Sandpoint Magazine 2018

M A G A Z I N E

SUMMER 2018

SANDPOINT

ON

FIRE What in the world is happening in our woods?

INSIDE: OFFICIAL SANDPOINT VISITOR GUIDE

&

Interview with a Polygamist’s Daughter, Author Rachel Jeffs • Digging Quartz • Robotics • Dig Your Own Grave Race • Sailing • and also ...

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www.LakesideAtPonderPoint.com $2,575,000 ATI #1447 Sandpoint, Idaho

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www.MurphyBayLifestyle.com $1,349,000 ATI #1117 Sagle, Idaho

www.LakePendOreilleHome.com $1,325,000 ATI #1487 Sandpoint, Idaho

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ommitted to providing a luxury experienceDedicated to achieving results!

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© MMVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Claude Monet’s “Marine View With a Sunset,” used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated. Sandpoint office: 208-263-5101, 200 Main Street, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

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www.TSSIR.com

39 KIENHOLZ DRIVE, HOPE Lot $2,400,000 (left photos) House $4,900,000 (right photos) MLS # TBD One-of-a-kind home on 10 acres in gated community and ¼ mile of arguably the finest lakefront in the area. Can be sold as 2 separate 5 acre properties

362 PONDER POINT, SANDPOINT $2,400,000 MLS # 20180449 Private, gated entry, huge lake views with 5 en suite bedrooms and 8 baths, 2 kitchens and amazing media/rec room

817 KANIKSU SHORES, SANDPOINT $2,150,000 MLS # 20180856 Stunning 7 bedroom timberframe with 100+ feet of lakefront built to entertain family and friends

240 MOOSEWOOD LANE, SAGLE $970,000 MLS # 20181206 Hilltop home with 8.8 acres, 270 degree views of the lake and access to Sourdough Point amenities

3079 BOTTLE BAY ROAD, SAGLE $765,000 MLS # TBD Iconic waterfront home, massively engineered with 300+ feet of lake shoreline, dock, kayak launch

412 SANDPOINT AVE #323, SANDPOINT $985,000 MLS # 20180019 Elegant, fully renovated Seasons penthouse with 2 master suites, designer upgrades and floor to ceiling windows

412 SANDPOINT AVE #231, SANDPOINT $535,000 MLS # 20180602 Modern, 2 bedroom end unit residence at the Seasons with extra windows for added natural light and open floorplan

702 SANDPOINT AVE #7204, SANDPOINT $560,000 MLS # 20172819 Move-in ready and fully furnished 2nd floor residence overlooking the marina at the Seasons

702 SANDPOINT AVE #7307, SANDPOINT $489,000 MLS # 20172548 Enjoy amazing sunrises from this immaculate 3rd floor residence at the Seasons

38 CATTAIL LANE, PRIEST RIVER $629,000 MLS # 20180062 300 feet of Pend Oreille riverfront, fully fenced yard, dock and home with open floorplan allowing easy access to outdoor decks, patio and lawn

39 CONTEST POINT LANE, SAGLE $475,000 MLS # 20171704 Charming summer cabin on ½ acre with wraparound deck, 100+ feet of waterfront on Contest Point

549 O’DONNELL DRIVE, DOVER $479,000 MLS # 20173109 Incredible opportunity to build your dream home in Dover Bay on this lot with over 100 feet of Pend Oreille riverfront

0 NORTHSHORE DRIVE, SANDPOINT $534,000 MLS # 20180423 One of the few waterfront parcels left within Sandpoint city limits sporting over 100 feet of lakeshore and coveted southern exposure

Dedicated to the extraordinary the exceptional and the unique.

Chris Chambers www.ExtraordinaryIdaho.com 208-290-2500 chris.chambers@sothebysrealty.com 200 Main, Sandpoint, Idaho

© MMVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Claude Monet’s “Marine View With a Sunset,” used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated. Sandpoint office: 208-263-5101, 200 Main Street, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

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A L M A N AC SANDPOINT

MAGAZINE

PHOTO: DOUG MARSHALL

SUMMER 2018, Vol. 28, No. 2

F E AT U R E S 84 THE CHANGING FACE OF FIRE i fire is a rowin 90 92 95 96 99

37 41 45 53 57 64 66 67 69 73 77

resen e in our i es

Fire’ s Hidden Gif t: More l Mu s h ro o m s Pam Aun an: Fire L o o k o u t Sm o k e S p otter Where T here’ s Sm o k e Firef ighter s Facin g th e Fl a m es Don ’ t Wait to E vac u a te

Giving Nature a NOD

aster natura ists on uty at

ater i e

is o ery enter

On the Hunt for Hidden Gems i

in

or uart at o o ree

For the Love of Sailing

towaways we ome at hurs ay ra es

The Coolest Thing Rolling

onners erry stu ents ri in robots to su

ess

Last Stand for the Caribou

Fires are changing. otter summers, a e reasin snow a an more eo e i in in the wi an s ma e fire a mena in res en e, an firefi hters an irre a eab e resour e. o er oto, and fire fig ter oto a o e, ar Greer.

rea s rarest s e ies is threatene

Takin’ it to the Streets rts

ra ts air mo es owntown

Pardon Our Dust

e ar treet ets a summer ma eo er

Pedaling Around Town an

oint arts ibe arries o er to bi e ra

s

Dig Your Own Grave

his ra e is the u timate ha en e

Positive About Plants an

oint ou e

ans to ma e the wor

hea thier

Summer of the Sasquatch

omethin s ur in out in the woo s SUMMER 2018

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On the cover

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Departments

12 Almanac: Who, what and why about town 28 Calendar 32 Interview: Author Rachel Jeffs 39 Pictured in History: Ferries 50 The View: Selkirk Ridge 55 Hiking: Schafer Peak 61 Art: Maria Larson 127 Natives & Newcomers 152 Sandpoint of View: On the Trek to Tiny

Real Estate 106 113 117 122 124

Beautiful Gardens Can Short-Term Rentals and Long-Term Locals Coexist?

Rising to the Challenge: Unique Home on Sand Creek Built to Last: Selkirk Craftsman Furniture Marketwatch

Dining Guide

134 Happy Hour on the Lake 137 Ponderay Cuisine Goes Global 141 Vegetarians Feelin’ the Love

Award-winning photographer Kari Greer, a former Coeur d’Alene High School graduate who attended both Boise State and California State universities, is responsible for many of the photos in this issue s wi an fire o era e, including the one on this page, and on our cover. Greer, a fully ertifie wi an firefi hter herself, works under contract with the National Interagency Fire Center and has been hoto ra hin fire or o er two decades.

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SUMMER 2018

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Truly

Exceptional Real Estate Services

Going Above & Beyond is our Standard.

Jake Oliver (208) 290-5233

Lauren Adair (208) 610-6960

Dan Matheson (832) 512-9907

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(208) 265-7362

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A C T I O N 5/9/18 7:57 AM

CONTRIBUTORS

JASON WILMOTH has been chasing adventure and solitude in the mountains and rivers of North Idaho for almost 20 years. n his first story for Sandpoint Magazine, On the Hunt for Hidden Gems, p.41, he talks about his newest passion rockhounding with his wife and daughters.

KEVIN TAYLOR is an independent ournalist who is based in Spokane, Washington. In this issue he writes about the many aspects of wildland fire and how climate change is impacting that picture, in The Changing Face of Fire, p.84. He has personal e perience with fire ... but that’s another story.

SUSAN DRUMHELLER spent 15 years as a journalist, and now puts her talents to work where her heart is maintaining North daho s incredible environment. This issue she moves off the beaten path with Summer of the Sasquatch, p.77. Asked if she’s a believer, she responded, Are you

Publisher’s note

Publisher Chris Bessler Operations Officer David Keyes Editor Trish Gannon Assistant Editor Beth Hawkins Advertising Director Clint Nicholson Art Director Laura Wahl Senior Designer Pamela Morrow Design Team Robin Levy, Jackie Palmer, Social Media Lisa Howard Office Manager Susan Otis IT Manager Landon Otis Sandpoint Maga ine is published twice yearly, in May and November, by Keokee Co. Publishing, Inc. 4 5 Church St., Sandpoint, 8 864 Phone 8- 6 - 57 mail inbo keokee.com 18 by eokee Co. Publishing nc. All rights reserved. eproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Subscriptions 1 per year, payable in advance. Send address changes to the address above.

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CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ISSUE: atie Adams. Pam Aunan, Staci Bailey, aryl Baird, Colby Carpenter, Chris Chambers, Tracy Cooper, Cassandra Cridland, Ted Curphey, Brooke odge, Susan rumheller, Hillary Dunbar, Emily Erickson, Don Fisher, Sue Frit , Betsy Fulling, Ashley underson, Nick Gunderson, Tiffany Hansen, Jackie Hanson, Fiona Hicks, Cate Huisman, Steve Jamsa, Lyndsie Kiebert, Bonnie Kirkwood, ave retschmar, ennifer Lamont-Leo, Marianne Love, Doug Marshall, Jim Mellen, irk Miller, ichard Nakatani, Ben Olson, on Otis, Annie Pflueger, Cameron asmusson, Jodi Rawson, Aaron Rich, Bill Rosch, Carrie Sco aro, aren Seashore, evin Taylor, Mary Terra-Berns, Marie- omini ue erdier, Corey ogel, ason ilmoth, aren ilmoth, Woods Wheatcroft, Mason White. isit our web maga ine published at www.SandpointMaga ine.com.

Printed in SA by Century Publishing, Post Falls, Idaho.

rowing up in the Northwest, oh so long ago, my first memory of a big natural disaster is not of fire but of the floods of 64 that put a good portion of Oregon under water. The flood knocked out the bridge to our isolated home for a couple weeks our helpful postal carrier brought us care packages of food and supplies.

Coming to North daho in the 1 7 s has provided many additional brushes with Mother Nature at her most ornery: winters of deep snow or below- ero temperatures the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1 8 huge and scary windstorms.

But it is wildfire that has always stood as our biggest natural hazard here in the Northwest. Now, hotter, drier summers, combined with a burgeoning population and legacy management practices have made wildfire ever more dangerous.

That fire has flared to such a danger sparked our decision to create this focus issue. Our stories go deep into the causes and effects of the growing phenomenon that now colors our summers. e hope you ll read and ponder. And take care out there this summer.

-Chris Bessler

SUMMER 2018

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A L M A N AC

who, what, Devil Falls Natural Rock Slide

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and why in Greater Sandpoint Slippery fun with a dose of peril

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IDDEN DEEP ON IDAHO state lands and about 5 miles from Priest Lake State Park’s Lionhead Campground, an amazing and refreshing experience awaits the (fool?) hardy: the Devil Falls natural rock water slide. This is 100 feet of slippery fun with a dose of peril.

Be warned, Devil Falls is no amusement park ride, and you slide at your own risk.

Most summers, in fact, will see at least a couple sliding enthusiasts walk away with broken bones.

Experienced sliders say there’s not a lot you can do to protect yourself, though many negotiate the slide on a plastic garbage bag, and shoes (ideally, water socks) are highly recommended. If you can, stay near the middle. But the best precaution to take, in fact, is to make sure that someone is nearby to help you out if the worst

occurs. That said, the very real danger doesn’t stop most who have negotiated the difficult trail to reach it from trying out this uniquely North Idaho experience.

“Once I got myself there I was going for it,” said Arlene Cook, pictured at left with her friend and fellow daredevil Suzanne Pattinson. The result? “It was really fun and fast,” she said. So fast, in fact, she almost overshot a cable near the end of the slide used to help people to stop. Cook said she slid at least three times that day, and would happily do it again.

Don’t attempt sliding during spring runoff when the water is fast and high. Wait for warmer weather, when water levels go down and expose a natural basin that occurs after about 100 feet, which also helps sliders to stop. Slide too far, and injury or disaster await.

Trish Gannon

The ‘Mane’ Facts Lionhead Campground

K

nown for crystal clear water, dense forest and lots of wildlife, Lionhead Campground at Priest Lake State Park is the essence of North Idaho. Located on

the eastern shore of the lake, the campground offers 47 camping spots. Most are for tent campers, but there is one designated RV spot. Each camping space is equipped with picnic table and firepit. Water and toilets are available but there is no electricity.

There is a roped-off beach and a small boat dock.

You’ll find a lovely waterfall not far past the slides, and there are several natural swimming holes near the campground. An Idaho state parks passport sticker, offering PHOTO: JIM MELLEN

entrance to all state parks, is available for just $10 at the DMV and is good for a year, or pay a $5 vehicle fee at the gate. If you’re looking to spend a day in an area of pristine beauty, you can’t go wrong with Priest Lake State Park. If you want it to stay that way, remember that if you pack it in, pack it back out.

SUMMER 2018

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Proven Track Record at Keeping Propane Prices Low

Co-op Energy has been your locally owned and operated propane company since 2000. Our outstanding customer service and attention to reasonable pricing has set us apart from all other propane companies in the area. or on the farm now is the time to call Co-op Energy!

We offer payment plan options including our popular "Budget Payment Plan" available through June 2018. And you can sign up for the Keep Full program. It's FREE. Our new 30,000 gallon bulk plant in Bonners Ferry makes servicing our Boundary County customers switching out your tank is FREE .

NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO CALL FOR SPECIAL PRICING! Refer a friend, neighbor or family member to Co-op Energy and get $50 off your propane bill.

Doing business with Co-op Energy may give you ownership in the cooperative and pays dividends

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A L M A N AC

A Hobby That Just Went Crazy Silverwood Theme Park celebrates 30 years of thrills

1981

Gary Norton buys Henley Aerodrome and begins to build the park.

1988

Official opening of Silverwood with historic main street and carnival rides.

S

ILVERWOOD THEME PARK, turning 30 this summer, elicits memories of licking sugary fingers while the tinker of banjo music and elated shrieks sound in the background. Its longevity was achieved by its ever-growing repertoire of 7 rides and attractions, and because the owners are dynamically and relentlessly dedicated to building a legacy of fun. t began as a small passion pro ect for a man with a love of anti ue planes, creating e periences, and undertaking new challenges. hen ary Norton purchased Henley Aerodrome in 1 81, his vision went no further than a small museum for his pri ed possessions, but uickly escalated upon winning a bidding war against isney for a 1 15 authentic steam train.

His creativity pi ued, Norton built a ictorian-themed downtown of shops, small carnival rides, and a theater, to complement the newly ac uired engine. Fueled by ingenuity and the smiles of guests as they were transported along the tracks to a world of new e periences, Norton continued to develop the park, adding bigger thrills, shows, and eventually Boulder Beach aterpark and the hugely popular Scarywood event on Halloween. na 4 interview, Norton said the park wasn t conceived as a device to make a ton of money,� but rather, as an opportunity for him to share his love of e perience-based fun with others.

According to Norton s granddaughter and park

1990

Debut of the Corkscrew, a steel inverting roller coaster.

2003

Boulder Beach Water Park opens, adding speed slides a year later.

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public relations manager Stephanie Sampson, this concept still rings true 14 years later, with decisions about the park being driven by uality and creativity, and not just the bottom line.

She compares it to serving up ice cream.

Our single scoop is not about making money, she said. e give those heaping scoops to our guests at an ine pensive price because we love giving them those e periences. She shares there is love and passion in every detail of the park, from how the bricks in the courtyard are laid out to the uality of meat in the hamburgers.

Paul Norton, ary s son and general manager of the park, was 1 when the park opened. t was a passion for my dad, he said. t was a hobby that ust went cra y.

Thirty years from now he e pects to see a hotel on site for the people who come from far away to visit. e draw from a -mile radius, he e plained. And he will continue to grow his own passion Adding more familystyle attractions, things like the flume ride that the whole family can get on to.

From its humble beginning, Silverwood has grown into the Northwest s largest theme and water park, sprawling across acres ust north of Coeur d Alene, hiring over a thousand seasonal workers every year and attracting over 65 , visitors annually. So grab another scoop, get in line, and prepare for the ne t years of ingenuity, inspiration, and good old-fashioned Silverwood fun Emily Erickson Learn more at www.silverwoodthemepark.com

2009

Scarywood Haunted Nights debuts, providing frightening fun in October.

2014

A $1.2 million expansion to the Garfield Summer Camp kiddie park is unveiled.

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A L M A N AC

Boarding Now For a Great Day Out Scenic train rides return to Newport

PHOTO N

PO T P

ST

OTA Y

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HE PACIFIC NORTHWEST IN AUTUMN offers vistas of subtle beauty, and one popular way to en oy them returned last fall the scenic train ride.

A pro ect of the Newport Priest iver otary Club, scenic train e cursions are available from June through October on the route leading from Newport, ashington to alkena, ashington and back. Much of the route offers views that can’t be seen from Highway 20. In addition to the scenery, riders will learn the history of both the railroad and the area they travel through, and might even become part of a mock train robbery staged by local 4-H and theater groups.

Scenic train e cursions were offered for years by the North Pend Oreille Lions Club, but ended in 16 when the railroad told the club they could no longer afford to maintain the track used on the route. That’s when the local Rotary Club entered the scene, with a proposal featuring a new route that utili es the Lions Club s uni ue string of purple and gold cars, and anti ue coaches. e re trying to make this a real e perience, said Nadine Parker, chair of the otary s scenic train ride committee. People are going to have a lot of fun.

After a successful first year, the club is now scheduling e cursions for the fall of 18 one e cursion each month from une through August, then twice monthly in September and October. Tickets and under can be purchased online at www. sporttrainrides.com. e really hope people will come out and give it a try, Parker said. All together, it makes for a great day out.

Trish Gannon

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A L M A N AC

Someone to Watch

Neighborhoods band together in Neighborhood Watch programs

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HEN PEOPLE MOVE TO Sandpoint they often say the area reminds them of “how it used to be.” For those newly arrived, Sandpoint is like the Andy riffith Show s town of Mayberry, or maybe awson s Creek if they re younger and happen to have followed a moose down one of our residential streets.

But Sandpoint is a real town, not a television show or a stereotype, and as such is not immune to crime—particularly property crime, which has risen as our population has grown. e are still a safe community,” said Jay Dudley, a volunteer with the sheriff s department, but our crime rate is increasing. Statistics show 6 property crimes in the area from September 17 through March 18. n response, a growing number of residents are forming Neighborhood atch

committees, taking a proactive role in keeping their homes along with those of their neighbors safe. Bonner County has over 7 residents signed up, covering 5 neighborhoods. udley, retired after more than three decades as a firefighter, initially volunteered with the Sheriff s office to help set these programs up. He is now among a dozen who do so.

Neighborhood atch began in the early 1 7 s as organi ed version of the idea that if you see something, say something. t s the people who live there who know their own communities,” explained Dudley. “They know what cars belong and what don t, who is at home during the day and who is not, and the type of behavior that looks suspicious.”

For those interested, a atch volunteer e plains the program and provides information on how to form and maintain one.

They also share tips for home security,

prevention of vehicle prowling, suspicious activity logs, property inventory lists, and prevention tips specific to rural crime. Free signs are also provided to those who establish a program. hile nobody likes to think about crime, it s the actions of concerned and watchful neighbors who help Sandpoint remain the kind of place people want to live, whether they liken it to Mayberry or awson s Creek.

Trish Gannon More info: Sheryl Kins, 208-263-8417 ext 3049

LOVE TO SMILE

phone 208.265.4558 fax 208.263.5721 2025 West Pine Street | Sandpoint, ID www.SandpointDentists.com

SUMMER 2018

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A L M A N AC

First in Fashion

Those Paths Didn’t Build Themselves

P 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

LANNING ON HIKING, horseback riding, or mountain biking the trails of North Idaho this summer Those paths didn t build themselves, and every winter, snow and wind do their best to tear them apart.

There s little money for non-motori ed trails in daho, said Tom abrowski of daho Trails Association. Most of the trail maintenance around here is done by volunteers.

Here are some of the people you can thank for putting that tread under your feet or tires, or hooves , and what they re up to this summer: Close to home, ITA’s volunteers make their annual effort to address the inevitable effects of the popularity of Mickinnick Trail.

Many parts of this steep route tend to turn into creek beds in the spring volunteers will install water bars and cut back accumulated deadfall.

Also nearby, the Pend Oreille Pedalers continue their work on the Lower Basin trails that descend from the Schweitzer roundabout to within a few switchbacks of Schweit er s ed Barn parking lot. Higher up, they plan to start work on a route from the Schweitzer Ridge to Uleda Point and

back to connect the Highpoint Trail. n the Sandpoint anger istrict, conservation corps crews of local high school kids join volunteers to maintain 250 miles of trails. A ma or pro ect is a new bridge at the bottom of the Bee Top ound Top trail. At summer’s end, travelers on the Morris Creek Trail east of Lightning Creek may encounter work crews from the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, who will be out on National Public Lands ay, September .

The cosmopolitan crews who gather in the Bonners Ferry Ranger District will tie together the reconstruction that has been done on the Parker Ridge Trail since the fire of 15. Backcountry travelers may see them as well on the Arndt Trail northeast of Robinson Lake or retreading the Slate Ridge Trail near Canuck Pass. Recreation Program Manager Pat Hart’s volunteers hail from all over the country. In addition to western groups of horsemen, hikers, scouts, and retired smoke umpers, she gets summer campers from Minnesota and Conservation Corps workers from as far away as Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington D.C. Last October, the first , feet of the long-planned Pend Oreille iver Passage

You, Too, Can Lend a Hand

A

NUMBER OF GROUPS put their sweat e uity into building and maintaining trails for all to use. This not only increases access to backcountry areas, but protects these areas from the impacts of unmitigated human use.

The Friends of Scotchman Peaks have scheduled nine workdays in the 18 season for maintenance on major trails in our area, along with reconstruction of the trailhead at the East Fork Peak trail. Learn more at www.scotchmanpeaks.org/ stewardship/trail-projects.

Pend Oreille Pedalers (www.pendoreillepedalers.org) work on trail improvements the first Saturday of every month. You can find out more about this group

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FREE ADMISSION

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Trail was put in place near Oldtown. The Priest River Community Forest organization is working on this biking and walking trail that will eventually reach over, meeting up with the trail from there to Sandpoint.

Cate Huisman

and their work at their website or on their Facebook page @Ride7B. The Idaho Trails Association schedules work pro ects from easy to hard, and have eight pro ects planned for the daho Panhandle in 18, including maintenance work on the popular Mickinnick Trail in Sandpoint. Find their schedule at www.idahotrailsassociation.org/2018-trail-projects.

FOR SALE OR LEASE. Beautiful, historic two-story 9,460 sq ft building overlooking Lake Pend Oreille. First floor is configured for use as a restaurant, lounge and retail space with 4 bathrooms, but could be easily reconfigured for other uses. Second floor consists of 15 rooms (6 rooms with lake views), five bathrooms, kitchenette and laundry room. 7 lots with 175 feet of commercial frontage. Additional adjoining 50 foot lot available.

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Looking Good for the Loons Call for your guided tour!

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ATHY COUSINS, A MITIGATION STAFF BIOLOGIST WITH daho epartment of Fish and ame, first heard the loons two summers ago. Last summer, she actually saw them. Their return to the Clark Fork Delta was a good sign. egular readers of this maga ine may recall a piece from 14 about the Clark Fork elta the wetland where the Clark Fork empties into Lake Pend Oreille at the lake s easternmost point. That point had been moving slowly and inevitably further east since the construction of the Albeni Falls and Cabinet orge dams more than si decades ago, as wave action from higher summer water levels washed away a dozen or more acres of wetland each year. With them have gone the native grasses, sedges, and forbs that provided cover for waterfowl. nstead, there s reed canarygrass, a non-native, highly invasive grass that adapts well to heavily disturbed areas, but doesn t grow to the right height at the right time to be attractive to loons or their feathered brethren.

The biologist s plans call for dredging to create ponds during the winter months and raising ground to replace lost wetland acreage during the summer, shoring it up with rocks and plantings of native willow and dogwood. The invasive grass will be eradicated and replaced with the native plants that once grew here.

Cousins and pro ect partners plus an army of volunteers began this work four years ago. Before-and-after photographs reflect the success of this effort appro imately 6 acres have been restored, out of a total of , Cousins hopes SUMMER 2018

5/9/18 7:59 AM

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110 S. First Avenue to bring back. She adds the caveat that the total acreage is hard to nail down in a wetland on a fluctuating lake At times the land is land, and at times the land is water.

Hope for the rest of the appro imately , acres rose this spring, when Bonneville Power Administration began negotiations with the state of Idaho to mitigate the long-term effects of construction of Albeni Falls am. e re on the right track, but we’ve just started.

We’ve still got a long way to go to bring it back, said Cousins.

Cousins hopes she will find a loon s nest, but her 14-year effort to restore the delta hasn’t come that far yet. Invasive reed canarygrass which isn t good for nesting continues to dominate the area.

Still, it’s looking good for the loons.

Cate Huisman

www.SunshineGoldmine.com

Learn more at www.clarkforkdelta.org SUMMER 2018

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A L M A N AC Discover the

Season’s Bounty…

A Resource for the Future Saturdays, 9am-1pm Wednesdays, 3pm-5:30pm Downtown Sandpoint

Check it out! Library expansion offers something for everyone

-100% Locally Grown & Made -SNAP Benefits Gladly Accepted -Live Music at Every Market

ATTENTION Due to construction: Expect mind-jarring noise, dust on everything, and the inability to find anything where it should be.

Fresh Produce∙Tasty Eats∙Art & Fine Crafts

Farmin Park @ 3rd & Oak May through Mid-October

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Employment Training Life Skills Training Adult Day Health Center Retail Greenhouse The Cottage Thrift Store

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208 263-7022

ATTENTION Elevator closed today. If you need assistance, David will carry you upstairs.

T

he 1 -month ast Bonner County Library construction pro ect could have been an epic tale of fiction versus friction, but thanks to some planning and a sense of humor, the .5 million e pansion wraps up by une. To celebrate, the library has set a grand opening celebration for noon-4 p.m. on Saturday, une with tours and entertainment.The messages above were two of 1 that popped up, posted by staff, during the library s transformation pro ect. They not only kept patrons in the know, but spread a little sunshine as well.

The remodel and e pansion pro ect adds 8,5 s uare feet to the , -s uare-foot building constructed in , which itself replaced the previous library that had been located on Second Avenue downtown. The challenge for the new e pansion is to transform something that is already utili ed and awesome into a responsive, indispensable resource for all generations into the future, said Marcy Timblin, the library s community development specialist and author of many of the signs.

There is a wide range of additions to the library space designed to meet the needs of library patrons from young to old. For the youngest set, the now-enlarged children s portion of the library has become a fantasy forest, while a large teen lounge including a makerspace, and a virtual reality room services the young and the young-at-heart.

New rooms address a variety of needs, including a community meeting room that will seat up to people, tutoring rooms and small meeting rooms. All are e uipped with the latest presentation technology.

