January-February 2016

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

COntents

Features

19 | Winter Adventure Guide There is no good excuse to lock yourself indoors all winter. Do whatever it is that makes you feel most alive during the dark, cold months. Time for some winter adventure.

SURRENDER TO BEAUTY.

NOT TO COLD.

19 Special Sections

W W W.C O L D P RU F.C O M

30 | On The Mountain Special Ski/Ride Section

departments 11 | Gear Room 15 | Out There Spotlight 16 | Disc Golf 41 | Health & Fitness

columns 12 | Leaf Root Fungi Fruit

30 in every issue 7

| From the Editor

8

| Out There News & Events

10 | Hike of the Month 13 | Everyday Cyclist 14 | Out There Kids 17 | Food & Fuel 40 | Outdoor Calendar 42 | Last Page

33

Big White Ski Resort Re-defining Family-Friendly Fun in B.C.’s Okanagan

July 9, 2016 clinics Gear Demos mtb Jump jam Live Music Beer Garden spokatopia.com January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

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MONTHLY

More than just a race… it’s a lifetime experience.

Out There Monthly / JAnuary-february 2016 www.outtheremonthly.com Publishers

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Bea Lackaff Siobhan Ebel Holly Weiler Mike Brede Kelly Chadwick Hank Greer Ammi Midstokke Janelle McCabe S. Michal Bennett Aaron Theisen Crystal Atamian Bob Legasa Katie Botkin Chic Burge Brad Northrup Mikell Bova Summer Hess Contributing photographers:

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Out There Monthly

Mailing Address: PO Box #5 Spokane, WA 99210 www.outtheremonthly.com, 509 / 822 / 0123 FIND US ON FACEBOOK Out There Monthly is published once a month by Out There Monthly, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. ©Copyright 2016 Out There Monthly, LLC. The views expressed in this magazine reflect those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily Out There Monthly, LLC. Disclaimer: Many of the activities depicted in this magazine carry a significant risk of personal injury or death.

Rock climbing, river rafting, snow sports, kayaking, cycling, canoeing and backcountry activities are inherently dangerous. The owners and contributors to Out There Monthly do not recommend that anyone participate in these activities unless they are experts or seek qualified professional instruction and/or guidance, and are knowledgeable about the risks, and are personally willing to assume all responsibility associated with those risks.

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On The Cover: The North Division Bike Shop Crew Rollling fatties up at mt. spokane state park.

Photo: Shawn Gust

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

From The Editor: Reimagining Winter December reminded us just how good winter can be here in the Inland Northwest: kneedeep resort days; cross-country skiing and sledding in city parks; urban fat biking; backcountry ski conditions that get you looking at camper vans on Craigslist; and the silent, white beauty of snow as it piles up in feet. If only it would stay this way all winter. Chances are, though, there will be a snow-free high pressure system and a warm, ice-melting Pineapple Express or two in our winter future. For those of us who thrive on getting outside as much as possible throughout the cold months, there is a way to lessen the pain from such weather events: diversify your winter sports portfolio.

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Earlier this season, we took a ski trip north of the border where the snow was already deep well before some local resorts were even open.

And then there’s the exchange rate, if you haven’t heard, that has been saving travelers with U.S. dollars in their wallets 30% and more on everything from hotel rooms and lift tickets to cold jugs of Canadian craft beer and steaming plates of poutine. One of the unexpected joys of the trip was getting to ski with someone who is a true-blue winter sports enthusiast unlike anyone I’ve ever met.

Guy Paulsen is the Winter Sports Manager at SilverStar Mountain Resort near Kelowna, B.C., (6 hours north of Spokane). He is a highly-respected alpine skier and ski instructor, a member of the

Canadian Ski Instructors Association Hall of Fame and he has been hugely instrumental in the evolution of SilverStar’s world-class Nordic trail system and cross-country ski program. He also holds certifications in alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, snowboarding, ski guiding and telemark skiing.

When we met up with him for a couple runs at SilverStar, he showed up in a hard-carving tele set-up and he toured us around the blue runs that dominate the front side of the mountain (the famed black and double black Putnam Creek area on the backside of the mountain opened the following Saturday). Turns out, in addition to being a badass tele skier, snowboarder and alpine skier, Paulsen is also a passionate Nordic skier

(both skate and classic) and a fat biker. No matter what winter brings, Paulsen will be grabbing the appropriate boards or bike to make the most of the conditions. There was a moment on the chairlift listening to him describe the sprawling, 60-mile SilverStar/Sovereign Lake trail system and how Nordic skiing has helped his alpine skiing, that the term “winter sports” finally made sense to me. With so many ways to experience winter, why limit yourself to just one or even two or three wintertime sports? Paulsen, no doubt, figured this out years ago after taking up and then mastering one winter sport after another after another. // Derrick Knowles, Editor

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UPCOMING EVENTS SPONSORED BY 2002 N Division, Spokane • 509.325.9000

11th annual Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival CELEBRATING THE HUMAN POWERED EXPERIENCE

Thursday January 28th at The Bing Crosby Theater • 7 pm

Tickets $12 • Available at Mountain Gear or TicketsWest

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Paws Poles Race Saturday March 5, 2016 49°N Ski Resort Nordic Area Bring your dog, your skis or snowshoes, and join us for a romp in the snow!

All proceeds benefit SpokAnimal C. A. R. E. Come by Mountain Gear or SpokAnimal for more info or to register!

Out ThereNews&Events Winter Climbing Comps Come to EWU and Wild Walls The Northwest Collegiate Climbing Circuit (NC3) is the largest bouldering competition for college students in the country. Every year students from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington compete in a series of competitions around the Pacific Northwest. On January 30, Eastern Washington University will be hosting the Climbtastic Voyage, the second competition in the NC3 series. Students train all year for this competition and spend hours climbing the same boulder problems over and over again to work on their endurance. Their dedication to the sport is unwavering, but the competition, although intense, is filled with easy chatter and cheers as participants catch up with friends from other schools. “My favorite part about competing is

2nd Annual “Fatty Flurry” Fat Bike Festival (Jan. 30) After a popular first-year event last winter, Sandpoint’s Greasy Fingers Bikes N Repair is bringing back the Fatty Flurry Fat Bike Festival to Round Lake State Park. The festival is a celebration of fat bikes in North Idaho with bike demos, group rides and campfire revelry complete with refreshments. Fat bike sales and riding have exploded in the Inland Northwest over the past few years. The bikes, with frames designed to fit 3.8-4.8” tires, give riders additional floata-

OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

tion over snowy trails. “If you have never tried a fat bike and always wanted too, here is your chance to for free,” says Greasy Fingers owner Brian Anderson. “And if you already have one, come hang with some fellow fat bikers and ride some cool trails.” While the festival is free and open to everyone, an Idaho State Parks parking permit is required. For more info, call 208-2554496 or visit Greasyfingersbikes.com.

Fly Fishing Film Tour (Feb. 2) With backdrops ranging from Bolivia to Saskatchewan, Montana to Virginia, Patagonia to the Seychelles, tour organizers promise this year’s Fly Fishing Film Tour films will feature fresh, dynamic stories amongst some of the best fishing footage that has ever been shot. From the hunt for the world’s largest brook trout to the pursuit of billfish on the fly, gargantuan pike, acrobatic golden dorado, ferocious GTs and herculean B.C. BettieBlackfoot // Photo: Ryan Thompson.

