M A G A Z I N E
IMAGINE
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT
Right here, 15,000 years ago. A giant sheet of ice. Colossal Ice Age floods.
& 001v2_SMS11.indd 1
Interview with Nike Air Jordan architect Tinker Hatfield, Adventure Motorbiking, River Paddling, Extreme Plein Air in the Scotchmans, Clark Fork Turns 100, Pend Oreille’s Storied Fishery, Calendars, Dining, Real Estate ... and a lot more
5/9/11 9:40 AM
www.TSSIR.com NEW! Anytime Info
For recorded information or to speak to the listing agent, call 208.449.0071 and use the 5-digit property code.
150’ deeded prIest lAKe WAterfront. 4,842 sq. ft., 7 bdrm/5 ba. huge views of the lake. sandy, low bank beach. Wood carvings in hearth and stairway. Boat and pWC lifts. $2,095,000. mls # 21000897. www.idahocrownjewel.com tom Barnes 208-290-1286 for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #10151
huGe 4 Bd/3.5 BA, 4,280 sq. ft home on lamb Cr. minutes from priest lake and golf course. Backs up to usfs. 2 large shops, screened-in gazebo. Granite kitchen counter tops. tile and carpet floors. $425,000. www.homeonthecreek.com tom Barnes 208-290-1286 for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #10871
sInGle level home built in 2000 with hangar on private airstrip in spirit lake. Wooded five acres is fenced and has a huge heated shop adjoining the hangar for over 4,500 sq. ft. of workspace. fly out from your own back yard. $379,000 linda tolley 208-561-1234 for Anytime Info Call 208-449-0071 #11461
ChArmInG home WIth open floor plAn. Conveniently located close to downtown, schools & all the best that sandpoint has to offer! upgrades include tile & wood flooring, landscaping & large fenced backyard with south facing garden boxes. $179,900 Bonnie Chambers 208-946-7920. for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #12861
AWesome lAKe vIeWs from this custom home on 20 acres only mins from sandpoint. 3 bed, 3 bath, 4239 sf., master suite w/fireplace. Gourmet kitchen with granite, stone fireplace, inside 8x30 lap pool. private setting with lots of wildlife to enjoy! mickie Caswell 208-290-5116. for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #10721
Artfully InspIred 2,429 sq. ft. 3 Bd, 2.5 BA home on .45 acre wooded lot. open floor plan, professional kitchen, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors & granite on all counters w/tile in all baths, vaulted ceilings & rock fireplace. Golf membership to stoneridge Golf Course included! William stinson 208-437-2504. for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #11451
BeAutIful 2,480 sq. ft. 4 Bd, 3 BA home on a wooded .42 acre lot is a custom masterpiece. professional kitchen, granite, stainless steel appliances, floor to ceiling rock fireplace, slate floors and 2 car garage. Golf membership to stoneridge Golf Course included! William stinson 208-437-2504. for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #11421
stunnInG 2004 exeCutIve home, 3,968 sq. ft., 4Bd, 4BA, 3 master suites! open floor plan includes granite, stainless steel appliances, pantry, full daylight basement with surround sound & wet bar. Amazing alpine views of stoneridge Golf Course & lake sans souci. William stinson 208-437-2504. for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #11161
Bonnie Chambers
Linda Tolley
Tom Barnes
Mickie Caswell
William Stinson
®REALTOR
®REALTOR
®REALTOR
®REALTOR
®REALTOR
© MMVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Claud Monet’s “Red Boats at Argenteuil,” used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc.
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 2
5/7/11 2:38 PM
Now serving the North Idaho region Sandpoint Branch 200 Main Street Sandpoint, Idaho 208.263.5101 800.282.6880
Coeur d’Alene Branch 1400 Northwood Center Court, Suite 200 Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 208.667.1551 800.621.3163
phenomenAl, WAterfront property, minutes from downtown sandpoint. This amazing property features a beautiful 3800 sq. ft. family home with 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a gourmet kitchen, 100’ of river frontage, an expansive lawn leading to a sandy beach and a boat dock. $899,000. Call Beth hall 208-610-5858
An extrAordInAry Custom 4,000 sq. ft. hand-crafted round-log home of the finest quality with a beautiful equestrian estate on acreage including a 36’ x 41’ private barn & 2 large corrals in a luxury gated Community – The meadows at fall Creek. $992,150. www.ThelodgeAtfallCreek.com Call merry 208-255-9444. for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #10441
BeAutIful 3,262 sf home W/ CommunIty WAterfront on lake pend oreille. new kitchen, 4 bedrooms, den, family room & fabulous floor plan + new landscaping w/sprinkler system, sidewalks, storage building & greenhouse. seller Asks $347,900. www.TheCottagesBungalow.com Call merry 208-255-9444. for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #11681
660+ feet of prIvAte WAterfront and parked-out grounds. 4 bed, 2 baths, guest wing, rv parking, large deck, stone paths, mature trees and white sandy beach all on the point of beautiful fry Creek! $989,000. Chris Chambers: 208-290-2500 for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #10451
true CrAftsmAn style, green-built home in sandpoint. 4 bed, 4 baths with gorgeous colors and warm wood floors. low maintenance and easy access to all of sandpoint’s amenities. $379,000. Chris Chambers: 208-290-2500 for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #10831
Wonderfully spACIous exeCutIve home in northshore, one of sandpoint’s best waterfront neighborhoods. 5 bedrooms, separate living room and large family/game room. private master suite located on the second floor with walk-in closet and en suite master bath. A great value! Chris Chambers 208-290-2500. for anytime info call 208-449-0071 #11331
exquIsItely detAIled 2006, 4,742 sq. ft., 5 Bd, 3 BA, CrAftsmAn home with 110 feet of lake sans souci frontage. Inspired and artfully constructed, this wonderful home pleases with professional kitchen, open floor plan, main floor master suite, 3+car garage & panoramic lakefront views. William stinson 208-437-2504. for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #11091
BeAutIful Ground level Condo has recently been remodeled with upgrades throughout & is located on the 9th green of stoneridge Golf Course. 1,040 sq. ft., 2bd, 2ba, granite counters & separate entry to main floor master suite. William stinson 208-437-2504 for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #13081
GorGeous, ContemporAry home with breathtaking views of lake pend oreille & sandpoint. 4,178 sq. ft. home has 4 bdrms & 3 baths with two master suites & gourmet kitchen. 2 car+boat garage. outdoor spa overlooks the lake. southern exposure on 154 feet of waterfront. doug 208-290-5183 or shelley 208-290-5453. for Anytime Info call 208-449-0071 #10141
Beth Hall
Merry Brown-Hayes
Chris Chambers
Shelley Healy
Doug Chait
®REALTOR
®REALTOR
®REALTOR
®REALTOR
®REALTOR
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.
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 3
5/7/11 2:38 PM
FINAN Mc DONALD CLOTHING COMPANY
301 N. First Ave 210 Sherman Ave Sandpoint, ID Coeur d’Alene, ID
208.263.3622 208.765.4349
FinanMcDonald.com 001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 4
5/7/11 2:39 PM
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 5
5/7/11 2:39 PM
Charlie Parrish
Cindy Hunter
Phil Albanese
Pat Lewis
Becky Freeland
Charesse Moore
Curt Hagan
Diane Holmes
Ron Nova
Kathy Robinson
Kevin Holmes
Lynn Wells
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
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 6
5/7/11 2:39 PM
S A N DP OI NT MAGAZINE
CONTENTS
Summer 2011, Vo l. 21, No . 2
FEATURES 66 Sculpted by Ice Age floods
Cover: The story of colossal waters that shaped northern Idaho and beyond. Plus: A new geological field guide explores Ice Age floods’ northern reaches
33 On the Air KRFY brings listener-supported radio to Sandpoint 37 David Thompson on the Columbia in 1811
Commemorating the fur trader’s historic journey. Plus: Columbia River Brigade
39 Dead Men Tell No Tales
Nine local cemeteries hold important clues to the past. Plus: Tips for a visit
43 Adventure Riding Sport embraces Panhandle’s plethora of dirt roads
55
47 A Storied Fishery
Recovery efforts are putting the ‘K&K’ back into Lake Pend Oreille
Natives & Newcomers 107 Lodging 112 Eats & Drinks 113 Dining Guide 120 Sandpoint of View 128
55 On Moving Waters Kayaking and lazy floats on the Priest, Moyie and Pack rivers
60 Cedar Giants Trees dwarf hikers, bikers on Upper Priest River trails
65 Clark Fork Centennial Town’s history a cause for celebration 77 Immersion: Art, Artists and Wild Country
Scotchman Extreme Plein Air pairs backpacking and art making. Plus: Summer hiking series and two intrepid hikers who conquered the Triple Crown
DEPARTMENTS
Almanac Who, What and Why in Greater Sandpoint 10 Calendar With Hot Picks and Festival at Sandpoint calendar 23 Interview Tinker Hatfield, Nike VP and Air Jordan architect 27 Photo Essay Jump! 72 Real Estate 84 Century-old Charm Infuses a Fresh, New Home Developments Weather Downturn: Planned communities move forward Taylor & Sons moves to Ponderay. Plus: Downtown’s changing face Old-timer Realtors: Three locals reflect on three decades Marketwatch: Prices keep dropping, investors keep shopping
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 7
SUMMER 2011
84 89 92 99 104
On the cover: Patrick Orton captured this view of the Green Monarchs, compliments of the Ice Age floods, as Pete Gibson makes a backflip near Green Bay. See more in the cover story (page 66) and in the photo essay “Jump!“ (page 72). Top: In this aerial photo by Doug Marshall, the glacier-beveled Green Monarch Ridge Buttress formed when a 2,000-foot-thick sheet of ice collided into its north face, creating a temporarily tight seal for Glacial Lake Missoula. See story, page 66. Above: The Lower Pack River is suited just right for lazy floats in high summer, as shown in this Brent Clark image. See story, page 55. SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
7
5/7/11 4:52 PM
CONTRIBUTORS
editor’s note Simplify, simplify, simplify. That’s the theme for this issue. For its 21st summer issue, Sandpoint Magazine has been stripped back to the basics with a new, clean and eye-appealing design, thanks to Art Director Laura Wahl. It got me to thinking. “Simplify” is a good philosophy to carry over into our lives. How much stuff do we really need? And how much of our day do we really need to fill? Some time ago, I thought of a little saying that signifies life here: It’s a one-zip code town in a one-area code state. We who live simple lives in this groovy little town surrounded by an outdoor recreation paradise are truly blessed. This issue certainly highlights those blessings. A stunning landscape wrought by Ice Age floods. A storied fishery displaying tremendous potential for the future. Spectacular rivers for whitewater kayaking and lazy floating. Trails through stunning old-growth cedar. A proposed wilderness area scenic enough to dazzle hikers and plein air painters summer after summer. Enough dirt roads for endless adventure riding in the backcountry. A promising new community radio station. And lots of history. This issue’s theme for the photo essay – “Jump!” – is particularly fun. I hope it encourages readers to skip about once in a while and search for spots to do a little free falling. If ever anyone feels like life in a one-zip code town in a one-area code state is a little too limiting, they should try life in a more populated area. A little dose of that, and they’ll be wishing for good ol’ Sandpoint, I’m willing to bet. – B.J.P. 8
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 8
Nick Bandy
Twenty-six-year-old grew up as a Sandpoint native learning to appreciate and take advantage of the area’s activities such as snowboarding, backpacking and rock climbing, leading to his love of adventure and whitewater kayaking. As a first-time contributor, he hopes that his writings (“On Moving Waters,” page 55) provoke, entertain and motivate people to experience our local waterways. His passion for rivers and water has driven him to enroll in the University of Idaho’s geological sciences program to work on a degree in hydrology.
Ralph Bartholdt
Former newspaperman is an avid fisherman who has long been fascinated by Lake Pend Oreille’s fishery and the interplay of its many species of game fish. He tackles the topic in this issue of Sandpoint Magazine (page 47). And in Sandpoint of View (page 128), he remembers a long-gone resident from an old photograph taken in front of one of the town’s seemingly timeless taverns. As a regional journalist, Bartholdt garnered dozens of newspaper awards for reporting, storytelling and photography. Now a Keller Williams Realtor, Bartholdt is also writing a Lake Coeur d’Alene guidebook for Keokee Books.
Jennifer Lamont Leo
History enthusiast loved digging up interesting facts for the story on cemeteries (page 39), saying, “The people who lived here before us helped shape who we are today.” A member of the Bonner County Historical Society, she writes frequently on historical topics, most recently “One Thing Certain: I Will Not Cry,” a dramatic portrayal of Nell K. Irion, the Sandpoint schoolteacher who in 1920 was the first Idaho woman to run for Congress.
Matt Mills McKnight,
a new member of the Sandpoint Arts Commission, is a freelance photojournalist who moved from the Bay Area to Sandpoint in April 2010, after traveling the West working for various newspapers and magazines. In this issue he reported on Sandpoint Community Radio, a grassroots cause with potential to foster open communication between northern Idahoans of all political beliefs (page 33). He also met two Sandpoint chefs and a local family that bakes fine pastries while making images for the Eats & Drinks department (page 113). See www.mattmillsphoto.com. 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 Billie Jean Plaster Editorial Assistant Beth Hawkins Advertising Director Clint Nicholson Art Director Laura Wahl Ad Design/Production Sean Haynes Administration Catherine Anderson
Contributors Ralph Bartholdt, Nick Bandy, Katie Botkin, Buddy Chambers, Sandy Compton, Trish Gannon, Cate Huisman, Jennifer Lamont Leo, Matt Mills McKnight, Jack Nisbet, Chris Park, Eric Plummer, Carrie Scozzaro, Amie Wolf ©2011 by Keokee Co. Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Subscriptions: $12 per year. www.SandpointMagazine.com. Printed in USA BACKGROUND PHOTO BY TIM CADY
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:39 PM
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 9
5/7/11 2:39 PM
ALMANAC
Making the grandstand ‘grand’ again Community unites for War Memorial Field project
PHOTO BY BILLIE JEAN PLASTER
W
ar Memorial Field’s grandstand has served the community well – seeing generations of Sandpoint residents through decades of high school games, graduation ceremonies, concerts under the stars and other memorable events. But the clock is ticking on the aging 1946 structure, and a communitywide effort is now under way to completely rebuild this treasured asset. Friends of Memorial Field, fronted by Sandpoint
native Doug Hawkins Jr., is a cadre of volunteers that is working to raise $1.3 million in the next five years to pay for the project. First on the list of improvements is replacing the stadium lights, followed by design and engineering costs related to building the grandstand, construction of the grandstand, and finally a new scoreboard and general field repairs. Notable features of the new grandstand include seating for 1,200 (the current
stands hold 900) and ADA compliancy. The final design is scheduled to be unveiled in August. Fundraising efforts are on track, with corporations, businesses, organizations and individuals lining up to pledge their commitment. “As of now, we have raised over $200,000,” said Hawkins, in mid-April. “That says a lot about how important this project is to the community.” Funds are also being raised through the Buy a Brick drive: For $250, a brick with the sponsor’s message of choice will be incorporated into the project. As Hawkins pointed out, it’s a gesture that echoes the very nature of the grandstand project: “We will be giving the next four generations of Sandpoint a community focal point as strong as the one the 1946 generation gave all of us.” If the Sandpoint High School Bulldogs’ motto – Unlock Your Potential – is an indicator of what this community can accomplish, fans will be cheering the project through to a proud victory. Learn more or make a donation at FriendsofMemorialField.com or call 265-5404. – Beth Hawkins
They intend to put you on the SPOT (in a nice way)
T
he newest wheeled conveyance making the rounds through Sandpoint and sur-
rounds is SPOT-on. Literally.
And maybe best of all: It’s free to ride. The new bus service was spearheaded by
That’s because this spring the Selkirks-Pend
10
as the colorful buses make their rounds.
the city of Dover with the cooperation of
last fall for a new tax to provide its share. The officials who saw the opportunity for SPOT believe it will be a big benefit for both locals and tourists.
Oreille Transit (SPOT) kicks off the first-ever
Sandpoint, Ponderay and Kootenai. After
bus route from Dover through Sandpoint to
Dover secured an initial federal grant for a
from work for the residents,” said Clif Warren,
Ponderay and Kootenai, with forthcoming
bus purchase, the idea expanded and the oth-
the locally based district manager for the
connections to Schweitzer. That new “SPOT”
er cities committed money as well. Ponderay
Community Transportation Association of
acronym is about to become a familiar sight
provided key support when its citizens voted
Idaho. It will be a boon for visitors too, who
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 10
“SPOT will provide transportation to and
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:39 PM
ALMANAC
Artist recycles dying hardwood into sculpture
A
n old maple tree on Lake Street beside Sandpoint City Hall has gained new life as one of the latest public art projects through the Sandpoint Arts Commission. Local artist Tom Brunner says it was actually a couple of city employees who suggested that the tree looked like someone diving into the ground. “The Diver” took two and a half months for Brunner to complete, and it’s not done yet. This year he plans to remove the remaining bark, sand the legs and apply oil. Last year, as the tree was curing, he worked in twohour spurts wielding a chainsaw and a grinder affixed with a “Lancelot.” Anyone who remembers the former rope swing on Sand Creek can especially appreciate the sculpture’s theme. “It’s a piece of public art that’s reminiscent of our history in Sandpoint,” said Carol Deaner, chair of the Sandpoint Arts Commission. “I think it’s wonderful. Everyone loves it.” Brunner said there must have been 40 people who stopped by, all with positive comments, as he worked on it. “It’s refreshing, something fun and something unusual,” he said. The sculpture is another piece in a growing portfolio for Brunner, who also created the giant chair at Cedar and Fifth and the cement hand, bunnies and butterfly at the Children’s Garden inside The
are invited to jump on.
Hank Sturgis and mom Tricia at last year’s 24 Hours for Hank relay at Schweitzer
PHOTO BY BILLIE JEAN PLASTER
Healing Garden. This season, he is finishing work on the Farmin Park bandstand. The commission’s next installation is “The Arch” at Sand Creek. Look up www.sandpointartscommission.com to learn more and to view an inventory of public art. – Billie Jean Plaster
moniker allows.
“SPOT will be an economic driver,” said
You’ll be able to see SPOT run,
Warren.
starting in June. And the folks who
He credits the mayors of the four towns
cooked up the new free bus system
for their support, along with a gaggle of vol-
really do want to put you on the
unteer citizens and officials. That volunteer
SPOT, in a nice way, of course.
effort extended right down to the playful
For itineraries, routes and bus stops go to
SPOT name for the service, chosen with a
www.spotbus.org.
name-that-bus contest in April. Members of
LOGO DESIGN BY KEOKEE
Showing up soon at a bus stop near you, the SPOT logo will adorn buses running between Dover, Sandpoint, Ponderay and Kootenai
– Chris Bessler
the group liked the fun word play the SPOT
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 11
Artist Tom Brunner carved “The Diver” down to the knees, where it looks like pant legs rolled up to the cuff. He will finish the new sculpture at Sandpoint City Hall this summer
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
11
5/7/11 2:39 PM
ALMANAC
Creating a space for art
on the bridge
Teen volunteer Katie Shveyda, left, and Shery Meekings conduct weekly art classes for SL Start at CREATIONS on the Cedar Street Bridge
S
hery Meekings has a heart for kids, community and the arts – and a vision for bringing those things together in Sandpoint. When she first moved to Sandpoint in 2008 with daughter Grace and husband Scott, Meekings, 40, worked
at Schweitzer Mountain’s gallery, Artists’ Studio. A year later, seeing a need for a fine arts space at the Cedar Street Bridge, she opened The Gallery, showcasing mostly local artists. She also established a performance and family-oriented arts space downstairs in the bridge, called CREATIONS. When one door closes, another opens, as they say. Since the closure of the upstairs Gallery – bridge co-owner John Gillham’s wife, Lynda, has opened Carousel boutique there – Meekings now devotes her time to CREATIONS, which recently joined with Sandpoint Teen Center, a natural fit.
Both she and Teen Center Director Joan Avery recognized the need for a safe, fun place for teens in the summer near City Beach, said Meekings. And both realized some teens are interested in teaching and creating classes for their peers and the little ones. The new mentoring program facilitates teens in crafting items used by CREATIONS for fundraising and will also reward them for helping teach art to others with “bonus bucks” redeemable for activities – bowling, rock wall climbing, haircuts – at local businesses. It’s a win-win with the state of Idaho, too, which sent CREATIONS an employee via Experience Works. The extra help, coupled with such donations as art supplies and the bridge space itself, will allow CREATIONS to expand their hours, even offering courses like photography. Future plans, according to Meekings, also include building an interactive play area for all ages in the open space. She describes it as an “intelli-ground,” or not your normal playground; rather, “giant building blocks, giant tic-tac-toe, logic interactive boards, indigenous facts and interest pieces all enclosed by a Wi-Fi bar and cafe seating for grown-ups.” – Carrie Scozzaro
His eye-in-the-sky work is for the birds
J
erry Luther, 68, has done a lot of different jobs since he moved to the Inland Northwest during the “back-to-the-land” movement in 1973, but his latest endeavor, Call Jerry Aerial Photography, has even him a bit stupefied. “Who would ever believe I would be doing such a freaky thing?” he asked. Five years ago he started shooting aerial photographs by remote control, maneuvering a Falcon I airplane and Nikon camera setup weighing a mere 33 ounces, essentially orchestrating a technical and creative feat. “The requirement for focus is very intense.
12
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 12
You can’t take your eyes off the plane,” he said. Luther shoots images for Realtors, estate owners, and most notably Parsons RCI Inc., contractors for the Sand Creek bypass. Its engineering team documents monthly progress using his images, and the Bonner County Daily Bee regularly publishes his work. To shoot the bypass construction, he spends about four hours to shoot the course and eight hours to edit the photos – 350 or so that he has to narrow down to 40 images. “Especially for a man my age, it’s exciting to have something technical, it’s constant problem solving, it takes me outside,” he said.
“It’s very challenging and at the same time, it’s exhilarating.” See Luther’s photo archives at http://call jerry.biz. – Billie Jean Plaster
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:39 PM
Developer Close-Out! WE SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST. ASE E L RE ORY N! T VEN EMAI N I 2R AL LY 1 FIN N O
Furnished Condominiums from the $600’s
NOW FROM the $370’s
Furnished Single Story Penthouses from the $700’s
NOW FROM thE $410’S
two-Story Penthouses from $1.1mm
NOW FROM thE $590’S
Designer Ready* townhomes from $1.5mm
NOW FROM thE $800’S
the Beacon: Furnished two-Story Penthouse
BEST PRICING. * BEST LOCATION. * BEST AMENITIES. • In 2010, Seasons captured 100% of the luxury waterfront condominium market share with 12 sales. We look forward to our continued success in 2011 with the release of our FINESt and FINAL inventory – Penthouses, townhomes and Condominiums.
A PrivAte residentiAl resort
• Back by popular demand, Seasons is once again offering an incredible Flexible Sales Incentive to the first six buyers ranging from $27,000 to $75,000. Choose the incentive that is best suited for you and your family, such as FREE hOA dues, a credit towards a
SeasonsAtSandpoint.com Sales Gallery & Designer Models Open Daily toll-free 877.265.4420 | Local 208.265.4420 Rental Accommodations 866-912-0342
boat slip, incredible financing programs, OR simply deduct the entire amount off the purchase price! • the majority of the Developer’s remaining inventory is turn-key furnished - perfect if you are looking to start enjoying your new home immediately, or if you desire to join the onsite managed Rental Program.
HURRY, LIMITED INVENTORY. Call today for a private tour or stop by our sales gallery. Tomlinson Sandpoint
Each Office is independently owned and operated. * These homes are finished as “Designer Ready” allowing you to customize to meet your family’s needs: up to 4 bedrooms, 4 baths and 2 half baths. See Sales Associate for details. Prices, plans and specifications subject to change without notice. Offer void where prohibited by law. ORAL REPRESENTATIONS SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THE DECLARATION OF CONDOMINIUM AND PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE.
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 13
5/7/11 2:39 PM
ALMANAC
Bikers give trails a boost
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
a
www.EvesLeaves.com
14
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 14
COURTESY PHOTO
A
rea mountain bike trails will be expanding this year, thanks to the Pend Oreille Pedalers, a 150-person nonprofit group formed in 2004, whose endeavors are highly labor-intensive and carried out in small windows of opportunity. “It’s hard to plan very far in advance,” said Brian Anderson, owner of Greasy Fingers Bikes N Repair and president of the Pend Oreille Pedalers. Too early, and the ground is hard and frozen. Too late, and the dirt is dry and unworkable. Anderson was hoping for funding to purchase a machine, which would allow faster completion of trail work. Unless they borrow a machine to break up ground, the club members build trails by hand. Even with the help of machines, everything needs to be cleared and graded by hand. This year, the Brush Lake trails north of Bonners Ferry will be expanded with a new hiking and mountain biking trail, with a focus on providing more beginner and intermediate levels. The Lakeshore trail in Priest Lake, which Anderson calls “one of the premier trails in our area,” will be renovated to become more environ-
Pend Oreille Pedalers work on a new section of Trail No. 44 near the Moyie River; Gary Quinn, left, and Paul Del Carlo move rock as Jane Huang and Brian Anderson look on
mentally friendly. The Hobbit Trail, old and overgrown, will also be updated and attached to the Wylie Knob trail system. Pend Oreille Pedalers will work in cooperation with the Bonners Ferry, Priest Lake and Sandpoint ranger stations, respectively, on those projects. This summer the group will also finish the Syringa trail system. Friends of Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail, meanwhile, is working on its long-term goal of creating a corridor of up to two miles of waterfront on private property, which would connect more than 25 miles of paved walking and biking trails in Sandpoint, Sagle, Dover, Kootenai and Ponderay, including what will be built as part of the Sand Creek bypass. Pend Oreille Pedalers has more projects tentatively sketched for coming years. The mountain bike and road bike club also organizes weekly rides. Look up www.pendoreillepedalers.com. – Katie Botkin
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:39 PM
ALMANAC
Get Outdoors
CENSUS 2010 WITH ALL THE NEW HOUSING built over the past decade, one might imagine Sandpoint would be busting at the seams, but the 2010 Census revealed an increase of only 530 residents since 2000, up 7.8 percent. Yep, it’s official: the popula-
Enjoy easy access to your Horizon accounts by going to www.hzcu.org on your Web enabled device, or sign up to receive your account information via text message.
tion figures on the signs entering Sandpoint will be changing from 6,835 to 7,365. Now the 25th largest city in the state, Sandpoint was ranked 37th in overall growth out of 200 cities in Idaho. “Sandpoint was actually below average in growth,” said Alivia Body, Idaho Department of Labor regional economist, adding that Idaho’s
Mobile & Text Banking
cities grew by an average of 13.1 percent. “Since the boom started ending in 2006,
800-852-5316
the growth has slowed down considerably,” said Bonner County Assessor Jerry Clemons, pointing to the sagging economy.
208-263-8414 • BonnerCountyFair@InterMaxNetworks.com • 4203 N. Boyer Rd. • Sandpoint, Idaho
The real stars in local city growth were
B O N N E R C O U N T Y FA I R G R O U N D S
neighboring communities: Dover (556) gained 214 residents; Kootenai (678) amassed 237
s e t i S 3 RV ups!
new faces; and Ponderay (1,137) picked up 499 new residents.
3
Outlying communities attracted substantially fewer residents. Clark Fork, for example, only gained six people to total 536. Two cities
ok-
o Full H
June 4 June 17-19 June 18 June19 June 25 July 2 July 8-10 July 9-10 July 16 July 16 July 23-25 Aug 6 Aug 7 Aug 19-20 Aug 23-27 Aug 27 Sep 3 Sep 10 Sep 16-18 Sep 17-18 Sep 21-25
even shrunk a bit – minus six in Oldtown (184) and three fewer in Priest River (1,751). Bonner County, meanwhile, expanded by 11 percent to bring its population to 40,877, making it the eighth largest county, up from ninth place 10 years ago. In fact, it was the 10th-fastest growing county out of 44 in Idaho. With 23.5 people per square mile of land, it’s still fairly rural. “Bonner County wouldn’t have been able to sustain a faster rate of growth than it did in the last decade because employment grew 9.1 percent while population grew by 11 percent,” said Body. – Billie Jean Plaster
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 15
SUMMER 2011
2011 SCH EDULE
Battle of the Bulls Veterans Stand Down Demolition Derby Circus Gaming Play Day Endurocross Huckleberry Rabbit Show Spots of Fun Horse Show Gaming Play Day Ultimate Fights 4-H Horse Show Gaming Play Day Fair Open Horse Show Rodeo FAIR Demolition Derby Gaming Play Day Arena X Rocky Mountain Promotions LHSOTS Draft Horse Show
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
15
5/7/11 2:40 PM
ALMANAC
Mr. Glock and his glockenspiel
S
andpoint resident Charlie Glock, 91, who retired after a career teaching sociology at Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley, found himself one day several years ago at a fascinating store while he was on a visit to Chicago. “I was amazed at the junk they had,” he says, “so I supplied myself with a number of motors and springs and ball bearings and magnets, thinking I’d think of something to do with them.” Thus equipped, he started making the collection of “kinetic sculptures” that share a basement room with his furnace and shelves of books from his days in academia. The most complicated piece is an eponymous “glockenspiel,” in which pegs can be inserted in a rotating wooden cylinder to strike pieces of metal pipe to play musical notes. Except for the glockenspiel, however, Glock is fairly proud of the fact
that most of the structures are quite useless. In one piece, tiny ball bearings are moved into random, ever-changing blobs by a moving magnet underneath the surface on which they rest. In another, a piece of wood rotates on its axis making sticks move in a variety of directions. A third includes a series of chutes that direct marbles down one of 24 possible routes to its base. “I call this ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ ” says Glock of the chute construction, emphasizing that it serves no purpose whatsoever. Nevertheless, visitors find his machines intriguing. “It is extremely difficult to describe how these things work,” Glock says.
PHOTO BY BILLIE JEAN PLASTER
Charlie Glock’s glockenspiel, shown standing behind him, is one of his kinetic sulptures that actually does something useful
– Cate Huisman
We are the Sandpoint Shopping District know each other o t t e g s ’ t e L P O D I N
S
T
AN
P
IN
T
RIC
F
R ST E IRST AV
G D IS
T
SH OP
C E DA
e Experienc way the shopping o be! it used t Shopping district members: Bella Jezza, Blue Lizard Indian Art, Cedar Street Bridge Café, Eve’s Leaves, Finan McDonald Clothing Store, Fritz’s Frypan, Great Stuff, Hallan’s Gallery, Kandy’s Boutique, Larson’s Department Store, Meadowbrook on the Bridge, Northwest Handmade Pedro’s Pride, Petal Talk, Sand Stallion, Scandinavian Affar, Sharon’s Hallmark, Vanderford’s Books and Office, Zany Zebra, Zero Point 16
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 16
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:40 PM
ALMANAC
Healing Garden flourishes
T
he Healing Garden at Bonner General Hospital provides a special place of beauty and respite for hospital visitors, residents, garden buffs and others. And just like the gorgeous plants and flowers enjoyed by those who walk its paths, the garden continues to flourish. “The garden just keeps getting better,” said Linda Plaster, chairman of the Healing Garden. This June, dedicated volunteers of this unique Sandpoint landmark are nurturing the garden’s connection to the community by holding a month’s worth of fundraisers called June in the Garden. “We hope that more people will come to enjoy the garden,” said Plaster. “And we’re hoping that June in the Garden raises money in a fun way.” June in the Garden begins June 5 with the Quilt Show, held in the Brown House adjacent to the Healing Garden.
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 17
Visitors can enjoy tea and cookies while browsing quilts and antiques; plus, they can check out hanging baskets for sale. Next up is the annual Plant and Garden Sale at 8 a.m. June 10. This popular event includes a fine assortment of annuals, perennials and starts from the garden. The following week, participants can tour beautiful, local gardens during the Chicken Coop and Garden Crawl June 17. Led by Bev Key, a friend of the garden, it includes a look at raising chickens within the city limits. As a finale, the Healing Garden hosts a special event June 26 with the Moonlite and Roses concert. Purchase a luminary at any of the June in the Garden events to be lit this evening in honor of a loved one. Tickets are available in the hospital lobby; for questions, call 263-3958.
PHOTO BY BARBARA PRESSLER
A host of many events over the years, The Healing Garden is planning a special series dubbed June in the Garden
– Beth Hawkins
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
17
5/7/11 2:40 PM
ALMANAC
Brewers cheer for beer
S
andpoint is known for its lake and mountains, but beer lovers also appreciate the fact that our small town’s churning out more locally crafted beer than ever before. Look no farther than downtown where you’ll find MickDuff’s Brewing Company, which produces 300 barrels (that’s 600 kegs to you and me) per year. Duffy Mahoney, who founded the business with his brother Mickey, said business is steadily on the rise and they expect to produce 350 barrels in 2011. The most popular MickDuff’s beer is the Lake Paddler Pale Ale (named after that elusive Pend Oreille Paddler of local lore). All the brews are chemical-free and crafted onsite. In addition to creating distinctive beers, MickDuff’s is also a favorite pub-style eatery for locals and visitors alike. Business has climbed nearly 20 percent this year despite the economic downturn. With all this growth, will MickDuff’s expand? “We’d love to,” said Duffy.
“We’ve almost maxed out our system here, but there’s nothing planned yet.” Down the road in Ponderay, Laughing Dog Brewing already finished an expansion and moved into a larger facility to accommodate its booming growth – averaging about 35 to 40 percent per year since the company was founded in 2005 by Michelle Douglass and Fred Colby. The new location at 1109 Fontaine Dr. holds more equipment to assist in the production of 3,000 barrels per year. Laughing Dog beer is sold in 26 states and Canada. Douglass says the facility’s bigger tasting room has been well-received by patrons. “It’s open and inviting, and we have outside seating when the weather’s nice.” (See story, page 118.) A big hit with locals is Firkin Friday, held on the first Friday of each month to benefit a local organization. Special kegs are used – called firkins – and the beer starts pouring at 5 p.m. Douglass advises folks to get there early, though:
“People come in before 5 and get a good spot in line.” And sometimes the beer from the firkin is gone in a matter of minutes. How’s that for thirsty? – Beth Hawkins
EXPERTISE & SERV ICE
My Paddle is Your Paddle... With over 100 insurance companies within our grasp, we can help you save hundreds of dollars on all your insurance needs! Now maybe you can afford the boat too! FREE Breakfast with Belgium Waffles
HOME • BUSINESS • AUTO • LIFE • HEALTH
Kids Stay FREE Large Spa & Fitness Room Silverwood Packages Free Wi-fi 100% Smoke Free
Redman & Company INSURANCE
Rathdrum/Hayden 687-2204
Sandpoint Kellogg/Plummer/Priest River/ St. Maries 263-4596 800-930-2204
Coeur d’ Alene Post Falls 664-5263 773-2983
www.redmaninsurance.com
18
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 18
SUMMER 2011
1085134-0715
5/7/11 2:40 PM
ALMANAC
Flying into town
Air Idaho Charters lands in Sandpoint
F
lying has always been a pain. With baggage check, security and overpriced seats, most of us wonder, Why go through all this trouble? Hence, Andrew Berrey and his wife, Keisch Berrey, introduced Air Idaho Charters to Sandpoint in November 2010 to offer direct flights from Sandpoint to places as far away as the East Coast. Andrew Berrey, 34, had personally found it difficult to travel by commercial airliners to and from Portland. Bringing Air Idaho Charters into Sandpoint was a way to offset the cost of flying commercially while offering more convenient, direct flights from Portland to Sandpoint. “There was no other service in Sandpoint, Coeur d’Alene or Spokane that operated the same type of aircraft,” he said. “I just figured it was something that would work in this area.”
