 10,000 calories a day — 32 pounds of herbaceous stuff — to keep their ribs from showing. That’s a lot of ornamental shrubs and dahlias. A moose in town in the 1970s was
PHOTO BY DON JONES
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big news, said Matt Haag, an Idaho Fish and Game conservation officer in eastern Bonner County for 12 years. Regional populations peaked in the late 1990s but many remain, loving the city life. “They like being in town — particularly cows with or without calves — because there are lots of great food sources,” Haag said. “They love browsing fruit tree branches and ornamentals. She’s thinking, ‘This is the best winter of my life!’ Life in town is good.” The number of moose calls in Sandpoint has drastically declined in the past few years. “Five years ago, I got 50 calls,” he said. “In the last few years, it’s only been about five to 10. I think people are just getting used to moose being around.” Moose are the largest member of the deer family, and they are large. When you mess with a bull moose, you are taking on an animal that can be nearly 7 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh three-quarters of a ton, or 1,500 pounds. Cows, which are
If moose show up in your yard, let them be. Even if they eat your tulips or fruit trees. Don’t feed them. Keep dogs inside. not much shorter, can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. They are not necessarily territorial, but a bull during the fall rut and a cow
with a calf or two are often aggressive if approached too closely. Wikipedia warns: “In the Americas, moose injure more people than any other wild mammal, and worldwide, only hippopotamuses injure more.” How moose and hippopotamuses got in the same article, I don’t know, but you might gather from the quote that moose are not strictly a North American animal. They also populate the northern regions of Europe, all of Scandinavia and much of northern Asia. On the other side of the ocean, in whichever
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wildlife
From left, opposite: Moose relax on the waterfront in Dover. PHOTO BY KIM BIRKHIMER A
young moose
wanders by admirers at the Columbia Bank building downtown. PHOTO BY CHRIS BESSLER A
cow rests in a
south Sandpoint yard. PHOTO BY BETSY WALKER
direction you choose to go, they are called “elk.” We will not discuss exactly why here, but it involves the fact that moose went extinct in Great Britain during the Bronze Age, and English settlers had never seen one before they landed at Plymouth Rock.
Moose are full-time residents Even though moose seem to be more present in the winter, moose are seen
almost anytime in or near Sandpoint. A quick check of Facebook revealed a long string of moose/Sandpoint references, including a January 2016 video of a young moose visitor made from the front porch of the very company that publishes this magazine. Moose have been seen “shopping” on First Avenue; visiting ATMs on Fifth; hanging out in parking lots and yards on Janelle, Winchester, North and South Division, Larch, Hickory, Huron, Superior, Lake Street,
Ontario, Michigan and Florence, and wading near Third Avenue Pier; in Sand Creek and a whole slew of other places. In fact, one bynow famous cow gave birth to twin calves in a backyard on Idaho Street a couple of years ago. She has raised them to her satisfaction and recently left them to their own devices in true moose fashion. Almost all of the twins’ growing up took place inside Sandpoint or Dover city limits. Brad Smith has lived on three streets in Sandpoint, and the same moose family has
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The “Twins,” Christmas 2011. Do not get this close to moose. PHOTO BY SALLY SUTHERLAND
A young, handsome bull moose in Kootenai at Ponder Point, September 2016. PHOTO BY STEVE GEVURTZ
visited all three places. “When we lived on Marion, they stopped by our yard all the time and seemed to be especially fond of our tulip bulbs,” he said. “When we moved to Ella, they just passed through. Now, we live on Superior, and there’s an apple tree in the alley behind our house. After the tree froze last fall, I suspect the apples began to ferment. The cow and two calves would come and eat apples and then bed down under the tree.” Marla Groot Nibbelink lives on Third in south Sandpoint, near where the cow and twins began their fame. She has had a number of encounters with Alces alces. “The first time I ran into a moose, I was walking home from work, and I wasn’t really 40
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sure of what to do,” she said. “It was so big! A guy in his driveway was watching, and he said ‘Do you want me to drive you home?’ I said ‘Yes,’ so he did. I live five houses down.”
Keep the dog inside
Julie and Steve Meyer live on the lake in
south Sandpoint, and they have regular moose visitations. “They come to visit five or six times a year and eat my kale,” Julie Meyer said. “When they do, I keep my dog inside.” Good practice. Moose don’t like dogs, and a cow with calves will go off on a barking dog faster than any other irritant. They may appear awkward, but moose are amazingly quick and agile and can lash out with both front and rear hooves with equal effectiveness. Remember, only hippopotamuses cause more damage to humans worldwide. And, maybe their dogs. Respect for the beast is paramount. After the city’s website gives phone numbers for Idaho Fish and Game and Bonner County Dispatch, the city has one simple instruction: “Do not attempt to remove the moose yourself.”
Moose calls Rob Dressel is a lieutenant with 25 years of service with the Sandpoint Police Department and he’s had his share of
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moose calls. “We get several a year,” he said. “How we respond depends on the situation. If they are a traffic hazard, we respond to the site. If they are injured, we contact Fish and Game to come out and deal with them. If they are parked in the backyard, Fish and Game tells us to leave them alone. And we do.” He adds: “A lot of people don’t know what to do. People might think they are awesome, friendly animals, but they are not ones to get close to. They will react aggressively. Ears go back, that’s not a good sign. We tell them the same thing that Fish and Game tells us. The best thing to do is to leave them alone.” Smith and his family took the right action one day when they came home and found moose in their front yard. They stayed in the car until the animals left. Sandpoint residents are seemingly getting wise to avoiding moose. In 2012, Sandpoint Police fielded almost 40 moose calls. Last year, there were only 18 and as of this writing in September, there were just 10 in 2016. It is hoped that locals are learning to leave the moose alone. It’s just as important not to encourage them by feeding them. Moose are browsers and rich foods like carrots or apples might make them ill — which may explain why they bedded down under that apple tree. Feeding also habituates them to humans, which makes any wild animal a bit more dangerous. If they have the expectation of food, they may become aggressive if it’s not forthcoming. So, let’s remember what the city says: If moose show up in your yard, do not try to remove them yourself. If they are minding their own business — even if their business happens to be eating your tulips — let them be. Don’t feed them. Keep the dog inside. And post the video on Facebook.
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Moose on the loose in your yard? Do not attempt to haze it yourself; call Bonner Dispatch at 208-265-5525 or Fish and Game at 208-769-1414.
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Civilization is Nearby
You just can’t see it from here.
Welcome to Dover Bay, in beautiful North Idaho. This stunning new waterfront resort community on Lake Pend Oreille is within three miles from Sandpoint and just a short trip to world-class skiing at Schweitzer Mountain. Remarkably set amid 285 acres of meadows and forests and nearly two miles of lakefront, Dover Bay includes nine miles of trails, a community beach, parks and natural acres. The Dover Bay Resort includes a 274-slip marina, restaurant, fitness center and vacation rentals. As a recreational getaway, a primary home or simply a smart investment, Dover Bay offers an exclusive opportunity.
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P i c t u r e d i n H i s t o ry
WOMEN DOCTORS FORGE A LOCAL PATH Words by
Jennifer Lamont Leo
Photos from
Bonner County History Museum Archives
FOR
100 years, skilled and dedicated health practitioners have kept the heart of Sandpoint beating strong. Here we recognize three remarkable women doctors who contributed to our community’s robust medical history. The distinction of being Sandpoint’s first female physician belongs to Dr. Ethel Page Westwood. Born in Kansas in 1875, she received her degree from Northwestern University Women’s Medical College in 1899. She married the Rev. William Westwood and came to Sandpoint in 1921 when he became pastor at the First Presbyterian Church. Westwood specialized in ear, nose and throat medicine, retiring in 1946. She nurtured a lifelong fascination with natural science, particularly geology. Her extensive mineral collection formed the nucleus of the Bonner County History Museum. Well into old age she maintained a small laboratory in her home, where she studied and read. She also wrote poetry and fiction, including a novel, “Footloose,” published in 1958. Her brothers, Dr. Ones F. Page and Dr. Joseph Page, and nephew, Dr. John Page, also practiced medicine and dentistry in Bonner County.
B
orn and reared in Sandpoint, Dr. Helen “Pete” Peterson put herself through college (University of Idaho and Washington State College at Pullman) and medical school (Case-Western Reserve) through hard times, sometimes selling her own blood to earn money. During her residency at Cleveland’s Lutheran Hospital she was the first woman named chief surgical resident. In 1943, Dr. Helen Peterson, third from left, with the day’s mackinaw catch she returned to Sandpoint on Priest Lake, circa 1950s. and opened a practice at Second and Main – the second woman to do so after Westwood. In 1952, diagnosed with tuberculosis, she closed the office, but resumed her practice after surgery and recovery. Known for her quick wit and outspoken manner covering a tender heart, “Doc Pete” was loved and respected both for her skills and her compassion. Diane Newcomer of Clark Fork was a young mother when, desperate for help with her 8-month-old son’s severe breathing problem, she intercepted Dr. Peterson on her rounds after two other doctors dismissed her concerns. “I stopped Dr. Pete and told her about the baby. She checked him over and said, ‘Of course you are concerned. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t. I believe you.’ I wanted to worship at her feet!” The doctor successfully treated the child’s swollen bronchial tubes, earning the young family’s loyalty. In February 1964, Peterson delivered infant Sarah Heath, who grew up to become Sarah Palin. alifornia native Dr. Mary O’Meara Pepper earned degrees from University of California, Los Angeles Osteopathic College and UC Irvine, before establishing a pediatric practice in Monterey, Calif. Following a divorce, she moved to Sandpoint with two sons, and in 1955, opened a medical practice at 109 1/2 N. First Ave. During the 1950s she
C
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Dr. Ethel Page Westwood spent hours studying plants, geology and nature, besides medicine.
was one of the pioneer organizers of the first local mental-health programs (a forerunner of Panhandle Special Needs). After her “retirement” in 1974, Pepper traveled extensively and volunteered her medical skills including on Indian reservations and – at age 75 – in Micronesia. In 1999, she was recognized as a Woman of Wisdom by Women Honoring Women. She died in 2001 at age 98.
Dr. Mary O’Meara Pepper with her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth O’Meara, left, and granddaughter, Mary O’Meara-Malley in 1999, after being honored as a Woman of Wisdom for her community activism.
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HELP US
PREVENT A SANDPOINT
MINING DISASTER. Our lake is at stake. Raise your voice to stop this mine.
O
nce again, a mining corporation wants to construct a massive copper/ silver mine just upriver from Lake Pend Oreille. Once again, they say it will do no harm despite a perpetual discharge of heavy metals into the Clark Fork River. Once again, they contend their massive tailings pile poses no threat even though it would be big enough to cover all of downtown Sandpoint under 300 feet of sludge. So, once again, it’s time for businesses, homeowners, visitors and friends to unite or this time, the mine could be built.
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Which would truly be a disaster. Contact us for more of the depressing details or to become a member of our alliance. And, above all, please... Write or call: Leanne Marten, Regional Forester, lmarten@fs.fed.us (406) 329-3315 Urge her to deny this permit. Sandpoint has everything to lose and absolutely nothing to gain from this monster of a mine. Rock Creek Alliance 208-610-4896 www.rockcreekalliance.org
R O C K CR EEK ALLIANCE
10/25/16 8:31 AM
Climbing up and gearing down Snow bikes roar from the dirt to the snowy slopes
T
here’s a cautionary joke within the snow biking community, a punch line Tamara Porath didn’t believe until a friend took her husband, Chris, out for a ride. “If you ride once, you’re going to go out and buy one,” Porath said. “All it took was one ride for my husband to come home and say, ‘I’ve got to have one.’ ” Tamara Porath has ridden snowmobiles and snow bikes as an adult, but her husband grew up riding dirt bikes and snowmobiles. For them, snow bikes are the best of both worlds: All terrain, all year long. “He was totally in love, beyond happy with his decision,” Tamara Porath said. “From that point forward, it was all modifications — you know, what can I buy to make it bigger and better and to make it go faster and do things that are cooler?” Snow bikes, a cross between a dirt bike and a snowmobile, have existed in various forms for decades.
Words by It wasn’t until the recent emergence of Timbersled, a Sandpoint company founded by Allen Mangum, that the snow vehicles took off, largely because it makes dirt bikes rideable all year long. Acquired by Polaris Industries in 2015, Timbersled produced its first snow bike systems in 2009 and has been fueling the growth of the new industry ever since. Mitch Farmin, a local snow biker, began riding snowmobiles when he was 8 years old. Twenty years later, he was working at a local Honda dealer and riding dirt bikes and ATVs in his spare time. He owned a snowmobile, but the costs of fuel and maintenance were more than Farmin wanted. When Timbersled released its ST 120 RAW kit, he began to consider snow biking as an alternative, affordable winter sport. “I could see that this was a better solution for a snow sport for me,” Farmin said. “I was able to pick up a used 450 cc Honda for $1,500. I had W I N T E R 2 0 17
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COURTESY PHOTO BY TIMBERSLED
r e c r e at i n g
Corrin Bond
to rebuild the motor; that cost me about $500. I then purchased the ST 120 Timbersled kit and mounted this up to my bike.” That’s exactly how Mangum got the idea to make a snow bike. “My brothers and I used an old family snowmobile to pull each other around on a sleigh,” Mangum said in an December 2012, interview published at Snowmobile.com. “As I got older I never had enough money to buy custom products, but had the desire and machinist skills to make my snowmobiles competitive against bigger and newer snowmobiles.” The conversion of Farmin’s dirt bike to a snow vehicle took about two hours. Once assembled, Farmin took to the slopes of Schweitzer Mountain Resort before ski season opened. “The first little bit of snow we got that year, I was able to take my new toy to a secret part of the mountain and test it out,” Farmin said. “This felt super sketchy, let me tell you. It felt like I needed a football field to turn the SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
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Sandpoint resident Chris Porath takes a break. PHOTO BY TAMARA PORATH
Trust
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levels and ages. Brett Blaser, a Timbersled senior technical expert, said this modification allows young riders the opportunity to explore the backcountry with their families. While a new top-end kit costs about $6,500, sometimes as much as a new snowmobile, Farmin said the expense is worthy because it is rideable year round. Snowmobiles are often compared to
Compassion
l
Expertise
snow bikes because they share similar functions; yet, the riding experience is vastly different. The snow bike’s narrow frame allows for easier maneuvering through more heavily wooded areas while its weight, about twothirds that of a snowmobile, allows for biking in deeper snow, Farmin said. Snow bikes are ridden in areas that snowmobiles can’t access. The bikes are more balance-based than snowmobiles, but that’s part of what makes them easier to navigate, Chris Porath said. “With the bikes, you can literally ride up a hill and the bike is, like, sitting straight up,” Porath said. “If you did that on a snowmobile, you’d be on the verge of rolling off of the hill. It’s all balance-based and as long as you can balance, you can go up cliffs almost — and they do.” Farmin said he enjoys climbing hills with the bikes, but that he also has fun going down the mountain and experiencing a ride that feels more like a snowboard or skis. “The ability to climb mountains is great
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thing around.” After a few test runs, Farmin became comfortable, the turns tighter and the navigation easier. “Within 30 minutes of riding this thing, I had the hang of it,” Farmin said. “Some pick it right up, others it may take a couple hours, but by the end of the day they are all smiles.” Like Farmin, riders often convert dirt bikes they already own or have recently purchased and use the motorcycle with tires to ride in the summer and the snow bike equipped with Timbersled systems or other conversion kits to ride in the winter. Snow bike riders can choose between several different bike modification products to pair with the conversion kits. These range from minimal modifications such as hand guards and grip warmers, to products that enhance speed and navigability. Among Timbersled’s new products is the recently released ST90 Ripper, a high-performance system for small, 110cc motorcycles that helps the sport appeal to riders of varying experience
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Locals Chris Porath and Bo Callahan snow bike in the backcountry. PHOTO BY TAMARA PORATH
with these kits, but I have just as much fun going downhill with these. I have skied and snowboarded in the past and I get that same feeling when I pop out in a huge meadow that has two or three feet of fresh snow,” Farmin said. “Face shots for days. Carving back and forth, going under the snow, jumping off pillows of snow, I have to slow down a bit and come up for air and
make sure I’m not about to clobber a tree.” While the bikes provide more flexibility and access to remote areas for riders, Chris Porath said that riding flexibility can also be dangerous. “There are dangers to riding alone,” Porath said. “I mean, you could spark an avalanche, you could get buried in a tree well, there’s a lot of different things that
can happen, and if you don’t have someone nearby, you can find yourself in trouble in a hurry.” Chris Porath recommends riding with friends and carrying avalanche safety gear. (See related story, page 79.) Blaser said today, professional snow bikers are pushing the boundaries of the sport. This means hitting higher and bigger jumps, riding in deeper snow and pushing the sport in new directions, like snow bike racing. (The Timbersled race circuit schedule for this winter hasn’t been posted.) Despite their similarities, snow bikes shouldn’t be thought of as replacements for snowmobiles or any other snow sport, but rather, as snow vehicles that are unique in their own way and fun to ride, Blaser said. “Comparing a Timbersled to a snowmobile is like comparing snowboards to skis, or motorcycles to ATVs,” he said. “Both snowmobiles and snow bikes are excellent ways to have fun in the snow — both are as similar as they are different.”
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Moose Creek Snowmobilers and other recreationalists have a new place to warm up during their winter excursions into the Cabinet Mountains. The Moose Creek Warming Hut is a U.S. Forest Service, Sandpoint Ranger District collaborative effort, designed and constructed with contributions from the National Forest Foundation, Idaho Forest Group, University of Idaho, Idaho State of Parks and Recreation and the Winter Riders Snowmobile Club. The warming hut is located in the upper Lightning Creek drainage on Moose Creek Road accessible from the Trestle Creek Snowmobile Parking Area. According to a U.S. Forest Service press release, the hut is open for the public to use as a safe haven during a storm, a gathering place to meet friends, or a base camp for search and rescue if needed. There is a modern vault toilet as well as a wood stove. “The warming hut is a testament to what can be achieved through partnerships,” said Karen DiBari, National Forest Foundation director. “It is exciting that so many people and organizations contributed to making it a reality. The hut will be a resource to families recreating on their backyard national forest lands for years to come.” The project also served as an educational experience for University of Idaho’s College of Art and Architecture students, who worked with the Forest Service and regional partners to design and construct the hut. “This was a great project across the board,” said Randy Teal, head of the UI architecture program. “From the industry partnerships, to the scope of the project, which afforded student involvement from the design phase through completion, it was a great opportunity to provide the outdoor community with a structure that celebrates so much of what Idaho is all about.” The Forest Service said the structure was built with Idaho wood products, and is a project of the National Forest Foundation’s Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences in partnership with the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. Other works with this partnership include new access to the Beetop-Roundtop Trail, native plant surveys, weed abatement, culvert repair and in-stream restoration of Lightning Creek.
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pa s s i o n
thrill shed
of the ^ hunt Words by
jim Mellen
O
utdoorsmen hike miles of steep mountainous terrain all over North Idaho every winter and spring, often bushwhacking until after midnight with a pack weighing more than 100 pounds, all to find a simple antler that’s fallen off a deer, elk, moose or even a caribou. “I get just as big a thrill finding a small, forked antler as a big moose palm,” said Chris Bier, a longtime Bonner County resident and Renaissance man. Jeff Balch gets a similar thrill. “It’s like finding gold in a pan or a needle in a haystack,” said Balch, the founder of BaseMap, a local company that makes map apps for hunters. Shed hunting is one of the favorite pastimes in North Idaho. It’s like a treasure hunt that gives folks a good reason to get outside during the winter and spring months. Many people collect the sheds or give them away while some sell antler art or antlers for aphrodisiacs or pet toys.
‘Antlers’ vs. ‘horns’
H
orns are quite different from antlers. Horns are permanent, two-part appendages that continue to grow for life. The inner part is made of bone and is covered by a sheath of tough fibrous material. Bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorns and mountain goats all have permanent horns. Yet pronghorn are the exception because they retain the inner bony portion, but shed the outer sheath every year. Mountain goats grow a new ring around the horn every year, so it is possible to tell the goat’s age by counting the rings and adding one. People can possess, but not sell, bighorn sheep horns. Idaho Fish and Game keeps a record of all horns, harvested and found, by “pinning” a tracking number into the horn.
Sheds are often found in “rut yards” where males spar for female attention. They also fall off or get caught on brush . PHOTOS BY JEFF BALCH
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pa s s i o n
Topper and Remington were trained as pups to sniff out sheds. PHOTO BY AMY PETERSON
An elk shed can weigh 40 pounds. PHOTO BY JEFF BALCH.
Sheds fall off members of the deer family (otherwise known as ungulates) as part of the natural selection process. Antlers are an indication of health and vitality, and females know instinctively that
females, however, are the ones who actually choose a suitor. Only male deer, moose and elk grow antlers with the exception of caribou. Both male and female caribou sport those bony appendages. Antlers are actually growths from the skull and made of bone. Deer and their relatives lose the antlers in the winter and spring and immediately begin growing new ones. Growing at the incredibly fast rate of up to an inch per day, the immature antlers are covered with a rich vascular network called “velvet.” While in velvet, the antlers are extremely vulnerable to damage; the animal can bleed to death if the damage is severe enough. After the antlers reach full size, the velvet is rubbed off, revealing impressive racks that the females eye carefully for size, shape and symmetry. A mature bull elk’s antler can weigh 40 pounds. Experienced shed hunters learn where the ungulates winter and are likely to drop their antlers. The location of these favorite spots is guarded as carefully as a fishing hole, huckleberry patch or powder stash. “It takes a good eye,” said Bier, who spotted a shed from 50 feet away which the rest of the party didn’t see until 5 feet away. Many serious hunters use “horn dogs” who have been trained as pups to seek out
males with the best racks will produce offspring with the best chance of survival. Males may gather in “rut yards” to spar either physically or psychologically for control of a harem and for breeding. The
the art of ‘Shed Stumbling’
I
wouldn’t exactly call myself a shed hunter. More like a shed stumbler. I remember the first antler I found. I was out on my horse in early spring and in the trail was a huge moose palm. I was riding bareback, so I had to carry it across the horse’s withers in front of me. He was not as excited as I was, rather freaked out actually. The smell of a moose, and right on his back! It was a rough ride home. I was hooked. I hike a lot so it was like a big treasure hunt for the dogs and me. They would find some occasionally. But mostly I would stumble over them. I have found a lot of antlers this way – moose, white-tailed and mule deer, and some small elk. I haven’t found any for a couple years. Seems there are many other people who love to find them, too. Everywhere I go is covered in human tracks, snowmobile tracks or four-wheeler tracks. I can only travel so far on foot or crosscountry skis and snowshoes. So I figure I will just stumble upon some while out enjoying a hike. I keep saying that someday I will make something with them. Years have gone by and still they are all over the house. My goal this winter is to make a floor lamp. Time will tell. –Sandii Mellen PHOTO BY SANDII MELLEN
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sheds. With a good dog, it is possible to gather up to 25 sheds in one day. They can locate them in more than a foot of firm snowpack. White-tailed deer tend to winter in lower elevations, often around farms and ranches. Many times, their antlers fall off when jumping over fences or rubbing underbrush. Mule deer wintering spots are elevation specific, depending on the snow depth, and seasoned shed hunters know sheds are more likely found in areas with southern exposure. One winter, Bier met some guys who told of bull moose nearby with their antlers still on. Bier pulled out his 35mm camera hoping to get a photo. When he spotted the moose, a bull shook his head, throwing off an antler. It took a while to retrieve the fresh shed in the deep powder. He followed the moose for hours, yet the other antler never dropped. Antlers have historically been used to create tools, weapons, ornaments
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and toys. Nowadays, they are made into lamps, buttons, necklaces, belt buckles, chandeliers, handles of all sorts and earrings. Kevin Sawyer is a local antler expert. Inside his “Antler Shop” (man cave), Sawyer creates masterpieces ranging from chandeliers to earrings. He and his granddaughter spend hours dreaming up new uses for sheds including the scraps that would normally be discarded. Sawyer has techniques for repairing broken or gnawed-on sheds that even
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experts cannot detect. He is so in tune with the deer family that he has observed that if an animal has been injured in the left shoulder, for instance, the antler on the right side will be deformed in some way. A few years ago, the Chinese purchased antlers from the United States to grind into a powder for aphrodisiacs. Now the market is driven by pets. Antlers are cut and ripped into dog chews for the large pet supply retailers. Even partially chewed sheds can fetch up to $14 per pound. It is legal to possess and sell sheds collected on Idaho public land. No license is needed. Shed hunters, like other outdoor recreationists, must obtain permission to cross or look for antlers on private land, and must observe transportation restrictions on federal and state public lands. Antler hunters are asked to avoid disturbing animals during winter while they are conserving their resources in order to survive the winter. Different rules apply to national parks, however. Nothing, including antlers, horns, rocks, old cans, etc. may be removed from the “living museum” of any national park.
eindeer, a type of domesticated caribou, are best-known for pulling Santa’s sleigh. “You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. You know Comet and Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.” Yet, did you know, in reality these reindeer are actually females if this imaginary team of flying superstars underwent a fact check (flashback from this season’s U.S. presidential debates between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton that were full of fact checking and imagination). Yep, female caribou don’t drop their antlers until June while the males shed in November or December. That means girl-power is guiding the sleigh on Christmas Eve. Perhaps the song should be about Donna and Blitzen. Oh, and, Lady Rudolph!