Courtesy of the Fly Fishing Film Tour

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being around people who enjoy the same things that I do,” says Tanner Sigel, president of EWU’s Climbing Club. “There is no rivalry, there is no supremacy. Most people are only competing with themselves.” The competition begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 30, at the EWU climbing wall in Cheney and is free for spectators. More info: 509-359-4015.

Wild Walls Climbing Gym in Spokane will be holding a Winter Boulder Comp Saturday, February 6, from 3-9 p.m. The competition is open to all and entrants will be categorized based on experience. Register at Wild Walls on West Second Street in Spokane for $35 or $20 for students. Preregister by January 20 for $25. More info: Wildwalls.com. (Siobhan Ebel)

steelhead, these films showcase remarkable places, larger than life characters and fish that will haunt your dreams. The festival lands in Spokane on Tuesday, February 2, at the Bing Crosby Theater at 7 p.m. Watch the trailer at Thef3t.com and find discount tickets at these local fly shops: Silverbow, Swedes, Castaway and Northwest Outfitters.

Local Ski Shop News As we close the curtain on December, the opening month for our local ski and snowboard season, it’s been a wild ride with storm after storm pounding area resorts. Maybe those knee-deep days that your friends have been bragging about for the last two weeks have finally inspired you to get your skis out of the closet and tuned. Or maybe you’re ready to ditch those ancient boards and pick up some new gear. Either way, Spokane has several ski and snowboard specialty shops ready to serve you. This fall, one local shop closed its doors, a new shop opened and a longtime South Hill legend changed hands.

Traverse Ski and Bike, Spokane’s newest shop, opened last fall under the ownership of Cameron Forsythe. A former competitive Nordic ski racer, Forsythe has a background that includes slopestyle ski competition both locally and at the X Games. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, he spent the last eight years managing Woodinville’s Play it Again Sports, a store that is currently the franchise’s leader in ski and bike sales. Traverse doesn’t yet carry a large line-up of new skis and snowboards, but they do have a healthy offering of used and lease equipment available as well as a full-service repair shop. “For this season I chose to go 100% used for inventory,” says Forsythe.

“I’ve been able to purchase a lot of inventory from resorts and a few after-market distributors,” he

adds. Traverse Ski and Bike is located just north of the Pines Exit off I-90 at 2128 North Pines Road in Spokane Valley. The shop is open TuesdayFriday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and from noon – 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Traverseskiandbike.com.

Spokane’s Alpine Haus, celebrating its 40th year in business this season, was recently acquired by new owners Drew Harding and Rachel Link. The Alpine Haus has always had a reputation for top-notch boot fitting and worldclass ski and snowboard tuning. Going forward, Harding and Link intend to keep that reputation intact. “Moving into the 40th year of the Alpine Haus’ existence, our number-one goal is to provide the best customer service, shop services and products possible,” says Harding, a Spokane Valley native. Originally from Missoula, Link is a former freestyle ski competitor. “We are beyond thrilled to be able to work with people every day in an industry we love,” adds Link, who owned a Boise-based Helly Hansen store for several years before moving to Spokane. Alpine Haus is open Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The shop is located just off of 29th on Spokane’s South Hill at 2925 S. Regal St. Facebook.com/SpokaneAlpineHaus.

(Brad Naccarato)

Rentals, demos, classes and an experienced staff!

Spokane’s locally-owned full-service shop for all your winter gear, clothing & footwear!

New Split Creek Trail at Liberty Lake Park Once again there is a trail that extends a mile up the east side of Liberty Creek, creating an easier alternative to the full Liberty Lake Loop and a new way to hike to the cedar grove.

Originally built in the 1970s, the Split Creek Trail had fallen victim to erosion damage and lack of maintenance, according to Washington Trails Association. “All in all, it’s a good family trail,” says Don Secor, Spokane County Parks Operations Manager. The restored trail has a colorful history, with remnants of “Skull Camp,” old fire circles, a rusted automobile presiding mysteriously beside the trail and lingering rumors of a place called “Moonshine Meadows.”

Over the last year and a half, a cooperative effort of County Parks and local volunteer groups and individuals, organized by the Washington Trails Association, conducted some 33 work days to restore the new trail leg. “It was a real community effort,” says Secor, who credits the WTA for

doing an excellent job.

Hikers will enjoy an easy grade and a seamless hike, unaware how much skill and labor it took to restore the trail. Two reaches were hewn from nearly 90 degree slopes and required moving huge amounts of rock. Todd Dunfield, WTA Assistant Volunteer Crew Leader, claims “Every rock you see has a story to tell.” Look for the refrigerator-sized boulder that got away from the trail crew and plummeted down the slope. Secor has dreamed for decades of rejuvenating this old trail to lighten the load on the popular main trail but also so the public can better enjoy the park. Hiking the Split Creek Trail loop, climbing through the mixed forest beside Liberty Creek to the cedar grove, is just short of five miles roundtrip from the winter parking lot. For a full trail route description, visit Wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/ split-creek-trail. (Bea Lackaff)

The trail to the cedar grove at Liberty Lake is a great winter hike. // Photo: Bea Lackaff

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Northrup canyon

// By Holly Weiler

Keep an eye out for cougars and other winter wildlife at Northrup Canyon.

Photo: Holly Weiler

Even desert country may have snow come January, although the snow rarely reaches a depth that would require snowshoes. The advantage of a mid-winter trip to the desert is the chance to see the stark landscape without risk of running into resident rattlesnakes. Northrup Canyon doesn’t get quite as much traffic as its close neighbor, Steamboat Rock, but an adventurous hiker could tackle both in the same day. If you’re not adventurous, stick to Northrup in January, as the terrain is a little easier to navigate even when there is snow on the ground.

This hike begins on an abandoned roadbed along a river of trash. Leave No Trace rules dictate that once trash reaches the ripe old age of 50 years, it becomes of archeological significance. Rather than remove any of the trash you see here (unless you can confirm it’s young trash instead of old), contemplate the number of workers necessary to generate the mountains of tin cans left in their wake. The provenance of this dump site can be traced to the building of Grand Coulee Dam from 1933 to 1942.

The route soon leaves the trash behind and enters an ever-narrowing canyon. An old residence with multiple outbuildings marks the end of the roadbed section of the hike. Explore the site or take advantage of the picnic table, then look for the old chicken coop to the left of the house. The trail narrows and climbs behind this coop, and the area becomes more heavily treed. At trail’s end one will find an excellent overlook of Northrup Lake, where it’s wise to stay on trail and off the ice. Return via the same route.

Round-trip distance: Up to 7 miles. Best for: Dayhike (leash required for dogs).

Getting there: From Spokane take Highway 2 west to Wilbur. Turn right on SR 21. Bear slightly left on SR 174 to Grand Coulee. At the light, turn left on SR 155. Turn left on Northrup Canyon Road to the trailhead. Discover Pass required. //

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Join us for the 2nd Annual “Fatty Flurry” Fat Bike Festival January 30 (near Sandpoint at Round Lake State Park).

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North Idaho’s Fat/Snow Bike Headquarters Visit www.wsp.wa.gov or call Spokane Recruiter Trooper Kyle Witt for More Info (509-723-6046) 10

OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

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GearRoom Field Tested Winter Gear ColdPruf Cold Weather Base Layers I took my first pair of ColdPruf Quest performance base layer top and bottoms out on their inaugural adventure back in October in some pretty unusual backcountry conditions: elk hunting in cold, wet, miserable weather made worse by the body aches and chills that were my daily and nightly companion thanks to a bad flu. No joke, my ColdPruf base layer may have kept me from packing up my tent and heading home early. Hands down I have never worn a warmer set of technical undies in my life. Even with night sweats and teeth-chattering chills in my winter-rated Montbell down bag, I stayed warm and was able to get back to sleep once the Benadryl kicked in. The next time I had the chance to put them to the test was in some windy, freezing early-season ski conditions in Canada. Despite the brutal weather, I stayed plenty warm on the exposed, sedentary rides up ABS Vario Airbag Backpack Backcountry travelers are adding another piece of avalanche safety gear to the essential three (shovel, probe, transceiver) when they play in the mountains. If everything else goes wrong and you find yourself caught in an avalanche, an airbag is designed to keep you at the surface of the snow and visible to rescuers.