1424 N. Boyer Ave.

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The expansion added the new structure pictured on left side of the rendering at top.

Above, library staff anticipate the end of construction.

A separate T help desk supports e panded numbers of computer work stations. And at the heart of the library services are an ever-e panding selection of printed books, including increased holdings of large print and young adult titles. Patrons can en oy perusing books and maga ines on site with several uiet reading areas, including seating around a new fireplace.

This transformation is more than a construction pro ect, Timblin said. e now have a library that is a place to access current technologies, e plore and learn new skills, engage with multiple generations in the community and discover resources.

From April 1, 17 to April 1, 18, the library logged 14 , visits. isits at the Bookmobile and the Clark Fork library, increased that total to 17 , visits. For comparison, the average statewide for library visits in 16 was ust 84, 57. The trend here has been a continued increase in visits ever since the library was built.

The East Bonner County Library is located at 14 7 Cedar Street.

David Keyes Check in online at www.ebonnerlibrary.org

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so when they’re hurt, only the best medicine will do.

Our skilled craftsmen take exceptional care to return your car to its original condition . . . and you’ll receive the same care to minimize the hassle and inconvenience while your car is being repaired. When we’re done — you’ll love your car again!

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1202 Triangle Drive, Ponderay

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Namaste inNature S

PHOTO: STACI BAILEY

ANDPOINT YOGA INSTRUCTOR and yoga health coach Sarah Rusnak enjoys taking her practice outside. “Yoga is so much bigger than the poses,” she said. “It’s really about self discovery and self reflection. The poses help you focus and pay attention to how you’re showing up in the world.”

The Sanskrit definition of yoga is “union” or “connectedness,” and many yoga poses themselves connect to the natural world. Some poses may imitate the way mammals or birds move in nature, while others directly invoke the natural world: think tree pose. Studies have shown that viewing nature can increase both internal focus and wakeful relaxation, goals shared by yoga practitioners.

“Part of my soul mission is to help people learn to slow down and connect to the nature of their body and the interconnected nature of their lives,” said Rusnak. “A yoga practice can help us feel both awake and calm. To be in nature with this quality of awareness might offer a revelation. We are inextricably linked to, and dependent upon, the natural world.” Namaste—a display of respect—can be bestowed on the world itself, and not just on your instructor or toward other participants.

Learn more, including options for outdoor classes, at www.sarahrusnakyoga.com.

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SUMMER 2018

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Over 100 Artisans of the Area Always Something New Always Something Different Furniture – Gallery Custom Available

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www.NorthwestHandmade.com 5/9/18 7:59 AM

A L M A N AC

Noteworthy ZIP... SWING... CLIMB! A new escapade awaits, as Tree to Tree Adventure Park opens its ‘doors’ to the public in Athol, with courses for both adults and children. Obstacle courses set in the trees feature ladders, tightropes, balance beams and wobbly bridges for a self-guided adventure! Learn more at www.treetotreeidaho.com.

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN SANDPOINT... when even the local moose start showing up for Zumba class! Realtor Sue Fritz captured this shot of a cow moose in early March just outside XHale Studios at Third and Cedar in Sandpoint.

SANDPOINT SAYS GOOD-BYE to author Pat McManus. One of its most famous sons, McManus, who died this year at age 84, was a well-known humorist who authored 24 books, many based on his experiences growing up and living in Sandpoint. He was featured in Sandpoint Magazine in 1995. Read it online at www.

SandpointMagazine.com.

SANDPOINT’S HOME LOAN EXPERTS

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SUMMER 2018

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THE LEGENDARY JERRY KRAMER will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 4, capping an unprecedented career that featured two Super Bowl championships and numerous personal awards. A graduate of Sandpoint High School and University of Idaho, Kramer said “I am honored beyond words and it’s been a pretty nice ride.”

IT WAS A RECORD-SETTING SNOW year at Schweitzer Mountain Resort, with a reported 434 inches—over 36 feet!— measured in the village this season. The previous record of 412 inches was set back in 1998.

RAVENWOOD DUNIN STYLE of Tibbs’ Arabians was named a 2017 National Champion, ridden on his victory lap by Barbara Tibbs.

IF YOU’VE EVER WANTED to hit someone (with a padded weapon, of course), then Sandpoint’s got the group for you! The Northwest Boffering and LARPing Alliance is newly formed from several smaller local groups to stage mock battles in many area parks, and a full season is planned for 2018! To join in, check the group’s Facebook page @northwestbofferingandlarping.

PHOTO: HOWARD SHATBERG

NORTH IDAHO’S PREMIER DAY SPA SALON

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Hours By Appointment Tues. - Sat. 9 am - 7 pm | Groups welcome

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SUMMER 2018

CALENDAR OF EVENTS JUNE

Sandpoint Farmers’ Market. Open-air market at Farmin Park held Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings through Oct. 13. www.SandpointFarmersMarket.com.

2 Your Library Transformation Grand Opening. Celebrate the newly remodeled and expanded Sandpoint Library, 1407 Cedar, noon to 4 p.m. Hourly entertainment, cake and more! www.ebonnerlibrary.org.

See story on page 22 10 Bay Trail Fun Run. Annual 5K and 10K along Lake Pend Oreille and Sand Creek, sponsored by Friends of Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail, ICL, and Trinity at City Beach. www.

POBTrail.org. 208-265-9565 16 CHAFE 150. Sandpoint Rotary’s annual benefit ride takes bicyclists on a 15 -mile route through Idaho and Montana; or opt for the 80-mile 1/2 CHAFE or 30-mile fun ride. www.CHAFE150.org.

16 Challenge of Champions. See Hot Picks.

24 7B Sunday. Summer season opener at Schweitzer Mountain Resort with chairlift rides, family activities and wine tasting. www.Schweitzer.com. 208-255-3081 28 Yappy Hour. A tail-waggin’ good time!

Greasy Fingers Bikes, 108 N. Third Ave., hosts Yappy Hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Bring your dog and enjoy a Panhandle Animal Shelter benefit with live music, beverages, and fun.

28 Summer Sampler. Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual tasting event at Farmin Park featuring fine cuisine from area restaurants. www.

SandpointChamber.org. 800-800-2106 29 ArtWalk Opening Receptions. POAC sponsors the annual revolving art exhibit starting with Friday evening opening receptions from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 20-plus downtown galleries; art exhibits remain on display through Sept. 8. www.

ArtinSandpoint.org. 208-263-6139

JULY

4 Fourth of July Celebration. Sandpoint Lions Club sponsors parades downtown in the morning; stage performances and a 28

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raffle follow at City Beach in the afternoon, plus fireworks at dusk. 8- 6 -4118 5-8 Idaho Draft Horse and Mule International. Northwest’s largest draft horse and mule expo at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. www.IdahoDraftHorseShow. com. 208-263-8414 8 Jacey’s Race. Competitive 5k race for runners and walkers, and 1k fun run for kids benefits local children with cancer or life-threatening illnesses. www.JaceysRace.com.

13-15 Sandpoint Antique & Classic Boat Show. View wooden boats, enjoy waterthemed activities, contests and more along Sand Creek Boardwalk at 16th annual event sponsored by Inland Empire Antique & Classic Boat Society. 208-255-1876 14 Beerfest. Sample local brews and enjoy a festive block party, sponsored by the Sandpoint Chamber. www.

SandpointChamber.com. 208-263-2161 14 Shangri La at the Lake. Underground Kindness’ 6th annual fundraiser featuring dining, dancing, auctions, and presentations. Proceeds benefit their work in public schools, the juvenile justice program, Kinderhaven, and the Sandpoint Teen Center. www.UndergroundKindness.org.

17 JJ Grey and Mofro. The Hive, 207 N. First Ave., hosts Southern soul rock band from Jacksonville, Fla., at 8 p.m. Tickets, info: www.LiveFromTheHive.com.

19 Festival at Sandpoint Art Unveiling.

Fine art poster for the festival unveiled at Dover Bay. www.FestivalatSandpoint.com.

208-265-4554 20-21 SHS Class of ‘68 - 50 Year Reunion.

Meet and greet July 20 in the Sandpoint Elks Lodge; dinner July 21 at Schweitzer’s Lakeview Lodge. For more information, contact Susie at 208-263-6792.

20-22 Northwest YogaFeast. Eureka Institute’s 8th annual experience that frees the spirit, feeds the soul, and nurtures the tummy! www.Eureka-Institute.org. 208263-2217 21-22 Northwest WineFest. See Hot Picks.

26 Yappy Hour. At Trinity at City Beach, 58 Bridge St. See June 28.

28 Crazy Days. Downtown merchants offer

big deals in annual sidewalk sale.

28 DogFest Walk ‘n’ Roll. Forrest M. Bird Charter School hosts Canine Companions for Independence fundraiser—a family and dog-friendly, completely accessible walk, roll and festival.

AUGUST

2-12 Festival at Sandpoint. Sit under the stars and enjoy the 35th annual internationally renowned outdoor concert series on the lawn at Memorial Field. www.

FestivalatSandpoint.com. 208-265-4554 3-4 PRCA Rodeo. Evening action at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. www.

BonnerCountyRodeo.com.

3-4, 10-11 Aftival. The Hive, 207 N. First Ave., hosts concerts following the Festival at Sandpoint. Visit www.LiveFromTheHive. com for a full rundown of performers.

4 Dig Your Own Grave Race. 62-mile race with 1,500 feet of climbing. Begins at 5 am in Hope. Register online www.bit.ly/digyour-grave-100k. See story on page 69 4 Long Bridge Swim. Hundreds compete in a 1.76-mile swim across Lake Pend Oreille during 24th annual event. www.

LongBridgeSwim.org. 208-265-2615 5 Huckleberry Color Fun Run. Join the crazy-fun event at Schweitzer Mountain Resort—a perfect outing for the entire family! www.Schweitzer.com. 208-263-9555 8-11 Bonner County Fair. Old-fashioned country event at the Bonner County Fairgrounds concludes with a Demolition Derby on Saturday night to round out the fun. www.BonnerCountyFair.com. 208-2638414 10-12, 17-19 Artists’ Studio Tour. Annual self-guided driving tour of working studios through North Idaho. www.ArtTourDrive. org. 800-800-2106 10 Challenge of Champions. Bull riding and barrel racing contest at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, with a dance to follow. www.

BonnerCountyFair.com.

11 Wings Over Sandpoint Fly-in. Regional pilots fly into Sandpoint Airport, or Dover Bay for seaplanes, during 13th annual fly-in with a breakfast and aircraft display. Sponsored by the Sandpoint EAA Chapter 1441. 208-255-9954

SUMMER 2018

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HOT PICKS

ee om lete, u to t e m nute alendars at www.sandpointonline.com

KICK UP YOUR BOOTS!

WINEFEST AGING WELL

Bull riding wrangles its way to the Bonner County Fairgrounds for the Challenge of Champions Tour at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 16 (and again on Aug. 10). It’s a roaring good time featuring a grand entry, introduction of cowboys, and Al Parsons as the voice of the Challenge of Champions—and don’t forget the incredible action as professional bull riders compete in the arena. The fun includes food booths selling cotton candy, kettle korn, and more! Tickets at the gate, and in advance ‘round town. www.BonnerCountyFair.com.

Now in its fourth year, Schweitzer Mountain Resort’s Northwest WineFest has evolved into a summer getaway for the entire family featuring a full weekend of wine tastings, live music, delicious food and outdoor fun July 21-22. “Wine Alley” gives aficionados the chance to discover an ever-expanding array of regional wines, while the kids zip line, test their climbing skills, and more. The chairlift will be spinnin’ as well for scenic views at the top, so make plans to be on the mountain! www.Schweitzer.com.

TEN FOR THE WIN

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce hit their stride when they debuted the late-summer Scenic Half in 2009—and 10 years later, the popular event, which takes place on Sept. 16 with its 13.1-mile half-marathon and 10K is stronger than ever! Participants rave about the event, saying it’s well organized, staffed with friendly volunteers, and of course those ‘wow factor’ views along the iconic Long Bridge.

Proceeds are distributed locally by the chamber, so it’s a win-win for everyone!

Register at www.ScenicHalf.com.

NO NEED TO BE ENVIOUS!

That’s because Shakespeare’s tragic tale of jealousy and deceit, Othello, can be enjoyed by all – free of charge! – when it arrives at the Bonner County Fairgrounds Aug. 19. The Montana Shakespeare in the Parks performance is hosted locally by Lost Horse Press with a grant from the Bonner County Fund for Arts Enhancement in the Idaho Community Foundation. Gates open at 3 p.m. for visiting and meeting the actors; performance begins at 6 p.m. Bring chairs, blankets, picnics! www.

ShakespeareintheParks.org.

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C A L E N DA R 11-12 Arts & Crafts Fair. See Hot Picks.

17-18 Spokane-to-Sandpoint Relay Race. Pacific Northwest s 11th annual premier team running event starts at Mt. Spokane and ends at Sandpoint City Beach. www.SpokanetoSandpoint.com.

541-6 -7174 19 Shakespeare in Sandpoint: Othello!

A performance of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. ates open p.m., show at 6 p.m. www.ShakespeareintheParks.org.

30 Yappy Hour. At Taylor Sons Chevrolet. See une 8.

SEPTEMBER

1-2 Coaster Classic Car Show. Nostalgic cars at Silverwood Theme Park. www.

SilverwoodThemePark.com. 8-68 4 1-3 Fall Fest. Annual outdoor music festival at Schweit er Mountain esort with music performances, chairlift rides, kids activities and microbrews under the tent. www.Schweit er.com. 8- 6 - 555 8 Injectors Car Show. 1 th Annual Powered by the Past show from a.m. until p.m. in downtown Sandpoint. www.

Sandpoint n ectors.com. 8- 6 - 78 10-15 WaCanId Ride. Tour two states and one province on the annual 5 -mile 56 -kilometer ride, presented by the nternational Selkirk Loop and otary nternational. www. aCan d.org.

888-8 - 6 6 16 Scenic Half. Presented by the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce See Hot Picks.

27 Yappy Hour. At ichardt s Pub, 1 Cedar St. See une 8.

OCTOBER

Weekends in October—Scarywood.

Silverwood Theme Park transforms into Scarywood, weekend evenings in October. www.SilverwoodThemePark.com.

13 Harvest Fest. Sandpoint Farmers Market closes the season with entertainment, food booths, activities, displays at Farmin Park. www.

SandpointFarmersMarket.com. 85 7- 55.

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FESTIVAL

AT SANDPOINT The 6th annual Festival at Sandpoint, held at Memorial Field on Lake Pend Oreille, takes place August 1 . Buy tickets by calling 8- 65-4554 or go to www.FestivalatSandpoint.com.

THURSDAY, AUG. 2 - BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS This beloved rock band first formed as high school friends in Columbine, Colo., and continued through college and beyond. Their popularity exploded when “Bittersweet” and “Circle” topped the charts, followed by later hits including “Boom Boom” and “Resignation Superman.” Gates open at 6 p.m., concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUG. 3 - AMOS LEE

With a musical style that encompasses folk, rock and soul, Lee’s association with Norah Jones brought him a national audience leading to hit songs including “Arms of a Woman,” and, most recently, “Vaporize.”

His music has appeared on the soundtracks of numerous TV shows and movies. Gates open at 6 p.m., concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUG. 4 - ZZ TOP

The iconic, blues-inspired rock band known for humorous lyrics laced with double entendre and innuendo ... and those beards! ... have few peers. Greatest hits include “Give Me All Your Lovin’” and “Sharp Dressed Man.” They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Gates open at 6 p.m., concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, AUG. 5 - FAMILY CONCERT

Musical fun for the young and young at heart featuring The Festival Community Orchestra and Studio One Dancers. Pre-concert activities include the Instrument Petting Zoo, an animal petting zoo and more. Activities begin when the gates open at 2:30 p.m., and the musical performance starts at 5 p.m.

THURSDAY, AUG. 9 - GREENSKY BLUEGRASS This five-piece band plays “our own version of bluegrass music, mixing the acoustic stomp of a string band with the rule-breaking spirit of rock and roll.” This is BrewFest Night, with brew tickets available in advance for $10 (includes glass and premium microbrew tastes). BrewFest starts when gates open at 6 p.m., concert starts at 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUG. 10 - SUBLIME WITH ROME American ska, punk, and reggae band featuring original members collaborating with renowned guitarist Rome Ramirez. Often described as reggae-rock, the group performs the hits that made them a success, including “What I Got” and “Wrong Way.” Gates open at 6 p.m., concert starts at 7:30 p.m. * Dance show

SATURDAY, AUG. 11 - PHILLIP PHILLIPS & GAVIN DEGRAW Phillips is an American Idol winner whose jazz, rock, and alternative sound has been heard on the radio, movies and TV with hits including “Home” and “Gone, Gone, Gone.” Phillips is joined for this double-billed powerhouse pop rock concert by Grammy nominated soul artist Gavin DeGraw who rose to fame with “I Don’t Want to Be.” Gates open at 6 p.m., concert starts at 7 p.m.

SUNDAY, AUG. 12 - SPOKANE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The Festival season culminates with the Grand Finale starring the Spokane Symphony Orchestra conducted by maestro Gary Sheldon, who will select some of his favorite pieces from his 20 years as principal conductor. Enjoy complimentary “Taste of the Stars” wine tasting and fireworks. Gates open early at 4:30 p.m. for the wine tasting event and S U M M E R 2 0 1 8the concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

5/10/18 5:05 PM

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Sandpoint Office 316 N. 2nd Avenue, Suite A-1 Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 (208) 255-2244 Fax (208) 255-1771 Toll Free (800) 205-8771

Schweitzer Office In the Lazier Building Sandpoint, Idaho 83864 (208) 263-0427 Fax (208) 265-5192 Toll Free (800) 205-8771

Priest River Office 19 W Beardmore Priest River, Idaho 83856 (208) 448-0901 Fax (208) 448-2011 Toll Free (800) 205-8771

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IANLTMEARNVAI E CW

‘NOTHING LIKE FREEDOM’ Rachel Jeffs, daughter of polygamous cult leader Warren Jeffs, is telling her story of abuse, survival and unrelenting courage

BY LYNDSIE KIEBERT

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INTERVIEW

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any first learned about arren effs, president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in 6, when he was on the run from the FB .

He landed on their 1 most wanted list for the se ual assault of numerous minors. Stories of his almost 8 wives and 5 children, his run from the law and the grip he held over Short Creek the largest polygamist enclave in America were shocking. hile the world watched the Te as raid that left almost 4 of the sect’s children in state custody through their television screens, one of effs daughters was living through a personal hell that would ultimately lead to her and her children s escape from FL S clutches.

Now that daughter, achel, is telling her part of the story in the book Breaking Free How scaped Polygamy, the FL S Cult, and My Father, arren effs.

In it, she recounts the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father at only 8 years old, being married to a man she didn t know at 18, raising five children amidst the turmoil of an increasingly radical religion, and ultimately summoning the courage to leave it all behind in 2015.

Rachel, recently remarried and living in Bonners Ferry, sat down to talk about life outside the church and keeping her faith after leaving everything she knew behind.

Sandpoint Magazine: You write in the epilogue of “Breaking Free” that you hope your family still inside the church or even those cast out of the church know they “always have a home” at your house. Has anyone reached out? What has the experience been now that people have read the whole story?

PHOTO: FIONA HICKS

Rachel Jeffs: t s been a very positive e perience. veryone has been very kind and a lot of people from the church... it s been a really big eye-opener for them. They re happy to know the truth. ve had family reach out, but not a lot because my father has told them how terrible I am, so they’re very afraid of me. It’s a long road to get my family, especially, to even consider listening to me. But hope every day that it gets cra y enough that they ll think Okay, m sick of this, m going to go see what achel says.

Throughout the book you acknowledge how often you don’t agree with certain aspects of how you grew up. For instance, you never really seem comfortable with plural marriage—”it’s always dramatic and hard”—as well as the belief that God was speaking through your father,

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Warren Jeffs with his daughter, Rachel (at his side in blue) celebrating a birthday along with 13 of her 52 brothers and sisters. CO T SY PHOTO

especially once (his rules) got really outrageous. Do you think these beliefs made you unique, or that there was a reason you were different?

My father always said that me and Becky were his rebellious daughters [Becky has also left the church], so maybe in a way, yeah, I always was just that way. I thought for myself more than other people. But at the same time I think it’s just common sense, that feeling like something s weird, it doesn t feel right. t wasn t at first that was so against polygamy because didn t know any better. t was more after was living polygamy that reali ed how hurtful it was. As a child I wasn’t as aware of that. I was glad to have a lot of brothers and sisters. But as a married woman, I realized how much dishonesty there was because the man couldn’t be loyal to one woman. It was confusing, and I didn’t like the confusion.

Where are you in your faith now? Has this experience changed your relationship with God? I am a Christian. I don’t follow a church at all because I don’t trust men so much as far as being in that position of power . hile was in the church learned to define that difference. ust remember thinking, hen pray, od feels different than my father and I know there’s a difference.

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od. felt like od helped me have that reasoning to leave the church . don t talk a lot about my beliefs; I just mostly teach my kids to pray and keep it really simple.

Most of your children were old enough while you were still in the church that they have memories of their time there.

How has their transition been? Do they talk a lot about their old life or is the focus mostly on the present?

Their first year of going to public school, really had to push them to go. They felt like they were different. They didn’t know if they’d be able to make friends. It didn’t take them very long to make friends though, and by the end of the year they loved school.

They ve really changed over uite easily, but at first they cried a lot about their father not being in their life [Rachel’s former FLDS husband, Rich, is still in the church]. They didn’t understand why he wouldn’t reach out to them or help care for us in any way, and now they just really don’t like to talk about it. Yet, it is still there. They love their other brothers and sisters still in the church ]the children of Rich’s three other wives] but they ve pretty much accepted that that life is gone and they have a new one. They are very glad to be out. They know the pain that’s there and they’re very grateful to be here.

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INTERVIEW

Your father abused you when you were young and you lived a very sheltered life. Not to suggest you thought it was normal, but I’m curious how long it took you to realize how terrible that experience was.

For a long time, he made me feel like it was me, that I was bad and that it was my fault. So now, to come out and realize how bad it really was, and to find out that he could be put in jail for things he did to me... wow, if I’d have known that as a child, that would have given me so much strength and made me feel like I should tell, or that I’m not the bad person. To actually come out and have people support me, it’s been really healing for me.

What would you say to someone that had a similar experience?

I think the hardest thing as a child when you’re so sheltered, you don’t even know.

I was taught that the fathers and the men

out in the world were so wicked, I remember thinking, “Well, if my father does this, then the fathers out in the world do way worse than him.” Now to come out and realize there are so many good people... I realize that my father is a uniquely bad person. I think anyone who is in an abusive situation should be able to speak up, go to authorities and tell them. Get help. Don’t ever feel like it’s your fault. I want people to know they are strong, and there is something within them that will help them become whatever they want, no matter what happened to them.

What makes you happy to call North Idaho home?

I always loved the mountains and green beautiful places. hen first got connected with Brandon [her current husband] I drove through Sandpoint. That was in 2015, and when I met Brandon in Bonners Ferry, I said, “I want to live in Sandpoint one day because

that is a very beautiful place.” I fell in love with the area.

You left your old life behind for many reasons but are there things about your past you are grateful for?

For as bad of a person as my father is, he basically made his family be literally perfect—as far as morally, almost ridiculously—but I am grateful for the good that I did learn. We were taught honesty, and I very much love the principle of truth. I want my kids to be honest kids and loving and kind people. The church did teach kindness and love, and I appreciate that.

I’m grateful for the skills I learned, like cooking, and how to survive without very much money. I’m grateful for my family and I love them all so much. I wish that they would know that and that we could remember our good times; we had a lot of good times. But I am so very glad to be free. There is nothing like freedom.

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phone 208.265.4558 www.sleepsnw.com SUMMER 2018

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WAT E R L I F E

Giving Nature a NOD ‘Naturalists on Duty’ at Waterlife Discovery Center

by Mary Terra-Berns

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HE LIFE OF A DROP of water is one of adventurous travel!

Traveling water drops are just some of the natural phenomena visitors can learn about at Waterlife Discovery Center, located on the south side of the Pend Oreille River, just off Lakeshore Drive on the Sandpoint Fish Hatchery property. Waterlife Discovery Center is an interpretive nature center where visitors can view the hatchery (now used as a fish holding facility for stocking high mountain lakes), and enjoy a science center, a pond with an underwater viewing window, a forested nature trail with interpretive signs, a dock on the river, and picnic tables.

Helping to interpret those tricky, traveling water drops and other natural phenomena is a wonderful cadre of volunteer Master Naturalists. Several of the area’s 40 Master Naturalists will be staffing the science center throughout the summer.

Naturalists on Duty, affectionately known as NODs, will be available from noon to four, Tuesday through Friday, to answer questions, give presentations, and share

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PHOTO: WATERLIFE DISCOVERY CENTER

PHOTO: KOOTENAI ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE

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Naturalists like Charles Darwin and John Muir were experts at explaining natural history and encouraging people to interact and spend time in the natural world. their wealth of knowledge about our northern Idaho natural environment.

The Master Naturalist program, which was introduced by Idaho Department of Fish and Game in 2007, is designed to develop a corps of trained volunteers that are knowledgeable about our natural world.

Master Naturalists complete 40 hours of classroom and field training, plus several hours of volunteer service, before graduating. Classes and field activities vary, but revolve around fish, wildlife, plants, water, and other natural history topics. After graduating, members are required to complete 40 hours of volunteer work plus continuing education classes each year.

The Pend Oreille Master Naturalist Chapter was formed in 2011, and has been busy from day one. Members collect data and monitor plants and animals for biologists

and researchers. They help teachers, agencies, and nonprofit organizations educate children and adults about nature, habitat, and conservation. Members participate in a variety of projects including bird surveys, stocking fish in high mountain lakes, collecting kokanee salmon eggs for the Cabinet Gorge Hatchery, working on trail crews, assisting with plant surveys, and planting wetland plants for restoration projects, among many other endeavors. Work hours logged by the chapter are often used as in-kind match dollars for IDFG conservation grants.

Naturalists like Charles Darwin and John Muir were experts at explaining natural history and encouraging people to interact and spend time in the natural world. They were on to something. Recent studies have shown a cognitive advantage in creativity and problem solving when spending time

n o i t i r t u N l a n o i t c Fun

outdoors. David Straker, adjunct assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, agrees: “Exercising in nature can have more mental health benefits than on a treadmill.”

So, ditch the treadmill and head to Waterlife Discovery Center, visit with one of the Master Naturalists, connect with nature, and in the process boost your creativity and problem solving skills! Learn more at www. wdc.com.