The aircraft is a Beechcraft Baron 58P, a pressurized six-seater that can go higher than the average piston aircraft and reach speeds up to 270 mph. Those capabilities mean it can fly through and above bad weather. The ability to fly in and out of Sandpoint can make traveling a breeze, according to Andrew Berrey. “You can literally get out of your car, throw your bags in the plane and we take off,” he said. “If you rent a car, it’s typically just waiting right there when we land. It’s that simple.” For more information on Air Idaho Charters and special packages planned around such activities as golfing or fly
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 19
Andrew Berrey, above, says passengers flying to Seattle, Portland or Boise with Air Idaho Charters’ pilot Aaron Roark can probably be at their destination before they would have even pulled into the Spokane Airport parking lot
fishing, log onto www.airidahocharters. com or call 304-0883. –Buddy Chambers
Where Your Home Begins ...
Interior Consultation • Area Rugs • Framed Prints Fine Leather • Candles • Lamps • Holiday Decor
NOW OPEN ON CEDAR STREET BRIDGE
PHOTO BY BUDDY CHAMBERS
208.255.2824
MeadowBrookHomeAndGift.com
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
19
5/7/11 2:40 PM
ALMANAC
THE
CO-OP
Country Store
FARM . HOME . HARDWARE
Everything about the outside says we are just a hardware store. Then you walk inside. You will never think about us the same way again. Fencing . Gates & Panels Pet Foods . Pet Health & Grooming Livestock Feeds . Equine Health Tack & Pharmaceuticals Gently Used & Used Equine Tack Convenience Store . Propane Fills Automotive . Off the Grid . RV Batteries . Housewares Yard & Garden / Soil Amendments Poly Pipe . Drain Pipe . Bulk Nails Bulk Burlap . Bulk Turf & Field Seed Bulk Field Fertilizers / Herbicides & Pesticides . Organic Fertilizers Work & Casual Clothing Lawn Mowers . Weed Eaters . Tillers Grow Light Systems Drip Water Systems . Landscape Fabric Welding Supplies & Welder/Generators Bulk Fasteners . Bulk Chain & Rope Stock Tanks . Water Cisterns and so very much more! Bedding Plants in Season Baby Chicks & Fruit Trees In Season Coffee & Donut Still Just $ .50! 125 Tibbetts Lane Ponderay, Idaho coopcountrystore.com
208.263.6820
We give you the help and information you need to live the rural life your way. 20
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 20
PHOTO BY ALAN LEMIRE
Crossing the country
for autism
T
eam Laughing Dog wants a million dollars – not for themselves but for autism research. To get it, four guys are ready to ride 2,989 miles, cross three mountain ranges, climb (and coast) more than 170,000 vertical feet and keep going day and night in any kind of weather. The 16-member team, sponsored by Laughing Dog Brewing and other individuals, businesses and groups, leaves Oceanside, Calif., on June 18 in the Race Across America (RAAM) and heads for Annapolis, Md. Riders Jacob Styer, 33, Alan Lemire, 48, Wayne Pignolet, 52, and Mel Dick, 59, will pedal 24/7 on one of seven Specialized brand road bikes, while the rest of the support team follows. “This was originally Mel Dick’s idea,” Pignolet said, “and the race itself is cool, but the coolest thing we’re doing is working to benefit autism research. David and Lisa Barth and their son, Jackson, are our inspiration.” Jackson, 11, suffers from autism, and his dad is part of the team supporting the riders. Team Laughing Dog is working
with the Autism Society of Oregon, the Autism Society of Washington, the Autism Society of Los Angeles, the Autism Society of Treasure Valley (Boise), the Panhandle Autism Society and the Northwest Autism Center; all non-profit organizations supporting families dealing with autism. One in 110 children is diagnosed with autism, making the disease more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined – affecting children of all racial, ethnic and social groups. Autism is a spectrum disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate and socially interact with others, ranging from simple disassociation with their environment and those around them to severe developmental delays to dependence upon 24/7 care for their entire lives. “That’s why we’re riding 24/7,” alternate rider Jim Mellen said, “for the folks who have to deal with autism around the clock.” In addition to the riders, the crew also includes first alternate Mike Murray, Chris Bier, Brian Anderson, Landy Hauck, Marty Stitsel, Dennis
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:41 PM
Luce, Karen Scott, Denise Alveari, Jake Zmrhal and Kirk Johnson. The Team Laughing Dog on-theground goal is rooted firmly in reality. There are five team classifications for RAAM – one-person, two-person, four-person, eight-person and tandem (which has to be a mixed-sex team). “We’ll be fighting for 15th place,” Bier, team crew chief said, out of 31 four-person teams. Financially, their goal seems a bit loftier, but “everybody knows somebody who’s affected by autism,” Hauck said. “The goal is $1 million, which seems like a lot, but if we can get $10 from everyone we all know, and the folks they know, we’ll make it easy.” Dick, originally a rider, fell on a training ride near the end of March and broke a hip, promoting alternate rider
ALMANAC
Private charter flights to and from Sandpoint
Check out our online Specials CALL AIR IDAHO CHARTERS
AIRIDAHOCHARTERS.COM
208-304-0883
Riders, opposite page from left, Mel Dick, Jacob Styer, Wayne Pignolet and Alan Lemire will bicycle 24/7 to cover the route shown below
Murray. He admitted to feeling overwhelmed at first, but said, “I’m honored to be able to help families dealing with this disease.” Dick still hopes to ride despite odds. “People in the autism community are amazed that the team is doing this,” Pignolet said. “Dawn Sidell, who created the Northwest Autism Center with the goal of diagnosing kids very early, invited us to meet with doctors at the Center in Spokane. At the end of the conversation, one stood up and gave us $10,000. I think we’ll make the $1 million.” Go to teamlaughingdog.com to learn more or to donate. – Sandy Compton
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 21
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
21
5/7/11 2:41 PM
Northwest Handmade Furniture “Experience the Art of Craftsmanship”
Step through the doors of Northwest Handmade and experience the art of fine craftsmanship. Browse our showroom to discover one-of-akind items lovingly handcrafted by more than 100 artisans and master craftsmen in the Northwest.You can always create your own custom furniture and accents for your home. Northwest Handmade is locally owned, and has been serving our friends and neighbors for fifteen years in downtown Sandpoint. Come on in - we’ll be glad to show you around!
308 N. First Ave. - Downtown Sandpoint
(208) 255 -1962 • 877-880-1962 001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 22
Furniture – Gallery – Gifts
www.NorthwestHandmade.com
5/7/11 2:41 PM
Ca l e n d a r See even more events in the big fat calendars at SandpointOnline.com
[Hot Picks]
June 2011
Sandpoint Farmers Market. Open-air mar-
ket every Wednesday and Saturday through Oct. 15 in Farmin Park. 597-3355 2 First Thursday. Downtown businesses
open till 8 p.m. with strolling performers, live bands, sidewalk sales and restaurant specials. 255-1876
4 CHaFE 150. Fourth annual benefit bicycle ride through Idaho and Montana. 263-7040 4 Summer Sounds. Free concert series sponsored by Pend Oreille Arts Council happens every Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. through Sept. 3 at Park Place Stage, corner of First and Cedar. Classical & More performs. 263-6139 5-26 June in the Garden. The Healing Garden hosts events every weekend in June. See story, page 17. 9 SHS Spring Fling. The Panida Theater hosts the Sandpoint High School Choir’s annual concert at 7 p.m. 263-9191 10 Artist Series. Hope Memorial Community Center presents folk musician Bruce Bishop. Social at 6 p.m. followed by program. 264-5481 11 Sand Creek Paddlers Challenge.
Sandpoint Parks and Recreation sponsors canoe and kayak race up Sand Creek and back, beginning at 9 a.m. from City Beach. 263-3613 11 Summer Sounds. Wild Honey Band per-
forms. See June 4.
Enchanted evening of art
Pend Oreille Arts Council’s ArtWalk is a delightful summertime tradition, and celebrates its 25th year of sponsoring the revolving art exhibit with opening receptions June 24 at 20 or so downtown galleries and venues. It’s an evening of laidback browsing about town while enjoying live music, complimentary beverages and nibbles at many stops along the way. ArtinSandpoint. org. Art remains on display through Sept. 9. 263-6139 C’mon, take a dip! The 17th annual Long Bridge Swim is the Pacific Northwest’s biggest and longest-running open-water swim and is expected to draw 800 swimmers from across the United States and Canada to ply Lake Pend Oreille Aug. 6. Best part is, you don’t have to be a pro to participate – swimmers of all abilities and ages have made the plunge (the oldest swimmer to date is 87 years young!). And if you choose to sit it out, spectators have an incredible vantage point from the bridge above. Proceeds fund swim lessons for local non-swimmers. Sign up at LongBridgeSwim.org. 265-5412 Pinnacle of purple passion
16 Summer Sampler. Culinary delights
Northwesterners know that high altitudes and late summer months mean carefully crafted milk jugs, brush-beaten legs and seriously stained fingers. Why, it’s huckleberry season – and what better place to kick it off than a high-altitude, berry-picking mecca like Schweitzer Mountain during the annual Huckleberry Festival Aug. 7. A huckleberry pancake feed kicks off a day filled with huckthemed activities and treats such as hosted hikes, crafts and live music. If the intensi-
from fine restaurants at Farmin Park, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., plus enjoy chef cook-off, live music and more. Sponsored by the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce. 263-2161
17-18 “Grandpa Was a Bachelor.” Local
cast presents play at 7:30 p.m. each night in the Panida Theater about a man who offers himself as a surrogate grandfather. 265-9828
18 Summer Sounds. Back Street Dixie per-
forms. See June 4.
18 Danceworks Spring Recital. Annual performance at the Panida, 3 p.m. 263-9191 18 Demolition Derby. Bonner County Fairgrounds hosts event at 6 p.m. 263-8414
fied taste of these little berries isn’t enough to get your adrenaline pumping, enjoy everything else the mountain has to offer, such as guided horseback tours, mountain biking, geocaching and more. 255-3081 Hunting camp, gone wrong
Are you going to hunting camp? Then butter up your honey with a night at the theater. She’ll brag about it to her friends for months, and you’ll laugh your head off! “Escanaba in da Moonlight,” written by Jeff Daniels (“Dumb and Dumber”), is about a Michigan hunting camp in 1989 that goes all wrong. We’re talking about alien abductions, Native American spirits … you get the picture. The Sandpoint Onstage production plays at the Panida Sept. 16-17 and Sept. 23-24; and it’s free for anyone with a valid 2011 hunting license (no kidding!). www.sandpointonstage.com. 265-2083 Autumn’s finale to a bountiful season All good things must come to an end, including this season’s Sandpoint Farmers Market. Harvest Fest, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Farmin Park, Oct. 15 makes it easier to say good-bye with a festive day that’s filled with fun festivities, plus it’s a great opportunity to stock up on locally grown storage vegetables for the winter and taste delicious fall fruits at their peak. Families will enjoy arts and crafts for the kids, harvest activities such as apple-bobbing and pin the fruit on the plant, raffles and more. And delight in the festival’s live music while indulging in the “comfort food” of yummy home-baked goods. 597-3355
24 ArtWalk. See Hot Picks. 24-25 Relay for Life. American Cancer Society event at the fairgrounds. 660-1445
June 17-18.
24-25 “Grandpa Was a Bachelor.” See
See June 4.
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 23
25 Schweitzer Summer Celebration.
25 Summer Sounds. Mike Strain performs.
SUMMER 2011
Summer season opens with free chairlift rides, live music, family activities. 255-3081 SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
23
5/7/11 2:41 PM
See even more events in the big fat calendars at SandpointOnline.com
CALENDAR
July
2 Summer Sounds. Bright Moments per-
forms. See June 4.
4 Fourth of July Celebration. Lions Club hosts parades downtown in the morning, followed by afternoon stage performances at City Beach and fireworks over the lake at dusk. 263-2161 7 First Thursday. See June 2.
deserve special care . . .
Summit Care!
9 Bird Celebration Weekend. Bird Aviation and Invention Museum in Sagle hosts a fly-in and meet and greet with aviators and inventors, in celebration of Dr. Forrest Bird’s 90th birthday. 255-4321 8-10 JerryFest. Weekend-long benefit in
Sagle with variety of bands, arts and crafts, memorial bike ride and more. 208-263-2217 9 Great Sandpoint Flat Water Regatta.
rock band performs at the Panida Theater, 8:30 p.m. 263-9191
16 Mountain Music Festival. Schweitzer Mountain Resort hosts outdoor concerts, barbecue, beer garden, arts and crafts vendors, and kids’ activities. 255-3081 16 Bodacious BBQ. 28th annual fundraiser
at 4 p.m. for Hope’s Memorial Community Center. 264-5481
16 Summer Sounds. Rex James Duo per-
forms. See June 4.
22-24 All Gravity Downhill Mountain Bike Race. Schweitzer hosts Northwest’s premier
downhill mountain bike race. Compete or watch the action! 255-3081
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
23 Summer Sounds. Truck Mills performs.
See June 4.
23-25 4-H Horse Show. Annual show at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. 263-8414 30 Crazy Days. Merchants offer big deals in
annual sidewalk sale downtown. 255-1876
30 Summer Sounds. Special Crazy Days edi-
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 24
See June 4.
6 Clark Fork Valley Quilters. Annual Quilt Show at Hope Memorial Community Center, plus raffles and a bake sale. 264-5481 6-7 Fair Open Horse Show. Annual show at 7 Schweitzer Huckleberry Festival. See 12-13 Spokane-to-Sandpoint Relay Race.
15 Toad The Wet Sprocket. The alternative
24
6 Summer Sounds. Trumpetman performs.
Runners begin atop Mount Spokane and make their way through 15 cities en route to the finish line at Sandpoint. 509-346-1440
Fine art poster unveiled at Dover Bay. 265-4554
1323 Highway 2 | Sandpoint | 208 265-9690
6 Long Bridge Swim. See Hot Picks.
9 Sandpoint Wooden Boat Festival.
14 Festival at Sandpoint Art Unveiling.
RESOURCE GROUP
5 Long Bridge Swim Dinner. Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper hosts carbo-loaded feast on the eve before the big swim, at Trinity at City Beach. 597-7188
Hot Picks.
kids’ 1k fun run at Sandpoint High benefits local children with cancer or life-threatening illnesses. 610-6480
INSURANCE
4-14 Festival at Sandpoint. See calendar,
opposite page.
9 Summer Sounds. Karen & Joel perform.
10 Jacey’s Race. Competitive 5k race and
S
4 First Thursday. See June 2.
fairgrounds. 263-8414
Classic wooden boats and car show at the Power House, sponsored by the Inland Empire Antique and Classic Boat Society, and DSBA. 255-1876
www.SummitIRG.com
3-24 Twilight Bike Racing Series. Bike races weekly on Wednesdays, followed by parties at Schweitzer. 255-3081
Rotary Club hosts second annual canoe and kayak races up and down Sand Creek, beginning at 10 a.m. 946-6079 See June 4.
BUSINESS - HEALTH HOME - AUTO - LIFE
August
tion: Ninjazz performs from 10 a.m. to noon; Carl Rey & the Blues Gators from noon to 2 p.m.; SHS Steel Pan Band from 2-4 p.m.; Comfort Zone from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. See June 4.
12-14 Artists’ Studio Tour. 8th annual
self-guided driving tour of working studios throughout the region. Pick up brochures at many downtown locations, or visit ArtTourDrive.org.
12-14 North Idaho Selkirks Rally. See
story, page 43. 263-0438
13 Summer Sounds. Usnea performs. See
June 4.
13 Wings Over Sandpoint Fly-in/ Splash-in. EAA 1441 hosts 6th annual event
at the Bonner County Airport. Breakfast, planes on display, lunch and more. 255-9954 13-14 Arts and Crafts Fair. POAC’s annual
juried art exhibit at Sandpoint City Beach; artists’ booths, kids’ activities. 263-6139
19-21 Artists’ Studio Tour. See Aug. 12-14. 19-20 Bonner County Rodeo. Annual rodeo
at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. 263-8414
20 Summer Sounds. Easy Money performs.
See June 4.
20 Lake Celebration. Lake Pend Oreille
Waterkeeper event; family fun, music, barbecue, 2-7 p.m. at Trinity at City Beach. 597-7188
20 Much Ado About Nothing. Montana Shakespeare in the Parks presents Much Ado About Nothing at 6 p.m. (MDT) in the Heron, Mont., ballfield. 406-847-2388 23-27 Bonner County Fair. Old-fashioned country event at Bonner County Fairgrounds with contests, kids’ events and entertainment. Horse events in reining, barrel racing and team sorting. Concludes with Demolition Derby at 7 p.m. Aug. 27. 263-8414 26 Artist Series. With Western cartoonist
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:41 PM
CALENDAR
The Festival at Sandpoint
Boots Reynolds. See June 10.
Music under the stars, Aug. 4-14
27 Summer Sounds. Larry Mooney per-
The 29th annual Festival at Sandpoint, held in a casual and relaxed atmosphere at Memorial Field on Lake Pend Oreille, creates a customized concert experience without equal. The eight performance dates fall over a two-week period from Aug. 4-14. Buy a season pass or individual tickets by calling 265-4554, toll-free 888-265-4554, or go to FestivalatSandpoint.com. Gates open at 6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and at 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
forms. See June 4.
September
3 Summer Sounds. Mike & Shanna
Thompson perform. See June 4.
3-4 Schweitzer Fall Festival. Outdoor
music festival with live performances, discounted chairlift rides, kids’ activities and more than 30 microbrews. 255-3081
Thursday, Aug. 4 Rickie Lee Jones with Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers Known by fans as the “Duchess of Coolsville,” Rickie Lee Jones’ jazz-flavored single “Chuck E.’s in Love” was her breakout hit in 1979, leading her to a best-new-artist Grammy Award in 1980. Jones is a compelling live performer who has explored many styles over the years – soul, gospel and purebred folk. Critics say her latest CD, “Balm in Gilead,” is her best work in a decade. Opening is Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, a San Francisco-based swing band. Friday, Aug. 5 Brandi Carlile with Nina Gerber and Chris Webster Back by popular demand, Brandi Carlile is a pop rock, alternative country and folk rock singer/ songwriter. In 2010, Brandi Carlile was nominated for a GLADD Media Award for “Outstanding Music Artist” for her album “Give Up the Ghost,” which features a collaboration with Sir Elton John. Opening is Nina Gerber and Chris Webster, a duo who blurs the border between R&B and country. Saturday, Aug. 6 Chris Isaak with Lukas Nelson Although this rock-and-roll singer-songwriter has touched on many styles over his career, Chris Isaak is best known for his rich vocal style as heard in his hit single “Wicked Game,” released in 1989. From ’01 to ’04, Isaak starred in his own television show “The Chris Isaak Show,” on Showtime. Opening Super Blues Saturday is Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real; Nelson is the son of Willie Nelson, yet his music swings towards classic rock. Sunday, Aug. 7 Family Concert: A Disney Symphantasy Round up the kids and head to the festival’s Family Concert, featuring the Spokane Youth Orchestra conducted by Gary Sheldon. Fun activities for the kids, including an Instrument Petting Zoo and an Animal Petting Zoo, help round out the always-popular family concert.
3-4 Coaster Classic Car Show. At
Silverwood Theme Park. 683-3400
10-11 Harvest Party. Pend d’Oreille Winery’s annual event includes grapestomping competition, cork-spitting contest, food samples, wine tasting and live music. 265-8545 16 Sacagawea. Hope Memorial
Community Center hosts Idaho Humanities Council historical presentation by Sara Edlin-Marlowe at 7 p.m. 264-5481
16-17 Escabana in da Moonlight. See
Hot Picks.
17-18 Last Horse Show of the Season. At
the Bonner County Fairgrounds. 263-8414
18 Scenic Half Marathon. Sandpoint
Chamber sponsors half marathon, plus 10k and 5k fun runs. Benefits Bonner Community Food Center. 263-2161
20-24 WaCanId Ride. Tour two states and one province on third annual 340mile bicycle ride. 888-823-2626 21-25 Idaho Draft Horse and Mule International. Northwest’s largest
draft horse and mule expo at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. 263-8414
23-24 Escabana in da Moonlight. See
Hot Picks.
24 Oktoberfest. Traditional autumn cel-
ebration. 255-1876
29 Yappy Hour. At Eichardt’s Pub, 212 Cedar St. See June 30.
October
1 For the Next 7 Generations. Film and discussion at the Panida. 263-9191 15 Harvest Fest. See Hot Picks. 15 Health and Wellness Fair. Annual expo at the fairgrounds. 263-2106 15 Fall Harvest Ball with the Chefs of Sandpoint. Annual fundraiser in the
Panhandle State Bank atrium. 290-2716 16 Library Wine Weekend. At Pend
d’Oreille Winery. 265-8545
21 Patrick Ball. Celtic harpist and story-
teller, 7:30 p.m. in the Panida. 263-9191
22 Warren Miller Ski Film. Annual
event in the Panida Theater, sponsored by Alpine Shop. 263-5157
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 25
SUMMER 2011
Thursday, Aug. 11 Josh Ritter with Darren Smith Born in Moscow, Idaho (a native!), singersongwriter Josh Ritter returns with his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics with the Royal City Band. Ritter has become a word-ofmouth success in Ireland, and has performed on the David Letterman Show. Opening is Darren Smith, a multi-instrumental musician and composer of country, folk rock and indie persuasions. Come early for complimentary microbrew tasting. Friday, Aug. 12 Michael Franti and Spearhead Back for another performance after a sold-out concert in 2010, Michael Franti and Spearhead blends hip hop with a variety of styles, typified by their joyful modern soul music recordings. Franti hopes the band’s newest album, “The Sound of Sunshine,” communicates a sense of possibility for anyone who needs it. Judging by the turnout at last year’s concert, we all do. Opening is the Jason Spooner Trio. Saturday, Aug. 13 Rodney Crowell with David Nail Texan Rodney Crowell has enjoyed a successful songwriting and singing career in country music, winning a Grammy in 1989 for Best Country Song and recording another No. 1 hit with Rosanne Cash, his wife at the time. Super Country Saturday’s opening act is David Nail, whose hits include “Turning Home,” written by Kenny Chesney, and the current single “Let It Rain.” Sunday, Aug. 14 Spanish Grand Finale with Slovenian classical guitarist Mak Grgic Maestro Gary Sheldon conducts the Spokane Symphony Orchestra in a Russian Grand Finale featuring guest classical guitarist Mak Grgic. Fireworks cap off the concert, plus arrive early for complimentary wine tasting at 4:30 p.m. SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
25
5/9/11 9:42 AM
Civilization Is Nearby.
YOU JUST CAN’T SEE IT FROM HERE.
SKI SCHWEITZER 2900 acres, 67 named runs “A little-known gem” –MSN.com
SANDPOINT A Norman Rockwell meets Ansel Adams classic. -USA Today
LAKE PEND OREILLE 43 miles long, 1,158 feet deep One of America’s most beautiful lakes
CUSTOM HOMES
WATERFRONT CONDOMINIUMS
Welcome to Dover Bay, in beautiful North Idaho. This stunning new waterfront resort community on Lake Pend Oreille is
LUXURY WATERFRONT HOMESITES
DOVER BAY MARINA
SE AT TL
E
WA SH IN
SA ND PO
GT O N
SP OK AN
E
IN T WH ITE
MONTA
within three miles from Sandpoint and just a short trip to world-class skiing at Schweitzer Mountain.
FIS H
NA
IDAHO
BO ISE
SU N VA LL EY
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, a 274-slip marina, planned central village and more. As a recreational getaway, a primary home or simply a smart investment, Dover Bay offers an exclusive opportunity.
DoverBayIdaho.com | 208.265.1597 Downtown Sandpoint Office - 120 E Lake Street On-Site Discovery Center - 204 S. Fourth Street in Dover
WAT E R F R O N T H O M E S I T E S • C O N D O M I N I U M S • C A B I N S I N T H E W O O D S 001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 26
5/7/11 2:41 PM
Interview
Tinker Hatfield
Nike vice president of design and Air Jordan architect
STORY BY ERIC PLUMMER PHOTOS BY MARIE-DOMINIQUE VERDIER
T
inker Hatfield can’t travel anywhere in the world without seeing something that he has designed. As the vice president of design and special projects at a little company called Nike, Hatfield is most famous for designing nearly every incarnation of Air Jordan basketball shoes. Along with sports icon Michael Jordan, Hatfield was largely instrumental in starting not just a shoe revolution, but a fashion movement, creating the first must-have athletic shoes and helping Nike launch an empire. Hatfield, 58, grew up in Halsey, Oregon, where he was a three-sport standout before earning a track scholarship to the University of Oregon in 1970. He set the school’s pole vault record and finished sixth in the 1976 U.S. Olympic trials. Hatfield’s track coach at Oregon was the legendary Bill Bowerman, who along with Phil Knight was a co-founder of Nike. In 1981, Hatfield went to work as the corporate architect of Nike, designing office spaces, showrooms and stores, among other things. In 1985 he designed the original Air Max running shoe, then the first Nike cross training shoe, eventually working with a host of famous athletes. This year he has worked with the likes of Dwyane Wade and Roger Federer. A few years ago Hatfield and his wife, Jackie, whom he met as a student at Oregon and raised three daughters with, were vacationing at a friend’s place at Oden Bay in Sandpoint when
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 27
Nike VP Tinker Hatfield designed Camp Hatfield at Oden Bay as a gift for his wife, Jackie, who always dreamed of being a camp director. COURTESY PHOTO
the vacant lot next door went up for sale. Hatfield quickly fell in love with the property and promptly put his architectural skills back to work designing a dream camp for Jackie. He teamed with local builder Bob Bianco to construct a one-of-a-kind, 3,300-square-foot home, using local products, environmentally friendly technology and a wealth of natural creativity. “He truly is a design genius,” said Bianco, adding that virtually everything about the building is non-standard. “His creative juices are beyond anything I’ve ever worked with in 30-plus years.” The camp was Tinker’s gift to Jackie, fulfilling her lifelong dream to run a camp. “If you’ve ever had that experience of going away to camp as
SUMMER 2011
S A N D P O I N T M A G A Z I N E
27
5/7/11 2:42 PM
a child — what we do at Camp Hatfield allows you to recapture that,” said Jackie, who loves the outdoors and is smitten with Sandpoint. “We find the whole area enchanting. Such an eclectic mix of people, so many things to do year-round.” Sandpoint Magazine recently asked Tinker about the camp, what it’s like to rub elbows with famous people and a host of other questions. Q: How did you come by the name Tinker? A: It was my father’s nickname that was passed along to me as the
firstborn. He was born prematurely at home, and he was put in a toy box — the box happened to be a wooden box for Tinker Toys. His older brother started calling him Little Tommy Tinker Toy, and it got shortened to Tinker. I like to say that the reason my name is
COURTESY PHOTOS
Interview
Tinker Hatfield speaks at an eco conference with 16 Nikesponsored athletes held last year at Camp Hatfield, above left, and poses with Michael Jordan on the cover of Sole Collector
Tinker is that my parents were on drugs in the 1950s, but that’s not really the case (laughs). It’s my given name and on my driver’s license, and a lot of people go “what?”
in ‘10 & st Be ‘09 ted unty o V Co er nn Bo
3rd & Pine • Sandpoint, ID MEYER’S New • Used • Rentals
EES T-shirts • Hats • Hoodies
School Merchandise • Team Sports Apparel Business &Repairs Commercial • Custom• Decals • Accessories and More Located in the Bonner Mall - Ponderay
GreasyFingersBikes.com • 208.255.4496 nmeyer@sisna.com • 263-6790
Assisted Living & Memory Care Community
Let now be your time... Luther Park offers a wide range of services to meet your unique needs, so you can do what you like & leave the rest to us!
What are you waiting for?
(509) 382-2954
(208) 265-3557 510 S. Olive Ave., Sandpoint www.luther-park.org
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 28
On Lake Pend Oreille
(877) 982-2954
For a complimentary meal & personal tour call:
28
ARCHER vacation condos 10Kvacationrentals.com/sandpoint/
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:42 PM
Interview Q: What led you to build Camp Hatfield in Sandpoint? A: Before we ever thought of purchasing a
property in Sandpoint, we would visit Tom and Barb Richardson and spend some time vacationing in Oden Bay near Sandpoint. It was a lovely place. I personally enjoy the water a lot, and Jackie is a real avid hiker and outdoor person and we just always enjoyed going up there. One morning a few years back we were literally sleeping in our Airstream trailer, and I actually heard the Realtor pounding the stake in to advertise the property that was next door. The following day Jackie and I went into Sandpoint and spoke to the Realtor and pretty much bought it that day. We’re not interested in elitism or lifestyles of the rich and famous. We like the fact that Sandpoint is a real town, with real people. Yet there is a hipness to it, a wide blend of people in one town. We found that very interesting. Q: What was your wife Jackie’s role in Camp Hatfield? A: She’s the inspiration for the whole
thing, to be quite straightforward. She has really conducted her life as a mom and an outdoor enthusiast, almost like a camp counselor. The kids were always going on adventures, and she seems like she raised half the neighborhood. Our house was always full of young people. It was always her dream to do that kind of thing in a mountainous environment. When we acquired the property, it was my gift to her, so to speak, to conceive a camp of sorts, so that she could not only have a place to go and be on the lake and go for hikes and do things with her family, but also invite other friends and maybe some kids and hopefully grandkids someday and essentially have kind of her own little mini-camp. Q: Jackie called you and Bob Bianco a “dream team.” Why? A: Living in Portland and traveling as
much as I do, I knew I wasn’t going to be up in Sandpoint nearly enough during the construction, and so I really was concerned about finding the right builder. Bob became not only the builder, but I would call him a design collaborator, because a lot of
times you have to make decisions on the fly, make adjustments and interpret design work. As a builder he was just fantastic. Without him, the project just wouldn’t have gone well. He’s very creative and very attentive to all the details, and very knowledgeable about construction. I’ve been in the design business 40 years, and I’ve never worked with a better builder in my entire career. Q: What is the most unique aspect of Camp Hatfield? A: Certainly the tower. The tower is three
things: It’s a metaphor for the camp — kind of like the U.S. Forest Service has lookout towers all over where there are big mountains and forests. It also has a real functional purpose. It’s a cooling tower, as well as a heating tower. It has this duality from a functional perspective where it works like a chimney flue and sucks hot air out during the summer; you don’t need air conditioning because of that. It’s also a heating tower. It’s up high above the trees and it became a great location to place our solar hot water system.
The re’s a blue bi rd on our shoulder . . . that’s how we roll!
Funky and stylish apparel from A to Zebra Jeans • Jewelry • Cards Housewares • Gifts Visit our NEW WEBSITE! ZanyZebraStore.com
317 North 1st Avenue Open 7 days • 263-2178 Downtown Sandpoint
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 29
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
29
5/7/11 2:42 PM
Interview Q: You had a camp last fall with 16 Nike athletes. What was the purpose of that camp and who were some of the athletes that attended? A: Nike asked me if it would be OK to invite
From newborn care to geriatrics, the physicians and providers at Family Health Center specialize in caring for every member of your family. Let us be your medical home. • Office hours Mon-Fri 8:30 am 5 pm, Sat 8:30 am - 2 pm • Same-day appointments • 24/7 coverage for our patients, including hospital visits • More labs onsite to provide immediate answers: Cholesterol, diabetes, and anticoagulation therapy
PINEGROVE MEDICAL CENTER 606 N. Third Ave., Suite 101, Sandpoint
208-263-1435
some athletes up there to have an eco conference with our best action sports athletes from around the world: Nicolas Mueller from Switzerland, who is one of the best snowboarders; Paul Rodriguez, probably the most famous street skateboarder. Nike wanted to bring them all into a unique, sort of non-commercial outdoor world, and then invite in a bunch of speakers, environmentalists and people who are trying to save the world. The idea being that if you could educate these highly visible, influential athletes, that you could in turn influence millions of young people to do a better job with the environment. They just loved being in Sandpoint. The report is they’re doing amazing things and spreading the word. It’s a wonderful development that all basically came from Sandpoint. It’s affected literally millions of young people around the planet. Q: When you find out you’re going to design an Air Jordan, what is the first thing that goes through your head? A: I always give Michael Jordan a call and
go visit with him and talk to him about what’s going on in his life. It’s all about being inspired by him. It used to be about how he played the game. Now, as we continue to design the shoes, they’re more about other athletes that we hire for the Jordan brand. Tomorrow I’ll be meeting with Dwyane Wade, who is a Jordan athlete, so sort of by proxy, or through Dwyane Wade, we look at how he plays the game and how to design the shoes that work for him.
Still, there is this overriding theme behind Jordans, which is to design a really high quality, high performing, sophisticated basketball product that is befitting of Michael himself. I’ll talk to him about his life, what cars he’s driving, what he’s been doing with his spare time, just getting inspired by various things around his life, and then somehow weave that into the design of the product. Q: If you had to pick one thing, what do you love most about designing shoes? A: For me, I don’t even think of them
as shoes. I’m really big on collaboration. Working with Bob Bianco was a collaboration, and working with Michael Jordan is pretty much a similar kind of collaboration, in that you have to blend your own ideas with the ideas of someone else. When I design something for Nike, it gets sold all around the world, pretty much. I’ve designed so many projects that I literally can’t go anywhere in the world — the Caribbean, West Africa or China — without seeing something I’ve designed. That’s pretty heady stuff. It’s less about what my design skill is and more about the power of a brand like Nike. People probably don’t think of sneakers as being that important, but they’ve become an important part of our modern culture. We know of a few pairs of shoes that are worth $100,000 and they are Air Jordans (laughs). Q: What are some of the other things you design other than shoes? A: I’ve designed a lot of things for the
University of Oregon. Most recently I designed the actual playing surface for the new Mathew Knight Arena in Eugene. The (basketball) floor needed to be unique.