-Erica Curless and Jim Mellen
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A L M A N AC
Words by
Sandy Compton
The New Lodge Challenge Schweitzer’s new skyline lodge a holiday present
M
ore than the skyline on Schweitzer Peak is changing with this winter’s opening of the yet-to-be-named summit lodge. The lodge sits between the top of the Great Escape Quad and old — really old — Chair Six, aka Snow Ghost, the venerable double Riblet that serves the North Bowl, longest ride to the best skiing on the mountain. Summer visitors watched the construction all season. People have been taking bets on the name, which has been a long and difficult process – nearly worse than naming the firstborn. The unveiling is expected before Christmas Eve and anticipated to be a magnificent gift to all who come to the top of the mountain, winter or summer. Let’s start with the simplest of changes, and at the same time, one of the most complex.
giant fireplace in the bar, stone fascia on the ground floor and mega steel girders holding the roof. In early September, the roof was on and the frame closed in, but the wind — a very chilly wind — was still whipping through the building. Those taking a tour were envious of the insulated Carhartts the crew wore. “The windows will be in next week,” Burnett said.
Big changes this season
Let’s say you’re riding the Great Escape with your 5-year-old. It’s a great day on the mountain, and you are both looking forward to some time on Stella, but the child announces that she has to go potty. “Can you make it to the Outback Inn?” you ask. Hope springs eternal. “No!” she says. There is no doubt. Your heart sinks. This year, problem solved. The door on the ground floor at the south end of the new building leads to two big restrooms. Plus, if one of your ski buddies has gone missing, just past the bathrooms is the new alpine headquarters for Schweitzer Ski Patrol. Before you talk to patrol, though, do your own search upstairs in the big cafeteria and bar, both with the huge view of Lake Pend Oreille that has paused skiers, boarders, bikers, hikers and chairlift riders since forever. Oh, there he is, having a beer on the deck. Slacker! One somewhat unnerving sight from there is the Lakeside Chutes sign, highlighting its double black diamonds. It’s right in full view of the whole building. Colin Burnett and Justin Schuck are partners in Idagon Construction. “We sort of take turns on projects,” Schuck said. The lodge turned out to be Burnett’s turn. He doesn’t mind. “I’ve enjoyed working up here and the team I’ve been working with,” Burnett says. “The project has its challenges, but it’s just a great place to work. I mean, look at that view.”
The stunning view from the new lodge. PHOTO BY NANCY SCHMIDT
cool, when it’s warm The design is by local architect Tim Boden, featuring radiant floor heat, a W I N T E R 2 0 17
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The summit lodge. ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING COURTESY SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN RESORT
The new lodge tops Schweitzer Peak. TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF SCHWEITZER
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SCHWEITZER
MOUNTAIN FACTS Acreage: 2,900, 92 designated runs, two open bowls, 1,400+ acres of tree skiing, three terrain parks, and 32 kilometers of Nordic trails Terrain: 10 percent Beginner, 40 percent Intermediate, 35 percent Advanced, 15 percent Expert Longest Run: Little Blue Ridge, 2.1 miles Vertical Drop: 2,400 feet Top Elevation: 6,400 feet Lowest Elevation: 4,000 feet Average Annual Snowfall: 300 inches Lifts: Nine total – Three high-speed chairs, the six-pack Stella, quads Great Escape and Basin Express; one triple, Lakeview; three double chairlifts; Idyle Our T-bar; and a beginner’s Musical Carpet Total Uphill Capacity: 12,500 per hour Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Twilight Skiing: Fridays, Saturdays and holidays Season: Late November or early December 2016 to April 2017, subject to conditions Website: www.schweitzer.com Phone: 208-263-9555, 877-487-4643 Activity Center: 208-255-3081
Marketing Manager Dig Chrismer has great enthusiasm. “This isn’t just about winter sports,” she said. “This will open the top of the mountain up for non-skiers and also be a summer day lodge. Our mountaintop weddings will greatly benefit.” Resort Operations Manager Bill Williamson agreed. “This is a home run,” he says. “It will be really appreciated in the winter, but I think even more in the summer.” Jade Smith, resort services director, added: “I think this is going to be monumental. It’s something our guests have been asking for since I came to work here in 1999, particularly our summer guests.” Williamson is curious about the first winter: “We’re wondering how the presence of the building will affect wind-loading in the bowl and the effects of the weather on the building. Rime buildup is a big concern.” The lodge seats 180 combined in the bar and cafeteria, with room for another 60 on the deck. There is sit-down food service in the bar. The floor heat is fired by natural gas. Burnett noted that Avista was helpful in getting the gas line to the top. And, of course, bathrooms are the aforementioned simple, but highly challenging additions to a building
on a 6,400-foot mountaintop.
Skyline challenges Two and a half miles of ditch — 13,000 feet — dug mostly by Lippert Excavation, bring water, power, natural gas and sewer up the hill. One ditch runs down the Great Divide and takes a right at Sundance — a favorite run that reminds you of the slope’s steepness. “When you are running an excavator down a slope like that,” Burnett said, “there’s a lot of pucker factor.” One of the challenges was topography. Weather and design changes were negotiated at several levels. The original plan called for a third floor with lodging, which proved unworkable logistically. Summer construction was tricky too. Mountain bikers, hikers and huckleberry pickers don’t mix well with cement trucks and lowboys hauling excavators, so there was careful traffic management. “I don’t think it will be that big a problem,” Burnett said. His fingers aren’t crossed. Burnett and Williamson are both confident the lodge will be ready for guests by the Christmas holiday–one heck of a Christmas gift for Schweitzer guests all year-round.
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The Wang, left center, drew a nostalgic crowd on the last day of the season. PHOTO BY CHRIS BESSLER
beerful goodbyes as we lose the Wang
Some Schweitzer fans are mourning the loss of the Wang Shack, the ramshackle summit bar. Taking its place is the $3.8 million summit lodge. The Wang was an ode to simple North Idaho roots where drinking in a shack was a cherished tradition. It was so cool it made Ski Magazine in August for “Best Use of Idaho Chrome.” The Wang Shack was well, a shack: Two small-frame buildings cobbled together. Mountain Operations Manager Bill Williamson opined it was “held together by paint.” Ski was kinder: “duct tape and staples.” Before it was the Wang, it was an outpost for The Source, with demo skis parked outside. Inside, there was very limited seating, with a big cooler on the left side of the door, a one-tender bar with two taps and an essentials-only selection of liquor and standing room for a couple dozen close friends. If you got a beer out of the cooler, you might have stood in line to
show the empty can to the bartender when you paid. When a foursome tipped a Shotzski, everyone else in the room had their backs against the highly decorated walls. “The Wang has what feels like 100 years of history in only a short span of six years,” Sandpoint skier Erich Thompson said. “I’ve never ever seen a place like it or that’s close to being as cool. For me the end of the Wang Shack will be a sad day. Save the Wang!” Despite the rumors and ardent desires of the “Save The Wang” movement, the shack is not relocating. “If we try to move it, it’ll just disintegrate,” said Tom Chasse, CEO and president. No matter; the Wang will remain a joyous memory. RIP Wang Shack.
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–Sandy Compton
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AA RC T ALMAN
All in the Family
Inside the mind and studio of third-generation artist Megan Atwood Cherry Words by Carrie Scozzaro Photo by Marie-Dominique Verdier
Megan Atwood Cherry collects and reveres odd scraps to make art.
“I
think our ideas about home are strongly matrilineal,” said Megan Atwood Cherry, a third-generation Sandpoint artist whose work often uses familiar materials in an unexpected manner, exploring such themes as home, family, loss and the cycle of life. Atwood Cherry is in her industrial studio off Gooby Road — it houses several artists, including husband James Cherry, a local woodworker — photographing a quilt she made from simple house shapes cut from alternating values of a blue moving blanket. Atwood Cherry is getting ready for an upcoming exhibition with her mother, Ann Porter, an art professor at South Dakota’s Black Hills State University, and sister Casey Page, a commercial photographer whose work includes staff photography for the Billings Gazette. Porter, whom Atwood Cherry describes as a “whip-smart, hard-working force to be reckoned with,” had a profound influence on both Atwood Cherry and her sister. “She taught both my sister and me to use different materials and processes, of course, but she also taught us to be intelligent viewers of concept/content-rich artworks. We bantered formal and conceptual ideas back and forth when I was growing up, and we continue to do so to this day. She is one of my primary artistic co-conspirators.” Atwood Cherry points to a painting on the wall of her studio. She painted it at age 6, capturing her mother painting for a North Idaho College class. Ironically, Atwood Cherry would decades later take a similar painting class from the same NIC instructor, Allie Vogt, and teach at the college. W I N T E R 2 0 17
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Vogt taught her “not to crush my work with love,” said Atwood Cherry, who has learned to put her work aside, as needed, reworking it or even destroying it altogether. Often she will start a new series even while completing other work. Sure enough, elsewhere in the studio is a piece that might evolve into a new series; nearby is a three-dimensional painting resembling an oversized version of a pale yellow sticky note, like the ones in her studio reminding her of places to go, things to do. “I tend to chase a concept instead of a single material,” she said of her work. In 2007, working at now-closed Barush Woodworking, she became intrigued with scraps of wood and metal. She assembled this into an exhibition called “Collected.” She continued exploring accumulation and loss in her 2010 “Dot” series (some are still on display at Pend d’Oreille Winery). Applying and sanding repetitive layers of tinted plaster over various sizes of dome-shaped circles allowed each form to express itself through color, texture and SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
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pattern. “Each life is brought to fruition by a natural cycle of giving and taking away,” she wrote in her artist statement. “Shipping and Handling” in 2013-14, a series of macro views of banal objects, established her as a formidable painter and marked her entrance to graduate school which, along with teaching college, pushed her work in new directions. Her work “reflected an appreciation, if not a preoccupation, with material(s) and construction, both as content and process,” said local artist Stephen Schultz. “It was this incredible leap from the work I was making before teaching to the work I’m making now, because I was into fresh ideas,” said Atwood Cherry, who has taught since 2010 at NIC’s Coeur d’Alene campus, as well as outreach centers in Sandpoint,
PHOTOS COURTESY MEGAN ATWOOD CHERRY
ART
Bonners Ferry and the Silver Valley. In “[be]LONGING,” her Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibition, Atwood Cherry wove together themes of home and family both figuratively and literally. “Home Sweet Home #2,” for example, features the house shape stitched onto lumber-wrap which is stretched taut in an oversized embroidery hoop. “It seems Megan’s recent work has brought a deeper dimension to the table,” Schultz said, about her thesis work. “These vignette/tableau installations access a perhaps more personal relationship to history ... of familiar things and remem-
From left: “Napkin Ring” (2007), metal shavings and scraps. Atwood Cherry in her studio with “Dots” (2010) in background. “Shipping & Handling #8” (2014), oil on canvas.
bered things ... of home. The pieces evoke a sensation of being homespun.” The exhibition was sparked by a scrap of wallpaper from her childhood bedroom, as well as experiencing the loss of her maternal grandmother, Joan Wanamaker, a photographer and volunteer for many groups. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but [Joan] was teach-
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ART “Home Sweet Home” (2014): No. 1 Blue tarp, baling wire, duct tape. No. 2 Lumber wrap, string, embroidery needle. No. 3 Moving blankets, mason’s string line.
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ing me to regard public service as a natural part of one’s daily life,” said Atwood Cherry, who was appointed to Sandpoint Arts Commission in 2016. When she’s not volunteering, making art or teaching, Atwood Cherry has a side business doing trompe l’oeil painting, such as creating the look of granite, and housepainting, which she likes for the repetition, the discipline and the simplicity of the pure act of applying paint to a surface. It also is a teachable moment when describing the realities of making a living as an artist. “There’s a responsibility to tell students that (making a living is hard) when they’re going into the arts,” she said. Atwood Cherry also works with her husband in his
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studio, drawing on her prior experience as finishing and productions manager for Barush. She does much of the sanding and finishing for his custom furniture. The couple, who met years ago at a artist’s cooperative, collaborates often. “Working together is our powerzone,” she said, noting he brings her work to another level with thoughtful, direct, honest input. “I don’t know what I’d do without it.” Atwood Cherry’s interest in collaboration may stem from her education in studio art and theatrical set design. Or it may come from family, both her paternal and maternal sides. Her father, Dana Riffe, and stepmother, Vicki Pierson, have collaborated in business and in the studio. Her
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stepfather, Jerry Porter, is a well-practiced musician. On her father’s side, Atwood Cherry describes grandparents Norman and Barbara Riffe of Hope as “makers.” Her grandpa did lapidary — Atwood Cherry’s “Dot” series curiously resemble cut-open gemstones — while her grandmother worked in fiber art and staunchly advocated the “waste not, want not” motto. “She wove creativity into her everyday life, always valuing the handmade over the mass-produced. “Perhaps this guides Atwood Cherry’s tendency to collect and revere odd scraps. “I kept some of her art supplies when she passed,” said Atwood Cherry, “and I use them often.”
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Community
KAMBARA QUEST FLIES ACROSS CULTURES
W
hen Quest Aircraft was purchased by Japanese firm Setouchi Holdings in 2015, company officials expected Sandpoint to get a little more international. As it turns out, local kids could be the primary beneficiaries of that cultural connection. In August 2016, company officials announced the formation of the Kambara Quest Foundation, a philanthropic program dedicated to providing cross-cultural experiences for students from both Sandpoint and Japan. The program kicked off the same month with 10 Japanese students visiting Sandpoint for one week. Then, the next week, Sandpoint youth had their turn, flying to Hiroshima for a weeklong experience of Japanese activities and culture. “Mr. Kambara, [Setouchi Holdings principal owner], talks about wanting to educate future generations,” said Susan Jordan, Quest Aircraft chief financial officer and vice president of administration. “The exchange program is something that he wanted to start, so that kids who wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity to travel could do this.” They want some of the company’s profits to fund education and intercultural learning. “It’s a very nice thing for the community,” Jordan said. “[They] believe in doing good things.” The first group of 10 Sandpoint kids was selected from Quest families, although in future years the opportunity will broaden to all local students. “They had to submit a written essay and letters of recommendation as part of the selection process for the trip,” said Julie Stone, Quest’s public relations spokesperson. “It
Words by Cameron Rasmusson was a great success!” Their journey started Aug. 28 when the group flew out of Spokane, arriving the next day in Hiroshima. Their whirlwind immersion into Japanese culture began with students trying on and getting photographed in traditional Japanese summer kimonos. They later explored the downtown Onomichi shopping district before taking part in an authentic Japanese tea ceremony and learning about furoshiki, the art of wrapping with ornamental cloth. The next day brought more exposure to Japanese arts, including seated meditation and sutra copying. Students also toured a temple in Shiso, enjoyed a traditional Zen monk meal and later dropped by Setouchi facilities to check out its seaplanes. More exposure to Japanese industry followed with a tour of the Tsuneishi shipbuilding factory. The Sandpoint students also had a chance to meet their Japanese peers at Eishin High School. The rest of the trip was largely devoted to cultural experiences like an encounter with Oshima Noh Theater. After hopping on a bullet
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train to Osaka, the group spent a day checking out the second largest metropolitan area in the country. And the final day in Japan wrapped up in spectacular fashion with a visit to Fukuyama Castle, a 17th century structure constructed in the Edo period. The Japanese students who visited Sandpoint the week prior enjoyed a similarly comprehensive Idaho experience. They took a crash course in horse care and riding at Western Pleasure Guest Ranch, and learned about flight and innovation at Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center. Later, they enjoyed the expansive vistas from Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Like their Sandpoint counterparts, they got a sense of regional manufacturing with a visit to Quest Aircraft. Their summertime trip to Sandpoint was made complete with a stop at City Beach.
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Sandpoint students, children of Quest employees, tour Japan on a cultural exchange. PHOTO COURTESY KAMBARA QUEST FOUNDATION.
(Inset) Japanese students visit Western Pleasure Guest Ranch and get a grooming lesson from Danielle Otis. PHOTO BY LANDON OTIS.
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att Williams and Mike Peck have it made in Sandpoint with an industrial shop that’s perhaps the envy of anyone who has ever tinkered, puttered or just likes to make stuff. MakerPoint Studios is located in a North Boyer industrial complex — between Panhandle Special Needs and Three Amigos Plumbing. The 5,500-square-foot shop is chock-full of tools and equipment that members can use so artists, crafters and the typical tinkerer doesn’t have to actually buy the expensive equipment they might only use a few times. People can also hire MakerPoint to make custom items. The shop has the high-tech, such as a 3-D printer and the latest computer-aided design system, to the high end — the infrared laser engraver that also cuts wood, glass, metal, fabric and even cloth. Then there’s the screen-printing shop, photography studio, commercial sewing facilities and electronics area. Of course there is an enviable wood shop — lathe,
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studio
Sandpoint words and photos by
planer, joiner, drum sander, drill press, router and every type of saw imaginable — and metal-working equipment sufficient to build just about anything, even your own home. That’s what artist Alexandra Iosub did after learning enough basic welding to build the mobile frame for her “tiny house.” She continues to develop her woodworking skills under Peck’s knowledgeable guidance. “I have made end-grain cutting boards, lots of boxes, and to this day, I turn weaving bobbins on the lathe every couple of weeks,” Iosub said. “When I have some time, I pass by the shop to say hello even if I have no need of any tools. It’s always good to see the guys. Mike and Matt are not just friends, they are family to me.” Williams and Peck share their tools and shop with members like Iosub, but there are rules. “Any of the tools that move on
Carrie Scozzaro
their own we require a certification for,” said Williams, who opened MakerPoint Studios with Peck in 2014. The more complex the tool, such as the 20-ton press brake capable of bending quarter-inch steel like it was cardboard, the more training required. Training is integral to their classes, which are mostly taught by Peck and Williams, as well as by the two shop monitors. In addition, Williams said there’s a lot of peer mentoring, which is the idea behind a makerspace: bringing people together from various ability levels and interests. Currently there are about 45 members who represent diverse demographics. Most are local, although some travel from Coeur d’Alene and one part-time Hope resident lives in Canada the majority of the year. Its youngest members — W I N T E R 2 0 17
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Matt Williams and Mike Peck opened MakerPoint in 2014 to share their love of making things.
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insurance regulates a minimum age of 16 — were 16-year-old interns from xCraft, a local drone company that started in Sandpoint, who built their own desks. While most members are male, women tend to take more classes at MakerPoint, Peck said. Some, like Iosub, already have design knowledge, familiarity with a shop or both. Sandpoint leather artist Staci Schubert experienced something similar to MakerPoint while a student at Rhode Island School of Design. Using MakerPoint was transformative, she said, both personally and professionally, recreating the sense that anything was possible. It also enabled her to enhance cutting and detailing of her leather bags and accessories line — keychains, cuffs and bracelets she customdyes and engraves — and fabricate several of her product displays. “They know the equipment so well and can show me how to maximize my end results,” Schubert said. Peck and Williams come by that knowledge firsthand. The duo, who met while working in information technology
at Coldwater Creek, utilized MakerPoint’s equipment to craft the business itself: building walls, designing and fabricating most of the furniture — desks, chairs, high-top tables, cabinets, tool storage, display areas — and developing the look and feel of the space. Both had considerable fabrication experience already. Williams, 39, built and customized cars in high school, calling it one of the best jobs he ever had because it taught him not only the power of troubleshooting, but also how to be mentored and mentor others. “Owning my own shop was a dream of mine at the time,” Williams said, “but I ended up getting caught up in programming, college, family and full-time work.” Peck, 35, who lives in a house he built with help from family and others on a portion of his great-grandparents’ Bayview homestead, grew up making furniture with his father. After leaving Coldwater, he considered opening his own shop but didn’t want to go it alone. “Having a space with a bunch of creative
MONARCH MARBLE & GRANITE
people with a bunch of new ideas working well together?” he said. “That was my dream.” Now Peck and Williams help others realize their dreams, ranging from artists such as Old Tree’s Brian Kelly, who handcrafts wood furniture and kitchenware, to luthiers Tony and Dave Powell of Tonedevil Guitars, to retired electrical engineer, Steven Crain. “Most of my projects are functional projects meant to solve a problem or perform some function as opposed to artistic expression,” said Crain, who has used the laser engraver to cut out solder stencils for an electronic circuit board and employed the heavy-duty sewing machine and vinyl cutter for his boat. Crain is typical of some of the members who already have a substantial, home-based shop, yet appreciate access to higher-end tools such as the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) woodcutting and metal cutting machines, Peck said. Other members like to try MakerPoint’s equipment before making their own investment, which is ideal for startups and
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studio hobbyists alike, Peck said. A four-color screen-printing press, for example, could cost up to a few thousand dollars while a three-day-per-month pass to use the same machine is $79. Full shop access is $149 per month (half that for veterans) with a discount for a year’s prepaid fees. Then there are people who just want something built for them. MakerPoint can turn your chicken-scratch drawing on a cocktail napkin into reality. That, said Peck, is one of the many things that make them unique. And it’s one of the best parts of what they do, Williams added. “This venture allows for the opportunity to give back to Sandpoint,” he said, allowing them to help others grow. MakerPoint, like many other makerspace businesses, sells items on the side, both online and at crafts fairs. Its top sellers are laser cut, three-dimensional topographical Priest Lake, Lake Pend Oreille and Lake Coeur d’Alene maps. “While it’s a challenge, our space doesn’t feel like a job most of the time,” Williams said.
homemade tiny house on wheels
R
omanian-born artist Alexandra Iosub describes the difference between house and home. “A home is a space where basic human needs are met: shelter, safety, nourishment, sleep, and belonging,” wrote Iosub on her website, where she’s chronicled her “tiny house” building adventure since relocating to Sandpoint from State College, Pennsylvania. “I started from scratch, with nothing more than drawings in a sketchbook and a person who knew how to build anything,” Iosub said. For nearly a year, Iosub camped out near MakerPoint Studios, learning the necessary skills to build her home, from welding the framework to identifying types of wood and putting them together to make functional items for herself that she could sell to finance her house dream. Her “permanent temporary dwelling,” is now nearly complete and features salvaged, repurposed and custom details, including a wooden counter and front door. –Carrie Scozzaro Go to www.alexandraiosub.com.
Alexandra Iosub with the door she created for her “tiny home” at MakerPoint studio. PHOTO BY CHRIS BESSLER
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A
s a 9-year-old living on a small farm in Cocolalla, Cathy King wrote to Washington State University asking to tour its veterinary school. Little did she dream that her eventual veterinary career would lead to founding one of the largest, most-respected animal welfare programs on the planet. Dr. King created the global humanitarian program World Vets (WV) in 2006, inspired by a week-long volunteer mission at a Mexican animal shelter. It was initially funded from a donation jar on the counter at her Hometown Animal Hospital in Deer Park, Wash. “Sherrie Boston, one of my wonderful clients, made a $50 donation in memory of her dog Buddy,” King recalled. “Honoring 66
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world
Dr. Cathy King: DVM and Founder of
World Vets words by
that donation really motivated me to get things off the ground and get serious about making World Vets into a sustainable organization.” In a decade, World Vets has evolved on a grand scale with a pool of more than 4,000 volunteers, mostly from the veterinarian profession but also lay people taking turns at weekly missions, all covering their own expenses. Several other veterinarians with Sandpoint roots have volunteered in the South Pacific and Latin America. Headquartered in Tacoma, World Vets has eight staff members, a far cry from King’s initial vision of doing humanitarian work during her annual vacations.