The Center for Cl in ic al Gr

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PICTURED IN HISTORY

Ferry Me Down The story of Bonner County’s ferry boats

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HE FIRST WAGON BRIDGE in Bonner County (now the Long Bridge) opened over the Pend Oreille River in 1910, connecting the bustling burg of Sandpoint with points south. Farmers now had a convenient way to transport their wares into Sandpoint, and those north of the river could pile into their newfangled automobiles to visit Coeur d’Alene and Spokane on much-improved roads.

But doesn’t 1910 seem relatively late for such a bridge? After all, immigrants had been living in the area for decades by then, and American Indians for centuries before that. How did people get across the river before the bridge?

Indians paddled across in birchbark canoes, and the earliest visitors and settlers, like David Thompson, did the same. This method worked great for transporting modest numbers of people and goods. But when prospectors surged through the area in the 1860s in search of gold in Montana and British Columbia, more efficient water transportation was needed.

At Seneacquoteen, a well-worn Indian trail led to a spot where the river narrowed, making a good crossing point to Laclede on the opposite shore. In 1860 Thomas Forde, an Irish immigrant, built the area’s first ferry here, later run by the Markham family: first Lyman, then his brother Francis, father of steamboat entrepreneur Melvin “Cap” Markham.

Other ferries soon sprouted up at Priest River, Cabinet Landing, Clark Fork and Newport—15 in all, at the peak. In the 1880s the new railroads built bridges but brought more settlers and created even more demand for the ferries.

Although designs varied, the ferry was generally a flat, gasoline- or current-powered log float, with a small shelter to protect the engine and ferryman from the elements. A cable stretched across the river kept some from drifting downstream. Others depended on a muscular ferryman to power the oars.

The ferryman lived at the landing and could be awakened at any hour by a traveler wanting to cross.

His job included determining whether conditions were safe for crossing, as storms, swift currents, ice and debris posed hazards. A talkative ferryman was also a great source of local news, as he heard it all.

In the 20th century ferries gradually became “bridged out”—unnecessary due to bridges and faster, safer roads. The county’s first ferry, Seneacquoteen, was also its last, making its final crossing in 1957.

PHOTO: BONNER COUNTY HISTORY MUSEUM

Visit the Bonner County Museum’s new exhibit, “By Way of Water,” which traces the story of local watercraft. A good book is “Always on the Other Side: The Story of the Bonner County Ferries” by Paul Rechnitzer.

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by Jennifer Lamont Leo

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QUARTZ HUNTERS

ON THE HUNT

for Hidden Gems

by Jason Wilmoth

PHOTO: KAREN WILMOTH

Digging for quartz at Solo Creek

J

UST ACROSS THE CATTLE GUARD which marks the boundary into Washington, a forested ridge angles down into the valley bottom. As the sun settles below the mountaintops, frogs begin to sing in the wetlands below and tenacious rockhounds come ambling down after a long day’s work over trails worn through cedar trees. They carry backpacks full of shovels, rock hammers, headlamps and, with luck, crystals.

The Solo Creek crystal digging site west of Priest Lake produces clear to smoky quartz crystals ranging from small “points” to larger crystals, some greater than 4 inches in length. The site is easily accessible in the summer months and provides an excellent opportunity to hunt for treasure while fully engrossed in beautiful scenery.

at:

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HUNTERS

In the geologic past, silica-rich material was pushed towards the surface, then cooled over time. Different minerals crystalize at different temperatures. Voids may be created as minerals with higher melting points are consolidated out of the molten mixture first. Quartz is one of the last minerals to form and will grow within these voids. If conditions are right, nice “point” formations may develop.

While digging for crystals is hard work— and sometimes discouraging—the elation of finding a well-formed crystal more than compensates for the hours spent working a shovel without success.

Certain methods seem to work best, but those methods may be shot full of holes at any time. One last shovel to the ground after a long day getting skunked PHOTO: JASON WILMOTH

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QUARTZ HUNTERS

may expose the largest crystal to be found that month. Or, after a week of heavy rains, excellent crystals might be found sticking right out of the ground, then nothing else found the rest of the day.

The most common technique for crystal hunting is to dig down to a sand-like layer which is full of mica and looks like kitty litter. Hollow out an area in this layer, thus undermining the layer above where the crystals are found, then pick away at the roof with a small hand tool.

The Solo Creek site stretches uphill away from the road, with only a wide spot in the road and some fresh dirt spilling off the slope marking the dig. Once you hike a short way up the hill, however, the full magnitude of the site appears. The ridge has been pockmarked over the years by crystal seek-

ers digging under boulders or through tree roots, or even under piles of fallen trees.

Everyone has their secret spot and will hoard the knowledge of its location, but most people are friendly and willing to show you their treasures.

Occasionally, as you are working your dig, your face covered in dirt and sweat, your eyes eagerly looking for something shiny, you will hear an excited “Woohoo!” echoing through the trees. Someone has hit a pocket of good crystals. So keep digging, and don’t get too discouraged. You may be the next to yell out through the cedar trees.

Gravity is real, so be careful. As holes are tunneled deeper into the ground, the earth above becomes less stable and could collapse at any moment. There are stories—true or not—about people digging alone whose

hole collapsed in on them, their bodies found days later, legs sticking out of the dirt. Crystal fever has a tendency to cause people to dig just a little bit farther than they ought to.

After unearthing your crystal treasures, you should make every effort to return the area to what would be considered its natural condition. Fill in any areas that may subside unexpectedly. Undermined trees may not collapse this year, but they may collapse next year.

Refilling what you just dug out is not fun, but it is necessary—there is already a watchful state of concern regarding this site.

There have been fires in this area, subsequent logging, road washouts and a moonscape of holes dug by crystal seekers. Excessive sediment washing into the creeks from the dig site is detrimental to aquatic species.

We’ve got you covered.

Go play!

Taylor Insurance, Inc. (208) 263-2708 • 1009 W. Superior Street Sandpoint, ID SUMMER 2018

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t e elat on of find ng a well-formed crystal more than compensates for the hours spent working a shovel.

The Lolo Pass crystal dig site has already been closed due to overuse; it would be a shame to have the Solo Creek site follow.

While the summer months are great for crystal digging, spring and fall also afford great opportunities to dig. You might even have the valley to yourself if you go on a rainy day. The road is well maintained and used by logging trucks salvaging timber from recent fires.

In 2017 the road washed out just below the dig site and was closed to vehicle traffic. Rockhounds parked at the “road closed” sign and walked the easy half mile to the dig site.

Backcountry travel is full of such unex-

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pected delays so prepare accordingly.

For the first-time crystal digger, shovels and small hand tools such as hand rakes or rock hammers are a must.

Headlamps are extremely beneficial, as they will cause the crystal facets to shine, making them easy to discern against the other material.

A rock screen makes the process much more productive as running your tailings through the screen will expose any crystals you may have missed. A rock screen can be easily built with a single 8-foot 2x4, some 1-inch furring strips, quarter-mesh screen, and wood screws.

All are available at any hardware store.

In the late spring and summer months,

insect repellant is a must. The mosquitoes coming off the wetlands below in the valley are hungry. Rockhounds are a favorite snack of the Solo Creek mosquitoes.

Don’t forget to bring plenty of water.

To reach the Solo Creek site, head north towards Priest Lake from the town of Priest River. Roughly 23 miles from Priest River, turn left onto Squaw Valley Cutoff road. Travel west on this road about six miles, crossing into Washington. After a few miles, turn left at the “T” onto forest road 659, and keep your eyes open for dig sites on your left-hand side as you travel up the hill.

SUMMER 2018

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A L M A N AC

PHOTO BY CHRIS CHAMBERS

For the love of

by Carrie Scozzaro

Stowaways welcome at weekly races

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N A LATE SUMMER AFTERNOON AT CITY BEACH, the vista unfolds like a vast blue sail. One can watch the remnants of a day at the lake give way to evening. Kids pedal through the park, beachgoers linger, boats putter in the bay, and Canada geese have emerged to reclaim grassy areas.

And if it’s a Thursday evening, there will surely be a group of folks gathering at Windbag Marina in preparation for a friendly sailing competition in the bay.

The Thursday Evening Races, as they’re known, attract a jovial crowd, mostly members of the Sandpoint Sailing Association in shorts and deck shoes, but also a few curious onlookers who have little or no sailing experience. All listen intently to instructions for the

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SAILING Photos: Carrie Scozzaro and Annie Pflueger

two-and-a-half lap race that occurs every Thursday from June 7 through September 6. (The final “Thursday” race is actually held on Saturday, September 15, and starts at noon.) It all begins with a captain’s meeting at 5:30 p.m.

Bruce Robertson, who is the association’s commodore, and his wife Barb Perusse (she serves as vice commodore) are amongst a handful of the SSA’s roughly 75 members who make their boats available to guests for the 2- to 3-hour excursion. Theirs is a 1974 Cal 229 sailboat, sometimes referred to as a ‘Classic Plastic’ boat, said Robertson, explaining “It was designed and made when fiberglass was new and factories tended to overbuild the hulls, not realizing how strong and durable the material is.”

With more than two decades of freshwater sailing between them—Perusse has some additional experience ocean sailing—the couple appreciate the opportunity to share their love of sailing, and hope to further people’s interest in the sport through the SSA. This summer, for example, SSA will again offer 2-hour classes for four days each through Sandpoint Parks & Recreation: June

18-21, July 16-19, and August 13-16. Fees are reasonable (last year they were $35/person for the 8-hour program) and SSA plans to offer a second session if the first one fills up for each timeframe.

They’re also working with Parks & Rec to offer private lessons.

Another option for would-be sailors, even those without their own boat, said Robertson, is to join SSA. Their low membership fees entitle members to use one of the association’s five Holder 14-foot dinghies or the group’s newest acquisition, a Capri 18-foot fixed-keel sailboat.

Another good first step in learning to sail, of course, is to tag along Thursday evenings, at no charge, where boats range from the beast owned by Robertson and Perusse to smaller, faster boats like the Red Hot Rookie, a J24 model skippered by Ray Henriksen.

The J24 is like a sports car compared to Perusse and Robertson’s boat, which is more like a van, explained Robertson.

Christened the Cloud Nine, this van of a boat is a dream for firsttimers to experience lake sailing. While the helmsman steers from the rear of the 29-foot boat, guests can stretch out along the port

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PROTECTED MARINA

WEDDINGS & EVENTS

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SAILING Photos: Carrie Scozzaro and Tracy Cooper

(left) and starboard (right) bow or front, mindful to stay out of the way of the crew (and the powerful sail).

And if a passenger expresses an interest in learning, there are few more enthusiastic and patient teachers than Robertson and Perusse, whose careers have been more or less dedicated to public service: he is with the city’s Public Works department, while she has a background in child advocacy and is a licensed professional counselor.

Leaning down, one can feel the spray of water, which increases as the boat gains speed. Looking out, the view includes City Beach and the marina, the distant shore and mountains, other boats, and the ever-changing hues of the lake. The sounds vary: waves against the boat; the halyard slapping on the aluminum mast in a varying rhythm of wind and motion; the distant hum of traffic as you near the highway, which is quickly pushed away as the boat turns and the wind rushes into your ears.

The SSA dates to the 1980s, when a number of sailing buddies coined a name for the group, wrote bylaws and established a

checking account for the nonprofit. In 1997, a handful of enthusiasts officially launched the SSA, which has evolved to include yearround social gatherings, as well as races, classes and other events designed to celebrate and promote sailing for existing and would-be members. Because when it comes to sailing, one can never have too much experience.

“You can learn to sail in about an hour, but to sail well, it’s a lifetime of learning,” said Robertson.

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OUR No trail exists to Gunsight peak so some bushwhacking—and a lot of perseverance—is required to summit. A beautiful alpine lake is tucked into the base.

GUNSIGHT 7,352’

Spectacular

The hike to Roothaan peak—the name is in honor of a Jesuit priest—provides close-up views of Chimney Rock, which can be reached by a short scramble.

MOUNT ROOTHAAN 7,326’

Surely the most recognized peak in the Idaho Selkirks, Chimney Rock is a favored site for technical climbing, which is required to summit.

CHIMNEY ROCK 7,124’

One of the less-frequented of the Selkirk peaks, the hike up to Silver Dollar offers varied terrain and a lot of “up.” There are approximately 7 miles of off-trail hiking along the ridgeline to reach the peak.

SILVER DOLLAR PEAK 7,181’

UN

At the intersection of Highway 200 and Hickey Road, an expansive view of the Selkirk Mountain Range is visible. The distinctive bowl of Schweitzer Mountain is visible to the left, outside the range of this photo.

MAIN PHOTO: KIRK MILLER. INSET PHOTOS: DON OTIS, CHRIS BESSLER, BETSY FULLING, JIM MELLEN.

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SUMMER 2018

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Spectacular Selkirks

SELKIRK MOUNTAINS Within the Seven Sisters the Twin peaks—North and South—are the only named peaks in the grouping. North Twin is the highest, with Beehive Lake resting below. The northwest face is a sheer, 1,000’ cliff.

Miracle Mountain its unofficial name—is the location where the Irwin family of four miraculously escaped unscathed from the crash of their small plane in 1986. Some wreckage is still visible there.

SEVEN SISTERS 7,599’

MIRACLE MOUNTAIN 7,190’

The jutting point of Harrison Peak makes it easy to spot. Harrison Lake—one of the most popular hikes in the Idaho Selkirks—is an added bonus on your way to the top. The only non-technical approach to the peak is the east face.

HARRISON PEAK 7,292’

Once the site of a fire lookout, Roman Nose is where firefighter Randy Langstom famously found shelter from the 1967 Sundance Fire. The area is known for abundant huckleberries. Three lakes are found at its base.

ROMAN NOSE 7,260’

SOUTH TWIN 7,500’ NORTH TWIN UN-NAMED UN-NAMED 7,599’’ PEAK PEAK

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A SLIGHT DRAMATIZATION OF MONTANA’S “BAD ACTOR” LAW:

(And How It Could Help Save Our Lake.)

M

ontana was smart. Their Republican and Democratic legislators got together to enact a law declaring any mining company that leaves a huge environmental disaster behind, can’t start a new mine until they clean up their old mess. Makes complete sense.

Well, Hecla Mining Co.s’ CEO was a key executive with Pegasus Gold Corp. which went bankrupt and walked away from three massive toxic sites. Montana has spent tens of millions of dollars trying to clean up cyanide, arsenic and other pollutants that leaked into neighboring waterways.

Now, as you may have noticed from our illustration, Hecla wants to build the giant Rock Creek mine. It would be under a pristine wilderness area, along the Clark Fork River and could barrel into Lake Pend Oreille with similar long-term pollutants.

So we have ridden to the rescue—along with other conservation groups—on the back

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of this law, urging the DEQ to enforce it. To their credit, they did. They have “barred CEO Phillips Baker from involvement in mining or explorations activities in Montana unless the statute’s remedial steps are completed.”

I.e. repaying the state for all cleanup costs, all penalties and interest.

But the fight is far from over. Rather than pay up, Hecla is challenging the DEQ’s decision. Which will mean more litigation, more court costs.

If you love Lake Pend Oreille and agree it’s vital to our life and livelihood in North Idaho, please join our alliance. Visit our website, sign up as a member, send any donations you can muster. We need all the heroes we can find to help rockcreekalliance.org (208) 610-4896 foil these bad guys.

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ROBOTICS

The Coolest Thing Rolling

Bonners Ferry students on a pathway to success with robotics Story and photo by Cameron Rasmusson

A

half-dozen members of the Bonners Ferry High School FIRST robotics team, 2130 Alpha+, crowded around a computer in late March. FIRST—For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology—seeks to inspire students in engineering and technology—and these students were inspired. They had a problem to solve, and they were running out of time to do it.

Working over the code that governed the practice robot stationed a few feet away, the students had to figure out how to make the robot lift up two boxes and deposit them onto an elevated platform.

So far, they had succeeded in making the robot land one box, but the second proved elusive. The calibration on the mechanism that shot the box like a basketball into a hoop was just slightly off. After several failed attempts, their hard work paid off: the second box shot into the air, teetered on the platform and settled into a secure position. A cheer went up from the teens and onlooking coaches and parents—one more goal accomplished.

It was a single small victory in the marathon of practice and finetuning leading up to the FIRST Robotics Competition. These competitions not only test participants’ ability to program robots, but also their skills in engineering, fundraising, accounting, civic engagement

and more. That broad basis of education is exactly why program lead mentor Ed Katz, who has guided the program since its debut 12 years ago, believes the robotics team is so vital.

“It’s the only extracurricular activity at school that every kid involved could turn into a professional career,” Katz said.

That ties neatly into a national campaign encouraging kids toward STEM activities—science, technology, engineering or mathematics—in the hope it will spark an interest that leads to employment in the field. And among the Bonners Ferry robotics team members, many are already envisioning the boost the program will give their imminent college careers.

“When I leave for college, I will be one or two years ahead of my peers in my program,” said team member Neil Martin, a Bonners Ferry High School senior who plans to study computer engineering.

While the robotics program can have potentially life-changing, long-term influence, all roads in the short term lead to the FIRST robotics tournament. This year, the Bonners Ferry High School team participated in two regional tournaments, one in Boise on March 28 and another in Calgary on April 4. These tournaments bring all the drama and fanfare one might expect at a football or basketball game: the test of skill in rule-based contests, the tension of harassing diligent practice for a moment of truth, the thrill of victory and the disappointment of defeat.

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ROBOTICS

“My motivation is to bring the same focus and excitement you see in sports to a STEM activity,” said Katz.

This year’s FIRST Robotics Competition was a video game-themed challenge in which participating teams use a combination of pre-programmed instructions and handson remote control to move “power cubes” to designated locations and rack up points. It’s a complex game that pits two teams in a test of programming sophistication, piloting skill and a tactical use of temporary power ups.

The competitions are truly international affairs, with teams from Turkey, China, Mexico, Canada, Germany and states across the U.S. They all compete for the chance to advance into world championships, a right the local team earned early this year.

While the robotics game is naturally the centerpiece of the competition, teams must demonstrate more than their robotics skill.

According to Ed’s wife Jill Katz, mentor of the team’s business team, many participants focus solely on running a tight ship.

“We’re also competing for awards,”

she said. “For instance, who has the best business plan?”

The business team accounts for every expense that went into building robots within the budgetary limit of $4,000. They put together a business plan and raise funds to ensure their team’s financials remain stable. And they reach out to the community to demonstrate the program’s value and skill-building qualities.

“It’s phenomenal,” Jill said. “It really is a cultural shift in our community.” The robotics team’s work is all about encountering innumerable individual problems and overcoming them one at a time. And this team is nothing if not dedicated.

“You have to kick them out of (the practice room),” she said. “They would stay here all night otherwise. They would sleep here.”

Just as dedicated are many of the team members’ parents, some of whom have volunteered for the team since the first year of its 12-year history. Mike Tymrak and John Kaessinger had children on the first team and have been hooked ever since. Dan Claphan,

meanwhile, needs no abundant encouragement to stay involved with the team.

“It’s robots, man,” he said. “It’s the coolest thing going in town.”

The Bonners Ferry team needs that kind of passion from its members, volunteers and community to stay competitive. Larger high schools have a larger pool of students to draw from and often have better funding than small schools like Bonners Ferry High can manage.

“The biggest challenge (for us) is cost,” said Ed. “It’s not an inexpensive program.”

He hopes the robotics program will eventually be integrated into the school’s vocational training programs.

It’s all worth it to introduce students to the STEM field, Jill said. With some of the most lucrative jobs in the country requiring an education in STEM subjects, the robotics team isn’t just an engaging extracurricular activity—it’s building a pathway to future success.

“These students can be engineers or mathematicians or business people or whatever they want to be,” Jill said.

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HIKING

the top of the

WORLD

Hiking to Schafer Peak and Green Monarch Ridge Story and photos by Betsy Fulling

I

f you’re looking for views, you can’t go wrong with Schafer Peak as a destination. The site of a former fire lookout tower, it offers an expansive overlook of the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountain ranges across Lake Pend Oreille.

On my fourth hike to Schafer Peak the day was perfect...always a pleasant surprise. Blue sky, beautiful white puffy clouds, and clear.

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HIKING

The trail follows the ridge over three mountains above the Green Monarch ridge with many steep undulations. The first ridge has no name; the second is Green Monarch Mountain, elevation 5,157’; and the third is Schafer Peak, elevation 5,210’. The views are magnificent...of Lake Pend Oreille, the Clark Fork Delta and Seven Sisters group, the Cabinet Mountains and all the Selkirk Range. Since this hike is a ridge hike, there is a lot of undulation in both directions.

Imagine climbing three mountains five times...three times on the way over and then back down the third and over the last two again.

While this hike is difficult and steep, it is great fun.

There was carnivore scat, a dead fawn carcass and buzzards circling on two occasions, one of which had been picking at the dead carcass. Depending on when you hike, beautiful beargrass may be in bloom, along with Sego lilies; the Baby Blue Eyes bloom earlier in the season.

At the top, the views are spectacular and in the area where the old fire tower once stood there are remains of the old outhouse.

When the sun gets hot, the steep climb can be tough, making the return trek seem to take forever. At the top of each mountain, look back and see where you’ve come from—it is amazing! Be sure to take frequent rests and water breaks. You might run out of steam near the end, but the surrounding beauty is sustaining. You will already be looking forward to the next time you come to this special place… after a little rest!

--------Total hiking time Total miles hiked Pedometer reading Elevation gain

5 hours, 30 minutes 11 miles 22,985 steps 3,300’

Trail #68 to Schafer Peak can be accessed by following Trail 69 (as in the story). An even tougher workout starts with Trail 105, for more elevation gain. Read more about this hike in “Legendary Lake Pend Oreille.”

Fun on the lake starts here Our marinas offer the best amenities on Lake Pend Oreille

• • • • • • •

Seasonal & annual moorage Covered & open slips 24-hour gas Security gates Dockside power & water Pump-out station Boat ramp

• • • • • • •

Restrooms Boardwalk Convenience store Marine supplies Watercraft rentals Free parking Ethanol-free premium fuel

Sandpoint Marina Be Prepared.

Holiday shores

Waterfront Property Management

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Dover Bay Marina SUMMER 2018

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A L M A N AC

Last stand for America’s

After devastating loss, tiny caribou band needs help to survive

Female caribou photographed in the Selkirks in 2017. PHOTO A

by Chris Bessler

S

ince the first e plorers and settlers came here, the mountains of northern daho have held a small population of mountain caribou probably the rarest large mammal in the .S. ith their oversi e hooves adapted for walking in snow, distinctive antlers and gentle appearance, this subspecies of North American reindeer is rarely seen even by the most ardent outdoorsmen.

The tiny herd that lives in the southern Selkirk Mountains, which roams much of the year north into Canada, has barely clung to survival for years. n 17, the annual survey counted 11 caribou.

This spring brought even worse news. Aerial surveys counted ust three caribou, all cows and none pregnant. Biologists don t know what may have killed most of the band, but the caribou thrive in the high snowy mountains in winter and some guess that an avalanche could have decimated the herd. ith only three remaining, a story in the New York Times in April reported the caribou as functionally e tinct.

Not so fast, say local ndian tribes and conservation groups who have been fighting for caribou recovery for years. The groups that form the Mountain Caribou nitiative in late April declared, it most certainly is not game over.

This past winter the alispel Tribe had high hopes to begin a maternal penning pro ect, in which pregnant caribou cows would be captured and kept in the security of a 1 -acre enclosure to birth and rear their calves before release back to the wild. That pro ect is still possible for ne t year, said Mike Lithgow, alispel outreach coordinator. However, he noted, as the herd spends much of the year in Canada, wildlife agencies in British Columbia will have to decide how to move forward.

Cheryl Moody, e ecutive director of the Selkirk Conservation

T

Alliance, echoes the importance for both Canadian and .S agencies to sign on to continued recovery efforts. And she wants citiens who share concern to get involved. e encourage everyone to raise their voices in support of the caribou in both the .S. and Canada, said Moody.

Officials with the lead .S. agency in caribou recovery give positive signals that the effort is not over.

The .S. Fish and ildlife Service is an active participant in the conservation and recovery of both the South Selkirk herd and the southern mountain caribou, said Sarah Levy, SF S public affairs officer. The conservation of this species is a binational, collaborative effort, and we are working closely with multiple partners in daho, ashington, Canada, and Tribes and First Nations.

That it is a matter of international significance reflects the history of the woodland caribou. They were once plentiful not ust here in daho but along the northern tier states of the .S. n the early 18 s, Maine had as many as 5, caribou, but they were reported driven e tinct by 18 8. n northern Minnesota the species distinct from the caribou that roam the tundra of Alaska may have numbered up to 1 , animals but was considered wiped out after a final lone bull was spotted in the 1 4 s.

So far, the daho herd has avoided that fate but ust barely. e will not give up hope and we ask others to oin us in this, said Moody.

For further information: Mountain Caribou nitiative www.caribourainforest.org action alispel Tribe www.kalispeltribe.com ootenai Tribe www.restoringthekootenai.org Selkirk Conservation Alliance www.scawild.org

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MOS O

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www.TSSIR.com

After a record breaking ski season, nows the time to invest in Schweitzer Mountain Resort! 10 lots in 4 distinct areas! Prices range from $49,900 to $260,000. Owner Terms!

Call Alison Murphy 208-290-4567

Custom 3200SF Waterfront Home on .78 acres with a large level lawn, a private sandy beach, a delightful waterfront patio and a new dock and lift in the desirable Oden Bay area. $1,100,000 Call Alison Murphy 208-290-4567

Endless summer views from this fantastic spot on Bottle Bay. 100 front feet of crystal clear water, a rustic cabin, dock, and great access to town. $465,000. Owner Terms!

Call Alison Murphy 208-290-4567

Spectacular Lake & Mountain Views in picturesque Garfield Bay. 3 bed/ 2.5 bath cedar sided home on a private 7.5 wooded acres. Living Room with floor to ceiling windows, open kitchen with island, seasonal waterfall, fruit trees, & a community waterfront access lot. $649,000 Call Bill Schaudt 208-255-6172

Fly-in Private Retreat on over 131 acres Custom Green-built Country Home – Chef ’s kitchen – Spacious master suite Main floor guest suite with private entry - Deluxe Hangar has luxurious upstairs apartment - Mixed acreage with two streams and a pond - Unique private setting with paved access only 5 miles to town. $1,990,000 #20172665 Contact Bill Schaudt 208.255.6172

Waterfront home site at Oden Bay with 100 feet of pristine shoreline and building site ready to accommodate your new lakefront home on North Idaho’s most beautiful lake! #20163039 $325,000 Call Rich Curtis 208.290.2895

One-owner, custom built, beautiful home in scenic Hope.

Good partial Lake Pend Oreille & Monarch Mountain views.