Visit us online at www.fhcsandpoint.com or on Facebook 30
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 30
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:42 PM
Interview
In a serene lakefront setting, Camp Hatfield features a mess-hall style kitchen and bedrooms stocked with bunk beds designed for hosting groups
I’m working on a big indoor track for the University of Oregon right now. If it ever gets built, it will be about a 400,000 to 500,000 square foot building. Q: What’s the best part about working for Nike, and what’s the worst part? A: The best part is the incredible economy
of scale and the power of changing the world, so to speak. I don’t mean that in a grandiose way, I mean that in a good way. If
you practice environmentalism by yourself, that’s great. But when you practice it at Nike, it has a huge impact across a very wide spectrum of people. There is a lot of power in the scale of a company like Nike, a lot of good power. The bad part about Nike is just politics. It’s sort of like trying to work in a small country. You have to lobby for resources and fight for your ideals, make sure that your projects aren’t eliminated. It’s a $20 billion
company with thousands of employees and a lot of decisions are made that I don’t necessarily agree with. Q: When you’re not designing things, what are some of your hobbies? A: I’m desperately trying to become a surfer,
and I like to cycle and rock climb. My body is so beat up from pole vaulting and football. I need to find sports that aren’t tough on the body.
In a family-oriented atmosphere, we celebrate the individuality of every resident who calls The Bridge their home
“I knew when I walked through the door for the first time that this was home. The staff is wonderful.” – Mildred Evans
“A very good place to live. I’ve never had a complaint and the workers are great. This is home for me.” – Don Engle
1388538-1225
The right choice for home.
1123 N. Division St. Sandpoint • 263-1524
You may be eligible for up to $1949 in benefits from the Veterans Administration. Please ask a Bridge representative how to take advantage of this amazing opportunity!
001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 31
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
31
5/7/11 2:42 PM
There are lots of ways to invest For over 75 years D.A. Davidson has been committed to the communities it serves. In addition to providing financial advice and service, employees volunteer their time and resources to local causes.
The Davidson team in the Sandpoint office understands that digging in and helping out yields the most satisfying returns for both clients and our community.
208-263-2010 or 800-770-5555 805 Pine Street, Sandpoint
Let’s build a brighter future 001-032_SMS11_LW.indd 32
5/7/11 2:42 PM
COMMUNITY RADIO
On the air KRFY brings listener-supported radio to Sandpoint Story and photo by Matt Mills McKnight
I
n a humble broadcast studio on First Avenue in Sandpoint, Jeff Poole, 49, quietly organizes music and news programming for northern Idaho’s newest and arguably most unique radio station. “K-R-F-Y 88.5, Pend Oreille. Sandpoint Community Radio,” can be heard going out over the airwaves and into cars and homes across three different counties in the Idaho Panhandle as Poole, the station’s general manager, explains what the station is about. “We are a full-power FM radio station that brings commercial-free radio to the area,” he says as another of the many eclectic songs on the station starts playing. “We’re an important addition to the airwaves here because we offer something different – programming that’s not dominated by corporations who are increasingly influencing the news and information we receive.” The station first test broadcasted on Jan. 25, with progressive national and world reporting from Democracy Now! and Al Jazeera English, undoubtedly giving its listeners in the area an alternative to mainstream reporting that often follows the same news cycles. KRFY gets its news programming through the Pacifica Network and KPFA based in Berkeley, Calif., an organization that shares its content with more than 900 stations, pioneering itself as the largest community media collaboration in the United States. While Poole is working hard to keep the nascent station’s lights on and push it forward with fundraising and promotional efforts, he points to Scott Daily as
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 33
General manager of Sandpoint’s new listener-supported radio station, Jeff Poole says KRFY is an “important addition to the airwaves” because programming isn’t dominated by corporations
the one that pulled him aboard. “I’ve known Scott for about six years. We first met when our children started attending the same school together,” said Poole, who has lived in northern Idaho all his life but started calling himself a Sandpoint local in 1992. “Scott and I ran into each other outside the post office downtown a couple years ago, and he was already aware of my audio engineering background. He asked if I would help him and others get the station going and soon after I was on board.” Daily’s idea for a local community radio station didn’t actually start with plans to follow guidelines set forth by the Federal Communications Commission though. “Years ago when I was living in Montana’s Yaak Valley, I became inspired to start a pirate radio station after reading about an activist in Mother Jones magazine who was doing it successfully,” said Daily. He explained that SUMMER 2011
the idea did not come to fruition at that time and place, but he continued to think about it, even when he later moved to Sandpoint. “On a cold night in December of 2006, a small group of us got together and decided that we would put our funds and minds together and get our own small-time pirate radio station going.” Daily left the meeting with one major task on his to-do list that would eventually change the scope of the station altogether. “I e-mailed Democracy Now! to ask if our soon-to-be illegal pirate radio station would be allowed to air their program,” said Daily. Just days later he found out they could operate under full license instead. “A producer from the show responded and explained that the FCC was opening a seven-day window for licensed community radio station applications. I knew that if we got our act together we could SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
33
5/7/11 2:43 PM
COMMUNITY RADIO make the station a long-lasting effort, as opposed to a fly-by-night project that could end in us getting arrested or at least heavily fined.” So the group completed the application and marched on. “The reason behind the initial pirate radio focus, for me at least, was not so much about being rebels and living on the edge as it was about having no other options available,” said Daily. Perhaps that FCC window was pure
serendipity, but the group still had to garner enough funds to get the independent station on air. “Coming from the world of nonprofit activism, the funding part did not intimidate me like it did the others, and I was able to convince them that funding would not be a problem,” said Daily. But Daily would soon face a much larger obstacle than he or his family and friends ever expected. “In June of 2008 I was diagnosed with
Weddings
& Receptions
Sandpoint Events Center
102 S. Euclid • 208.263.7770 SandpointEventsCenter.com The perfect venue for seminars, music performances, theatre, business meetings and more. 34
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 34
chondrosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer, and it changed everything for me and what I could commit to this effort,” he said, while preparing for yet another round of treatment as he continues the fight for his life. “The station is hurting right now and we should not be, which is very frustrating for me. We should not be held up because of money.” Daily and Poole as well as all the others involved in the station have wonderful plans for its future, but they need continued support from people and businesses in the community. Providing a tax-deductible donation is the most surefire way of supporting Sandpoint Community Radio, but they are also requesting that local audiophiles provide music from their personal libraries. “There are specific guidelines for submitting music to the station, but for anyone who is interested, we absolutely urge them to get in touch with us,” said Poole, wanting everyone in Sandpoint and its surrounding communities to get involved. “We would love to have musicians visit us and play live sets in the studio, or even bring volunteers on staff to help the station realize its full potential.” For a station that is less than a year old, it has some serious potential to open up dialogue within the community and foster constructive political debate amongst its residents. “As the station grows we would like to have roundtable discussions, where people of different beliefs – conservative and liberal – get a chance to speak their mind about local current affairs,” said Poole. And although Daily’s fight with cancer continues, he wants Sandpoint Community Radio to have a lasting legacy in northern Idaho. “I want KRFY to be an enduring, community-supported voice for responsible, progressive information and action for our little community,” he said. “We have established the station, so in my mind Sandpoint has done its part in giving our people an easy way to access alternative news and perspectives that could change our residents’ approach to life.” Tune your radio to 88.5 FM or listen to streaming broadcasts at www.krfy.org.
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:43 PM
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 35
5/7/11 2:43 PM
Celebrating 30 years of Hometown Banking & World-Class ExpErTisE
Founded by the community, for the community, offering: Business Banking Solutions Commercial Lending SBA Preferred Lender Home Equity Lending Trust & Investment Services Personal Banking Solutions 24/7 Internet Banking Access Mobile Banking
www.panhandlebank.com 033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 36
Twenty Branches throughout the region to serve you, including: Sandpoint Bonners Ferry Priest River Ponderay Spokane Valley Spokane
208-263-0505
Rathdrum Coeur d’Alene Post Falls Kellogg
Visit our Corporate Headquarters at the sandpoint Center 414 Church street, sandpoint 5/7/11 2:43 PM
HISTORY
David Thompson Downstream on the Columbia in 1811
by Jack Nisbet “LOOKING FOR A PORTAGE, McGILLIVRAY’S RIVER (KOOTENAI RIVER) HENRY JAMES WARRE, 1845
Editor’s note: The North American David Thompson Bicentennials took place between 2007 and 2009. This year marks another bicentennial for the surveyor and fur trader, for his extraordinary exploration of the Columbia River, which will be commemorated by the Columbia Brigade. The U.S. David Thompson Bicentennials Partnership and the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness funded the writing of this story.
T
he easiest way to keep track of North West Company fur agent David Thompson’s considerable activities in the year 1811 is by crew and canoe. At the tail end of January of that year, after a tough crossing of the Rocky Mountains over Athabasca Pass, Thompson consolidated his most trustworthy men at the junction of the Canoe and Columbia rivers, the northernmost hairpin turn of the big river. He dispatched a Nahathaway Cree hunter named Yellow Bird to pile up moose for food, then fanned the remainder of his bare-bones crew out to search for birch bark to make a canoe. The three voyageurs – Pierre Pareil, Joseph Cote and Rene Vallade – found no bark suitable for the job. After careful consideration, Thompson had them fell a large cedar tree and set to work constructing a plank canoe of his own design. Over the next several weeks, a hybrid vessel sewn together with spruce roots took shape in the place known from then on as Boat Encampment. On April 17, the four men set off upstream, making for Thompson’s original Kootanae House post at the Columbia’s source lakes and the trade route he had established over the previous four years west of the Continental Divide. It was more of a slog than a paddle, with days spent wearing snowshoes and pulling the boat over ice. The cedar planks leaked like crazy, and much time
ers
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 37
was spent making and thawing “Pine Gum” to seal the cracks. On May 2, they tore into their trade goods and “put a stripe of Linnen well gummed over every Seam.” In spite of all their efforts, “the Canoe leaked very much.” It took more than two weeks to reach an open channel, but in early May they met two “fine steady” Iroquois whom Thompson immediately engaged: Charles in the bow, “being an excellent Canoe man,” and Louis “to Hunt & be the foreman or Steersman of a Canoe.” The new crew worked their way past Kootanae House and carried the 26-foot long boat across the short portage to the Kootenai River. Headed downstream now, they swept south across the 49th parallel and into modern-day Montana. At the mouth of the Fisher River, they abandoned Thompson’s first cedar plank canoe and purchased horses to cross over to the Clark Fork drainage via a tribal trail that followed the Fisher and Thompson rivers. From this point on Thompson met free trappers every day, and engaged one particular Iroquois named Ignace, “to be Steersman of my canoe.” From Saleesh House, Thompson SUMMER 2011
continued on horseback, traveling downstream toward Lake Pend Oreille. Spring runoff made for soggy riding, and when Ignace, his latest Iroquois hire, was nearly swept away fording a creek, Thompson camped near a cedar grove to construct plank canoe No. 2. The men sewed this one together with cedar instead of the preferred spruce roots and completed the craft in only seven days. Thompson, always critical, made several design changes on the fly and pronounced the cedar root cordage “weak.” Thompson’s crew had constructed Kullyspel House near modern Hope in the fall of 1809; since then it had served mostly as a warehouse for goods and furs. When the travelers found “no person, nor any writing” there, Thompson had no choice but to continue across Lake Pend Oreille. Still struggling with leaks in his new canoe design, he put ashore below the “Sandy Point” that marks the location of the city of Sandpoint and “gummed the Canoe which from the House has been so leaky as to keep a man continually bailing out water.” From the Pend Oreille River’s outlet SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
37
5/7/11 2:43 PM
HISTORY at Dover he continued downstream past Albeni Falls to a Kalispel encampment near the town of Cusick, Wash. There the elder called Le Bon Vieux informed Thompson that Finan McDonald was staying at Spokane House, and before long the crew had secured fresh horses to make their next portage, between the Pend Oreille and Spokane drainages. Canoe No. 2 remained behind as Thompson and his growing crew, including experienced translator Michel Boulard, moved south to the Spokane, then back north through the Colville Valley to Kettle Falls. There Thompson spent another frustrating few days looking for good birch bark before retreating to a grove of small branchy cedar on Mill Creek, just north of Colville. He and his men fashioned cedar plank canoe No. 3, dragged it the eight miles back to Kettle Falls and tossed it into the main stem of the Columbia on July 3. After six full months of preliminaries, the surveyor was ready to make his 10-day, 700-mile run to the Pacific. For this trip, Boat Encampment veterans Pierre Pariel and Joseph Cote joined Michel Boulard and free hunters Michel Bourdeaux and Francois Gregoire
as paddlers. The Iroquois Charles and Ignace took their seats at the bow and stern respectively. A San Poil couple came along as translators of the unfamiliar Interior Salish languages they would encounter downstream. It was a crack crew, and they did steady work on the trip that entered Thompson’s name into modern history books as the first surveyor of the Columbia’s entire length. But in the larger scheme of events, this section of the river represented simDavid Thompson’s Columbia River survey, 1811, courtesy Jack ply another leg of a much Nisbet, “The Mapmaker’s Eye,” Washington State University Press longer journey. It took six months for the Nor’Westers for the upstream paddle back to Boat to build the three boats and Encampment, where it all began. In the cover the water and overland miles that fur trade world, the river ran an endless got them to Kettle Falls. Over the next circle. And Thompson’s strange plank nine months, Thompson and various canoes became the model that grew groups of men and women would cover all those river miles twice over, and build into the Columbia River bateaux, used to haul goods and furs over the next no less than seven more full-sized cedar plank cargo canoes. They ended up right four decades for both the Columbia and Fraser River fur districts. back at Kettle Falls, ready to shove off
Brigade paddles into county Commemorating David Thompson’s historic journey down the Columbia River in 1811, a group is paddling voyageur canoes along the 1,200-mile route from Invermere, British Columbia, Canada, all the way to Astoria, Ore., from June 1 to July 16. And they will spend three of those days in Bonner County, arriving in Clark Fork, Sunday, June 12, Dover June 13, and Oldtown June 14. The twice-annual Columbia Express used Thompson’s route for 50 years to go across the Rocky Mountains, which was later adapted by the Hudson’s Bay Company to become the York Factory Express. The 2011 David Thompson Columbia River Brigade is planning to make a big entrance at Clark Fork. Landing at the mouth of Mosquito Creek, the brigade will re-create a welcoming ceremony at the river with a traditional black powder gun firing, followed by a procession into town. Two days prior to the landing, historian and author Jack Nisbet and Kalispel tribal leader Francis Cullooyah will present a program June 10 at the Clark Fork/Hope Senior Center. 38
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 38
According to Ann Ferguson The 2011 David Thompson of the Bonner County Historical Columbia River Brigade lands in Museum, all three communithree Bonner County communities will feature the Mapmaker’s ties in June. PHOTO COURTESY DAVID Eye exhibit, and Nisbet will also THOMPSON COLUMBIA RIVER BRIGADE give presentations in Dover and Oldtown. For more details, look up http://2011brigade.org or www.BonnerCountyHistory.org. – Billie Jean Plaster
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:43 PM
PLACES
Dead men tell no tales, but their headstones do STORY AND PHOTOS BY JENNIFER LAMONT LEO
Local cemeteries hold important clues to the past, when you know what to look for
A
beautiful Sandpoint morning stretches out before you as you consider your options. How shall you spend the next few delicious hours? You could hit the beach. Or the bike trail. Or the mountains. Or the cemetery. (Cue record scratch) The cemetery? Cemetery, graveyard, memorial garden – whatever you call it – chances are you have visited one at one time or another, to attend a funeral or pay your respects at a gravesite. But it might not occur to you to spend a pretty summer day visiting a local cemetery, particularly if you aren’t personally acquainted with anyone who’s buried there. After all, aren’t cemeteries kind of – well, creepy? Not at all, according to the many decidedly un-creepy folks who enjoy visiting cemeteries for their historical and aesthetic value. History buffs love them for their factual information about the past. Art aficionados admire the sculpture. Even gardeners thrill to find the occasional rare specimen, planted in honor of a loved one. “A walk through a cemetery is much the same as thumbing through a great history book,” says Nancy Fontaine of Sandpoint. “The facts are present – the rest of your visit is based on speculation and imagination. The lives represented offer us a privilege and opportunity to reflect past events.” The folks who lived before us – pioneers, loggers, teachers, railroaders, homemakers, clerks and countless others – loved, laughed, celebrated, worked, argued, married, and raised their children here in Bonner County, just like us.
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 39
Above: Lakeview Cemetery. Farmin family members were prominent in Sandpoint’s founding Right: Westmond Cemetery. Sidney Connett was wounded in the Army Engineer Corps in the India theater in World War II, for which he received the Purple Heart. Physically disabled, he never fully recovered from his injuries. Sidney’s maternal grandfather, Michael Hormsby, also buried at Westmond, was a Confederate soldier whose anti-slavery views motivated him to defect to the Union. As a Union soldier he reportedly helped capture Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Moving west after the war, Hormsby eventually settled in Sagle to live near his daughter, Nettie Connett (Sidney’s mother)
Although they may not necessarily share our DNA, we do have something in common – the story of our community. Bonner County is home to about 24 known cemeteries, some tiny and barely discernable beneath tangled weeds, others well-kept and flourishing. A few of the most interesting cemeteries to visit in the Sandpoint area are noted below. But first, here are a few things to look for on your visit. Monuments and headstones contain a wealth of historical detail. The SUMMER 2011
size and style of older monuments may say something about the wealth of the deceased, with larger, more elaborately carved monuments erected by families that could afford them. Plainer markers could indicate a tighter budget or not – some families simply don’t place a high priority on high-priced monuments. Seneacquoteen Cemetery contains several interesting concrete gravestones with the names and dates marked out SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
39
5/7/11 2:43 PM
KPND Summer Pint Nights 6/8 Northern Quest Casino
100 North Hayford Road Airway Heights, WA (509) 242-7000
6/15 Forty One South
8/3 Trinity at Willow Bay
6/22 Sweet Lou’s
8/10 Bottle Bay Resort
6/29 Pend Oreille Winery
8/17 Capone’s
7/6 The Floating Restaurant
8/24 Garfield Shores
7/13 Capone’s
8/31 Bottle Bay Resort
520 Willow Bay Road Priest River, ID (208) 265-8854
41 Lakeshore Dr Sagle, ID (208) 265-2000
C
M
2011
115 Resort Road Sandpoint, ID (208) 263-5916
46624 Highway 200 Hope, ID (208) 264-5999
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
220 Cedar Street Sandpoint, ID (208) 265-8545
1835 Garfield Bay Road Sagle, ID (208) 263-9595
47394 Highway 200 Hope, ID (208) 264-5311
751 North 4th Street Coeur D Alene, ID (208) 667-4843
7/20
Ivano’s at Beyond Hope
7/27
Murphy’s
315 N Ross Point Rd Post Falls, ID (208) 457-8020
115 Resort Road Sandpoint, ID (208) 263-5916
9/7 Hot Rod Café
1610 Schneidmiller Ave Post Falls, ID (208) 777-1712
1267 Peninsula Rd Hope, ID (208) 264-5251
Lakeview Cemetery. Infant mortality was much higher in earlier generations than it is today
in metal piping. Locals say that a generous craftsman made them during the Depression and war years for families that could not afford a regular headstone. The more recent trend is toward simpler, smaller markers set flat in the ground for a very practical reason: ease of groundskeeping. A monument’s carvings, if any, reveal something about the deceased. Epitaphs such as “Loving Mother,” religious and fraternal symbols, and military insignia are clues to an individual’s affiliations. Weeping willows represent mourning, while an open gate or Bible indicates hope for the afterlife. A fallen or hewn tree symbolizes a younger person “cut down” in the prime of life, while angels and lambs often signify a child’s grave. Some contemporary markers reflect personal passions, anything from hunting and fishing to boating to antique cars. Dates can point to historical events. You might see a family plot containing multiple graves dated 1918, some within days of each other – a sad result of the
9/14 Northern Quest Casino
100 North Hayford Road Airway Heights, WA (509) 242-7000
204 W. Main Hope, ID (208) 264-5905
presents
“MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING”
August 20th
6 p.m. MST – 5 p.m. PST At THE BALL PARK in HERON, MONTANA
www.montana.edu/shakespeare
40
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 40
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 4:23 PM
decades. Pinecrest holds the headstone of a married couple that proudly states, “Love is Eternal, Married 80 Years.” Bride and groom were around 16 years old when they married. This Memorial Day – or any other day – these cemeteries in and around Sandpoint are well worth a visit:
Lakeview Cemetery Handcrafted headstone at Seneacquoteen Cemetery. Such simple, rustic headstones were not uncommon during the Depression years
influenza pandemic that killed between 20 million and 40 million people worldwide and swept through Sandpoint as well. Wars also left their mark, with graves such as that of Stanley Smith, buried at Seneacquoteen, who was killed at the Battle of Tarawa during World War II. Cemeteries also reflect changing social realities. Infant and child mortality was much higher in days before antibiotics. Mercifully, the number of children’s graves lessens dramatically with each ensuing decade, reflecting advances in modern medical care. Another shifting trend is the family plot. In generations past, people tended to live and die in the same area, and relatives were often buried near each other. This togetherness is less common nowadays, according to local mortician Dale Coffelt, as families are more geographically scattered. Longstanding marriages (when widowhood did not intervene) were also more common in past
Division Street south of Highway 2, Sandpoint. The granddaddy of Sandpoint cemeteries, dates from 1903. In that year, the Humbird Lumber Company wanted to expand onto some land along the Northern Pacific Railroad, in present-day Kootenai, that contained the area’s earliest graves, dating back to 1885. So the company purchased an attractive 5-acre tract located (at that time) west of town and paid for the graves to be moved there. Lakeview, expanded during the 1920s, features graves of some of the earliest Bonner County pioneers, including the Farmin family, who deeded the original plat for the city of Sandpoint.
Pinecrest Memorial Park 499 Pinecrest Loop, Sandpoint. If Lakeview is the oldest cemetery in Sandpoint, Pinecrest is arguably the most prominent. In 1910, C.E. Wilson dedicated 20 acres of land west of town as the Piedmont Cemetery. In 1923, Lawrence “Pike” Moon Jr. of the Moon Mortuary purchased this cemetery. He, his wife Hazel, and Owen Ragland, the first caretaker, worked hard to improve the road and the landscaping. Renamed Pinecrest Memorial Park, it was expanded in the 1950s and includes the grave of Idaho Gov. Don
PLACES TIPS FOR A PLEASANT CEMETERY VISIT Bring paper and pencil for taking notes and a camera. Wear sturdy walking shoes, and be careful not to trip on uneven ground, roots and stones. If you’re looking for a particular grave, consult the caretaker or owner, whose name is usually listed on the cemetery sign, to check their records. Funeral homes, church records, old newspaper obituaries, the local historical society, and websites such as www.interment. net and www.findagrave.com are also good places to check. If a funeral is in progress, keep a respectful distance and speak quietly. Don’t hover or gawk. Respect the privacy of other visitors to the cemetery, as they may be in mourning. (However, if they appear to be fellow researchers, it’s OK to introduce yourself and compare notes. You may learn something interesting. ) Respect all rules and restrictions posted by the cemetery. Avoid disturbing family mementos, flags, etc., when taking photos. If you feel you absolutely must do so to get a certain angle or read a stone, put everything back where you found it. When driving through a cemetery, observe posted speed limits, keep your car stereo at a low volume or off, and don’t block the road. Some of the more obscure cemeteries may be located on private land. Avoid trespassing. – Jennifer Lamont Leo
Samuelson.
Serving North Idaho for more than 20 years
HEALTH AUTO HOME LIFE BOAT Specializing in group employee benefits for medical, dental and vision (208) 263-2708
1 0 0 9 W. S u p e r i o r S t r e e t
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 41
w w w . Ta y l o r I n s u r a n c e S a n d p o i n t . c o m
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
41
5/7/11 2:44 PM
PLACES
North Idaho’s Best Golf Value
Westmond Cemetery On Highway 95 about a half mile north of Cocolalla Loop Road. Founded in 1907. The oldest burial, dating from 1890, was transferred from a farm around 1908. The Information Center has a helpful map of the gravesites.
Seneacquoteen Cemetery Off Dufort Road, near Vay. Started in 1897, when a local family discovered the drowned body of an unknown man and buried him on their property. The cemetery was formally incorporated in 1924.
Gamlin Lake Cemetery On Sagle Road nine miles east of Highway 95, adjacent to the Church in the Wildwood. Known at various times as Newton or Broten, this pretty cemetery has graves dating back to the early 1900s.
Hope Cemetery
Preferred Player Card $59.95
Your first round of golf is free Enjoy 20% off green fees for the entire 2011 season $50 in Twin Lakes Coupons good for the practice range, pro shop and the all new Moon Dollars Restaurant Purchase online, by phone, or at the pro shop
208-687-1311
golftwinlakes.com
Off Highway 200, up the hill past the post office. The oldest burial appears to date from 1896. Another cemetery nearby – small, overgrown and difficult to access – is known by locals as the “Chinese cemetery,” although it is unproven whether any Chinese (who came to the area to work on the railroad) were actually buried there. Per tradition, the Chinese preferred to have their remains shipped back to China, but that was not always possible. In any case, the old cemetery was no longer used after 1900.
Clark Fork Cemetery Off Lightning Creek Road. Dates from the early 1900s and includes many local pioneers.
208-687-5396 moondollarsrestaurant.com
Pack River Cemetery On Colburn-Culver Road (sometimes called the Oden Cemetery). Built in 1923 on land purchased from the Humbird Lumber
5416 West Village Blvd. Rathdrum, ID
4 miles N. of Rathdrum on Hwy. 41 An easy drive – Just 13 miles from CDA and 32 miles from Sandpoint 42
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 42
Company.
Evergreen Cemetery 1250 Cemetery Rd., Priest River. This cemetery was established in 1904, replacing an early cemetery near the old Louisiana-Pacific mill that was abandoned. The many Italian surnames are a clue to one of the ethnic groups that helped settle Priest River.
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:44 PM
RIDING
Adventure riding Sport embraces Panhandle’s plethora of dirt roads Story and photos by Chris Park
M
y closest friend, Chef Paul Donaghue, planted the seed. It lay dormant for several years, waiting for the right moment to come to fruition. Elements weren’t quite right: the timing, the conditions. It took a tragic, life-changing event to shake this seed from its sleep. Donaghue, too young, too soon, was taken by cancer. He left a gift that would change my life, a gift that would open doors and expand my horizons. By then it was clear. I would do this. It was my destiny. Today, I’m riding Donaghue’s motorcycle: a BMW 650 Dakar. I am honoring his passion whenever I ride – embracing the world of dual-sport motorcycling. This has opened my eyes to the universe he wanted to share with me
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 43
and taken me down roads I never knew I would travel. Donaghue rides with me, always there as my guide, cohort and companion. In the wide scope of motorcycling, a dual-sport bike is colloquially defined as an “on-off road bike.” Think “dual purpose.” It is also commonly referred to as adventure riding – with a strong emphasis on riding a minimal amount of pavement to access dirt roads. That’s not to say “dirt biking” either. These are heavier bikes, weighing more than 400 pounds, which are best suited for the plethora of old logging roads so common in the Northwest. They can be loaded down with camping gear. Their superior suspension makes travel on unmaintained dirt roads smooth, comfortable and quick. SUMMER 2011
One of the author’s adventure rides took him north of Upper Priest Lake on Forest Road 655
They handle like a sports bike (think crotch rocket) on the pavement. They go hundreds of miles using only a few gallons of fuel. These bikes are quiet, efficient, responsive, affordable and seriously fun. It’s no surprise that dual-sport enthusiasts are the fastest-growing demographic in the motorcycle market. Local John Olson, who rides dual sport every month of the year says, “Adventure riding is not a matter of life and death, it is far more important than that.” How can one become so enamored with a machine? A dual-sport motorcycle is more than a machine, it’s a vehicle: a medium for communicating, expressing SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
43
5/7/11 2:44 PM
RIDING
AWARD WINNING CRAFT BEERS ON TAP FOR TASTING
and accomplishing some of the very best things in life, such as freedom, excitement, adventure, travel, nature and camaraderie. Donaghue once described these optimum experiences as “T-1 moments.” These are times when the extraordinary quality of that particular experience
The author explores Lightning Creek drainage, a favorite ride (courtesy Black Dog Cycle Works)
places you, the lucky one, in the top 1 percent of all the people on Earth. Historically, motorcycles were origi-
ADVENTURE ROUTES AND RESOURCES Cream Ale IPA Pale Ale Huckleberry Cream Ale Rocket Dog Alphadog Imperial IPA Dogzilla Black IPA
HOURS: Everyday 11-7 pm Open Sundays Starting in May
Gift shop / tours by appt.
(208) 263-9222 Tap Room Now Open 1109 Fontain Rd. Ponderay, ID
FREE WI-FI www.LaughingDogBrewing.com 44
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 44
WANT TO TRY DUAL-SPORT adventure riding? Here’s the quick and dirty lowdown. It helps if you love to read and study maps or tinker with your GPS and that you’re somewhat good at it. Make sure to only do this while stationary please! It also becomes more important, the farther you go, to have your basic mechanical-troubleshooting-andfixing-skills down, especially tire changing. Of course, getting to wherever you’re going and back safely is also a key component; therefore, having good riding skills, equipment and street smarts will greatly improve the quality of any adventure ride. It takes some time and effort, like anything worthwhile, but once you gain confidence and everything begins to sync, the adventure possibilities go exponential! An excellent resource for those wanting to learn how to ride a motorcycle safely (and make your license test a breeze) here in Idaho is the Idaho STAR Motorcycle Safety Program. Three-day, Basic I and II classes are held in Sandpoint. Check www.idahostar.org. For those already involved in the sport, new to the area or planning for summer fun in Sandpoint, don’t miss the 2011 North Idaho Selkirks Rally. Kurt and Martha Forgét of Black Dog Cycle Works (263-0438) will be hosting this event Aug. 12-14 from their beautiful
property on Upper Pack River Road. See all the details about the rally and a bunch of other cool stuff at www.blackdogcw.com. To get a glimpse at how some folks are traveling the back roads of the world on dualsport motorcycles, Horizons Unlimited has great trip reports and an excellent discussion forum as does Adventure Rider; see www. horizonsunlimited.com and www.advrider. com. The Idaho Adventure Motorcycle Club is definitely worth a look: www.motoidaho.com. A truly great story about a couple of guys, Ewan McGregor (yes, the actor Ewan McGregor) and Charlie Boorman, planning for, training for, and ultimately completing a trip around the world on dual-sport motorcycles is “The Long Way Around,” available as a book or documentary series on DVD. A classic, fun, and nontechnical ride here in northern Idaho is from the town of Clark Fork; take Forest Service Road No. 278 down the eastern side of Lake Pend Oreille, all the way to Farragut State Park. Another is Twentymile Creek Road No. 408 just north of Naples. This remote road winds its way up and over to Troy, Mont. By the way, Idaho has more than 30,000 miles of dirt and twotrack roads, so the possibilities for adventure motorcycling are virtually unlimited. – Chris Park
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:44 PM
nally designed to go on dirt roads. By the 1940s, there were enough developed roads and highways that the shift to street bikes began in earnest. Now, however, the motorcycling trend is returning to its history and embracing its dirty roots. Demographically, many dual-sport riders (not including me at the moment) are coming from higher income brackets and represent a desirable market for towns like Sandpoint. Dual-sport riders tend to be far more ecologically friendly and mindful than their often-controversial dirt bike cousins. The dual-sport bikes have efficient, quiet, four-stroke engines. Riders stay on established roads. Dual-sporters also have an affinity for safety, gearing up with a good helmet, boots and protective, highly visible clothing. In tune with the national trend, Black Dog Cycle Works, a local dual-sportfocused company, has seen business more than double in the last couple of years. It was Chef Paul who encouraged Black Dog owners Kurt and Martha Forgét to visit Sandpoint for a motorcycle ride and ultimately to relocate here. He later introduced us, and we have since become close friends. The Forgéts obviously agree that this area has endless opportunities for dual-sport riding. This summer they will host the second annual North Idaho Selkirks Rally, Aug. 12-14, bringing 100 or so dual-sport enthusiasts to Sandpoint to explore, share and learn. For those who love to hike, fish, camp or hunt, dual-sport bikes offer quick, cheap and fun access to favorite spots. From Sandpoint one can take a scenic trip for a few hours, an exceptional adventure for a couple of days or block out some serious time to take the trip of a lifetime. “I love riding the mountain roads: the Yaak to Koocanusa, Quinn’s Hot Springs to 9-mile Ranger Station and Bayview to Thompson Falls to name a few,” says Olson. To that list I would add: Trestle Creek to Lightning Creek, Priest Lake to Sullivan Lake, Bunco Road around
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 45
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
45
5/7/11 2:44 PM
RIDING the east side of Lake Pend Oreille and accessing the endless miles of dirt roads in the Coeur d’Alene drainage from Clark Fork. Whether on a long trip or a short one, riding dual-sport bikes, or any motorcycle for that matter, requires total concentration. It’s an all-encompassing activity: senses are on high, reflexes always ready, body and mind are focused. Like meditation, thoughts are concentrated – centered on staying safe, upright and moving forward. A good ride effectively cleanses the mind and spirit of any unwanted debris. Olson, fond of solo travel, acknowledges this when he said, “I feel more available to my muse running alone.” When I ride, I’ve got Donaghue with me. I know his hands gripped the handlebars as I now do and his eyes looked past this very same windscreen. I wear his boots on my feet, his gloves on my hands, his helmet protects my head, and he resides in my thoughts and heart on every ride.
46
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 46
Heading up the Lightning Creek drainage, the author’s wife, Lizbeth Zimmerman, and Kurt Forgét take a break on Road 419 on the way to Char Falls
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:44 PM
FISHING
A storied fishery Recovery efforts putting the K&K back into Lake Pend Oreille
W
hen Josh Stokes was a boy he stood in the back of his father’s boat in his pajamas hoisting a fishing pole. His dad, Roy Stokes, 56, often carried him from his bed to the pickup, then to the boat in early daylight that waxed over Lake Pend Oreille like a brush stroke. When he was old enough to shuck the pajamas, the younger Stokes caught his first Kamloops rainbow on the lake, and like the fish, the experience hooked the boy. “There’s nothing like standing on the back of the boat with a 20-pound trout peeling 1,000 feet of line off your reel three times,” Josh Stokes, now 23, says. “It’s out there 500 feet and still jumping.” As long as anyone can remember, Kamloops has been king fish on northern Idaho’s big lake, with fishing derbies that used to pay out $1,000 in the youth division, a prize Josh Stokes pocketed more than once. During bygone derby days, the roads leading to the lake’s boat launches and the resorts that sponsored the derbies were bumper-to-bumper with cars, pickups and boat trailers whose owners and crew
were out to land the biggest Kamloops rainbow to win the prize and prestige it brought. “The grand prize in the spring derby used to be over $20,000,” Roy Stokes said. “Now it’s $800.” Sportsmen and women would come from across the continent to hook gymnastic Kamloops – also called Gerrard rainbows – in Lake Pend Oreille, watch them catapult into the air, wrap fishing line around outboards and generally give an angler a good show. Of all the rainbows Roy Stokes caught in 20 years of fishing Idaho’s biggest lake, he kept only three, including a mounted 25-pound, 12-ounce rainbow that hangs in his Post Falls living room. “We almost always let them go,” he says. “They were like our pets.” In the historic days of the lake’s super rainbow fishery, the lake’s kokanee population – the major food source for big rainbows – was at its prime, too, so sport fishermen and meat anglers who caught their limit of the small, silver, landlocked kokanee salmon for the smoker, coexisted happily on northern Idaho’s big trout pond. Those were the good times.