I’ve been using the ABS Vario airbag system for several seasons now on my backcountry ski tours.

While I often cringe at the weight, ABS does have some unique features that make it well worth the extra pounds. The ABS Vario uses a twin airbag system that

Altai Balla Hok (Kids Snowshoe/Ski Hybrid) The Altai Balla Hok is short, wide and comes with an integrated climbing skin that provides exceptional traction and stability; it’s the perfect learning ski/snowshoe design for getting kids from ages 5 to early teens into the backcountry and loving the snowy wilds (depending on their size and ability level).

Bridging cross-country skis and snowshoes, the Balla Hok combines the maneuverability and ease of use found in snowshoes

on the chairlift and never over-heated plowing through powder piles on the way down. I have since put in seven ski days and several fat bike rides in my ColdPruf Quest tops and bottoms and won’t be leaving home without them this winter on whatever adventure I end up on.

OTM also tried out the women’s Honeycomb fleece long sleeve base layer top and bottoms.

Our reviewer noted that she liked how the cut is feminine but not baggy in places that don’t need to be. And she loved the heck out of the overall warmth of the garment and the comfy fleece touch against the skin. “I hate being cold – hate it – so I love how warm they kept me. It’s a solid, thick base layer and stylish enough that I found myself wearing the top out and about on everything from frosty morning runs to work-day errand runs.”

(Derrick Knowles)

provides the added safety of redundancy in case one side is damaged during a slide. Fast, reliable activation of the airbag is another critical feature. ABS activates with an explosive charge that travels from the deployment handle to the hydrogen canister, quickly inflating the airbags in the coldest weather. My ABS pack goes with me every trip; the versatility of the Vario system allows for a variety of zip-ons from partners like Dakine or Osprey to attach to the base unit customizing the pack’s size for the scope of the adventure. Abs-airbag.com/ us. (Mike Brede)

with the efficiency of sliding forward on skis rather than lifting and stepping with each stride.

The Balla Hoks can be set up with a universal binding or 3 pin tele bindings. The advantage to the universal is your child can use whatever boots he or she chooses, including standard winter boots, in which case the bindings can be adjusted to fit growing feet year after year. Check them out at Mountain Gear in Spokane or at Altaiskis.com. (OTM) January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

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Leaf, Root, Fungi, Fruit The Velvet Foot // by Kelly Chadwick

Look for these wild, winter treats on your next snowshoe outing or hike – just make sure you properly identify any forest food!

There aren’t many wild foods to collect in the dead of winter and virtually none that are fresh. The velvet foot, flammulina velutipes, is a rare exception. From late fall to early spring, this delicate looking but tough mushroom appears on deciduous trees. It can be wondrous to find, the only bit of life sprouting forth, often preserved for weeks in a state of frozen timelessness.

The cap is a burnt orange and viscid. The stem is wiry and dark velvet at the base. This mushroom you likely know but in a form so different it’s hard to believe it’s the same organism. If you’ve ever had thin white mushrooms in East Asian soup or wrapped in bacon, then you’ve eaten it.

Named Enokitake by the Japanese, it’s grown in oxygen deprived darkness in jars where they’re squished together reaching to escape. They are the fifth most consumed fungi in the world and have been cultivated for well over 1,000 years. The natural form, also called the winter mushroom, is more flavorful with a less stringy texture.

The velvet foot grows on dead sections of hardwood trees, in old wounds or the crotch of large limbs. Occasionally they appear to fruit from the ground on buried branches or stumps. You can also apparently grow flammulina in space, as NASA experimented with in the 90s during the D-2 Columbia mission. It worked, albeit in a catawampus manner, thus proving fungi’s upward growth is dependent on gravity. Flammulina velutipes is not difficult to cultivate but challenging in our region due to the dry climate. However, there is a growing interest amongst the permaculture community to overcome that barrier. This fall our city arborist, Jeff Perry, successfully fruited shiitake outdoors on some oak logs, a momentous feat.

Correct identification is simple December through February, as anything else would be reduced to dark mush in the cold. In November 12

OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

and March, caution should be exercised; there are numerous orange to brown mushrooms that grow on hardwood and some are deadly. So, double check with an expert and take a spore print, which means cutting a cap off and leaving it gill side down over night on paper covered by a protective dish. The next day it will have released a radiating cogwheel of spores on the paper. The color of this deposit is an identifying characteristic and fun exercise for all ages. In the case of the velvet foot, a white print separates it from the most toxic wood inhabiters, which have brown spores. When hunting clustered mushrooms, one can often “cheat” and find the color of the spores already fallen on the caps packed below.

You’ll rarely come across more than a single fruiting of velvet foot, a thrilling discovery but not good for filling the pantry or freezer. The magic of chancing upon wild mushrooms is an ancient pleasure and this charming fungus will surely elicit such a response.

Identifying Attributes: Fruits in clusters during the winter on dead hardwood. The orange viscid cap sits atop a durable, darkvelvety-bottomed stem.

Cautionary Points: Taking a spore print is a good idea when getting to know mushrooms; in this case it’s critical. The dangerous species in similar habitat have brown spores, not white.

Culinary Attributes: Cook whole due to the smaller size, maintaining the attractive shape.

More refined in flavor than many earthy pungent varieties. Use in soups, as a garnish or in eggs.

Wine Pairings: Any. This won’t be a large element of your dish. //

Everyday Cyclist

RidingForACause @CHAFE150

Mosaic Community Bike Shop Opens Downtown Spokane // By Hank Greer

Jess Towner Putting the finishing touches on a BMX bike he just assembled. // Photo: Hank Greer

This past summer, the Mosaic Community Bike Shop opened at 611 W. Second Avenue in downtown Spokane. According to manager Doug Porter, the shop picks up where Pedals2People left off after it closed, but with new and different goals. The nonprofit shop is supported by Mosaic Fellowship Church, and while it is a faith-based organization, the shop is about modeling and setting an example rather than proselytizing. Formerly, Porter volunteered for Pedals2People and the opportunity for the church-sponsored shop presented itself when Pedals2People closed its doors. Porter saw the shop as a place where people could share in something positive without regard for how much money they have or what their current life situation is.

Workstations and bike stands are available for $10 an hour. And if you need some assistance there’s likely a volunteer who can help you.

The shop purchased a ton of bike parts from Pedals2People that are all cataloged and organized. Porter says he spent most of last winter on that task alone. The shop also caries new parts, including lights, tires and tubes. People are welcome to bring in their bike and their own parts if they just need a warm and well-equipped place to work on their bike – and maybe someone to chat with while they work.

Although the Mosaic Fellowship ministry supports the shop, it needs donations of bikes, bike parts, money and volunteer time. Volunteers with mechanical experience can share their skills in the shop, and anyone can help with mentoring, media relations and other duties. Cash donations will go toward scholarships and micro loans.