Spacious 36’x8’ Trex deck for entertaining. Sound system, propane stove, open kitchen, master suite, two-car garage. $375,000 Call Susan Moon 208-290-5037

Lake Pend Oreille 80’ Waterfront parcel with additional building lot for over 1 acre. $375,000 Call Susan Moon 208-290-5037

Pend Oreille River.103’ of waterfront. Dock, boat lift. Beach area.Walk out deck. 2 bedrooms up and 2 bedrooms down.

2913 soft. Priest River area easy commute to Spokane! $569,000 Call Carlene 208-290-5700

Alison Murphy,

REALTOR® 208.290.4567 alison.murphy@sir.com

Bill Schaudt, REALTOR® Rich Curtis, REALTOR® Susan Moon, REALTOR® 208.255.6175 bill.schaudt@sir.com

208.290.2895 richard.curtis@sir.com

208.290.5037 susan.moon@sir.com

Carlene Peterson,

REALTOR® 208-290-5700 carlene.peterson@sir.com

Carrie LaGrace,

REALTOR® 208.290.1965 carrie.lagrace@sir.com

© MMVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Claude Monet’s “Marine View With a Sunset,” used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc.

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5/9/18 11:07 AM

Serving the North Idaho region Sandpoint Branch 200 Main Street Sandpoint, Idaho 208.263.5101 800.282.6880

Coeur d’Alene Branch 221 E. Sherman Avenue Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 208.667.1551 800.621.3163

Brilliant views found among this serene waterfront getaway A truly fabulous setting for this 2 bedroom / 2 bath single-level home on 135’ boatable on the Pend Oreille River. $499,000 Call Carrie LaGrace 208-290-1965

326 ACRE PREMIER NORTH IDAHO RANCH!

1900 SF Log Home. Numerous barns/outbuildings. 3 sides N.F. border. Granite Creek. Timber & pasture. Near Lake & marina. #20172403 $1,200,000 Call Brian Harvey 208-290-2486

DOVER BAY “CABIN IN THE WOODS”

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ONE OF THE LAST LARGE WATERFRONT PROPERTIES ON THE BIG LAKE!

Almost 5 acres w/180 FF. 2000+ SF Home. Existing dock. Views of Lake & Schweitzer. Level property. Hope area. $1,650,000 Call Brian Harvey 208-290-2486 or Dawn Meyer 208-290-4149

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2397 SF - 4 Bedrooms - 3 Bathrooms - Comes Fully Furnished - Community Marina, Beach, Pool, Fitness Center, 9 Miles of Trails - Natural Gas Range and Fireplaces - Covered Wraparound Deck - Newer Hot Tub. #20181148 $695,000 Call/Text Will Nicholson 215.208.6585

REALTOR® 509.939.1340 lyle.hemingway@sir.com

One of the last lots with a home TO BE BUILT in this sought after Sandpoint neighborhood, Maplewood Village. 3 bdrm/2bth with 2200 sq/ft iwith 2+ car garage in South Sandpoint. $365,000 Call Carrie LaGrace 208-290-1965

Private 21 Acres- Build Your DREAM HOME - 7 Minutes to Shopping and Restaurants in Bonners Ferry - Panoramic Views of Mountains - Mesmerizing Sunsets - Site has Access to Power, Water, and Natural Gas - Optional Plans for Subdivision. #20181168 $325,000 Call/Text Will Nicholson 215.208.6585

Brian Harvey,

Dawn M. Meyer,

Cheri Hiatt, REALTOR®

REALTOR® 208.290.2486

REALTOR® 208.290.4149

brian.harvey@sir.com

dawn.meyer@sir.com

208.290.3719 cheri.hiatt@sir.com

“Snowdrift Condominium” Short distance to the village for skiing, dining and shopping. Very clean with heated garage. Beautiful views of the village and the ski hill. For showings of this or any properties at Schweitzer Mountain Call Lyle Hemingway 509-939-1340

FOUND HORSESHOE RANCH

7592 SF home on 1650 feet of the Pend Oreille River WA 84 acres, 72 x 40 shop & barn Call Cheri Hiatt 208-290-3719

Breathtaking views from this almost 4400 sqft beautiful log home, perched high above the Kootenai River Valley. This 40 acre, off grid property is surrounded by Forest Service and private timber land. It is powered by wind, solar, wood, & propane, through a high end power management system.

Very Very Private. MLS 20172723 Jim Shifler 208-610-4297 or Shane Rawlins 208-597-0336

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Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated. Coeur d’Alene office: 208-667-1551, 221 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. Sandpoint office: 208-263-5101, 200 Main St., Sandpoint, ID 83864.

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Putting her subjects

A L M A N AC

on the

Maria Larson creates unique paintings that celebrate North Idaho lakes

by Cassandra Cridland

M

ARIA LARSON KNEW TWO THINGS AT A YOUNG AGE: she would always be madly in love with Lake Pend Oreille, and she wanted to be center stage—under a spotlight.

“When I was 9 years old, we went to New York for Thanksgiving. We stayed for a week and saw a play every night. The first night, we went to a theater and sat down. Mary Martin rolled out from stage left on a rock bathed in peach light singing, ‘The hills are alive with the sound of music…’. It was a watershed moment—I want to do that! And I did. I did musical (community) theater for years.”

Growing up in California, Larson took nearly every art, dance, and music class the schools SUMMER 2018

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offered. Every summer, Larson’s family headed to Sandpoint, not returning until fall. Larson explained that when she wasn’t preparing for, or dreaming of, her future life as a performer, she was counting down the moments until they would be back on Lake Pend Oreille.

A series of broken ankles prevented Larson from ever realizing life as a professional dancer, and she shifted her attention firmly to her painting. She went to college, studied art, met her husband, and started a family. Her time in Sandpoint was limited to short stays visiting her parents.

For several years while living in Twin Falls, she and her husband, Lars, owned an art gallery and frame shop.

“The theory when we started the art gallery was that I was going to paint and sell in the gallery. But with a business to run and three children to raise, I didn’t paint for 15 years.”

Larson and her husband wanted to move to Sandpoint, but the timing never seemed right. Until, that is, her aging parents announced their intention to sell their property on Sunnyside. So Larson and her husband sold their business and moved their family north.

Moving freed Larson to paint. A few years ago, while considering a NOAA map of Lake Pend Oreille, she decided it was missing something—maybe a moose. It led to what is now her signature artwork: a map of a North Idaho lake (one of three she specifically commissioned) underlying the subject of the piece.

Describing that art, she said:

“I paint in acrylic, using a watercolor technique, because I want the map to show through, I want it to be washy.”

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ART However, what people see at first isn’t always the underlying map of a local lake, but rather Larson’s love for the area.

“I’ve had reports from galleries. People come in, they buy a painting, take it home, and then they call the gallery. ‘There’s a map behind my painting.’” She laughs softly. “They didn’t even notice the map. They just saw the image over the top.”

Larson’s ability to capture the essence of a home in Sandpoint landed her one of her most recent commissions.

While delivering a painting to Northwest Handmade Furniture and Gallery in Sandpoint, Larson met Bev Hague. Larson admitted they fumbled through a bit of awkwardness, since she always feels overwhelmed when she meets a fan of her art, but they had a nice chat. A week later the two met again.

“She wanted to commission me to do a piece, but cautioned me, ‘It’s kind of weird.

I want you to do something with the space station and an astronaut.’ I said, ‘On a map?’

‘Yes,’” Hague had replied. “My son, Nick, is an astronaut who’s going to the space station.

This will be a Christmas present. My husband, Don, and I want to remind him when he’s done to come back here and see his parents.”

While Larson can normally produce one of her wildlife map paintings in a few days, she agonized over this painting for weeks. She spent days researching reference photos—a space station, an astronaut, a very prominent tether.

“His mother was very specific…he’s going to spacewalk, and she wanted the tether to be very prominent.”

Larson started painting, taking her time with each portion: two days to paint the background of earth and a night sky, two days to show the lights across the United States, three days to incorporate the space station. Nearing completion, she suddenly realized her reference image wasn’t the actual space station.

Heartbreak—a week of painting, all scrap. She started again.

Expressing her enjoyment in doing commissions, Larson spoke about connection, “… to give them something that speaks to them… that’s the best.”

Larson met Nick Hague, and he seemed delighted with his parent’s gift, which now hangs in his Houston home.

Appliances, furniture, tools and more at discount prices!

YOUR DONATIONS HELP US BUILD AFFORDABLE HOMES! For more information call (208)265-5313

sandpointrestore.org

1519 Baldy Park Rd. Sandpoint, ID 83864

TO SCHEDULE A DONATION PICK-UP: CALL (208) 610-7737

BONNER GENERAL HEALTH

Bonner General Health is a Critical Access Hospital with a network of outpatient clinics and services serving Sandpoint and the surrounding region.

We provide essential urgent, acute, and critical care, as well as many other healthcare services to meet the needs of our community. We are here for you and your family through all stages of life.

Some of the services we provide: • 3-D Mammography • 24-Hour Emergency Department • Anticoagulation Clinic • Bonner General Behavioral Health • Bonner General Orthopedics • Diagnostic Imaging • Diabetes Education • Family-Centered Maternity Unit

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Home Health & Hospice Services Infusions & Procedures Clinic Immediate Care Clinic Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy • Sandpoint Women’s Health • Surgical Services • Wound Care Unit For a comprehensive list of our services please visit BonnerGeneral.org 520 N. Third Avenue, Sandpoint, ID 208-263-1441

SUMMER 2018

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A R T F U L LY

SANDPOINT

TAKIN’ IT TO THE STREETS

Arts & Crafts fair moves downtown

by David Keyes

A

fter a 45-year run, the Pend Oreille Arts Council’s Arts and Crafts show is leaving City Beach and is headed downtown.

Sandpoint’s wildly popular, juried arts and crafts show will be held August 11-12 in an area that stretches along Main Street from Town Square to Second Avenue. The booths will be aligned along the streets and the area will be closed off to motorized traffic.

While the move wasn’t POAC’s idea, the group is onboard to make the best of it.

In a note to vendors and the public, POAC agreed the new location would be much easier for the public and vendors to access.

The new location will land the nearly 110 vendors in an area that will be much more visible and won’t cause the traffic congestion that has become associated with the show.

The show occurs during one of the busiest weekends in Sandpoint. The Festival at Sandpoint is in full swing and the gorgeous weather attracts visitors to the area for all sorts of fun.

Last year the show attracted 3,000 visitors.

Artists from around the western United States trek to 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

August 10–12 and 17–19, 2018

SANDPOINT’S BEST ARTISANS

Fine Art Jewelry • Fiber Wood • Glass •Pottery Photography 214 1st Ave. Sandpoint, ID 208.263.2642 www.SandpointArtworks.com 64

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Visit our website!

Free self-guided tour Watch for brochures in town and signs along the roads

arttourdrive.org

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to be included. Most years, visitors will find offerings in ceramics, fiber, jewelry, metal, fine art, woodwork and numerous other mediums. The show also has a reputation for outstanding entertainment as well as great food.

Don’t forget to check out the youth art arena.

For more information, visit www.artinsandpoint.org or call 208-263-6139.

Connie Scherr has been a Local North Idaho Artist for over 40 years.

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TRANSPORT

PARDON OUR DUST Cedar Street gets a facelift

by David Keyes

V

ISITORS TO LOST IN THE ‘5OS won’t recognize Sandpoint’s Cedar Street just a few weeks later.

An ambitious plan to widen sidewalks, replace pavement and lighting, install storm gardens, landscaping and add public art is set to begin on May 21, will last through September and will encompass all of downtown Cedar Street.

The project is a continuation of improvements made in 2012 to Church

Street between Fifth and Second avenues.

The project will be broken into three phases—with each phase taking about a month and encompassing one city block at a time. The first phase will last until the end of June and will focus on Cedar Street from Second to Third Avenue.

Contractor Earthworks Northwest and city officials met with impacted business owners in a public meeting May 3 and more than 60 people attended. Public

Works director Amanda Wilson said the project was going to be one of efficiency and transparency.

“We will attempt to make this project as pedestrian friendly as possible,” she said, adding people will be able to access all businesses throughout the project.

The city is working on signage and safety measures to keep the construction zone accessible. Bonner General Health has agreed to provide parking after hours and on weekends through the summer and the city is actively looking for more parking locations off of Cedar.

There will be no construction on the weekends, with work scheduled to occur weekdays between 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Every day the contractor will control dust with water.

Find weekly updates online on the project’s website at www.sandpointstreets. com. Maps will be distributed in and around downtown to help guide visitors and locals alike.

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SUMMER 2018

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BICYCLING

PEDALING AROUND TOWN

businesses respond ARTfully with bicycle parking

BY KAREN SEASHORE

A

striking thing about Sandpoint is the number of bicycles to see as you wander. Armies of wet-haired kids with beach towels draped around their necks, cyclists accompanying dogs on leashes, women with yoga mats jutting from backpacks, a guy in dress-up clothes, the right ankle of his pressed slacks held tight by a yellow strap. There are parents towing little ones, tandems, cruisers, ten-speeds and vintage beauties.

In response to all those bicycling enthusiasts, area businesses have responded with bike racks galore, some of which are truly artistic.

When you enter Sandpoint, the sign announces it’s a walking town. But it’s also a pedaling town. So look around, and you’ll see some pretty classy parking for all these bikes.

Interesting bike racks include (below, clockwise from left): Pend d’Oreille Winery, Petal Talk, Bonner General Health, North Idaho College Sandpoint Center, Syringa Cyclery.

PHOTO: WOODS WHEATCROFT

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Ultra

ENDURANCE

An Running Event in North Idaho Dig Your Own Grave race is a challenge to accomplish the nearly impossible

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OOKING FOR A CHALLENGE? How about a 62-mile race with 15,000 feet of climbing in the Cabinet Mountains? Unparalleled views of Lake Pend Oreille, huckleberries, wildflowers and a digging spade as a finisher’s prize could be all yours this August as the third Dig Your Own Grave race gets underway.

STORY AND PHOTO BY JIM MELLEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY JODI RAWSON

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ENDURANCE

This ultra challenging race is the brainchild of Mike Ehredt, local runner and coach. Ehredt has twice crossed the continental United States at a run, from east to west and north to south, planting flags every mile to honor thousands of fallen soldiers from recent wars. (www.

ProjectAmericaRun.com) With many marathons and ultras (any race longer than 26.2 miles) under his belt, plus work organizing many races, Ehredt is uniquely qualified to host such an event.

From Hope, the route climbs to Round Top Mountain for some incredible views, then continues along beautiful Trail 120 to Trestle Creek. After a tour of Moose Mountain, Moose Lake, and Lake Estelle, runners then take on Lake Darling (maybe time for a dip here?), Mount Pend Oreille and Lunch Peak. Passing close to Trout Peak, and the final aid station, an obscure trail leads back to Trestle Creek Road and the finish line.

This is a rugged race with minimal support. With only four aid stations, runners are mostly on their own. Sometimes Mother Nature will throw in a curveball.

Meleah McNair described her experience during the 2016 race: “The trail was rugged, mountainous, views for days—it was incredible! As we ran up the scree field it started to rain and lightning. At the top it was super windy, snowing, and lightning and thundering. We didn’t stay up there for long and descended down the other side.”

Rebekah Davis also finished the 2016 race. “When I signed up for the 2016 DYG, it was to be my longest race. I was pretty unsure of myself, my training and what to expect on race day. It turned out to be just another run with friends, with tons of camaraderie and a touch of the excitement that comes with a trip to the backcountry. A few miles into the race, the starting-line anxiety wore off. I caught up with some friends and we settled into a pace, sharing the fun and awesome views. Reaching the aid station was truly like finding an oasis.

We were heartily greeted by the amazing volunteers, who refilled not just our water and calories, but our spirits with their enthusiasm and care.”

North Idaho has a strong running community. At least four locals have registered already to run solo in the 2018 race, but there is also a fourperson relay option for the less mentally disturbed.

How does a person train for this?

Running. Lots of running, especially up and down mountains. A little secret: nobody runs the whole time. Smart runners power walk up the steep sections. Hiring a trainer can keep you on task and help avoid injury. Trainers like Mike Ehredt will encourage you to do everyone’s not-so-favorite training technique: the dreaded hill repeats.

Basically, you run up a short hill as fast as you can, then walk down and repeat over and over. Your spouse may not see much of you for the six months preceding the race!

Physical training is not the only aspect that needs attention. As Yogi Berra said of baseball, “Ninety percent of the game is half mental.” Running ultra marathons takes incredible mental toughness.

Eating during a race of this magnitude is complicated. Although burning lots of calories, a runner’s appetite can disappear, setting you up for a major bonk. But forcing an unfamiliar food can have disastrous results. The best choice is something easily digestible such as gels or high performance sport drinks.

Seasoned runners generally avoid trail bars since these are hard to digest and can cause stomach upset.

But the big question is why? Why work yourself so hard? Why risk injury? Every runner’s reasons differ, but generally runners report feeling more alive than ever; the merit in setting

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a goal and sticking with the program; curiosity; the benefit of an unrestricted caloric intake; and finally, the addictive nature of endorphins.

At the core is the elation associated with achieving a goal that you honestly thought might be impossible. So even if you do not take up running, set your sights on something—anything—that seems impossible and see what happens!

The race takes place August 4 at 5 am in Hope, Idaho, and you can register at: www.bit.ly/dig-your-grave-100k If you want to run with a fun and inclusive group, check out the 7B running group at www.run7b.com.

W

hy is it called Dig Your Own Grave?

The course starts in Hope, Idaho and runs past the Hope cemetery. Buried here is a retired U.S. Marshal who lived in a cabin in the area in the 1950s. When he was in his 80s, his health was declining, so he went to the Hope cemetery and dug his own grave.

But after a horseback trip to Round Top Mountain (where the race begins) for one last hoorah, he felt his health improving, so he went back to the cemetery an fi e his ra e ba in.

Eventually, though, he was buried there. Hence the race name.

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5/9/18 11:09 AM

A L M A N AC

Positive about Plants

By David Keyes

I

t is a love story as old as time. A handsome French firefighter meets a Sandpoint lass onboard a ship near Antarctica as they combine with the crew to save 932 whales. Quick, get Disney on the line...

Fate brought Gwendal Le Tutour and Katie Adams onto the crew of the Bob Barker as part of the Sea Shepherd program in 2013. Both single, they were looking for adventure and a way to change the world.

One might envision them bracing against the railing of the Bob Barker as mist arose from the frigid waters while the ship and crew bravely stared down whaling vessels. Le Tutour and Adams would presumably catch a glimpse of each other as the small vessel engaged in a dangerous game of getting between harpoons and whales.

Adrenaline flows, passion follows.

While it is true the couple first caught each other’s eyes onboard the Bob Barker off the coast of Antarctica, how they knew it was something special was the real test.

PHOTO: FIONA HICKS

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H E A LT H

“We were in charge of the ship’s sewage system,” Le Tutour said.

“We learned a lot about each other at our daily poop party,” Adams chimed in. “It was love at first sight.

It was during that quality time together that a plan to share their commitment to living a healthy life started to form.

Adams grew up in Sandpoint, graduating from Sandpoint High in 2007. The couple returned here to marry in 2014. Now the Frenchman who couldn’t speak English the year before calls North Idaho home. Their next step is to make the world healthier.

Everyone has to eat, and must decide what kind of fuel they want to put in their bodies. This is where Adams and Le Tutour want to enter the discussion, doing so with

These millennials are quick to point out that Plant Positive is not hung up on terms such as vegan or vegetarianism. The all-in approach of veganism polarizes people and even vegetarianism is imposing for some.

(Vegans eliminate all animal products from their diet—including eggs and dairy.)

“Never tell someone what they can’t eat,” said Le Tutour. “Show what they can eat.”

Pretty soon the good food and choices will crowd out the bad.

“We show people what we eat—a whole food, plant-based diet—and they can make an educated decision,” said Adams. The right food choices can lower cholesterol and fight cancer. This, mi ed with a steady dose of high level fitness, make these two poster children for squeezing the most out of life.

kitchen or living room. There are racing bibs and medals on the wall and running shoes scattered about in the background to add flavor to the scene.

Topics vary from training with a spouse to the pros and cons of hydration packs to running and suffering. Each video attracts anywhere from 200 to 500 viewers.

“Some people love to suffer...Gwen does and so do I,” is how Adams starts one of the videos.

Another video features a group of their friends joining them for a day of running to six area lakes while a third shows Le Tutour trying to choke down a very green smoothie.

The videos offer unique perspective into an uber healthy and fit life in a chatty, nonjudgmental way. The hosts often invite

“EAT REAL FOOD, TAKE COLD PHOTOS KATIE ADAMS

SHOWERS AND

B R E AT H E ” clever blog posts, fun YouTube videos and good, old-fashioned just talking to people.

Welcome to Plant Positive.

Their Sandpoint-based organization (www.Plant-Positive.org) is focused on developing a starting point for people who want to learn about healthier lifestyle options.

Plant Positive is a “one step more” initiative the pair hope will move society a step closer to a “healthier lifestyle and a healthier planet.”

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Plant Positive wants to start a conversation—not preaching but providing alternatives—and have some fun doing it.

Le Tutour and Adams’ YouTube channel, their Facebook page, and their Instagram feed instantly pull people into their world.

Plant Positive Running on YouTube features 374 of their videos and has 1,690 subscribers. Most videos begin with Adams holding a huge mug of coffee in their

viewers to join in.

The couple also started a Patreon account to help fund some of their outreach programs. To date, 19 patrons kick in $163 a month with a goal of raising 1, .

The fre uency of the videos ramped up recently as Le Tutour and Adams decided it was time for a coming out party for Plant Positive.

The couple is working to open a healthoriented bed and breakfast along with

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H E A LT H

B I N E T S C A C U S T O M H A N D B U I LT

sprucing up their kitchen so they can host inexpensive, healthful cooking classes.

Le Tutour and Adams enjoy sharing their journey and hope that by leading by example and providing advice, others might come along for the ride. “Until people are ready to make a change, they aren’t going to listen,� Le Tutour said. “Our goal is to give the tools and the why to make choices.

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obody ever ran 100 miles in full firefighter gear. That is, until April 28, when Gwendal Le Tutour wanted to draw attention to the fight against cancer and decided to break a Guinness record in the meantime.

Growing up in France, Le Tutour wanted to become a firefighter. He also grew up watching American films featuring firefighters. “American firefighters were so bad-assed,� he said. “I never thought I would ever live in America or become a firefighter.� He is a volunteer on the Selkirk Fire Department and has now earned his own bad-ass status after running 100 miles in 25 pounds of gear.

He and his wife wanted the run to raise awareness about fighting cancer and joined with the American Institute of Cancer Research.

Le Tutour finished the 100 miles in just under 29 hours. Buoyed along the way by fellow firefighters, runners, friends and supporters, the ultra runner athlete had to dig deeper to finish this challenge than he ever has. “Almost everyone involved with this had to push limits,� he said to a crowd at the end of the run. “Together we did something that we never could have done without each other.�

A fellow firefighter suited up and completed 13 miles in turnout gear to help Le Tutour.

Another firefighter, one with a prosthetic leg, rode along part of the journey on a bike. Erik Olson, an elementary school principal and family friend, stayed with Le Tutour the entire 100 miles, albeit in normal running attire.

This Frenchman carried an American firefighter’s flag the final one-third mile after pushing past his physical limitations and raising up a community to promote cancer awareness.

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S A S Q U AT C H

Summerof the

Sasquatch

By Susan Drumheller

In which our correspondant investigates close encounters of the hairy kind

The camera phone photo, above, is unaltered. The orbs—believed by many to indicate supernatural activity—were not added. Photo by Susan Drumheller.

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S A S Q U AT C H In the fall of 2017, a veteran wildlife hunter and his wife spotted what they believed to be a Bigfoot near Hellroaring Canyon, off the Pack River Road. They obtained this photograph, and shared it and their report with the Bigfoot Field Researchers organization. PHOTO: ASHLEY AND NICK GUNDERSON

Turns out that Bonner County is a Sasquatch hot spot, with more recorded sightings than any county in Idaho.

W

hile rafting the Moyie River last May, my friends and I saw an unusually tall, hairy figure striding through the pines on the riverbank.

“Look at that,” someone yelled. It turned and crouched in a half-threatening way, and I snapped a photo before the runoff-swollen river carried us away.

We laughed, giddy from the rapids we’d run, guessing we saw some local, on drywall stilts and dressed up like legendary Sasquatch, getting his jollies by spooking boaters on Memorial Day weekend.

I couldn’t resist sharing the photo, and so my frozen-solid Sasquatch cynicism began to thaw. Even if our sighting was a hoax, the tales it unleashed justified a deeper look into the local legend of Sasquatch, aka Bigfoot.

Sandpoint local Christine Kester never

really thought much about Sasquatch until she saw three strange creatures while backpacking in the Mallard Larkins Primitive area in 2001.

The Mallard Larkins is perched in the headwaters of the St. Joe and Clearwater rivers. Kester and her companion were well into their journey, on a ridge above Heart Lake, when they looked down and saw two large figures and a dog—or a pet bear— “hanging around like a happy family” in a marshy part of the lake, Kester said. The two-legged figures were startled by the hikers on the ridge and started running.

“They were running like kids,” Kester recalled. “Their arms were out in front of them, and they were jumping over logs like they were nothing. I said, ‘Check out their dog.

It’s a bear! And those people are all brown!’”

They disappeared in the trees, she said.

“And we both looked at each other like, did

this really happen? … To this day I regret we didn’t go down and look for footprints.”

Kester reported her sighting to www.

BFRO.net, the website for the Bigfoot Researchers Organization. They collect stories from North America, categorize them, then post the most credible.

Turns out that Bonner County is a Sasquatch hot spot, with more recorded sightings than any county in Idaho. In fact, there’s a backlog of 22 incidents awaiting review, according to Kevin Llewellyn, a volunteer with the site.

It’s no wonder such a Bigfoot breeding ground would also spawn a Sasquatch Club.

Sandpoint High students Kjetil Lund Anderson, Wyatt Waud and Kieran Wilder started the school club this year. It has about 15 members. As avid “Squatchers,” I asked them to look at my photo, which they scrutinized and concluded was not legit.

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S A S Q U AT C H

“The legs look long proportionally to the arms,” Waud noted, as Lund Anderson pointed out that “Sasquatch don’t have long hair coming off their head. It’s shorter and all over the body.”

While some “Squatchers” explore the woods for evidence, these students are interested in sharing the information and discussing wide-ranging theories: “Anything is really possible, unless you’re sure it isn’t,” Wilder said.

Sasquatch sign sometimes involves baffling rock-throwing, sounds or smells (Sasquatches are said to whistle, knock on trees and stink terribly). But a surprising number of reports involve sightings—like Kester’s.