Josh Stokes, at age 10, caught and released this 36-inch rainbow trout Oct. 19, 1997
PHOTO BY TINA FRIEDMAN
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 47
By Ralph Bartholdt
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
47
5/7/11 2:44 PM
FISHING
Like many good times, however, shadows loomed and grew, not on the horizon this time, but under the lake’s Aqua Velva blue surface. These shadows were fish too, namely lake trout, a species that was introduced in 1925 by the federal government as a food and possible income source for area residents. The idea was to provide a commercial fishery for anglers, but the lake trout, transported from the Great Lakes, didn’t respond well to their new environment. The fishery didn’t flourish and Pend Oreille’s lake trout were destined to sulk around the deep, cold contours of the lake while sport anglers chased the glitzy Kamloops and meat fishers filled buckets with kokanee. For more than 50 years, Pend Oreille’s lake trout – also called mackinaw – were not bothering anyone, says Mike Hansen, a fishery biologist and consul-
48
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 48
From left: James Mullen with a 24-pound rainbow. Boots Reynolds shows off 23 lake trout reeled in with Ward Tollbom in three and a half hours June 24, 2008. Dave Ivy caught this sizable lake trout under a bounty program aimed at the unwanted predator
tant to Idaho Fish and Game (IF&G) and the Lake Pend Oreille Fishery Recovery Task Force, which have wrestled with the lake’s fishery issues for several years. “The lake trout juveniles didn’t have a good food supply,” said Hansen, who is a lake trout expert and professor of fisheries at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Therefore, the macks didn’t thrive. Some time in the late 1960s, Ward Tollbom remembers attending a meeting of sportsmen at Sandpoint Community Hall. An avid fisher of kokanee and lifelong Sandpoint resident, Tollbom and a
packed house of anglers, all spurred by the notion of bigger, fatter kokanee in Pend Oreille, demanded IF&G supply a food source for their kokanee. In British Columbia, from where kokanee hail, the trout could weigh a hefty 3 to 5 pounds, while Pend Oreille’s kokanee were measured in inches – somewhere around 10 inches was the average. The only difference was their food source. In British Columbia’s Kootenay Lake, kokanee fed on a little freshwater shrimp called mysis. The anglers at the meeting wanted mysis in Pend Oreille to bolster their kokanee, Tollbom recalls.
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:45 PM
FISHING
Record-setting waters That Lake Pend Oreille is the state’s biggest and deepest body of water is a distinction not lost on sport anglers around the globe. And like unusually eclectic cuisine, it is served with its own dose of anticipation. From north to south, the lake stretches 43 miles, covering a surface of more than 150 square miles and plummeting to depths of more than 1,000 feet – making Pend Oreille the fifth-deepest lake in the nation. Such a trench must hold a variety of fish. Many sport fishers will attest to it. For some, though, the days of testament, or oral observation are left to words printed in Idaho Fish and Game ledgers. Wes Hamlet is a name that has stuck in the record books for more than a half century. In 1947, he hoisted a world-record 37-pound Kamloops rainbow trout out of the lake’s cerulean waters. Some say it’s still the world-record fish because two subsequent world-record rainbow caught in 2007 and 2009 in Saskatchewan, Canada, are “genetic cheats,” genetically modified hatchery fish called triploids – not wild, spawning trout. The International Game Fish Association, however, does not recognize the distinction. A couple years after Hamlet’s famous catch, in 1949, a man named Nelson Higgins caught what remains as the worldrecord bull trout in Pend Oreille. The fish weighed 32 pounds. Pend Oreille’s waters churned for a while as the lake’s
reputation as a world-class fishery blossomed. Stories of big Lake Pend Oreille trout circulated and sportsmen anxiously waited for the next record-book trout to be pulled from the lake. Expectations culminated in 1991 with a 24-pound cutthroat/rainbow trout hybrid, called a cutbow, caught by Irwin Donart. The record has stood for 30 years. In 1995, Jim Eversole caught the largest game fish ever taken from Lake Pend Oreille, a 43-pound, 6-ounce mackinaw, also known as the lake trout. The lake is little known for its whitefish fishery although it holds in abundance two species of the tender-fleshed fish. The mountain whitefish, a native, is the smaller of the lake’s two varieties and found in depths of less than 50 feet. Introduced into the lake in 1898 from the Great Lakes, the bigger lake whitefish are found at depths between 80 to 200 feet. The state record lake whitefish weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces and was caught in Pend Oreille last year by Dale Hofmann. – Ralph Bartholdt
HALLANS GALLERY/ROSS HALL COLLECTION
Lake Pend Oreille’s lunkers for the record books
Wes Hamlet caught this world-record rainbow trout, a 37-pounder, in 1947
... there’s a lot goin’ on! Log on to Sandpoint’s
remarkable community web site
Click to
www.SandpointOnline.com
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 49
Events • Visitor Guide Movies • Lodging & Dining Recreation • Job Center FREE classified ads Weather & Travel Info • News Sandpoint Q&A Forums
SUMMER 2011
Get the
TownCrier FREE e-mail newsletter of Sandpoint happenings Get social with us
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
49
5/7/11 2:45 PM
FISHING “People had visions of tying up to the Long Bridge in the morning and catching 2-pound kokanee,” Tollbom said. “We all saw the mysis as the vehicle to do that.” The state fisheries department conceded, and mysis shrimp were introduced. The effect was sweeping and almost caused the demise of the little silvery salmon. “After the introduction of mysis, lake trout started increasing in abundance,” Hansen said.
The S-curved shadows under the lake’s surface began to swell. Unlike both kokanee, which have a four-year life cycle, and rainbows, which grow big and fast with the right food source and usually die before their ninth birthday, lake trout can live to be 65, all the while growing and devouring kokanee, rainbows and their own species. In other lakes where they were introduced, such as nearby Priest Lake and Montana’s Flathead Lake, macks, driven by voracious appetites and the right
Sandpoint’s home for Cuisinart products & quality kitchenware!
RIDE ‘EM COWBOY
Kitchen art with a smile by Sandpoint artist Jan Welle
Corner of 1st & Cedar Street Downtown Sandpoint 208-255-1863 www.fritzsfrypan.com Open 7 days Mon - Sat 9 - 6 p.m. • Sun 10 - 4 p.m.
50
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 50
conditions, have depleted all neighboring fish species on their way to becoming the sole proprietors of their ponds. This phenomenon became apparent in Pend Oreille in the last couple decades until it reached a climax in 2000. Bolstered by the introduced mysis shrimp as a food source for juvenile mackinaw, and plenty of kokanee for adults to eat, lake trout populations had picked up speed. At the same time, populations of kokanee, the backbone of the lake’s world-class rainbow fishery, slumped. Because of drastically depleted numbers, IF&G in 2000 closed the season on Pend Oreille kokanee, the landlocked salmon that formed the basis of the lake’s multimillion dollar fishery. Mackinaw, which eat about 10 pounds of smaller fish to gain a single pound of their own, had outgrown their welcome. “They are bad neighbors,” Roy says. Introducing mysis shrimp to the ecosystem not only helped fatten juvenile mackinaw, but the shrimp also competed with kokanee fry for zooplankton, the fry’s main food. The shrimp were not the only enemy of Pend Oreille’s kokanee. A dam completed on the Pend Oreille River in 1955 as a means to churn electricity for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) had its impact as well. Built and managed by the Army Corps of Engineers for BPA, Albeni Falls Dam was a feat of modern engineering that supplied needed power for a burgeoning region. By the mid-1960s, seasonal dam operations routinely fluctuated the level of the big lake. Winter drawdowns, it was later learned, uncovered the beds of late-spawning kokanee that rely on shoreline gravel to lay eggs. Early-spawning kokanee migrate to streams in the fall to spawn, but the bulk of the lake’s kokanee use shoreline beds to spawn in November and December. The winter drawdown of the lake exposed and killed fertile eggs of winterspawning fish. Early spawners are also vulnerable to weather, when rain-onsnow events wash them out. In recent years, the Corps and BPA have worked closely with state fishery
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:45 PM
FISHING biologists to make sure the beds are adequately flooded in winter to assure kokanee survival. “Lake levels are set going into the winter, based on what biologists believe the kokanee spawn is going to be,” said Mike Milstein, of BPA’s public relations. “Based on that number, we know we need so much spawning area, so the lake needs to be at a certain level to provide the spawning area the fish need.” The Corps draws down the lake to a level spawning kokanee require. “We don’t want to leave eggs exposed,” Milstein said. Noxious weeds, pollutant-laced runoff and lake drawdowns impact the fishery, but predation of kokanee – the lake’s backbone species – is recognized as the biggest factor to the small, bluebacked salmon’s survival. “Ecologically, it’s called a predator pit,” said Hansen, “when there is too few prey for the predators.” Offsetting the “predator pit” was IF&G’s main concern when it started a program more than five years ago to eliminate kokanee’s main predators. It includes a $15 bounty on lake trout and Pend Oreille’s prestigious rainbow trout. The bounty, or angler incentive program, combined with commercial fishing of lake trout using gill nets and fish traps in mackinaw spawning areas, were launched when biologists were aghast to learn that after years of battling for survival, Pend Oreille’s declining kokanee population was on the brink of total collapse. “If someone had told me that we could get the kokanee population back in a few years, I would have said they were crazy,” Idaho Fish and Game Commissioner Tony McDermott of Sagle said. McDermott had watched the kokanee’s decline for decades and wasn’t surprised when it bottomed out. He and department officials worked with sporting, recreation and environmental groups to form the Lake Pend Oreille Fishery Recovery Task Force that works in concert with state-funded kokanee recovery efforts on Pend Oreille. The work has paid off. Hatchery crews collected more than
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 51
RPM sandpoint | cda
Looking for a Vacation Rental? Two Locations
Let us help! We have the largest inventory of
Resort Property Management of Sandpoint 208.263.6000 31656 State Highway 200 Suite #214 Ponderay, ID 83852
vacation rentals in the area, from lakefront bungalows to view condos. For 32 years, we have been the total management firm where property owners have come to depend on us.
Resort Property Management 208.667.6035 2120 N. 3rd St. Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814
www.resortpropertiesidaho.com rpm@resortpropertiesidaho.com
Between First & Second In Downtown Sandpoint
A Natural History Store
Field Guides Books Post/Cards Etc
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
51
5/7/11 2:45 PM
FISHING
10 million kokanee eggs and handled about 100,000 late-season, spawning hatchery fish in the 2010-11 spawning season. The egg take ensures an abundant class of kokanee fry will be introduced into the lake this year. “We’ve seen major gains in the number of hatchery fish returning in the last two years,” Andy Dux, IF&G fishery biologist, said. “In the two years prior to that, we had less than a million eggs each year.” In addition, more shoreline spawners have been recorded. “Historically they comprise the majority of Lake Pend Oreille’s kokanee,” Dux said. “They are our ticket to recovery.” Combined with commercial harvesting of lake trout, and a bounty paid to anglers, more than 115,000 kokaneedevouring mackinaw have been removed from the lake since 2006. For anglers who were getting used to lake trout as a game fish that fetched $15 per head, macks have become harder to find. The ones anglers hook are smaller than the fat, split-tailed fish they caught in the past. “Fishing is getting tougher,” Dux said. “Folks are turning in smaller lake trout. Big ones are harder to come by.” Despite the successes of the lake trout netting and angler incentive programs, he said IF&G will not slacken its grip on getting rid of the lake’s macks in its efforts to reach a goal of once again having a kokanee fishery in which anglers harvest 300,000 of the silvery
salmon annually. “The big picture outlook is to continue an aggressive approach to reducing predators,” he said. Since 2006, the angler incentive program has also resulted in the demise of 32,954 rainbows. Roy Stokes, the man who killed only three rainbows in the 20 years he pursued them for sport is part of the effort. “I’ve killed thousands,” he said. “Last year I killed 600.” The experience has left him a little sideways. “It changed me,” he said. “We used to turn every fish loose. Now we have to kill them and cut their heads off. It’s an emotional, hard thing to do.” For Roy, a member of the task force, and his fellow rainbow trout anglers, there is a silver lining. As lake trout numbers fall off, and kokanee numbers bounce back, the size and population of rainbows is also ticking upward. “We saw more rainbows over 15 pounds last year than we have in quite a number of years,” Dux said. “It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen as many big rainbows.” The driving force behind the bigger rainbows is the increased number of the smaller kokanee, their food source. “Really what’s driving it is we have
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Spawning kokanee were seen in abundance at Granite Creek in the fall of 2010, a sight that buoyed the spirits of many fishermen. PHOTO BY BOOTS AND BECKY REYNOLDS
Specialized Bike Sales Mtn • Road • Hybrid • Cruisers • Kids Bikes Bike clothing /accessories sales Custom bike fitting Full service Repair Department Bike rentals and demos
www.SandpointSports.net Located in Ponderay next to Taco Bell 476930 Hwy. 95 Bld. A Ste. 1 Ponderay Idaho 83852 / 208-265-6163 52
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 52
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 2:45 PM
N
Honda Leads the Way! S
BOAT SERVICE & SALES BOAT RENTALS STORAGE & SLIPS BOAT RESTORATION FLOATING RESTAURANT
Specializing in wakeboard towers, accessories, lighting and sound systems
Cut your fuel costs in half!
BF150 • Honda’s exclusive “Lean Burn” feedback system maximizes fuel efficiency throughout the operating range • Best 5-year limited outboard warranty in the industry– Non-declining! • Meets 2008 CARB standards – 3-star rating! • Programmed fuel injection
We offer complete service on all Honda outboards and take pride in providing the kind of customer satisfaction you expect from Honda.
C
M
Hope Marine Services, Inc. • 47392 Hwy 200 • Hope, ID 83836 • 208-264-5105 • www.HopeMarine.com
Y
CM
MY
CY
MY
K
R E S O R T C O M M U N I T Y • R V PA R K • R E S TA U R A N T • M A R I N A
www.BeyondHopeResort.com
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 53
5/7/11 2:45 PM
FISHING seen more kokanee,” Dux said. That means more rainbows are getting fatter as their food source returns, and competition with lake trout, the target of gill netters, eases. Despite a Lake Pend Oreille kokanee fishery that seems to be rebounding, nobody is standing around waiting for a high five. “A lot of folks are excited that we’re seeing an increase in kokanee and a decrease in lake trout, and more big rainbows than we have seen in years,” Dux
said. “But we’re cautioning them that we have a long way to go to get to our recovery goals. Kokanee populations are still at risk.” Roy Stokes agrees. “There’s no way we’re out of the woods,” he said. Sure, he wants to reach the day when he can once again catch and release trophy rainbows, but he is realistic. “We’re not there,” he said. “Whatever it takes to get there needs to be done.” Even if it means killing the fish he
loves. From lake level management, to the introduction of mysis and management of the big lake’s fish, many of which were also introduced into Lake Pend Oreille, the task of volunteers and IF&G to restore a once-renowned fishery has been a balancing act. “It’s a big lake,” Dux said. “It’s a complicated lake. We’ve got a lot of work going on to understand what’s going on. It’s a complicated story.” But, it’s one worth telling.
HEALTHFULLY S a n d p o i n t STEVEN A. SODORFF, P.T.
Advanced Cut and Color Techniques, Brazilian Blowouts, Balayage, Extensions, Japanese Straightening, Waxing, Manicures & Pedicures
Physical Therapist
PHYSICAL THERAPY
1327 Superior Street Sandpoint,ID 83864 208 263-5731
PHYSICAL, SPORTS and INDUSTRIAL REHABILITATION Over 30 years of Service in Sandpoint
Bringing out the Green.
Digitized examination equipment and software have made us virtually paperless. improves your records improves Approved your ease of examination improves our service Approved with changes
“In beauty may we walk.” - Navajo prayer
and is kinder to our environment Changes; please provide another proof
thewildflowerdayspa.com
Please sign with your approval: Signature
Date
219 Cedar Street, Suite B Sandpoint, ID Shop Outside the Box 7 days a week!
A for your participation in ensuring your product is the best we can make it.
Changes; please provide another proof
• Organic produce
Please sign with your approval:
54
Date
703 W. Lake at Boyer St. 208-265-8135 www.winterridgefoods.com
A signed proof releases Keokee Publishing, Inc. from any reponsibility for error on copy. Please read all copy and check this job carefully. Thank you for your participation in ensuring your product is the best we can make it. SANDPOINT MAGAZINE SUMMER 2011 Please note: This color comp is produced by an in-house printer and is not indicative of the quality of the final printed piece. This proof may not accurately reflect the colors.
033-054_SMS11-lw.indd 54
• Organic deli with gluten-free & vegan selections • Fresh juice & smoothie bar • Local meat, eggs, veggies & more
Approved Please note: This color comp is produced by an in-house printer and is not indicative of thewith quality of the final printed piece. This proof may not accurately Approved changes reflect the colors.
Signature
208.263.1103
• Beer & wine • Supplements • Bulk foods
5/7/11 2:45 PM
kayaking & lazy floats
On moving waters
Kayaking and lazy floats on the Priest, Moyie and Pack rivers Whether for the thrill of whitewater or the quieter pleasures of wildlife and scenic beauty, area rivers offer a moving experience. Herein, two whitewater kayakers and a family floater share their insights on three of those rivers.
055-083_SMS11.indd 55
SUMMER 2011
Nick Bandy dives into the “Guillotine” on the Upper Pack. PHOTO BY DOUG MARSHALL
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
55
5/7/11 3:03 PM
kayaking & lazy floats Thr Priest River offers many meander bends, good areas to enjoy swimming or a picnic. PHOTO BY BRENT CLARK
That the Priest has relatively small whitewater doesn’t mean paddlers can’t get into trouble. On one kayaking trip years back, a beginner friend flipped and swam a couple times – par for the course for those learning to master a kayak – but on a third swim, now fatigued, he let go of his paddle and it got away. He had to pull off the river. The Priest enters the Pend Oreille River at the town of Priest River, after running due south out of Priest Lake for 40 river miles, collecting all the waters of a huge basin gouged out of the Selkirk Mountains. The basin gets a lot of snow each year, which makes for some healthy spring runoffs – more than 6,000 cfs – producing whitewater in May and June. As summer arrives and high water subsides, the river remains floatable but switches gear. By high summer of July into early August, the Eight Mile run is a popular inflatable and inner tube float. In fact, my fondest memories of this river aren’t from some derring-do in the
The Priest: A river for all seasons If you set out to design a river for all sorts of paddlers, you would probably come up with something like the Eight Mile section of the Priest River. It combines flat water in a meandering course through broad pastures during the first few miles, then picks up steam as it winds into a minor canyon punctuated with Class II+ waves and holes that are candy for kayakers and rafters. Yet the joys of boating the Priest aren’t as much for the rapids as simply the pleasure of being on a river. “Rivers,” as a friend once observed, “pick beautiful places to live.”
rapids but from lazy inner tube floats on blazing hot summer days. (A word to the wise here: After you start there is no good public access until you approach town. If you’re on an inner tube, it is a long float that you should start well before noon.) But that’s just an approximately eight-mile chunk of the lower river. In spring there’s another short whitewater run, of three miles, from below the outlet of Priest Lake to the Dickensheet Campground. Though short, it is a more continuous Class II+ run that some kayakers prefer for the greater concentration of waves and holes. And one long spring day I paddled the whole river, from lake outlet 40-some river miles down to town. What I remember best, aside from some interminable flat-water meanders in the run’s midsection, are the bank swallows – several colonies of hundreds of birds that had burrowed their nests into high silt banks. As they swooped and swirled around us, it was like floating through a maelstrom of birds – ones with good taste. They, like the river, had picked a neat place to live. – Chris Bessler
Put-in/takeout: The Eight Mile run has a convenient put-in at McAbee Falls (more a riffle than a falls) at the bridge where the Peninsula Road, also known as McAbee Falls Road, crosses the river. It’s just a stone’s throw from the Green Owl Tavern. Take-out is at the Mud Hole park just east of town, at the confluence of the Priest and Pend Oreille rivers, where there are nice park amenities, a sandy swimming beach and boat docks, but not much mud.
SANDPOINT
MARINE
& Stand-up Paddle Boards 13 Miles from Sandpoint, access to beaches, campgrounds, restaurants, and groceries. 1/2 day and full day rentals
Boat Rentals
Hourly • Daily • Nightly
208.263.1535
195 N. TRIANGLE DR. PONDERAY, ID 83852
56
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
055-083_SMS11.indd 56
Complete Parts & Service Department
Call Odie’s Bayside Grocery for Reservations (208) 263-9429 Open 7 days a week • 1591 Garfield Bay Rd.
www.SandpointMarineandMotorsports.com
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:03 PM
k ay a k i n g & l a zy f l o a t s A rafter negotiates the Moyie River as it passes the Meadow Creek bridge. PHOTO BY STEVE JAMSA
The Moyie: A classic whitewater run
D
espite the fame, in certain quarters, of the four-wheel festival called the Moyie Springs Mud Bog, there’s a lot more than mud in Moyie. If you’re looking for excitement, maybe you should think more water and less mud. More specifically, you should be thinking Moyie River, a classic whitewater run about 40 miles north and east of Sandpoint. Picture this: You’re at ease in your boat, having just paddled through a series of standing waves, admiring the steep walls of the Moyie River canyon around you. As the sun warms and relaxes you, you look down only to find a 50-foot-tall wall of concrete dead ahead where, from the distance upstream, the river seems to almost disappear. Approaching the ominous structure, you begin to feel uneasy. With no place to go but downstream, towards the wall, you proceed with caution.
At the last second you see the dam has been breached at its far left and your tension melts with the sight of a waterfall cascading into the river past the breach. Stroking through a pool where the Skin Creek waterfall is cascading into the river, you blast down a drop and into the eddy below the concrete skeleton of the Old Eileen Dam with a smile of relief. “The Dam” is but one of the Moyie’s two signature rapids. The second comes a couple miles downstream, another great class III rapid called Hole in the Wall. It’s a roller-coaster drop through big waves before you punch into the Moyie Reservoir, where the laughter and talk about who was the most scared carries you along as you paddle a final quarter mile of reservoir to the takeout above the Moyie Dam. This is just the tail end of what the Moyie River has to offer whitewater raf-
Fourth-Generation Guest Ranch
Open Open Year-Round Year-Round
Stay@WesternPleasureRanch.com
055-083_SMS11.indd 57
Put-in/takeout: From Bonners Ferry, head north on U.S. Highway 95 to Three Mile Junction, then east on U.S. Highway 2 for two miles to a left turn onto Meadow Creek Road. After about nine miles you’ll cross the Moyie at the Meadow Creek bridge; go about a half mile upstream to find an undeveloped parking area streamside on the left. The takeout is on the reservoir above the Moyie Dam, reached by turning at the Moyie Springs Store on U.S. Highway 2 and winding down the access road to the dam. Commercial outfitters offering trips are Coeur d’Alene-based ROW (800-4516034, rowadventures.com) and Bonners Ferry’s 3 Heart Outfitters (208-267-5858, 3heartout fitters.net).
208 263-9066
1413 1413 Upper Upper Gold Gold Creek Creek Rd. Rd. Sandpoint, Sandpoint, ID ID 83864 83864
WesternPleasureRanch.com
– Nick Bandy
3rd & Pine • Sandpoint, ID
Located in Pristine North Idaho
True Western Hospitality
ters and kayakers alike, and even expert canoeists. The eight-mile whitewater section is strung together by tall wave trains, pushy Class II and III rapids and sunny lunch spots. The river is such a classic that a pair of commercial outfitters run trips during the May-June season (see access info below for contacts). The river is at its best at flows of 500 to 2,500 cfs – and above about 2,000 cfs, the Dam becomes considerably more difficult. Above the canyon is another 10-mile class II swift water section, giving beginner whitewater adventurers a chance to get out and enjoy the scenic Moyie River. The Moyie is a spectacular, close-tohome run that offers a beautiful, exciting way of seeing northern Idaho.
New/Used Bikes • Rentals Repairs • Accessories • and More
GreasyFingersBikes.com • 208.255.4496 SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
57
5/7/11 3:04 PM
in the simple pleasures of summer — Ammara MediSpa... one of summer’s best!
208.265.8648
Botox | Fillers | Massage | Facials | Nails | Laser
and more . . .
kayaking & lazy floats
30410 Hwy. 200 | Ponderay | MyAmmara.com
Farmers’ Market at Sandpoint Saturdays 9:00 am to 1:00pm Wednesdays 3:00 to 5:30pm farmin park 3rd & main downtown sandpoint All Local!
www.sandpoint farmersmarket.com 58
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
055-083_SMS11.indd 58
The Upper Pack: A ‘project’ for experts
Put-in/takeout: From U.S. Highway 95, turn west onto Pack River Road for 12 miles to the upper bridge – the take-out for the Slides and the put-in for the Gorgette. The take-out for the Gorgette is back down the road a couple miles. The put-in for the Slides is up the road past the bridge a couple miles. Continuing up the road turn left on Road No. 2653 and follow it to the trailhead for Chimney Rock, which doubles as the put-in for the Grottos.
If I had to describe the Upper Pack River in just one word, I couldn’t do it. I could possibly pull it off with three words – pristine, wild and pure. The Upper Pack tumbles down out of the Selkirk Mountains north of Sandpoint. As a whitewater kayaker and Sandpoint native, I can honestly say that the Pack is my favorite. It is a steep, low-volume creek that offers challenging Class IV, V and V+ rapids to any worthy opponent. The river does have a softer side, counter-balancing the roar of the whitewater. Embedded in smooth granite, the Pack River’s cold, clear water is home to trout. Combining the river, thick forest and abundant wildlife, the Pack River drainage provides endless opportunities for any outdoor enthusiast. The Upper Pack River can be broken into three sections, providing whitewater kayakers with stepping stones into “steep creek” boating. All the sections are rated at least Class IV, and the farther you drive up the road, they become solid Class V runs. The first and lowest section is called “The Gorgette,” three miles consisting primarily of small Class IV boulder gardens, with one larger more technical Class IV rapid in the middle of the run. From here you can step up to “The Slides” section. This, in my book, is where the Pack’s beauty jumps up a peg or two. The run takes on a smooth, water-polished granite character for three miles, creating fun slides and ledges. The rapids here are mostly Class IV with a couple Class Vs thrown in. The next stop is a two-plus mile section, “The Grottos,” in the uppermost Pack – the keeper of fun, adventure and adrenaline that demands good teamwork and a solid set of skills. This is a stout Class V run with sticky spots coming in at Class V+. It packs a punch with waterfalls, gorges and technical slides. So there you have it: Less than an hour from Sandpoint is a pristine playground that will test you, teach you and awe you every time you pay it a visit.
After Pack River crosses under U.S. Highway 95, it turns into a meandering waterway through the pastoral Selle Valley until it empties into Lake Pend Oreille at Idaho State Highway 200. Though the valley is well-populated, the waters pass through surprisingly vacant land. The Lower Pack still offers wildlife spotting: ospreys, herons, eagles and moose. It’s a key migratory corridor for threatened bull trout. Although it’s flat water, during spring runoff April to June, the Pack can have strong, hazardous currents. For the inexperienced or those looking for family-friendly, lazy water floats, July and August are best. Consider these three stretches. Beginning at Highway 95, put in under the railroad trestle and expect to spend three hours to reach the first bridge on Colburn-Culver Road. The next section goes from the second bridge on ColburnCulver, near Northside School, to Rapid Lightning Road at the Pack River Store and takes 1.5 hours. The final stretch – and probably the best – from Rapid Lightning to Highway 200 takes a good four hours; paddlers pass an old homestead in the Ginter Wildlife Management Area and The Idaho Club. Parking is limited at all put-ins/take-outs. Watch out for highway traffic on 200. Lined predominantly with black cottonwood, willow and cedar, the lower Pack is dotted with wide sandbars and occasional rocks or well-placed rope swings for jumping off. The combination of scenery and serene water makes for a memorable day of family fun.
– Nick Bandy
– Billie Jean Plaster
The Lower Pack: Family-friendly floats
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:04 PM
clark fork centennial
Clark Fork Centennial
Town’s 1911 incorporation a cause for celebration By Trish Gannon
T
he sun glittered off the surface of Lake Pend Oreille. Mountains thickly forested with ponderosa pine, cedar, white pine and larch seemed to dip their toes in the lake. Within those forests, bear, deer, elk, moose and hundreds of smaller creatures browsed and searched for carrion and the opportunity, perhaps, of a fresh meal. Occasionally, men would also creep through the trees – American Indians looking for huckleberries and game and grizzled trappers searching for pelts. From the spot where the mighty Clark’s Fork of the Columbia spilled into the lake upstream to the magnificent, towering Cabinet Gorge, the mountains pulled back, just a little. What was the cradle of an ice sheet in the last Ice Age is now thick, alluvial soil spreading a short distance on each side of the river. The Pacific Railway Acts of 1862-66 that led to building the Northern Pacific would change the mostly peaceful stillness of this valley. The quest to join East Coast and West with a ribbon of steel would pass directly through this area. From Seneacquoteen on the Pend Oreille River, the Road to the Buffalo led to the Montana goldfields, and it was along here the Clark Fork Division of the railroad would go. In early 1882, its path went past the future site of the town of Clark Fork. “The valley was not to admit intrusion easily,” wrote Mona Vanek in “Behind These Mountains,” a history of western Montana that touches on the developments just a few miles across the state line into Idaho. She quotes “History of the Northern Pacific Railroad” and relates the forest was “of phenomenal density, the trees standing so closely together that they seemed almost to form a solid rampart of trunks.” It was these trees that drew most of
055-083_SMS11.indd 65
the earlier settlers to the area; the railroad had a phenomenal appetite for lumber, as did builders on the East Coast and even in Europe. The precious minerals – gold, silver, copper – attracted them, too. Early settlement was driven by a desire for the natural resources found here in abundance. Some decided to stay; by the 1900 Census, when this portion of Idaho was still a part of Kootenai County, 229 residents lived in the “Clarks Fork precinct.” Even today some living in the area carry those names: Whites, Derrs, Vogels, Daughartys. By the 1910 Census that number had almost doubled, mostly due to the single men who came to work and make their fortune. The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed any U.S. citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. Government to file an application for up to 160 acres of land, live on and improve it for five years, then file for the deed. Bureau of Land Management records indicate Bert Ralph successfully applied for homestead land in 1898 in Clarks Fork, followed by John Nagle in 1900 and John White in 1903. In May 1911, the rapid influx of settlers allowed Clarks Fork to incorporate as a town, and on July 2, 2011, the city will celebrate 100 years of existence. The town was known as Clarks Fork until sometime in the early 1950s, when it became simply Clark Fork. Today, it’s a town of 536 by the most SUMMER 2011
Circa 1910 Main Street shows Wiley Webb of Clarks Fork hauling logs past the mercantile, left, and hotel to the nearby Northern Pacific. PHOTO: BONNER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY/CHUCK PETERSON COLLECTION
recent census. You can bet almost every one of those residents – and many more – will be part of the various centennial activities leading up to the annual Fourth of July celebrations. “We want this to be a day of celebration of being a town and being a community, of being neighbors,” said Roger Anderson, the Clark Fork city councilman who is informally heading the event committee. Organizers are planning for an event that highlights more than 100 years of life in Clark Fork with historic photos and oral histories. A softball tournament will break for an exhibition game between Clark Fork and Sagle, hearkening back to a hard-hitting rivalry that existed even prior to the town’s founding. The day will include a pancake breakfast and a picnic on the school grounds, as well as a Kid’s Fishing Derby, car show and live music. For a current schedule, look up www. ClarkFork100.com, search for “Clark Fork Centennial” on Facebook.com or call 266-0376. SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
65
5/7/11 3:04 PM
FeSTivAl ATSAndpoinT The
Great Music…Naturally! August 4 - 14, 2011
Imagine By Billie Jean Plaster
T
he visions of those terrifying waters that swept over Japan’s shores March 11 are still fresh in our memories. The wall of turbid, black water that slammed shorelines at 50 mph swiftly moved homes, vehicles and ships as if they were small bath toys. The tsunami and its shocking aftermath were caught on camera for all the world to see. A similar scene, but on a far greater scale, occurred many times right here in the Northwest as recently as 15,000 years ago, at a time when human eyes and modern technology weren’t witness to the
Music under the stars, on the Lake,
in sandpoint, idaho
Featuring: Rickie Lee Jones, Brandi Carlile, Chris Isaak, Lukas Nelson, Josh Ritter, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Jason Spooner Trio, David Nail, Rodney Crowell, Mak Grgic, Maestro Gary Sheldon and the Spokane Symphony Orchestra
Tickets & Info1-888-265-4554
www.FestivalAtSandpoint.com Become a fan of The Festival at Sandpoint on facebook today and follow us on twitter too!