“The shop is here to reach out and serve as a model to the poor, the less fortunate, and those who have made poor choices,” says Porter. He claims the shop location is within a four-block area that has one of the highest crime rates in Spokane. But that situation is improving, and Porter might know why: “Since the shop opened, the drug traffic that used to take place in the deserted parking lot has disappeared.” Porter was encouraged to see that even though Mosaic Community Bike Shop opened without fanfare, word about the shop quickly spread. Customers

needing bike repairs and volunteers helping with repairs have kept the place busy. During one visit, volunteer Jess Towner built up a BMX bike from the frame up and had it ready to roll in about an hour.

Mosaic Community Bike Shop was recently approved to work with the Community Court, which offers alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders who commit quality-of-life offenses such as trespassing or consuming alcohol in a public place. Approved offenders can now perform community service at the shop.

Porter and his volunteer crew have bigger plans. Sandblasting and powder coat paint facilities should be ready next month. He also hopes to offer welding. The shop services are not only for people to work on their own bikes but also to create entrepreneurial opportunities for people who have the skills to use the facilities. For example, someone with artistic abilities could offer custom frame painting.

Mosaic Community Bike Shop also has office space available. If someone is motivated and has a workable idea for a business, Porter and several volunteers will teach them much of what they need to know about running a small business.

Topics include writing a business plan, customer service, advertising, and budgeting. Micro loans to get started will also be a possibility. Porter described one potential participant who used to work at a bike shop in Portland and now wants to build and sell sturdy, inexpensive bike trailers from old bike parts.

To help generate revenue, Porter wants to offer a 160-hour Bike Tools accreditation class for anyone interested in becoming a bike mechanic.

Payment options can vary depending on the individual’s situation. Porter also plans to provide the jigs, sell the kits, and guide people who are interested in building a bamboo bicycle.

The overarching goal of the Mosaic Community Bike Shop is to create a space where people can feel a part of something. A place where people can come and go as they please and always feel that they belong, regardless of their situation in life. A place for positive changes.

For more information, visit Mosaicspokane. com/bikes. //

I’m making a difference in children’s lives, and doing an amazing ride! What more could you ask for?

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Kids

keeping kids active outside all winter long // amy silbernagel mccaffree Everyone knows this essential truth: children enjoy playing outside. “A standard recommendation for well-child visits with my patients is the ‘9-5-3-2-1-zero’ guideline,” says Spokanebased pediatrician Dr. Matt Thompson, regarding a child’s daily needs. “This means at least nine hours of adequate sleep, five servings of fruits and vegetables, three glasses of water, two hours or less of non-educational screen time, at least one hour of physical activity – any combination of school recess, P.E. and playtime at home; [and] no sweetened drinks, no eating in front of screens.”

Good habits start young – active kids tend to become active, healthier teenagers and then eventually active healthy adults in our community.

“Physically active is defined as 60 minutes of physical activity on five or more days per week,” according to Heleen Dewey from the Spokane Regional Health District, who works as the Active Living lead in the Healthy Communities Program.

“In 2014 in Spokane County, 57.1 percent of adolescents reported meeting the recommendation for physical activity…. But physical activity here, similar to many cities, decreases as age increases….Youth not physically active were 43 percent more likely to be overweight or obese, 82 percent more likely to be diabetic and 60 percent more

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

likely to be depressed.” hills. Snowshoes are inexpensive to rent, These are serious especially from local health risks. One may university outdoor not like winter weather programs. Riverfront or be able to ski, but the Inland Northwest’s Park Ice Palace is open four-season climate through February 28, requires adaptation 2016. and resiliency. Here are Wa l k o r b i k e .

Children spend too some ways to encourage much time riding in and coach your kids to cars or strollers. One be more active outside way to push-back this winter.

Acquire weatheragainst the temptation proof clothing for your to be indoors and sedchildren to stay dry and entary (riding in a car warm. Good-quality technically qualifies as water- and wind-proof both) is to encourage kids to walk or bike coats, pants, boots and gloves can be found where they need to go at after-holiday clear- Dress ‘em warm and get outside!

– whether it’s school, a ance sales, some sec- // Photo: Amy Silbernagel McCaffree public library, a friend’s ond-hand stores or on house or neighborhood Craigslist. Or check local “Buy Nothing” or conpark or playground. Attach Nathan reflective signment groups on Facebook. stickers or tape to children’s bikes, helmets, coats or backpacks. Use a combination of fun NightIze Go sledding or tubing, ice skating or snowshoeing. Find a local sledding hill or travel to one LED lighting options, such as lights for bike of the local ski mountains that operate tubing spokes and shoelaces, or LED wraps for an arm,

leg or wrist. Both children and adults can wear reflective vests – it’s not geeky; it’s smart.

Do outdoor chores. Similar to mowing lawns or raking leaves, shoveling snow is good exercise.

This type of active play helps children develop strong and healthy joints and muscles – their proprioceptive senses – according to Occupational Therapist Angela Hanscom, author of the forthcoming book “Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children” (to be published April 22, 2016). One doesn’t have to live on a ranch or farm to do heavy work. Think creatively. Find elderly neighbors who need help.

Enjoy 10-minute bursts of outdoor activity. Short intervals of exercise, according to Dr. Thompson, is beneficial. Many bursts throughout a day allow children to obtain their recommended 60 minutes of physical activity. Play group games like Anti-I-Over, or, if there’s snow on the ground, Fox and Geese – both are old-fashioned versions of tag (see oneroomschoolhouses.ca/the-gamesthey-played.html for details and more ideas).

Go to a local park and pretend to be explorers in search of food and shelter. Use your imagination, be intentional, have fun with your kids.

Everybody wins – and the prize is hot cocoa. //

OutThereSpotlight

Meet Real-Life Adventurers at the National Geographic Spokane Speaker Series // By Jon Jonckers

A still from Cedar Wright’s film Sufferfest 2: Desert Alpine – Looks like fun. // Photo: Samuel Crossley

Over the years National Geographic has compiled a rich program of speakers and storytellers, and each year the Speaker Series reaches bigger audiences and motivates more explorers. Spokane hosts three wildly popular speakers in February, March and April at the INB Performing Arts Center.

On February 9, award-winning photographer Steve Winter presents a thrilling journey into the world of big cats. From trekking high in India’s Himalaya in search of rare snow leopards and stalking the elusive jaguar through Latin American jungles to chronicling the nocturnal activities of the cougar, this determined explorer ventures far and wide to come face-to-face with big cats.

One of Winter’s snow leopard images won him the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.

His decade-long project to document the world’s shrinking but resilient tiger species recently culminated in the dramatic National Geographic book, “Tigers Forever.” This speaking engagement promises to be equal parts amazing and terrifying because no one else gets this close to the world’s biggest wild cats and then brings those images and experiences to an audience.

On March 8, Vincent Musi delivers an offbeat odyssey into the surprising world of animal (as well as human) behavior. For more than three decades, award-winning photographer Vincent J. Musi has covered diverse assignments, from traveling Route 66 to global warming, life under volcanoes, and Sicilian mummies. But an unusual twist of fate led him to the highly unpredictable world of animal portraiture.

Musi gets up close – almost too close – to his unique subjects, despite the fact that they growl, bark, roar, bite, hiss, claw, poop and pee on him.

He delivered a career-defining TEDx talk a few years back (which we highly recommend), and only further solidified his gifted-ability to capture pictures of all kinds of animals. With his witty sense of humor, Musi taps into an inner Dr. Dolittle to share stories from his encounters with some extraordinary animals, including a bonobo with a 300-word vocabulary and a crow that makes and uses tools. He visits several exotic pets, the world’s deadliest snakes, rodents of unusual

size and other animals you’d never expect to see in someone’s living room. His show will definitely tickle your funny bone.