Fearing ridicule, many people are loath to speak up, Llewellyn said. He did share the story of a Bonner County couple who reported seeing a Sasquatch up Hellroaring Creek in the Selkirks, while bear hunting last September. They spied a tall black figure, about 7 or 8 feet tall, with a round head, no ears and very wide shoulders about 75 to 100 yards away. It stared back.

“At this point I have tears in my eyes and am scared to death,” the woman wrote in her report. “We are 100 percent positive this wasn’t a bear or person.”

North Idaho sightings aren’t always in remote areas. A few months earlier, Sherrita Hall was Sheriffdriving from Tensed, Idaho, to Moscow, to pick up a pizza. She had just passed the rest area on U.S. Highway 95, south of McCroskey State Park, when she

Sheriff’s report, facing page and shown below, from event in Latah County.

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5/9/18 11:09 AM

Y

S A S Q U AT C H

saw a tall, two-legged, hairy figure come up on the left side of the highway and pause at the shoulder’s white line. She slowed down as she passed, and “I kept looking back,” she told me. “That’s why I hit the deer.”

While inspecting her car, “a creepy feeling came over me,” so she drove off before calling the cops. The accident diagram on the Latah County Sheriff’s report is complete with dead deer and car on the highway, and, off to the side, a tiny Sasquatch image pulled from the notorious Roger Patterson film.

Sasquatch stories have been passed down by Native Americans for centuries, but “Bigfoot” was penned by news reports after large footprints were found in 1958 at a road construction site in Northern California.

Roger Patterson visited the site many times, and caught a female Sasquatch on film in 1967, an image as hotly debated as the film clip of the Kennedy assassination.

Soon after the incident, Patterson took his film on the road, stopping at the Spokane Coliseum. In the audience was then11-year-old Jeffrey Meldrum. For Meldrum, the existence of Sasquatch isn’t a matter of belief, but of science. Now a professor of anthropology at Idaho State University, he lends credibility to Sasquatch research and Bigfoot reality TV shows.

He didn’t take Sasquatch seriously until he saw footprints in the Blue Mountains, near Walla Walla, Washington. (Meldrum also has a degree in anatomy and his specialty is bipedal locomotion.)

“To my eye, they were stunning,” he said of the Blue Mountain footprints. “The hook was set hard and fast... . I have since seen example after example that just confirms all the insights this set of footprints revealed to me.”

Meldrum has collected about 300 print casts. The idea they all are fake is more preposterous to him than what the evidence says—that a large, ape-like animal with flexible flat feet is wandering the woods of North America.

When he offered a class on “relict hominoid inquiry”—exploring whether relics of our homo sapien family tree could potentially exist—other professors at the university urged their students to not take the class, he said.

Yet, Meldrum isn’t universally dismissed by academia. The famous primatologist Jane Goodall wrote an endorsement for his

book, “Sasquatch Legend Meets Science.”

And as research methods improve, using DNA and other tools, Meldrum is confident his inquiry may gain more acceptance.

“I’m not trying to convert my colleagues,” Meldrum said. “I’d just like an open-ended consideration of the evidence.”

Until then, Sasquatch may be regarded as more akin to the unicorn than as a distant relative of man who migrated to North America across the Bering land bridge tens

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of thousands of years ago.

Members of the SHS “Squatch” Club are sure Sasquatch is out there, along with other elusive megafauna, like grizzly bears and wolverines. And like them, they worry Sasquatch is imperiled.

“My biggest concern is protection of habitat,” Waud said. “We can conserve him if we get enough believers.”

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ONCE YOU’VE SEEN BIGFOOT, YOU JUST CAN’T STOP SEEING

HIM

Land is my Sasquatch video for Pine Street Woods project

T

here it is, in the neon Kokanee footprint at the Conoco station on the way into town, in the ice cream flavors at Panhandle Cone and Coffee, on the chalkboard at MickDuffs, the wall of Idaho Pour Authority, and tacked to metal siding in the Granary District.

It’s everywhere: on Schweitzer T-shirts, inside Powder Hound Pizza, on downtown artwork.

I’m not just seeing things.

Idaho Pour Authority

Off Baldy Road

The Granary

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MickDuffs

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S A S Q U AT C H Sasquatch seems to be a good branding for beer, cafes, music festivals and other things that strive for a fun vibe.

The wild and whimsical nature of Sasquatch recently won the hearts and minds of the campaign team for the Pine Street Woods acquisition. Kaniksu Land Trust is trying to purchase 160 acres on a woodsy knoll near Sandpoint for recreation and education, and adopted Sasquatch as their mascot as a way to capture attention.

“People are drawn to humor. People are drawn to the obscure,” explained Eric Grace, the land trust’s executive director. “Sasquatch is this cultural touchstone, particularly here in the Northwest.”

Local videographer Scott Rulander produced promotional videos featuring a shaggy Sasquatch chasing Grace through a meadow and taking an offering left by a child.

Rulander adapted the footage to explore the idea that Sasquatch stirs our sense of place in his video essay, “Land is my Sasquatch” (see video at www.pinestreetwoods.org). He entered the video into the Land Trust Alliance’s national competition and placed second to a more conventional entry.

Grace says the video strikes an elemental chord about what Sasquatch really stands for.

What started as a quirky marketing idea became someZany Zebra thing deeper. window “Sasquatch display taps into our desire to be in wild places,” Grace said. “So it fits into the Pine Street Woods so nicely, because it’s a wild area and we need these areas for all the reasons people need wild and open land.”

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the

CHANGING FACE of

FIRE Bigger. Hotter. Longer.

Wildland fire threat is growing.

BY KEVIN TAYLOR

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PHOTO BY KARI GREER

Wildland Fires

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he world is changing in any number of troubling ways—a growing population, a warming climate—but summertime wildfire has become a constant in North Idaho, a familiar presence. Or so it seems.

“The telling month here is June,” said Mike

Behrens, fire management officer for the Panhandle National Forests, giving the typical rule of thumb for predicting the coming wildfire season: “If June is cool and wet, we’ll generally have a shorter season.

If June is hotter and drier…”.

Here, Behrens trails off to acknowledge that even the familiar face of fire is changing.

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Fire

“One even hates to say anything about normal anymore,”

“We are seeing more extremes right now, and we are

he said this March. “Last year we were just as cool and wet

seeing longer fire seasons,” said David Groeschl, director of

as we are now, with an above average snowpack. Then

the Idaho Department of Lands.

June came around and we strung together some 90-de-

Recent research shows the climate is warming, snow-

gree days and—boom!—we were actually drier last summer

packs are shrinking and the population is increasing in

than we were in 2015.”

what’s known as the WUI, the wildland urban interface.

“Climate change is affecting warmer winters, reduced

Fortunately, he added, in 2017 the Panhandle dodged the number of lightning strikes that made 2015 such an

snowpack, early springs, hotter summers, longer fire

intense fire year. The Forest Service throughout Idaho saw

seasons, and more days of extreme fire weather,” said Paul

729 wildfires in 2015 that burned 377,572 acres. Last year,

Hessburg, a research landscape ecologist at the U.S. Forest

2017, Idaho’s national forests saw 481 fires that burned

Service Pacific Northwest Research Station in Wenatchee,

over 257,934 acres.

Washington. “Climate-change effects are accelerating.”

Philip Mote, director of the Oregon Climate Change

Robert Tobin, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Spokane, said, “We are going from a La Nina to

Research Institute at Oregon State University, released a

an El Nino [weather pattern], which typically produces a

study in March that showed dramatic declines in snow-

warmer, drier summer.”

pack throughout the West, an ominous finding as less snowpack provides more time for the forests to dry out.

Heading into the current 2018 season, the long-range forecast (“You’re talking 120 to 150 days out, you know, which,

Although the April 1 snowpack for North Idaho this year

as far as the weather goes, [you take] with a large grain of

was about 120 percent of normal, the OSU study showed

salt.”) predicts a warmer and drier summer from July into

that average snowpack in the West has shrunk by about

September. Those “conditions typically indicate a big fire sea-

30 percent in the last 100 years.

son, especially when those above-normal temperatures start in June, which is what we’re looking at right now,” Tobin said.

“I wasn’t prepared for how much worse it had gotten in the intervening years,” said Mote, who began his

THE CAPE HORN FIRE started near the water’s edge in July of 2015 near the town of Bayview, at the southern tip of Lake Pend Oreille. Over 1,300 acres were burned; nine homes and five outbuildings were completely destroyed, with an additional home damaged.

The estimated cost to fight the fire was 5.6 million, and 65 people were evacuated.

PHOTO: TED CURPHEY

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“...warmer winters, reduced snowpack, early springs, hotter summers, longer fire seasons, and more days of extreme fire weather ... Climate-change effects are accelerating.”

urban interface is making wildfire management harder in many ways,” Hessburg said, explaining protection of lives and property becomes the priority and makes full suppression the most likely strategy.

The Forest Service spent a record $2.4 billion on fire suppression last year, according to National Interagency Fire Center information. The agency spent one-tenth of that amount—$2.4 million—in 1985.

Fire suppression has cost the Forest Service alone more

snowpack studies in 2003. The study also determined the snowpack loss is due to warmer temperatures, not

than $1 billion each of the last seven years and consumes

less precipitation.

more and more of the agency’s operating budget.

“Back in the ‘90s, about 15 percent of the Forest Service

Mote mentioned a different study showing “a strong relationship between low spring snowpack and increased

budget went to fire; now it’s over 50 percent,” said former

risk of summer fires.”

USFS chief Dale Bosworth. “What that means is a lot of people doing work on things like wildlife habitat improve-

As wildland fire risk grows, there are more houses and more people affected by it. Miranda Mockrin, a research

ment, timber management, campground maintenance, fish-

scientist at the Forest Service’s Northern Research Station in

eries work—all the things that need to get done—they aren’t

Baltimore (yes, Baltimore), conducted GIS mapping of chang-

getting done. A lot of the money that was funding that work

es in the wildland urban interface using census block data.

is now funding fire.”

Bosworth was one of six former USFS chiefs who sent a

From the 1990 to the 2010 censuses, the WUI grew by 42 million acres, reaching 190 million acres. Housing increased

letter to congressional leadership in January 2018 urging a

by 41 percent, to 43 million homes in 2010.

change in the way the agency budgets. The number of em-

“Population growth and development into the wildland

ployees doing the sort of work Bosworth described above

An April 2018 investigation report on the Cape Horn fire done by Idaho Department of Lands stated the cause of the fire is still unknown.

The fire started about feet above a small, rock beach and a “high wind event” on July 25 fueled the burn. The Forest Service estimates a repair cost for the forest—reforestation, surveys, labor and more— of 16 ,8 . That amount does not include the value of the timber burned.

PHOTO: BEN OLSON

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fell from 19,000 to 11,000 over the last 20 years while the

“The problem, as I see it, is partly due to climate change and also to building in the wildland urban interface,”

number of firefighters doubled.

Bosworth said from his home in Missoula, Montana. “I

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), who had been pushing a funding change for six years, an aide said, finally got a bill

also think the way we did some of the logging in the past

into the Omnibus Spending Act the U.S. Congress passed

probably has something to do with it, and the fact that we

just before Easter break. The bill sets aside $2 billion

suppressed fires for 75 to 100 years and had a huge build-

a year for 10 years for fire suppression. The separate

up of fuels.”

fund frees up millions in the operating budget the Forest

The historic focus to stamp out every fire has created

Service can now use for fire-prevention efforts such as

forests overcrowded with trees and debris, said Hessburg,

thinning, logging and prescribed burns.

the researcher in Wenatchee. He advocates using fire as

“Fire suppression costs have tripled in a decade,” said

a tool as American Indians did for thousands of years, and as occurs naturally.

Ray Rasker, executive director of the Missoula-based analytical firm, Headwaters Economics. “In the ‘90s, the

Fire can leave a more open forest with larger, and thus

average was about a billion dollars a year for the Forest

more fire-resistant, trees and effective natural fire breaks,

Service and Department of the Interior combined. And in

Hessburg said. He illustrates the concept in a PowerPoint

the 2000s, on average, it’s been about $3 billion a year.”

he shows all over the region as well as in a TED talk online.

In Idaho, USFS fire suppression costs have exploded from

However, increased development in the wildland urban interface can become an obstacle.

$12.2 million in 2009 to $93.5 million last year. The lowsnowpack, hot-weather season of 2015 cost $152.8 million

“Prescribed burns are harder to pull off in the WUI

and 2012—a year when nearly one million acres of national

because people now ‘new to the neighborhood’ don’t want

forest burned in the state—cost $169.1 million to extinguish.

smoke near their home,” he said.

CLARK FORK COMPLEX A lightning storm in August 15 started several fires along the Idaho/Montana border, including one in the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness area.

The si fires, which burned from Clark Fork to Noxon, Montana, became known collectively as the Clark Fork Complex, and burned almost 16,000 acres over the ne t month. The fire cost around $4 million to fight.

PHOTO: BILL ROSCH

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F I R E FA C T S : spent

$2.4 million in 1985 to s ppress fires.

they spent

$2.4 BILLION

In

2017

.

Lightning can turn a normal fire

Raging inferno. Higher

season into a

temperatures lead to

=

+

+

more

thunderstorms.

Decreased snowpack + hotter summers + increased population in the wildlands = MORE FIRE

Bosworth agreed and said it’s almost absurd that smoke from a prescribed burn can be shut down as a nuisance by

Northwest last summer—is considered an act of God. Fire prevention “is costly the first time, but not that

air quality regulators, while the condition the intentional

costly,” Bosworth said. “There are all sorts of costs to these

burns are meant to mitigate—the more massive and harm-

huge fires we’re having: loss in terms of homes, loss in

ful smoke from wildfires like those that choked the Inland

terms of threatened and endangered species habitat. And

PARKER RIDGE FIRE – Parker Ridge, north of Bonners Ferry, began burning in July 2015 after a lightning strike. It burned 6,599 a res in total. Dave Lovejoy rea a o t hi rounded by flames. PHOTO RENEE LUND.

on page

as engine oss on this fire an at one point o n hi sel

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o pletely s r

t right a ter ath o the fire. PHOTO: STEVE JAMSA

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Fire’s Hidden Gift Morel mushrooms bloom after fire

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PHOTO BY CORY VOGEL

we just don’t seem to be able to think that far into the future. Or at least [we are] not willing to invest in it. That’s what I think is a real tragedy.”

The Idaho Department of Lands has other challenges, its director, Groeschl, said.

“A lot of what we protect is private forest and state

The morel’s relationship with fire is still unclear, with plenty of theories but few proven facts. In his book, “The Mushroom Hunters,” Langdon Cook writes, “What’s known for sure is that, given the right habitat, morels in the West will respond to disturbance. The disturbance could be logging, or trail maintenance or road building. Most often it s fire.

running Firewise programs on living with the threat of fire.

Being prudent when living with fire risk can be reinforced by insurance companies or by county government, each encouraging “best practices” through policy restrictions or planning and building codes.

“As more people pack into the West, we’re going to

forest land, where the (timber) value is very important.

have to decide how we’re going to live amongst each

Our goal is we manage those to maximize benefits to the

other and what we choose to spend our money on,” said

(school) endowments and not to let them burn up in a fire,”

Behrens, the fire management officer for the Panhandle

Groeschl said.

Forests. “Do we spend on doing some things up front

IDL also protects much of the state’s wildland urban interface, where the number of houses has nearly dou-

with maybe zoning, or what materials to use to build your home, the landscaping?

bled, from 25,846 to 50,110 between 1993 and 2008, said

“We live in the West; we don’t like to be told what to do.”

Groeschl. He added the number of forested parcels with

Jeanne Higgins, the new Forest Supervisor for the

residences has increased about six percent a year over

Panhandle, was still speaking from her office at USFS

the past 10 years and, with more humans, there are more

headquarters in Washington, D.C. earlier this spring when

human-caused fires.

she talked about the challenges in the region.

“When you have houses and people’s lives at risk it

“The expansion of home building where private land

makes it more challenging on how you attack the fire, and

gets closer to the wildland is where challenge can be,” she

with what resources, and how do you evacuate people. It

said. “Different counties have chosen to take different ap-

does add complexity,” Groeschl said.

proaches to deal with the issue. There definitely needs to

“What we’re seeing is an urgent need to put more energy

be very close coordination between the federal government

into fire prevention and education with all the homeowners in

and the counties to plan for and to fight fire when it does

the WUI,” Groeschl added. But in a state that is loathe to regu-

occur. That relationship is an extremely important one.”

late, IDL is limited to promoting common-sense practices and

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orel mushrooms give a taste of earthiness, rich and nutty, complex and layered, that store-bought white caps can never compare with, and they are basically free-forthe-picking in our North daho forests. A good place for a new mushroom hunter to find them is in areas that have burned.

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“I believe strongly in personal property rights,” said Glen

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fun 5 4 morels picked in ust over two hours.

The prime time for morel hunting in North Idaho is May and early June. As the temperatures rise you must go higher in to the mountains to find them. But professional pickers are usually done in June, so high mountain morel patches can be relatively untouched. One picker found a

PHOTO BY BROOKE DODGE

PHOTO BY BROOKE DODGE

PHOTO BY CORY VOGEL

He adds, “What is known is that a forest fire in the right coniferous habitat can produce a bonanza of morels.”

Thanks to the fires of 15, the summer of 16 has been called the greatest mushroom flush ever seen in the West.

People came out in droves and everyone left with their buckets full. I counted my own harvest on one day just for

bonanza of mushrooms in July at an elevation over 4, feet.

The burn was carpeted with morels. In one space, no bigger than a dining room table, 4 morels as big as mason jars were harvested.

There is only one toxic mushroom—the false morel— that looks similar to the distinctive, wrinkly-capped morel mushroom. A true morel will

always be hollow.

The first year after a burn is the best time to go morel hunting, though some say the next year can be equally good. So in spring, when the yellow violets start popping, grab yourself a five-gallon bucket and head to last year’s burn areas: you won’t be disappointed.

David Kretzschmar

64.9 percent in Bonner County.

Bailey, chairman of the Bonner County commissioners, “but we encourage fire breaks, we encourage the thinning

Put those factoids together, and wildfire losses are likely to get worse. Many people interviewed for this story

of the forest around homes.”

The county taps into fire awareness and fire prevention grant programs so homeowners can make their properties

said more rigorous implementation of stronger building codes is critical.

“The one reason that’s important is because it makes

more resistant to wildfire.

communities more insurable,” said Maggie Seidel, vice

“It’s the rural nature, the rural character of the land in Bonner County that attracts people to come up here, and we

president of public affairs for the American Insurance

want to maintain that,” Bailey said. Currently, building per-

Association. “When we can incentivize private insurers to

mits—which were briefly abolished by a previous board of

take on more of a community’s risk instead of asking tax-

commissioners—require a local fire district to ensure tenets

payers, it’s a win-win.”

of the International Wildland Urban Interface Building Code

“We make development decisions locally without really

are being followed for construction in the WUI. The code

understanding the full underpinnings of those decisions,

deals with use of fire-resistant materials, creating defensi-

and then pass the bill for fire protection onto state and fed-

ble space, and water storage on site for use in fighting fires.

eral governments,” Hessburg, the Forest Service researcher,

T

said. “In effect, locally we are writing checks we can’t cash.

he year 2017 was the costliest on record for

The international WUI building code is meant to help us

weather and climate disasters—$306 billion

understand this dilemma better.”

in osses fires, a

rom hurri anes, or in

to the

oo s an

ationa

wi -

eani

an

Better collaboration among federal and state agencies, local governments and insurers “will ensure future development is done with an eye toward safe develop-

Atmospheric Administration.

ments and keeping firefighters safe,” said Jonathan

Research by Headwaters Economics, meanwhile,

shows the wildland urban interface is still largely empty.

Oppenheimer, government relations director of the Idaho

Nearly 84 percent of the WUI in the West is undevel-

Conservation League.

oped, including 86.5 percent in Boundary County and

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LOCAL WOMAN SPENDS SUMMERS AS A

FIRE lookout

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

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AM AUNAN HAS BEEN LOOKING out for her Northwest neighbors for more than 30 years, and she’s done so without fanfare in extremely rugged conditions: no running

water, electricity, or Internet. What she needs to sustain herself—food, water, entertainment, the tools to do her job—must be packed in on her back, hauled up the mountain in a truck or ATV (if someone can spare it), or air-dropped if she gets really lucky.

But Aunan wouldn’t have it any other way. Come fire season, said Aunan, “My job is to be on a mountaintop looking for and detecting fires.”

Her “home” is a 12-foot-square box atop Lookout Mountain, an Idaho Department of Lands forest fire lookout tower in the Priest Lake Ranger District. She has an outhouse at the base of the 25-foot tower, and a propane-powered refrigerator and oven.

“It’s like a little studio with a really good view,” said Aunan, who was included in a 2011 Idaho Public Television Outdoor Idaho segment entitled “Eyes of the Forest: Idaho’s Fire Lookouts.”

Aunan is being characteristically understated about the view, which is, in a word, stunning.

Breathtaking. Unparalleled.

Located west of the Lions Head and north of Chimney Rock, the Lookout Mountain site has a formidable vertical north face and sits at an impressive elevation of 6,722 feet, with vistas of the Selkirk Crest, Priest Lake and Upper Priest Lake.

Aunan sometimes invites guests, and welcomes wayward hikers. “The more people who treasure [the lookout], the better,” she said.

People generally have two responses upon encountering her in the tower, said Aunan: “This is so wonderful,” and “Don’t you get bored?”

She does not get bored, said Aunan, who likes to read or knit when not working, and can spend as much as five days on/two off in the lookout.

PHOTO: PAM AUNAN

There are actually two structures on site: the metal tower relocated from Packsaddle Mountain in 1977 and topped with the 12-by-12-foot cabin where Aunan works, and a 1929 wooden lookout relocated to the site from Stanley, Idaho, and restored over several years.

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Left to right: Mason White outside Shorty Peak Lookout, Lunch Peak at the top of Trestle Creek, and the view from Garver Mountain Lookout in Yaak, Montana

OLD LOOKOUTS OFFER A TASTE OF THE EXPERIENCE

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hey’ve been called “doorways to heaven,” and you can experience camping on the top of the world by renting one of the National Forest Service’s fire lookouts this summer. All rentals are first-come, firstserved, and reservations are made on the website at www. recreation.gov, or by calling 877-444-6777.

In the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, lookouts can be rented on Lunch Peak, near

Hope, and on Shorty Peak north of Bonners Ferry.

The lookout on Lunch Peak has no amenities, so plan on roughing it in this 15-by15-foot cabin that comes furnished with a table and storage cabinet. The Pend Oreille Divide Trail is nearby, with a vault toilet.

Shorty Peak lookout, at 6,515 feet, overlooks the Selkirk mountain range and the Purcell Trench all the way into

British Columbia, Canada. The 15-by-15-foot cabin offers two twin beds, two chairs and two tables, and there is a pit toilet nearby. There is no running water so pack yours in or haul it on horseback as horses are allowed, though there are no corrals on site.

In Montana’s Kootenai National Forest, a lookout can be rented on Yaak Mountain, and visitors with high clearance vehicles can drive to the

site. This is high-end camping, featuring not only beds and tables and chairs, but propane powered lights, heat, stove and refrigerator.

North Idaho forests teem with wildlife, including bear, moose and mountain lion.

Make sure you understand important safety measures to take, including food storage, before you make your trip.

Trish Gannon

Ranger District, some of them co-managed

Last summer, however, the cabin was vandalized and

with Newport Ranger District.

subsequently removed, leaving only the tower.

Vandals stole her binoculars—an essential tool—and broke

Aunan has numerous stories about small

windows, which are the only protection from rain, wind,

fires that could have gone either way. Once

cold, bugs and even smoke.

she was on the east side of Lookout Lake

Smoke is more than an irritant for lookouts: it’s a clue. If

and saw smoke in the distance. She yelled in

the smoke is minimal, it could be the telltale sign of a fire

case it was campers and radioed in. Air patrol

just starting, and should be checked before it mushrooms.

didn’t see the fire but her crew came in anyway, spotted

The vandalism “felt really bad,” said Aunan, who’s been a lookout since 1986, typically working from April through

Pam Aunan

the fire and dealt with it.

“I was so proud of my people,” said Aunan. “We work

late November. She also works on fire education and other

together but everyone wants to be first on a fire.” And, she

outreach programs to children, including through the

adds, it’s also important to be correct; no one wants to call a

Smokey Bear coloring contest.

fire on campers.

Aunan has heard there are plans to restore “her” lookout.

Another time, said Aunan, she was leaving the tower,

Regardless, the lookout program is as precarious as some of

knowing a crew was en route. It was dusk and she was alone

the old towers themselves as management agencies replace

in the forest. She saw a small fire ahead, the trees lit like little

them with aerial spotting, satellites and remote cameras.

sparklers and she remembers thinking to herself: “If I die

Of the 989 towers that once populated peaks throughout

tomorrow, I got to see one of the coolest things ever.” She made

Idaho, only 196 still stand. Many simply rotted away. Less

it out just fine, but the memory stays with her.

than a third are still staffed statewide, only six in Priest Lake 94

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Where there’s smoke

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andpoint and its residents didn t have to see last summer s fires to feel their adverse effects. As the geographical vortex into which dense brownish smoke from numerous surrounding fires poured, for one day Sandpoint experienced its worst air quality on record. On Labor Day, 2017, the day the above photo was taken, the Environmental Protection Agency rated the Air Quality Index in Sandpoint as worst in the nation, scoring 418 out of a possible 5 on the agency s pollution scale.

Good air quality, according to the EPA, is when the AQI is from 0–50, although even Moderate quality (51–100) shouldn’t pose a significant risk to most populations. From there, the A climbs to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101–150), Unhealthy (151–200) and Very Unhealthy (201–300), which triggers a health alert for all populations, not just the vulnerable. The EPA considers anything above as Ha ardous, indicating dangerous levels of groundlevel o one, particle pollution, carbon mono ide, nitrogen dio ide, and/or sulfur dioxide.

For otherwise healthy people, smoke causes itchy, burning eyes, a runny nose, throat irritation, even headaches or nausea.

Yet for vulnerable populations, smoke can be hazardous at best, and fatal in the worst cases. Most at risk, according to Panhandle Health District: people who have chronic heart or lung diseases,

the very young and very old, pregnant women and diabetics.

Pets and livestock are affected by smoke, too, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. They advise providing ample fresh water, limiting outdoor e posure, having an evacuation kit and plan ready, and monitoring animals with existing health issues. In addition, livestock should not be handled or moved for 4 to 6 weeks after air uality has returned to normal.

Surviving a smoke event, not unlike surviving a fire, is part preventative and part reactive. The EPA’s website at www.AirNow. gov recommends people stay indoors if advised, run the air conditioner (but close fresh air intakes), and don’t do anything to stir up fine particles in the air, including vacuuming.