Fabulous flowers, unique plants and clever gifts
208-265-7900 888-391-3033 PetalTalk.com 66
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
055-083_SMS11.indd 66
BILL JONES DISTRIBUTORS Proudly serving North Idaho since 1951
Celebrating our 60th Anniversary in 2011! SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:05 PM
ice age floods
A giant sheet of ice and colossal floods The story of Ice Age cataclysms that sculpted Lake Pend Oreille and beyond world’s devastating geologic forces. In the last Ice Age, phenomenal prehistoric floods, the largest and most cataclysmic on Earth, sculpted a landscape stretching 700 miles over four states all the way to the Pacific Ocean – and northern Idaho was near the heart of it all. The rate of those floods, geologists say, flowed 10 times greater than all the world’s rivers combined – up to 1 billion cubic feet per second. Geologists believe the major source of that water, Glacial Lake Missoula, held up to 530 cubic miles of water, or half the volume of Lake Michigan, an immense amount that ultimately would break loose, and run faster and deeper than imaginable. And it did so repeatedly, a hundred times or more during the last Ice Age. “One billion cubic feet per second is pretty dramatic, and the
fact that it spread out for a hundred miles across the Scabland is pretty significant. Most rivers are a mile or less wide,” said geologist Bruce Bjornstad, a senior research scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and author of “On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods.” In its wake, the catastrophic Ice Age floods left behind a string of nine lakes in northern Idaho and northeast Washington, punctuated by the question-mark shaped granddaddy of them all – Lake Pend Oreille. It was here that icy fingers from the Cordilleran ice sheet crept south and dammed the Clark Fork River, ultimately forming Glacial Lake Missoula near the Idaho-Montana border. This great inland sea spread east into Montana for 200 miles. And that ice dam was as large as 23 miles wide, 35 miles long
By Billie Jean Plaster
Just east of Cougar Peak on Trail 120, Conorey Vogel,
PHOTO BY COREY VOGEL
Just east of Cougar Peak on Trail 120, Conorey Vogel, age 10, rests in a huckleberry patch amidst an incredible view of Green Monarch Ridge. Here 15,000 years ago, an ice sheet plowed against the ridge, creating a dam that formed Glacial Lake Missoula and set the stage for cataclysmic floods. PHOTO BY COREY VOGEL
055-083_SMS11.indd 67
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
67
5/7/11 5:40 PM
ice age floods and a half a mile high. Over the years lake water was able to permeate the ice dam until it failed and a humongous flood was unleashed, bursting out the southern tip of modern-day Lake Pend Oreille at Bayview and then over the Rathdrum Prairie, with some water spilling over and heading north and west up the Hoodoo and Blanchard channels to the Priest River Valley. The waters primarily rushed through the Spokane Valley and onto the basalt-covered landscape of eastern Washington, furiously finding their way to the Columbia River and on to the Pacific Ocean at speeds up to 80 mph. In northern Idaho, where the bedrock was hard granitic and metasedimentary rocks, mostly quartzite and argillite, the Ice Age Floods left behind rounded mountains, glacial lakes and a fertile valley underlain by a vast aquifer. As the ice-laden waters swept over the Palouse loess and plucked at the basaltic bedrock of Washington and Oregon, they left behind a much different scene: channels, coulees, rock basins and benches, giant bars, mesas and buttes, and other features characteristic of the region south and west of Spokane called the Channeled Scabland. Northern Idaho’s higher elevation and different weather patterns account for its lush, green valleys and forested hillsides, in sharp contrast to the barren, semiarid Columbia Plateau that lies downstream. The vastly different landscapes make it hard to believe that the same Ice Age
68
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
055-083_SMS11.indd 68
floods sculpted both regions. Wherever the megafloods went, they scattered thousands of so-called “erratics,” misplaced and oversized boulders that are of a different rock type than the underlying bedrock. Rafted in on icebergs transported by turbulent Ice Age floods, some weigh as much as 100 tons and resemble a battered Volkswagen camper – with the top up.
A scientist and his ‘outrageous hypothesis’ Since the Ice Age floods happened before recorded history, it took the keen eye and mind of an unconventional Seattle high school science teacher to realize a hundred years ago that those Channeled Scabland features must have been formed by water. In 1910, at the University of Washington, as J Harlen Bretz pored over the just-released topographic map of eastern Washington’s Quincy Basin and its cataract at Potholes Coulee, the seeds were planted for what would become a controversial theory that would rattle the foundation of a fairly new science: geology. That biology teacher, Bretz, later became a geologist and was expected by his colleagues to conform to the accepted thought of uniformitarianism, the fundamental geologic principle that geologic processes and natural laws now operating to modify Earth’s surface have acted in the same regular manner and with the same intensity – slow, gradual and steady – throughout billions of years of geologic
The most dramatic evidence for megafloods is in eastern Washington’s Channeled Scabland PHOTO BY TIM CADY
time. Those uniformitarians pulled the strings at the U.S. Geological Survey, and they staunchly clung to the belief that past geologic events could be explained by phenomenon and forces observable today. Still puzzled years later by those topographic maps, Bretz, by now a geology professor at the University of Chicago, ventured to the dry and dusty Channeled Scabland with his students to do fieldwork in the summer of 1922 and published his first scientific paper on the region in 1923.
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:06 PM
ice age floods He followed up that initial treatise with 12 more papers outlining all the evidence for what he called a great “Spokane Flood” during ensuing years of more and more fieldwork and refined interpretations. His hypothesis smacked of catastrophism, the opposite of uniformitarianism, and his detractors were many – namely all his peers. They derided Bretz at his presentation in 1927 at the prestigious Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., (“the closest thing to a social headquarters for Washington’s intellectual elite”) and continued their contemptuous scorn for decades. Nevertheless, Bretz trusted his scientific observations and doggedly upheld his “outrageous hypothesis” about the Spokane Flood even though he couldn’t pinpoint its source (originally he envisioned a single flood). However, one of his colleagues, Joseph T. Pardee, had written Bretz in 1925 to suggest that the source of his controversial flood may be Glacial Lake Missoula. For reasons unknown, Bretz didn’t investigate Pardee’s hypothesis himself – didn’t even take an excursion to Pardee’s home state of Montana nor to northern Idaho – and thereby didn’t wholeheartedly accept the connection until years later. Even if Bretz had visited northern Idaho and Lake Missoula he may not have “seen the light” and been convinced of a connection with the Scabland. Features aren’t as obvious until viewed from the air, which generally wasn’t done back then.
“As early as 1930 Bretz acknowledged Lake Missoula as a possible flood source and later in 1933 even placed Lake Missoula on a map relative to the Scabland,” said Bjornstad. “Bretz wasn’t convinced though since he thought the ice sheet extended much farther (to near Spangle south of Cheney) and couldn’t imagine how floodwater could penetrate an ice dam 100 miles long. It wasn’t until many years later that geologists reinterpreted the edge of the ice only got as far as Bayview.” Perhaps, Bretz was just as human, stubborn and prone to disbelief as his skeptical colleagues. Unwittingly, he made the same mistake they did: failing to visit the area in question. He did attempt to identify the source for his Spokane Flood though. He traveled to British Columbia and checked out where volcanoes erupted under the ice sheet. “At the time he believed this was a more likely source than Lake Missoula. However, since he couldn’t positively identify where the water came from, he chose to focus on what he could defend – that a huge flood or floods passed through southeastern Washington and the Columbia River Gorge,” said Bjornstad. Some modern-day geologists think that Bretz’s hypothesis would have been accepted sooner had he investigated Pardee’s evidence and considered his assertion that Glacial Lake Missoula and the Spokane Flood were connected, as brought out by author John Soennichsen
in “Bretz’s Flood.” Pardee worked for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and spent most of his 32-year career studying geology in the Northwest, with a particular emphasis on Montana. He attended Bretz’s ill-accepted lecture at the Cosmos Club but didn’t speak up about the possibility that those preposterous floods could have come from Pardee’s Glacial Lake Missoula. One could imagine his caution and trepidation among his peers and superiors from the USGS as they turned on Bretz following his presentation. Soennichsen wrote about an unsubstantiated rumor that Pardee whispered to a nearby colleague, “I know where the water came from.” Vindication for Bretz didn’t start to come until 1940 when Pardee presented his findings concerning Glacial Lake Missoula – aha! the source of all that water! – to the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Seattle. Pardee had discovered a key piece of evidence: giant current ripples clearly visible on aerial photographs. Whereas Bretz was humiliated at his 1927 presentation (he called it an “ambush”), 13 years later Pardee received a standing ovation. Later in 1942 he published his work in the Geological Society of America Bulletin. “Pardee didn’t come out and say there was a flood like Bretz did. He let his audience come to this conclusion on their own,” Bjornstad said. “I think Pardee was more diplomatic and less arrogant than Bretz, which made it easier for his peers
As seen from above Ellisport Bay, Ice Age floods remnant Lake Pend Oreille. PHOTO BY JAY MOCK
055-083_SMS11.indd 69
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
69
5/7/11 5:20 PM
ice age floods to believe him.” In 1952 Bretz returned to eastern Washington for his last scabland fieldwork and published a key paper four years later with lots of aerial photographs, including giant current ripples in the Channeled Scabland. It was then that Bretz announced there may have been more than one flood. “This is about when his fellow geologists started to believe Bretz was right,” Bjornstad added. More acceptance and vindication for Bretz came in 1965 when fellow geologists visited the site of the flood-wrought Columbia Plateau. After seeing the landscape for themselves, they wired a telegram to the 82-year-old Bretz: “We are all now catastrophists!” Bretz helped other geologists think outside the box as they began to consider the evidence for other catastrophes that produce dramatic change during shortlived events, such as tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and meteor impacts. In geologic time, a thousand years or so is just a blink of an eye, and that’s all it took for the ice dam at the Idaho-Montana border to form and repeatedly fail, again and again, unleashing recurrent floods that each drained in a few days.
Telling the floods’ story Today, northern Idaho’s residents and visitors enjoy many features sculpted by Ice Age floods, but few know their source or recognize the remarkable or more subtle flood features for what they are. Each year thousands of people visit Farragut State Park at the southern end of Lake Pend Oreille, but only a fraction comprehend what they see in the steep, glacial-beveled slopes beside the lake or in the erratics and natural ice-melt sinkholes dotting the park. Many stop along Idaho State Highway 200 and admire the precipitous Green Monarch Ridge but don’t realize a massive tongue of ice once plowed into it and created an ice dam. The U.S. Congress, though, passed a bill in 2009 that was signed into law by President Barack Obama to create a first-of-its-kind Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, which will facilitate expansion of public awareness about the megafloods. The trail will be a network of marked touring routes along the 700-mile-long path of the floods through Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon, with several special interpretive centers at existing public facilities such as visitor centers. This “park without boundaries”
will tell the story of the floods, beginning with the work by pioneering geologists Bretz and Pardee, who brought the cataclysms to light. In northern Idaho, meanwhile, the story of the megafloods has been limited to an interpretive display along Idaho State Highway 200 and the occasional campfire program at Sam Owen Campground or Farragut State Park. But in 2005, a few geologically inclined folks formed a local chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute (www.iafi.org) to facilitate an exchange of information on the region’s natural geologic heritage. Dubbed Coeur du Deluge, translated meaning “heart of the floods,” the chapter has held several field trips, some led by Idaho State Geologist Roy Breckenridge. These flood fans trace the outburst channel from Bayview through the Hoodoo Valley, for example, or visit Hope and Clark Fork to view glacial striations and other evidence for glaciation. “We’ve got so much interest and momentum,” said chapter President Sylvie White, who owns The Map Store. “Most people who come into the store are amazed that we were under 2,000 feet of ice.”
Relic flood features Author Bruce Bjornstad lists several flood features in what he calls the “ice dam breakout area” in his second volume of “On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods,” due to be published this summer by Keokee Books (see story, opposite page). Gene Kiver, emeritus professor at Eastern Washington University is the coauthor. Those areas affected by the breakout of Missoula floods include Lake Pend Oreille, the Rathdrum Prairie, Spokane Valley, and the Pend Oreille and Little Spokane river valleys. Following are five of those flood-formed features in the panhandle and their geologic interpretations excerpted from Bjornstad and Kiver’s new book.
Shaded-relief map of glacial ice dam that impounded Glacial Lake Missoula, which rose to a maximum elevation of 4,250 feet. Opposite: Mouth of Lake Pend Oreille and head of the Rathdrum Prairie Outburst Plain – the breakout zone for floods from Glacial Lake Missoula. Looking northeast. The beveled slope at right was planed off by the grinding action of the ancient ice lobe, perhaps in combination with the outburst floods. ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRUCE BJORNSTAD, “ON THE TRAIL OF THE ICE AGE FLOODS – THE NORTHERN REACHES”
70
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
055-083_SMS11.indd 70
Purcell Trench Ice Lobe: Icesculpted and polished bedrock, beveled slopes, glacial till and erratics. Best observed from Cape Horn Road northeast of Bayview and Idaho State Highway 200 along the north side of Lake Pend Oreille or Green Monarch Divide, Mickinnick,
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:06 PM
ice age floods Mineral Point, Cape Horn and Farragut Shoreline trails. During the Ice Age a huge tongue of ice thousands of feet thick flowed south from Canada along the Purcell Trench bounded by the Selkirk Mountains on the west and the Cabinet Mountains to the east. The massive tongue of ice plowed into the Green Monarch Ridge splitting into the Clark Fork and Lake Pend Oreille sublobes, creating the ice dam for Glacial Lake Missoula. The bedrock basin beneath today’s Lake Pend Oreille lies 600 feet below sea level as a result of Ice Age erosion; 1,500 feet of glacial sediments separate the lake bottom from the underlying bedrock. At 1,150 feet deep, Lake Pend Oreille is the 13th-deepest lake in the world!
Green Monarch Ridge Buttress: Rocky ridge 3,000 feet tall that deflected the south-flowing Purcell Trench Lobe of glacial ice. Best observed from interpretive display along Idaho State Highway 200 or Green Monarch Ridge and Mineral Point trails. A flow of ice diverged with one tongue that went east up the Clark Fork River Valley and a second tongue that headed south into the Lake Pend Oreille trench. The tall north face of the ridge was oversteepened and beveled by the grinding action of the ice. Thousands of feet of ice pressing hard against Green Monarch Ridge created a temporarily tight seal for Glacial Lake Missoula.
Rathdrum Prairie Outburst Plain: A broad, mostly featureless sediment apron in the area of ice-dam breakout for Glacial Lake Missoula. Best observed from Cape Horn Road northeast of Bayview and Cape Horn Trail. The outburst plain is composed of bouldery flood deposits, hundreds of feet thick. The plain is slightly elevated, lying 300 feet above the south shore of Lake Pend Oreille. The surface of the plain is covered with a network of low-relief braided channels, giant current ripples and oversized ice-rafted erratics. A string of kettle holes lies at the upper end of the outburst plain, left behind from the melting of sediment-covered ice blocks. Today there is no surface drainage across the outburst plain because of the coarse nature of the flood deposits.
055-083_SMS11.indd 71
Rainwater and snowmelt quickly drain into the porous flood sediment, preventing any surface runoff.
Hoodoo Channel: Sinuous channel incised into the Rathdrum Prairie Outburst Plain. Best observed along U.S. Highway 95, three miles north of Athol. The Hoodoo Channel formed from the melting ice from the Lake Pend Oreille sublobe or possibly from much smaller Missoula flood(s) at the end of the Ice Age. The Rathdrum Prairie Outburst Plain proved too high for the Hoodoo Channel, which forced all its drainage northward toward Priest River and into present-day Pend Oreille River Valley.
Geological field guide explores Ice Age floods’ northern reaches Following up on his 2006 book “On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods,” geologist Bruce Bjornstad joined forces with Emeritus Professor Eugene Kiver to guide readers upstream – northward into the Channeled Scabland and northern Idaho – in the second book to be published by Keokee Books in July.
Spirit Lake Giant Erratics and Current Ripples: Elevated flood bar of the western Rathdrum Prairie Outburst Plain. Best observed from roadcuts along Idaho State Highway 54, a few miles east of Spirit Lake, where coarse gravel and sand compose a series of rolling, giant current ripples. Several giant erratics lie on either side of Idaho State Highway 41, two to three miles south of Spirit Lake. The orientation of the giant current ripples reveals that they were deposited by a flood moving northwest, although other ripples farther south are oriented to the southwest. This suggests that a northern escape route for the Ice Age floods via the Blanchard Channel was temporarily open when this bar was flooded. Giant, angular, ice-rafted erratics locally lie atop the ripples. The giant boulders, composed of granodiorite, are true erratics since they are different than the gneiss bedrock that underlies this area.
SUMMER 2011
While the Channeled Scabland contains the evidence for megafloods that is most striking and dramatic, northern Idaho has its fair share of flood-shaped features, including magnificent Lake Pend Oreille. The coauthors cover the northern reaches, beginning at the Idaho-Montana border, where an ice dam formed and created Glacial Lake Missoula. They explore dozens of flood features, many found nowhere else on Earth, and present dozens of trails and tours directing readers to experience, firsthand, the striking aftermath of the cataclysmic Ice Age floods. The book defines 29 types of landforms, describes 65 flood-formed features, and provides a guide to 39 trails, five drives and two aerial tours. For more information about “On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods – The Northern Reaches,” look up www.KeokeeBooks.com.
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
71
5/7/11 3:06 PM
Jump!
photo essay
Jump! Who doesn’t love the feeling of free falling? Tom Petty wrote: “I wanna free fall out into nothin’. Gonna leave this world for awhile. And I’m free, I’m free fallin’.” Herein are images of adrenaline junkies seeking that wonderful sensation surrounding Lake Pend Oreille, where 15,000 years ago a tremendous glacial outburst flood sculpted the rocky ledges from which they jump. Thanks to several talented photographers, we get to live vicariously through their lens work.
Patrick Orton : : Green Bay Flight
055-083_SMS11.indd 72
5/7/11 3:06 PM
photo essay Jump!
Woods Wheatcroft : : Faithful Leap
Sandii Mellen : : Evans Landing Levitation
055-083_SMS11.indd 73
5/7/11 3:07 PM
Jump!
photo essay
Patrick Orton : : Yahoo Gold Woods Wheatcroft : : Lake Lover’s Liftoff
055-083_SMS11.indd 74
5/7/11 5:21 PM
photo essay Jump!
Dann Hall : : Green Bay Bombardier
055-083_SMS11.indd 75
5/7/11 3:07 PM
PLAY
AGAINST PAR. RELAX ABOVE IT.
THE SPOKANE REGION IS GOLF’S BEST KEPT SECRET WITH OVER 15 COURSES IN A 50-MILE RADIUS. Book a golf package at Northern Quest starting at $94 per person.* Price includes transportation to any of the courses of your choosing. WORLD-CLASS CASINO / PREMIUM CIGAR AND SPIRITS BAR SPORTS BAR FEATURING A 30’X10’ HDTV / 14,000 SF LUXURY SPA & SALON *Subject to availability. Packages are based on double occupancy. Restrictions apply.
NORTHER NQ UE ST.COM
055-083_SMS11.indd 76
8 7 7.8 7 1.67 7 2
S P OK A NE, WA
ENTER PR I SE OF THE K ALI SPEL TR IB E OF INDIAN S
5/7/11 3:07 PM
scotchman extreme plein air
Immersion: Art, artists and wild country
T
here is a moment in an extended backcountry trip when you “give in” and let the wilderness have its way with you – much like that described in “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” when a cognitive switch is thrown and the literal right brain takes over from the analog left. The right hemisphere sees things as they are, without judgment. Throwing that switch – key to an ability to render experience as art – never fails to make me laugh. The sense of relief is profound. No longer do I have to keep track of all things. I get to, however briefly, just be.
055-083_SMS11.indd 77
Story and photos by Sandy Compton
Painters Jared Shear, left, and Aaron Johnson are seated in 48-Hour Creek during the first Scotchman Peaks Extreme Plein Air in 2009
5/7/11 3:08 PM
scotchman extreme plein air
Holy @#!* Grotto :: Aaron Johnson
Melissa Basin :: Jared Shear
78
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
055-083_SMS11.indd 78
The analogous hiking moment is when you cease to debate whether the next step is possible and just take the next step. When artists enter the backcountry intent on making art, it is right-brain squared. Remarkable things happen, things like Extreme Plein Air. Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness (FSPW) has facilitated two Extreme Plein Air hikes – wilderness trips for artists – and has scheduled a third for mid-July 2011. They grew out of Scotchman Peaks Plein Air Paintout, an annual event in September coordinated by FSPW volunteers Neil and Ann Wimberley and Outskirts Gallery owner Kally Thurman. Dozens of artists set up around the outside edges of the wilderness and create pieces to be hung immediately after the two-day Paintout ends. This year’s event is tentatively Sept. 16-18. After the 2008 Paintout, two artists expressed a desire to paint the wilderness from the inside out: Jared Shear of Thompson Falls, Mont., and Aaron Johnson of Moscow, Idaho. Neil Wimberley introduced them to me, and the Extreme Plein Air was born. Those in themselves were rightbrain movements, purely creative moments in which several of us saw the world as it is – waiting to be explored. In July 2009, Shear, Johnson, Victor Vosen and I, along with the Wimberleys and friend Danieli Puccinelli escorting, embarked up Little Spar Lake Trail No. 143 on the first Extreme Plein Air. Then, the four of us left the rest behind and went on to three nights and four days in the heart of the Scotchmans, specifically the upper reaches – Spar Creek, Savage Creek and Ross Creek. We were talking about “next year” before we walked out at the parking lot at Ross Creek Cedars. The 2010 iteration was more complicated. We extended our stay to five days and four nights, but made it a closed loop, beginning and ending at Ross Creek Cedars. We chose a new, more difficult route with more miles and more elevation change – Ross Creek Trail No. 142 to Trail No. 321 up the South Fork of Ross Creek and into the backcountry – no trails besides the ones the elk have made. And, though Vosen opted out, we added five folks: sculptor David Herbold of Moscow; “observSUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:08 PM
scotchman extreme plein air
48-Hour Pass :: Aaron Johnson
From left, Jared Shear, Aaron Johnson and Victor Vosen capture the moment above Horseshoe Lake in the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness during the inaugural Extreme Plein Air in 2009.
ers” Jared and Leslie Haas of Thompson Falls; and Jake Glass and Matt Stauble, two young filmmakers from Connecticut. Stauble, Glass and partner Joe Foster, who was unable to hike with us, were on hand to make a movie about the Scotchman Peaks, which soon morphed into two films – one about the proposed wilderness and the other about the artists and the Extreme Plein Air experience. The filmmakers have completed “En Plein Air,” the film about the artists and their experiences, and it has been shown in several different venues, including the Panida Little Theater in Sandpoint. “Grass Routes,” a film about the wilderness and the Friends of Scotchman Peaks, will be released sometime this summer. From the beginning, the hike became a mixed media creation; a crew making art films about wilderness and artists trying to capture the wilderness in their own mediums while a writer writes about the whole thing, which was what the observers were observing. The Wimberleys again escorted us to end of the trail before turning back, a poignant moment. “We watched the artists cross the creek and disappear into the alder,” said Neil Wimberley, “and felt left behind, like watching a voyage of discovery pull away from the dock.” For five days, we who voyaged lived inside of a huge installation piece nuanced by landscape, personality and whims of the wilderness. “It really became an experience that couldn’t be arrested as a moment,” Herbold said. “It became a direct collaboration with the wilderness, the people, the landscape, the physical exhaustion of traveling through it and a sense of awe.” The filmmakers worked hard to keep up as we experienced new vistas, changes of light and microcosms, all punctuated by a continuing plea from the painters: “Can we paint?” The hike
055-083_SMS11.indd 79
SUMMER 2011
Bull River Valley :: Jared Shear
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
79
5/7/11 3:08 PM
scotchman extreme plein air leader, whose age considerably skewed the demographics of the otherwise 20- and 30-something group, was always up for a rest so often said “yes.” A scramble for paint, paper and palette would ensue as Stauble and Glass furiously filmed and photographed anything moving and much that wasn’t. The Haases would observe while Herbold stored information for later use in his studio in Moscow. When the frenzy subsided, we would heft our packs and get back to other matters – traversing some of the most gnarly and beautiful landscape in the Pacific Northwest, all the while looking for more opportunities to make art. “I believe it is these (plein air) paintings that resonate more with mankind – the paintings that have captured the
‘spirit’ or essence of a place,” said Shear. “Plein air allows us to make a connection with the landscape, become acquainted on a much more intimate level.” “Intimate” is a good word, though it is hard to describe the total effect of this trip on us, individually or corporately. Art and wilderness are transcendent experiences. They take us beyond ourselves, into realms of perception not otherwise available. They teach us to live in the now. They teach the art of observation. They teach us to let go. And, in letting go, we can take the measure of a place, and ourselves. Art produced from the FSPW Extreme Plein Air and Paintout can be seen online at www.scotchmanpeaks.org/plein-air-art.
A RT F U LLY Sandpoint Award Winning Floral Design Garden Supplies Landscape & Interior Plants Gift Shop Local Artisans
Open Year-Around • 31831 Highway 200 E. • Sandpoint, ID • 208-265-2944
Stop by for a free gift 214 North First Avenue • Sandpoint • (208) 263-2642 www.sandpointartworks.com
80
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
055-083_SMS11.indd 80
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:08 PM
scotchman extreme plein air
You, too, can take a hike with some knowledgeable ‘friends’ For the past six years, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness (FSPW) has sponsored a summer hike series into the proposed wilderness on the Idaho-Montana border. From the well-worn tread up Scotchman Peak itself to user-friendly pathways at Ross Creek Cedars to off-the-trail backcountry trips in the upper reaches of the wilderness, FSPW’s offerings have something for any level of fitness. “Our hike program is one of our most important outreach programs,” says FSPW Executive
Director Phil Hough. “When we get folks into the wilderness, we show them how special this place is and why it needs to be protected.” This year, FSPW expects to lead about 20 hikes, ranging from “E” for “easy” to “S+” for “extra-strenuous,” including a number also listed with the Montana Wilderness Association. In the works are on-trail hikes to Ross Creek Cedars (E), South Fork Ross Creek Falls (M+), Goat Peak (S+), Star Peak (S), Little Spar Lake (M+), Scotchman Peak (S), and East Fork Creek (E+). Off-trail adventures
include Sawtooth Mountain (S+) via Blue Creek and No-Name Lake (S+) in the Dry Creek drainage. If you prefer to hike with a Pulaski in your hands, FSPW has just the workout plan for you. There are cooperative trail work days planned with all three ranger districts in which the peaks lie, Sandpoint, Cabinet and Three Rivers. Learn more at www.scotchmanpeaks.org. – Sandy Compton
Janusz Studio by the Lake
Located 20 minutes from Sandpoint. Always welcome by calling.
208-290-1279
www.BarbaraJanusz.com
055-083_SMS11.indd 81
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
81
5/7/11 3:09 PM
scotchman extreme plein air
Fine Jewellers & Goldsmiths
“Discover the unique and distinctive.” For over 30 years in Sandpoint, Idaho. 110 S. First Ave. Wed. thru Fri. 10 to 5 Sat. 10 to 3
www.SunshineGoldmine.com
208.263.6713
Phil Hough and Deb Hunsicker at the end of a five-month trek on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2004
Hikers conquer the Triple Crown If you take a hike with Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness (FSPW) this
drop out more than the people who just
hiking greatness. The group’s executive
persevere,” added Hough. ing a love for the outdoors, something they
elite when the American Long Distance
share through FSPW. They hope that love
Hiking Association-West confers Triple Crown
someday translates into official wilderness area
Awards to them at the organization’s 2011
designation for a certain 88,000 acres strad-
Annual Gathering in September.
dling the Idaho-Montana border in the Cabinet
Between 1997 and 2010, the couple re-
Sandpoint’s award-winning winery Tastings and tours daily Wine bar and Bistro Rouge Café Live music Friday night
mer, let them regale you with tales about their days on the trail that revolved around
Continental Divide (3,000 miles), a total of
walking, eating and sleeping with a little
about 7,850 miles. The feat puts them in a
“trail magic” mixed in. Ask them about the
select group of about 100 people.
food they ate (4,000 to 4,500 calories’ worth
“There are only about three or four other
a day); the plants and wildlife they saw (the
couples who have done all three trails togeth-
only bad encounter was with a tick that bit
er,” said Hough, 51. “For a couple to decide to
Hough on the Appalachian Trail); the average
do it together is unusual.”
weight they carried (20 pounds without food
Hunsicker, 49, says that the physical ele-
and water); and average miles hiked per day
ment of long-distance hiking is overshadowed
(18 to 25); the water they drank and so on.
by the mental side: “It’s really mental – being
Ultimately, both will tell you that long-
Hough says you wouldn’t be able to guess who the finishers would be just by looking at
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
055-083_SMS11.indd 82
If you see them out on the trail this sum-
(2,150 miles), Pacific Crest (2,700 miles) and
how hot, tired or hungry you are.”
82
Mountains known as Scotchman Peaks.
major National Scenic Trails: Appalachian
able to persevere, to keep going no matter open daiLy | 220 CedaR STReeT 208.265.8545 | poWine.Com
Both Hough and Hunsicker grew up cultivat-
Hunsicker, of Sagle, will be among hiking’s
peatedly put careers on hold to hike the three
PERFECTION
“The more athletic, able-looking people
summer, you may very well brush up against director, Phil Hough, and his partner, Deb
passion for
them at the trailhead.
distance hiking is a life-changing pursuit. For photos and trail notes, look up www. walkingcarrot.com.
– Billie Jean Plaster
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:10 PM
n o r t h i d a h o ’ s o n ly o n - t h e - w at e r b o at d e a l e r
idaho
055-083_SMS11.indd 83
5/7/11 3:10 PM
Real Estate
R _ E
Century-old charm infuses a fresh, new home
Story by Beth Hawkins Photos by Marie-Dominique Verdier
T
he cares of the world melt away when Ben, 83, and Sylvia Johnson, residents of the bustling Bay Area in California most of the year, make their way to Sandpoint for holiday breaks and summer getaways. And that feeling of leaving the chaos of big-city life behind is especially true now that the couple has built a stunning – yet refreshingly simple – farmhouse in the Sagle countryside. Retired from careers in real estate development for Ben, and family therapy for Sylvia, the Johnsons first discovered Sandpoint after a trip here with their son. At the time, they thought it would be a nice place to live someday. But then they came across a tranquil, 80-acre parcel of farmland in Sagle. “We couldn’t resist,” said Sylvia. “And my husband and I love building homes.” The Johnsons knew exactly what they were after once they bought their property, and they hired DSS Custom Homes to build the barn and the home. “I’ve always wanted a house with a porch that wraps all the way around,” said Sylvia. “I went through magazines, and went through pictures. Then I gave them all to Jon Sayler, our
84
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 84
architect. He did a beautiful job – he read my mind.” The result is a fresh and clean farmhouse that looks as if it’s been there 100 years, situated in the middle of a hayfield, its old-fashioned style recalling homes from the Johnsons’ childhood memories. “I loved being in the country as a girl,” said Sylvia. A straight, gravel road – nearly a half mile in length – leads
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:29 PM
phenomenal home
Real Estate Opposite page, the Johnson farmhouse and barn were constructed to look as if they were built a century ago. Above, the screened-in porch and covered veranda afford unobstructed views of the property’s pastoral setting. Left, the Johnsons’ favorite room is the bright, airy living room
toward the farmhouse, and there’s a sense of leaving the modern world behind in the rear-view mirror after passing under the property’s handcrafted “Deer Valley Farm” sign. Architect Jon Sayler said part of the fun of building the Johnsons’ home was “starting from scratch,” working with raw land to decide what goes where. “Standing back on the road and looking at the land, we’d discuss ‘What do we want to see first, second, third?’ ” It took a dedicated effort to stay
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 85
true to the property’s simple appearance, avoiding the latest building fad. “We had to be restrained in our touch,” he said. A new barn was built off to the east of the farmhouse, its design plucked from a sketch of a 1910 structure to look like it had been there forever – and it does. The Johnsons know better, however, as an existing barn that was on the property when they purchased the land collapsed during an infamous northern Idaho windstorm. Landscaping around the farmhouse and barn is intentionally kept to a minimum, and the simple gravel drive leads right up to the front veranda of the home. It’s a simplistic design approach that’s echoed inside the house, as well. “There’s a certain amount of peace that comes with that pared-down environment,” said Sylvia about the effort to keep clutter and obstructions to a minimum. “Coming from California, this home has a wonderful sense of peace and space. It’s the feeling of being in the country, and being able to look out and see cows and deer.” Inside the 2,400-square-foot home, a multitude of French doors and double-hung windows usher in an abundance of natural light, which reflects off the white-on-white painted interior. At every turn, the rooms are tastefully furnished with antique pieces and items purposely crafted to lend old-fashioned charm, again complementing the farmhouse’s architecturally simple style. The bright and light living area is the Johnsons’ favorite room in the house. “That’s where we gather and interact, and it’s a lot of fun,” said Sylvia. With unobstructed views to the outside, Sylvia recalls a wintertime visit to the home where they sat in the living room and watched the storms roll in.
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
R _ E
85
5/7/11 3:30 PM
Real Estate
R _ E http://www.sandpointrestore.org
Helping you witH all your Housing needs.
208-415-5710
www.psbhomeloan.com
Design Timber Framing General Contracting Bespoke Homes Unparalleled Craftsmanship
timberframesbycollinbeggs.com Post Office Box 964 Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 (208) 265–4982
A house built without love is not a home. Hank WIllIamS
Ti m b er Fr am es
by
Collin Beggs
a design n build company combining nature, handwork, & the craft tradition
86
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 86
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:30 PM
phenomenal home
Real Estate Period details, such Architectural details play as vintage glass knobs, up the nostalgic simplicity hexagon tile work in the that Sayler and the Johnsons baths, and classic twoworked to create, no more handled faucets, dress up apparent than in the living the two extra bedrooms room where decorative 2x4s and bath upstairs as well on the interior walls mimic as the main-floor master construction methods of bedroom and private homes built in the late 1800s bath. Quilts add color and early 1900s. Homes from and charm to each of the the early days were rarely home’s three beds; simbuilt with insulation, thus ple, scalloped-edge roller exposing the home’s framing shades keep in character from the inside. with the interior’s theme. “I thought it gave it a Sylvia was pleased real architectural feel to the with her interior designer, rooms without being too Opposite: A simple, all-white kitchen has a nostalgic feel with its open Jackie Carman of Coeur busy,” said Sylvia. country shelving and rustic accents, at top left. Middle left, the new barn d’Alene. In fact, they hit it For the architect, creating includes modern amenities such as a bathroom and finished open loft area. off right away. the old-fashioned appearBottom left, the master bedroom’s pared-down furnishings show off the “It was a meeting of ance of exposed framing unique exposed framing. At top, the Johnson home radiates a sense of the minds,” said Sylvia. actually took a surprising old-fashioned charm at dusk. Above, homeowners Ben and Sylvia Johnson “I’d start a sentence and amount of work. enjoy Sandpoint’s culture and friendly people. she’d finish it. She was “To get the look of unfingreat.” ished, unframed walls, we The kitchen has an had to design every single airy, country feel with stud,” Sayler said. “They had custom handcrafted cabinets painted a pleasing off-white; to look good.” The hard work paid off, however, as the archijust off the kitchen is a large mudroom with laundry and tect says that is his favorite feature of the home. plenty of storage space (something perhaps not borrowed “It was something we don’t normally get to do, and I from days of old). Open shelves in the kitchen hold dinnerthought that’s what really made the difference in this house,” ware and rustic tin canisters, while modern appliances are said Sayler. “It was very fun.” cleverly disguised in an understated basic white. Double-hung windows on nearly every exterior wall of the The large farm sink anchors the room, with a view that house just beg to be lifted on a warm summer’s night, inviting a breeze to cool the home, as it would have a century ago. looks out on the great expanse of hayfield. Because the kitchen is separated from the other rooms, as would be found And the wrap-around, covered veranda includes a screenedin home layouts of earlier times, Sayler opened things up a bit in porch that’s big enough for hosting dinner on the deck – without the company of moths or other creatures of the night. between the dining room and kitchen by adding double-hung
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 87
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
R _ E
87
5/7/11 3:30 PM
Real Estate
R _ E FROM LAWN TO RANCH COUNT ON COLUMBIA TRACTOR.
YOUR LAND OUR BRAND.