On April 19, Cedar Wright promises you don’t have to endure the same bruises and blisters to enjoy “Sufferfest 2.” Nevertheless, his show could be a life-changing experience. Consider that Urban Dictionary defines ‘sufferfest’ as: “An activity whereby all participants ache, agonize, ail, be at a disadvantage, be racked, deteriorate, endure, grieve, languish, and/or writhe…but by co-misery, yet co-hesiveness, will have experienced a grand time.”

In “Sufferfest 1” Cedar documented a bikingand-climbing adventure with Alex Honnold across California, and the film was a smash hit at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. In “Sufferfest 2” Honnold and Wright summited 45 desert rock towers, biked 700 miles through Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona, and climbed and rappelled more than 12,000 vertical feet of rock. In blunt terms, it would be easier to ride a bike from the Space Needle to the summit of Mount Rainer and back again, than it would be to retrace their journey in the Four Corners area.

But this was suffering with a purpose: to support a $40,000 Navajo Solar Project funded by Honnold’s foundation. Wright and Honnold are both members of The North Face Team, and both have traveled the world establishing adventurous and daring first ascents, often documenting these exploits through writing and cinematography.

Best of all, they are equally brilliant at keeping calm when everything that can go wrong goes wrong. Today, Wright is one of the most recognized professional climbers in the United States and continues to push himself. When you arrive for his presentation, be prepared to laugh.

Quite frankly, be prepared to laugh at all of the National Geographic speakers in 2016. Each one is an award-winner, and Steve Winter, Vincent Musi and Cedar Wright have pushed the envelope in unexpected ways. From big cats to peculiar animal portraits to unbelievable climbing achievements, these three National Geographic presenters will take your breath away.

More info: Events.nationalgeographic.com/ event-series/spokane-speaker-series. //

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DiscGolf Disc Golf with Winter Gloves // By Janelle McCabe

The snow adds another layer of insulation to an already quiet course. // Photo: Derrick knowles.

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

“It’s basically a hike with a purpose.” That’s how disc golfer Steven Lambert describes the sport, and he couldn’t have chosen a better metaphor to convince me to give disc golf a try.

(As opposed to using, say, a “ball golf ” metaphor.

More on that later).

Our small group meets at High Bridge Park, a forested little city park along the bank of Latah Creek, which features a public disc golf course.

There’s no snow yet, but I can imagine how pretty a couple of inches would be here. Lambert guides us through the course, patiently showing us the basic throws, and even more patiently waiting as we throw way over par in pursuit of that gratifying chain jingle as our discs drop into the basket.

“Winter might be my favorite time to play,” says Lambert, “because it’s so calm and peaceful and quiet.” And like runners who drill screws into their winter trail shoes and cyclists who swap out their full-suspension mountain bikes for fat bikes, dedicated disc golfers adapt to cold weather with appropriate gear, clothes and technique.

Disc golf has exploded in the past 10 years in the Inland Northwest. “Stimpi” Steve Simmons, owner of Stimpi Ridge Disc Golf Course and Pro Shop, welcomes the boom. “It’s a sport that can be played any time, any season. You can’t say that about many other sports,” he says. Simmons golfs nearly every day of the year, and he has played in blizzards, rain, snow, wind, and blazing sun – everything but lightning, which he’d just as soon avoid.

Winter disc golf should be focused on fun and exercise, not skills improvement. “Trying to work on your game is useless,” Simmons states. “The footing, grip, and flight of the discs are different.

You can’t unload on a shot or you’ll be in danger of flying head over heels in the air.” He also suggests avoiding big run-ups and skidding followthroughs. “Slow down and concentrate on your standing technique or a one-step approach,” he advises. “Those shots are just as important, and we tend not to practice them in good conditions.”

Simmons recommends avoiding disc golf courses on steep hillsides or cliff areas during slick winter conditions too.

Regional disc golf clubs remain active throughout the winter, and most clubs facilitate an Ice Bowl, which is a charity tournament that raises money for local food shelters. Pro disc golfers Tara and Christopher Ré have special memories of golfing in Spokane’s Ice Bowl, which is where they first met in 2003. Christopher is an arborist, and he golfs more during the winter when his work hours allow more play time. He’s in the middle of describing the slippery winter footing when Tara interrupts: “But you play barefoot, babe!” He smiles and shrugs, “That’s just for summer play.”

The Rés explain that it’s harder to handle discs in winter months because the discs are usually wet and cold, and so are the players’ hands. The colder, denser air means the discs don’t fly as far.

And of course, discs can disappear without a trace in fallen leaves or snow drifts. Disc golfers often attach a two-foot length of colored curling ribbon to their discs, which makes them easier to spot but more difficult to fly.

Common sense cold-weather adjustments apply to winter disc golfing: “Warm socks, waterproof boots, gators to keep the snow out, and cleats if it’s icy,” says Stimpi Steve. He advises dressing in layers, with thicker layers at the core to keep the torso warm and the arms free to move.

“I also wear gloves with hand warmers inside, and remove the right one only when I throw.”

Back at High Bridge Park, our lesson draws to a close as another group of golfers inevitably catches up to us. I apologize for our slow pace, and they assure me that they’re here as much for the good company and fresh air as they are for the play. “That’s a pretty typical exchange,” says Lambert as we walk back to our cars. “Disc golfers are almost always friendly and laid-back.” He implies that those who play traditional golf (or “ball golf,” as disc golfers often phrase it) aren’t always so relaxed about their game.

Disc golf in the winter months may require a few tweaks to your summer play, “but the fun value doesn’t decrease,” promises Stimpi Steve.

“You’re still outdoors, wandering around your favorite park, chasing plastic. It’s what we like to do.” //

CITY LIMITS

Food&Fuel

Caution to the New You

BREW PUB

// By Ammi Midstokke

It’s that time of year. The time when we apply deprivation and restraint to our plates with the fervor of a dedicated monk. Because we have plans. We have goals. We have pants to fit into by summer. Generally this approach works anywhere from six hours to six weeks, at which point you have a torrid love affair with a piece of cheesecake, followed by a disastrous decline and the eventual sabotage of your commitment to a New Year’s resolution.

Health and change, however, do not come from a sudden surge of motivation and a cure from sugar addiction, as if January 1 just wiped out years of your personality traits, bad habits and lifestyle. Sustainable health and change come from, simply enough, change. And compassion.

And commitment. Sometimes in the tiniest doses given at a frequent rate.

that, it will eventually become a lifestyle.

Compassion: Some days, you’re going to fail.

That doesn’t make you or your plan a failure; it makes you human. When it happens, recognize what things contributed and take steps to mitigate it in the future. If you binged on cookies, maybe it is because you went too long between meals (a good way to throw self-control out the window).

Keep some nuts in your desk/car/purse. Prep better snacks. Eat a big breakfast. And get over it. A day of losing focus doesn’t mean you throw it all away. Put your big kid pants on and get back to it the next day.

Commitment: I don’t know who gave us the idea that commitment is just a one-time thing.

Everything I have ever done requires renewed commitment almost daily – whether it is sticking to a nutritional protocol or loving the same

Whatever it is you’re striving for this year – a first marathon, a goal of getting outside more, improved health – remember that big things can happen as a combination of many tiny things.

Change: Sometimes we decide we’re going to change who we are rather than how we act. Well, here’s a simple truth: If you LOVE cheesecake, you’re probably always going to love cheesecake.

Denying that truth is what lands you elbows deep in a no-bake when you think no one is looking.