An over-the-counter way to protect your lungs is a mask specifically designated as a particulate respirator—despite those pictures often seen on Facebook, surgical masks offer no protection—with the words NIOSH and either N95 or P100 printed on the mask.

Available from most hardware stores and some pharmacies, the mask should have two straps to securely cover mouth, nose and chin and must be replaced when it becomes clogged.

Regardless of your health, it’s always a good idea to stay informed of changes to air quality as situations can and do change rapidly when smoke is in the air.

Carrie Scozzaro

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PHOTO BY JACKIE HANSON, SANDPOINT PD

Even from afar, fires can create dangerous conditions

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facing the

FLAMES

BY MARY TERRA-BERNS PHOTOS BY KARI GREER

hotos ro

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aho firefighting s enes at l

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Wildland firefighters take on one of the toughest—and most dangerous—jobs

A

N OUT-OF-CONTROL WILDFIRE bearing down on you sounds like a gargantuan freight train. The noise is deafening, flames are snapping in the wind, smoke stings your

eyes and in the intense heat, trees explode all around. If you’re a wildland firefighter, your heart is doing doubletime as you try to keep panic in check and focus on scratching out a fire line with your trusty Pulaski.

Who would want to do this? College students looking for a good paying summer job, some outright adrenalin junkies and others, like Brian Baxter, a long-time forester and outdoor educator, who see the bigger picture: “Wildfires are a threat to our way of life, our homes and communities.”

Early foresters had to be knowledgeable about livestock and pack trains, timber management and first aid, in addition to having good fire experience.

Today’s firefighters are less jack-of-all-trades and more masters at fighting fires. Trainees are required to attend Guard School, a weeklong training session that focuses on practical application and knowledge about fire behavior, equipment, technology, and safety. Also, trainees must be able to pass the Pack Test: carrying a 45-pound backpack three miles in 45 minutes.

A few trainees fail the Pack Test and some wash out when they realize firefighting is tough and truly dangerous work. “Firefighting is a dangerous occupation so firefighters must be able to maintain focus during tense situations in adverse conditions for long periods of time” said Shane O’Shea, Mica District Fire Resource Specialist at Idaho Department of Lands. “But, the primary reason rookies leave is the hours. The job is 24/7 throughout the summer, May to mid-September.

When the phone rings, any time day or night, you have to be ready to go.”

Not only does the dangerous nature of the work take

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a toll, but fire details can take firefighters away from home

ravaged northern Idaho and northwestern Montana. Back

for weeks and months at a time, which makes it hard on fam-

then shovels, axes, water buckets, mules, and mostly un-

ilies. “In 2015, I lived in fire camps for 74 days [and] in 2017 I

trained men were the ground force fighting wildfires.

was gone for 50 consecutive days, mostly in Montana,” said Dave Lovejoy, a 38-year veteran in forestry and firefighting.

O’Shea and IDL Assistant Fire Warden Ashley Stoneham, in

The magnitude of the resource damage and loss of life from the 1910 fires, collectively known as the Big Burn, changed the way the newly created Forest Service fought

Sandpoint, echo each other on the characteristics of an ideal

wildfire. Roads and trails were constructed, hundreds of fire

firefighter. They are people who want to work outdoors, have

lookouts were built, and an investment was made in train-

outdoor hobbies, are self-motivated with a positive attitude,

ing employees on wildfire suppression; firefighters were no

are willing to be away from home for extended periods, are

longer any out-of-work man who needed a paycheck.

hardworking and don’t mind getting dirty. Lovejoy agrees,

Increasingly in recent years, Mother Nature has been

but adds, “An ideal firefighter has acute situational aware-

engineering hot, dry, fire-producing summers that keep

ness and they need to have their head on a swivel, always

firefighting ground crews swinging their Pulaskis for months.

looking up, down, and in every direction.” Baxter adds a criti-

A lot has changed since the Big Burn, but one thing that hasn’t

cal component: “An even temperament; someone who doesn’t

is this indispensable

get emotional. You can’t let emotions hijack logic. A calm and

tool for digging a fire

steady voice is critical in dicey situations.”

line, and the courage

Having highly trained and very experienced people like

and stamina of the

O’Shea, Stoneham, Lovejoy and Baxter is important. They pro-

men and women who

vide superior guidance for individuals who make the grade

wield it.

and want to make firefighting their career. Their calm voice in the midst of chaos helps rookies stay focused, not panic, and learn what to do when faced with difficult situations.

Additionally, when large fires erupt in the Inland Northwest, their local and regional knowledge is indispensable for overhead management teams and crews coming from other regions.

The Pulaski, a ubiquitous and highly functional tool used by ground crews to fight wildfires around the world, was crafted by U.S. Forest Service ranger Ed Pulaski, then based

Brian Baxter (above right), with 40 years in forestry and wildlife biology, has spent 17 seasons on the fireline. Dave Lovejoy (right) is an engine boss with Idaho Forest Management and has spent 38 years fighting fire.

in Wallace, after he survived the historic 1910 fires that

IDAHO HOTSHOTS ARE GOING ONLINE Sandpoint native John Snedden, former dentist and founder of American Dental Hygenics—now known as Unicep Packaging—has an unknown-to-some history: in his college days, he was a smokejumper. “It was a great job for a college kid,” he said. “You could make enough money in the summer that you didn’t have to work all winter while you were in school.”

He made a lot of friends jumping smoke and now he’s doing something to honor them, by establishing a website to capture the history and memories for Region 4 smokejumpers.

“As people get older, the history disappears pretty quickly,” he said. Saving that history is one way “to say thank you to a lot of good guys I worked with.”

The new website, which will go live at a reunion of smokejumpers in McCall in June 2018, will cover the former smokejumping base at Idaho City (later moved to Boise) along with the still active base in McCall. Each smokejumper will have a page showing their jumps and who they worked with, plus there will be sections of photos, planes, pilots and home videos. Starting in June, the site can be found at www.r4jumpers.com.

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Wildland Fires

DON’T WAIT ‘TIL IT’S TOO LATE Get yourself—and your critters—out safely

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hen it comes to fire emergencies, awareness and preparedness can make all the difference, especially for residents who live in rural areas, and including those who have more than human

life to safeguard.

Information is abundant on what to do before, during and after a fire, particularly in areas where wildlands interface with urban areas agencies call these forested areas . Firefighting entities are numerous and overlapping, however, and some residents may find themselves navigating multiple avenues of information and alerts. n addition to 1 fire districts serving local residents, state and federal agencies such as Idaho Department of Lands, the United States Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management also impact our region.

If forewarned is forearmed, look to the federal Incident nformation System or nci eb www.inciweb.nwcg.gov for realtime fire information nationwide, especially relevant because of the Panhandle’s proximity to Washington and Montana. InciWeb also posts evacuation orders, which are typically issued by law enforcement and begin at Level 1.

LEVEL 1 orders indicate a current or projected threat, for which people should prepare and monitor the situation accordingly. LEVEL 2 means “Residents should either voluntarily relocate to a shelter or with family/friends outside of the affected area, or if choosing to remain, to be ready at a moment’s notice,” according to the Pend Oreille and Bonner County sheriff s offices notice during the 15 aniksu Comple fires. Finally, LEVEL 3 is the all-call for bugging out.

Every second counts during an evacuation order so having a “go” bag is essential. Although contents will vary depending on your lifestyle, health requirements, etc., the general consensus is to include the following: have one pack per household member; a three-day supply of non-perishable food, water, and necessary

medications for each person; copies of important documents; clothing cash a battery-powered radio and flashlight with e tra batteries first aid kit supplies for personal hygiene and sanitation; written plan/map for at least two evacuation routes and for meeting up later in case you’re separated.

Remember to include domestic pets in your planning, too.

The Centers for isease Control advises a two-week supply of food, water and medications, as well as a secure carrier, recent photo of your animals, and medical records. They also suggest designating someone to get into your home and either rescue or retrieve pets if you’re away. Another helpful source is the Bonner County Emergency Management Service, which addresses emergency planning for pets in a helpful online brochure (www.bonnercountyid.gov emergency-management .

The larger the size and number of animals impacted, the greater the challenges. Emergency plans should include evacuation and a plan for sheltering in place, according to both the Federal Emergency Management Association and the Humane Society, whose guidelines can be easily downloaded from their website (www.humanesociety.org). If you have large animals that require extensive efforts to relocate, including locating habitation and moving supplies, you will likely want to consider evacuating them before a Level 3 notice is issued.

Regardless of the emergency, taking decisive action once an evacuation order is issued could be the difference between life and death. According to Idaho FireWise, the state branch of a national educational collaboration featuring the National Fire Protection Association, a large percentage of “lives lost to wildland fire occur when people choose to wait and see.

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Carrie Scozzaro

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NATURE RECLAIMS

Corey Vogel : : The honey-do list

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Don Fisher : : Dufort barn

Colby Carpenter : : One more load

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Richard Nakatani : : Forsaken shadows

Photo by : : photo name

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Tiffany Hansen : : Barn bathed in Northern Lights Aaron Rich : : Forgotten rowboat Bonnie Kirkwood : : Framing the view Kirk Miller : : The sun still rises

Photo by : : photo name

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Aaron J Rich : : Once upon a time

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beautiful GARDENS GREEN THUMBS abound IN SANDPOINT

by Beth Hawkins

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WE ALL KNOW THAT WINTERS ARE L-O-N-G ‘round these parts, which might explain why there is such a passionate and prolific love of gardening come summertime. e toured the area and found a few folks who shared their thoughts about cultivating great North daho gardens. On your mark, get set, grow

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DAN & CINDY ESKELSON GARDEN LOCATION: EDGE OF TOWN

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HE ESKELSON GARDEN is a cooperative effort, with an taking on most of the bed preparation and weeding duties, while Cindy e cels at seeding and food preparation.

The couple is uite proficient, growing food crops such as apples, pears, asparagus, carrots, tomatoes and much more. e produce all the fruit and most of the vegetables that we consume, said an, a former professional landscaper.

The couple shares their garden bounty with friends and family, and evenings in August through October find them busily preserving their harvest for the winter ahead. For the skelsons, there s a deeper meaning to be reali ed in tending to their garden. n a very real sense, gardening is an e pression of revolution and a means of freedom from the influence of the corporation, an said.

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Q&A Biggest gardening challenge? ardening in our region re uires an understanding of the seasons and the ability to learn by trial and error.

How much time do you spend gardening? uring the si -month outdoor season, spend about seven hours per week gardening, and Cindy about four to five hours.

Our season is e tended on each end with greenhouse planting and harvest.

Best advice for beginning gardeners?

Make mistakes, learn from them, and then be ama ed at how well your garden grows.

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PAULA MARCINKO GARDEN LOCATION: IN TOWN

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AULA MARCINKO loves growing flowers on her in-town plot of paradise, showing off perennials and annuals on her back half of a city lot a si e that she says is ust enough . Marcinko and ohn Sidwell transformed the space over the past 17 years from a unkyard for cars and trash, to a beautiful oasis.

Sidwell created the hardscape features, including a handmade trellis with old windows. Marcinko is the gardener, and also maintains a separate vegetable garden down the street that she shares e call it the girl garden growing blueberries, strawberries, potatoes, carrots, green leafy vegetables and more. Flowers are her favorite thing to grow. love dahlias. They are the last bloomers in the garden in the fall with beautiful color, she said. also love Oriental lilies, yellow honeysuckle vine, and snapdragons, my grandmother s favorite.

Q&A Biggest gardening challenge in Sandpoint?

A shorter growing time. could use more spring weather to get the gardens ready.

How much time do you spend gardening? t depends in the spring like to be in the garden as much as possible. like to have all the work done so can en oy the summer. do some weeding and plant maintenance, so maybe a couple hours every few weeks.

Best advice for beginning gardeners?

Take your time, and don t be in a hurry.

Live in your space and let it evolve. now the plants that are best grown in our area.

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Peterson Construction on the remaining Homesites These secondary waterfront homesites come with a large with prices starting at $429,000 and up.We only have two of common area, tennis courts and a the remaining lots down at the water community waterfront with a boat that are still available so don’t miss dock and room for your canoes and this opportunity! Only 15 miles to kayaks. There are a limited amount downtown Sandpoint. Call us today of homesites available so don’t wait to tour the lots with our builder! www.TSSIR.com on this one! Call for a meeting today.

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LINDY LEWIS GARDEN LOCATION: LAKEVIEW ACRE OUTSIDE OF TOWN

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INDY LEWIS’ enthusiasm for growing flowers is best summed up by her oneacre garden s name Let Your Color Out But she doesn t take all the credit for tending to her lovely lakeview corner of serenity she has a helper, her garden goddess, Penny Barton, as well as a supportive sweetheart who lets her keep the color volume cranked up high. Her favorite variety of flower is the rose. had a rose garden as a child, and having one now brings me such a connection to growing up in Sandpoint. Lewis also grows hyacinths, flowering trees, lots of petunias

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Carrie LaGrace 208.290.1965 carrie.lagrace@sothebysrealty.com

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Q&A

Biggest gardening challenge?

Clay soil and deer t s super important to give the plants good soil in the beginning it makes them much more abundant.

more color , and also has tomatoes and raised-bed salsa and herb gardens. She likes to mi things up with rock cairns, water features and other fun additions anything that brings happiness. Above all, steep in the magnificence she says.

How much time do you spend gardening? spend lots of time in April and May, about five to 1 hours per week, and then progressively less from uly through September.

Best advice for beginning gardeners?

Mi it up and plant what makes you happy There is no right way be patient, deadhead, and find a garden goddess to help dream in your happy place, as collaboration is much more fun

born of the earth Our dwellings take their shape from the sheltering forests of this region, created by the hearts and hands of our community-minded craftsmen.

www.collinbeggs.com Sandpoint, idaho 208.290.8120

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S HO R T - T E R M

RENTALS

Can they coexist?

A LA

by Cate Huisman

NTAL A A LABL F OM M MANA

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S HOUSING PRICES CONTINUE TO CLIMB here at the end of the Long Bridge, owning a home in Sandpoint can make for a very good business investment. Buying a house for short-term rental, or converting a regular rental to short-term use, enables investors to create a commercial opportunity in a residential one. ental homes generate regular income, their value rises with real estate values, and at times they provide owners a place to live in retirement.

Homes rented out to working families who live here can bring in 1, - 1,5 per month. But Sandpoint s spectacular setting and recreational amenities have warped its rental market.

A lot of people come here to vacation, and they need homes for only a week or a weekend. ven a modest home in town can fetch 1, per week in ski season, even more in summer, and as much as , per week during holiday periods and spring vacation. t s pretty clear that an investor can SUMMER 2018

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often make more money renting short-term than long-term.

And there s the rub for working families. hen homes are reserved for short-term rental, fewer are available for working people to buy or even rent. n addition, the price that such rentals can command drives up home prices, leaving fewer and fewer firefighters and teachers able to live in town. 1, to 1,5 is a stretch to begin with on the town s median salary of 4 ,784, and not enough rental homes are available to meet the demand.

The silver lining, of course, is that if a family can save enough to make the down payment on a home in Sandpoint, they can rent out a spare bedroom or the studio apartment over the garage an accessory dwelling unit, or A , in land-use parlance on shortterm, online rental sites like Airbnb, and help generate income to make the monthly payments on their mortgage. A firefighter might be able to afford a home if she takes in a few vacationing guests on weekends or maybe rents out the whole house while she s gone in the summer fighting wildfires. Short-term rental income can make a big dent in a monthly mortgage payment. etting a city permit for such a rental is a fairly easy process, but for the past several years, getting such a permit depended on who else nearby had one already. hen a home got a permit, a -foot buffer was generated around it, and no other short-term rentals were permitted in that space. So if someone down the block already had a permit, our firefighter couldn t get one.

The -foot buffer was an attempt to preserve neighborhoods

for neighbors, and to preserve housing stock for people who live and work here, said Aaron ualls, the city s planning and community development director. The ob ect was to prevent the generation of ghost neighborhoods, where most of the houses are short-term rentals, and lonely locals might find themselves shoveling snow alone on a street full of homes unoccupied e cept at Christmas and high summer. hile the purpose was noble, the effects were challenging. The buffer was difficult to enforce, and it had the potential to create conflicts among neighbors. More recently, further problems were created with the passage of daho House Bill 16, which came into effect on the first day of 18. t restricts local governments ability to limit short-term rentals.

The cru of the issue, said ualls, is figuring out how resident homeowners can take advantage of short-term rental options to help them meet e penses, while preserving the integrity of the city s neighborhoods. One approach would be to differentiate between homeowners who live on the property they re renting, and homeowners who live elsewhere and own property solely to rent to others. The city is looking at proposals to allow the former to rent out rooms or A s for short periods as a right that comes with their property ownership. n contrast, some limits would be put on dedicated short-term rental properties that belong to people who live elsewhere. One potential is to limit the number of such dedicated rentals to 1 percent of total housing stock, leaving the remainder for working residents, based on language in the new law that says a

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local government may regulate short-term rentals to safeguard the public health, safety, and general welfare in order to protect the integrity of residential neighborhoods. e re ust getting started in the process, said ualls, and are e pecting the public to provide a lot of input before final decisions are made.

Limiting vacation rentals isn t the only solution to housing availability, but it certainly is a part, he added. City planners are also reviewing what other resort cities have done to make sure housing is available at prices working people can afford. t appears some action is going to be necessary to keep our firefighter and her hard-working brethren in town.

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to the

Challenge

Story by Beth Hawkins Photos by Marie Dominique Verdier

Architect puts skills to the test with Sand Creek house

S

ANDPOINT ARCHITECT TIM BODEN WAS unfazed by the narrow, sloping lot he purchased a decade ago that was deemed “nearly unbuildable” by the previous owner. Instead, he was intrigued about how to best utilize the tight space for building a home, given its spectacular location on the shores of Sand Creek, right in the heart of downtown Sandpoint. “I saw it as a challenge,” said Boden.

And that’s where the real fun began nearly two years ago. The lot’s steep slope and petite, 67-foot width definitely presented several issues in addition to driving in pilings to support the house, a crane was needed to help place the floors and walls, which were built off-site in Clark Fork. There was also the issue of meeting city and county setback requirements given its proximity to the water.

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Today, Boden’s hard work has paid off with a phenomenal mountain/contemporary-style home that’s just down the block from Bonner General Health. Perhaps you’ve spied it perched on the shoreline, while motoring across the Sand Creek Byway. The home’s exterior, featuring a mix of rusted and painted steel siding along with sloped rooflines, strikes a uni ue profile amid the more traditional, neighboring homes.

Boden went vertical with the home’s layout, stacking three floors (four, if you count the loft) to take advantage of the sweeping views of Sand Creek, the mountains, the byway and train tracks, and even a lovely view of the iconic, 100-year-old brick Sandpoint Train Depot that he helped renovate several years back. “It feels like a treehouse,” Boden said.

The primary goal for Boden was to build green and maximi e the home s efficiency this included top-rated insulation for the walls and ceilings, installing fiberglass windows, designing sloped roofs for solar panels, installing an energy recovery system that uses the home’s discarded hot water to heat incoming water, and other clever, energy-saving measures. “I didn’t want to just build to today’s standards, but to future standards,” he said. Boden plans to take potential

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TIM BODEN WITH DAVE HORNER, HIS FATHER-IN-LAW.

clients on tours of the home, to illustrate what is possible in building green. “Even here in Sandpoint, I want to show that it can be done.”

The interior of the 3,000-square-foot home has a Scandinavian flair, likely influenced by Boden’s time spent studying in Denmark, with indigenous materials used wherever possible. The home features birch plywood walls, pine trim and ceilings, basalt countertops, cleanlined fi tures, and smart linoleum floors in a dark gray that are made in Scotland from linseed oil, sawdust and pigment. “It’s a low maintenance floor that’s green and non-to ic, Boden said. The main floor bathroom is lined in cedar, with a Swiss-made radiant heat towel warmer that keeps the room heated all on its own. The home’s two other floors—one up and one down—remain works in progress (“We’re still building!” Boden laughed), but he envisions future office space or live-in uarters for family. Plus there’s a garage space on the main floor that’s heated just enough to melt the snow off cars.

While the vision was Boden’s, he also credits structural engineer Dave Thompson, general contractor Dan

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McMahon, excavation and pile contractor Jim Woodward, and city building inspector Don Carter.

Boden and his family live full-time at Schweitzer Mountain Resort (closer to the ski action than the town action), so Boden’s father-in-law Dave Horner moved into the home’s main floor this past fall—and enjoys the home’s sweeping eastern views of Sand Creek, the bustling energy of the byway and the train lines, and the mountains beyond.

He owns a high-powered telescope so he can watch the birds, zooming in on bald eagle nests and even focusing in on “fluttering leaves on a tree across the creek.” Horner sometimes sleeps in the living room just to catch the spectacular nighttime views across the water and mountains—all in the midst of downtown Sandpoint, an asset that has drawn family and friends alike to his home. “It’s becoming party central,” Horner said with a laugh. He’s looking forward to summer’s boating season, especially because the home has a dock on Sand Creek—ready for family gettogethers and excursions on the lake.

Situated among older homes, this house’s style strikes an architectural shift by ushering in a new era of mountain contemporary design among mainstream homeowners. Boden explains that even his older clients are going for the look with its mix of rustic and modern elements, angled rooflines, and clean lines. And while it’s gaining popularity, Boden believes the home’s style is more of a “form follows function” evolution than a fad.

“I DON’T LIKE FADS; I’M CAREFUL ABOUT HOW FAR YOU TAKE A NEW TREND,” HE SAID. “WHATEVER MEDIUM YOU’RE WORKING WITH, YOU WANT IT TO BE TIMELESS.” And there’s an example of this timeless architecture within view from the Boden home’s windows: “Like the train depot,” he said, as he points across Sand Creek to the refurbished century-old structure. “It’s going to look just as good 100 years from now.”

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R R EE A A LL EE SS T TA AT T EE

Built to LAST

by Beth Hawkins

Handcrafted furniture stands the test of time

I

F YOU’VE EVER BEEN THE RECIPIENT of an heirloom piece of furniture, you know how special it is to own something that s not only beautifully made, but has also been passed down through the generations.

The pieces inside Selkirk Craftsman Furniture, located at 15 S. lla, have that same heirloom uality constructed by hand to emphasi e the natural beauty of the wood, and reflecting the owner s style while also being functional. very piece is individual, said Brad Hanson, owner and sole employee of the Sandpoint furniture business. Hanson mans both the crowded showroom in the front of the building need to sell some of this stuff he said with a laugh , and creates every cabinet, table, rocking chair and more in the large shop in back.

Hanson got his start in the building industry working for a wooden canoe builder in Minnesota as a teenager,

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and up until si years ago was a custom home builder primarily in the Bonners Ferry area. That s when he decided to take his love for fine woodworking and a penchant for Arts and Crafts design, and start the Sandpoint shop. Custom work accounts for most of my business, Hanson said.

He en oys the collaboration process with clients, helping them reali e their visions. There s nothing better than crafting a chair that works for somebody it s satisfying. He s noticed a trend among clients away from the Arts and Crafts style, and now creates pieces in a variety of designs including apanese, Shaker and modern. He can also work with homeowners on custom, built-in cabinets and other one-of-a-kind pieces. hen someone is engaged in their home, it s rewarding to help people reali e what their vision is, he said. f you come in and see something you like, but want a different stain,

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Hanson invites browsers to stop by the showroom, where he has pieces to accommodate a variety of budgets. He sells everything from handcrafted kitchen utensils pieces of art, really, with smooth contours and gorgeous wood grains , cutting boards and whimsical stools, to sculpted rocking chairs, modern buffet pieces, and gorgeous Scandinavian-style easy chairs.

Considering the fact that whatever you choose will likely remain in the family for generations to come, it could ust be one of your more memorable investments.

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It’s a seller’s market (minus the sellers)

by Beth Hawkins

E

con 1 1 taught us about supply and demand and the Sandpoint real estate market is currently a te tbook e ample of what happens when there are more buyers than sellers. The median sales price for a Sandpoint-area home has nudged its way up to 5,8 1 for the period of November , 17 through April , 18 , a 1,8 1 increase from the same period the previous year and that s before this summer s big sales season begins.

A large factor driving the increase in real estate prices is the lack of homes on the local market. nventory has been very low for the past three years, said Forrest Schuck, a real estate agent with Century 1 iverstone, and president of the Multiple Listing Service. People are hanging onto their homes longer, they don t like the idea of taking on a new mortgage. n addition, lumber prices have increased the cost of

building a home, and the area s labor shortage has local builders scrambling for help.

Materials and labor costs have skyrocketed, said Schuck, noting that homes being built in several outlying subdivisions are selling as fast as they re built.

Of course, all of this is compounded by the influ of buyers who are selling out in states such as ashington, California, and Te as, and buying second homes, investment properties, or something to retire to down the road in the Sandpoint area.

Bare land is also selling uickly the number of vacant land sales in Bonner County increased 6 percent this year compared to last year. Steve Battenschlag, a rel estate agent with Tomlinson Sotheby s nternational ealty and president of the Selkirk ealtors, said land is a hot seller with buyers looking ahead to retirement, or perhaps ust wanting to invest in the area s desirable market. hile Battenschlag advises all real estate

buyers to be sharp and ready to make decent offers, he said the market does give him a sense of d vu. t could be a situation we ve been in before, and unfortunately you can create a bubble, he said. My concern is that as the inventory remains low, we could get unreasonable offers.

Perhaps it s all ust the cost we must pay to live in a beautiful place something Schuck calls the mountain ta . e are a niche market, he said. You can take your housing dollar from Sandpoint and go to Post Falls all day long. e pay e tra to live here. hile the days of deals are long gone, taking your real estate hunt northward might be worth the commute. eal estate in Bonners Ferry remains relatively affordable, as the median price for a home is 1 ,5 . The best value is in Bonners Ferry, said Schuck. t s beautiful country and the land and residential prices are fairly low. Bonners feels like Sandpoint did years ago. Sold

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R E A L E S TAT E

Selkirk Multiple Listing Service Real Estate Market Trends Residential sales—All Areas 2016 Sold Listings

2017

519

640

Vacant Land—Bonner County % Inc/Decr

2016

2017

23

Sold Listings

198

214

% Inc/Decr 8

Volume - Sold Listings

$155,851,168

$212,490,309

36

Volume - Sold Listings

$18,813,130

$23,695,199

26

Median Price

$245,000

$280,000

14

Median Price

$60,000

$72,000

20

Average Sales Price

$300,291

$332,016

11

Average Sales Price

$95,015

$110,725

17

-16

Average Days on Market

270

244

-10

Average Days on Market

156

131

2016

2017

2016

2017

Sold Listings

70

97

39

Sold Listings

31

35

13

Volume - Sold Listings

$19,578,960

$30,456,831

56

Volume - Sold Listings

$10,051,800

$11,497,921

14

Median Price

$229,000

$250,000

9

Median Price

$280,000

$275,000

-2

Average Sales Price

$279,699

$313,987

12

Average Sales Price

$324,251

$328,512

Average Days on Market

109

124

14

Average Days on Market

242

112

2016

2017

2016

2017

Sold Listings

302

317

5

Sold Listings

47

91

Volume - Sold Listings

$100,317,976

$115,700,441

15

Volume - Sold Listings

$25,846,904

$47,562,627

84

$395,000

$487,000

23

Sandpoint City

Residential Sales—Schweitzer % Inc/Decr

Sandpoint Area

% Inc/Decr

1 -54

Residential Sales—All Lakefront % Inc/Decr

% Inc/Decr 94

Median Price

$264,000

$295,801

12

Median Price

Average Sales Price

$332,178

$364,985

10

Average Sales Price

$249,934

$522,666

109

Average Days on Market

155

121

-22

Average Days on Market

155

139

-10

Residential sales by area based on information from the Selkirk MLS© for the period of September 10, 2017, to April 20, 2018, versus September 10, 2016, to April 20, 2017.