2520, Z-Trak and
COLUMBIA TRACTOR, INC. 1201 FONTAINE DRIVE PONDERAY, ID 83852 (208) 265-7282 1-800-828-0741
• LOCAL SERVICE, SALES AND PARTS. • 0% FINANCING AVAILABLE oac • NOTHING RUNS LIKE A DEERE!
COLUMBIA TRACTOR, INC. 6606 MAIN STREET BONNERS FERRY, ID 83805 (208) 267-3116
The engine horsepower information is provided by the engine manufacturer to be used for comparison purposes only. Actual operating horsepower will be less. AA1KKCU1AA48339-00348388
88
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 88
windows to create the idea of eating out on the porch. The Johnsons love to collect art from their travels around the world and have several unique paintings hanging in the home that they’ve picked up from various sources. Several of the more vividly colored paintings are of old trucks: One painting was purchased in the Gold Country of California, and another was painted by the friend of a friend. “We were keeping with the theme of trucks and barns here,” Ben said. Trekking downstairs to the home’s basement is like re-entering the modern world again. This is where a spacious TV room is located, furnished with a nod to current trends such as cozy wallto-wall carpeting, sheetrock walls, and traditional leather furnishings. Having the extra space downstairs comes in handy for the Johnsons, whose four children and five grandchildren have become regular visitors to the new home in Idaho. “Everybody plans to spend some time this summer together,” Sylvia said. The Johnsons’ son and his wife are part owners of the land and would like to retire on the property some day. Throughout the process of construction and decorating, the Johnsons were mindful of purchasing many of their home’s pieces – both antiques and new – from Sandpoint businesses and, besides using a local builder and architect, employing local craftspeople as often as possible. Sandpoint itself is a big draw for the couple and their family. “The town has everything you need and want,” said Sylvia. “There’s a nice cultural element.” Ben appreciates the people he has encountered in Sandpoint. “They’re friendly and honest,” he said. “It’s a very nice atmosphere, very wholesome.” As for any future plans that the Johnsons have for the house, Sylvia said they might do a little bit more decorating and put in a few more trees. But she quickly adds: “I don’t want anything obstructing that view!”
SUMMER 2011
5/9/11 10:02 AM
communities and residents
Planned communities move forward, with a couple exceptions By Cate Huisman
Real Estate
Developments weather downturn
A
t the height of the recent real estate boom, when property values tripled in a year and residents had to wait months to get a contractor for even the smallest construction project, planned communities bloomed around Sandpoint. And while the fervor that carried them has hit the skids along with the rest of the U.S. economy, most of the planned communities remain and have developed a range of approaches to deal with slowing sales. Just north of City Beach, the Seasons at Sandpoint has made price adjustments to meet the market as sales have slowed; these helped to create 10 sales in 2010, up from six in 2008 and just four in 2009. And in a unique move in this market, developer BVG held a Dutch auction this spring for one of its most luxurious townhouses to help it determine whether it was finally time to move ahead with further construction. “It was successful at attracting bidders,” said Chris Chambers, Seasons’ director of sales and longtime Sotheby’s agent, “and we’re actively negotiating with the bidders to see if agreeable terms can be reached.” One of the appeals of Seasons is its combination of an in-town location with expansive views of Lake Pend Oreille and the Cabinet Mountains. Residents like being able to walk downtown and participate in community events. Chris Maus was one of the first to buy at Seasons; his high school-age twins wanted to be in town after many years out in the country. “It allowed us an opportunity to have the Sandpoint urban experience,” he says. Now that the youngsters are grown and gone, he continues to enjoy the easy walk to restaurants in town, the onsite gym, and being able to keep his sailboat close at hand on the dock out front. Another waterfront community, Dover Bay, where 500 total units are planned, has worked
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 89
PHOTO BY BUDDY CHAMBERS
its way through the recession by keeping its inventory low. Sales started to slow in 2008. “Right now there are only four units available for immediate occupancy,” said Marie Garvey, Dover Bay’s marketing manager. “We’re going to start building some more. It’s been picking up.” Unlike many other planned communities, which focus on high-end, luxury homes, Dover Bay has options in a variety of sizes for buyers in a variety of income brackets, and it has always been open to the wider community as well as to its owners. Big draws for both residents and visitors are its trails, fitness club and swimming pool. “Everybody’s welcome out here,” said John Sletager, Dover Bay project manager. The community has even hosted Sandpoint High School cross-country meets on its miles of bike paths. Recent retirees Jan and Larry Rust moved to Dover Bay to “embrace the outdoor lifestyle,” as Jan puts it. From their home overlooking Brown’s Inlet, they can go kayaking out the back door, and they enjoy the birds and family of beavers in the inlet. She also likes being close enough to Sandpoint that she can bike into town. At Schweitzer Mountain Resort, construction slowed significantly during the recession. “Normally we have 20 to 30 housing starts SUMMER 2011
Top: Seasons at Sandpoint combines an in-town location with Lake Pend Oreille views and access
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
R _ E
89
5/7/11 3:30 PM
R _ E Real Estate
communities and residents
per year,” said Patrick Werry, a Sandpoint real estate agent specializing in Schweitzer properties. In contrast, 2010 saw only seven starts. Existing inventory is becoming depleted, however. Werry added, “Schweitzer has weathered the downturn quite well.” During the boom, Schweitzer was developing a series of ski-in-ski-out luxury homes in an area it called Trapper’s Creek, just above its Selkirk Lodge. To meet the realities of the new market, it took these properties off the market temporarily and readjusted the property to include “fractional homes” as well as single-family full ownership homes and lots for custom construction. The fractional homes in the development now called MountainSide are just that: Buyers can buy a fractional ownership and use the homes for a fraction of each year. And the price is just a fraction of what it was before – $195,000 instead of the minimum $900,000 price for full ownership at the peak of the boom. An additional draw to these homes is that they are built on “green” principles, and Schweitzer anticipates having them LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) certified at some level. Some of the green amenities include Energy Star appliances, thorough insulation and floors made of bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource. One planned community whose future is yet to be revealed is The Idaho Club, developed around the former Hidden Lakes Golf Resort between Sandpoint and Hope. Plans for the 900acre property include about 420 homes and condos, and the developers made a significant investment in rebuilding the golf course to a Jack Nicklaus design. “In 2008 our lender failed to fund our development loan shortly after closing,” said President Chuck Reeves, but he remains hopeful. “We have worked very hard to find a global financing solution for The Idaho Club. We continue to work with our creditors to try to find a solution that is workable for all. We have had tremendous support from our members and owners who believe in the vision of The Idaho Club.” Among the hopeful are M.H. and Bailey Campbell, who read about the resort in Cowboys and Indians magazine and abandoned their ranch in western Texas for The Idaho Club 90
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 90
back in 2006, making them among the earliest buyers. “We think it’s gorgeous up there,” said Bailey, who calls their home “a little bit of heaven.” He says they were looking forward to seeing improvements made sooner at The Idaho Club; nevertheless, his enthusiasm seems unquenched. In contrast to many other properties that have focused on the amenities of the lake and the ski area, Iron Horse Ranch
COURTESY PHOTOS
Clockwise from top left: With a home atop Moose Mountain, the Campbells were among the earliest buyers at The Idaho Club. Dover Bay residents Larry and Jan Rust enjoy their home in Brown’s Inlet. MountainSide offers fractional ownership slopeside at Schweitzer
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:30 PM
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 91
Real Estate
was developed and originally marketed as a horse property. Thirteen miles north of Sandpoint, the 388-acre community is set up for 24 homes on 5- to 13-acre lots and includes 200 acres of open space. Although the streets are in place and the homesites are platted, owner Fred Frost has changed his approach as the market has changed. Rather than incur more costs for further development, he would like to sell the entire property. “I’ve been trying to sell the property as a whole to one person with the grand ranch theory in mind,” he said. “It’s a better option at this point to sell it whole than piece by piece.” One notable planned community appears not to have survived the recession. The Crossing at Willow Bay has streets, a white cedar marina, and a waterfront clubhouse, but no residents. A few spec homes haven’t sold, and it is in foreclosure. The 180-acre development was to have had 100 or so homes in “lake-cabin style” overlooking the Pend Oreille River not far from the town of Priest River. The consensus is that the developers of Willow Bay had a great vision. The property was featured in the New York Times in 2007, but it suffered from being relatively far away from the lively center of Sandpoint and from high debt payments that it couldn’t meet when no homes sold. At press time, a private buyer was interested in purchasing the whole property for use as a family estate. Price adjustments, refocused marketing efforts, uncertainty, foreclosure, even an auction: The recession has been a challenge for area planned communities. But northern Idaho’s natural beauty isn’t going to go away; the lake isn’t going to dry up; and the mountains are likely to have snow for the foreseeable future. For developers who can adjust to the market and ride out the hard times, it appears that planned communities here will continue to be a draw.
R _ E
new construction • renovation • restoration site planning • development • property management
(208) 264-6700 Dan McMahon • General Contractor • www.mebldg.com SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
91
5/7/11 3:30 PM
www.TaylorAndS
IDAHO’S PREMIER ‘GREEN’ DEALERSHIP
View construction on facebook … search … Taylor & Sons Chevrolet
CHEVY CRUZ ECO AVAILABLE 42 MPG
CHEVY EQUINOX AVAILABLE 32 MPG
CHEVY TRAVERSE BEST IN CLASS MPG
CHEVY VOLT AVAILABLE FALL 2011
CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 AVAILABLE 21 MPG
CHEVROLET HAS NINE MODELS WITH 30 MPG (HWY) OR GREATER www.TAYLORANDSONSCHEVY.com 476751 HWY 95 N PONDERAY, ID 83852 800.866.2138 208.263.2138
onsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSons
vy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.
com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com •
Chevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChevy.com • www.TaylorAndSonsChe 084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 92
5/7/11 3:30 PM
sandpoint businesses
Real Estate From left, Greg, Laurel and Brett Taylor and their venerable Chevy pickup front the new home of their dealership in Ponderay. PHOTO BY BILLIE JEAN PLASTER
Taylor & Sons moves to Ponderay Will be first LEED-certified dealership in Idaho
I
f one word were needed to summarize the nature of the new Taylor & Sons Chevrolet shop and showroom in Ponderay, it would have to be “efficient.” And the business is efficient in more ways than one: More room and better design mean that mechanics at the new shop are able to service cars more efficiently than ever before. And the Taylors’ choice to build for energy efficiency means that Taylor & Sons will likely have the distinction of being the first LEED-certified auto dealership in Idaho. The recession brought a new reality to the former TaylorParker Motor Company, which has been a mainstay of downtown Sandpoint since 1927. With the restructuring of the U.S. auto industry, Taylor & Sons lost its Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler lines. To retain the Chevrolet dealership, it had to meet new requirements from General Motors that couldn’t be met on the 2-acre city block the auto dealer had occupied since the 1920s. So it was time to move north to U.S. Highway 95 and Schweitzer Plaza Drive, where the company could expand into a new, state-of-the-art building. At the same time, the business started using a name it had licensed years before, reflecting the fact that the Taylors bought out the Parkers back in the 1990s. Greg and Laura Taylor now run the company with their son Brett; another son, Chad, is on its board. The move enables Taylor & Sons to transform its service business. The Taylors retained all their employees despite the loss of the Chrysler dealership, and they will continue to work
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 93
by Cate Huisman
on all makes of cars as they have in the past. But a lot of how that will happen has changed. Arriving customers are greeted by a service bay door that opens automatically in response to sensors in the pavement outside. A hydronically heated floor helps dry wet or snowy cars, and the door closes automatically to help keep the temperature in the bay from changing by more than a few degrees. Employees can note drivers’ concerns on computers, and that information is sent to a technician electronically, minimizing the amount of paper that changes hands. Cars then move to a service area that solves the myriad problems that the downtown location presented. “One of the biggest things is the width of the shop,” says Brett Taylor. It will increase to 74 feet in Ponderay from the 60-foot width downtown. Those extra 14 feet will make a big difference. “A 1929 Model T might be 13 or 14 feet long,” he said, while a modern crew cab, long box pickup stretches 23 to 24 feet. At the downtown shop, employees often had to jockey cars around each other, sometimes even using jacks to get them into service bays; now there is space to get even the biggest pickups into position easily. While their cars are being serviced, drivers can relax in a sky-lit room by a fireplace of native rock, working on their laptops using the wireless network, or keeping an eye on their kids in the adjacent playroom.
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
R _ E
93
5/7/11 3:30 PM
Real Estate
R _ E The new building is roughly half again as big as the former downtown building but consumes less energy. The Taylors anticipate that it will provide 36 to 42 percent savings on energy consumption over what a new conventional building would have required as well. While many things factor into these savings, the way the dealership addresses issues of light and heat are two major ones. The lighting system is particularly intriguing. Lights are controlled by both light sensors and motion sensors. If a room is too dark, lights come on automatically when someone enters it. But in several areas, innovative DayStar skylights provide so much light that supplemental light isn’t needed, even on cloudy days. Outside, efficient lighting over the car lot will cut energy consumption by two-thirds over what the old light poles required, while providing just as much light as before. Several other design elements help preserve energy in heating and cooling the building. The ceiling is lined with R45 insulation. Showroom windows looking west out over the Selkirks are double glazed and gas filled to prevent both heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer, and an awning provides additional protection from summer sun. And as they did downtown, service technicians continue to recycle used motor oil into a boiler system that heats water for the hydronically heated shop floor, simultaneously saving on energy costs
PHOTO COURTESY JIM PARSONS JR.
Sandpoint Motor Co., circa 1950, was one incarnation of dealerships that held the same downtown spot on Cedar Street since 1927
and disposing of waste oil that would otherwise be an environmental liability. On top of all this, for customers who are just as energy conscious as the Taylors, the dealership will have technicians ready to service the Volt, Chevy’s new electric car, when it appears in northern Idaho late this year. “The efficiency is going to be tremendous,” said Greg Taylor. But it’s not just a good business decision. “It’s the right thing to do,” says Brett Taylor.
PROFESSIONAL Services 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
Dedicated • Honest • Friendly
KAT CASSIDY
Life, Disability, Individual, Group Health and now Home and Auto too! Realtor®, Sales Associate
Specializing in making your life easier
Sandpoint
Old Power House Buildingkat.cassidy@coldwellbanker.com 120 E. Lake Street, Suite 203ServingPhone: you in208.265.6406 Bonner, Sandpoint, ID 83864 208.265.2477 Boundary &Fax: Kootenai Counties
94
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
Approved Approved with changes
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 94
Taxes, Payroll and Accounting Services, Financial and Tax Planning Two Locations
R E S O RT R E A LT Y
SCOTT ALBERTSON,Direct: AGENT 208-610-6423 TYE BARLOW, AGENT Office: 208-267-8575
BRIAN C. JENSEN, CPA
Bonners Ferry 208.267.1665 208.263.5154 6769 Main Street 520 Cedar Street, Suite A Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 Bonners Ferry, ID 83805 brian@jensencpa.us
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:31 PM
sandpoint businesses
Dealership’s move both a loss – and opportunity – for downtown With Taylor & Sons’ move to Ponderay this spring, downtown
The parcel will certainly be on the radar of the Downtown Sandpoint
Sandpoint is without a car dealership for the first time in most people’s
Business Association (DSBA) as it dusts off the Hudson economic revi-
memory. The dealership was started in 1927.
talization study conducted a decade ago. That analysis recommended
The loss of such a business and the customers it brought downtown is not insignificant. Waiting customers and employees will no longer buy themselves lunch or coffee nor shop downtown.
several measures to help make downtown more vibrant, such as the fountain and public restrooms since built at Jeff Jones Town Square.
Real Estate
Downtown shifts to higher gear
The DSBA has partnered with the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency
Nevertheless, the change is well-aligned with the vision of
and the City of Sandpoint to identify new opportunities that have
Sandpoint’s comprehensive plan, adopted by the city council in 2009 to
cropped up since the Hudson study. One of those is a superfast fiber
guide the next 20 years of city development.
optic network that has been in the works for several years.
“This area falls into what we call Context Area 5,” says Sandpoint
“That will attract a certain class of businesses to downtown that
Planning Director Jeremy Grimm. It’s for “primary commercial centers –
we can’t attract now,” said Chris Bessler, chair of DSBA’s Economic
pedestrian friendly, attractive places that draw visitors and residents.”
Restructuring Committee.
Zoning code written for this area calls for much denser use than any
The fiber network, and plans to woo new anchor businesses for loca-
car dealership could make. In fact, it allows for multistory buildings with
tions such as the dealership parcel, are only part of the revitalization ini-
retail on the first floor and offices and residences above.
tiative. The groups in early May were preparing to contract an economic
For residents whose only memory of the city block on Cedar Street be-
development firm to lead a series of projects, from helping restore the
tween Third and Fourth avenues is of 2 acres of cars, this will seem like a
railroad station to bolstering efforts for a communiversity. Downtown, it
significant switch. But in fact the zoning requirements attempt to mimic
seems, is looking up.
the best of historic Sandpoint – the streetscape along First Avenue.
– Cate Huisman
R _ E
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 95
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
95
5/7/11 3:31 PM
NEW! Anytime Info
For recorded information or to speak to the listing agent, call 208.449.0071 and use the 5-digit property code.
Rustic Contemporary: Dynamic spaces create the blueprint for unparalleled living. 5,300 sq ft, 211 feet of waterfront, 2.6 Acres, guest quarters, 5 car garage. www.TrestleLane.com ~ Top Producer | Broker’s Achievement ~ Significant Sale Sotheby’s International Realty 2009 ~ Spirit of Tomlinson Sotheby’s International Realty 2010
IncredIble desIgn and serene vIews of lake Pend Oreille. gourmet Kitchen, walk-in pantry & desk; large great room and dining areas; spacious main floor master suite; attached 2+ car garage; private 5 acre wooded setting. close to town! cindy bond 208.255.8360. #10671
Realtor®, GRI Licensed in ID & WA
Serving Coeur d’Alene & Sandpoint
(208) 290-3719 Cheri.Hiatt@SothebysRealty.com
© MMVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated. Sandpoint office: 208-263-5101, 200 Main Street
Stan Hatch, PhD Associate Broker
Darren Smith Associate Broker
sOUTH sandPOInT waTerFrOnT, in the most desirable neighborhood. 3 bed, 3 bath with a buildable waterfront lot, expansive balconies and lawn. 88 feet of private waterfront & panoramic views! $1,125,000. chris chambers: 208-290-2500 For anytime Info call 208-449-0071. #10821
PercHed abOve garFIeld bay ~ enjoy 180 degree lake and mountain views from this 5-acre home site. ready to build with power and phone & is served by a community water system. Private maintained road w/year round access and deeded water access. gil Morris 208-290-5200. #11941
Your Sandpoint region
www.TSSIR.com
luxury and recreational
200 Main Street • Sandpoint, Idaho 208.263.5101 • 800.282.6880
tssir 3rd pg vt.indd 1 084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 96
property professionals
Stan: 208.290.7024 Darren: 208.921.1901 Toll Free: 800.282.6880 Web: www.TSSIR.com
5/5/11 1:40 PM 5/7/11 3:31 PM
www.TSSIR.com NEW! Anytime Info
For recorded information or to speak to the listing agent, call 208.449.0071 and use the 5-digit property code.
www.PiCarDPoinTreTreaT.Com Peaceful private waterfront on Lake Pend oreille. 100 feet of waterfront with new tram system to the water’s edge and prime fishing grounds. sandpointrealestate.com Cheri Hiatt 208.290.3719 or Bill schaudt 208.255.6172. #10641
enJoY BeneFiTs oF a waTerFronT Home without the big price tag. 1,792 sq. ft. home with 2 fireplaces, full daylight basement & large wraparound covered deck. 100 feet of waterfront with dock on navigable inlet to the Pend oreille river. $199,900 sandpointrealestate.com Bill schaudt 208.255.6172. #12221
DesiraBLe souTH sanDPoinT seConDarY waTerFronT Home. 3 bedroom+den/office, 3 bath, 2,159 square feet, 2 car garage, large fenced back yard & landscaped front yard with mature trees, and right across the street is community deeded access to the Pend oreille river! sandpointrealestate.com Bill schaudt 208.255.6172. #11771
www.PeninsuLaParaDise.Com Captivating panoramic views from this well-appointed home on Lake Pend oreille abound from most every room. 4 bedroom, 4 bath, 100 feet of waterfront. www.CindyBond.com Cindy Bond 208.255.8360. #10271
www.waTerFronTviLLaaTKooTenaiBaY.Com artfully styled French country home features panoramic territorial views on the shores of Lake Pend oreille! 4 bedroom, 4 bath with over 4,600 sq. feet of living area. www.CindyBond.com Cindy Bond 208.255.8360. #10241
www.LaKeFronTaTPouLinDrive.Com stunning lakefront masterpiece on Lake Pend oreille! Custom 4 bedroom, 5.5 bath, 6,000 sq.ft timber frame home with 4 fireplaces, 3 kitchens, theater, indoor pool & sauna, & breathtaking views. www.CindyBond.com Cindy Bond 208.255.8360. #13141
www.84CougarDrive.Com Beautifully hand crafted Caribou Creek log home with gourmet kitchen, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, over 5000 sq.ft. on 8.4 acres with lake views and barn with guest apartment. www.CindyBond.com Cindy Bond 208.255.8360. #10351
granDview TerraCes is a new 40 aCre Planned unit development at the top of the City of Hope. all home sites have sTunning lake views, paved streets, utilities and an expansive common area. starting at $279,000. Jim watkins 208.255.6915. #11901
aBsoLuTeLY sTunning 3851 sF CeDar Log & PosT & Beam ConsTruCTeD Home! 24+ acres with outstanding Lake & territorial views. warming sunroom attached to gourmet kitchen. 2 rock fireplaces. vaulted ceiling. Large master suite. Large semi-finished basement. Huge 40x60 shop. end of the road privacy. mLs#21100916 $425,000. Brian Harvey 208.290.2486. #11351
Brian Harvey
Jim Watkins
Cindy Bond
Bill Schaudt
®REALTOR
®REALTOR
Associate Broker
®REALTOR
© 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.
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 97
5/7/11 3:31 PM
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 98
5/7/11 3:31 PM
old-timer realtors
Real Estate
Old-timer Realtors Three locals reflect on three decades serving Bonner County
By Trish Gannon From left, longtime local Realtors Tom Renk, Marita Stewart Ramsay and Mike Parkins PHOTO BY ROSS HALL, CIRCA 1979
I
n the Summer 2008 issue, Sandpoint Magazine began a feature on Realtors who have practiced continually in the area for 25 years or more. This is the third installment of that feature, now covering the last of the Realtors initially listed. Tom Renk, Marita Stewart Ramsay and Mike Parkins, discussed here, have amassed 92 years of real estate experience between them. In the course of this series, we’ve covered several years of Sandpoint history spanning three decades, from the 1960s to 1980s. What an amazing period of time. New residents and the Realtors who helped them find homes here have had a big impact on Sandpoint and the surrounding area. The town has grown, for better or worse, from a resource-based community into a thriving arts town based on tourism and manufacturing, with improved facilities for education, medical care and recreation.
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 99
Tom Renk, licensed 1979
Tom Renk, 65, born on a farm near Boise, became an archaeologist and met his wife, Nancy, while he was the assistant curator of collections at the Arizona State Museum. But they didn’t want to stay in Arizona. “We wanted to be where there were mountains, water, trees. And this place had all that,” Renk said. They bought remote land and moved here in ’71. “We couldn’t even drive to our own property,” he said, laughing. “We had to park two miles away and hike in.” Selling real estate wasn’t part of the plan; doing contract archaeology was the goal. And it did start out that way. “The first two winters we went to Boise to work for the Idaho State Historical Society,” he said. “The kids had come along, and I was gone a lot. Plus, I needed more than parttime work. He added: “My aunt had been a Realtor and she told me, ‘Why don’t you just get your license?’ So I did.”
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
R _ E
99
5/7/11 3:31 PM
Real Estate
R _ E In May of ’79, Renk joined C.M. Brewster & Co. Real Estate, where today he is the owner/broker, and learned about making a living in the Sandpoint area’s volatile real estate market. “It was the end of the (’70s) boom time, but I didn’t know that then,” he said. “Up until around ’86, it was very, very slow.” That turned out to be a good pace for Renk to learn skills he would use throughout his 32-year career in real estate; in particular, the ability to help a would-be buyer obtain financing to purchase a home. “Back when interest rates were really high (in the upper teens), you had to learn a lot about owner-financing and the like,” he said. He also developed an expertise in that time for selling his favorite type of property – remote – and for truly listening to what a buyer wants in order to find the right piece of property to meet their needs. “If you’re listening, you can really help people – and sometimes you make forever friends,” he added. Renk would warn those looking at selling real estate for a career: “The market has always been cyclical. Generally those cycles run three to five years, but sometimes you’re down longer, like now. Our current ‘down’ cycle has lasted about six years.” But for someone who enjoys people and traveling around through the beauty that’s Bonner County, “It’s a great job.”
Marita Stewart Ramsay, licensed 1979
When Marita Stewart Ramsay, 65, moved to Idaho she had to “figure out something to do to make a living.” Real estate had always interested her, so that was the field she chose, despite a falling market in Bonner County. “By the time I got into it, it was tailing off,” she said. “It was the end of the really good times.” It was a good learning experience. “By coming into the market then, I really learned a lot. I got really good, really fast, at things like owner financing and farm loans.” She honed those skills and discovered she had an aptitude for matching the right buyer and seller and for bringing a deal to conclusion. She also did well at the other side of real estate that trips up a lot of newcomers: being your own boss, essentially running a small business where the responsibility is all yours for managing an erratic income and funding things like health insurance and retirement. “It’s certainly not an easy-money kind of business,” she said, laughing. Her wide skill set led her, along with a group of friends that included Tom Renk, to purchase C.M. Brewster & Co. Real Estate in 1984 when then-owner Chuck Brewster decided to sell, and she never looked back. She purchased a building on the corner of First and Main, and C.M. Brewster moved its operations there. Eventually Renk ended up as the sole broker at C.M. Brewster and moved it back to Cedar
“We Have Your Color”
Harold & Liz Stephenson
Sandpoint’s Complete Paint & Wallpaper Store 714 Pine St. Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208) 263-5032
•Paints & Sundries •Wall Coverings •Custom Framing
100
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 100
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:31 PM
old-timer realtors
and knowledgeable.” After more than three decades in the local market, Stewart Ramsay is semi-retired and spends winters in Arizona. She keeps her license active, however, so she can continue to provide service to the many customers she has retained throughout that 30 years. “Real estate is a wonderful career,” she said. “The only limitation on what you can do is how hard you want to work. You have to genuinely want to work with people. You can’t fake it. And you have to be willing to learn.” She especially emphasized the importance of knowing about financing.
A GOOD SIGN EVEN IN TIMES LIKE THESE.
1979 The year began with the inauguration of our 39th President, Jimmy Carter, and kicked off a year of mostly grim news. In March, the United States experienced its first nuclear crisis when the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania suffered a partial core meltdown. Two months later, American Airlines Flight 191 crashed in a field outside Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, killing 273 – still the worst aviation accident on U.S. soil. In August, a deal was announced to provide a $1.5
Real Estate
Tom Renk and Marita Stewart Ramsay around the time they purchased C.M. Brewster & Co., in 1984
Street, while Stewart Ramsay and a partner launched Lake Country Real Estate in 1995, which was later purchased by Century 21 RiverStone. “Lake Country was wonderful,” she said. “We had great agents, very hardworking
billion government bailout loan to Chrysler in order to save our thirdlargest automaker from bankruptcy. Then in November, following the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran by students and militants, 63 U.S. citizens were taken hostage and held for 444 days. In better news, the first snowboard was invented; the Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title; the U.S. House of Representatives began live television broadcasts on C-Span; and ESPN hit the airwaves. Locally, the Sandpoint Daily Bee reported a spring tornado in Spokane and on May 25, three Sandpoint gas stations ran out of gas. The local telephone system, reflecting area growth, required that callers must now dial “all seven digits” in order to place a phone call. Roger’s Food City was offering a dozen eggs for 73 cents, fresh creamery butter at $1.25 a pound, and a whole smoked picnic ham at 79 cents a pound. A four-bedroom house on three-and-a-half acres with
Everyone’s looking for an encouraging sign in today’s economy. The fact is, they’ll see one in over 17,500 locations across North America. Because for over 86 years, State Farm® agents have been there helping people protect the things that matter most. That’s why more people trust State Farm. And we consider that a very good sign.
LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, STATE FARM IS THERE.®
R _ E Dale J Reed, Agent 302 Main Street, PO Box 1872 Sandpoint, ID 83864 Bus: 208-263-4264 Fax: 208-263-8381 www.dalereedagency.com
PROVIDING INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES P087082 11/08
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 101
State Farm, Bloomington IL
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
101
5/7/11 3:31 PM
R _ E Real Estate
spring water, a barn, and wood and electric heat, was offered for $48,000.
Mike Parkins, licensed 1983
Account: 024857 Sandpoint Storage * Contract: 242416 (SPT/10) *
102
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 102
When Mike Parkins, 64, entered real estate, Bonner County was well into a slump, mostly driven by steadily increasing interest rates. Like most kids, when Parkins graduated high school in Sandpoint, in 1965, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. He went to college on a baseball scholarship, then went to war and worked as a stenographer. Returning home, he attended school at Spokane’s Kinman Business College and went to work as an accountant. Then he opened P.J.’s Bar and Grill in Sandpoint with a partner. When he sold his share of that, he went to work for his brother-in-law, Bernie McGovern, at his insurance and real estate business in 1983. “I started out selling insurance and doing real estate part-time,” Parkins said. He became a broker in 1994 and owned offices big and small since that Ad Number: 00169421 time. Currently he is the owner/broker at Four Seasons Realty on First Avenue in Sandpoint. “I’ve seen the ups and downs in the market,” he said, “and we’re definitely in a down right now.” This down is a change from the cycles he’s seen before, he adds. “It’s the first time when you could buy a house in this area and a month later it would be worth less money.” Parkins has seen the area – and the business of real estate – go through a lot of changes. “Ponderay became the big commercial center,” he said, and he doesn’t expect that to change. “Sandpoint just doesn’t have the land area to grow.” One thing that hasn’t changed is the people who buy property. “Our market is mostly driven by out-of-area buyers,” he said. “That means we’re driven by what’s happening in markets in other places.” The actual local market is mostly nonexistent, he explains, because there are few jobs here for kids when they grow
up and graduate high school or college. Of real estate, Parkins says: “It takes some time to learn the ropes. And you have to put out a lot of money up front that doesn’t come back to you until you make your first sale.” Though he doesn’t see a booming market like we had here a few years ago happening any time in the near future, Parkins says people will always be looking to buy homes in this area. “We’ve got the most beautiful place in the world here,” he said. “That’s certainly not going to change.”
1983 The last original episode of M*A*S*H aired on television, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space, and several bombings in Beirut targeted and killed American military personnel. First Lady Nancy Reagan urged citizens to “just say no” to drugs, while her husband, President Ronald Reagan, defended giving arms to Contra revolutionaries. Vanessa Williams became the first black Miss America. The first Hooters restaurant was opened in Florida, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday became a federal holiday. A 6.9 earthquake – the largest ever recorded in Idaho – hit Borah Peak near Challis. In Sandpoint, the Daily Bee kicked off the year with photos of what they called a “wet, cold, soggy, sloppy, slushy” winter. A special real estate “Progress Edition,” warned that high interest rates had “stifled buying hopes.” Headlines related the legislature’s consideration of a lottery for the state though the measure failed; the lottery would not come to Idaho until 1988. Trapper Claude Dallas was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for the ’81 murders of two Idaho game wardens. Safeway offered coupons for a 50-count jar of Tylenol capsules for $2.59 and two pounds of Maxwell House coffee for $4.99. Century 21/ Four Seasons real estate offered a 3-bedroom home on three city lots for $60,000 while C.M. Brewster & Co. listed the 240-acre Selkirk Ranch at $728,000. At Sandpoint Motor Co., a 1982 Buick Skylark could be purchased for $6,695.
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:32 PM
208-263-2853 www.dsscustomhomes.com 084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 103
5/7/11 3:32 PM
Real Estate
R _ E
marketwatch
Marketwatch: Prices keep dropping, investors keep shopping
W
ithout a crystal ball on hand, nobody is certain when the market
Inventory remains at high levels, thanks in
increased 19 percent, the Priest River/Priest Lake area with a 38 percent increase, and
will bottom out for real estate prices in
large part to the number of foreclosures and
Greater Sandpoint. For the six months from
short sales that have entered the market.
October 2010 through April 2011, prices are
“Sellers are competing with a lot of
towners looking to make investment
still on a downward slide; median residen-
inventory, and buyers are looking for the
purchases or families buying a second
tial sales price fell 8 percent over the previ-
best deal at the lowest price,” said MLS
home. Stevens said there’s also more inter-
ous year at $168,000. This time last year,
President Jerri Anderson, who says an edu-
est in retirement parcels priced under the
the median price was just over $183,000.
cated seller can be successful if they enter
$200,000 mark.
lakefront with an increase of 73 percent. Many buyers continue to be out-of-
But if the national economy is to blame
the market with a realistic price. “The days
Anderson said those making investment
for the previous few years’ worth of plum-
of fishing the market can equate to a long
purchases are pleased with the bypass proj-
meting values, then SARS President Terry
listing time,” she said.
ect – just about a year away from comple-
Stevens thinks the feds may also be the ones to help pull the market back up. “We don’t know what the feds are going to do
Anderson also says sellers’ homes must be looking their best to attract a sale. “We have very savvy buyers,” Anderson
tion – and see it as a positive trend. “They see it as an improvement,” Anderson said. “They’re hoping that the one-
with the interest rates, but by raising the
said. “The buyers who are purchasing
way streets will go away and we can see the
rates it would help bottom out the market.”
now are cut out of the same cloth as that
return to a small-town shopping area.”
That’s because an uptick in interest rates
educated seller. They understand that it’s a
But still, it’s our area’s natural charm
would spur many potential homebuyers into
different market now. And the competition
that continues to draw folks in – no matter
action – thus giving a boost to the numbers
is ferocious.”
what’s happening out in the big world.
of buyers entering the market.
Notable bright spots over the winter
But until that happens, Stevens reminds
104
that “now’s the time to buy.”