But those damn pants know everything. Change comes in how we act, and this changes who we are. If we want the result of who we are to be changed, we must make small changes toward that end product. Maybe this means celebrating cheesecake once a month.

You aren’t going to become a gym rat (or runner, or yogi) overnight. But if you make some small changes to your schedule to accommodate

person for more than a week. It takes an effort to think about that commitment and the way your life supports it (or how changes in your life are perhaps not supporting it) and an assessment of your desire to remain committed. Sometimes we go to a party or a barbecue and forget we’re committed to health or weight loss or less beer.

And that’s okay (see above). Just wake up the next morning and recommit.

Whatever it is you’re striving for this year – a first marathon, a goal of getting outside more, improved health – remember that big things can happen as a combination of many tiny things.

Then do those tiny things and watch that big change unfold. //

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Ski Hill Thermos Soup Winter Spiced Lentil Dahl 1/4 cup lentils, rinsed & soaked 2 hours or overnight 1/4 cup brown or basmati rice 2 cups water or broth 1 cup chopped veggies, such as carrots, zucchini, sweet potato, fennel & bell pepper 1 tsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped 1/4 tsp. ground fennel seeds 1/4 tsp. ground coriander seeds 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1/4 tsp. turmeric 1 tsp. turbinado sugar Salt & pepper to taste 1 slice of lemon

music and perspectives

Combine lentils and rice and cover with water or broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all the spices in a small bowl. Heat oil over medium low heat in a fry pan. Add the spices and some salt, and sauté until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the vegetables and sauté for 1 minute. Add the spices and veggies to the lentils and rice, and simmer 5 minutes to combine flavors. Add salt and pepper to taste and squeeze the lemon over the top. While still bubbling, pour the mixture into a 1-quart thermos. Close quickly and leave closed for about 4 hours. You may need to experiment with times, depending on your thermos’ ability to retain heat. (S. Michal Bennett)

January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

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Whitewater Ski Resort. Photo by Doug LePage.

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

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Winter Adventure

Guide There is no good excuse to lock yourself indoors all winter. Learn to alpine ski or snowboard (January is Learn to Ski/Snowboard Month). Try Nordic skiing or winter camping. Rent a fat bike and hit the snow or head west to snow-free desert trails and wander winter blues away.

Go sledding and drink warm beverages by a blazing fire.

Head north to a Canadian mountain town (where the U.S. dollar scores us 30% off everything right now) and walk the snowy streets, prowl the cafes and pubs, and do whatever it is that makes you feel most alive during the dark, cold months of winter. Time for some winter adventure. (DK)

Photo courtesy of Big White Ski Resort

January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

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Home Sweet Home to the North

Fernie. B.C.

By Ammi Midstokke If ever I wanted to be adopted by a town, I’d like to be able to call Fernie my home. In fact, in a single weekend visit it already feels like that.

It isn’t the way everyone greets you with quaint Canadian charm, eh (they do), or the surrounding mountains in which the town is nestled (they are indeed awe inspiring). It isn’t the 200 miles of sweet trails, the ski resort five minutes from downtown, or the river that runs through it.

It is the outright sense of community stoke that is palpable in every person you meet, the great collaborations they’ve made to create their Perfect Place on the Planet, and their pride and excitement in sharing it with, well, anyone who wants to come play in their backyard.

Mark Gallup of Fernie Bike Guides greets us in full ride gear and a grin on a Saturday morning.

We’re standing inside his shop, which appears to be the raddest grown-up dream come true: literally owning all the kit you could need for any adventure. Then taking other people on their adventures.

Today he’s taking us on a rideventure on the new trail system development that starts about… four feet from downtown. Fernie is known for its skiing and mountain biking, but recently it’s welcomed a new breed of riding into its community planning: fat biking. It is born of the collaborative efforts of the Fernie Trails Alliance, an umbrella organization that works with land owners, developers, and government to plan and develop trails for multipurpose use. What is most evident here is how inclusive those efforts are, how many volunteer hours go into them, and how these trails are the heart blood of the community – whether they are cross-country skiers, mountain bikers, or people walking their dogs.

The snowfall is limited on our early-season ride, but it does not diminish the quality of the trails, obviously built with love. We’ve filled the

void of the gap season with fat biking. When mountain biking is over and the ski runs aren’t ready, we’ll still be in the trees with smiles as wide as our tires.

We wind our way into the hills (which is a cute way to refer to the dramatic, jutting Rocky Mountains surrounding us) while Mark explains every inch, connection, and piece of history related to the trails. Every trail has a story, from those named after the granddaughter of a trailbuilder extraordinaire (Ruby’s Way), to those that are part of a new housing development (the Montane Trails) that includes a community farm and a historic barn.

We ride out to the new warming hut, donated by some generous outdoor aficionado to the Fernie Trails and Ski Touring Club. It’s Global Fat Bike Day, so we start a fire in anticipation of more riders to come, warm our toes, and soak in the views.

Mark tells his own story. There is something to be said for a town when a legendary photographer who has traveled the entire world and seen all the wonders it has to hold decides that Fernie is the best place to make a home.

On our second day, we play tourists in a town where every shopkeeper and cafe server treats us like old friends. And then, of course, we head over to Fernie Alpine Resort. Its proximity to town makes it perfect for a half-day adventure, but with as many runs and diverse terrain as it offers, let’s be realistic: You’ll be there until the bell rings.

The best part about this home away from home is that it is just over a 3-hour drive from Sandpoint (a tick more for those to the southwest of us).

Along the way, you pass Stone Hill in Montana (bring your climbing gear!) and more property porn than you could ever dream of homesteading.

It’s a perfect weekend getaway, and if you’re lucky, you might just find a Canadian to adopt you.//

Snow-covered singletrack, Fernie, B.C. // Photos courtesy of Mark Gallup

Around Town Get a guide, borrow a bike, tune your skis, find everything for your adventure needs – The Guide’s Hut and Fernie Bike Guides: These guys know everything there is to know about Fernie, from where you find the best trails to the conditions of the day. Whether you are skiing, climbing, riding, hiking, or looking for a stiff martini, they’ll have the answers and the gear. They also maintain reservations for all the backcountry huts if you’re looking for overnight adventures. Theguideshut.ca and Ferniebikeguides.ca Breakfast: The Blue Toque Café This little gem of a cafe, tucked into the Art Station on 1st Avenue, has the most creative, delightful breakfast we’ve enjoyed in a while.

Fried kale with bacon and eggs, omelets, gluten-free options, beautiful fresh fruit, and a strong cup of coffee to warm your soul and wake your body. The art on the walls makes for great conversation too.

Post-ride grub: The Brick House Pub style, only better. And just so you know you’re in Canada, they probably have some curling on the TV too. These guys serve up everything from a wicked sandwich to a dense salad or a slab of steak. Beer and wine, friendly staff, and apparently some pretty good live music in the evenings.

Where to Stay Fernie has no shortage of hotels, B&Bs, and campgrounds. The Park Place Lodge right off the highway was a perfect location to walk to downtown, access local trails by bike, and scoot over to the ski hill. The Park Place Lodge gets extra points for a super friendly staff, those kind of cozy plush beds you just sink into, and legitimate shower pressure (because really, no one wants to feel like they are getting peed on). Also if you are traveling with kids, they have a great pool and play area, though I’m not sure if it is visible from the cocktail bar. //

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

Celebrate Winter at the

Rossland

Photo: StevensPass.com

Winter Carnival

By Aaron Theisen I’m standing in a snowdrift on Spokane Street in downtown Rossland, British Columbia. As is typical of streets in old mining towns in the mountains, Spokane Street is incredibly steep, and today it’s been made skate-rink slick for the upcoming bobsled competition, the centerpiece of the Rossland Winter Carnival.