Real estate stats for Bonner and Boundary counties. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

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Natives

Newcomers

Natives and Newcomers Story and photos by Marianne Love

T

alk to pretty much anyone who s planted roots in the Sandpoint area at any time or from any place, and common themes will arise.

As usual, with this issue s spotlight on two natives and two

newcomers, we found similar motives for their attraction to the community and why they love living here. t s the people, it s the beauty, and it s the uni ue, diverse e periences to be had. All are magnets that won t let go.

Simply put, settling in and around Sandpoint is a gotcha e perience.

As you ll see, these residents don t mind one bit.

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Ben Gunter Native

S

agle s Ben unter is proud to say he has followed in his grandfather s footsteps. The late Harley unter served as a ma or influence in Ben s life, especially through their fre uent fishing e periences.

My grandpa took me blueback fishing to Mirror Lake, on the boat in the summer and on the ice in the winter, unter said. now work for Bonner County oad and Bridge ust like he did.

His duties involve driving trucks, plowing, operatS A N D P O I N T M AG A Z I N E

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RNEaAtLi vEe Ss T ANTeEw c o m e r s

ing heavy e uipment and running a chainsaw when trees fall on the roads in the Sagle area. n his spare time, he also administers a Facebook group page for the Sagle community. started it a couple of years ago, he e plained, for family and friends from Sagle and for family and friends from far away who have roots in Sagle to see what is going on around town. unter, his wife Teresa, and their two daughters Madison and Mirabelle live on the family farm that his grandfather built and where Harley unter once ran a dairy. As a fourth-generation member of the unter clan to live in Sagle, unter, now 6, can also point to the spot on the farm where his grandfather was born and lived in a tent house in the 1 s. feel blessed to have had such a great influence, he said.

Having spent most of his life in the Sagle area, unter, an avid outdoorsman, said, can t imagine living anywhere else.

Most notable changes you’ve seen in Sandpoint during your lifetime: The bypass is a ma or asset to Bonner County. like that you can get from Sagle to Ponderay in a matter of minutes.

Favorite spot to visit in this area? Mirror Lake. have a lifetime of memories on that lake.

Favorite memory? Practicing motocross on our private motocross track on our family farm, Sandi Crest, in Sagle.

Who or what in this area influenced you most during your life-

time? hen was a little boy, Cliff rish asked me if wanted to go for a ride in his side dump truck while he was hauling dirt from our church to a church member s home. loved it ver since then, all have ever wanted to do was be a truck driver.

Advice to newcomers: uit trying to change this area. Leave it the way it has been. e live here because we like it not because we want change. .

Kennden Culp Native

H

e may not have lived in Sandpoint itself, but ennden Culp has logged a ma or portion of his life here. grew up coming to Sandpoint from No on for doctors appointments, groceries, movies and, of course, skiing at Schweit er, he said. No on is a tiny community, so Sandpoint was always

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Most notable changes you’ve seen in Sandpoint during your lifetime: The bypass has absolutely been one of the largest changes to the community. etting truck traffic off of the downtown streets has been a positive change and really has revived downtown Sandpoint s alking Town credibility.

Favorite spot to visit in this area? I really love going to Mineral Point reen Bay for rock skipping and la y summer afternoons with friends and family.

Favorite memory? hen bought my first car, a 1 68 Oldsmobile 44 . still have that car today This is the same car took my date to the prom in and drove in the Lost in the 5 s parade.

Who or what in this area influenced you most during your lifetime? Schweit er Mountain and local hikes. From risk-taking to getting up after a fall my time on the hill taught me a lot about myself. Also, Sandpoint s outdoor recreation opportunities such as hiking and hunting provided time to be alone with myself, connect with nature and reflect on what is most important in life.

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part of our daily lives, including back-toschool shopping at -Mart and breakfast at the histle Stop Caf .

Culp cherishes his rural upbringing. am proud to have grown up in a rural setting where learned the skills and patience to fi tangible problems and work hard, he said. am most thankful for where was raised and the values my family instilled every day trust, honesty and respect.

Culp, 5, and his wife Andrea, now own a home in Sandpoint where they have spent the past couple of years planning, designing and constructing Matchwood Brewing Co., set to open in late summer in an annex near the old Co-Op granary.

The couple spend their leisure time swimming at reen Bay, kayaking on amlin Lake or ust walking and biking around town.

Homebrewing tops the list of this niversity of Montana graduate s passions and hobbies, followed closely by listening to NP with a cup of coffee, embracing renewable energy and, as often as possible, conducting product research at daho Pour Authority.

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Newcomers

Andrea Marcoccio Newcomer

A

s the first after four generations to leave hode sland, Andrea Marcoccio has fully embraced her life here in the est. Her initial move to Montana involved working on the 8 Obama presidential campaign, where she met her husband ennden Culp.

At , this Assumption College grad and college soccer AllAmerican views Sandpoint as home.

The love, genuine care and thoughtfulness of the people is the reason we started our business and planted our roots here, she said.

Marcoccio serves as national director of organi ational health for Alliance for Youth Action, an institution that empowers local organi ations for youth to strengthen our democracy, fi our

economy, and correct in ustices through on-the-ground organi ing. Her responsibilities involve advising nine affiliates from Montana and Texas to Chicago and Miami on becoming sustainable, healthy organi ations.

This summer, Marcoccio and her husband, enndan Culp, plan to open Matchwood Brewery, complete with a community meeting room.

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Natives

nections foster positive change through the power of dialogue and laughter one delicious pint of uality, locally-made beer at a time.

What changes have you noticed about yourself since moving here?

As a young owner of a new small business, have found a genuine and contagious sentiment among Sandpointers to strike up conversation, believe in one another, and build trusting relationships.

As a result, have felt an increased sense of confidence and drive to do my best and add value to our neighborhood, community and town.

What ideas might Sandpoint consider, based on where you’ve lived before?

Curbside composting. A four-year college to support workforce demands.

Outdoor movies. alk Bike Bus eek. ncreased civic engagement opportunities for the ne t generation.

Overall goals for living in this area?

Our goal is for Matchwood Brewing Company to serve and add value to the community. e hope our space will foster e citing ideas and serve as a safe and warm space for community and family events.

What or who has helped you adjust to living here? On our third night in town, we attended an epic birthday party in Sagle. hen we got there, my husband, ennden and felt a sense of immediate acceptance and comfort. ighteen months later many of the people we met that night are some of our closest friends, business partners and mentors. Thanks for the invite, Steve Holt and ohn dwards.

Advice for newcomers? Tell people you are new to town and let the spirit of Sandpoint take you where it will recommend going to yard sales to meet people and learn about the neighborhoods. hile we won t open until late summer early fall, come on by the brewery site at the ranary by vans Brothers construction ongoing any time as we would love to meet you

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Newcomers

Judy Jury Newcomer

W

hen her daughter suggested last summer that she buy an established stabling facility on Shingle Mill oad, Oregon transplant udy ury thought for a moment.

Then she said, think will.

And, she did.

After 5 years of working in corporate America as a certified business continuity professional for Nike, Hewlett-Packard, Safeco nsurance and others, ury, now 6 , moved here from Albany, Oregon She has owned Shingle Mill Stables since September 17. m a pro ect person, ury said. was ready for another big pro ect. ith some help, she has built corrals and sheds and made significant improvements to the barn and indoor arena where up to horses are boarded during different times of the year. Plans also call for construction of a umping and trail course. ury s typical day involves feeding horses, cleaning stalls, raking the arena, maintenance, and engaging in new pro ects to enhance the boarding and horse event facility.

There s always something to do on a farm, said this mother of three who loves gardening and always takes great pride in a ob well done.

What changes have you noticed about yourself since moving here? m much happier, more satisfied working for myself, happy to

be closer to my daughter and her family, and truly love the horses board at my farm.

What ideas might Sandpoint consider, based on where you’ve lived before? wouldn t change a thing.

This is a great place.

Overall goals for living in this area? unning my business and en oying the country surrounding us.

What or who has helped you adjust to living here? My daughter odie Corless and her family, the boarders, Michelle Sadewic and her family, and the Bucklins. They have all helped me make good decisions and have helped out at the farm.

What plans do you have for this year at the farm? e want to build a couple of courses on our property one for umping and one for competition cross country riding . e hope to also host play days, clinics and other events. e have a Facebook page. Please oin us there Shingle Mill Stable .

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LODGING

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Sandpoint’s luxury vacation home rentals, with properties on the lake and in the mountains. See ad, page 5. www.DM-Vacations.com

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Downtown location, high-speed internet. Free breakfast, themed spa suites. Silverwood, ski and golf packages. Kids stay free. See ad, page 34. www.LQ.com

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Accommodations for weddings, retreats and banquets. Lakeside with swimming and docks. Views of lake and mountains for an unforgettable Idaho vacation. www.LodgeAtSandpoint.com

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Northern Quest Resort and Casino, the Inland Nortwest’s only AAA-Rated 4-Diamond Casino Resort. Complimentary Wi-Fi, Valet and overnight parking. See ad page 153. www.NorthernQuest.com

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Stay and play packages. See ad, page 83. www.POSResort.com

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x

x

208-263-2111 or 866-519-7683

Sandpoint Vacation Rentals 208-263-7570 or 866-263-7570

Selkirk Lodge

x

x

208-265-0257 or 877-487-4643

Sleep’s Cabins

Twin Cedars Camping and Vacation Rentals

Meeting Rooms

Restaurant

Best Western Edgewater Resort

Kitchen

Pool on site

54

No. of Units

Spa or Sauna

Waterfront Property Management

5

x

On beautiful Lakeshore Drive. Sleep’s Cabins consists of five log bungalows decorated with original furnishings and collectibles. See ad, page 128. www.SleepsCabins.com

x

Owner-managed vacation rental homes and camping cabin; RV sites on Lake Pend Oreille and Selle Valley; yurt on beach (open year round). Horse/dog friendly. www.TwinCedarsSandpoint.com

208-255-2122 or 866-302-2122

Twin Cedars Camping and Vacation Rentals 208-920-1910

8

x

Waterfront Property Management

19

X

X

X

X

X

X

Wide variety of vacation rentals in beautiful Dover Bay. See ad page 56 www.DoverBayBungalows.com

26

x

x

x

x

x

x

New accommodations, stay-and-play packages. Spectacular mountain & lake views. Outdoor hot tubs, access to heated pool. www.Schweitzer.com

208-263-3083

White Pine Lodge 208-265-0257 or 877-487-4643

SUMMER 2018

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Eats &

E A TDSR &IDN RK I NSK S

happy hour on the lake ( and off )

WHETHER YOU’RE ON OR OFF THE LAKE, THERE ARE DEALS TO BE HAD!

I

T’S SUMMER, WE’RE IN SANDPOINT, and life is good. So just in case you need one more excuse to rela and admire this magnificent place we call home, here s a cheery little roundup of happy hours at dining establishments both on and off this lovely lake of ours. You can never have too much of a good thing, right And boaters, a reminder to have a designated driver in place and test their docking skills beforehand Trinity at City Beach, 58 Bridge St., located on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille ne t to Sandpoint s famous City Beach, hosts a daily happy hour from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. Sit on the deck overlooking the lake while en oying 1 off draft beers and well drinks. You ll want to stick around for dinner once you take a look at the menu the pan-seared pi on trout crusted with pine nuts is a standing favorite, as is the blackened blue N.Y. strip salad featuring tender steak that s blackened and served on a bed of mi ed greens tossed with gorgon ola cheese, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette.

Across Lake Pend Oreille sits CHOP Waterfront Bar and Grill, 466 4 Highway in scenic Hope. The restaurant s multi-level decks already beckon boaters on beautiful afternoons, and now owner ary Peit has ramped up happy hour

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HAPPY HOUR ON THE LAKE E AT S & D R I N K S

y p p a H hour

n o (and off)

Trinity at City Beach CHOP Waterfront Bar & Grill

the Lake

SUMMER 2018

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• Bar and Grill serving burgers, steaks, tacos, fresh fish and crisp salads • The Best Happy Hour on the lake from 4-6 daily • Full liquor bar 46624 HWY 200 at Holiday Shores Marina in Beautiful Hope ID. 208-264-0443

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offerings to tempt us further. aily drink specials are accompanied by half-price appeti ers including shareable gourmet delights such as barbecue potato skins with pulled pork, alapenos, bacon, green onions, and cheddar served with Litehouse bleu cheese dressing, or their famous calamari featuring strips of breaded calamari fried golden brown and served with orange fennel aioli sauce. ith ample boat parking along Sandpoint s Sand Creek boardwalk between First Avenue and City Beach, there are more fantastic happy hour stops that re uire ust a few e tra steps. One of those easily accessible spots in downtown is A&P’s Bar and Grill, N. First Ave. The earliest of early birds will en oy a daily happy hour from 1 a.m. to 11 a.m. with special prices on well drinks and drafts plus there s another round of daily happy hour from p.m. to 6 p.m. And on Sundays, it s happy hour all day with free pool and darts. No visit to A Ps is complete without their signature P s burger, made with a uarterpound of local ood s meat. ith two downtown Sandpoint locations to choose from, hometown brewing company MickDuff’s doubles up during happy hour, offering their core handcrafted beers at a 1 discount from p.m. to 5 p.m.

Sundays through Thursdays. The brewpub on First Avenue offers food as well as their full selection of year-round and seasonal brews, and the beer hall, ust a few blocks down on Cedar Street, features live music on the weekends, outdoor seating, games, and free popcorn. eekdays and especially Mondays can be festive in a fiesta kind of way at Jalapeno’s, 14 N. Second Ave. The popular downtown Me ican restaurant hosts happy hour from p.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and takes off any appeti er, 1 off draft beers, and 1 off house margaritas.

And now for that e tra love on Mondays Margarita Monday is a double delight, because you can order any 16-ounce margarita on the menu for the price of a 1 -ounce almost like a two-for-one . n all honesty, any time chips and salsa are involved it’s going to be a good thing.

2.

SUMMER 2018

5/9/18 9:36 AM

E AT S & D R I N K S

in Ponderay

New food court features outdoor d n ng, orldly a ors

by Beth Hawkins

I

t’s no secret that fast food cravings can be satisfied in Ponderay, where fast-food chains are in plentiful supply. But drive ust a bit further down ootenai Cut-Off oad to discover handcrafted, delicious meals and ust as fast at the new Ponderay Eats Food Court ne t to the Panhandle Animal Shelter, 87 ootenai Cut-Off d.

Serving dinner 7 nights a week Reservations Recommended

SINCE 1994

208.265.2000

41 Lakeshore Drive, Sagle www.41SouthSandpoint.com

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E AT S & D R I N K S ALOHA CH C

NT

YA

PLAT

lobal cuisine options abound, offered up by local entrepreneurs cooking up their specialty dishes from food trucks including Sandpoint Curry, Taco Tacos, Ponderay Aloha Grill and the Twisted Kilt Black Iron Grill. Coconut chicken curry is the most popular dish on the menu at Sandpoint Curry, owned by Pete Hicks, who ac uired his cooking skills while living in ndia. e rotate the menu every week, but our coconut chicken curry is always on the menu. Hicks welcomes both walk-up orders and callahead orders, and is open Thursdays and Fridays for lunch and dinner. He shares his food truck with Ponderay Aloha Grill, owned

by Tony Frontado, who serves traditional Hawaiian fare, including teriyaki chicken and beef. He s open Monday and Tuesday for breakfast Spam and eggs, anyone , lunch and dinner.

For both sweet and savory options, check out the Twisted Kilt Black Iron Grill gluten-free waffles that are topped with all

“BEST BURGERS IN Best TOWN�

Burgers OUTDOOR DINING FOOD TO GO LIVE MUSIC

In Town

208 263-2313

222.N First Ave. Sandpoint, ID

extensive draft beer selection rotating wine list mon-sat 12pm-10pm 301 Cedar St. Suite 102 208.265.PORK 138

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E AT S & D R I N K S TONY F ONTA O OF PON LOA S MOLLY

C A

AY ALOHA P

LL

TH L NCH

Waffles to tacos, Hawaiian specialties to Indian curry Open Mon-Sat, 7 am to 7 pm nd dual food tru ours ary

T

ST

LT PAT OT

AFFL

sorts of fi in s. Owned by Aaron Seit who really does wear a kilt , the go-to pick is the evine Swine featuring a waffle that s topped with pulled pork and dri led with honey butter sauce. Seit is open for breakfast and lunch, Tuesday through Saturday.

And finally, immy Lomeli and his infamous Taco Tacos truck dishes up authentic, south-of-the-border style food including the locally popular carne asada burrito made with beef, onions, cilantro, cabbage and salsa. Lomeli keeps the Me ican food roll-

ing out from breakfast through late lunch Monday through Saturday. ith plentiful outdoor seating, the food court crew e pects a busy summer season with its bustling location. Owners lease their space from the shelter, and PAS e ecutive director Mandy vans is pleased with the new addition t all adds to the appeal of this destination, with a park ust behind the shelter, plenty of shopping, the shelter to go visit the animals, and now a place to grab a bite.

www.sweetlousidaho.com

Now serving you at two locations! wild salmon * smoked ribs * hand-cut Steaks

- sweet Lou sayS -

Come hungry, Stay late, Eat well!”

OPEN * 7 days a week * family friendly Sweet lou’s restaurant & BaR 208.263.1381 Next to Holiday Inn Express

>> Ponderay, Idaho

SUMMER 2018

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Sweet lou’s restaurant & tap house >> 601 fRONT AVe. 208.667.1170 DOWNTOWN COEUR D’ALENe

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Serving Sandpoint CHEF Q&A WITH BRETT MULLINDER & ELISSA ROBBINS THE FAT PIG Brett Mullinder, 36, and his wife elly

ennedy have worked in the food industry most of their lives. They found their ideal space next to Pend d’Oreille Winery in the beautifully refurbished Belwood 1 building on Cedar Street and The Fat Pig was born. Late-night noshers, take note the restaurant plans to seat customers until 1 p.m. nightly closed Sunday from Memorial ay weekend onward.

FLOATING RESTAURANT Elissa Robbins, 59, has been the chef and owner of The Floating estaurant in Hope for nearly years. The uni ue restaurant, which truly floats on Lake Pend Oreille, is only open in the summer which works perfectly with obbins lifestyle. She and her husband spend winters south of the border. Can you say tacos and te uila she said.

Brett mullinder

elissa robbins

What influenced your love of cooking?

I worked as a teenager in Maine, starting as a dishwasher and then one thing led to another and I was working in a restaurant on an island on the coast of Maine. I didn’t take it seriously until after high school, and realized this is my passion.

I was the youngest of 11, and cooked from a very young age at the side of my grandmother and mother.

What’s your favorite ingredient?

That’s tricky. The thing that builds everything is onions. You can use them as a flavor base. You can do a lot with them.

Garlic. It’s the base of almost everything savory … plus it smells like my grandma’s kitchen.

What’s your favorite dish that you serve?

Our burger is exactly what we wanted it to be. It’s a smashed burger, and we grind the meat in-house every day. I can always tell a lot about a restaurant by how good their burger is.

Does huckleberry pie count? I’ve had a thousand favorites over the years, some of them hitters, others not so much.

Right now it’s the gorgonzola-stuffed buffalo meatballs with polenta.

What food trends do you follow?

We pickle everything in-house, ferment kimchi. We also make our own sauces. We source local and use as many local products as possible.

I try to keep current, without forgetting who we are playing to. Our clientele are well-heeled tourists as well as Stetsontopped cowboys and local retirees. I aim for approachable, unintimidating menus with something for everyone. Fresh, locally sourced products never go out of style.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I play golf, and we love going out on the lake in our boat.

I ski in the winter.

I love to hunt morels in the spring, kayak on the lake, drink a little good wine, and hang out with the grandkids.

Any alternate career dreams if you weren’t a chef?

I would maybe consider brewing, I love beer. It’s a huge part of what we do here, and we’re constantly rotating our tap list.

No, I’m good. I have been able to carve out the perfect ‘chef’s life’ in the most beautiful spot in the world. Why would I want anything else? Truly, I’m blessed.

What advice would you give future chefs?

Really understand what you’re getting into, it’s a demanding lifestyle. The culture of restaurants has changed a lot, and people think it’s glamorous watching the chefs on TV.

Be prepared for incredibly long hours, hot kitchens and stress under fire. If you enjoy the adrenaline rush of a busy atmosphere, with immediate feedback of a job well done–or the immediate feedback of not done so well–jump in. If you can keep that passion hot, you just might still be killin’ it at 59.

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DiLuna’s Greek spinach wrap

y

et

a

ns

VEGETARIANS FEELING THE LOVE AT AREA RESTAURANTS

D

iscovering delicious, non-meat meals is easier than ever with restaurants adapting their menus to deliver nutritious, incredibly tasty options for those who forgo the meat-eating

#1 on tripadvisor

Baxters on Cedar home of the Maine Lobster Roll

SERVING LUNCH & DINNER phone208.229.8377 webBaxtersOnCedar.com 109 Cedar St. Sandpoint, ID 83864

sushi & Japanese cuisine open wed-sun

shogasushi.com//208 //208 265 2001 //

41 Lakeshore Drive, Sagle, Idaho 83860

D O W N S TA I R S F R O M B A X T E R S

le ebratin

C WINE • CRAFT BEERS • TAPAS SANDPOINT, ID • 208.610.7359

111 CEDAR ST. LOWER LEVEL www.ba xtersbackdoor.com

American Bistro Breakfast & Lunch Locally Made Gifts SUMMER 2018

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g

20 z Years z

207 Cedar St. | dilunas.com S A N D P O I N T M AG A Z I N E

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E AT S & D R I N K S lifestyle. Heck, even a burger-loving customer ust might fall in love with some of these options t s easy to appreciate the vegetarian lifestyle when dining at Spud’s Waterfront Grill, 1 N. First Ave. The popular Sand Creek restaurant always has their longadored vegetarian black bean soup on the daily menu, and usually offers another one or two vegetarian soups including glutenfree options. According to owner Peter Mc aniel, Spud s serves two vegetarian sandwiches, including the new falafel sandwich made with local organic chickpeas, green onion dill aioli, feta cucumber and red onion. e also have a couple of vegetarian potatoes the Papas Fresca with tomatoes and avocado, and our rag t Through The arden topped with spinach, broccoli and more, plus some fantastic salads, he said.

New this year at Spud s is their clean-eating uinoa burrito bowls, with avocado for vegetarians and non-vegetarian options, as well . They re made without sugars or cheese, ust house-made ingredients, nothing processed, Mc aniel said.

SP

S FALAF L SAN

CH

Local Natural Delicious

• Indoor/Outdoor seating • Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner • Take-out

208 265-8991

229 Church St. Sandpoint

Winter Ridge Natural Foods is your onestop-shop to support your healthy lifestyle.

Organic Produce Salad Bar Deli Hot Food Bar Local Grass-Fed Meats and Dairy Extensive Wellness and Beauty Departments Exclusive Wines and Cheeses Beer and Kombucha on Tap Robust Bulk Items Healthy On-The-Go Foods And So Much More.

Espresso • Beer/Wine • WiFi

Open Daily at 6 A.M. 208 N. 4th Avenue • Sandpoint, ID

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SUMM E R 2 0265-8135 18 (208)

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Another vegetarian mainstay is Di Luna’s Café, 7 Cedar St., where chef and owner aren Forsythe has been dishing up breakfast, lunch and the occasional dinner show event for years now. Her commitment to serving food that is local, regional, organic, and sustainably raised is reflected in the café’s abundant variety of vegetarian choices. A breakfast mainstay is the veggie hash, made with sweet potatoes, onions, sweet peppers, roasted potatoes and greens topped with hollandaise sauce. For a lighter lunch option that s still abundant in flavor, try the reek spinach wrap with feta cheese, tomatoes, local spinach, red onions,

SALA

and house-made t at iki sauce wrapped in a herb tortilla a perfect choice on a summer’s day.

Peruse the menu at Tango Café, inside Columbia Bank building at 414 Church St., for a savory selection of vegetarian soups, salads, entrees and more. Since breakfast is served all day, give the ba a omelette a try served with whole grain toast and potatoes, the omelette is stuffed with green chilies, red pepper, cilantro and pepper- ack cheese plus a side of salsa. rab and go items in the deli case include a rotating selection of vegetarian options such as tabbouleh, broccoli salad, uiche and more. Tango always tries to have a vegetarian soup on the menu. Popular favorites are the creamy tomato, mushroom and barley, and cheesy potato.

Finally, Eichardt’s Pub, 1 Cedar St., serves up cheese ravioli in a fresh sage, rosemary and tomato cream sauce that’s topped with parmesan and comes with garlic toast. You can also order the half-size version of the ravioli, too, which is definitely appreciated by light eaters. And since we re on the sub ect of garlic and ichardt s, you know what s coming their legendary garlic and herb fries served with grated parmesan and fresh garlic. They re ust too good, and vegetarians can love them too

E AT S & D R I N K S

Power couple’s

egg e go tos

here do wen LeTutour and atie Adams, the vegetarian couple behind Plant-Positive story, page 7 -74 go out to eat List is in no particular order.