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 104
include Schweitzer properties, where sales
“Sandpoint is special,” Anderson added. – Beth Hawkins
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:32 PM
market trends Residential Sales By Area
Priest River/Priest Lake
All Areas 2009/2010
2010/2011
% Inc/Decr
2009/2010
2010/2011
% Inc/Decr
Sold Listings
320
321
0
Sold Listings
34
47
+38
Volume - Sold Listings
$77,893,563
$73,100,477
-6
Volume - Sold Listings
$5,688,050
$11,676,512
+105
Median Price
$183,387
$168,000
-8
Median Price
$129,000
$125,500
-3
Average Sales Price
$243,417
$227,727
-6
Average Sale Price
$167,295
$248,436
+9
Average Days on Market
174
164
-6
Average Days on Market
153
167
+9
Bonners Ferry
Sandpoint City Sold Listings
2009/2010
2010/2011
% Inc/Decr
59
40
-32
Sold Listings
2009/2010
2010/2011
% Inc/Decr
44
41
-7
Volume - Sold Listings
$15,145,640
$7,321,451
-52
Volume - Sold Listings
$7,452,075
$5,926,925
-20
Median Price
$189,000
$168,700
-11
Median Price
$147,000
$110,000
-25
Average Sale Price
$256,705
$183,036
-29
Average Sale Price
$169,365
$144,559
-15
Average Days on Market
198
122
-38
Average Days on Market
188
186
-1
2009/2010
2010/2011
% Inc/Decr
2009/2010
2010/2011
% Inc/Decr
Real Estate
Selkirk Multiple Listing Service Real Estate Market Trends
Hope/Clark Fork
Sandpoint Area Sold Listings
96
89
-7
Sold Listings
14
8
-43
Volume - Sold Listings
$32,035,111
$28,005,147
-13
Volume - Sold Listings
$2,695,850
$1,904,250
-29
Median Price
$176,000
$204,500
+16
Median Price
$223,750
$220,000
-2
Average Sale Price
$333,699
$314,664
-6
Average Sale Price
$192,560
$238,031
+24
Average Days on Market
177
171
-3
Average Days on Market
200
347
+74
Based on information from the Selkirk MLS© for the period of Oct. 10, 2009, to April 20, 2010, versus the time period for Oct. 10, 2010 to April 20, 2011 Real Estate Stats for Bonner & Boundary Counties. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Welcoming Families to North Idaho for Over 30 Years Photo #1 © Karl Neumann - www.karlneumannphoto.com
A Name You Can Trust
RESORT REALTY
Full Service Real Estate. 25 agents, 3 locations.
R _ E
Specializing in • waterfront • land • commercial • residential • farms & ranches • ski condos
SANDPOINT 202 South First Avenue Phone: 208-263-6802 Toll-Free: 800-544-1855
BONNERS FERRY 6606 Lincoln St. Phone: 208-267-8575 Toll-free: 866-375-8575
SCHWEITZER 155 Village Lane Phone: 208-263-9460 Toll-Free: 866-673-2352
www.cbsandpoint.com
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 105
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
105
5/7/11 3:32 PM
BUILDING Services Bowers Construction FINE WOODWORKING
tel. 208-263-5546 Sandpoint, Idaho www.danbuilt.com
sandpointcontractor.com
208 263 5447
Scott Herndon
Homes
New homes, decks, barns, remodels, additions and more!
Your hometown mover and handyman
Scott Herndon
208.610.2680 ScottHerndonHomes.com
Professional Movers/Licensed Contractor 208.265.5506 • rlmsandpoint@gmail.com
1326 Baldy Mt. Rd. Sandpoint, ID 83864
35 YEARS local experience
Custom Builder & Remodeler Since 1976 Cell: 208-255-8072 www.JayWatsonConstruction.com
106
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 106
SUMMER 2011
5/9/11 9:18 AM
NATIVES AND NEWCOMERS
Natives and Newcomers By Amie Wolf Photos by Marie-Dominique Verdier This edition of Natives and Newcomers, a regular department that compares and contrasts views from Sandpoint natives with Sandpoint transplants, reveals that whether you’re born here or not, a love of the outdoors and majestic Lake Pend Oreille seems to be a common denominator. From trail riding and fly fishing to boating or cruising on a moped, all of the interviewees love to explore and enjoy all this slice of heaven has to offer. Enjoy their fresh and inspiring viewpoints!
NATIVES Lynn Wells
Lynn Wells, 55, an associate broker, has worked in real estate for 22 years with the past 16 of those spent at Evergreen Realty. Born in Sandpoint to parents John and Pat Gass, Wells enjoys trail riding and camping with her husband, Vern. They are always in search of new trails and new areas to go horseback riding. Her love of the outdoors must run in the family. Outdoor author and humorist Pat McManus is her uncle and often poked fun at her mom by portraying her as the “Troll” in his stories. Wells has two stepdaughters, Missie and Niki. What’s your favorite season in Sandpoint and why?
Fall. I spend a lot of time outdoors, and it’s so refreshing to breathe in the cool air. The colors of fall are fantastic in Sandpoint. I feel better after a fall trail ride than I do during any other season. There are so many places in the mountains and around the lake that appear as if they have been created just for us to enjoy. If you had $1,000 to donate to a local charity, which would you choose to support and why?
The Panhandle Animal Shelter. I think that animals are often forgotten. I’m around animals enough to know that they have many of the same feelings we do, like sadness and loneliness. I’d like to do what I can to make their lives a little better. What’s your favorite local business?
How could I have only one favorite business? The businesses in Sandpoint
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 107
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
107
5/7/11 3:32 PM
NATIVES AND NEWCOMERS are a big part of what makes the town so unique and livable. There are so many good restaurants and many with outside seating to enjoy the summer. Shopkeepers are so friendly and helpful. What do you think makes Sandpoint unique?
The natural setting on Lake Pend Oreille and next to Schweitzer Mountain. The unique shops and restaurants. The old brick buildings that bring back a sense of history. This is where I’ve lived my entire life, so Sandpoint is home. It’s a place where I know many of the people and they know me. It’s just a wonderful place. How has Sandpoint changed since your childhood?
Sandpoint has changed in many ways, but in others it hasn’t changed at all. When I was young we could ride our horses into town and take them for a swim at City Beach. Give that a try now!
Morning Coffee…
We’re There. Perk up with informative articles on Sandpoint and the surrounding area. For home delivery call (208) 263-9534
Daren Parsons
Daren Parsons, 42, has been involved in his family’s business, Litehouse, Inc., since he started as a dishwasher in Hope’s old Litehouse restaurant back in 1981. A grandson of Ed Hawkins Sr., he is now the company’s director of sales. He often leads worship singing with his wife, Helen, at First Christian Church and has enjoyed working with several professional musicians. Parsons also enjoys fly fishing, spending time on the lake, and watching his daughters Hailey and Emily play volleyball and softball. This Sandpoint High Bulldogs fan also enjoys cheering on his cousins, nieces and nephews when they play sports as well.
What’s your favorite season in Sandpoint and why?
The reason that I love Sandpoint is because it has all four seasons. Now, that said, selfishly I like it when spring starts in mid-February, summer starts in June and blends into fall sometime in late September, and winter doesn’t start until mid-December. If you had $1,000 to donate to a local charity, which would you choose to support and why?
My first thought would be for Love, Inc. They are a great organization for the community that helps families find resources, goods and services in times of need. What’s your favorite local business?
That is easy, the one my family
Northwest Autobody & Towing • Free Estimates • Guaranteed work on all makes and models • 24 hr. Towing • Family owned and run for over 32 years • Works with all insurance companies
208-263-6931
www.bonnercountydailybee.com
108
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 108
1305 Michigan St., Sandpoint
BEST OF BONNER COUNTY
2010
oice
The People’s Ch
(Across from Sandpoint HS)
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:32 PM
NATIVES AND NEWCOMERS started, Litehouse, Inc. What do you think makes Sandpoint unique?
I would say its overall appeal. There are not many places that I know of that still have that small-town community feel, and yet are a resort ski town in the winter, a beautiful resort lake town in the summer, and headquarters to a few different nationally recognized companies. It has so much to offer by way of its outdoor activities, culture and community feel. How has Sandpoint changed since your childhood?
It has certainly grown but not to the point that it feels too big or overcrowded. Our lake is now a great lake for smallmouth bass fishing. While growing up here as a youth, I either was not a very good fisherman, or there just weren’t any smallmouth bass in our lake … perhaps both.
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 109
NEWCOMERS Jessica Janssen
A registered nurse at Bonner General Hospital’s Family Centered Maternity Unit, Jessica Janssen, 32, moved to Sandpoint from Cheyenne, Wyo., in 2008 with her husband of 10 years, Matt. Although she’s lived the majority of her life in the mountainous West, she has traveled through close to 40 states and been to three continents. In the winter when she’s not busy learning to downhill ski, Janssen loves reading by the woodstove, cooking and sewing. When the weather warms, you can find her working in the garden, out on the lake or cruising around town on her vintage moped. What’s your favorite season in Sandpoint and why?
Summer. I love to go to City Beach with friends and family. My husband
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
109
5/7/11 3:32 PM
NATIVES AND NEWCOMERS
and I love to boat, especially in the early evenings. I primarily commute and shop by moped, which is both really fun and a great break from driving. I especially enjoy Farmers Market and all of the summer music and art festivities. If you had $1,000 to donate to a local charity, which would you choose to support and why?
I’d support Angels Over Sandpoint. I appreciate how they adapt to the specific needs of our community, from schoolchildren to bike paths to shelter animals. What’s your favorite local business?
My favorite local business would have to be Eichardt’s. … It is just consistently excellent. The staff is marvelous and always treats us well. What do you think makes Sandpoint unique?
Sandpoint’s location. The Inland Northwest gives you that great balance of verdant spring and fall seasons, nice snowy winters and mild summers. Being lakeside, in my opinion, gives Sandpoint that extra edge over a lot of other great mountain towns.
treasures, crafting and looks forward to exploring the outdoors with a dog they recently adopted from the Panhandle Animal Shelter. This self-proclaimed sci-fi nerd also loves zombie movies and listening to music with her husband.
Briefly describe your first “Long Bridge experience” and whether it influenced your decision to move here.
What’s your favorite season in Sandpoint and why?
We had that quintessential Long Bridge epiphany like many, but I think the deal was sealed after dinner outside at Sand Creek Grill one idyllic summer night. We watched boats troll around the marina, trains amble by, and families out walking and biking and just fell in love.
Summer up here is spectacular. I love it so much that I had my wedding here a few years ago and brought friends and family from all over the West to enjoy a perfect July weekend in Sandpoint.
Kate Buska
Born and raised in Montana, Kate Buska, 33, moved to Sandpoint from San Diego with her husband, Alex, in November 2010. Manager of the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association, Buska is a big fan of the Farmers Market and uses locally grown products whenever she can. She also enjoys shopping for vintage
Complimentary Teeth Whitening with purchase of new patient exam, necessary x-rays & cleaning ($400 Value)
208 - 263 - 7597
311 S. Division ~ Sandpoint
www.steveandersondds.com
110
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 110
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:32 PM
NATIVES AND NEWCOMERS
If you had $1,000 to donate to a local charity, which would you choose to support and why?
I would have to support the Lions Club and their Fourth of July fireworks show. Last year, they lost their corporate sponsor and, sadly, had to downsize the show. It’s such an amazing local tradition and definitely one I wouldn’t want to see fade away. What’s your favorite local business?
The Panida Theater and the rest of our arts community bring an amazing vitality to downtown. What do you think makes Sandpoint unique?
It’s the people that have been the most delightful surprise to me. Sandpoint citizens take pride in the community, volunteer and pitch in to help each other, and that’s the uniqueness that really enables us to take advantage of all our other assets. Briefly describe your first “Long Bridge experience” and whether it influenced your decision to move here.
My introduction to Sandpoint was actually the view from the other side of the Long Bridge. My parents have a place here, and my family has spent the last several years’ worth of Christmases and summer vacations playing on the lake. I do commute into town across the bridge, and that view is a pretty nice way to start the day.
just Sandpoint isthe
Start
...of an amazing 280-mile scenic loop. It’s North America’s only 2-state, 2-country National Scenic Byway!
EST. 1979
FRESH SEAFOOD MARKET
go to
www.flyingfishco.com and sign up for weekly e-mails. ys Open
sda Wedne
&
S F R I D AY
5th & FIR
next to Sandpoint Super Drug
208.255.5837
084-111_SMS11_RE.indd 111
THE INTERNATIONAL
SELKIRK LOOP 888-823-2626
w w w .s e lk irk loop.org SUMMER 2011
CA
NA D B. C .
A
Pick up a FREE travel guide at 300+ locations SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
111
5/7/11 3:33 PM
x
x
Best Western Edgewater Resort (208) 263-3194 or (800) 635-2534
54
x
x
x
x
Dover Bay Bungalows (208) 263-3083
19
x
x
x
x
Holiday Inn Express (208) 255-4500 / Fax (208) 255-4502
83
x
x
Huckleberry Tent & Breakfast (208) 266-0155
3
La Quinta Inn (208) 263-9581 or (800) 282-0660
68
Last Resort Vacation Rental (208) 266-0525
1
Lodge at Sandpoint (208) 263-2211
25
x
Pend Oreille Shores Resort (208) 264-5828
50
x
x
Sandpoint Quality Inn (208) 263-2111 or (866) 519-7683
62
x
x
Sandpoint Vacation Rentals (208) 263-7570 or (866) 263-7570
75
x
x
Selkirk Lodge (208) 265-0257 or (800) 831-8810
167
x
x
Sleep’s Cabins (208) 255-2122 or (866) 302-2122
6
Super 8 Motel (208) 263-2210
60
Talus Rock (208) 255-8458
6
Vacationville (208) 255-7074 or (877) 255-7074
60
x
Waterhouse B&B (208) 263-0828
2
Western Pleasure Guest Ranch (208) 263-9066 White Pine Lodge (208) 265-0257 or (800) 831-8810
112
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 112
Meeting Rooms
4
Kitchen
Pool on site
Bar or Lounge
Spa or Sauna
Archer Vacation Condos (877) 982-2954 / drarchers@msn.com
Restaurant
No. of Units
Lodging
Lodging
Beautiful 3-bedroom, 2-bath waterfront condos on Lake Pend Oreille in Hope. Discount ski and golf tickets available. See ad, page 28. 10kVacationRentals.com/Sandpoint/index.htm
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Waterfront cabin with panoramic river and mountain views. Centrally located for fishing, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and canoeing. Wireless Internet. LastResortVacation.com
Accommodations for weddings, retreats and banquets. Lakeside with swimming and docks. Views of lake and mountains for an unforgettable Idaho vacation. LodgeAtSandpoint.com
x
Fully furnished condos and on-site athletic club on Lake Pend Oreille. Stay and play packages. See ad, page 30. 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. SandpointHotels.com
x
x
75 luxury homes and condos in Sandpoint and on the lake. First-class properties at affordable rates. Plan your perfect vacation. Boat rentals, tee times. See ad, page 5. SandpointVacationRentals.com
x
x
Mountain accommodations, stay and play packages. Spectacular mountain and lake views. Outdoor heated pool and hot tubs. See ad, page 129. Schweitzer.com
x
x
Downtown location, high-speed Internet. Free breakfast, themed spa suites. Silverwood, ski and golf packages. Kids stay free. See ad, page 18. Hotels-West.com
x
x
x
x
The newest hotel in Sandpoint. 100 percent smoke free. The Ponderay location is at the base of Schweitzer Mountain next to Slates Prime Time Bar & Grill, close to Walmart. See ad, page 109. HIExpress.com Old-fashioned canvas tent cabins with all the comforts of a bed and breakfast, located 45 minutes east of Sandpoint. See ad, page 34. HuckleberryTentandBreakfast.com
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. SandpointHotels.com 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 26, 61-64. DoverBayBungalows.com
x
x
x
Comments
On beautiful Lakeshore Drive. Sleep’s Cabins consists of six log bungalows decorated with original furnishings and collectibles. See ad, page 52. SleepsCabins.com
x
Free breakfast with waffles. 24-hour hot tub, free wireless Internet. Family suites. Schweitzer ski packages. At the base of Schweitzer Mountain, 2 miles from lake.
x
x
x
x
Luxury lakeside homes, cozy mountain cabins and lovely condominiums in the heart of Sandpoint. See ad, page 45. Vacationville.com
x
x
Deluxe spa suites with private, jetted tub for two in bath. Gas fireplace, AC, kitchenette, free wireless Internet. Sandpoint.org/waterhouse
9
x
x
x
Private cabins sleep 2-8. Lodge rooms with private baths, rec room, horseback riding and meals available. See ad, page 57. WesternPleasureRanch.com
50
x
x
x
New accommodations, stay and play packages. Spectacular mountain and lake views. Outdoor hot tubs, access to heated pool. See ad, page 129. Schweitzer.com
x
x
x
x
Sandpoint bed/breakfast on 30+ acres of wilderness with spectacular mountain views. Less than 2 miles from downtown. A chic, elegant setting for a romantic couple-getaway, reunion, or corporate meeting. SandpointRetreat.com
x
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:38 PM
EATS & DRINKS Farm to table
Sandpoint restaurants support locavore movement
By Carrie Scozzaro
C
hances are the greens you admired at Farmers Market this morning end up on your salad plate later in the day at any number of Sandpoint-area restaurants. That’s because Sandpoint lives the local food movement like few other communities. Locavore eating, as it was dubbed in a 2006 Time magazine article, champions restructuring relationships between food consumers and producers for numerous reasons, primarily food quality and health consciousness. There are economic and environmental benefits, too, because local food doesn’t require extensive storage and transport as stuff carted in from afar. Many in Sandpoint have been ahead of this curve for years. The Sandpoint Farmers Market dates to the late 1980s, while local co-ops such as Six Rivers Market (www.sixrivers market.com) and numerous businesses around town promote buying (and dining) locally. At Di Luna’s Café (207 Cedar St.), chef/owner Karen Forsythe takes local, farm-to-table food to heart. With partner Judie Conlan in Legacy Farms, Forsythe incorporates Legacy’s produce into salads, such as Apple Chicken Salad, which is topped with another local favorite: salad dressing from Litehouse (www.litehousefoods.com), also featured at Slates Prime Time Grill and Sports Bar (477272 Highway 95, Ponderay). Once the Farmers Market opens – Wednesdays 3-5:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. through Oct. 15 – Di Luna’s creates a Market Special break-
PHOTO BY MARIE-DOMINIQUE VERDIER
PHOTO COURTESY DI LUNA’S
fast. Di Luna’s also uses beef from the Wood V Bar X Ranch, processed through Wood’s Meats (482169 Highway 95), which also provides little smokies for Sandpoint’s oldest drinking establishment, the 219 Lounge (219 First Ave). Wood’s Meats, in fact, appears on numerous menus throughout town, including MickDuff’s Brewing (CONTINUED ON PAGE 115 )
Wood’s Meats supplies many restaurants with locally raised beef, while the Sandpoint Farmers Market provides fresh ingredients for such dishes as Di Luna’s Farmers Market omelette
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 113
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
113
5/7/11 3:38 PM
By Carrie Scozzaro
Eats
& Drinks
Unusual foods For adventurous foodies The delectable apricot cream cheese stollen at Miller’s Country Store is a variation on the traditional German Christmas cake (MATT MILLS MCKNIGHT PHOTO)
watercress and fennel fronds. Quantity is what distinguishes Second Avenue Pizza (215 S. Second Ave.), which serves 7-pound pizzas. Finally, at Pita Pit (116 N. First Ave.), you get to direct the special treatment by choosing from 18 toppings – Mediterranean hummus, avocado, even pineapple – or order off the menu, like Chicken Souvlaki. Mmmm good.
U
ncommon. Rare. Offbeat. Extraordinary. These are synonyms for the word “unusual,” the hallmark of culinary travel guides from Guy Fieri to Anthony Bourdain. We wondered what Sandpoint offered by way of food adventures … At Forty-One South (41 Lakeshore Dr., Sagle), Chef Jeremy Heidel pansears salmon “skin on” (for maximum crunch) and serves it with whole-grain mustard sauce, raw honeycomb and fried leeks. Saturday nights mean wild game – boar, antelope, rabbit, even elk. The Bistro Rouge Café inside Pend d’Oreille Winery (220 Cedar St.) will help you discover which of their award-winning wines go best with tapas plates such as herbed goat cheese-stuffed piquillo peppers. Authentic Italian is featured at Ivano’s Ristorante (102 S. First Ave.), which features rabbit-based sauces and offers an extensive gluten-free menu. Discover Old and New World foods at Miller’s Country Store (326 Baldy Mountain Rd). Try apricot cream cheese 114
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 114
stollen, a variation on the traditional German Christmas cake. Spice things up with the snapper from Jalapeño’s (344 N. Second Ave.) served “Veracruz” style (bell peppers, onions, olives, jalapeños, capers in tomato garlic sauce). Or cook your own fresh-catch from Flying Fish Company (620 N. Fifth Ave., Sandpoint Super Drug’s parking lot). In search of a different burger experience? Check out veggie burgers at Earth Rhythms (830 Kootenai Cutoff Rd.) or Trinity at City Beach (56 Bridge St.), which includes seven kinds of roots served on a house-made pretzel roll. Peanut butter and jelly isn’t unusual, unless it’s huckleberry jam and served grilled at the new Sweet Lou’s in Hope (46624 Highway 200). Spuds Rotisserie & Grill (102 N. First Ave.) serves humble potatoes 10 different ways while Bistro at the Inn at Sand Creek (105 S. First Ave.) does eggstraordinary Deviled Dungeness Crab Eggs with house-made crème fraîche and aioli served alongside a salad of
Manuela, Tim and Megan Frazier
Discover Old Europe at Cedar St. Bridge Café
I
t’s no accident Cedar St. Bridge Café is reminiscent of old Europe. Created by
Manuela Frazier and her husband, Tim, in 2008, the café is the result of the couple’s boundless enthusiasm. For visitors to the stately 80-year-old bridge spanning Sand Creek, remodeled after Italy’s medieval Ponte Vecchio, the café recreates the kind of European dining experience the Fraziers enjoyed when they lived in Italy for five years. Tim, then in the Air Force, had earlier met
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:39 PM
continued from page 113
Coolin’s Huckleberry Magic is one of many providers on which local restaurants count, including Tango Café (Panhandle State Bank building, 414 Church St.), who uses it in huckleberry raspberry vinaigrette atop spinach salad. While the reliance on local food producers is a tremendous strength of the locavore movement, it can also be challenging to secure enough products consistently, which is why some places grow their own. Forty-One South is building its own mini-garden to ensure a ready supply of such things as tomatoes and herbs. Bistro at the Inn at Sand Creek (105 S. First Ave.) already has an herb garden behind the restaurant, with plans for another plot offsite in Hope to supplement the produce it gets from such local farms as Solstice Farm, Windrush, Winding Circle, Red Wheelbarrow Produce, Vern’s Veggies and Ronnigers Potato Farm. Seasonal menus, farm fresh and local, good food that’s good for the community. That’s dining in Sandpoint.
Manuela while stationed near her native
Café is one of only two places in Idaho that
town of Weilerbach, Germany.
makes gelato.
Tim, originally from Indiana, Manuela,
The menu includes gourmet panini – grilled
and their children moved to Sandpoint in
Italian sandwiches such as smoked moz-
2001. After scouting Colorado, Wyoming and
zarella, Reuben, or turkey and chutney – and
Montana, they fell in love with Sandpoint’s
breakfast items, including smoothies. They’ve
“wow factor,” said Tim: mountains, skiing, a
added more seating and employees, including
beautiful lake, numerous annual events and by
son Max, 17, and daughter Megan, 13. Besides
all appearances, a “great area to raise kids.”
a variety of specialty foods, the Fraziers carry
Initially, Manuela worked at the café while Tim was operations manager at Deidrich Manufacturing, a position he left two and a
& Drinks
Company (312 N. First), Eichardt’s (212 Cedar St.) and the more than a dozen burgers at A&P’s Bar and Grill (222 N. First). Another local provider is Pine Street Bakery, where Deirdre Hill and Liz Evans ensure that all foods are made from scratch, including their croissants and Danishes. Look for their pastries at Cedar St. Bridge Café and Monarch Mountain Coffee. Pend Oreille Pasta (476534 Highway 95, Ponderay), well-known for its domestic and imported wines, cheeses and other gourmet goodies, uses produce and edible flowers from Greentree Naturals Organic Farm in Bonners Ferry, including its unusual zebra tomatoes. Many local chefs enjoy picking their own – mushrooms that is – including Jeremy Heidel at Forty-One South (41 Lakeshore Dr., Sagle) and Elissa Robbins at the Floating Restaurant (47394 Highway 200, Hope). Robbins also suggests her huckleberry pie featuring northern Idaho’s own favorite berry for dessert.
Sandpoint souvenirs and local books in their adjacent shop, Uniquely Sandpoint. When they’re not working (which is rare),
half years ago. The original menu included
Manuela loves gardening, mainly flowers,
organic coffee, baked goods, fine chocolates
which decorate the café. She also volunteers
and their homemade gelato – Italian ice
for Pend Oreille Arts Council’s Kaleidoscope
cream – that took off like a rocket. Even
program, teaching art at Hope Elementary.
in the winter, notes Tim, customers now
For his part, Tim loves trading the markets
drive from all over including Coeur d’Alene,
and plans to build an N-Gauge model rail-
Spokane, even Ione, Wash., to try flavors
road depicting the Pacific Northwest when
such as tiramisu and gianduia (chocolate and
he finds “some extra time.”
hazelnut). According to Tim, Cedar St. Bridge
– C.S.
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 115
Eats
Locavore
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
115
5/7/11 3:39 PM
Serving Sandpoint & Drinks
Chef Q&A with Jeremy Heidel and Luke Mason
Eats
Maybe they left their hearts in San Francisco? That’s where Jeremy Heidel, 31, of Forty-One South and Luke Mason, 25, of Bistro at the Inn at Sand Creek said they would visit for the food. Food idol? Napa Valley’s Thomas Keller, the only American chef to receive simultaneous three-star Michelin ratings. And like many chefs we’ve interviewed, Mason and Heidel started as dishwashers. Interestingly, both would like to have been a teacher. – C.S. PHOTOS BY MATT MILLS MCKNIGHT
Background
JEREMY HEIDEL
LUKE MASON
By age 21, Heidel was sous-chef/apprentice for a French Canadian chef, eventually attending college for Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management.
A Sandpoint High School grad, Mason has worked at Bottle Bay Resort, Arlo’s, the Hydra and Café Trinity. Although he moved away to Santa Barbara to pursue a degree in political science, Mason couldn’t resist the food industry, especially working with local farmers and understanding the nose-to-tail movement.
He zigged east to work at the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor in New York, then zagged back west to Montana to work as assistant chef at Monarch School. Last year he partnered with Cassandra Cayson to purchase FortyOne South.
He moved home to open the former Dish Restaurant, before joining with Bob Kessler to open the Bistro.
Tough love advice for would-be cooks
“Keep your mouth closed and your hands moving,” suggests Heidel. “If you can stand the heat, the pressure, the abuse and the hours for a few years and still love cooking, GO TO SCHOOL!”
“Cooking isn’t what you see on the Food Network,” said Mason. “It takes years of practice and thick skin.”
What they do when not cooking
Fishing, camping, snowboarding, playing guitar, woodworking (he built his own custom log bed), mushroom hunting, hanging with his wife and young son, boating, automobile tinkering.
“I like to take advantage of all we have here in Sandpoint,” said Mason, who snowboards, plays on the lake and rides his motorcycle.
Slates is the Place SlatesPrimeTime.com
• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 7 days a week
Hwy 95
Slates
• Serving the best hometown meals
Kootenai Cutoff
• Prime Rib Special Friday & Saturday • Happy Hour 4-7 pm daily
208-263-1381
Best Burgers In Town
477272 Hwy 95 N • Ponderay, ID 116
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 116
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:39 PM
Eats
Lisa Sutliff at Brody’s Pizzeria
& Drinks
Serving Sagle with a smile
S
agle, Idaho, looks like the kind of roadside American town where you could get
a really good home-cooked meal. Turns out there are places to do so, and the same folks who take the word “family” to heart own two of them right on U.S. Highway 95.
LAKE AND MOUNTAIN VIEW DINING FLAT SCREEN TV’S IN FULL-SERVICE LOUNGE FRESH SEAFOOD, STEAKS, SALADS BUSINESS OF THE YEAR u llow s Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Open 7 days/week, year-round
“It’s the only place I’ve ever worked,” said Lisa Sutliff, “where when we leave, we say ‘I love
Fo
you.’ ” Sutliff, shown above, is the manager, cook and occasionally chief bottlewasher at Brody’s Pizzeria (468810 Highway 95), owned
sandpoint, idaho
by Mike and Lisa Chronic, who created Stacey’s
58 Bridge Street at City Beach | 208.255.7558 | www.trinityatcitybeach.com
Country Kitchen (469000 Highway 95) in 2009.
A Unique Setting, Organic Coffee & Espresso
take-and-bake option, both of which Brody’s offers. Located at the Travel America Plaza, Brody’s features salads, sandwiches and pizzas, such as the garlic chicken, veggie or meat lovers, as well as build-your-own options. Sutliff, who lives in Sagle, credits the Chronics with being hugely supportive of the new restaurant – named for the Chronics’ grandson. Indeed, Lisa Chronic is almost always at Stacey’s Country Kitchen, named after the Chronic’s adult daughter. Warmly received by the community, Stacey’s has become the go-to place for hearty breakfast, lunch and dinner. The ever-expanding menu includes more than a dozen burgers, chicken sandwiches, dips and melts, such as turkey bacon with avocado and Havarti cheese. It’s comfort food in a homey environment: chicken potpie, meatloaf, pork loin with gravy and fried apples. And it’s always served with a smile. – C.S.
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 117
www. CedarStBridgeCafe. com
On the Bridge Downtown Sandpoint
Drinks, Delectable Pastries & Cakes, Tasty
her on-the-go lifestyle, including takeout or a
& Dessert Crepes, Fresh-made Gelato
ested in the type of restaurant that catered to
Panini Sandwiches, Soups & Salads, Savory
The mother of a toddler, Sutliff was inter-
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
117
5/7/11 3:39 PM
& Drinks
The Local Dish
News and events foodies need to know
S
Eats
ummer means the return of seasonal favorites like those along the scenic drive out to Hope. Located in Holiday Shores Marina (46624 Highway 200), the new Sweet Lou’s Restaurant and Bar offers variations on iconic American dishes such as smoked ribs and s’mores. Naming the restaurant for their son Lou, Chad and Meggie Foust, northern Idaho natives, promise a family-friendly atmosphere that makes for lasting memories. Welcome to new owner of Murphy’s Lounge (204 W. Main, Hope)! Michelle Hefley hopes to offer classic Irish pub fare later this year but is otherwise keeping this bright green landmark just the way it is with live music year-round. Just down the road, listen for live music from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Floating Restaurant (47394 Highway 200) during Sunday brunch hours through July and August. Farther east, Beyond Hope Resort (1267 Peninsula Rd.) opens Memorial Day weekend with Ivano’s Ristorante (102 S. First Ave.) running the kitchen. One thing you can find at both locations is magician Star Alexander, who performs at Beyond Hope on weekends and Wednesday and Friday evenings in town at Ivano’s (www.magicbystar. com). Out on Pend Oreille River, Trinity at Willow Bay (520 Willow Bay Rd.) reopens for summer with Taco Tuesdays, Prime Rib on Fridays, Thursday night BBQ and live music Friday and Saturday nights. Sound the welcome drum for Bongo Brew Hut’s (830 Kootenai Cut-Off Rd., Ponderay) expansion to Earth Rhythms Natural Market & Café. Owners Jonah and Megan Lucht opened earlier this year serving healthful breakfast and lunch dishes and, of course, Bongo Brew Hut coffee drinks specially roasted from organically grown, fair trade beans. What’s in a name? More than you
CASUAL WATERFRONT DINING spectacular sunsets. Outside on the dock. in the shade or in the sun. Restau Rant • c O c k t ai L s maRina • g as • mO O Rag e 520 Willow Bay Road | Priest River Open mid-June to Labor Day | 208.265.8854
It’s always fIner at the 219er! Full service bar serving Sandpoint and North Idaho for over 75 years A Five Star Dive Bar
219 First Avenue Sandpoint | 208.263.9934 118
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 118
think. Back in downtown Sandpoint, Joe’s Philly Cheesesteaks (102 Church St.) also serves up burgers, dogs and fries, as well as grilled specialties such as Reuben with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. Classic! Another throwback to classic cuisine is Connie’s Café (323 Cedar St.), featuring a new economy menu during the week with five specials for $5 ranging from meatloaf to pot roast. Voted 2010 “Business of the Year” by the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, Trinity at City Beach (56 Bridge St.) is über-busy with weekly special events, such as live music on Tuesdays and Wine Wednesdays (half price bottle with entrée, 5-9 p.m.). And talk about a business with a heart? The list of fundraising events for Team
Laughing Dog Brewing in new doghouse
I
n dog years, it is 33, but in reality Laughing Dog Brewing is only six years old
and has long since outgrown its doghouse on Emerald Industrial Park Road in Ponderay. In April, the brewery moved to new digs only half a mile away at 1109 Fontaine Dr., inside a former plumbing supply warehouse. The new taproom offers nearly double the space at 1,482 square feet. With 15 distinct beers to its name – including seasonal Huckleberry Cream Ale and Cold Nose Winter Ale – the brewery can also increase the number of beers on tap at any given time. And at least one of those taps may be reserved for homemade root beer, says owner Fred Colby, who in 2005 turned a hobby into a wildly popular business. His brews continue to earn awards: silver medal at the 2010 North American Brewers Association for Cream Ale and first place at the 2010 Fresh Hop Pale Festival for Hop Dog IPA. The new facility also includes outdoor seating and more parking, adds Colby’s wife
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:39 PM
Eats
Order an entrée at Trinity at City Beach on Wine Wednesdays and you can add a bottle of wine at half price (COURTESY PHOTO)
WATERFRONT DINING
& Drinks
Laughing Dog’s Race Across America for autism, Kinderhaven and The Wishing Star Foundation is inspiring. Designed for sharing and pairing, Pend d’Oreille Winery’s Bistro
Rouge Café (220 Cedar St.) offers seasonal small plates such as lamb with mint yogurt, perfect with a glass from the winery’s extensive selection. Check out www.powine.com for summer events, such as June’s Pint Night with radio station KPND, the July 23 Wine Dinner, and September’s Harvest Party. Celebrate the winery’s 16th anniversary June 17-19 with the release of the 2008 Meyer Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Eichardt’s (212 Cedar St.) goes through several thousand pounds of salmon a year, said owner Jeff Nizzoli, fished fresh from Chris White of Wild Salmon Co-Op in the summer, and plans are to begin smoking their own salmon for their fabulous smoked salmon penne. – C.S.
HOPE, IDAHO ›› HOLIDAY SHORES MARINA
208-264-5999
PHOTO BY ALAN LEMIRE
and partner, Michelle Douglass. That means more events, such as Firkin Friday on the first Friday of the month. One thing they won’t be adding, however, is any food beyond the dog bowl of “kibble,” or cracker-like snacks, in keeping with their philosophy of not competing with the local bars and restaurants. Additional construction is planned to expand the brewery even further in the years to come, which is ideal since Laughing Dog (www.laughingdogbrewing.com) recently signed with a national distributor of craft beers, making it available to nearly half the United States and Canada. Talk about running with the big dogs! Open daily in summer, the brewery gives tours; call 263-9222 for a current schedule. – C.S.