Next to me, two women discuss, with the earnest competitiveness that characterizes Canadian sport, the storied lineage of a particular bobsled and its prospects for the day. It’s a conversation at odds with the scene before me: four competitors, clad in spandex and Viking helmets, careering sideways down the street at 70 kilometers per hour in a coffin on runners. I could be forgiven for thinking the bobsled race was the bleary-eyed outcome of a booze-fuelled dare the night before, rather than a (somewhat) serious sport.

In 1898, Norwegian miner Olaus Jeldness, known as the Father of Competitive Skiing in Canada, initiated the Rossland Winter Carnival, the nation’s oldest. It’s his bobble-headed visage that floats above the flame twirlers and antique fire trucks at the carnival parade the Friday night of the carnival. And it’s his stoically sportive Nordic spirit that permeates the proceedings in this active town.

But despite the fact that everyone seems fit enough to be a Patagonia catalog model, it’s a

laid-back place: No one will balk at you wearing your toque — Canadian for “hat,” rhymes with “spook” — in a restaurant. And despite a slate of activities that are, or should be, fuelled by beer, the carnival has a family-friendly air; high-tech strollers abound.

A bright, cloudless afternoon, the tail end of a high-pressure weather system, follows the bobsled competition; bad for skiing, good for carnivalling.

Sunglasses and lip balm fly off the racks at the local gear spots. On Queen Street, participants in “The Game” Rail Jam competition huck themselves into the blue sky above the bank building. Behind the beer garden, a team of hippies dominate the beach volleyball competition, their flailing dreadlocks punctuating every high-rising stuff and spike. Even the beer garden seems wellbehaved, the revelers finishing up their beers and mulled wine by early evening.

The next morning, I wake to four inches of snow on the ground and more in the air. I eat my breakfast scramble at Clansey’s in silence, the café empty as the streets outside. For the first time in weeks, Red Mountain Resort has fresh powder, so the party’s over. It’s time to ski.

This year’s Rossland Winter Carnival is set for January 28-31, 2016. Check out the full event schedule at Rosslandwintercarnival.com. //

Relax, it’s all here.

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Winter fun Rossland style. // Photos: Aaron Theisen

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January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

21

Juniper Dunes Hiking When last winter failed to develop into anything even resembling winter, I was forced to reconsider my outdoor options. While the skis sat unused in various corners and the snowshoes were tossed carelessly behind the couch, I started sorting through my backpack gear while browsing through guidebooks, looking for something new. I recruited a few friends to join in on the fun, and we settled on Juniper Dunes Wilderness.

Located northeast of Pasco, Washington, Juniper Dunes comprises a little over 7,000 acres of BLM-managed designated wilderness.

A permit is required for overnight access, but it’s free and easily obtained from the BLM office in Spokane. Group size is capped at eight to protect the fragile landscape. While most wilderness areas are at high elevation and difficult to get to during winter, Juniper Dunes becomes more accessible in

By Holly Weiler the winter months through an adjacent ORV park, where loose summer sands can entrap vehicles.

Even in winter, four-wheel drive is recommend, but the sand has a higher moisture content and is therefore more compact. BLM recommends parking at the upper ORV parking lot and information area and traveling to the wilderness gate on foot.

I confess our group of six never located the wilderness gate, but it hardly matters. From the ORV park we walked east until we reached the wilderness fence, which we easily clambered over. This is the only wilderness I have ever encountered that has a fence around its boundary, a fence designed to keep motorized vehicles out rather than keeping anything in.

There aren’t any trails here, where windstorms have a way of shifting the landscape into constantly new configurations, so we wouldn’t have gained anything by locating the main entrance gate any-

way. Carry a map and compass or a GPS, or better yet, carry all three. The terrain varies from 500 to 1,000 feet of elevation, but a quick look at the topo map reveals that ridges and valleys are stacked together throughout the wilderness, making it easy to lose one’s bearings without constant attention to the map or use of GPS waypoints.

The land lends itself well to wandering. We only carried our full packs a short distance before establishing a base in a protected spot. There is no source of water in Juniper Dunes, so we needed to carry our water for the weekend in addition to our food and backpack equipment. We stashed what we didn’t need at the tents, hanging food in tall junipers to keep rodents at bay, and marked a GPS waypoint so we could find our way back. Then we went in search of the juniper forests. The largest western juniper groves in Washington are found here, with some trees reaching astounding heights

and widths. Some of the state’s largest sand dunes are also found here, making it feel like a visit to the ocean, minus all the water.

The only drawback to a winter trip is the speed with which darkness descends. No campfires are allowed within the wilderness, so dress for the cold that comes with nightfall and bring a book or catch up on sleep.

Getting there: Take I-90 west then Highway 395 south toward Pasco. Exit 395 via US-12E, then bear northeast on Kahlotus-Pasco Road. Turn left on Peterson Road, which turns into Juniper Road and ends at the ORV park.

USGS 7.5 Minute Quadrangles: Glade, Levey SW, Levey, Levey NE, Rye Grass Coulee. More info: Blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/site_info. php?siteid=270. //

Trade in snow for sand at the Juniper Dunes Wilderness near Tri-Cities, Wash. // Photos: Holly Weiler

UNEXPECTED IN THE BEST WAYS The most inspiring moments come through simple and unexpected discoveries. It’s time to

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Photo © GlacierWorld.com

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

Picture snow. That snow is polka dotted with cross-country skiers laughing as they make their way across white clearings and curving trails to a warming hut for free cider and soup. Picture kids frantically racing to the finish line for a donut.

Envision booths, vendors, prizes, and scavenger hunts. Picture yourself swooshing down quiet trails while pine boughs sprinkle snow dust in the spaces between trees. Imagine this and you have Spokane Nordic Ski Association’s annual Winterfest.

This year’s third annual Winterfest will be Saturday, January 24. Events run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Winterfest is designed to introduce the community to cross-country skiing, but if you need extra motivation there’s always the donuts.

Morning features the Donut Dash relay race, where two-person teams ski in a 100-yard dash and the winners, you guessed it, get a donut. All ages are welcome. Race registration is preferred by January 20, but organizers are willing to work in warm and willing bodies the day of the event too.

For those not inclined to sprint, or who want to brush up on their existent or emerging crosscountry ski skills, the morning starts with 45-minute ski lessons by PSIA-certified instructors ($5/ person), along with waxing and backcountry ski clinics (free). For those wanting to include their canine buddies in the powdery fun, there is a skijoring clinic at 1 p.m.

Lunch is also included. Winterfest offers several ways to ski to Nova Hut for cider and soup: the Moose Droppings scavenger hunt, the guided backcountry ski, a guided lesson on the marked trails, or venturing there on your own. A full day of friends and fun activities topped off by a warm

lunch and cider at the end of the trail -- who could ask for more?

Outside of the Selkirk Lodge, you’ll find more of the good stuff. Tents and booths will be onsite with vendors and goodies. Fitness Fanatics is there that day (and every weekend throughout the season) with gear rentals. Inside Selkirk Lodge, organizers will hold a silent auction with vacation packages, gear, and other items. The proceeds benefit the Spokane Nordic Ski Association, which is responsible for maintaining the lodge and warming huts, grooming all those beautiful trails, and clearing brush and debris from trails year around. It provides maps, signs, and land lease costs for the 36 miles of trails in the Mt. Spokane Cross-Country Ski Park.