Joel’s - ice-bean burrito, no cheese Beet and Basil - Veggie burgers Ivano’s - Pasta, red sauce City Beach Organics - Salad bowls Secret Thai - Pad Thai

KOK KOAKNEA FSE ENI REOEN W IROORNKSW&OCROKF

E

TAN O CAF

CUSTOM DECORATIVE METALS Free quotes (208) 627-6993 License #RCE-4713

COFFEE SHOP OPEN MON-SAT

509 N. 5th Avenue • 208.597.7831

NEWLY EXPANDED STORE & DINING AREA

Breads Scones Pastries Cookies Pies Cinnamon Rolls Coffee Teas Canned Goods Spices Beans Rice Pasta Flour Nuts Dried Fruit Christian Books Housewares Hours:

M-F 8:30-5:30 1326 Baldy Mtn. Rd., Sandpoint, ID 83864 . www.MillersCountryStoreSandpoint.com SUMMER 2018

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Join us on

208-263-9446

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Kokanee Kicker

The Local T WO G R E AT BU S I N E S S E S

WHERE

Skis, Bikes & Beer collide Located in Ponderay next to Taco Bell 476930 Hwy 95 • (208) 265-6163 Rice crusts & soy cheese now available

“Out of this W orld” • Delivery • Sandwiches • Calzones • Specialty Salads • Homemade Dough • Beer/Wine • Take & Bakes

The Carolyn

215 S. 2nd Ave.

263-9321

C

Dish

elebrating seven years of success, Angela and Jim Reese with Kokanee Coffee, 509 N. Fifth Ave., are taking on a spring remodeling of the shop. “It’s going slow, but should be done this summer with a new look,” Angela Reese said. “We’re painting, moving walls, and adding a giant roaster.” Perk up your summer with a Kokanee Kicker, which is a fresh fruit smoothie that’s loaded with vitamin D. “It gives you a big energy boost,” Angela said. The café opens at 6:30 a.m., and serves healthy breakfasts, homemade pastries and more. Kokanee roasts their own organic coffee, which is available wholesale, and the cold brew is a must-try for coffee aficionados.

A charming gem that keeps itself tucked quietly under the radar is Pine Street Bakery, 710 Pine St., where homemade bagels, breads, and scrumptious pastries tempt customers from large display cases.

Indoor and outdoor seating makes the bakery a perfect meeting place for breakfast or lunch. Owner Julia Knadler has tweaked the menu to include more mainstays such as the bagel sandwiches featuring microgreens that are grown local. (Tip: try the ‘Batgirl’ bagel with bacon, avocado, red onions and

ODIE'S BAYSIDE GROCERY

ic

tomato!) Knadler said the bakery also can create custom cakes, dessert platters, and other sweet treats to make your event special … and delicious!

If you’re screaming for ice cream, Miller’s Country Store at 1326 Baldy Mountain Road just introduced their own smooth, soft-serve version that’s served in cups or cones. Flavors are rotated on a weekly basis, and include huckleberry, mint, chocolate, vanilla and more. Another item that is new at Miller’s deli is grilled panini sandwiches. “We switch out the menu of paninis daily,” said manager Lane Riffey. Favorites include the grilled garden turkey panini with roasted tomatoes, onions, smoked turkey and spices. “We also feature pulled pork, Reubens, and roast beef with sauteed mushrooms and onions,” Riffey said. While you’re at Miller’s, remember to stock up on bulk foods in the store. It’s fun just to walk through the aisles and check out what they sell, including candies, nuts, dried fruit and more. Open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

Another ice cream spot can actually be enjoyed while out on Lake Pend Oreille at Odie’s Bayside Grocery, 15 1 arfield Bay Rd. in Sagle. New owner Dave Nye dishes

Food sna

hot dogs | pizza cks sandwiches | Wood’s smokies hand-dipped ice cream beer, wine & ice

n pic

Batgirl bagel

Serving Breakfast and Lunch Daily.

rentals

kayaks | paddleboards | Boat close to park, campground & Hiking

1591 Garfield Bay 208.263.9429 Open 7 Days a Week 144

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102 N 1st Ave, Sandpoint 208-265-4311 Spudsonline.com

SUMMER 2018

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E AT S & D R I N K S

Patio at The 219

up hand-scooped ice cream cones, making this a great midday stop for boaters, campers and kayakers. He also sells ham and turkey sandwiches, pi a, snacks, and bags of ice for your cooler. “And of course our biggest sellers, beer and wine, he adds.

Hours for the summer are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

Schweit er chef ordan Hansen is bringing an all-new summer menu to the Sky House on the summit of Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Perched at , -feet, the Sky House is a perfect place to wow your summer guests with a chairlift ride to the restaurant, where big views stretch into Montana, ashington and Canada.

Take a look at the menu online, starting in early une, at Schweit er.com. Hansen is also revamping the menu at ourmandie, a rela ing place in Schweit er illage where you can en oy a glass of wine or cold beer, along with gourmet fare including fine wines, soups, sandwiches and more. Chimney ock rill and the Mo o Coyote caf , both located in the Selkirk Lodge, round out the surprisingly diverse dining e periences offered during summer on the mountain.

Back in town, The 219 Lounge, 1 N.

Miller’s Country Store

First Ave., ratchets up the summer party factor with a packed, live music lineup featuring musicians and bands from both the Sandpoint area and across the region. ith a full remodel out of the way, which included a new handcrafted bar and also restored the building back to its historic days of the 1 s, owner Mel ick is ready to celebrate. The outdoor bar and patio will be open this summer for weekend entertainment, he said. n addition, the 1 helps folks bust through mid-week boredom by continuing their weekly ind own ednesdays featuring light snacks, signature cocktails, half-price wine bottles, and live music from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with acclaimed Sandpoint musician Truck Mills and a rotating guest musician every week.

Ask a local where they like to eat, and it s likely that Joel’s, located at Church St., will pop up in the conversation. The downtown Me ican food establishment is busy most weekdays round the lunch hour, and for good reason they serve delicious food at reasonable prices. Try the beloved fish taco or carne asada burrito, or anything else on the menu. Seating can sometimes be at a premium, so snap up the first open spot you come across

LIVE MUS IC EVER Y F R ID AY OPEN DAILY 11AM-8PM photo by Mike Albans

Natural beer, food & fun!

Come visit us today at one of our two locations: Family Friendly Brewpub

312 N First Ave. 870 KOOTENAI CUT-OFF ROAD, PONDERAY

220 Cedar St.

MickDuffs.com SUMMER 2018

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Beer Hall & Brewery

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Eats & Downtown Sandpoint Dining Map DRINKS

To Schweitzer

h

Elks Golf Course

Bonner Mall

6

ND

CR

EE

K

Fir Healing Garden

Poplar

2

Alder

Main

Main

[Panida

Theater

f i Bridge St.

\

Boyer

Cedar St. Bridge

First Ave.

0 4

d S. Second Ave.

9

Lake St.

a

u City Beach

Pine St. S. Fourth Ave.

Division S A N D P O I N T M AG A Z I N E

Town Square

Second Ave.

1

Farmin Park

Third Ave. PARKING

Oak

To Dover e Priest River

jo k w gp ]

Cedar St.

Cedar

Pine

Bonner General Health

LAKE PEND OREILLE

SA

Larch

Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail

Sand Creek Byway

Visitor Center

5

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8

Baldy Mountain Rd.

Church

146

q

To Hope Clark Fork

Kootenai Cut-off Rd

l

3=t

Fourth Ave.

Beer Hall & Brewery k Pend d’Oreille Winery l Skål Taproom

y

Schweitzer Cut-off Rd

Fifth Ave.

1 Evans Brothers Coffee 2 Kokanee Coffee 3 Mojo Coyote at Schweitzer 4 Monarch Mountain Coffee 5 Pine Street Bakery 6 Miller’s Country Store & Deli 7 Odies Bayside Grocery 8 Panhandle Eats 9 Winter Ridge 0 Tango Cafe - Baxters on Cedar = Chimney Rock at Schweitzer q Chop Waterfront Bar & Grill w Di Luna’s Café e Dish at Dover Bay r Forty-One South t Sky House at Schweitzer y Sweet Lou’s u Trinity at City Beach i A&Ps Bar and Grill o Eichardt’s Pub & Grill p The Fat Pig [ MickDuff’s Brewing Co. Brewpub ] Jalapeño’s Restaurant \ Joel’s Mexican Restaurant a Second Avenue Pizza s Shoga @ Forty-One South d Spuds Waterfront Grill f 219 Lounge g The Back Door h Laughing Dog Brewing j MickDuff’s Brewing Co.

To Bonners Ferry Canada

Map not to scale!

Marina

AMENITIES KEY Waterfront Dining Outdoor Dining Full Bar Serves Breakfast Open Late Night

7rs To Sagle

Coeur d’Alene

Wi-Fi Available SUMMER 2018

5/9/18 10:03 AM

Eats &

DRINKS

Fish tacos from Trinity at City Beach

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM & CAFÉS

DELICATESSENS & MARKETS

1Evans Brothers Coffee

6Miller’s Country Store & Deli

2 Kokanee Coffee

7 Odie’s Bayside Grocery

3Mojo Coyote at Schweitzer

8 Panhandle Eats

524 Church St. Located in downtown Sandpoint’s historic Granary Arts District.

Enjoy exceptional coffees and espresso, including the popular Headwall Espresso Blend. Locally baked pastries, breakfast burritos and more. A second location is now open in Coeur d’Alene. 208-2655553

509 N. Fifth Ave. Kokanee Coffee’s mission is to serve outstanding coffee, or a perfect shot of espresso in every cup. Kokanee blends and roasts its coffee in small batches using organic beans, plus offers homemade soups, wraps and pastries every day. Open 7 days a week!

Wi-Fi available. Daily specials featured on Facebook. www. okaneeCoffee.com. 20 -5 7-7 31

10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. Enjoy a fresh Evans Brothers espresso and treat your sweet tooth to a warm scone.

Fresh-baked pastries, breakfast burritos and lunch specials. Fine selection of beer and wine. 208-255-3037

15 1 Garfield Bay Rd., Sagle. A uni ue store in Garfield Bay serving hand-dipped ice cream, root beer floats and old-fashioned candy! Let Odie’s pack your picnic with homemade sandwiches, and restock your beer and ice. Open 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 208-263-9429

870 Kootenai Cut-off Rd. in Ponderay.

New food court offers a delicious variety of global flavors, conveniently located next to the Panhandle Animal Shelter.

Expanded seating for summer – check it out! Open Monday - Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

4 Monarch Mountain Coffee

9 Winter Ridge Natural Foods

5 Pine Street Bakery

0 Tango Cafe

208 N. Fourth Ave. Open at 6 a.m. daily and roasting top-grade beans. Treat yourself to a classic or custom delight from the Espresso Bar, a cup of premium brewed coffee or tea, craft beer or wine.

208-265-9382

710 Pine St. European pastries, breads, homemade sandwiches, and cakes made using quality ingredients. Coffees, espresso drinks and teas; indoor and outdoor seating. Open Monday to Friday at 7 a.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. 208-2639012

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1326 Baldy Mountain Rd. Wholesome goodness with a selection of fine deli meats and cheeses, bulk food items, pie fillings, and delicious fresh-baked pies, breads and pastries—plus soup and sandwiches, take-home dinners, and new soft-serve ice cream. Inside and outside seating. Open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 208-263-9446

703 Lake St. A natural foods grocery store with in-house deli, bakery, meat department, organic produce department and hot food bar with indoor seating.

Open daily, 7 a.m. to p.m. 20 -2658135

414 Church St. in the Columbia Bank building. Tango is a favorite for breakfast and lunch, Monday through Friday and open at 7 a.m. Signature omelettes, lunch specials, fresh-baked goods, homemade soups made daily, and a barista bar. 208-2639514

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Eats&D r i n k s | Local Dining Guide

Eclectic / fine dining -Baxters on Cedar

109 Cedar St. Open Monday through Saturday, serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., happy hour 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., and dinner 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Daily specials, fresh local products. From steaks and chops to half-pound burgers, great salads, and Baxters’ signature Key Lime pie.

208-229-8377

tSky House at Schweitzer

10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. Ride the chairlift or hike your way up to the Sky House for a lunch experience unlike any other. Featuring a chef-inspired menu from locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients. Open during lift hours. 208-2639555. www.schweitzer.com

=Chimney Rock at Schweitzer

10000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. Fireplaces, comfortable seating in the bar, and diverse cuisine. Enjoy an extensive menu including high-quality steaks, hearty pasta, scrumptious salads and exquisite seafood. Open daily inside the Selkirk Lodge at Schweitzer. 208-255-3071

ySweet Lou’s

477272 U.S. Highway 95 in Ponderay.

Open every day, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Terrific traditional and regional fare. Serving handcut steaks, freshly ground burgers, wild salmon and smoked ribs. Family-friendly environment. Full bar. A second location is open in Coeur d’Alene. 208-263-1381

qCHOP Waterfront Bar and Grill, 46624 Highway 200 at Holiday

Shores Marina in Hope. A casual watersedge bar and grill serving burgers, steaks, tacos, fresh fish and crisp salads. Happy hour on the lake from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Boat or drive up daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Full liquor bar. www.chopwaterfrontbarandgrill.com 208-264-0443

wDi Luna’s Café

207 Cedar St. American bistro café offering regional, sustainable foods including hand-cut steaks, homemade soups and vegetarian cuisine. Check out our dinner concerts, posted online at www.DiLunas. com. Open Wednesday through Monday for breakfast and lunch. 20 -2630846

uTrinity at City Beach

58 Bridge St. Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille.

Waterfront dining with an outstanding view and menu featuring seafood, steaks, salads and appetizers; great selection of wine, beer and cocktails. Open Sunday—Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. 208-255-7558

PUB-STYLE iA&P’s Bar & Grill

222 N. First Ave. Serving burgers featuring Wood’s meat, Taco Tuesdays plus daily happy hour with special prices on wells and drafts. Check out specials and events on Facebook. Open from 10 a.m. until 2 a.m. 208-263-2313

eDish at Dover Bay

Located one mile outside of Sandpoint at Dover Bay Resort. Casual dining on the water’s edge of Pend Oreille River featuring spectacular sunsets. An American grill menu with Pacific Rim influences. Boat or drive up 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Full liquor bar. www.DishatDoverBay.com. 208-265-6467

rForty-One South

41 Lakeshore Dr., Sagle. South end of the Long Bridge. Waterfront dining in an elegant lodge setting; exquisite service paired with innovative cuisine make for one of North Idaho’s premier dining experiences. Open 7 nights a week for dinner.

208-265-2000

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oEichardt’s Pub & Grill

212 Cedar St. Relaxing pub and grill mixes casual dining with seriously good food.

Completely family friendly. More than a dozen beers on tap, good wines and live music. pstairs game room with fireplace.

Locally supported and nationally recognized since 1994. Open daily at 11:30 a.m.

208-263-4005

pThe Fat Pig

301 Cedar St. Suite 102, Open Mon.-Sat. noon to 10 p.m. Serving lunch and dinner. Enjoy an extensive draft beer selection in a warm pub environment with a rotating wine list. Refreshing twists on classic pub fare with a complete vegetarian menu. Call for reservations: 208265-PORK (7675)

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Eats &

DRINKS WINE BARS, TAPROOMS AND TAVERNS [MickDuff’s Brewing

Co. Brewpub

312 N. First Ave. Handcrafted ales in a family-friendly downtown atmosphere, brewing natural ales and root beer. Menu includes traditional and updated pub fare – gourmet hamburgers, sandwiches and handcrafted soups. 208-255-4351

f 219 Lounge

21 N. First Ave. It’s always finer at the Niner!’ All week long, there’s fun to be had at the 219 Lounge! Relax and sip on one of our classic cocktails while soaking up some amazing live music, or shoot some pool while enjoying one of the many rotating craft beers on tap. Open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. www.219.bar

REGIONAL / ETHNIC ] Jalapeño’s Restaurant

gThe Back Door

\ Joel’s Mexican Restaurant

h Laughing Dog Brewing

aSecond Avenue Pizza

j MickDuff’s Brewing Co. Beer Hall & Brewery

314 N. Second Ave. A Sandpoint favorite for over 20 years offering both traditional and Americanized Mexican dishes in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. Full bar, patio seating, banquet facilities, glutenfree menu, quick to-go menu, indoor waterfall and fish tank. 20 -263-2 5

229 Church St. Sandpoint’s favorite casual Mexican food. Delicious fare including a variety of fish tacos, Blackened Chicken Burritos, daily specials, breakfast burritos and more. Quick service and reasonable prices; dine outside or indoors. Orders to-go, call ahead at 208-265-8991. Open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon.- Fri., 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

215 S. Second Ave. Savor the piled-high specialty pizzas, loaded with fresh ingredients on homemade dough, or calzones, specialty salads and sandwiches. Glutenfree choices. Beer and wine, take-and-bake pizzas available. Free delivery; open daily.

208-263-9321

sShoga @ Forty-One South

41 Lakeshore Dr., Sagle. Premier sushi restaurant adjacent to Forty-One South. Sushi bar and magnificent sunset views overlooking Lake Pend Oreille. Plenty of non-sushi entrees as well. Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday. 208-265-2001

d Spuds Waterfront Grill

102 N. First Ave. On Sand Creek overlooking the marina. Spuds creates everything from scratch; from every dressing, sauce and soup, to elaborate baked potatoes, loaded salads, unique sandwiches and desserts.

Serving breakfast and lunch daily. Spuds Waterfront Grill, a landmark restaurant in Sandpoint since 1995. 208265-4311

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The Back Door, located downstairs at 111 Cedar St. It feels like you’re going into a speakeasy from the prohibition years; a warm and intimate space featuring wines and craft beers along with a great tapas menu. Open 3 p.m. to midnight; closed Sunday. www.

BaxtersBackDoor.com.

805 Schweitzer Plaza Dr., Ponderay.

The dog-friendly taproom is open and offers a variety of beers. Stop by and taste the delicious huckleberry cream ale, and a wide selection of beers on tap. www.

LaughingDogBrewing.com.

208-263-9222

220 Cedar St. Brewery tasting room boasts 10 taps, local bar art, free popcorn and weekly entertainment. Beer Hall is BYOF (Bring Your Own Food)-friendly and has a beer for every taste. Ages 21 and older.

208-209-6700

k Pend d’Oreille Winery

301 Cedar St. Locally made wines, tasting room and gift shop in the renovated and historic Belwood 301 Building. Open Sunday through Thursday noon to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 8 p.m. 208265-8545

lSkål Taproom

476930 Highway 95, Ponderay. Six beers on tap, wine, cider, hard kombucha and water spirits. Occasional live music. Open Sundays and Tuesdays noon to 6 p.m., Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon to 8 p.m., closed Mondays. www.

SandpointSports-SkalTaproom.com.

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Advertiser Index 7B T.V. Hesstronics A Glass Act Albertson & Barlow Insurance Services All Seasons Garden & Floral Alpine Family Medicine Alpine Shop Alpine Shop Ameriprise Financial Artists’ Studio Tour ArtWorks Gallery Barry Fisher Custom Homes Beyond Hope Big Lake Recreation Bird Aviation Museum BNSF Boden Architecture Bonner County Fair Bonner General Health Century 21/Riverstone CHAFE 150 CO-Op Energy Coeur d’Alene Casino CAL Bizarre Bazaar Connie Scherr, Artist Copeland Cabinets Dana Construction DM Vacation Rentals Dover Bay Eve’s Leaves Evergreen Realty Charesse Moore

76 126 130 64 16 47 68 130 64 64 124 46 68 19 72 123 79 63 31 34 14 80 75 65 75 121 5 60 18 6 123

Farmers’ Market 22 Festival at Sandpoint 71 Floating Restaurant, The 49 Fogarty Construction 126 Greasy Fingers Bikes 20 Guaranteed Rate 26 Hallans Gallery 65 Highlands North Day Spa 27 Hippie Chic 130 Holiday Inn Express 132 Hope Marine 48 Hotel Hope 19 International Selkirk Loop 129 John Cloud Construction 119 Kaniksu Health Services 42 Keokee :: media + marketing 129 Keokee Books 150 KPND Radio 105 KRFY Radio 129 Lake Pend Oreille Cruises 71 LaQuinta Inn 34 Laughing Dog Brewing 21 Lewis & Hawn 17 Lewis & Hawn Sleep Solutions 35 Miller’s Country Store 130 Monarch Marble & Granite 118 Mountain West Bank 81 Montana Specialty Log Construction 83/126 North 40 Outfitters 3 Northern Quest Resort Casino Inside back cover

Northwest Autobody 23 Northwest Handmade 25 Panhandle Special Needs 22 Rawson Concrete 126 Pend Oreille Shores Resort 83 Realm Realty 36 Realm Seasons at Sandpoint 112 Realty Plus 54 Remax in Action 9 ReStore Habitat For Humanity 63 Rock Creek Alliance 52 Sandpoint Building Supply 125 Sandpoint Marine & Motorsports 70-71 Sandpoint Movers 115 Sandpoint Online 151 Sandpoint Optometry 75 Sandpoint Reader 131 Sandpoint Storage 131 Sandpoint Super Drug 38 Sandpoint Vacation Rentals 40 Sandpoint Waldorf School 20 Schweitzer Mountain Resort Back cover Selkirk Craftsman Furniture 83/126

Selkirk Glass & Cabinets 116 Selle Valley Construction 4 Signature Aesthetics 11 Silverwood 105 Skeleton Key Art 65 Skywalker Tree Care 20 Sleeps Cabin 128 Sunshine Goldmine 21 Super 1 Foods 66 Taylor Insurance 43 The Local Pages 18 Timberframes by Collin Beggs 111/126 Tomlinson Sotheby’s International Realty 58/59 Cindy Bond Inside front cover Rich Curtis/Luz Ossa 109 Chris Chambers 1 Carrie LeGrace & Casey Krivor 110 Waterfront Property Management 56 Wildflower Spa@ Seasons 44 Willamette Valley Bank Becky Farmin 23 Willow Bay 114

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Get current rate sheet at www.SandpointMagazine.com Sales Director Clint Nicholson 208-263-3573 ext. 123 or email: clint@keokee.com

Go Exploring with Keokee Guide Books www.KeokeeBooks.com NEW EDITION

$26

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5/10/18 6:01 PM

Marketpl ace Your Buick, GMC truck dealer. New and used sales and leasing. Full service, parts and body shop.

Highway 95 N., Ponderay, 208-263-2118, 1-800-430-5050. www.AlpineMotors.net

Dreams in Beauty Day Spa. Massage, bodywork, facials, scrubs, wraps and make-up for weddings, film and photography. Located 4.5 miles from the center of Sandpoint on Shadow Mtn. Belle Ranch nestled under old growth trees, overlooking a natural spring pond. Electric lift table with skylights, view, A/C. Peggy Richards. 208-263-7270. www. dreamsinbeauty.com

A marketing communications firm providing web design and hosting, search engine optimization and marketing, graphic design, public relations, editorial and media consultation. 405 Church St., 208-263-3573. www.keokee.com

The Center for Functional Nutrition offers a full line of clinical nutrition products including Klaire, Thorne, Pure, Ortho Molecular, and Apex. 604 N. 5th Avenue.

Over 26 years of rental management experience.

We offer tenant screening, rent collection, accounting, maintenance and marketing. Residential, commercial and mini storage. Friendly, prompt service. 204 E. Superior #2, 208-263-4033. www.RLPropertyManagement.com

Scandinavian countries represented in this specialty shop. Kitchen items, table tops, candles, electric candle holders, books, cards, rugs, pewter Vikings, mugs, Danish iron candle holders and year-round Christmas.

319 N. First Ave., 208-263-7722.

Special gifts for special people. Vera Bradley bags, Big Sky Carvers, Baggallini, Tyler and BeanPod candles, souvenirs, balloon bouquets, Hallmark cards, books, gift wrap, stationery. 306 N. First Ave., 208-263-2811.

Offering the latest books and novels, office supplies, machine supplies and free delivery in Sandpoint. Order online. 201 Cedar St., 208-263-2417. www.Vanderfords.com

Sandpoint FREE classiďŹ ed ads

Got something to sell? Looking for good deals, a place to rent, a job, a ride share ... or even looking for love? Post for free, or browse hundreds of ads in Sandpoint’s own version of Craigslist. Go to www.SandpointClassifieds.com.

Shop Sandpoint Go to www.shopsandpoint. com, for local web links to trusted services, merchants, artists, craftspeople, farmers and green building. Write your own reviews in the new SandpointBlog. Fun reading, recycling, and more!

Get in the Marketplace!

To advertise here, call 208-263-3573 ext. 123 or e-mail adsales@keokee.com

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SVR is a full-service property management company with 12 years of experience. Offering vacation rental properties and long-term rentals in Sandpoint and surrounding areas, including waterfront homes, lakefront condos, Schweitzer Mountain vacation rentals, homes at the Idaho Club, and many other rental properties.

208-263-7570 or 866-263-7570 www.SandpointVacationRentals.com

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Eats &

L AS T P AG E

DRINKS

Once there was ‘stuff,’

now there is ‘TINY’ Sandpoint woman’s inspiring project to give it all away on her Trek to Tiny

D

uring the frozen January of 2016 I took a deep breath. My youngest child was graduating and off on his next adventure. What was I going to do next? The home that housed my children’s teenage years already felt empty most of the time, even though their stuff remained. It became very clear that I was ready for something very, very different so I researched, designed and began building a 300-square-foot home. I know, I know, it’s small and it has its own story to tell.

I began downsizing with a purpose. Weekends, nights, and holiday breaks, I would tackle the stuff that had accumulated over 25 years of family life. There are many decisions to make when you shed 90 percent of what you own. I had a couple garage sales but after sacrificing two beautiful summer weekends and not making much money I vowed to never again haggle over my things; I’d rather give it all away.

The little house forces me to pay close attention to how I live, what I use, and what I need. A year in, I reached the harder decisions: my grandmother’s Depression-era glass bowl, my mother’s artwork, the family photos. That project alone took months!

I decided to pick a nice item and give it away on a local Facebook site and the 2018 Freebie Project was born. There is physical and emotional effort required every day for this project. I’ve cried more than once

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over memories attached to a belonging, then I take a picture and give it away. Every time I do this something releases its grip on both my psyche and my physical space and I feel lighter. I give one possession away every day and will continue until I have no more to give.

This project has connected me with fantastic people in this community who are happy to receive that one item that spoke to them. A belly dancer now has a full-length mirror, an artisan repurposes trinkets, a child received a reading chair, a 20-ish young man who wanted a nice bowl for fruit now has one. My mother’s painting hangs in a friend’s home, and every giveaway has had its purpose filled. m having fun meeting people in parks and parking lots to hand over items. In return I’ve received local honey, jam, hugs, encouragement and conversation.

The Sandpoint scenery draws many in, but it’s the people that make this community incredible. It is not unusual for us to rally around one another when a tragedy or a need arises, and it is that ever-present spirit of giving that moves me to practice generosity.

There is curiosity as to why I would give lovely items away. When I share my “Trek to Tiny” the response is positive, and people tell me they feel inspired to pay it forward. It’s how we change the world: just one act of kindness at a time, close to home.

Learn more at www.thetrektotiny.com

ILLUSTRATED BY JODI RAWSON

BY HILLARY DUNBAR

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