Marianne Love
Astonished by the rapid interest and rapid growth, King sold her veterinary hospital in 2008 to work strictly on an international basis. Sixteen veterinarians, most with their own private practices across the United States, serve as field service veterinarians, leading the majority of international projects. “My role has evolved over the years,” King said. “In the beginning I was the lead vet on all the international projects. Through the years I have pretty much done every job in the organization from web design to grant writing to inventory management. Some of the primary things I [now] do are cultivate and develop new programs when we start working W I N T E R 2 0 17
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World Vets Veterinarian Dr. Springer Browne (middle) helps a cow injured in the 7.9 magnitude Nepal earthquake in 2015. Nepalese families such as the one shown here rely on their cows, chickens and goats for subsistence.
in a new country, including site visits and logistical planning.” She also oversees and manages the WV response program when volunteers deploy on international disasters. World Vets has helped with rescue missions in at least six major
World Vets Founder Dr. Cathy King with a Nicaraguan boy who brought his puppies for treatment at an outreach clinic. PHOTOS COURTESY WORLD VETS
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world
A resident of Otavalo, Ecuador, with her dog at a long-running World Vets spay and neuter clinic.
disasters, including the 2010 Haitian earthquake and the 2011 Japanese tsunami. Teams of up to 15 care for animals, participate in disaster relief or provide education for local veterinarians in 45 developing countries on six continents. The organization has negotiated formal agreements with more than a dozen foreign governments to commit to no longer poisoning dogs. That initial Mexican experience opened her eyes to the ongoing problem of freeroaming dogs, which she estimated in a 2013 “TED Talk” to amount to 400 million worldwide. “I worked with local veterinarians, taught them surgical techniques and helped treat animals at the shelter,” said King, 43, a lifelong dog owner. “I learned the plight of homeless street dogs that were poisoned and suffered horrible deaths in Mexico and in many other countries around the world.” The dogs were poisoned to prevent rabies, eliminate dog packs or “to just ‘clean up’ the cities before tourist season,” she added. World Vets evolved from King’s belief that a better solution existed: free spaying, neutering and health care for the dogs,
many of which were owned and loved by families who could not afford such care. King spearheaded programs with other volunteers to set up long-term spay and neuter clinics after she discovered those skills were not generally included in Latin American veterinary curricula. In 2011, with financial help from the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, the Latin America Veterinary Training Center opened in Granada, Nicaragua. The facility has served more than 700 veterinary students from eight Latin American countries, doubling as an educational center and a free animal-care clinic for street dogs, working horses and other farm animals. As its impact continues to grow, World Vets has received several notable recognitions, including United Nations Foundation Class Award as the Top Animal and Wildlife Charity Worldwide in 2014. “The award ceremony was a black-tie event in front of an audience of 3,000 people in San Diego,” King said. “Receiving that award was a great validation of all the hard work we have done.”
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world U.S. Army veterinarian Dr. Cherise Neu, a Sandpoint native, served for three months in 2013 as veterinary officer in charge of another facet of World Vets, which collaborates with the U.S. Navy on humanitarian aid missions providing medical/dental and veterinary aid to different regions of the world. She led a 14-person team on a ship-based mission, which took them to the South Pacific during four weeklong stops. “We spayed and neutered more than 400 dogs and cats, plus treated and examined thousands of farm animals,” said Neu, a 1992 Sandpoint High School graduate. “We worked hard, long hours, often outside in heat and humidity. I think we all loved it.” Mobile veterinarian Dr. Michelle Ward of Newport, Wash., a Sandpoint native, has volunteered a dozen times in five years for World Vets missions. “Every trip I say is my favorite, and then the next one comes along,” Ward said. She recently turned 50 and, with visiting Peru on her bucket list, she achieved two goals, volunteering in Cusco and San Sebastian and adding extra days for sightseeing.
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“I had the opportunity to work with some young women Peruvian veterinarians in Cusco ... helping, teaching and working beside them,” Ward said, noting that such opportunities are especially beneficial to the locals because they lack clinical training and basic equipment available to U.S. veterinarians. “We performed a life-saving blood transfusion late one night after we had already worked a 12-hour day,” she recalled. “We performed this transfusion with the husband of one of the vets passing blood-filled syringes to me in a cage where I was giving them to the other dog. “It was a great moment. We did it! We saved a dog’s life,” she added. During her teenage years, King worked as a farmhand, cleaned kennels at Pend Oreille Veterinary Service, took 4-H vet science, graduated with honors from Sandpoint High School in 1990 and moved on to WSU, where she received her veterinary degree. Later, King earned a doctorate in animal physiology from the University of Idaho and eventually opened her hospital in Deer Park, Wash. “I had always wanted to be a mixed
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animal vet,” King said. “I worked on horses, beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, dogs and cats. It was a great mix of farm calls, surgery, medical cases and species. International work was never on my radar.” Inspired by volunteers, King directs World Vets into its second decade, expanding its scope both geographically and educationally and adding to the mission of providing street dogs a better life. “It’s very satisfying getting to work with so many amazing vets, techs and students from around the world,” King said. “We send out a survey to all of our volunteers when they return home from an assignment. One of the frequent comments we get is ‘This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.’ ” King values that local animals and communities benefit from WV services while volunteers have life-changing experiences. “That’s a good feeling,” she said, “and it makes me motivated and happy to go to work every day.” Go to www.worldvets.org. View King’s “TED Talk: Saving Man’s Best Friend,” at www.bit.ly/drcathyking
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birds
winter
BIRDING
Words by Brian Baxter Photos by Don Jones A snowy owl in flight. Spot these ghostlike birds along shorelines and open fields.
T
he most challenging things in life are often the most rewarding. So it is with winter birding. Although the most difficult time of year to see birds, the cold winds and presence of snow sharpen our minds and senses and keep us alert. The stalwart winter birder, dressed in comfortable layers, snow camouflage and equipped with a good pair of binoculars and favorite bird book may actually find quite a few species. Quiet, concealed walks using timbered edges or riparian stringers for cover, may reveal tracks in snow or mud and possibly even pellets coughed up by many birds of prey. At times, the lack of vegetation gives us a better glance at flight patterns, distinguishing features, colors and behaviors. We listen harder for distinctive calls and woodpecker drumming patterns. And the birds help us by staying closer. Raptors must diversify diet and increase home ranges. Yet many birds of prey won’t migrate if food sources and territorial needs are met locally. Migrations, mating courtships, territorial defenses, feeding habits and vocalizations still go on. Such is life. One never knows what gifts Mother Nature may have in store. And maybe, just maybe, that makes our winter birding adventures the sweetest of wine.
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Birds OF PREY
Generally, any bird that hunts and feeds on other animals. Sometimes called raptors, which is based on the Latin word rapere, meaning to seize or take by force. Characterized by sharp eyes that allow detection of prey in flight, powerful talons for gripping and squeezing prey, and hard, curved sharp beaks for tearing flesh. Many bird species are considered partially predatory in their food gathering habits.
Rough-legged Hawk
Legs feathered to talons, usually silent on wintering grounds, which often are near open edges and marshes. Coughs up pellets that measure 0.75 inch wide by 1.75 inches long. Hawk measures between 19 and 24 inches.
Belted Kingfisher Sounds off with prolonged, dry rattle-like call, loudly when startled. Bank nesters, and perching technique where they perch-hoverdive. Female has more colorful chestnut bands. Measures 11 to 14.5 inches.
Northern Pygmy Owl False “eyes” called nape spots on back of head, hunts by day. Long brown tail with pale bars. Male feeds mate during courtship. The tiny, yet fierce pygmy measures between 6 to 7 inches in length. This ferocious hunter catches more birds to eat than most owls. Often songbirds will mob pygmy to discourage the attacks.
Great Horned Owl
Habitat generalist, hunts rodents, snowshoe hare, skunks, ducks and other owls. Call is booming “Whoo, whoo, whooo-whooo” and has zygodactyl feet and tracks, which are K-shaped. Look for snow-angel strikes. It measures 20 to 25 inches.
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Northern Hawk-Owl Falcon-like profile, long tail and blackbordered facial disc. Also hunts diurnally. Measures 14 to 18 inches.
Snowy Owl Old males mostly pure white. Travels widely often because of large populations of owls and food shortages. Round head, yellow eyes, females and younger birds with light barring. Tracks in “K” shape, 4.5 inches long by 2.75 inches wide. Roosts on ground, and perching behaviors. Measures 20 to 27 inches.
Where To Look in North Idaho and western Montana Author Brian Baxter recommends the following places to view the featured winter birds:
Clark Fork River Valley including
Heron, Noxon and Trout Creek, Mont. Lake Pend Oreille Wildlife Management Areas, game management areas and preserves. Pack River and Trout Creek, Idaho areas. Round Lake State Park, Priest Lake, Priest Lake State Park and Priest Lake State Forest. McArthur Lake State Cooperative Wildlife Management Area. Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, near Bonners Ferry. Deep Creek and Snow Creek regions.
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Kootenai River near Libby, Mont. and Highway 37 up to Libby Dam. Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge, about 8 miles northeast of Happy’s Inn, Mont. Some extra advice when looking for winter birds in the region: • Always check the cottonwood stringers, wetlands, meadows, riparian forests, cultivated agricultural lands, fields, along lake shores, riverbanks, creeks and snags. • The best time to look for birds is at twilight or times of limited light. However, diurnal times, during the day, are sometimes surprisingly productive.
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birds
WATERFOWL The broad term waterfowl refers to wildfowl used as game by humans and includes a variety of ducks, geese and swans and can include mergansers, shorebirds, pelicans and herons. Characterized as strong swimmers with webbed feet, and most often their diets are based on fish and mollusks.
Tundra Swan
Rare to uncommon in winter but great score for birders! Yellow spot in front of eye, call is a high pitched yodeling. Sometimes winters in flocks on shallow ponds and lakes. Measure 50 to 54 inches.
American White Pelican
Exceptional winter find for birders! Adult birds have bright orange bill with fibrous plate on upper mandible for defense. Dips huge throat pouch to fish. Measures 54 to 70 inches.
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Bufflehead Duck Smallest North American duck. Breeding
male white and black with large white patch on head. Male mating may display short rushes with head bobbing. Measures 13 to 15 inches.
Great Blue Heron Large heron is 4.5 feet tall. Loud “K-raaak” call when startled, and flies with neck folded back on shoulders. Can take 25-mile trips to feed. Tracks four toes total, 7.5 inches in length by 5 inches wide, with inner toes closer together.
Hooded Merganser Adult male has white head patches that are fan shaped when crest is raised. His hood fans out during elaborate courtship displays, and after mating will swim around female in ritual behavior. Measures 16 to 19 inches.
Birding Field GuideBooks Author Brian Baxter, an avid birder, recommends several guidebooks and binoculars to enhance your winter birding experience:
THe better to see
Binoculars in brand names from 7 X 35 power to 10 X 50 power will suffice. Spotting scopes of reputable brand names range from $200 to beyond $5,000. A tripod or window mount is also necessary. Spotting scopes are advantageous but not a must for beginners.
“National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds,” Western Region, revised “National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America,” fifth edition
Classes
“Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Western North America,” fourth edition “Sibley Birds West: Field Guide to Birds of Western North America”
Common Goldeneye Male has shiny green-black head with large round white spot in front of eye. Courting male gives off a shrill “jeee-up” call. Males’ wingbeat produces whistling sound. Measures 16 to 20 inches.
“Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Birds: Western Region”
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Baxter teaches outdoor educational classes for Northern Idaho College, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, Montana Wilderness Association, and Glacier Institute. Contact him for a schedule at: b_baxter53@ yahoo.com or 406-291-2154.
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birds
WOODPECKERS Part of the Picidae family of birds that also include piculets, wrynecks and sapsuckers. Most of these species live in forest and woodland habitats. Characterized by strong bills, sponge-like skull materials and long, sticky tongues for extracting food. Most have zygodactyly arranged digits with two toes forward and two back.
Downy Woodpecker
“D” for dwarf helps in identification. White back blends into snags, about 6 inches tall with relatively short bill. Feeding large male with red nape and stronger bill drills deeply, then female removes bark with shorter bill in pair feeding behavior. Construct “trapdoors” in birches to attract and harvest insects.
Hairy Woodpecker “H” for huge helps in identification. White back camouflages against tree trunks. Excavates dead and rotten wood to find insects and grubs. “Pik” call, generally prefers larger trees than downy woodpecker. Measures 8.5 to 10.5 inches tall.
Pileated Woodpecker
Largest woodpecker in the Northern Rockies, ranging from 16 to 19.5 inches in length. Specialized head and beak with spongy design allow absorption of shock from drilling and long tongue snares beetles and insects. Flies with heavy, slow wingbeats. Rectangular angled feeding holes.
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Northern Flicker
Most locally are red shafted, some yellow shafted are present. White rump patch in flight, forages on insects and ants on bark surface and on the ground. At times, drumming is long, continuous roll. Bob head as call with loud punctuating “Kee-ar!” Measures 12.5 to 14 inches.
Northern Three-Toed Woodpecker Male 9.5 inches tall with yellow cap. Calls are a sharp “kik” and they strip bark from trunks and limbs while searching for woodboring insects. Drumming is in short rapid taps and bark sloughing shows horizontal lines.
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SONGBIRDS
birds
Belong to the Passeri family of the perching birds. They have vocal organs that produce diverse and elaborate songs to communicate identity and signals sexual intentions and courtship. The larger a male’s song repertoire, the more females he attracts. The melodies are also territorial warnings to other males.
Black-Capped ChickadeE Black throat
patch and cap. Nesting holes in rotting trees, winter diet about half vegetative matter and half insects. Winter flocks up to one dozen, “chick-adee-dee” call. Measures 4.75 to 5.75 inches.
Chestnut-Backed Chickadee Dusky, with chestnut flanks and back, white cheeks. Cavity nester, nests of moss, hair and feathers. Diet of insects, pine cone seeds and berries. Call high pitched and fast. Riparian habitats and winter foraging flocks. Measures 4.5 to 5 inches.
Bohemian Waxwing Cinnamon-gray above, dove gray
below, white and yellow wing marks, yellow terminal tail band. Rusty red vent area; bright red spot on each wing; rosy red coloration at base of beak and on forehead. Inconspicuous crest. Winter resident. Perch together and pass food between them, often mountain ash and juniper berries during winter. Measures 7.5 to 9 inches.
Golden Crowned Kinglet
Majestic coloration, male with orange crown patch bordered by yellow and black. Trill like call, territorial defending male will raise his crown in threat display. Usually stays during winter if it has food and good weather. Measures 3.25 to 4 inches.
Dark-eyed Junco Males have dark hood, white underparts, call is metallic trill of even pitch. Ground nesters; diet seeds, small fruits and insects. Found in shrubs along trails. Measures 5 to 6.25 inches. W I N T E R 2 0 17
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S n ow
Avalanche
of Change
The new face of snow in North Idaho Words by
Sherry Devlin
K
evin Davis has spent 20-plus years working and playing in the wintry backcountry of Sandpoint’s bookend mountain ranges. On the job for the U.S. Forest Service and the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center, Davis monitors weather fronts and SNOTEL data across a wide swath of the Northern Rockies, then tidily chisels backcountry snow pits to take a look inside. After hours and on days off, he carves deep turns on some of those same untamed slopes, putting his weekly avalanche advisories to real-life tests in the Cabinet and Selkirk mountains. Who better, then, to ask whether North Idaho is feeling the effects of climate change? Davis’ answer is an unequivocal, but thoughtful, “Yes.” “In the 20 years that I’ve been out in the snow digging pits and keeping track of things, we are seeing a direct correlation between changes in the climate and the stability of our snowpack,” he said. “The climate is changing, and so are avalanches.” Even if the statistics didn’t bear him out, and they do, Davis has more than enough eyewitness testimony to show what is happening locally as Earth warms and the climate responds accordingly. “In the mid-1990s, we would get 16, 18 feet of snow in these big, deep storms,” he said. “And it would snow consistently from November right through to April – solid winter. Maybe there was a break with cold, clear weather in February, but it stayed cold. That just seemed to be how winter was. You could count on it. “Well, now, sometimes winter doesn’t start until mid-December, and the weather changes from cold and clear to warm and rainy more times throughout the winter. We get these flip-flops where
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it goes from really cold and not much snow, to warm and rainy, to snowing, to … ” And although it seems counter-intuitive, Davis now finds his avalanche-forecasting work more difficult than ever. “The tricky thing is people might think that less snow equals less avalanche danger, but actually the opposite is true,” he said. “With more storms, you get more layers in the snowpack and that can make it more prone to sliding. Even though it is not as much snow, there may be more opportunities in those layers to potentially slide.”
Consider this scenario Rain comes early, leaving behind layers of icy crust at the base of the snowpack. The ice is weak, but can last for a month or two buried beneath the snow that falls as the cold deepens. “And so you have these problematic, unstable layers from the very start of the winter,” Davis said. Then come the rapid weather events, “extreme changes in the weather,” he said. So Davis finds himself talking not about climate change to the backcountry travelers he serves, but about the weather right now and how it is affecting the snow stability right here. The urgency is in his voice before the season’s first snowfall. “I think people should be aware of climate change and its longterm effects on our seasonal snowpack,” Davis said. “Whether we have snow or not is probably my biggest concern. “But for staying safe in the backcountry, don’t be thinking about climate change. Narrow your thought processes to right here and now. Is this slope capable of producing an avalanche? If I put
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S n ow
Avalanche
safety
Recognize the red flags, says avalanche forecaster Kevin Davis: • Recent avalanches • Signs of unstable snow • Heavy snowfall in the past 24 hours • Windblown snow • Significant warming or rapidly increasing temperatures • Persistent weak layers in the snowpack Avalanches are released on any slope steeper than 30 degrees, occurring most frequently on slopes of 35-50 degrees. Don’t discount the danger on slopes of less than 30 degrees if they lie directly below steep, exposed slopes.
Kevin Davis assesses the snowpack for weak layers with stability tests in a snow pit in the Selkirk Mountains. He collects the information
Follow the Avalanche Center’s “safe travel protocol” to minimize your backcountry risk:
for weekly avalanche advisories. PHOTO BY ERIC MORGAN
myself on it, am I going to trigger an avalanche and what’s going to happen? Always think about the conditions and the consequences. And if you don’t know whether a slope is safe, then change your plan or get the information you need to make it safe.”
COMMON VALUES Sandpoint is a relative newcomer to the debate over how, or if, to push back against global warming. The movement is small and by its own leader’s accounting “not that effective yet,” but Gary Payton remains passionate and resolute in his involvement. “It’s fair to say that, increasingly for 350Sandpoint, we are involved in the role of education and advocacy,” Payton said “We regularly face an audience – whether it’s a neighbor or a county commissioner or a congressman – who expresses outright skepticism of the science.” But for Payton and 350Sandpoint’s Jim Akers, there simply is no doubt. “Climate change shouldn’t even be controversial,” Akers said. “It’s the unquestionable reality.” 2015 was the Earth’s hottest year in recorded history. 2016 pushed the bar even higher. Glaciers are receding worldwide; rising sea levels have already claimed some low-lying communities; record-setting storms have left states, even nations, in shambles. 350Sandpoint formed about a year ago to advocate locally for measures that could slow the planet’s warming – and against those which threaten to actually increase the rate of change. Its members have protested the coal trains that pass through town and joined hundreds of Indian nations in criticizing the proposed Dakota Access pipeline. Payton attended the 2015 Climate
• Never expose more than one person to avalanche danger at a time. Watch one another closely from safe locations. Avoid stopping in or beneath avalanche paths. Never descend directly above a partner or other group. • Stay alert to changing snow stability created by changes in aspect, elevation or weather (heavy precipitation, wind or warming). • Communicate within your group, and give yourselves options. • Be prepared to do a rescue. Your window to recover an avalanche victim alive is short: 15 minutes. More at idahopanhandleavalanche.org. The avalanche hotline is
208-765-7323 or toll-free 866-489-8664. Change Conference in Paris and brought home its call to action. “But we have not turned specifically to the issue of trying to engage our local leaders – political, business, real estate, ski industry – in preparing and adapting for the impacts of climate change,” he said. “That is a level of organization and maturity that we haven’t reached yet.” In fact, this past summer Payton began reassessing the way he talks with others about climate change. “I am looking for the common ground within our value systems,” he said. “I have to find a way to sit down and have a conversation with a county commissioner who is a climate-change denier. We can’t just communicate with the choir. We have to communicate with the whole congregation.” And so Payton now starts the conversation by asking folks if anything has changed about winter over their lifetimes. And they start talking about how much it used to snow in December, and how deep the drifts were by mid-winter, and how the snow has
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PHOTO BY KEVIN DAVIS
The Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center urges snow enthusiasts to up their avalanche-safety game this winter.
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A small, yet passionate local group make up 350Sandpoint.
Locals protesting an increase in coal trains running through town.
PHOTO COURTESY IDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE
PHOTO COURTESY IDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE
started melting noticeably earlier each spring. “And when people really start thinking about it, they say things have changed,” Payton said. “They may not be willing to connect the dots to increased CO2 and methane, but they do want to talk about the things that we hold dear, the lifestyles that we have, the activities that draw us together, and our responsibility to the future and our children and grandchildren. When the language gets to our core values, and away from science, there is a potential bridge created to find ways to talk about shared interests and solutions.” He’s not giving up on 350Sandpoint or more traditional ways of environmental activism but wants to involve Sandpoint business and government leaders in a new kind of community conversation. “If the (Greater Sandpoint) Chamber of Commerce, if the business leaders, if the senior leadership at Schweitzer were of a similar mind that the climate is changing and that we need to adapt within our own community, then I think we could bring about real change,” he said. “But we’re not there yet.”
CHRISTMAS SNOW Tom Chasse has been Schweitzer Mountain’s CEO and president since moving to North Idaho 11 years ago. He’s since led a significant transition at Sandpoint’s backyard ski resort. He doesn’t think about or speculate on climate change, Chasse said, because his focus is on the short-term – the 30-day outlook, tonight’s forecast of blizzard conditions, tomorrow’s bluebird skies. “My personal opinion is we’ll just take it as it comes,” he said. “There are differing opinions about global warming, but at the end of the day, we’re just going to adapt to differing conditions.” Under Chasse’s leadership, Schweitzer has solidified its season at a dependable 130 days by installing snowmaking equipment that can provide coverage from mid-mountain down. The strategy is based on skier behavior. “We have one very dependable route that is open no later than Thanksgiving, and that fills our lodging for Christmas. People wait for us to open to book their holidays. So for us, the investment in snowmaking has held us in at roughly 130 days – and filled the lodges for the holidays.” When North Idaho’s mix of maritime and Arctic weather systems delivers surprisingly little snow, as in the “catastrophic” season of 2014, Chasse keeps the ski guns running well into the winter. 80
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In 2014, snowmaking kept Schweitzer open for 121 days when it could have been 40 days less. “We were making snow early and mid-season,” he said. “Without it, we would have had a problem.” But when nature delivers a bounteous snowpack, as the early forecasts suggest for 2016-17, then Schweitzer reaps not only a great season, but a bump in season pass sales for the next winter. “I really don’t look out much more than three months, because you can’t really change anything anyway,” Chasse said. “It’s more of a marketing challenge than a weather issue.” Schweitzer has made changes in the name of energy efficiency and all-season amenities, which – even if unintentional – lower the resort’s consumption of fossil fuels and prepare it for a potentially warmer future. The new snowmaking equipment is 100 percent gravity fed, with tanks at the top of the mountain filled by the previous winter’s snowstorms providing the power and water needed to jump-start the next winter’s base-pack. “So the water we need for snowmaking comes from nature, and we’ve seen no increase in our power usage,” Chasse said. The newest lodge is built summit top, and marketed to grow offseason business in a non-traditional way. “Our wedding business has grown, our corporate business has grown. If we can generate interest in our assets in the off-season, that’s all on the plus side. We’ve got new summer dining in the lodge, evening dining, receptions, events like the festival over Labor Day that expose 10,000 people to Schweitzer in a weekend. “Other resorts are investing in zip lines and water slides and alpine coasters – and I’ve taken a look at those venues. But for us, our strong summer season is eight weeks, and it’s difficult to make those kinds of attractions pencil out in eight weeks. So we haven’t made the big investment in infrastructure, and it’s working.” In town, Chasse and his team are active on business and civic boards. They’ve teamed up with the city and businesses to expand Sandpoint’s mountain biking network to soon extend from the top of Schweitzer all the way into town. And they’re working with the SPOT public transportation to provide roundtrip service. But don’t expect to see Chasse entering the political fray – over climate change or any other issue, he said. “I have my hands full here at the resort.”