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 119
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
119
5/7/11 3:39 PM
1 Monarch Mountain Coffee 2 Pine Street Bakery 3 Cedar St. Bridge Café 4 Connie’s Café 5 Dover Bay Café 6 Earth Rhythms/Bongo
[
9=
To Hope Clark Fork
r p \a
6
Schweitzer Cut-off Rd
To Schweitzer
Kootenai Cut-off Rd
Elks Golf Course
Bonner Mall
f k
8
Baldy Mountain Rd.
Map not to scale! SA
ND
Larch
CR
EE
LAKE PEND OREILLE
K
Fir
Poplar
Bonner General Hospital
Alder
li
Cedar St.
q
2
Pine
j
Third Ave. PARKING
Church
Fourth Ave.
4 Oak
Cedar Street
1 Visitor Center
d
Second Ave.
Cedar
3 Bridge oPanida
First Ave.
Main
Fifth Ave.
Brew Hut 7 Joe’s Philly Cheesesteaks 8 Miller’s Country Store & Deli 9 Mojo Coyote 0 Stacey’s Country Kitchen - Bistro at the Inn at Sand Creek = Chimney Rock Grill q Di Luna’s Café w Forty-One South e Spuds Rotisserie & Grill r Sweet Lou’s t Trinity at City Beach y Trinity at Willow Bay u A & P’s Bar & Grill i Eichardt’s Pub & Grill o MickDuff’s Brewing Co. p Murphy’s Lounge [ Slates Prime Time Grill & Sports Bar ] Brody’s Pizzeria \ Floating Restaurant a Ivano’s Ristoranté at Beyond Hope s Ivano’s Ristoranté & Caffé d Jalapeño’s Restaurant f Pend Oreille Pasta g Pita Pit h Second Avenue Pizza j Tango Cafe k Laughing Dog Brewing l Pend d’Oreille Winery ; 219 Lounge
To Bonners Ferry Canada
Boyer
Eats
& Drinks
Downtown Sandpoint DINING Map
Theater
; u 7
Bridge St.
g e s -
Pine St.
t City Beach
5y
To Dover Priest River 120
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 120
S. Second Ave.
Division
S. Fourth Ave.
Lake St.
h
Marina
w] To Sagle 0 Coeur d’Alene
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:39 PM
Connie’s Café
Cedar St. Bridge Café
Dining Guide
se
Bistro at the Inn at Sand Creek
A & P’s Bar & Grill
Di Luna’s Café
DINING GUIDE
plete menu is available at JoesPhillyCheesesteaks. com. 263-1444.
Restaurant index by type of cuisine Locate alphabetically in listings
BAKERIES, COFFEE & DESSERTS
1 Monarch Mountain Coffee
208 N. Fourth Ave. Sandpoint’s original coffeehouse and roastery established in 1993 is open daily. The casual and friendly atmosphere is the perfect place to meet with friends, enjoy the local flavor of Sandpoint, surf the web with free Wi-Fi, or kick back in the outdoor sidewalk cafe. Featuring premium espresso drinks, a drip coffee bar, teas, as well as handcrafted milkshakes and real fruit smoothies with all-natural ingredients. Now offering breakfast. Monarch’s high-quality Arabica beans are roasted in-house. Join us Thursday through Saturday evenings for live music and an open mic, with beer, wine and appetizers. MonarchMountainCoffee.net. 265-9382.
2 Pine Street Bakery
710 Pine St. Specializing in European pastries, breads and cakes made using fresh butter and cream, farm eggs and fine chocolate. Enjoy a complete line of coffees, espresso drinks and Tazzina teas. Custom-order birthday, specialty and wedding cakes; fine French pastries; and a complete line of tarts, cookies and bars. The bakers create more than 10 varieties of breads every day. Open Tuesday to Friday, 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Plenty of parking and outdoor seating. 263-9012.
CAFÉS, DELIS & FAST FOOD
3 Cedar St. Bridge Café
On the Cedar Street Bridge. Family and friends love to gather at this European-style café, located in the heart of downtown Sandpoint inside the renowned Cedar Street Bridge. Experience exceptional coffee and tea drinks, premium crafted
= number on Dining Map (p 120)
gelato, delectable cakes and pastries, fine chocolates, and tasty panini sandwiches all in a unique and warm setting. Enjoy the view of Sand Creek while you use the free Wi-Fi. 265-4396.
4 Connie’s Café
323 Cedar St. Historic hospitality! Connie’s Café, the landmark Sandpoint restaurant, reopened its doors after a comprehensive remodel. New owners Dave and Penny Libbey are proud to lovingly restore this northern Idaho icon to its former glory. Their approach is to maintain Connie’s legacy of a 1950s coffee shop with breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings that are of the highest quality while highlighting the quirky nature of this longstanding eatery. 255-2227.
5 Dover Bay Café
At Dover Bay Marina, Dover. Waterfront dining, breakfast, lunch and summer dinners. Serving appetizers, burgers, and sandwiches. Boat-side dining Wednesday through Sunday. DoverBayBungalows.com. 263-5493.
6 Earth Rhythms/Bongo Brew Hut
800 Kootenai Cutoff Rd., Ponderay. Serving breakfast and lunch using only fresh, organic ingredients for wonderful meals that are healthy, quick and convenient. Order take-home meals and pick up gluten-free products, high-quality supplements and vitamins, healing herbs and spices, and other unique natural products. Open Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Grill off at 4 p.m. 255-4863.
7 Joe’s Philly Cheesesteaks
102 Church St. Joe’s proudly serves authentic Philly cheesesteaks. Each cheesesteak is made from a generous portion of grilled steak and onions, cheese, and served on Amoroso rolls brought in from Philadelphia. In addition, Joe’s expanded its menu to include hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, BLTs, veggie burgers, grilled-cheese sandwiches and milkshakes. Open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. A com-
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 121
8 Miller’s Country Store & Deli
SUMMER 2011
1326 Baldy Mountain Rd. Wholesome goodness is what the newly opened Miller’s Country Store and Deli is all about. Check out their selection of fine deli meats and cheeses, extensive selection of bulk food items, and delicious fresh-baked pies and breads – or bake your own pies at home with Miller’s pie fillings. Miller’s is sure to be a favorite new store in town! 263-9446.
9 Mojo Coyote at Schweitzer
10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. Located inside the Selkirk Lodge. Enjoy a fresh Tully’s espresso and treat your sweet tooth to a warm scone. The menu features fresh-baked pastries, breakfast burritos and lunch specials as well as beer and wine. Schweitzer.com. 263-9555.
0 Stacey’s Country Kitchen
469000 Highway 95, Sagle. Serving delicious home-style cooking, breakfast all day, lunch and dinner. Stacey’s Country Kitchen breads their own chicken strips and cooks homemade soups, chicken-fried steak, seafood, hashbrowns and more. For those on the go, call ahead to have a hot meal ready when you arrive, to eat in or to take out. Enjoy the new outdoor seating. Now serving beer and wine. Stacey’s offers prime rib and seafood specials on the weekends. Also serving ice cream and milkshakes for those with a sweet tooth. Kids’ menu and great food at affordable prices. Open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. 265-5095.
ECLECTIC OR FINE DINING
- Bistro at the Inn at Sand Creek
105 S. First Ave. Sandpoint’s finest restaurant offers patio dining amidst a beautiful herb and flower garden overlooking Sand Creek in the very heart of downtown Sandpoint. The Bistro’s innovative and creative menu focuses on seasonal fare that emphasizes all-natural meats, seafoods and local produce. The dinner menu is complemented by an extensive wine list, microbrews and
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
121
5/7/11 3:39 PM
Dining Guide
Dover Bay Café
Earth Rhythms/Bongo Brew Hut
cocktails. Boat access and docking are available along the public boardwalk. Casual dining for those serious about food and drink. Please call for reservations. 265-2277.
= Chimney Rock Grill
10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. Enjoy the warm fireplaces, comfortable lounge-style seating in
Eichardt’s Pub & Grill
Floating Restaurant
the bar, and a diverse selection of cuisine – from high-quality steaks and hearty pasta dishes to scrumptious salads and exquisite seafood. Located inside the Selkirk Lodge at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Schweitzer.com. 263-9555.
q Di Luna’s Café
207 Cedar St. Di Luna’s is an American bistro café offering hand-cut steaks, homemade soups and vegetarian cuisine. Open for breakfast and lunch, Wednesday through Sunday, serving breakfast all day. Open until 9 p.m. on Saturday with live music. Specializing in theme catering menus, Di Luna’s catering staff works with customers to take the hassle out of special events so they can enjoy the experience along with guests. At Di Luna’s they love good music, so they host dinner concerts and bring in the best acoustic musicians from around the country. DiLunas.com. 263-0846.
w Forty-One South
Whether you’re looking to enjoy a casual lunch on the patio or an elegant dinner as the sun sets over the lake, Forty-One South is the perfect place to relax and take in the beauty of northern Idaho. Don’t want to leave the boat? Just call in for a boat-up take-out order; they’ll meet you at the dock. Check out the website for the live music schedule. Catering available for large and small events. Open daily for lunch and dinner, brunch Saturdays and Sundays. Located on the south end of the Long Bridge. 41 Lakeshore Dr., Sagle. 41SouthSandpoint.com. 265-2000.
e Spuds Rotisserie & Grill
102 N. First Ave. Located on the beautiful Sand Creek waterfront, offering outdoor dining in downtown Sandpoint. For lunch, choose
Forty-One South
Ivano’s
from the savory soup list, a loaded salad, one of the unique sandwich concoctions or the original Spuds potato. Dinner is a casual event, with table service, candles and outdoor dining. Featured specials include grilled steaks, marinated tri-tip, rotisserie chicken, fresh seafood and Southwestern fare. Dine in or carry out. SpudsOnline.com. 265-4311.
r Sweet Lou’s
46624 Highway 200, Hope. Overlooking Lake Pend Oreille at Holiday Shores Marina, Sweet Lou’s proudly serves hand-cut steaks, freshly ground burgers, wild salmon and smoked ribs. Come in to quench your thirst after a day on the lake, or feed your hunger with a grilled PB & huckleberry jam. Casual enough to come in right off the dock or fancy enough to make a night of it. The entire family will enjoy Sweet Lou’s. Open Tuesday through Sunday (and all summer holidays), 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. 264-5999.
t Trinity at City Beach
58 Bridge St. The new Café Trinity. Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner with the best view of Lake Pend Oreille. Deck seating. Outstanding menu features seafood, steaks, salads and appetizers. Full bar serves a great selection of wines, beers and cocktails featuring a daily happy hour. Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Located at the Best Western Edgewater Resort adjacent to Sandpoint City Beach. 255-7558.
y Trinity at Willow Bay
520 Willow Bay Rd., Priest River. Trinity at Willow Bay offers modern American cuisine with Lake Pend Oreille as its backdrop. Nothing beats sitting
Di Lun a ’s CAFE
American Bistro Dining & Catering For delivery call
208.263.0846
www.DiLunas.com 207 Cedar Street 122
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 122
Conscience Foods Café
208-255-4863 3/21/10 2:23 PM
830 Kootenai Cut-off Rd. Mon-Sat 8 – 5 Sun 10 – 3
right behind
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:39 PM
Joe’s Philly Cheesesteaks
Laughing Dog Brewing
on the deck enjoying a damn good burger, a cup of spunky crawfish chowder or a succulent filet mignon with friends while taking in fresh Idaho air and watching the sunset over the lake. Treat yourself to a scrumptious meal in the shade on the covered patio. Visiting by boat? Willow Bay Marina’s dockhands can fill your tank and get ice for you. 265-8854.
PUB-STYLE
ing from fruity blondes to a seasonal porter. MickDuff’s also brews a unique-style root beer for those young in age or at heart. The menu is packed full of flavor with traditional and updated pub fare. You will find toasted sandwiches, hearty soups, gourmet hamburgers and much more at this cozy brewpub located in downtown Sandpoint. MickDuffs.com. 255-4351.
= number on Dining Map (p 120)
204 W. Main, Hope. Overlooking beautiful Lake Pend Oreille in Hope, Murphy's offers the most spectacular waterfront view around. Open daily at noon with live music most weekends and a great selection of favorite brews, wines or cocktails. Murphy's is a friendly neighborhood pub, named by Frank Murphy in the early ’50s. Many a story is told about the history lived on this property. Locals enjoy visiting with each other and getting to know all the visiting guests. The atmosphere is casual, comfortable and fun. Fishing and boating are primary sports, but two large-screen HD TVs provide viewing for all types. “A View, a Brew and a Cocktail, Too.” 264-5905
222 N. First Ave. A traditional tavern located downtown on Sand Creek. Serving "the best burgers in town" and pub fare. Taco Tuesday every week. Pool and dart leagues run every week throughout the year. Enjoy the friendly atmosphere, food and drink. Located on First Avenue in downtown Sandpoint. 263-2313.
i Eichardt’s Pub & Grill
] Slates Prime Time Grill & Sports Bar 477326 Highway 95, Ponderay. Slates serves breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week with mouth-watering Black Angus prime rib on Friday and Saturday nights, and some of the best burgers, salads and steaks in the area. Numerous big-screen TVs, plus a full bar and happy hour every day from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The kitchen is open late Friday and Saturday nights, and closes at 9 p.m. the remainder of the week. SlatesPrimeTime.com. 263-1381.
o MickDuff’s Brewing Co.
312 N. First Ave. Enjoy MickDuff’s fine handcrafted ales in a family dining atmosphere. Offering a variety of top-of-the-line beers rang-
<8 < JK LK?<EK@ -?@CCP ?<<J :
BJ
hoagies, hamburgers, fries & shakes
Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks "Voted best hamburger in Bonner County."
JoesPhillyCheesesteaks.com 102 Church St. Sandpoint. 263-1444
-Fine Italian dining serving Sandpoint for over 27 years
~ Eichardt’s Serves up the Best of Northwest Microbrews, Food and Local Live Music ~
Now join us at Beyond Hope during Summer Dinner served 7 nights a week
Full Lunch and Dinner Menu 16 Micros on Tap • Oak Cask Red Wines Upstairs Game Room Open Daily From 11:30 am
Corner of First and Pine
212 Cedar St. • Sandpoint • 263-4005
www.IvanosSandpoint.com
208-263-0211
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 123
Monarch Mountain Coffee
p Murphy’s Lounge
uA & P’s Bar & Grill
212 Cedar St. A comfortable pub and grill, Eichardt’s is located downtown in a charming, historic building. This relaxing pub mixes casual dining with seriously good food. There’s something for everyone – more than a dozen beers on tap, good wines including oak cask local red wines, and regional touring live music. Upstairs you’ll find a game room with a pool table, darts and shuffleboard. Eichardt’s has been nationally recognized and locally supported since 1994. Open daily at 11:30 a.m. for smokeless dining. 263-4005.
Miller’s Country Store & Deli
MickDuff’s Brewing Co.
Dining Guide
Jalapeño’s
SUMMER 2011
Great Mexican Food Awesome Atmosphere 314 N. Second Avenue Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 Phone: 208-263-2995 SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
123
5/7/11 3:39 PM
Dining Guide
Murphy’s Lounge
Pend Oreille Pasta
REGIONAL/ETHNIC
] Brody’s Pizzeria
468810 Highway 95, Sagle. Brody’s brings great pizza, salads, pasta, calzones and hotwings to the Sagle area, featuring eat-in, takeout and take-nbake pizza made with fresh, quality ingredients. In addition, Brody’s offers a rotating selection
BULK FOODS • DELI • BAKED GOODS
Monday - Friday 8:30 to 5:30
Saturday 8:30 to 2:00 Closed Sunday
1326 Baldy Mountain Rd • Sandpoint • 208.263.9446
Pine Street Bakery
Pita Pit
of delicious salads and savory pasta dinners. Conveniently located on Highway 95 adjacent to the Travel America Conoco, Brody’s is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 265-2448.
\ Floating Restaurant on Lake Highway 200, East Hope at Hope Marine Services. Located 20 minutes from Sandpoint in beautiful East Hope. The lake’s only floating restaurant and lounge offers spectacular views from two decks or a cozy dining room. Regional fare, fresh seafood and local products fill the menu along with handmade breads, desserts, soups and sauces. A full bar and outstanding wine list complements your experience. Children’s menu, too! Open Easter through October serving lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch; accessible by boat or car. HopeFloatingRestaurant.com 264-5311.
a Ivano’s Ristorante at Beyond Hope 1144 Red Fir Rd., Hope Peninsula. Enjoy the same great fare offered at Ivano’s in Sandpoint with a special summer menu on the deck overlooking Lake Pend Oreille. In June, open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday; and lunch Saturday and Sunday; July through August, lunch and dinner served daily; in September, dinner served five nights a week, Wednesday through Sunday. 264-5251.
102 S. First Ave. Serving the community for more than 27 years, Ivano’s Italian dining accompanied by classic wines and gracious atmosphere add to the enjoyment of one of Sandpoint’s favorite restaurants. Pasta, fresh seafood and steaks, veal, chicken and vegetarian entrees round out the fare. Gluten-free menu. Dinner served seven
y ph
o ah
m
ot
@h
a
m co i l.
WELCOMES THE ONE AND ALL TDIOSTRICT GREEN LIGHT
Hope, ID
124
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 124
314 N. Second Ave. Authentic Mexican food in a fun and friendly environment serving traditional and unusual south-of-the-border specialties, plus even a few gringo dishes! This popular dining establishment also boasts a full cantina bar with traditional frosty margaritas that complement any dish. The banquet room seats up to 35 of your closest friends. And when the weather’s warm, Jalapeño’s invites guests to dine on the outside deck. Conveniently located in the historic Elks building in the heart of downtown Sandpoint. 263-2995.
f Pend Oreille Pasta and Wine
476534 Highway 95 (one block south of Walmart). John and Valerie love to help their customers select from their outstanding selection of fine wines and artisan cheeses. Market food items include international wines at competitive prices, ravioli and olives, bulk olive oil, and many gourmet grocery items. Fresh homemade pastas and sauces made on-site may be purchased as part of a complete dinner package including salad and fresh, daily-baked artisan bread. Custom quality catering for large and small events. PendOreillePasta.com. 263-1352.
g Pita Pit
116 N. First Ave. "Fresh Thinking, Healthy Eating." A place with great-tasting food that’s healthy, fresh and still served fast. Pita Pit uses lean, savory meats that are grilled to perfection, a large choice of crisp, fresh veggies, and exotic toppings,
sausages • ravioli • gourmet sandwiches
5
wine • beer • gift baskets • catering
sid
ur
m
90
International Wine Selection Artisan Cheeses & Breads Fresh Pasta Dinners To Go Gourmet Deli
www.pendoreillepasta.com 476534 Hwy 95 Sandpoint • 208.263.1352
Complete carry-out fresh pasta dinners
fresh baked breads • cheeses • olives
26
5 4-
nights a week starting at 4:30 p.m. Off-site catering is available for weddings, family gettogethers and large gatherings. IvanosSandpoint. com. 263-0211.
d Jalapeño’s Restaurant
Pend Oreille
s Ivano’s Ristorante & Café
www.monarchmountaincoffee.ne t 208 N. 4th Avenue • Sandpoint, ID 208 .26 5 .9 38 2 Open Daily
Slates Prime Time
Second Avenue Pizza
“Tastes as good as it looks!” Deirdre Hill Liz Evans
710 Pine Street • Sandpoint
208.263.9012
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:39 PM
Sp
Stacey’s Country Kitchen
including their own zesty signature sauces. Try the gyro, chicken souvlaki, a vegetarian falafel, or one of the breakfast pitas. Now offering free delivery daily and serving local beer and wine. 263-8989.
h Second Avenue Pizza
215 S. Second Ave. Try the piled-high specialty pizzas at Second Avenue Pizza loaded with fresh ingredients on homemade dough, or one of the excellent calzones, specialty salads and sandwiches. Beer and wine also served. Rice crusts and soy cheese now available for specific dietary requirements. Take-and-bake pizzas also offered. For an out-of-this-world pizza experience, come to Second Avenue Pizza! Open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Free delivery available 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Complimentary Wi-Fi. SecondAvenuePizza.com. 263-9321.
j Tango Cafe
414 Church St. Located in the atrium of the Sandpoint Financial Center. Tango has become a favorite among locals, for “Breakfast@The Bank” and lunch creations, including signature omelettes and original lunch specials. Other highlights include fresh salads, scrumptious baked goods and a full barista bar featuring Evans Brothers Coffee. In addition, Tango has added a dinner takeout menu – a convenient option that includes unique selections such as gaucho chicken or bife de lomo (shoulder tenderloin). Tango also offers extensive catering for that special event. Wi-Fi connected and space for private meetings. Open Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. 263-9514.
Free Delivery
Tango Cafe
Sweet Lou’s
Trinity at City Beach
Dining Guide
Spuds Rotisserie & Grill
Trinity at Willow Bay
WINE BARS & LOUNGES
k Laughing Dog Brewing
1109 Fontaine Dr., Ponderay. Take a tour and taste handcrafted ales at Laughing Dog Brewing, open daily until 6 p.m. in summer. The brewery produces ales, IPAs, stouts and many more, including the hoppiest beer you’re going to find anywhere, Alpha Dog. Sample all the ales on tap and view the 15-barrel PUB brewing system. LaughingDogBrewing.com. 263-9222.
= number on Dining Map (p 120)
Spinach Salad
a Tango specialty
l Pend d’Oreille Winery
220 Cedar St. Sandpoint’s winery produces local, award-winning wines. The tasting room is open daily, plus a gift shop with items for home, garden and life. Quality and elegance in vinting is the trademark of Pend d’Oreille Winery – Idaho’s 2003 Winery of the Year. The winery hosts frequent special events, has live music on Fridays, and offers its new Bistro Rouge menu daily. POWine.com. 265-8545.
263-9514
inside Panhandle State Bank
; 219 Lounge
219 N. First Ave. Full-service bar offering beer,
wine and cocktails. A "locals" favorite proudly serving Sandpoint for 75 years. Enjoy a cold glass of "219er beer" brewed by local, award-winning brewery Laughing Dog. Open seven days a week, 365 days a year from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. Pool table and big screen TV. Stop in for a coffee, a drink, a game of pool and a good time. 2635673. 219 Lounge
Rice crusts & soy cheese now available
Now Serving Beer & Wine!
Lunch, Dinner and Breakfast all day! Sagle
in
(208)265.5095
Waterfront dining !
“Out of this W orld” • Delivery • Sandwiches • Calzones • Specialty Salads • Homemade Dough • Beer/Wine • Take & Bakes
116 N. First Ave • 208.263.8989 PitaPitUsa.com
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 125
The Carolyn
215 S. 2nd Ave.
Lunch Dinner take-out
102 N 1st Ave Downtown Sandpoint
SpudsOnline.com x 265-4311
263-9321
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
125
5/7/11 3:39 PM
Advertiser Index Air Idaho Charters 21 Albertson Barlow Insurance Services 94 All Seasons Garden & Floral 80-81 Ammara 58 Anderson, Dr. Steven DSS 110 Anderson’s Autobody 45 Archer Vacation Condos 28 Artists’ Studio Tour 80-81 ArtWorks Gallery 80-81 Bill Jones Distributing 66 Bitterroot Homes 9 Bonner County Daily Bee 108 Bonner County Fair 15 Bonner Physical Therapy 54 Bridge Assisted Living, The 31 Century 21 RiverStone 35 Coeur d’Alene Casino 59 Coldwell Banker 105 Coldwell Banker, Kent Anderson 100 Coldwell Banker, Kat Cassidy 94 Columbia Tractor 88 CO-OP Country Store, The 20 D.A. Davidson 32 Dan Fogarty Custom Builder 106 Dover Bay 26, 61-64 (foldout) DSS Custom Homes 103 DSS Home Preservation Services 94 Evergreen Realty 6 Evergreen Realty, Charesse Moore 98 Eve’s Leaves 14 Family Health Center 30 Festival at Sandpoint 66 Finan McDonald Clothing Company 4 Flying Fish Company 111 Fritz’s Frypan 50 Garfield Bay Kayak Rentals 56 Greasy Fingers Bikes ‘n’ Repair 57 Hagadone Marine 83 Hallans Gallery 80-81
more there’s
to life than
Because there’s
A News
h Wading
E Wort
MAGAZIN
more to life
than bad news
Through
INE Worth Wading
A News MAGAZ
Because there’s more to life than
out...
A news magazine worth wading through
bad news
A News MAGAZINE Worth Wading
Your monthly source for the news and events of the Clark Fork River Valley.
Through
rts give r’s trip repo Local hike look at area trails nd a year-rou
Osprey model ReSee story on page
The River Journal
Through
Public ir trade of Is this a fa r North Idaho? cide?tting lands fo ll wi who deGe and
cs or • Politi ans • Hum g • Veter l.com le • Hikin • Peop Journa • Opinion w.River onment E | ww • Envir 0 | FRE Local News
8
August
201
Local News
• Humor • Politics • Veterans People • Hiking • Opinion • ournal.com
| www.RiverJ 2010 | FREE
ent • Environm
September
season of the
SPAWN
www.RiverJournal.com
• Politics • People • Hiking • Veterans • Humor Local News • Environment • Opinion
al.com October 2010 | FREE | www.RiverJourn
P.O. Box 151, Clark Fork, ID 83811 • 208-255-6957 • info@riverjournal.com spt mag a.indd 1
126
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 126
Sandpoint Online 49 Sandpoint Property Management 21 Sandpoint Shopping District 16 Sandpoint Sports 52 Sandpoint Super Drug 54 Sandpoint Vacation Rentals 5 Sandpoint West Athletic Club 110 Sayler Architects 104 Schweitzer Mountain Resort 129 Scott Herndon Homes 106 Seasons at Sandpoint 13 Selle Valley Construction 88 Shakespeare in the Park 40 Skeleton Key Art 80-81 Sleep’s Cabins 52 State Farm, Dale Reed 101 STCU (Spokane Teachers Credit Union) 91 Subscribe 126 Summit Insurance 24 Sunshine Goldmine 82 Syringa Salon 54 Taylor Insurance 41 Taylor & Sons Chevrolet 92 Ted Bowers Construction 106 The Local Pages 111 The River Journal 126 The Sand Stallion 14 Timber Frames by Collin Beggs 86 Tomlinson Sotheby’s International Realty 2, 3, 96-97, 130 Twin Lakes Golf Club 42 Vacationville 45 Western Pleasure Guest Ranch 57 Wildflower Day Spa 54 Winter Ridge Natural Foods Market 54 Zany Zebra 29 Zero Point 80-81
Because there’s more to life than bad news
s bad new
and up
Because
Holiday Inn Express 109 Hope Marine Services 53 Horizon Credit Union 15 Idaho Sash & Door 102 International Selkirk Loop 111 Janusz Studio by the Lake 80-81 Jensen, Brian CPA 94 Keokee Books 48 Kinney Construction 106 Koch, Dr. Paul E., Walmart Vision Center 54 KPND Radio 40 Lake Pend Oreille Cruises 51 La Quinta Inn 18 Laughing Dog Brewing 44 Litehouse Foods 17 Luther Park 28 Maps & More 51 McMahon & Easterbrook Custom Building 91 MeadowBrook Home & Gift 19 Meyer’s Sport Tees 28 Northern Quest Resort & Casino 76 North Idaho Orthopedics 46 Northwest Autobody 108 Northwest Handmade 22 Paint Bucket, The 100 Panhandle State Bank 36 Panhandle State Bank Loan Center 86 Pend d’Oreille Winery 82 Pend Oreille Shores Resort 30 Petal Talk 66 Redman & Company Insurance 18 Resort Property Management 51 ReStore Habitat For Humanity 86 Sandpoint Building Supply 95 Sandpoint Business & Events Center 34 Sandpoint Farmers Market 58 Sandpoint Magazine 127 Sandpoint Marine & Motor Sports 56 SandpointMovers.com 106
[subscribe]
have it mailed home gift a friend
208.263.3573
www.SandpointMagazine.com
10/17/2010 11:11:04 PM
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:39 PM
Marketplace Ace Septic Tank Service
“Where a Flush Beats a Full House.” Portable toilet rental, construction/all occasion, permanent or temporary. Septic tank pumping, residential and commercial. 263-5219 Your Buick, GMC truck dealer. New and used sales and leasing. Full service, parts and body shop. Highway 95 N., Ponderay, 263-2118, 1-800-430-5050. 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., 263-6205. See what life is like with alpacas! Shop for wonderful alpaca fiber hats, scarves, sweaters, rugs, throws and yarn. Open year-round, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 1635 Rapid Lightning Rd., 265-2788. FromTheHeartRanch.com
Scandinavian countries represented in this specialty shop. Kitchen items, table tops, candles, electric candleholders, books, cards, rugs, pewter Vikings, mugs, Danish iron candleholders and year round Christmas. 319 N. First Ave., 263-7722.
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., 263-3573, 800-880-3573. www.keokee.com
North Idaho Insurance A full-service, independent insurance agency serving northern Idaho since 1978. Business or personal risks: property, liability, workers comp, bonding, home, auto, life and health. 102 Superior St., 263-2194. NorthIdahoIns.com
Free pickup for quality furniture donations. Find treasures, weekdays 10 to 5, Saturdays 10 to 2. Proceeds benefit LPOHS students, senior citizens. Volunteers welcome! 101 N. Boyer, 263-3247.
Vacation rental management and home watch services for seasonal residents of Sandpoint, Schweitzer, Hope and Priest Lake. Excellent 24/7 customer service. Fair and affordable prices. 290-6847, 877-667-8409. www.northridgevacationrentals.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, 263-4033. RLPropertyManagement.com
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., 263-2811. Offering the latest bestsellers, office supplies, machine supplies and free delivery in Sandpoint. Order online. 201 Cedar St., 263-2417. Vanderfords.com
Go to www.shopsandpoint.com, for web links to trusted services, merchants, artists, craftspeople, farmers and green building. Fun reading about government, recycling and more! Complete local information source with no pop-up ads.
Get in the Marketplace! To advertise here, call or e-mail: 263-3573 ext. 123 or adsales@keokee.com
Website design & hosting Marketing & consulting Logo design, brochures, ads a ma
rketing communications fir m
405 Church St. Sandpoint • 263.3573 • Keokee.com • SandpointMagazine.com • SandpointOnline.com
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 127
SUMMER 2011
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
127
5/7/11 3:39 PM
Sandpoint of View
Memory revision
Recollecting stories of Sandpoint past By Ralph Bartholdt
W
hen I walk across Main Street near the swath of park named for one of Sandpoint’s founding families, the Farmins, I don’t let on that wild things happened decades ago in this square, because they didn’t. Not to me. The strongest memories are the ones you make up, Mark Twain said, and the older I get, I deny the truth in that remark and the heaping evidence to support it. This part of town has changed a lot; buildings have gone away and new ones have risen like beacons without the spinning lights. Kiosks you swore served the best burrito have turned into permanent structures a block or two away, and places once considered the hallmark of permanence are silhouettes in the sunset. Towns in the West have always been like that. They grow in contrary places like a hat turned up to catch the rain. They are fluid. Some become reservoirs. Others swell from puddles to broader pools and some seep into the earth and disappear, replaced by a grove of poplars and a handful of forget-me-nots. My first memory of Sandpoint is of a man in a white hat with a long, wooden stick standing, in the evening, in a summer street by a local tavern hoisting a can of Coors. I don’t know if any of this matches reality, but there it is. The memory is the result of a photograph from the 1960s and its colors, the man’s jeans, the hat, his tanned skin, and the red cab of a logging truck parked in the background, are overly vivid. The man was a young timber scaler, and the straw hat he wore was broad brimmed, oversized, with a pitched crown. The measuring stick he carried 128
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 128
PHOTO BY BILLIE JEAN PLASTER
was a tool of his trade. If there is a hub in my memory of Sandpoint, it is this slab of sidewalk in front of the Tam O’Shanter in the 1960s with the rail line in the background, a mill, certainly a logging truck and the sweet smell of wood chips that perfumed the town like a date. Few things then were of such absolute permanence as wood and water and the stuff that sprang from both. Big rainbow trout – a fish called Kamloops – as well as the small kokanee salmon were the staple of the lake’s fishery and synonymous with the town’s name. Surrounding mountains from Montana to Washington and north to the border were wide with trees and the promise of work for whoever asked. There you go. The young man in the photo, I was told, could walk for miles in the mountains and shoot a mule deer and carry it out on his back. His name was Jerry Lane, and he died in a hunting accident not long after that photo was snapped. That is part of my memory of Sandpoint, too. It is of a place ever
changing. What’s gone is hard to swallow. What remains are resilience, tautmuscled beauty, and those halcyon evenings of sunsets and a beer enjoyed with friends in a downtown tavern. Stories of Sandpoint’s past linger too, in the cracked streets, faded murals and photographs. Dann Hall and Ward Tollbom, who own shops along First Avenue, are keepers of the stories and pictures. New ones, painted in brushstrokes, laid in tile, burned in wood or leather by the area’s many artists and artisans, are made here every day, and are just as relevant. From its logging and rail town roots, Sandpoint has caught the water that came to it when the hat was dropped, kicked around and windblown to the outlet of Sand Creek. Some of it spilled out, some seeped through, but the hat is here still. In my mind, it’s broad brimmed, sitting on the head of a tanned young man with a scaling stick and a beer as the sun splashes on the street across from a tavern that stubbornly clings to its own recollection.
SUMMER 2011
5/7/11 3:40 PM
Sand
Schweitzer offers all kinds of fun under the sun, whether it’s exploring the terrain or simply relaxing by the pool. It’s up to you how much or how little you experience. Either way, you’ll enjoy breathtaking scenery that revives both body and mind. Come enjoy any of our on-mountain lodging and your third night is on us! This summer, get off the couch and onto a chairlift.
Escape to Schweitzer.
Have a smart phone? Download a QR Reader App and scan this for a great lodging deal.
schweitzer.com 877.487.4643 112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 129 Sandpoint Mag Summer.indd 1
5/7/11 3:40 PM 3/11/2011 8:02:06 AM
Now serving the entire North Idaho region Announcing our new Coeur d’Alene location.
Established Sandpoint agency expands to CDA Our team has passionately served the Sandpoint area since 1972. Through hard work, and with unrivaled talent we have become the leading top-tier agency in Sandpoint. Because of this success Tomlinson Sotheby’s International Realty is proud to announce our new location in Coeur d’Alene. Call us and create your next life experience.
Visit us at tssir.com
112-130_SMS11[Summer-Eats]LW.indd 130
Sandpoint Location 200 Main Street Sandpoint, Idaho 208-263-5101 800-282-6880
Coeur d’Alene Location 1400 Northwood Center Ct. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 208-667-1551 800-621-3163
5/7/11 3:40 PM