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Sandpoint activist Gary Payton was an official observer at the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. COURTESY PHOTO GARY PAYTON
Storage Tanks One of the scores of SNOTEL monitoring stations that Ron Abramovich watches from his Boise desk is at elevation 6,090 feet at Schweitzer Basin. It’s the highest such snow-and-water measuring site in North Idaho, and one of Abramovich’s go-to markers. His watchfulness, though, is directed not toward skiers, but toward irrigators in the valleys below. “The winter snowpack is critical for our state,” he said. “About 75 percent of Idaho’s annual precipitation falls in the mountains as snow.” The mountains are the storage tanks for summer’s irrigation needs, and Abramovich’s team at the Natural Resources Conservation Service provides the streamflow forecasts that farmers and ranchers rely upon to parse the dry season’s supply. Sensors show a long-term, continuing decrease in winter and spring snowpack in the Northern Rockies. He worries about irrigators and them adapting to the new normal – whatever it might be. “This year, the snowpack came off about three weeks earlier than normal,” he said. “The year before, it melted a full month early. Even on years when we have a healthy peak snowpack, it’s coming off early, and that’s bad news for irrigators.” Temperature is critical in North Idaho, so the moisture that does fall in winter hits the ground as snow. “Snow is always better,” said Abramovich. “Rain just flushes straight down into the rivers. We can’t store as much rain in winter.” A 2015 Western snowfall paper by University of Idaho researchers shows a “major hydrological shift” from snow to rain because of higher wintertime temperatures. In 11 Western states, a 30 percent decrease in areas where it’s cold enough for lasting snow by midcentury is projected. Among the “significant statewide trends” noted: “Mean annual air temperature has increased, growing seasons have become longer, lilacs have bloomed earlier, and more forest area has burned.” The University of Washington’s Climate Change Impacts Group projects the same for the Pacific Northwest. The winter of 2014-15 looked “a lot more like what we’d expect in the mid-21st century,” said John Abatzoglou, a University of Idaho climatologist and coauthor of the paper. In fact, researchers from the Idaho and Washington climate groups spent much of that winter in the field, documenting the
impacts as a kind of picture of the future. “This year is really interesting because it’s what our global climate models are forecasting for the future,” climatologist Karin Bumbaco told reporters before a May 2015 gathering of scientists in Boise. By 2050, “we would expect winters like this, with a whole lot of rain and not so much snow.” It’s all new territory, though, and no one knows exactly how the long-term climate trends will play out – how quickly or dramatically wintertime conditions will change. Where will the snowline begin? How much will winter’s margins be squeezed? How many days each year will the snow be skiable? “Things are still changing,” said Davis, at the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center. “In Colorado, they are seeing more wet avalanches, which they never used to see. The classic avalanche is the big powder cloud sweeping down the mountain at 150 mph. “Well, now, Colorado is seeing these big, wet-slab avalanches that are more like big slushies moving down the mountain. They’re pretty destructive and really heavy, and are more directly attributable to climate change.” The mountain snowpack in North Idaho and western Montana has a more complicated mix of weather, said Davis, a hydrologist who spends his warmer months studying water for the U.S. Forest Service. “We are in an area that experiences a little bit of both – the cold continental weather and the wet maritime weather,” he said. “That presents more variability in our snowpack, and in our winters. It means we see both wet and dry avalanches, and a mix of winter rains and snows. “One week, it’s minus 10 degrees and you’ve got 2 feet of cold, fluffy snow, and the next week it’s 40 degrees and snowing and raining at the same time.” Lake Pend Oreille further complicates the picture in the mountains around Sandpoint, Davis said. “The Cabinet Mountains snowpack can be a little deeper because of the lake effect. So sometimes you get a little bit more snow from storms in the Cabinets, but also then that can translate to rain. So it could be raining in the Cabinets, but snowing up at Schweitzer.” Davis’ concern is that climate change will bring increasingly less snow and more rain to the mountains where he works and plays. “There’s a higher probability that winter storms will come in as rain,” he said, “so maybe the lower elevations in our mountains won’t be covered very well. We saw that a few years ago, where it was difficult to get into the mountains because of the lack of snow.” And while ski resorts can, and do, control the vegetation on their slopes, many backcountry forests are becoming choked with trees, Davis said. “And when we don’t get a deep snowpack, all those trees are poking up through the snow. I’m seeing a lot of terrain that I used to use choked with trees.” Davis calls himself “hopeful” but cautious. “I vote on these types of issues, for people who are going to advocate toward wise planning and zoning and energy use. I’m hopeful, but I’m not so sure it is going to be a quick turnaround. As long as gas remains at $2.50, it’s not a big incentive for people to get away from fossil fuels. And with coal trains coming all the way from Montana and Wyoming and being shipped to China … ” “Our existence as we know it in the West is driven by the winter snowpack,” Davis said. “And that existence is going to change.”
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Change Advocating for
P
orter Fox is not a fortune teller. He has no crystal ball. Rather, he is a skier turned ski writer – the most prolific in the industry, known for his meticulous research and fierce love of winter and snow and the lifestyle they support. So when Fox’s attention turned to Earth’s elevating temperature, and its potentially devastating impact on winter, he was driven to share that story everywhere he could find a listening or reading audience. He didn’t have to deal in hypotheticals. Everything he wrote about and talked about was happening already. “I didn’t read the future,” Fox said in a recent interview. “We are seeing it now. The scientists say global warming will increase the number and severity of wildfires, and we’re seeing that; that there will be a more erratic pattern of winter weather, which we’re seeing; that we’ll have fewer blizzards but larger blizzards, fewer storms but larger storms, which we’re seeing.” He added: “Our planet’s climate is warming. And when it gets hot, snow melts. That is the simple reality that cannot be avoided. 82
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Words by
Sherry Devlin
As long as the climate is warming, you’ll see less and less snow around the world. And regardless of what your politics are or how many snow guns you’ve got, there is no way to stop what a 2- or 3-degree temperature increase will mean: less snow in the backyard and in the mountains, less runoff, diminished streamflows, degraded river habitat.” And so in 2014, Fox wrote “Deep: The Story of Skiing and the History of Snow,” a call to action for skiers, snowboarders, winter resorts and their attendant communities. Every year since has been hotter than all years before it.
DEEP THOUGHTS Fox grew up in Maine and learned to ski on slopes that were “more blue than white,” owing to the snowmaking machines that delivered the lower-elevation coverage. He wasn’t an immediate convert to the sport, he said. “It was cold. And uncomfortable.” Then came the day when the forces aligned – as did Fox’s ski turns – and he had found a lifelong passion. He watched his first Winter Olympics in 1980 while on a family ski vacation at Copper
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S n ow Barefoot again. That’s how local hiker Sandii Mellen prefers her feet – free, which could happen more often with warmer temperatures. At right, Mellen stands in Glacier National Park, where the namesake Montana glaciers are melting. PHOTOS BY SANDII MELLEN
2 degrees H
Mountain, atop the Continental Divide in Colorado. “My brother and I skied the first powder run of our lives,” he later wrote. “It was on a gentle slope just off one of the main trails. We wiggled down the hill in chaotic rapture, then skied the run again and again. The snow was soft and the turns effortless.” Through high school, Fox worked at his dad’s boatyard on Mount Desert Island to finance his next ski pass. In college, he sold passes for Vermont’s Mad River Glen in exchange for his own. When graduation came, he headed West. To ski. That’s how Fox ended up in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and four years later on the staff of Powder magazine, where he’s been a writer and editor ever since. Over the years, he has skied at the magazine’s behest on snow stained pink by grains of Saharan Desert sand in the mountains of Morocco, on the lightest snow on Earth on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, in the hardpack of Baja, Mexico, and down the steep couloirs of southern Turkey’s Taurus Mountains. But it was back in the American West, while skiing in his beloved Jackson Hole, that Fox first talked with other skiers about climate
uman beings have never lived on a planet that was 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than it was before they began powering civilization with fossil fuels. Pass that 2-degree threshold and life on Earth will fundamentally change, the scientists say. It’s not newfound knowledge, though. Yale economist William Nordhaus suggested the 2-degree tipping point in 1977 in a paper called “Economic Growth and Climate: The Carbon Dioxide Problem.” He remains an ardent advocate for action to stop climate change. Since the Industrial Revolution, the climate has warmed 0.85 degrees Celsius, and is locked in to reach 1.5 degrees “even with very ambitious action,” according to a 2014 World Bank report. The emissions are already in the atmosphere. PricewaterhouseCoopers gives Earth a 50-50 chance of limiting the warmup to below 2 degrees if “decarbonization” efforts accelerate to six times the current rate. Continue burning fossil fuels at the current rate, and the 2-degree threshold will be reached by mid-century. Continue even then, and temperatures warm by 3 to 5 degrees by 2100. And many scientists, including those at NASA and NOAA, believe a 2-degree warm-up will set in motion natural processes that cannot be stopped – and that themselves will hasten the warming. The most likely is the melting of the permafrost in Arctic The methane from thawing Canada, said Nordhaus. As the permafrost melts, the methane permafrost amplifies existing it trapped over the millennia will atmospheric warming due to be released into the atmosphere, human activities. SOURCE: UNEP warming the planet more than REPORT “POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF human beings ever could.
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–Sherry Devlin
WARMING PERMAFROST”
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La Niña = Big snow I f the climate is warming, then how do you explain big, snowy winters? Katherine Rowden and her colleagues at the National Weather Service in Spokane have heard the question a hundred times. Their answer is simple: “The weather and the climate are two different things.” And so while everyone from NASA scientists to avalanche experts point to the effects of global warming on North Idaho’s long-term snowpack trends, the National Weather Service says there’s a 50-50 chance that this winter will be colder and snowier than usual. Each eventuality can be true without contradicting the other, said Rowden, a hydrologist at the NWS. It’s simply a matter of time. The climate is a measure of how Earth’s atmosphere
“behaves” over relatively long periods of time – 30 years or more. Weather gauges shortterm (minutes to months) conditions: temperature, precipitation, humidity, cloud cover, visibility, wind and atmospheric pressure. And so the short-term weather models say the winter of 2016-2017 is “slightly favored” for a La Niña pattern of airflow and precipitation. That’s good news for Sandpoint, Schweitzer Mountain and the Cabinet and Selkirk mountains. Chris Tomer, a meteorologist at OnTheSnow.com, explains how it works. La Niña is the name folks in Tomer’s line of work give to the weather events produced when water in the South Pacific cools down more than usual. That cooler water begets cooler air, which pushes the jet stream to the north.
Change the world now, Schendler says, or there will be no skiing – and skiing will be the least of the planet’s worries.
change and what it could mean to the future of snow. “You need to write a book on climate change and skiing,” his friends said. “I’ll look into it,” came the reply. It didn’t take much looking to convince Fox that he needed to devote himself to researching and writing the story of snow – and, importantly, its future. “It wasn’t the statistics,” he said. “It was the timeline.” From NASA and NOAA and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the numbers were all the same. In the 134 years since record-keeping began, the Earth’s 10 warmest years have all occurred since 2000. Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere in the world. The global sea level rose 6.7 inches in the past century. Since 2002, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets lost 30-60 cubic miles of ice per year. The math, Fox said, was unchallenged and indisputable. It took a ski industry executive, though, to convince him not to dismiss the numbers as futuristic problems. “Climate change must be addressed in the next 10 to 20 years, or the consequences will be cataclysmic,” Auden Schendler, vice president of sustainability for Aspen Skiing Company, told Fox. Since 1960, the Northern Hemisphere has lost a million square miles of spring snowpack. The Washington Cascades’ spring snowpack is down by 20 to 40 percent, depending on elevation and aspect. The Northern Rockies snowpack is down by 15 to 30 percent. “The world has warmed 1.4 degrees in the last 150 years, and that means winter starts two weeks later and ends two weeks earlier. When you look at Colorado, Montana, Idaho, the Northern 84
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And since the jet stream is the channel of strong winds that guides storm systems around the globe, its position determines where the heaviest snow falls each winter, Tomer said. He believes this winter’s La Niña will guide the heaviest snowfalls to the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West, Great Lakes and possibly parts of the Northeast. In Tomer’s forecast, Schweitzer Mountain and Sun Valley could be among the biggest winners, with 125 percent of average snowfall. Only Mount Hood, Mount Baker and Mount Rainier in Washington fare better, at 130 percent of average. “La Niña years can be good snow years,” confirmed Rowden, at the National Weather Service. “And I’m all for one of those.”
–Sherry Devlin
Rockies, that’s a significant change already,” Fox said, recalling his conversation with Schendler. “But a global temperature change of 2 degrees would be the tipping point,” he said. “Anything above that marker brings widespread famine and water scarcity, massive migrations to northern latitudes, potential collapse of the world economy. Scary, devastating consequences.” And that tipping point could come by mid-century.
WHITE GOLD Aspen Skiing Company has, in fact, taken the lead among this nation’s ski resorts in advocating for widespread changes in environmental and energy policies, and in dramatically altering its own operations to reduce carbon emissions. “Our goal is to stay in business forever,” reads the company’s environmental mission statement. “To do that, we must remain profitable; solve climate change; treat our community well; and operate in a manner that doesn’t harm our local environment.” Under the leadership of Schendler and president Mike Kaplan, Aspen pledged to cut carbon dioxide emissions to 25 percent of its 2000 levels by 2020. It built a solar-electric system on a nearby ranch, the largest in the ski industry. It joined several regional wind and solar projects. Then the company went big. Seventy miles away, in a coal mine along the Gunnison River, the skiers teamed up with miners to convert methane pumped out of the ground into electricity. Nearly all underground mines release methane gas – a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide – to protect their workers’ underground air supply. But that methane can also be captured and converted into electricity, a double bonus. Aspen Skiing Co.’s plant in Somerset produces 24 million kilowatt hours, about what its resorts use each year, and eliminates three times the company’s carbon emissions annually. Meanwhile, the city of Aspen and Pitkin County implemented one of the first carbon fees in the United States by adopting build-
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S n ow ing codes that require a strict “energy budget.” Homeowners and commercial property owners who want to consume more energy than allowed must either install a renewable energy system on-site or pay a mitigation fee. The fees then go back out into the community as grants for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The idea, according to Schendler, is to fix the entire system – to tackle the big picture. Nothing less will work at this hour, he believes. So Aspen has taken a course well beyond that of traditional recycling/composting/carpooling campaigns. Its leadership directly advocates on behalf of political and regulatory change, nationally and globally. And it recruits its well-heeled clientele to do the same, in concert with Protect Our Winters and Citizens Climate Lobby. Perhaps inspired by Aspen’s lead, other resorts are taking their own, bold steps. Solar energy now powers Mount Abram in Maine, and Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts has a wind turbine producing electricity. Utah’s Alta resort has a new array of solar panels. Still, many of the nation’s largest resorts remain unwilling to join the call, Fox said, including Vail – North America’s largest ski resort company. “It’s gross negligence, is what it is,” he said. “Their business is largely dependent on snow. If I were a shareholder, I would demand some type of inquiry or a major change of attitude. This is their resource, their white gold.” Change the world now, Schendler says, or there will be no skiing – and skiing will be the least of the planet’s worries.
PROTECT OUR WINTERS The power of skiers and snowboarders, and the industry and communities they support, is more significant than you might imagine, said Fox. “Skiing is a very high-profile sport,” he said. “It has an affluent demographic, one that can lead by example. These are intelligent and innovative people who are accustomed to taking leadership roles. They know how to solve problems, and how to win people to their position.” Protect Our Winters (POW) is the leading advocacy group acting on behalf of skiers in Washington, D.C., and in state capitals nationwide. Founded by snowboarder Jeremy Jones, the organization is demanding nothing less than the closure of coal-burning power plants and implementation of a new energy grid based on clean, renewable fuels. Jones’ climate-change epiphany came on the slopes of a shuttered ski area near Prince Rupert, British Columbia. “What happened?” he asked the locals. “There just isn’t enough snow anymore,” they said. When Jones couldn’t find another organization devoted to the story of climate change from a winter-sports perspective, he formed his own – and, using the celebrity following he developed in more than a decade of epic snowboarding movies – attracted 100,000 members. He modeled the personal lifestyle changes necessary in his own practices, eschewing the use of helicopters to film his movies, instead hiking up every mountain he rode. His mantra to followers: “Stronger legs equal better snowboarding.” But the real power of POW, Fox said, is its exhaustive and intelligent cadre of lobbyists. “They are getting it done. They’re leaning on
the politicians, they’re leaning on Washington, D.C.” And they’re armed with the analysis that shows the economic significance of the winter tourism economy in the United States – with $12.2 billion in spending annually. POW estimates that $1.07 billion in potential revenues already were lost to low snow years between 2000 and 2010. “This is a business issue,” said Aspen’s Schendler, a member of POW’s board of directors. “In California alone, if their ski resorts shut down, that’s $7.5 billion in revenue,” Fox said. “Then you add in all the ski shops and outfitters and all the one-stop markets on the highway to the hill, all the people who provide hotel rooms. They’ll all be out of a job if we lose our snow.” “We need climate change legislation – a fundamental national policy change in how we create and consume energy,” he said. “That includes the power grid and our reliance on automobiles – all of that. There needs to be a carbon tax, there needs to be some kind of cap and trade system, anything that puts CO2 into the atmosphere needs to transition to another model. “The change has to be widespread and fundamental, and it has to happen now, not decades from now.”
New Book wanders the border lands
I
t’s 5,525 miles long and touches three oceans, eight provinces and 13 states – all while constituting the longest international border that requires no military defense. But lately at least, the U.S.Canada border also touches on some prickly issues: drug smuggling, illegal immigration, easy access for would-be terrorists, hard-rock mining, water rights, air quality and the protection of endangered species. So Porter Fox has no shortage of material for his latest, monumental book project, “Northlands,” a part-travelogue, part-history of America’s northern Porter Fox COURTESY PHOTO border due out in 2018. “It’s about life in the northern United States,” Fox said in a recent interview. “I’m just making my way from the East Coast to the Pacific, wherever the border ends.” The research alone is a two-year project sandwiched between his regular assignments for Powder magazine and duties at his online magazine, www.nowheremag.com. Already, Fox has traveled the northeastern border and the Great Lakes. He memorialized that piece of his journey earlier this year in a travelogue for The New York Times. This fall, Fox is roaming the border from North Dakota, across Montana, North Idaho and Washington state. Where will he stop? What stories will he tell? He’ll let the journey unfold of its own accord, Fox said. “You’ll have to read the book to see where we ended up.”
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Remembering the blizzard of 1968-69 The Blizzard of ’69 actually started in 1968. It quit – finally — in 1969, after six weeks of winter on steroids. My recollection – augmented by others’ memories and archives at the museum — is this: Dec. 30, I open the back door to go to work at Travler’s Motel and – holy snow flakes! The walks are full. My car is buried. Snow is horizontal. I face into the blowing snow and begin the wade through two feet of snow to the motel on Fifth. The lobby door is snowed in. From both sides. A foot of fine snow has sifted in under the door. I shovel both sides. The thermometer reads minus 30. Holy frostbite!
Breakfast cocktails
The motel is full of skiers. They can’t get to Schweitzer, which is closed anyway. In 1969, Sunday in Idaho is dry, but skiers from the country up north, ever prepared for such emergencies, have broken out private supplies of alcohol and are having cocktails with their eggs. At 8 a.m., I call my boss for advice. His sage words to this high school senior: Stay out of the restaurant. Next morning, minus 37. The people from up north brought enough for Monday, too. Thus began the blizzard, but snow has been coming in record amounts — 32 inches in December, 12 inches over average. By
Jan. 16, six more than the 24-inch January average has already fallen. Our dad’s 1967 F-100 four-wheel-drive pickup with a newly installed block heater and tire chains is the go-to neighborhood transportation option. The sheriff allows snowmobiles on public roads. Most curbs are piled so high that there is no more piling. It keeps coming.
Giant snow castles
By Jan. 23, the storm has become old news, moving to the back page of Section A of the Sandpoint News-Bulletin. That day, though, the temperature drops to minus 14. Here we go again. Sixty-seven inches of snow have fallen. Schools are still closed. Kids are incredulously happy – giant snow castles are being built in massive curbside piles – but they are the only ones. The school board begins talking about school on Saturdays. Ha! The teachers put the skids on that. Jan. 30, weather comes back to the front page. “Bonner County struggling out from under worst storm in more than 20 years.” Ten lows in single digits or below zero since Dec. 28 and 82 inches of snow, 20 since Jan.16. Twelve-foot drifts in town, 20-foot drifts in the Selle Valley. The county begs the state for a rotary plow. Papa Bear, aka Chair 4, aka Sunnyside, opens
at Schweitzer, with snow accumulation at 161 inches, but nobody can get to the celebration. The Boy Scout troops of Sandpoint get stranded at Camp Stidwell on Mirror Lake. Troop 111 and the Sea Scouts, of which my brothers are members, enjoy the luck. The F-100 provides a ride home for many. As a last hurrah, the Idaho Elks Convention gets stranded the first weekend in February.
PHOTO FROM ROSS HALL COLLECTION
They, too, have brought emergency supplies. Once again, I stay out of the restaurant on Sunday. On Feb. 6, Mother Nature is done. The blizzard of 1969, that started in 1968, is over. It was the coolest.
–Sandy Compton
T
hey’re the ones wearing white after Labor Day, the iconic snowshoe hares of North Idaho – and northern latitudes. But lately, the bunnies’ white phase has arrived well before winter’s first lasting snows and lingered weeks longer than the spring snowpack essential to their disappearing act. Sandpoint’s Gary Payton started noticing the pops – or hops – of white at mid-elevations a few springs back. The snow was gone, but the hares were still white. “These animals have evolved over centuries so their hair color changes from winter to summer, from white to brown, to provide them with camouflage,” he said. But global warming is quickly changing the equation, stranding white hares in brown and green forests, sometimes for weeks before their outfits change for the season. They’re not the only critters struggling to adapt to climate change, just some of the easiest to spot. They’re also among the few species that biologists have already studied for the impacts of climate change. A team of researchers from the University of Montana and 86
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North Carolina State University just published a study of 186 snowshoe hares in western Montana. It’s a costly fashion blunder, wearing white after the melt, the scientists found. For every week a hare didn’t match its surroundings, the chance of predation increased by as much as 7 percent. Lynx and coyotes are particularly fond of a rabbit dinner. And that’s bad news if biologists are right in predicting that, by 2100, hares could be a mismatch for as many as eight weeks yearly. Biologists hope that hares can evolve to molt later in the fall and earlier in the spring. The unknown is how quickly they can adapt. Yet some researchers think hares may move to colder, snowier climes. Prime habitat is moving north at a rate of 5.5 miles per decade.
PHOTO BY DON JONES
Winter shade of hare
–Sherry Devlin
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The Market is
CHANGING
Do you know what your home is worth? Call to schedule your private consultation
Rich Curtis 208.290.2895 Richard.Curtis@sothebysrealty.com
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© MMVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Claude Monet’s “Red Boats at Argenteuil,” used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated. Coeur d’Alene office: 208-667-1551, 221 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. Sandpoint office: 208-263-5101, 200 Main St., Sandpoint, ID 83864.
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classic Craftsman remodeling The American Dream
W
Words by
e’ve all heard the stories, or experienced it ourselves; remodeling a home can be a nightmare. Down come the walls, and up go the expenses. Problems arise, budgets soar, couples bicker– it all makes great fodder for TV shows such as “Fixer Upper” and “Property Brothers,” where remodeling sagas rule the ratings. With that in mind, step into Elana Westphal’s beautifully remodeled south Sandpoint home with its lovely raised ceilings, restored, period architecture details and inviting rooms. Surely there was chaos and hair-pulling? Not so, confirms the homeowner. “We were on budget and on time,” said Westphal, who strolls about her 2,500-square-foot home in bare feet like a vision right out of 88
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Beth Hawkins
a home décor magazine. Westphal’s easy experience (which took five months) wouldn’t play well on television– not enough drama! An artist and graphic designer, Westphal moved to Sandpoint from the East Coast six years ago and was immediately enthralled with the 1910 home the moment she laid eyes on it. Westphal had experience in the world of remodeling, having restored two row houses and two mid-century houses in Philadelphia. At first, there was quite a bit of interest in the home from other potential buyers, but they were put off by the sheer amount of work involved to transform it into something special. Westphal, on the other hand, was very confident of what she was getting into, and purchased the Huron Street home in 2010.
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She did run into an early snag, one that nearly derailed her remodeling dreams: not finding the right builder. “I interviewed a lot of builders, and I was ready to give up.” she said. Contemplating the fact that she would have to sell the home before even getting started, one evening she decided to mull things over while taking a walk to the Third Avenue Pier. She mistakenly overshot the street by a block, and ended up in front of a craftsman being remodeled; the builder’s sign was in the yard. Perhaps it was her own sign that things were changing for the better. “The homeowner welcomed me in,” she said, and put her in touch with builder Herb Peratos of H.P. Construction. The two immediately hit it off. “Thank goodness I got lost!” With builder in tow, the first project Westphal tackled was removing the enclosed front porch and opening it back up again. Growing up in the South, a welcoming front porch was a must – and now it’s her favorite feature of the home. “My neighbors go by and we say ‘Hi,’ ” Westphal said. “It reinforces that people factor.” In fact, one of Sandpoint’s biggest draws for Westphal was its sense of community. As a member of the Rotary Club of Sandpoint, Westphal is the public relations chairperson for the CHAFE 150 bike ride – an event that takes place every June and has raised $165,000 in the past three years to benefit students in the Lake Pend Oreille School District who are on the autism spectrum. She values volunteering and the flexibility of her career. “Working from home, I can live anywhere,” she said. “I have always loved the West.” Stepping inside, the home’s main floor is neatly compartmentalized just as it was 100 years ago with a living room, separate music room with big windows overlooking the street, a dining area, a large study and a completely remodeled kitchen. With beige-tone marble
ESTATE
PHOTO BY CHRIS BESSLER,
REAL
Clockwise from left: Elana Westphal loves her porch. Westphal creates assemblage art pieces, from “finds” on her walks through town. The classic craftsman living room, with music and dining areas on each side.
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R e a l E s tat e countertops and white handcrafted cabinets, the kitchen is equipped with modern appliances and lots of natural light from windows tucked here and there. The centerpiece is a tile art piece above the stove, created by local artist Gail Lyster from a photo of the lake taken by Westphal. The home’s original 6.5-foot ceilings on the main floor were raised to 9 feet, and the original doors were replaced with specially ordered taller doors that still replicate the craftsman style. Westphal was thrilled with some surprises, such as all of the home’s original larch floors
were in good shape and just needed refinishing; other issues such as replacing all the electrical, plumbing and venting come with buying a century-old home. Upstairs is a spacious master bedroom, closet, sitting area and landing area. It’s difficult to imagine the space beforehand. Westphal said when she bought the home, there
PHOTO BY CAMERON BARNES
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were several small bedrooms with sinks and locks on the doors, as well as a tiny bathroom. There are rumors that the home was a boarding house or possibly a brothel. Westphal has started to research the home’s past at the Bonner County History Museum, but hasn’t made it far enough back to know its full story. She does know that the home’s double lots were sold in 1903 for $250, and sold again the following year for $500. The first known owner of the 1910 house was George Barker, publisher of the Pend d’Oreille Review. Sandpoint’s natural beauty was another draw for Westphal to relocate, and she illustrates her love of trees in her artwork – paintings, pictures, even in the logo she designed for the City of Sandpoint with a stylized version of mountains. She also creates assemblage art pieces, which are creative compilations of “finds” on her walks. “That’s the archaeologist in me,” she said. Upstairs, Westphal enjoys sitting by the large windows where trees’ foliage lends the interior space a “treehouse” feel. The sitting room is her favorite space in the house, where she has an up-close chance to observe nature and its inhabitants. “I’ve learned a lot about birds and squirrels,” she added. For those considering a remodel, Westphal advises that homeowners do their research. “Dealing with the unexpected is the biggest challenge, and you have to make decisions quickly.” She praises the work of local craftsmen, saying they were all great to work with. “I still get goose bumps when I look at my front porch!”
*Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 9/17/16–12/12/16 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. For certain rebate-eligible products, the purchase of multiple units of such product is required to receive a rebate. If you purchase fewer units than the required multiple you will not be entitled to a rebate; partial rebates will not be awarded. Offer excludes HDOrigins and Nantucket™ Window Shadings, a collection of Silhouette® Window Shadings. Rebate will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward card and mailed within 6 weeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 6 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations may apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. ©2016 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners. 3450796
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B
ESTATE
words by JEFF
SELLE
onner County is facing an extreme shortage of affordable housing. While time is needed to remedy the situation, industry officials and community leaders say efforts are under way to incentivize the development of more affordable housing in the future. “There are practically no vacancies here,” said Linda Cox, who owns R&L Properties in Sandpoint. “We’ve never seen a market quite as tight as this one.” Cox’s company manages 150 rentals, and they are all full. It’s a similar story with rental property owners in Bonner County who all say units often fill up the same day they are put on the market. “Ten years ago, when people would call us for a rental, we would have had at least a half dozen units to show them,” Cox said, explaining the vacancy rate in the rental market has historically hovered around 10 percent. “Now they call and we have nothing to show them. Now I would say the vacancy rate is close to zero, or maybe 1 percent, if that.” Cox said as a result, rental prices have escalated beyond what the typical workingclass family can afford and that has many of those families purchasing homes instead of renting.
Tara Ames Turner wanted to build on her family’s lot in Dover, but the prices forced her, husband Wayne and son Cohen, 3, to search for cheaper, raw land. PHOTOS BY CAMERON BARNES
Complicating matters is the lack of affordable homes for sale. Carrie LaGrace, president of the Selkirk Association of Realtors, said starter homes that are listed below $200,000 go fast. She recently listed two homes for $199,000 each and they both sold within days. “They go like rocket cakes if they are listed under $200,000,” she said, adding that is the price range locals and young couples are seeking, but inventory has yet to catch up to the demand. “After the (last real estate) bubble, many of the builders quit building, and most of the foreclosures on the market dried up,” she said, adding the builders are starting to build now that rents are higher than a mortgage on a starter home.
Rentals are sparse and often too expensive for Sandpoint’s working class. Some people, such as Joe Laporte, live in RVs while waiting for a house.
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REAL
creative living
Still, not everyone qualifies for a mortgage, Cox added. “For those people who cannot be approved for a loan, this shortage becomes a serious problem,” she said. “We get a lot of people calling saying: ‘Hey, we just sold our house and we need a place to rent.’ But there is nothing available. “If you are planning on moving to Sandpoint, you had better plan ahead,” Cox added. “I have heard there are people camping out in the woods waiting for rentals. That works in the summer, but where will they go this winter? The RV parks are even full.”
The Waiting Game
Heather Eich, owner of the Travel America RV Park in Sagle, said she has been feeling the effects of the housing shortage – especially over the past two winters. “We’ve had a couple of people living here for 10 years,” Eich said, adding her RV park has 60 spaces. Normally about 18 are vacant in the winter. “For the past two winters we’ve had those spaces full all winter long.” And there is a waiting list. Eich said many of the campers are working-class families waiting for homes to be built or affordable rentals to hit the market. Don and Sandy Sweeney, along with their four school-aged children, have been occupying one of the spaces at the park for about a year. “We are not in a camper SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
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R e a l E s tat e by choice,” Dan Sweeney said, explaining his economic situation. “It kind of drives you crazy – especially with everyone crammed in there at once – but it’s better than living in a box or a car.” Searching the internet for rentals is a daily routine, and they say once you find one, applying is a costly risk. Application fees are charged for many rentals to cover the cost of background checks, and if the renter is not successful in getting the rental, those fees are not refunded, they said. “It’s stressful,” Don Sweeney said. “You have to pay the application fees but you are never going to get that money back.” In his case, Sweeney must pay application fees for each family member and that adds up quickly with a large family.
We asked locals on Facebook’s Sandpoint Yard Sale to share their housing blues. People often go to the site looking for rentals. The responses reflect the need for affordable housing in the area. HEALTHCARE HARDSHIPS
Brooke Linnea Dodge, a young mother of two, is living in a friend’s converted garage near Clark Fork. Her husband commutes to Coeur d’Alene to work during the week. “We are recovering financially after our (now) 1-year-old had two heart surgeries,” she wrote. “There’s no way we can afford the rent anywhere around here right now. But we are blessed to have loving family and friends to help us out!”
Joe Laporte, Sweeney’s neighbor, is back living at Travel America for the third time during the past few years. He is a welder and travels “wherever” there is work. “We are on the waiting list for a permanent spot this winter,” he said, hoping one comes available soon. He also lives with his wife and two children in a small camper, but much like the Sweeneys, he also is looking for an affordable rental. Laporte had his eye on a mobile home on 5 acres in the northern reaches of Bonner County, but he said the competition is tough for rentals in the $500 to $700 range. “And pets can be an issue,” Laporte said, adding he has dogs. Laporte usually makes about $20 per hour as a welder, but the wages in Bonner County are nowhere near that much.
“We lived in old trailers for years that we owned,” she wrote. “If we hadn’t, we never could have saved PHOTO BY DANIELLE PIRAINO money to buy a place. The land was more important to us than the house.” NOT JUST NEWCOMERS She liked the freedom. Belinda Hart is a third-generation Bonner “I didn’t have a problem living in a trailer; County resident who saved for years to afford at least we owned it. Better than living in an land and a modular home. The property value apartment or a rental. And I could always kept increasing and she could never find a have my pets.” property that had a $500 monthly mortgage.
ALL-SEASON YURT
Frank and Danielle Piraino opt to live in a 700-square-foot yurt in the Selle Valley. It’s “built to live in year round and get back to the basics in order to afford staying in the Sandpoint area,” Danielle said.
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What’s the Solution?
Sandpoint for work. She questions why it’s so difficult even for natives with jobs. “Those of us who are born and raised here PHOTO BY EMY LOU MCNOSKY still can’t afford to live GOOD-PAYING JOBS here without being completely house-poor,” Thali Munoz is from Sandpoint but still she said. “The cost of living versus wages is can’t afford to live here. She said people need pretty outrageous, period.” a job before they move here. “The issue from THE LONG HAUL my point of view is people fall in love with it Jeannine Prince, a native, wrote that the only here, move here and then go ‘Oh crap.’ It’s way her family can afford living here is because expensive to live here and the pay isn’t that her husband is a long-haul trucker, on the road great,” she wrote. an average of 330 days a year. Debra Townsend lives in Priest River be“My grandparents came here in the early cause it’s less expensive, and commutes to
TRAILER LOVE
Tim Groenig doesn’t think there is necessarily a housing problem. “Some of us chose to live in trailers or home-built cabins ... that’s why we moved to North Idaho!”
ESTATE
It’s complicated, but planners must identify the specific problem. Sandpoint’s Planning and Economic Development Director Aaron Qualls is working to do just that. “This really is one of the biggest challenges the city has right now,” Qualls said, explaining there are several factors that play into the erosion of affordable housing in Sandpoint. He lists a combination of out-of-state retirees; an uptick in the economy that sparks job growth; an increase in second-home buyers; a significant increase in manufacturing jobs; and people purchasing rentals and converting them to vacation rentals. From an economic development perspective, the housing mar-
REAL
“The wages and market just don’t go hand in hand,” he said. Tara Ames Turner sold her house in Spokane with the dream of building on her family’s property in Dover, where she grew up and wanted to raise her son. Yet after Turner and husband Wayne tallied Dover’s hookup costs for water, sewer and power, they decided it didn’t make financial sense. For the same amount as hookups, the family can buy nearly 20 acres near Elmira. “It’s more than Spokane,” Turner said about Dover’s reincarnation as a resort town. Her family has lived there for four generations, but now they can’t afford to build on their own land. “It’s just sad,” she said.
1900s, and my mom and her brothers and sisters were born here, but all left to find work, but one, who was a logger.” Ireta Remsburg wrote that property owners think their rentals are “worth gold. They won’t bend and be flexible enough to allow a lot of lower-income people to rent,” she wrote. “If you do find a rental it costs as much as a frigging down payment. And if you have animals? Well, forget it. That is why we had to buy a dump, but we have some of our dogs, horses and chickens.”
Local resources for home seekers: Sandpoint Yard Sale on Facebook www.SandpointClassifieds.com www.SandpointRentals.com
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ket is a problem for expanding employers like Quest Aircraft. Qualls said Quest hired the SPOT bus to take some workers back and forth to Post Falls where housing is cheaper. The city in 2012 identified affordable housing as a problem, updating its zoning laws to jumpstart the construction of affordable homes and rentals. It reduced lot sizes and allowed property owners to build accessory living units along with single-family homes. “We wanted to give builders more options,” he said. Most recently, Qualls said the city cut its sewer and water connection fees in half to attract development. “We are hoping that will be effective in attracting more affordable housing,” he added. The city also is working to increase the inventory of affordable rentals and rein in “illegally” operating vacation rentals. Qualls said a lot of people have bought up rental homes and market them online as vacation rentals on websites such as Airbnb. Many of these vacation rentals are not registered with the city and do not conform to its vacation rental regulations. Nor do they pay lodging taxes such as hotels and motels pay along with legitimate bed and breakfast establishments. Qualls said the city recently sent warning letters to those who are illegal, asking them to come into compliance. The city doesn’t limit the number of vacation rentals but does require a vacation home to be located at least 300 feet away from another vacation rental, he said. Meanwhile, Qualls said, activity in multifamily home construction could be a sign that builders are starting to gain on demand. “The market has been slow to catch up,” he said. “But we do have a seven-plex going up on Boyer.” The Milltown affordable housing complex also is close to breaking ground on 72 new rental units. Qualls has had several pre-permit conferences with interested builders. “It really is an issue of economic development,” he said, adding that while tourism is an important part of the local economy, the needs of other sectors are important too, especially to maintain strong economic diversity in the community.
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DIFFICULT DIVISION Residents differ on subdivision plan words by
A
s in so many resort areas, Bonner County planners are trying to figure out how to balance growth while preserving the rural nature that draws so many people to the area. Proposed changes to how land is divided is both a recent and longstanding debate, especially because some residents worry that relaxing rules for septic and sewer permits could pollute Lake Pend Oreille — one of the most outstanding natural resources in North Idaho.
Rules vs. Rights
Yet some residents and county leaders instead worry about too much government interference, saying the proposed subdivision rules would make it costly to subdivide land and lead to a degradation of private property rights. They disagree with the assessment that the changes will hurt the environment and water quality. The Board of County Commissioners will consider the proposal in November. The Planning and Zoning Commission is asking to add two more classifications — one for four or fewer lots and another for divisions of between five and 10 lots — to make subdividing property less confusing and less expensive while reducing the time required by the planning department to process the requests, to 30 days from the current six months. The proposal then defines a subdivision as more than 11 lots. Commission Chairman Cary Kelly said the goal is to make subdividing land in the county less onerous. “I think a lot of people have made this into a big thing and it’s not,” he said, adding that there is a “misconception” that the changes will pollute Lake Pend Oreille. “None of that’s accurate.” Many residents disagree. They filled a June workshop, accus-
ing the Planning and Zoning Commission The U.S. Highway 95 corridor, looking north, of excluding public involvement and not is a high priority for giving Panhandle Health District (PHD) planning growth. oversight on septic tank and drainfield PHOTO BY CHRIS BESSLER locations, among other concerns. After the meeting, several public workshops were scheduled and sign-off by PHD for land divisions with fewer than four lots of 2.5 acres or less was added to the draft. Marty Taylor, the former head planner for the Bonner County Planning Department, maintains adding the new classifications for smaller land divisions muddies the process and erodes essential design standards that guarantee safe water and septic, plus wellconstructed roads. The planning commission’s proposal “sets Bonner County back nearly 40 years to the time when plats constituted nothing more than a survey, resulting in substandard roads and unbuildable lots,” Taylor wrote in a Sept. 1 letter. “I think the planning commission will agree that Bonner County has enough bad roads and unbuildable lots and doesn’t need any more.” He added the current standards actually protect property rights and ensure the land is suitable for building, which the public, design professionals, title companies and county officials worked diligently to establish in the 1990s when they updated substandard rules from the 1970s that didn’t adequately address the county’s future growth or environmental protections. Taylor questions why the planning commission is even proposing the changes. The proposal comes on the heels of the county commissioners controversial firing of two Planning and Zoning Department employees, which it soon followed by making significant changes to
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R e a l E s tat e the planning rules, such as no longer requiring PHD or local sewer district sign-off before the county issues a building location permit. Other changes include allowing construction of decks along with shops and detached structures of 1,000 square feet or less without a building location permit. Previously building location permits were required for structures of 200 square feet or more. Raphael Barta, a real estate agent and past president of the Selkirk Association of Realtors, said the commission’s stance is in
line with an influx of conservative residents with Tea Party leanings who favor less government. “The devil’s in the details,” Barta said, adding that the challenge is balancing smart growth and theHorizontal rural nature of the county. Developable land in Bonner County is nearly tapped out and less development means a stagnant tax base, he said. Maintaining roads and paying for school levies and other county infrastructure will cost more and it will become more difficult to pass school levies
New group aims to foster local participation Vertical
C
ommunity involvement is key to how Bonner County looks in the future, a message touted by a new grassroots group called Project 7B. The question is whether land-use planning rules retain Bonner County’s rural nature or lead to sprawling subdivisions like those in Kootenai County, said Molly O’Reilly, steering committee chairman. “We want to make sure in the future that we are building the future we want,” she said. Earlier this summer, the nonprofit contracted with the University of Utah to interview a cross-section of 30 to 40 Bonner County residents about their vision for Bonner County’s growth. The final report is expected to highlight shared viewpoints and expectations for future growth plans, O’Reilly said. Project 7B planned to have workshops this fall on the completed vision. The group formed because of recent concerns about county planning decisions, but it doesn’t want people to view it as a “force
of negativity.” Instead, the goal is to get residents and business people involved in land-use issues not only in Bonner County, but also in its cities and taxing districts, O’Reilly said. The steering committee is based on Salmon Valley Stewardship, a group that successfully represents all viewpoints related to land use in Salmon, Idaho. Project 7B “does not have a vision for what planning should look like,” she said. “That’s up to the community.”
– Marlisa Keyes
Learn more at www.project7b.org.
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when many county residents are retirees. In August, voters overwhelmingly shot down a $55.1 million facilities levy to rebuild and refurbish local schools. A 2014 study by Headwaters Economics of Bozeman, Mont., reports that 53.7 percent of the county’s income comes from nonlabor sources — stock market, Social Security and welfare. Kelly disagrees with the characterization that the proposed changes are based on a right-wing ideology, adding that the two previous commissioners he served with, Cornel Rasor and Mike Nielsen, had a strong anti-federal stance but that he and the current board members make a point to work with federal, state and local
agencies. He noted that he wants to create a trails committee and that the county recently hired a recreation director and that he is personally involved with Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. He said the planning commission is considering residents comments and having more public meetings to address concerns. County commissioners have wanted to make the proposed changes since Kelly began his tenure on the board, but they were blocked by former planning and zoning members, he said. Kelly added that if the commissioners don’t make the changes before new commissioners Dan MacDonald and Jeff Connolly take office in January, he doubts they will get made because it will take them a while to learn about the issues. Kelly believes the additional public involvement will create a better ordinance.“There is no rush to judgment,” Kelly said. In the end, because of public involvement, “it may be a better ordinance in the final analysis.”
REAL
Preventing urban sprawl along the U.S. Highway 95 corridor, as it travels through Sagle, is a hot topic as the county considers new subdivision rules. PHOTO BY CHRIS BESSLER
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REAL ESTATE
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Sandpoint Technology Center recently got a $50,000 technology upgrade. COURTESY PHOTO
Is Sandpoint
convention ready?
W
hether Sandpoint has enough meeting space and hotel rooms to host conventions and business meetings for people outside the area depends on who you ask. A glance in and around Sandpoint shows there might be room for a small convention but timing and transportation are likely limiting factors. Matt Hofmann, Schweitzer Mountain Resort senior sales and group manager, believes between ski hill facilities, the recently opened Sandpoint Technology Center in Kootenai at the former Coldwater Creek campus and other facilities in the Sandpoint area, there is room to accommodate an event of up to 500 people. “I think we could pull off one of those events,” Hofmann said. Schweitzer could not host such an event during ski season because its spaces are booked for winterrelated activities. What is missing, however, is a coordinator to answer bid inquiries and coordinate with facilities on costs, location availability and other details. “We’d have to have a gatekeeper,”
Hofmann said. The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce has staff who handle those issues, he said, yet he doubts the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce has the finances to support a similar position. It is a role Dr. Michael Genoff, co-owner of Sandpoint Technology Center located in the former Coldwater Creek complex off McGhee Road, is willing to undertake. “It’s all there,” Genoff said. “Somebody’s just gotta light a spark.” Genoff and his partners recently spent $50,000 on upgrades to their facility, which has theater seating for 220 people, five stateof-the-art breakout rooms, a small kitchen for catered events, plenty of parking, and room for large dinners and charity auctions. It includes dual HD theater projectors, dual conference monitors, wireless mics in the auditorium and wireless handheld devices, plus high-speed Wi-Fi and whiteboards. Attracting conventions and business meetings is a mixed bag. Bonner County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Paul Kusche W I N T E R 2 0 17
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MArlisa keyes
and Melody Circo, the chamber’s office and visitor center manager, are less optimistic about pulling off large-scale events. Circo said trying to host one event in different locations is logistically difficult, citing issues with transporting people to various locations and between motel rooms. “How do they get here and where do they stay?” she asked. For Kusche, the issue is about space. While the EDC used the Sandpoint Technology Center for its economic summit the past two Novembers, it takes a lot of room to host a convention, Kusche said. As a former longtime Litehouse, Inc., employee, he said he knows firsthand how difficult it is to find meeting space to host business meetings in the area. What is needed is enough room to hold conferences and adequate motel space, he said. “What we need is a convention center.” For information about Sandpoint Technology Center, go to www.sandpointtechnologycenter.com
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Marketwatch: Workforce, first-time buyers find challenges
W
ith the average sales price of a home in the Sandpoint area at $311,844 (from April 20, 2016, to Sept. 20, 2016), the local real estate market is in a conundrum. While properties priced below $300,000 are selling quickly, there are less and less of them available. “There is definitely a need for more inventory under $300,000,” said Carrie LaGrace, Realtor at Tomlinson Sotheby’s International Realty and president of the Selkirk Association of Realtors. “Low inventory in the affordable, workforce market is causing homes to sell very quickly.” This price range is attracting not only the local workforce and first-time buyers, but also investors looking for rentals. “All of these types of buyers are competing with one another for purchasing in a lowerinventory market,” LaGrace said. She added that “flippers” – folks who buy properties for a low price, fix them up, and put them back on the market – are having a hard time
finding the “buy low” properties. “Investors are finding it difficult to find properties to flip.” That leads us to vacant land – and buyers are also scooping it up at a frenzied pace. In Bonner County, the number of sold listings from April 20, 2016, to Sept. 20, 2016, compared to the same timeframe in 2015, increased a whopping 38 percent – from 157 properties sold to 216. “Buyers are coming to North Idaho because they want to live in a more rural area,” LaGrace said. “Land sales are also up because lenders are lending on raw land again.” Another factor in the increase in land sales is the uptick in construction, according to Cindy Hunter, associate broker at Century 21 RiverStone and president of the Multiple Listing Service. “We’re seeing more new construction occurring,” Hunter said. She notes that the big increase in land sales “is indicative that people are buying building lots versus
rural properties.” Hunter predicts new construction will continue to increase over the next few years – which is a good thing. She also credits low interest rates, saying: “It’s continued to spur the market along.” LaGrace believes that the market for higher-end homes has slowed somewhat due to the fact that it’s an election year. “The number of units sold for the higher end homes is flat. My speculation is that the second-third home vacation buyers are waiting to see what is happening.” And while the days of great deals on real estate appear to be gone, LaGrace said the increase is positive. “Many parts of the nation recovered in value much faster than North Idaho; we stayed flat for a few more years,” she said. “The fact that today’s market is slowly increasing in value is healthy for the real estate market.”
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REAL
Selkirk Multiple Listing Service Real Estate Market Trends Vacant Land - Bonner County
All Areas 2016
% Inc/Decr
2015
2016
% Inc/Decr
579
640
11
Sold Listings
157
216
38 0
Volume - Sold Listings
$153,662,572
$145,302,790
-5
Volume - Sold Listings
$17,790,170
$17,713,940
Median Price
$220,000
$239,000
9
Median Price
$69,500
$60,000
-14
Average Sales Price
$265,393
$288,872
9
Average Sales Price
$113,313
$82,008
-28
Average Days on Market
151
136
-10
Average Days on Market
263
240
-9
Residential Sales - Schweitzer
Sandpoint City 2015
2016
% Inc/Decr
Sold Listings
98
78
-20
Volume - Sold Listings
$21,786,569
$19,732,601
-9
Median Price
$198,500
$220,895
11
Average Sales Price
$222,311
$252,982
14
Average Days on Market
114
120
5
2015
2016
% Inc/Decr
171
160
-6
2015
2016
Sold Listings
6
11
% Inc/Decr 83
Volume - Sold Listings
$1,500,000
$2,835,000
89
Median Price
$238,500
$260,000
9
Average Sales Price
$250,000
$257,727
3
Average Days on Market
241
183
-24
Residential Sales - All Lakefront
Sandpoint Area Sold Listings
ESTATE
Sold Listings
2015
2015
2016
Sold Listings
43
76
% Inc/Decr 77
Volume - Sold Listings
$17,468,800
$38,729,578
122
Volume - Sold Listings
$53,221,813
$49,895,112
-6
Median Price
$379,500
$445,000
17
Median Price
$261,500
$275,000
5
Average Sales Price
$406,251
$509,599
25
Average Sales Price
$311,238
$311,844
0
Average Days on Market
156
127
-19
Average Days on Market
142
136
-4
Residential sales by area based on information from the Selkirk MLSŠ for the period of April 20, 2015, to September 20, 2015, versus April 20, 2016, to September 20, 2016. Real estate stats for Bonner and Boundary counties. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
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Building Services
PHOTO BY MARIE-DOMINIQUE VERDIER
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Waging war on mediocrity in the building trades since 2003.
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Natives and Newcomers interviews by
Erica Curless
Living in Sandpoint is a choice regardless if your family goes back generations or if you recently relocated here for that small-town charm and endless outdoor adventure in our mountains and lake. Meet two young natives who left for college but returned and quickly established themselves in business, achieving the dream of going home and making a living. Then learn about two newcomers who picked Sandpoint for its lifestyle even if the job market and short, dark winter days make it tough. Their combined advice: live simply, enjoy the friendly community and get outside.
B
en Hull, 31, was actually born in Moscow while his dad (former Bonner County prosecutor Tevis Hull) attended law school. Yet he made up for this faux pas by marrying a true native, Diana Peine. Sandpoint is home. He knew he wanted to return here after dental school to raise his children and enjoy the outdoors. After graduating Sandpoint High in 2003, he spent two years in Arizona on a church mission, then worked as a hunting guide. While attending BYU-Idaho, he guided hunts in his off time. He graduated with a Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. In 2015, he bought Dr. Michael Durnin’s dental practice. How do you make the most of the long winters? I enjoy hunting, which occupies late fall and early winter. Then I switch to ice fishing (if it’s cold enough here!). Then, I start looking for the earliest open-water fishing opportunities. Oddly enough, I never did catch the ski/snowmobile bug. How has the area changed in your lifetime? When we moved back to Sandpoint, I remember the population signs entering town saying 3,000 some odd population (Editor’s note: Sandpoint’s population was 5,318 people in 1990). Now, that is more than double. While Sandpoint has always
087-107[RE]_SMW17.indd 103
had a small-town feel with vacationers ever present, I am more aware of the out-of-towner draw now. By that I mean I get the sense that much of the activity in Sandpoint is driven by newer residents and visitors. This may only be perception and not reality, but it does feel a bit like new plants are growing and redesigning the garden, if that makes sense. Where is your favorite place in Bonner County? Why? Wow, tough call. I really enjoy our mountains. I have hiked and hunted along many of the trails and while there are similarities there are also vastly different areas that I enjoy discovering. The Selkirks, Cabinets, Purcell range and other peaks and valleys all offer life and green scenery. The beauty of it is that I have lived here so long and yet have experienced so little of what the area has to offer – there is really a lifetime of experiences right in our backyard. What has gone unnoticed that Sandpoint should be recognized for? Our history! Locals know it, but it seems that all the current focus on Sandpoint trends toward beautiful new homes and recreational opportunities. There are so many trails here that used to be roads to a mine, or a logging operation, or an old W I N T E R 2 0 17
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID HULL
Natives Benjamin David Hull
homestead. How many pieces of timbered property for sale are where a pioneering family in the area settled and have gone through so many stages of change as to be unrecognizable? I appreciate the county fair and several booths that showed much of the history and pictures of several local families and their generations. What are some great challenges facing Sandpoint/Bonner County? We live in an area that should help us retreat from many of the distractions that muddy our lives now. If we could all appreciate what is in front of us in place of what is on a phone or computer, or get out and be active in wholesome work or recreation in our area, perhaps we could address some of the problems our youth face like teen suicide and drug/alcohol abuse. We could enjoy greater happiness in our families. Developing appropriate gratitude for this wonderful area God has blessed us with can be a challenge the longer we are here and take it for granted. What do you wish Sandpoint had that it doesn’t? A lack of summer/fall road construction! SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
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n n Any advice for newcomers? Dive in! There is a lot more here than a big beautiful lake (although that’s a pretty good highlight). Maybe before thinking of taking a vacation away, look for new opportunities close by – there are plenty of them.
Morning Coffee…
We’re There.
For home delivery call (208) 263-9534
www.bonnercountydailybee.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF EVAN RAINS
Perk up with informative articles on Sandpoint and the surrounding area.
E
van Rains, 23, is a sixth-generation Sandpoint native. The Marley side of his family arrived in Sandpoint in 1903. Evan returned home in April, after receiving a bachelor’s in visual communications (emphasis in digital media) from Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. He worked as a wrangler on a dude ranch in Estes Park, Colo., guiding horseback rides through Rocky Mountain National Park. While in Wisconsin, he also modeled for beer and wine ads. Today he works at the locally founded Wildwood Grilling as a marketing strategist. How do you make the most of the long winters? During the winters I like to backcountry ski and snowshoe. Recently, my dad (Arnie Rains), and I have been doing a lot of skijoring (skiing behind a horse through a course). I still try to ride horses depending on snow levels. When I was a kid, I used to hop on my horse bareback with no reins and run him and jump off into snow-piles I built up. Just 104
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because it’s cold, I still love to be outside. How has the area changed in your lifetime? A lot has changed here in my lifetime– the byway and the Highway 95 intersection to Schweitzer becoming two lanes. The big landmark mill across from Safeway got demolished. Schweitzer went from being a small-town secret to a huge spot on the map. Microbreweries like Laughing Dog and MickDuff’s are giving more reason to visit. Where is your favorite place in Bonner County? Why? My favorite place is anywhere in our National Forest. We have millions of acres for getting outdoors and taking advantage of the natural beauty Idaho has to offer. My most frequented place is Baldy Mountain. What has gone unnoticed that Sandpoint should be recognized for? The diverse economy; businesses like Litehouse, Kochava, Tamarack, Quest, Wildwood Grilling, Thorne and Timbersled, and there are plenty more that help make us diverse. It has become a place where someone who graduates college can move back and find a job in a specialized area rather than a mill job like when we were predominantly a lumber economy. What are some great challenges facing Sandpoint/Bonner County? We continue to devour up winter range for wildlife as we expand throughout the valley, pushing wildlife to their limits for survival. I would like taller buildings rather than urban sprawl. It’s better to go up than out. Having a beautiful downtown area so you can still go out into the country rather than more urban sprawl and developments. What do you wish Sandpoint had that it doesn’t? I think something that would be nice for Sandpoint to have would be an event center that is close to town.
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208-265-4554 or call
Order online
FestivalAtSandpoint.com
Newcomers
NATIVES & NEWCOMERS
Any advice for newcomers? Adopt the outdoor lifestyle. When you get more involved with all this national land and forest that’s ours you care for it more and help to preserve it. It’s easy to become complacent and take for granted that Sandpoint and the surrounding area has so much to offer even in changing seasons. If you live here embrace the changing seasons. Don’t let a cold winter stop you from going out and enjoying the area. Be a good steward of the land. Keep Idaho beautiful.
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augusT 3 - 13, 2017
Early Bird Season Passes for the 2017 Festival at Sandpoint go on sale now!
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PHOTO COURTESY OF DIANA BREWER
Don’t miss this limited opportunity to secure drastically discounted admission for all 8 nights of music, August 3-13, at the new Barlow Stadium at Memorial Field!
Let’s just say we’ve got something up our sleeve…
D
iana Brewer, 37, was born at Travis Air Force Base in California, to an Air Force father, and lived many places, including Florida, before moving to Sandpoint in 2012. Her father, Dr. Ed Hunt, has lived here for many years and works as a chiropractor. She wanted to follow his path and join his practice, which she calls a true “gift.” Today, Brewer is the area’s only female chiropractor. While earning her doctor of chiropractic degree, she worked as an assistant to orthopedic spine surgeons, which exposed her to traditional medicine and a gentle chiropractic approach. Diana believes in a mix of chiropractors, medical doctors, physical therapists and massage therapists in addition to others to make a “team” so people can reach their peak health and performance. How do you make the most of the long winters? At times I love it; I love the clean, fresh, W I N T E R 2 0 17
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n n A newspaper for those who do things diierently.
crisp winter air. I love the perfect white powder that seems to know exactly when and where our Schweitzer Mountain needs it. It is a challenge, however, getting our dose of vitamin D from the sun during our dark winters. Adding a little extra vitamin D as a supplement has helped. The biggest saving grace, of course, is just simply getting outside. How has the area changed since your arrival? In the two short years that I have been here the things I have noticed most are growth and improvements. There are beautiful new homes going up all around us. One is an incredible castle project that you see from the lake over by Bottle Bay. There seems to be an incredible explosion of flowers and landscaping every year.
www.SandpointReader.com
SANDPOINT WALDORF SCHOOL
Celebrating 22 years of inspired education for children in PreSchool-Grade 8 (208) 265-2683 for guided tours www.SandpointWaldorf.org
208.255.4496
What has gone unnoticed that Sandpoint should be recognized for? The people of Sandpoint notice the important things. We have an amazing art and music community. We have teenagers that are respectful and smile when you make eye contact. We open doors for each other. What are some great challenges facing Sandpoint and Bonner County? The Long Bridge seems to be a challenge right now. We are racing the weather I think with regards to repairs. The (traffic) slowdown in the afternoon is a hassle, but hopefully it won’t last.
Voted Best Bike Shop
What do you wish Sandpoint had that it doesn’t? I hope for some more road repairs over the years. My family loves to roller blade and we could use some fresh pavement.
3rd & Pine • Sandpoint, ID GreasyFingersBikes.com
Any advice for newcomers? The best advice that newcomers should hear is keep it simple. Be patient with the shift to small-town living. Take vitamin D in
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Where is your favorite place in Bonner County? Why? I would have to say City Beach is up there on my list of favorites. My family enjoys the sand under our feet as a nice reminder of the ocean. We also enjoy the crowds of people and families that go there to enjoy the sunshine.
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the winter and get outside. Find the fun, it’s all around us.
J
oni MacNeill, 36, grew up in Glenrock, Wyo., and loved the small-town life until her parents moved the family to the Seattle-Tacoma area for jobs. She attended the University of Washington and then attended dental school in San Francisco. She married a childhood friend who she reconnected with, and they wanted out of the city so they moved to Sandpoint to raise their daughters. In 2015, she opened MacNeill Family Dental, becoming the only female dentist in town. How do you make the most of the long winters? We were still getting settled in (last winter) but took time to get our young girls outfitted with skis. We both have our ski passes and are excited to get our kids lessons. My goal is to get into snowshoeing this year. We live right in town so we love to bundle up, throw on the snow boots and walk in to see what’s going on. How has the area changed since your arrival? I know that I’ve met so many people who live here because they choose to. A lot of people retire here, but I also know that many
COURTESY OF JONI MAC NEILL
The READER...
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Where is your favorite place in Bonner County? Why? I love the town itself in the summer. Our almost daily routine for my husband and I was to put our girls in the bike trailer after work and head to City Beach. I loved riding back over the bridge into town, my family on the bike in front of me, seeing everyone in their summer clothes walking around eating their ice cream. In that moment, the same thought would always go through my mind: We are so lucky to live in a place where everyone else comes to vacation.
NO DEPOSITS
What has gone unnoticed that Sandpoint should be recognized for? I don’t know that it’s gone unnoticed, but I have been impressed with how the people in this area rally to fundraise for their needs.
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What are some great challenges facing Sandpoint and Bonner County? While volunteering at the PAFE Gala this summer I heard the speakers describe the issue of trying to combat the troubles many teens have related to the negative things being said about them on social media by their peers. They linked this to them having trouble succeeding in school, depression and even suicide, which has unfortunately been too common. It’s good to see the support given to groups who fund so much through grants and scholarships and this seems to be a definite need.
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What do you wish Sandpoint had that it doesn’t? I’m so in awe of this area so far that I can’t think of much that it doesn’t have. As someone who is actively trying to find out more about this area, it would be nice if there were more information online. Any advice for newcomers? I would recommend talking to people about whatever you are interested in because Sandpoint has an organization or opportunity for everything. Join groups, sign up for charity races, walk into town and listen to some live music. Do whatever you enjoy and likely the nice local next to you will turn out to be a new friend.
NATIVES & NEWCOMERS
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Clark Fork
Map © TerraPen Geographics.| 108
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WINTER 2017
10/25/16 11:08 AM
WINTER GUIDE
Winter Guide 2017 Skiing and Riding. Schweitzer Mountain Resort has 2,900 acres and 92 runs just 11 miles from downtown Sandpoint. The mountain boasts 2,400 vertical feet. Nine lifts serve two open bowls, treed glades and three terrain parks. www.schweitzer.com (208-2639555). See story, page 53. Cross-country Skiing. For maintained trails and consistent snow, visit 32 kilometers of groomed trails at Schweitzer (208-263-9555); 3 miles at Round Lake State Park (208-263-3489); or more than 12 kilometers at Farragut State Park (208-683-2425). Downtown, ski or snowshoe the 1.5 miles of flat lake shoreline alongside the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail just north of City Beach, or find groomed trails when conditions are favorable at the University of Idaho property on North Boyer Avenue. Two ranches in the Selle Valley now offer groomed trails: Tauber Angus Farms (208-255-8883) and Western Pleasure Guest Ranch (208-2639066). Backcountry. Nearly unlimited
Après-ski at Schweitzer
options exist on public lands surrounding Sandpoint up National Forest roads such as Roman Nose and Trestle Creek. Call the Sandpoint Ranger District (208-2635111) or the Bonners Ferry Ranger District (208-267-5561) for maps and current conditions, including avalanche advisories. Call the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center toll-free at 866-489-8664. For a guided backcountry experience, take an excursion from Schweitzer via snowcat with Selkirk Powder (208-263-6959). www. SandpointOnline.com/rec or www.fs.usda. gov/ipnf. See story, page 78.
Shopping
Downtown retailers are going all out in the Sandpoint Shopping District, where shoppers will discover a fine array of eclectic shops and galleries with clothing, art and gifts galore. www.DowntownSandpoint.com. Highlights include the Cedar Street Bridge Public Market with retailers such as Carousel Emporium and MeadowBrook Home & Gift, art, and food such as Cedar Street Bistro, all in a beautiful log structure spanning Sand Creek. www. CedarStreetBridge.com (208-255-8360). Just down the street are First Avenue retailers such as Finan McDonald Clothing Company, Pedro’s, Zero Point Crystals and Northwest Handmade. Antiques abound at Foster’s Crossing, a mini mall with lots of collectibles, on Fifth between Cedar and Oak streets (208-263-5911); and MarketPlace Antiques & Gifts, open daily, at Fifth and Church (208-263-4444). Just out of town, Bonner Mall in Ponderay has many stores large and small and often hosts events; it’s on U.S. Highway 95 two miles north of Sandpoint (208-263-4272). W I N T E R 2 0 17
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PHOTO BY WOODS WHEATCROFT
OUTDOORS
Sleigh Rides. Western Pleasure Guest Ranch, 16 miles northeast of Sandpoint on Upper Gold Creek Road, offers sleigh rides in a rural setting for groups and couples. www. WesternPleasureRanch.com (208-2639066). Snowmobiling. Snowcat trails around Sandpoint and Priest Lake in the Selkirk Mountains are renowned; for more information, contact Sandpoint Winter Riders, www.IdahoSnow.org (208-2630677) or Priest Lake Trails & Snowmobile Club (509-466-3331) or www.priestlake. org. For guided rides at Schweitzer, contact Selkirk Powder. www.SelkirkPowder. com (208-263-6959). See stories, pages 45, 48. State Parks. Three state parks are within close range to Sandpoint Farragut (208-683-2425), Round Lake (208-263-3489) and Priest Lake (208443-2200) with activities such as camping, cross-country skiing trails and snowmobiling. www.parks andrecreation.idaho. gov. Walking. For cleared paths, try the Pedestrian Long Bridge alongside Highway 95 over Lake Pend Oreille; the new paths along the Sand Creek Byway; Travers Park on West Pine Street; City Beach downtown; Sandpoint-Dover Community Trail along Highway 2 west; Lakeview Park, through and around the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society Arboretum; and overlooking Sand Creek at the Healing Garden next to Bonner General Health. SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
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Western Pleasure Guest Ranch
x
54
x
x
20
x
x
19
x
x
60
x
83
x
x
68
x
x
25
x
50
x
x
62
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75
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Beautiful 3-bedroom, 2-bath waterfront condos on Lake Pend Oreille in Hope. Discount ski and golf tickets available. See ad, page 111. www.archercondos.com
509-382-2954 / drarchers@msn.com
Best Western Edgewater Resort
x
x
x
Downtown Sandpoint on the lake. Indoor pool, sauna, fitness room, hot tub. All rooms with lake view. Dine at Trinity at City Beach. Also 22-site RV park. www.SandpointHotels.com
x
Sandpoint’s luxury vacation home rentals, with properties on the lake and in the mountains. See ad, page 4. www.DM-Vacations.com
208-263-3194 or 800-635-2534
Daugherty Management
x
509-981-1469
Dover Bay Bungalows
x
x
x
Waterfront bungalows at beautiful Dover Bay in Marina Village. Fully furnished with lake and mountain views. Fitness center, marina and hiking/biking trails. See ads, page 42. www.DoverBayBungalows.com
208-263-3083
FairBridge Inn & Suites
Free breakfast with waffles, 24-hour hot tub, free wireless internet. Family suites. Schweitzer ski packages. At the base of Schweitzer Mountain, two miles from Lake Pend Oreille.
208-263-2210
Holiday Inn Express
x
The newest hotel in Greater Sandpoint. 100 percent smoke free. The Ponderay location is at the base of Schweitzer Mountain next to Sweet Lou’s. See ad, page 33. www.HIExpress.com
x
Downtown location, high-speed internet. Free breakfast, themed spa suites. Silverwood, ski and golf packages. Kids stay free. See ad, page 34. www.Hotels-West.com
x
Accommodations for weddings, retreats and banquets. Lakeside with swimming and docks. Views of lake and mountains for an unforgettable Idaho vacation. www.LodgeAtSandpoint.com
x
Fully furnished condos and on-site athletic club on Lake Pend Oreille. Stay and play packages. See ad, page 35. www.POSResort.com
x
Indoor pool and hot tub. Close to downtown Sandpoint. 5th Avenue Restaurant and Mitzy’s Lounge on property. Kids stay and eat free. www.SandpointHotels.com
x
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75 luxury homes and condos in Sandpoint and on the lake. First-class properties at affordable rates. Plan your perfect vacation. www.SandpointVacationRentals.com
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Mountain accommodations, stay-and-play packages. Spectacular mountain and lake views. Outdoor heated pool and hot tubs. See ad, page 131. www.Schweitzer.com
208-255-4500 / Fax 208-255-4502
La Quinta Inn
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208-263-9581 or 800-282-0660
Lodge at Sandpoint 208-263-2211
Pend Oreille Shores Resort
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208-264-5828
Sandpoint Quality Inn
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208-263-2111 or 866-519-7683
Sandpoint Vacation Rentals 208-263-7570 or 866-263-7570
Selkirk Lodge
x
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208-265-0257 or 877-487-4643
Sleep’s Cabins
5
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On beautiful Lakeshore Drive. Sleep’s Cabins consists of five log bungalows decorated with original furnishings and collectibles. See ad, page 22. www.SleepsCabins.com
208-255-2122 or 866-302-2122
Talus Rock Retreat
6
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7
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9
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Private cabins sleep 2-8. Lodge rooms with private baths, rec room, horseback riding and meals available. See ad, page 16. www.WesternPleasureRanch.com
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New accommodations, stay-and-play packages. Spectacular mountain and lake views. Outdoor hot tubs, access to heated pool. See ad, page 131. www.Schweitzer.com
208-255-8458
Twin Cedars Camping and Vacation Rentals
Daugherty Management, Schweitzer
Meeting Rooms
x
Kitchen
4
Bar or Lounge
Pool on site
Archer Vacation Condos
Restaurant
Spa or Sauna
Schweitzer’s Selkirk Lodge
No. of Units
LO D G I N G G U I D E
Lodging
Experience an extraordinary Idaho bed and breakfast escape. One mile from Sandpoint. See ad, page 59. www.TalusRockRetreat.com Owner-managed vacation rental homes and camping cabin; RV sites on Lake Pend Oreille and Selle Valley; tipi on beach (in summer). Horse/dog friendly. www.twincedarssandpoint.com
208-920-1910
Western Pleasure Guest Ranch 208-263-9066
White Pine Lodge 208-265-0257 or 877-487-4643
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WaterLife Discovery Center. On Lakeshore Drive, the center offers interpretive trails and self-guided tours of fish habitat and an interpretive area on Pend Oreille River. www.fishandgame.idaho. gov (208-769-1414). Fishing. There’s great ice fishing on Lake Pend Oreille at the north end of the Long Bridge in front of Condo del Sol. Main prey is perch, though bass and trout are also caught. Ice fishing is also popular on smaller lakes: Cocolalla, Mirror, Gamlin, Shepherd, Round, Antelope and Priest. Lake Pend Oreille’s deep waters rarely freeze, and even in midwinter charter fishing boats pursue its trophy rainbow trout. Ice Skating and Sledding. It takes several days of sustained, belowfreezing temperatures without too much snow, but when conditions are right, ice skaters flock to Third Avenue Pier,
PHOTO BY WOODS WHEATCROFT
Skating on Lake Pend Oreille, North Idaho style.
Sandpoint City Beach or Sand Creek below the Cedar Street Bridge. Round Lake State Park maintains both regular and speedskating rinks (208-263-3489). For sledding Schweitzer offers Hermits Hollow Tubing Center (208-255-3081).
Indoors
Art Galleries. Truly an arts town, Sandpoint has numerous galleries and artists’ studios. Downtown take a walking tour; on First Avenue check ArtWorks, Cedar Glen Gallery/Ferrara Wildlife Photography, Hallans Gallery, Hen’s Tooth Studio and the Cedar Street Bridge Public Market. Art lovers may also visit Pend Oreille Arts Council, 302 N. First Ave., and satellite gallery locations that host revolving art exhibits year-round: Banner Bank (formerly AmericanWest Bank), 605 N. 5th Ave.; Edward Jones, 477100 Highway 95 in Ponderay; Monarch Mountain Coffee, 208 N. Fourth; Mountain West Bank, 1323 Highway 2 in Sandpoint and 476655 Highway 95 in Ponderay; Northern Lights, 421 Chevy Street in Sagle; Columbia Bank, 414 Church St.; Potlatch No. 1 Federal Credit Union, 476864 Highway 95 N, Ste. D in Ponderay.; and STCU, 477181 Highway 95 in Ponderay. www.ArtinSandpoint.org (208-263-6139). At Schweitzer, the Artists’ Studio in the White Pine Lodge features local artists. Museums. Enjoy many fine displays depicting old-time Bonner County at the Bonner County History Museum. Open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Saturdays in summer months and the first Saturday of the month year-round, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free admission). Located in Lakeview Park, 611 S. Ella. www. bonnercountyhistory.org (208-263-2344). See story, page 43.
ARCHER vacation condos vacation
WINTER GUIDE
Wildlife Refuge. Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, 30 miles north of Sandpoint near Bonners Ferry, has more than 2,700 acres and abundant wildlife and birds. Hiking trails to a waterfall and around a pond, auto tour routes. www.fws.gov/kootenai (208-267-3888). See story, page 71.
T H E S P OT B U S From Dover to Kootenai with stops in Sandpoint and Ponderay, the SPOT bus route serves residents and visitors who are commuting or enjoying a night out on the town. When ski season is under way, catch a connector to the Schweitzer bus. The bus circles its route hourly every day, 6:24 a.m. to 6:27 p.m., with one late run Sunday through Thursday, and three late runs Friday and Saturday. Stops are marked with the SPOT bus sign – many at or near motels in Sandpoint and Ponderay in order to provide rides for their guests. The best part: It’s free! Check schedules online. www.spotbus. org. (208-263-3774).
The Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center was founded by Dr. Forrest Bird and wife Pam in 2007. See their impressive collection paying homage to their love of aviation and innovation. Located in Sagle about 17 miles southeast of Sandpoint off Sagle Road on Bird Ranch Road. Open year-round, this winter by appointment, and
Sandpoint’s Complete Fitness Center since 1985
25 Meter Six Lane Pool Sauna, Steam Room & Hot Tub Raquetball & Pickleball Personal Training Group Exercise Classes Child Care Massage Therapy Social Dance Classes
Sandpoint West Athletic Club DAY PASSES and short-term membership available
On La Lake P Pend O Oreille
(509) 382-2954
1905 Pine St. 263-6633
www.archercondos.com/
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Winter Guide
S i m p ly Sandpoint
Life, Disability, Individual, Group Health and now Home and Auto too! Specializing in making your life easier
SCOTT ALBERTSON, AGENT TYE BARLOW, AGENT Old Power House Building 120 E. Lake Street, Suite 203 Sandpoint, ID 83864
Phone: 208.265.6406 Fax: 208.265.2477 Pend d’Oreille Winery serves small plates with its tastings. COURTESY PHOTO
Life, Disability, Individual, Group Health
Hometown Professional and Movers now Home and Auto too!
Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from mid-May to Oct. 1. Admission is free (donations welcomed). www.BirdAviationMuseum. Specializing in making com (208-255-4321). your life easier Movies. The Bonner Mall Cinema is a six-plex theater inside the Bonner Mall on Highway 95, featuring new releases daily (208SCOTT ALBERTSON, AGENT 263-7147). The historic Panida Theater downtown at 300 N. First TYE BARLOW, AGENT rlmsandpoint@gmail.com shows foreign and independent films, plus film festivals (208-263Old Power House Building 208.265.5506 9191). 120 E. Lake Street, Suite 203 Phone: 208.265.6406 1326 Baldy Mt. Rd. Athletic Clubs and Yoga. Greater Sandpoint Sandpoint, ID 83864 Fax: 208.265.2477 Sandpoint, ID 83864 has a plethora of opportunities, but the most comprehensive is Sandpoint West Athletic Club, 1905 W. Pine St., with a 25-meter indoor pool, courts, a weight room, group classes, and a sauna and spa. Open daily. www.SandpointWest.com (208-263-6633). • • BULK FOODS DELI BAKED GOODS Approved MillersCountryStoreSandpoint.com See more on the Super Directory at www.SandpointOnline.com. Spas. Get pampered at Wildflower Day Spa, www.thewilApproved with changes dflowerdayspa.com (208-263-1103); Solstice Wellness Spa at Changes; please provide another proof Schweitzer Mountain. www.SolsticeWellBeing.com (208-263Monday-Friday 8:30 to 5:30 2862); or Highlands North Day Spa highlandsnorthdayspa.com Please sign with your approval: (208-263-3211). Find us on Facebook! Breweries and Pubs. Downtown, see brewing in Signature Date action at MickDuff’s Beer Hall, the production and tasting room, A signed proof releases Keokee Publishing, Inc. from any reponsibility for open daily at 220 Cedar St., (208-209-6700) or visit their family error on Baldy copy. Please read all Rd. copy• and check this• job carefully. Thank you restaurant at 312 N. First. www.mickduffs.com (208-255-4351). 1326 Mountain Sandpoint 208.263.9446 for your participation in ensuring your product is the best we can make it. For pubs that serve a lot of craft beers, try Eichardt’s Pub & Grill Please note: This color comp is produced by an in-house printer and is not at 212 Cedar St. (208-263-4005) or Idaho Pour Authority at 203 indicative of the quality of the final printed piece. This proof may not accuratelyCedar St. (208-597-7096). Taste handcrafted ales at Laughing reflect the colors. Dog Brewing in Ponderay; taproom is opening this winter at 805 Schweitzer Plaza Dr. www.LaughingDogBrewing.com (208-2639222). See story, page 115. Wineries and Wine Bars. The Pend d’Oreille Winery, Idaho’s Winery of the Year in 2003, features tours, wine Dr. Henker brings more to Sandpoint Optometry. tasting, a gift shop, live music Fridays and Saturdays, and Bistro More frame choices, more information on Contact Lenses, Rouge menu daily, 301 Cedar St. www.powine.com (208-265more appointment times available, accepts more insurance plans... 8545). Small House Winery is open Saturdays and by appointWelcome to Sandpoint Specializing in children and young adults ment at 1636 Baldy Park Dr. www.smallhousewinery.com (208Dr. Whitney Henker 290-2016). 1333 Superior St. Ste. A • 208.265.4140
SandpointMovers
drhenker@SandpointOptometry.com
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Eats Q Drinks
with Beth Hawkins
Some like it hot!
Fireside dining ‘round town
C
ozy is the key word come winter, and dining out is no exception. For folks who always tend to have cold fingers and toes, there’s no better place to sit in a restaurant than at a table next to a roaring fire. Here’s a rundown of top local spots that serve their food “a la blaze.” For grandiose flair, the rock fireplace at Forty-One South, 41 Lakeshore Dr. in Sagle, is hard to beat. The restaurant and lounge are centered around the wood-burning fireplace. All winter, from kindling to start the fire, to keeping it going all evening long, the authenticity of a real wood fire is a draw for diners, according to owner Cassandra Cayson. “It really changes the ambiance – the smell and the sound.” Of course, it does require extra effort: “We go through a ton of firewood!” Cayson said. Winter comfort food tends to be the most-requested items at Forty-One South when the warm fire is burning. The buffalo meatloaf is an enduring favorite, served with whipped potatoes and vegetable du jour. And the most requested appetizer is the mac and cheese, made with three cheeses and topped with browned-butter breadcrumbs. Personalize it with your favorite add-ins: green chilies, bacon, crab, you name it.
Grilled porterhouse pork chop with Brie and pear fondue sauce and a huckleberry drizzle from FortyOne South. PHOTO BY DOUG MARSHALL
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And don’t miss out on Forty-One South’s wine dinners. Featuring regional wineries paired with delicious gourmet fare, these events really spark up a winter’s evening. Learn more about upcoming wine dinners at www.41SouthSandpoint. com. In downtown Sandpoint, a large soapstone wood-burning stove at Café Bodega, inside Foster’s Crossing at 504 Oak St., pleases both patrons and staff alike. “We use it all winter,” said David Luers, who owns the café with wife Kate. “It’s a big part of what we do, and it really puts out a lot of heat.” The café is open daily for lunch and serves up a delicious array of unusual sandwiches including roast pork and a Tuscan sandwich with Brie, prosciutto and pesto; specials are rotated on a daily basis. Café Bodega also offers salads, soups, and hot drinks including lattes and
more. ”We have the best selection of tea in town,” Luers said He added the mall is a great place to wander, especially in winter. “While you’re waiting for your food, there’s a community here to explore. There’s a yarn shop, women’s clothing, so many different aspects. It’s one of those spots where folks gravitate towards.”� Up at Schweitzer, fireplace comfort is paramount for skiers who are seeking a respite from the cold. The cozy fire at Chimney Rock Grill, in the village at Schweitzer Mountain Resort, is located on the bar side of the restaurant, and it’s a perfect place to nosh on edamame with sea salt and butter, or the more hearty maple-braised porter pork sandwich. There’s also a fireplace to warm up to at the Schweitzer summit lodge opening in December. According to Schweitzer Food and Beverage Director Bret Wieman,
there are two separate areas inside the lodge. “We have a hearty café on one side, and on the other side a saloon featuring small plates,” he said. The full-service saloon, which seats 65 including barstools, will feature gourmet fare such as risotto, fried cheese curds using Litehouse cheese, and a mushroom and tomato bruschetta. The café side serves up items such as roast beef sandwiches and veggie noodle bowls. And don’t forget the welcoming openair fire at the Outback Inn. The Outback’s always famous for its baked potatoes and chili, Wieman said. A new item on the menu this year is a baked sweet potato featuring do-it-yourself toppings such as marshmallows and cinnamon butter. Mmmm … getting that cozy feeling already!
NEWLY EXPANDED STORE & DINING AREA
FRESH BAKED GOODS
Daily
NEW BERLIN GARDENS
Furniture Collection
BEST SANDWICHES
In Sandpoint
Hours:
M-F 8:30-5:30 Join us on
208-263-9446
Breads Scones Pastries Cookies Pies Cinnamon Rolls Coffee Teas Canned Goods Spices Beans Rice Pasta Flour Nuts Dried Fruit Christian Books Housewares
1326 Baldy Mtn. Rd., Sandpoint, ID 83864 . www.MillersCountryStoreSandpoint.com 114
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Laughing Dog Brewing
gets down to business
L
ike a well-trained pup waiting for his master to throw a stick, Laughing Dog’s loyal taproom fans must exercise patience as the local brewing company ramps up production in its new facility but won’t open the taproom until this winter. Under the ownership of Fred and Michelle Colby, Laughing Dog Brewing moved this summer to a new building at 805 Schweitzer Plaza Dr. in Ponderay, which greatly increases its production capabilities. It went from 6,400 square feet in the previous building, to 18,000 square feet in the new building. “We’re focusing on production for now,” Colby said. “We had to choose what to focus on and brought in our own canning line.” Previously, they utilized a mobile canner; now that Laughing Dog has its own canning line, they can produce 600 to 700 cases daily. Huckleberry Cream Ale remains the brewery’s top seller, proving a popular pick in its direct-serve market that comprises the Pacific Northwest. Plans for reaching new markets are always evolving, with California popping up next on the radar. The new production facility also holds 15 tanks for brewing and fermentation – with room to expand. “We could be a regional brewery,” said Colby, assessing the company’s future growth. “We have the capacity to get there.” While he still retains a core group of employees, including his son who works on the canning line, the brewery will be
bringing on several more workers – including when the taproom opens. The new taproom, adjacent to the production facility, will feature a cozy fireplace along with the same bar that was used in the former taproom. At press time, Colby didn’t have a specific date for when the taproom will open, but assures that dogs are welcome and food is out – except for snacks. Our tails are wagging with anticipation!
Owners Fred and Michelle Colby are expanding beer production. PHOTO: BETH HAWKINS
Serving dinner 7 nights a week Reservations Recommended
Bangkok on Second AUTHENTIC THAI FOOD
Sandpoint’s Best Thai Food • Peanut sauces made in-house • 6 different Thai curry • Gluten-free & Vegetarian • Wine and beer • Take-out available
208.265.2000
41 Lakeshore Drive, Sagle www.41SouthSandpoint.com
Eat in or take out
208-265-4149 • 202 N. 2nd Ave. W I N T E R 2 0 17
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dServing Sandpoint CHEF Q&A WITH MICHAEL WILLIAMS & STEVE NYE Michael Williams, 43, grew up in New Hampshire, graduating from college with a degree in zoology before discovering his true career passion: cooking. He attended the New England Culinary Institute and promptly hit the road, working in Colorado and Oregon among many other places. At last he discovered Sandpoint and settled down, working the past 14 years as the food and beverage director at Schweitzer Mountain Resort before striking out on his new venture, Loaf & Ladle, which opened this past spring. Steve Nye, 34, grew up in Colorado, and
PHOTOS BY BETH HAWKINS
attended college in Wisconsin and Arizona while working in restaurant kitchens. He was in Florida when his aunt, who lives in North Idaho, sent him literature about the culinary scene in the region. Nye landed a sous chef job at Cavanaugh’s on Priest Lake, and moved up to head chef during his 8-year stint. Ready to retire from “resort life,” Nye moved to Sandpoint, where he heads up the kitchen at Baxters on Cedar.
Michael Williams
Steve Nye
What influenced your love of cooking?
My mother was always cooking, and we would have large holiday parties. I was a pot-scrubber at 15 and around busy kitchens, cooking all through school. Now my kids help out here at the restaurant and my wife runs the front of the house.
My mother would take me out to nice restaurants, and at a young age I was eating things like oysters. When I was 16, I got a job working in a bakery.
What’s your favorite ingredient?
For me, fresh hot peppers – I love them all. For the restaurant, our goal is food that you’d serve to your kids at home, so it would be our locally sourced meats and ingredients.
That’s tough, I love using so many ingredients. I would say shallots, because they can be mild and sweet. I start a lot of my sauces off with shallots.
What’s your favorite dish that you serve?
The chicken sandwich with mayo, chips and a Colombian green sauce, or the chicken and waffles - we designed the menu so you can eat from it all day long. Another favorite is our homemade sourdough bread, baked fresh every day.
The crab cakes. It’s a recipe that I’ve been developing. I use two different types of crab, and keep it simple with fresh ingredients. My new favorite is the lobster rolls. Everyone from back East say they taste authentic.
What food trends do you follow?
I’m too busy to follow trends, but we’re passionate about sourcing local products. Every dish that we serve is planted in the region it came from, so I’m more immersed in the tradition of the food.
I try to be aware of everyone’s diet restrictions, gluten-free and vegetarian. I always have something up my sleeve for them.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Snowboarding, shed hunting, fly fishing and just being outdoors. But it’s something I haven’t done lately, since I’ve worked every day since we opened. I love being around my kids and swimming.
I like to shoot pool because it takes me away. I belong to the Sandpoint Pool League.
Any alternate career dreams if you weren’t a chef?
It’s something I still may do, be an EMT on an ambulance. I’ve been with people after accidents, and I’d like to learn all of the technical components of what goes on in those situations.
In high school I wanted to be a professional golfer, but that didn’t pan out. I played collegiate golf my freshman year.
What advice would you give future chefs?
Don’t watch the Food Network and fall in love with cooking. Spend five years working in the front of the house, the back of the house and see it all. Go work in different towns.
It’s not that glamorous; it’s not what’s on TV. Holidays, you’re working, and having a weekend off? Forget it. I love it, though, it’s a passion.
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ocal photographer and native Amy Peterson uses her mom’s venison pep-
per steak as an easy, go-to meal. There’s no pizazz or drama, just simple country cooking featuring deer meat from the fall harvest. “My mom (Darlene Sawyer) used to make it and I loved it and just
INGREDIENTS 1 pound venison steak, cut 1 inch thick 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 cup flour ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef broth ¼ cup light soy sauce 3 bell peppers any color, sliced 2 cans/jars of chopped tomatoes (any style) 2 teaspoons cornstarch ¼ cup cold water
E AT S & D R I N KS
L
K Venison Pepper steakL
keep making it,” Peterson said. “It is a hearty, yummy recipe and works great on that ‘tough’ steak that you want to cook awhile and tenderize.”
i
DIRECTIONS Slice the venison into strips ¼ inch wide. Dredge in flour-salt-pepper mixture. Then heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in electric skillet or frying pan on medium-high heat. Brown the strips on both sides. Add onion, garlic and bell peppers and cook around four or five minutes. Add the broth, soy sauce and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low heat. Dissolve the cornstarch in cold water. Stir into the skillet stirring constantly until thickened, around 2 minutes. Serve over the top of cooked rice or egg noodles.
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Layer up! Lasagna soothes our winter soul
N
oodles, sauce, cheese, more noodles, more sauce, more cheese …. lasagna is the perfect blend of savory Italian flavor and traditional comfort food. No wonder Americans hold this lay-
g
ered dish in high regard. And its casserole qualities make it an easy go-to on a long winter’s night. If you’d rather not spend the better part of a day shopping for ingredients, assembling and then cooking your own pan of lasagna, there are some supereasy and delicious options ‘round town. Perhaps the biggest secret in the Sandpoint lasagna world is the homemade take-and-bakes sold at Miller’s Country Store, 1326 Baldy Mountain Road. According to the store’s assistant
Miller’s Zesty Lasagna PHOTO BY LAURA WAHL
Rice crusts & soy cheese now available
“Out of this W orld”
SINCE 1994
• Delivery • Sandwiches • Calzones • Specialty Salads • Homemade Dough • Beer/Wine • Take & Bakes
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The Carolyn
215 S. 2nd Ave.
263-9321
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E AT S & D R I N KS
manager Marie Wisler, the lasagna recipe was concocted for a wedding – specifically, the daughter of owner Nan Miller and her late husband, Rod. It’s become a huge hit with folks wanting to skip the prep work, but still eat a delicious meal at home. “One special thing about the meat sauce is that it’s a little bit spicy,” Wisler said. The zesty lasagna is made with local hamburger from Wood’s Meats; there’s also a veggie lasagna made with squash and spinach. Several sizes of lasagna are available in the freezer case. Wisler also advises that if customers want to call early in the day, Miller’s can make sure a pan of lasagna is thawed out by pick-up time. A savory option for dine-in, as well as take-out, is Ivano’s Ristorante, 102 S. First Ave. Customers have nothing but high praise for both the vegetarian and the meat lasagnas; the Bolognese sauce is made with hamburger and sausage that’s ground in-house, and the vegetarian version is layered with veggies and marinara. So what sets Ivano’s lasagna apart from the rest? “We use a bescia-
mella white sauce instead of ricotta,” said chef Dustin Reichold. “It’s rich and creamy, and we add mozzarella and parmesan.” Available year-round, lasagna can be ordered to go in three different sizes – serving four, eight or 20. Vegetable lasagna is also a takeand-bake staple at Winter Ridge Natural Foods, 703 Lake St., where deli supervisor Brittney Bergman said it’s made with gluten-free rice lasagna noodles instead of wheat: “It tastes just like regular pasta; you can’t tell the difference.” Layered up with zucchini, carrots and onions, Winter Ridge’s lasagna has inhouse marinara and lots of mozzarella, parmesan and ricotta. The lasagna is made fresh daily, and the take-and-bake pan feeds between two and four people. Winter Ridge can also have the lasagna available for catered events; and on an occasional basis it can be found in the deli hot bar. For vegans who don’t do cheese, check out the vegan mac and cheese in the hot bar – it’s made with Winter Ridge’s own cheese that contains no dairy.
DiLun a’s Sa n d p o i n t ’ s
Freshest
Seafood
Open wednesday&friday 620 N 5th Avenue 208.263.3474 flyingfishco.com
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Carrying the Ivano’s Food legacy forward
O
PHOTO COURTESY OF IVANO’S
n the wall, the same photos of Ivano’s “regulars” are still hanging; with a warm welcome, nearly all the same staff are greeting diners; and at the table, the same delicious Italian cuisine is served. It’s as if Jim Lippi – founder of Ivano’s Ristorante at 102 S. First Ave. – is right around the corner, helping with kitchen preparations ahead of a busy evening. Lippi passed away in May from cancer, but his kind presence and keen business acumen lives on in Above, Ivano’s founder Jim Lippi died the continuing success of the restaurant in May. Lippi groomed Dustin Reichold he started more than three decades ago. and Nolan Smith, pictured at right, to While Lippi’s widow, Pam, and family take the restaurant into the future. remain as majority shareholders, Nolan PHOTO BY BETH HAWKINS Smith, 37, and Dustin Reichold, 40, stepped in to fill the void left by Jim and are now the restaurant’s operating managers and part owners. “Jim had been grooming us for a while,” Reichold said. “We took on more responsibilities and more work.” Both men started working at Ivano’s as teenagers, Smith as a dishwasher and alongside the kitchen staff all day, Jim was Reichold as a lunch cook. “He was like a a tireless presence. “It’s taken the two of us father to me,” Reichold said. Smith echoes just to try and fill his shoes,” Smith said. those sentiments: “I admired so many While the sadness of losing Jim continthings about him.” At the top of their list of ues, the smooth transition on the business admirable qualities was the fact that Jim side hasn’t been lost on Ivano’s most loyal was a hard worker. From pressure-washing customers. “We’ve had nothing but support the parking lot in the mornings, to working from them,” Smith said. “That’s part of the
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Simple. Honest. Good.
M-F 11-9
208-217-0884 www.loaf-ladle.com 124 S. Second Ave. Sandpoint SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
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bigger family of Ivano’s – the customers.” As it has for more than 30 years, Ivano’s is still serving the same delicious Italian-inspired dinners, and is open seven days a week for dinner starting at 4:30 p.m. The catering business led by Liz Evans continues to keep the staff bustling year-round.
#1 on tripadvisor
Locally Sourced Ingredients Sa-Su 9-9
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“It’s taken the two of us just to try and fill his shoes.”
Baxters on Cedar is Sandpoint’s new favorite restaurant!
SERVING LUNCH & DINNER phone208.BAX.TERS webBaxtersOnCedar.com 109 Cedar St. Sandpoint, ID 83864
Hand Crafted Ice Cream Espresso • Baked Goods PanhandleConeandCoffee.com
208.265.8996
216 N. First Ave • Sandpoint, ID
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Local DISH
NEWS AND EVENTS FOODIES NEED TO KNOW Cedar Street Bistro and Coffee Shop on the historic Cedar Street Bridge, 334 N. First Ave., is a unique downtown venue to escape from the weather but still enjoy the scenic outdoors with its spectacular windows overlooking Sand Creek. Bistro owner Tim Frazier said that along with exceptional coffee drinks, gourmet and breakfast sandwiches, and stone-baked pizzas, they’ve expanded their huckleberry product line. “We now have the largest selection of huckleberry products in North Idaho,” Frazier said. A new addition to the bistro The Breakfast Sandwich served on a grilled English mufin the near future is the installation of a fin at Cedar Street Bistro. COURTESY PHOTO Diedrich coffee roaster, manufactured in nearby Ponderay. of home-baked cookies and bars that are Calling all soup lovers! If you’re looking perfect for family gatherings or the office. for a gourmet spin on your favorite recipes, For an authentic taste of Christmas tradiSpuds Waterfront Grill, 102 N. First Ave., tion, seasonal German stollen (sweet bread always has a variety of handmade soups on that’s made with rum-soaked fruit) is availthe menu – with new recipes being developed this winter. A popular favorite any time of year is the tomato basil bisque, which is a hearty choice for vegetarians, as well. Open daily for lunch; and don’t forget that they’re open for breakfast, too – enjoy a savory breakfast sandwich such as the Santa Fe, made with your choice of sausage or bacon, fried egg, fire-roasted salsa and cream cheese. You know it’ll be good – it’s Spuds! For all things holiday, put Pine Street Bakery, 710 Pine St., on your list. The bakery, co-owned by Julia Knadler, is anticipating a busy holiday season ahead by bringing back their gift platters – featuring a variety
able mid-November onward. Other new breads are being developed, including the sourdough; what a perfect excuse to check back in often! In the rush to and fro during holiday shopping and entertaining, Pine Street Bakery is open for lunch and serves up homemade soups paired with homemade bread, among other menu items. There’s lots of fun going on this winter at Di Luna’s Cafe, 207 Cedar St. The cafe hosts painting parties called Palettes Uncorked – evenings where participants can come in and
E AT S & D R I N K S
THE
Local * Natural * Delicious
Deli * Salad Bar * Bulk * Bakery Fresh Meat * Seafood * Dairy Grocery * Organic Produce Espresso * Supplements * Wine Kombucha * Health and Beauty Soups ~ Sandwiches ~ Pies
502 Church Street • Sandpoint • 208-265-2208
703 W Lake Street at Boyer St. www.WinterRidgeFoods.com 208-265-8135 W I N T E R 2 0 17
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Eats & Drinks with Beth Hawkins
THE
Local DISH
NEWS AND EVENTS FOODIES NEED TO KNOW
Evans Brothers’ Big TImber blend is heavenly before – and after – a ski run at Schweitzer.
enjoy delicious food, sip on wine, and learn to paint under the tutelage of local artist Randy Wilhelm. For a schedule of the parties, as well as upcoming farm-to-table dinners, wine dinners, and dinner concerts check the website at www.DiLunas.com. Another winter mood brightener is the cafe’s new mimosa bar. “It features all different kinds of mimosas,” said owner Karen Forsythe. The selection of flavors are wildly inventive, including Di Luna’s own Sweet Tart concoction made with Japanese haskap berries and champagne, a Cherry Pie with tart cherry juice from Paradise Farms in Bonners Ferry, a Poinsettia featuring cranberry, orange and grenadine, and the “DiLunatic” with mango, cherry, grapefruit, and sriracha (yikes!). “We also started doing Saketinis - they’re cocktails made with a Sake base,” said Forsythe. OK, we’re calling it right now – Di Luna’s is a winter-boredom buster! It’s all comfort and joy at Evans Brothers Coffee, 524 Church St., where a welcoming atmosphere and expanded seating make this local hangout a preferred place to meet up with friends and colleagues while enjoying fast and free Wi-Fi. Its handcrafted drinks are a thing of beauty, where latte art comes standard. And for a quick cup of coffee, Evans Brothers’ drip is freshly brewed and ready to go. Beans can be purchased at the coffee shop, including the organic Big Timber blend – a great all-day flavor that’s described as rich smokiness, creamy milk chocolate, and full body that’s named
after the Evans brothers’ favorite ski run at Schweitzer Mountain Resort! The creative flavors of ice cream at Panhandle Cone and Coffee, 216 S. First Ave., just get more ingenious as the seasons roll along. Owner Jason Dillon said fall’s palette, including Honey Chai Praline and Pumpkin Pie, transition into Christmastime flavors through the holidays with such tempting concoctions as Peppermint with White Chocolate Flecks, plus a traditional favorite, Eggnog. One of the more imaginative flavor combinations is just too intriguing not to try – Honey and Frankincense. “It’s made from tree resin, but it will be more of a floral, honey type of thing,” Dillon said. “It’s a fun way to do something creative.” Dillon said the shop will run a special Below: The new popper burger at Jalapeño’s.
sushi & Japanese cuisine open wed-sun
shogasushi.com//208 //208 265 2001 //
41 Lakeshore Drive, Sagle, Idaho 83860 122
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newest fad flavors as the seasons come and go. PHOTO COURTESY PANHANDLE CONE & COFFEE
through the holidays – purchase a $20 gift card and receive a coupon toward a free ice cream or coffee. A treat for them, a treat for you! Exciting new menu items make their debut at Jalapeño’s Mexican Restaurant, 314 N. Second Ave. “We still have all the old favorites so no worries there, but there will be some new choices,” said owner Dave Vermeer. Tops on the menu – and tops on your plate! – is the piled-high jalapeño popper burger. A juicy, hand-pressed beef Sweet Lou’s packs a mean burger, especially after a day playing in the snow.
patty is topped with lettuce and two cream cheese-stuffed jalapeno poppers, and then smothered with queso. Served with fries or a salad, this is a meal that dares for anyone to leave hungry. Another notable new offering is a blackened chicken and mango salad, featuring Litehouse bleu cheese dressing and topped with house-made mango salsa. Customers also love the chili Colorado featuring tender pork that’s simmered in a red chili sauce and served with rice and beans. ”This is so highly requested that we added it not only as an entrée plate but also as a specialty burrito with beans and rice inside the tortilla,” Vermeer said. Choices are a very good thing! Sweet Lou’s Restaurant and Bar, 477272 Highway 95 in Ponderay, is a local favorite in the area, serving up steaks, burgers and more in a laid-back, sports-bar atmosphere. And now the secret’s out, as the eatery
expands to the south with a new Sweet Lou’s Restaurant and Taphouse opening mid-November in Coeur d’Alene. Back to the Ponderay location, smoked prime rib returns for the winter menu. But a reminder, it’s only served Friday and Saturday nights. Pizza fans will be happy to know that Trinity at City Beach, 58 Bridge St., is bringing all of their pizzas back on the winter menu. Also, owner Justin Dick said there are several other new additions including a paella made with shrimp, mussels, clams, chicken, chorizo, onions and tomatoes, slowly simmered with rice in a savory saffron-seafood broth. And for those who love venison, an intriguing new Venison Osso Buco features New Zealand shanks that are slow cooked until tender, and served with a savory pan sauce.
E AT S & D R I N KS
Left: Panhandle Cone and Coffee serves up the
Natural beer, food & fun!
Tasty food & great coffee
On the historic Cedar St. Bridge 208.265.4396 www.cedarstbistro.com
Come visit us today at one of our two locations: Family Friendly Brewpub
312 N First Ave.
220 Cedar St.
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Beer Hall & Brewery
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e QD Downtown Sandpoint
Dining Map
To Schweitzer
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Healing Garden
Poplar
Bonner General Health
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Elks Golf Course
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Map not to scale!
Fifth Ave.
1 Café Bodega 2 Cedar St. Bistro & Coffee Shop 3 Evans Brothers Coffee 4 Panhandle Cone & Coffee 5 Pine Street Bakery 6 Flying Fish Company 7 Miller’s Country Store & Deli 8 Mojo Coyote at Schweitzer 9 Winter Ridge 0 Baxters on Cedar - Chimney Rock at Schweitzer = Connie’s Café q Di Luna’s Café w Forty-One South e Loaf & Ladle r Pie Hut t Spuds Waterfront Grill y Sweet Lou’s u Trinity at City Beach i Eichardt’s Pub & Grill o MickDuff’s Brewing Co. Brewpub p Bangkok Cuisine [ Jalapeño’s Restaurant ] Second Avenue Pizza \ Shoga @ Forty-One South a Idaho Pour Authority s Laughing Dog Brewing d MickDuff’s Brewing Co. Beer Hall &
]
Marina
AMENITIES KEY Waterfront Dining Outdoor Dining Full Bar Serves Breakfast Open Late Night
w\ To Sagle
Coeur d’Alene
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Guide
Restaurant index by type of cuisine Locate by number on dining map
DELICATESSEN & MARKET
BAKERIES, COFFEE & CAFÉS
6Flying Fish Company
620 N. Fifth Ave. Featuring the finest selection of fresh seafood in North Idaho, including salmon, Idaho ruby trout, halibut and sushi lines. Also try the house-smoked salmon, cheese, and almonds. Open 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday. 208-263-FISH.
1Café Bodega
504 Oak St., inside Foster’s Crossing at Fifth and Cedar. Revitalize yourself at Café Bodega, featuring an assortment of superior sandwiches, salads, homemade soups, all organic espresso bar, whole leaf tea and fresh baked goods. Café available for catered evening events. 208-263-5911.
DINING GUIDE
DINING
7Miller’s Country Store & Deli
2 Cedar St. Bistro & Coffee Shop
1326 Baldy Mountain Rd. Wholesome goodness with a selection of fine deli meats and cheeses, bulk food items, pie fillings, and delicious fresh-baked pies, breads and pastries – plus soup and sandwiches to go or eat in, and take-home dinners. Inside seating. 208-263-9446.
334 N. First Ave. on the historic Cedar Street Bridge. Experience tasty food and great coffee in a truly unique setting. Exceptional coffee drinks and delectable pastries, handcrafted Gelato (Italian ice cream), grilled gourmet sandwiches and wraps, stone-baked pizzas, desserts and savory crepes, fresh salads and homemade soups. Open from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. 208-265-4396.
8Mojo Coyote at Schweitzer
10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. Enjoy a fresh Evans Brothers espresso and treat your sweet tooth to a warm scone. Freshbaked pastries, breakfast burritos and lunch specials. Fine selection of beer and wine. 208-255-3037.
3 Evans Brothers Coffee
524 Church St. Located in downtown Sandpoint’s historic Granary Arts District. Enjoy exceptional coffees and espresso, including the popular Headwall Espresso Blend. Locally baked pastries, breakfast burritos and more. 208-265-5553.
9Winter Ridge Natural Foods
703 Lake St. A natural foods grocery store with in-house deli, bakery, meat department, organic produce department and hot food bar with indoor seating. Open daily, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 208-265-8135.
4Panhandle Cone and Coffee
216 N. First Ave. Opens at noon TuesdaySaturday. Purveyor of handcrafted ice creams, espressos, and baked goods in downtown Sandpoint. Plenty of seating indoors, or hop on the Panhandle bike parked outside. 208-265-8996.
ECLECTIC / FINE DINING
5Pine Street Bakery
710 Pine St. European pastries, breads, homemade sandwiches, and cakes made using quality ingredients. Coffees, espresso drinks and teas plus indoor seating. Open Monday to Friday at 7 a.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. 208-263-9012.
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0Baxters on Cedar
109 Cedar St. Open Monday through Saturday, serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., happy hour 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., and dinner 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Daily specials, fresh local products. From steaks and chops to half-pound burgers, great salads, and Baxters’ signature Key Lime pie. 208-2298377. SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
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e Qe D D -Chimney Rock at Schweitzer
tSpuds Waterfront Grill
=Connie’s Café
ySweet Lou’s
qDi Luna’s Café
uTrinity at City Beach
10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. Fireplaces, comfortable seating in the bar, and diverse cuisine. Enjoy an extensive menu including high-quality steaks, hearty pasta, scrumptious salads and exquisite seafood. Open daily inside the Selkirk Lodge at Schweitzer. 208-255-3071.
102 N. First Ave. On Sand Creek overlooking the marina. Spuds creates everything from scratch; from every dressing, sauce and soup, to elaborate baked potatoes, loaded salads, breakfast sandwiches and more. Stay in or take it to go. Spuds Waterfront Grill, a landmark restaurant in Sandpoint since 1995. 208-265-4311.
323 Cedar St. Open at 7 a.m. daily. Historic hospitality! Landmark Sandpoint restaurant is known as “a coffee shop with dinner house quality.” Serving made-from-scratch breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes of the highest quality. 208-255-2227.
477272 U.S. Highway 95 in Ponderay. Open every day, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Terrific traditional and regional fare. Serving hand-cut steaks, freshly ground burgers, wild salmon and smoked ribs. Family-friendly environment. Full bar. Opening a second location soon in Coeur d’Alene. 208-263-1381.
207 Cedar St. American bistro café offering regional, sustainable foods including handcut steaks, homemade soups and vegetarian cuisine. Check out our dinner concerts, posted online at www.DiLunas.com. Open Wednesday through Monday for breakfast and lunch. 208-263-0846.
58 Bridge St. Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille. Waterfront dining with an outstanding view and menu featuring seafood, steaks, salads and appetizers; great selection of wine, beer and cocktails. Open Sunday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. 208255-7558.
PUB-STYLE
41 Lakeshore Dr., Sagle. South end of the Long Bridge. Waterfront dining in an elegant lodge setting; exquisite service paired with innovative cuisine make for one of North Idaho’s premier dining experiences. Open 7 nights a week for dinner. 208-265-2000.
eLoaf & Ladle
124 S. Second Ave. Offering made-fromscratch dishes that are fresh and whole. Taste the real ingredients with food that’s chef-crafted. And don’t skip the delicious home-baked sourdough bread! Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner; Saturday and Sunday a la carte brunch. 208-217-0884.
rPie Hut
502 Church St. A gourmet café where the locals like to eat. Daily lunch specials include homemade soups, panini, pot pies, beef pasties, quiches and salads, plus fruit and cream pies. Open Tuesday through Saturday. 208-265-2208.
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iEichardt’s Pub & Grill
212 Cedar St. Relaxing pub and grill mixes casual dining with seriously good food. Completely family friendly. More than a dozen beers on tap, good wines and live music. Upstairs game room with fireplace. Locally supported and nationally recognized since 1994. Open daily at 11:30 a.m. 208263-4005.
oMickDuff’s Brewing Co. Brewpub
312 N. First Ave. Handcrafted ales in a family-friendly downtown atmosphere, brewing natural ales and root beer. Menu includes traditional and updated pub fare – gourmet hamburgers, sandwiches and handcrafted soups. 208-255-4351.
PHOTO BY FIONA HICKS
wForty-One South
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REGIONAL/ETHNIC
WINE BARS, BREWERIES & LOUNGES
aIdaho Pour Authority
[Jalapeño’s Restaurant
sLaughing Dog Brewing
]Second Avenue Pizza
dMickDuff’s Brewing Co. Beer Hall
202 N. Second Ave. Authentic Thai food, including a wide variety of vegetarian and gluten-free selections; fine selection of wine and beer, Thai tea, and coffee. Lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 208-265-4149.
314 N. Second Ave. A Sandpoint favorite for over 20 years offering both traditional and Americanized Mexican dishes in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. Full bar, patio seating, banquet facilities, gluten-free menu, quick to-go menu, indoor waterfall and fish tank offer something for everyone. 208263-2995.
215 S. Second Ave. Savor the piled-high specialty pizzas, loaded with fresh ingredients on homemade dough, or calzones, specialty salads and sandwiches. Glutenfree choices. Beer and wine, take-and-bake pizzas available. Free delivery; open daily. 208-263-9321.
\Shoga @ Forty-One South
41 Lakeshore Dr., Sagle. Premier sushi restaurant adjacent to Forty-One South. Sushi bar and magnificent sunset views overlooking Lake Pend Oreille. Plenty of non-sushi entrees as well. Open for dinner seven nights a week. 208-265-2001.
203 Cedar. Sandpoint’s premier craft beer store. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will help you find the perfect beer among our 12 rotating taps and 300 bottled beers to enjoy with us or to take home. Not into beer? We also have a great selection of ciders, wine by the glass, and gourmet cheeses and cured meat. 208-597-7096.
DINING GUIDE
pBangkok Cuisine
805 Schweitzer Plaza Dr., Ponderay. A new taproom opens this winter; stay tuned at www.LaughingDogBrewing.com for an update on the opening. 208-263-9222.
& Brewery
220 Cedar St. Brewery tasting room boasts 10 taps, local bar art, free popcorn and weekly entertainment. Beer Hall is BYOF (Bring Your Own Food)-friendly and has a beer for every taste. Ages 21 and older. 208-209-6700.
What’s Cooking Around Town?
Find Out» f Pend d’Oreille Winery
301 Cedar St. Locally made wines, tastwww.SandpointDining.com ing room, gift shop and Bistro Rouge in
the renovated and historic Belwood 301 Building. Live music on Friday and Saturday nights; lunch and dinner daily. Sip, dine and shop. 208-265-8545.
What’s Cooking Around Town?
Find Out» www.SandpointDining.com
Use the Sandpoint and northern Idaho restaurant, dining and nightclub directory to find just the right place to dine out, or step out!
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Advertiser Index 7B Property Management 94 7BTV - Hesstronics 30 Albertson & Barlow Insurance Services 112 All About Chimneys/ Sagle Stove Shop 62 All Seasons Garden & Floral 56 Alpine Shop 36 Archer Vacation Condos 111 Artisan Gallery, The 56 ArtWorks Gallery 56 Barry Fisher Custom Homes 93 Big Lake Recreation 36 Bird Aviation 62 94 Boden Architecture Bonner County Bicycles 65 Bonner County Daily Bee 104 66 Bonner County Fair 29 Bonner General Health Capital Financial 19 Century 21/ 60 RiverStone Company CO-OP Energy 24 11 Coldwell Banker 96, 102 Collin Beggs Community Assistance League/ 18 Bizarre Bazaar Copper Bay Construction Co. 102 97 Dana Construction Daugherty Management 4 Dover Bay 42 East Bonner County Library 58 122 Evans Brothers Coffee
Eve’s Leaves 18 8 Evergreen Realty -Charesse Moore 52 Festival at Sandpoint 105 Finan McDonald 23, 41, 48, 51 Fogarty Construction 102 115 Forty-One South Fosters Crossing/ Café Bodega 119 Greasy Fingers Bikes N Repair 106 Hallans Gallery 56 21 Highlands North Day Spa 19 Hive, The 33 Holiday Inn Express International Selkirk Loop 52 Jalapeño’s 6 56 Janusz Studio by the Lake 128 Keokee Books Keokee media + marketing / brand refresh 69 KPND Radio 68 LaQuinta Inn 34 22 Laughing Dog Brewing Lewis and Hawn 38, 39 Lonetree Creative 51 MeadowBrook Home & Gift 20 MickDuff’s Brewing Company 123 Miller’s Country Store 112, 114 Monarch Marble & Granite 64 Mountain West Bank 35 MQS Barns 100 Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism 70
7 North 40 Outfitters Northwest Handmade 26 Paint Bucket 105 35 Pend Oreille Shores Resort Pend d’Oreille Winery 23 Realm Realty 15 Realty Plus 101 ReStore Habitat for Humanity 51 Rock Creek Alliance 44 Sandpoint Building Supply 92 Sandpoint Business & Events Center 41 Sandpoint Marine & Motorsports 16 32, 112 Sandpoint Movers 127, 129 Sandpoint Online Sandpoint Optometry 65, 112 107 Sandpoint Storage 48 Sandpoint Super Drug 46 Sandpoint Surgical Sandpoint Technology Center 98 Sandpoint Waldorf School 106 Schweitzer Mountain Resort 131 Selkirk Craftsman 52, 102 Furniture 90 Selkirk Glass & Cabinets Selkirk Powder Company 54 Selle Valley Construction 5,102 56 Skeleton Key Art 34 Skywalker Tree Care Sleep’s Cabins 22 SPOT Bus 107 Summit Insurance 55
Super 1 Foods 47 SWAC 111 117 Sweet Lou’s 59 Talus Rock Retreat Taylor Insurance 17 The Local Pages 104 The Reader 106 The River Journal 64 Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby’s 2, 132 -Cindy Bond 3 -Rich Curtis/Karen Nielsen 87 Trinity at City Beach 6 Western Pleasure Guest Ranch 16 Winter Ridge Natural Foods 121
ADVERTISING INFORMATION
Get current rate sheet at www.SandpointMagazine.com Sales Director Clint Nicholson 208.263-3573 ext. 123 or e-mail: clint@keokee.com
Go Exploring with Keokee Guide Books www.KeokeeBooks.com NEW EDITION
$26
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Marketpl ace Your Buick, GMC truck dealer. New and used sales and leasing. Full service, parts and body shop. Highway 95 N., Ponderay, 208-263-2118, 1-800-430-5050. www.AlpineMotors.net The best skin care Sandpoint has to offer! Extensive menu of facial and body treatments. Full-body waxing. Serene, relaxing environment. Geneé Jo Baker, certified esthetician. sugeeskincare@yahoo.com, 324 S. Florence Ave., 208-263-6205. A marketing communications firm providing Web design and hosting, search engine optimization and marketing, graphic design, public relations, editorial and media consultation. 405 Church St., 208-263-3573. www.keokee.com
North Idaho Insurance A full-service, independent insurance agency serving North Idaho since 1978. Business or personal risks: property, liability, workers comp, bonding, home, auto, life and health. 102 Superior St., 208-263-2194. www.NorthIdahoIns.com
Over 26 years of rental management experience. Tenant screening, rent collection, accounting, maintenance and marketing. Residential, commercial and mini storage. Friendly, prompt service. 204 E. Superior, 208-263-4033. www.RLPropertyManagement.com
Scandinavian countries represented in this specialty shop. Kitchen items, table tops, candles, electric candle holders, books, cards, rugs, pewter Vikings, mugs, Danish iron candle holders and year-round Christmas. 319 N. First Ave., 208-263-7722. Special gifts for special people. Vera Bradley bags, Big Sky Carvers, Baggallini, Tyler and BeanPod candles, souvenirs, balloon bouquets, Hallmark cards, books, gift wrap, stationery. 306 N. First Ave., 208-263-2811. Offering the latest bestsellers, office supplies, machine supplies and free delivery in Sandpoint. Order online. 201 Cedar St., 208-263-2417. www.Vanderfords.com
SVR is a full-service property management company with 12 years of experience. Offering vacation rental properties and long-term rentals in Sandpoint and surrounding areas, including waterfront homes, lakefront condos, Schweitzer Mountain vacation rentals, homes at the Idaho Club, and many other rental properties. www.SandpointVacationRentals.com. 208-263-7570 or 866-263-7570
Sandpoint FREE classified ads
Got something to sell? Looking for good deals, a place to rent, a job, a ride share ... or even looking for love? Post for free, or browse hundreds of ads in Sandpoint’s own version of Craigslist. Go to www.SandpointClassifieds.com.
Marsha Lord
Psychic with Integrity, 35 years experience $100/hr $50/ 30 minutes. Call Me Crazy Adventures of a Psychic $15.95 www.psychicMarshaLord. com or email marsha@ psychicmarshalord.com
Get in the Marketplace! To advertise here, call 208-263-3573 ext. 123 or e-mail adsales@keokee.com
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SANDPOINT OF VIEW
The Rearview Mirror words by
T
here’s a joke that one of the top scenes in Montana is Butte in your rearview mirror. The more I think about it, the more I realize what a wonderful metaphor the rearview mirror is – even at the expense of poor Butte. What other device allows you to look forward while glancing back? I have had a lot of time to gaze into my rearview mirror the past two years since my job as publisher at the Bonner County Daily Bee ended after nearly three decades with various titles. This isn’t the place for the story behind that story. But after all our years in Sandpoint, as my family made the move to Billings this year, I was reminded it wasn’t just me starting a forced adventure. There was Marlisa, my wife of 25 years and fourth-generation Bonner County resident, as well as Olivia, our high school daughter. Our son, Austin, was at college.
THINGS THAT STUCK The rearview mirror of the moving truck offered a breathtaking view of the Long Bridge and mountains the morning I headed south on Highway 95. The rearview mirror in my mind also filled with vivid memories. So what comes to mind when leaving Sandpoint? In no particular order, here are some things that stuck: • Is it Lake Pend Oreille or Pend Oreille Lake? Why are there many spellings of Pend O’Reille? (I am kind of partial to phonetically simple Ponderay.) • Why doesn’t the Long Bridge have a cooler name? My suggestion is “the damn bridge that can cause traffic to back up for miles because one driver has a flat tire and there is no other way around” bridge. (The Long Bridge should have a 130
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long name.) • City Beach is a vanilla name too. • Dog Beach and Bare Ass Beach are real, and have great names! • Sandpoint is a walking town. Really? • The Town Square isn’t. • The Daily Bee isn’t. • Sand Creek Byway isn’t. But it is a stage for breathtaking views, east or west.
MORE MUSINGS There are other random musings brought to the rearview mirror of my mind. Sandpoint is caring. It throws epic parties like Lost in the ‘50s while also supporting residents in need. I will never forget sitting with Olivia during the ceremony for local hero U.S. Air Force Capt. David Lyon, killed in Afghanistan. The entire town lined the streets in 2014 to welcome him home. I will also remember Kai Luttmann, who was on Earth for only seven weeks. His parents, Ryan and Nikki Luttmann, ensured his memory made a difference. Sandpoint takes a learning curve. People have told me there is nothing to do here. I say there are more ways to get involved here than most places, and to seek opportunities. If you’re looking for cultural diversions every single night, you won’t find that. You will find cool happenings at the Panida and The Hive. The Festival at Sandpoint is a world-class gem. This summer one could attend a rodeo or a symphonic concert on the same night. But there is a learning curve. Old-timers versus newcomers. That’s a natural tension, and it brings to mind a story. Not so many years ago a newcomer was walking past the Daily Bee office, when he heard a curious scritch-scritch noise coming from under a blue tarp in a pickup. At that same moment, an old-timer named
David Keyes
Gil Barbee was visiting me. Gil had earned acclaim that summer trapping eight skunks near the museum. He baited the live trap with half a hotdog. He would wait for a skunk to waddle into the trap overnight and then slowly cover the trap in the morning. Then ever-so-carefully he would load the trap into the back of his pickup and drive “into the woods” to deposit said skunk. As he described it in my office that morning, he was a perfect eight for eight in skunk removals. “Yep, I have been pretty lucky,” he said, detailing how to handle a peeved skunk. “You have to move slowly and let them know you aren’t going to hurt them. In fact, in the pickup right now I have the ninth … sniff, sniff ... HOLY HELL!” He sprinted out the door and was immediately met by skunk stench and the sight of a grown man rolling on the sidewalk by his pickup, screaming and rubbing his eyes. The stranger had green skunk goo on his face. “He is probably from California and will sue me!” Gil yelled as he sped off in his truck. The newcomer, actually a new arrival from Oregon, explained his curiosity had led him to peek under the tarp. His face was seven inches from the skunk during the explosion. Old-timers would never look under the tarp in someone else’s pickup. In other words, if you want to get along in Sandpoint don’t stick your nose in other people’s business – or under blue tarps.
MEET ME IN MONTANA I grew up in Montana, graduated from high school and college in Montana. Montana is where the Keyes family now resides. I have a great new job. But I will miss many things about Sandpoint, including the Long Bridge. It still takes me home
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