SNSA is also in charge of the Nordic Kids program, and the transition and race teams that compete throughout the region as part of the Pacific Northwest Ski Association. Last year Nordic Kids had more than 130 registered participants, and four members of the race team qualified for and raced at Nationals.

SNSA recently hired an Executive Director, Todd Dunfield, to head the non-profit. Todd hopes to expand SNSA in the next few years.

Winterfest is just one of the organization’s main events that gets kids, dogs, and adults of all ages outside and enjoying the wondrous white that the trails have to offer.

Sno-Park passes are required the day of the event ($80/year, $20/day) and need to be paired with a Discover Pass, so carpool if possible. Passes are available at a kiosk at Selkirk Lodge, at winter sports stores in Spokane, or at the state parks website. More info: Spokanenordic.org. //

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23

Winter Camping

in Comfort Tips to Stay Warm, Dry and Have Fun

Sleeping

Out in the Snow

By Holly Weiler

ACCUMULATION AND SALTED CARAMEL BROWNIE BROWN ALE ARE BREWED AND BOTTLED BY NEW BELGIUM BREWING FORT COLLINS, CO

Comfort is a relative word to apply to camping. I’m perfectly comfortable spending days at a time in the backcountry, but I recently heard of a couple who planned a summer trip in their RV, powered by generator, to a campsite less than half an hour from their home. They did so in order to return home for hot showers each day.

Through advance planning and preparation, it is possible to enjoy a winter trip while staying warm and dry. The first step is to read up on what to expect where you intend to go, and watch the weather forecasts for changing conditions (and know when to change plans accordingly, always communicating that plan to someone at home).

Home Sweet Snow Camp I have comfortably made camp in my little REI Quarter Dome tent, with all its well-ventilated mesh, set up on a snowy base, even when temperatures dipped into the single digits. I opt for a closed-cell foam sleeping pad for better heat reflection in winter, and I bring a telescoping snow shovel to dig a level platform for the tent. I enjoy getting creative in camp design, with snow walls to block wind and a separate kitchen area complete with seating and a cooking platform.

Sometimes it is possible to create an ideal campsite on snow in a place that would be a lousy campsite in the summer. I also find it’s possible to experience complete seclusion in a spot that might be overly busy in the warmer months.

When it’s unusually cold, I boost the warmth rating on my down sleeping bag (with its optimistic 20 °F) by bringing along my bivy sack in addition to the tent. I never winter camp (and seldom summer camp) without my down booties for my always-too-cold feet, which I put over a pair of wool socks reserved for sleeping. Extra layers of either fleece or wool constitute my winter PJs, and I top it off with a wool hat and mittens.

Layering for Warmth While hiking to camp, it’s possible to generate enough heat to strip down to base layers and still break a sweat. As soon as I stop, however, my first task is always to change to dry clothes

before my core temperature drops. In case my feet get wet, I keep a pair of neoprene socks in my pack. When I was a child, before I learned of the existence of neoprene, my mom would put empty bread sacks over my dry socks. They served the same purpose, and they’re still a nice, cheap option or contingency plan. In camp, layers are my best defense against the cold. I go for fleece over my base layer, then a down puffy jacket, then an insulated shell, and I can generally stay toasty.

Cooking, Drinking and Not Freezing Hot beverages also help keep the cold at bay. If I bring my canister stove, I purchase a four-season fuel mix for winter use, and I keep it insulated inside the pack until ready for use. If I’m doing more than boiling water, I pack my white gas stove instead, as it tends to be more reliable in cold weather. I never set it up directly on the snow, and I always add a little starter water to the snow I plan to melt in order to avoid scorching the bottom of my pot.

Keeping the water in its liquid state can be a challenge on winter trips. I keep bottles stashed inside the pack instead of in the outside pockets, and store them upside down so that they don’t freeze closed. When it’s really cold, I keep my bottle inside a water bottle parka. Everything is stored inside the tent at night, including the water filter, which can otherwise freeze and become useless.

Dry Boots and a Well-Lighted Camp I also never go out in winter without my gaiters, which keep the snow outside my boots. The boots vary from trip to trip: I find it equally fun to launch winter backpack trips on Nordic skis, backcountry skis, or snowshoes. Depending on the steepness of the terrain, winter trips are the perfect opportunity for hauling extra gear in on a sled.

Finally, I pack extra headlamp batteries since the sun goes down early on a winter trip at our latitude. Instead of waiting impatiently for long sunny days to return, I like to make the most of all opportunities to explore our local trails, even when those opportunities arise in January. //

Winter Camping Spots Local Favorites • Priest Lake: the east and west side and upper lake all offer options depending on how far you’re willing to walk/ski

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• Sherman Pass: Columbia Mountain or Sherman Peak can be great • Kootenay Pass: south side of the highway has more mellow terrain close to the highway—avoid the many avalanche areas • Lookout Pass: many options, but be aware of the considerable avalanche risks in many places • Lolo Pass: summer hiking trails make great winter camping trails • Anywhere with hot springs nearby! (OTM)

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

Explore the

Methow Valley’s

Experience the Canadian Rockies, Fernie Style.

Snowshoeing Trails and Vast Backcountry

By Aaron Theisen

Dashing through the snow near Winthrop. // Photo: Aaron Theisen

Just as winter snows shutter many of the region’s outdoor recreation destinations, the Methow Valley, a multi-sport Mecca on the dry side of the Cascades, begins its second peak season. Although the area’s Nordic ski system — the largest in the country — is justifiably acclaimed, snowshoers also have plenty to celebrate.

In addition to the valley’s extensive Nordic ski trails, the Methow Trails organization also maintains a handful of trails specifically for snowshoers. Sun Mountain Lodge, just south of downtown Winthrop, is the heart of a network of short trails that meander the rolling ridges abutting the Methow Valley. For a superb introduction to the Sun Mountain trail system, check out the 6-mile Patterson Mountain loop, which departs from Patterson Lake and wanders through scattered aspen groves and sunny slopes above the lake. Time your snowshoe for early morning or late evening to watch the ever-present Methow sun glance off the showcase peaks of the North Cascades. The Patterson Mountain loop can also be accessed from an alternate trailhead near the Sun Mountain Lodge parking lot.

However, for the best Methow experience, make your own tracks in the backcountry. Although most of the Methow’s beloved high-country routes in the Pasayten Wilderness, Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, and North Cascades National Park are inaccessible during the winter, several of the region’s most popular and family-friendly trails, especially those along the rivers that meander through the Methow, are easily accessible even when the snow piles up.

A word of warning: Most of the Sno-Parks listed on maps cater to, and are quite popular with, snowmobile users. On peak winter weekends, the parking lots are packed with trailers. Avoid these and seek out one of the quiet non-motorized trails of the Methow.

West of Mazama, amble up a canyon 5.5 miles roundtrip to the crashing cataract of Cedar Falls.

Views through the park-like east slope pine and fir forest are infrequent, though openings in the canopy reveal the rocky prominence of the Goat Wall above the tiny town of Mazama. Meantime, enjoy the sounds of Cedar Creek cascading in the canyon below.

Looming over the town of Twisp, Lookout Mountain is a pristine island peak only minutes from SR 20. An 8-mile roundtrip snowshoe, first on forest road and then through airy fir forest, grants panoramic views of the Methow Valley and its encircling summits. Especially attractive are the snow-cloaked peaks of the Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness to the south.

Because the Methow caters to a winter crowd, apres’-snowshoe spots are easy to find. Winthrop, which has fashioned itself in an Old West aesthetic, complete with wooden sidewalks and storefronts, is the hub for tourism and outdoor recreation in the Methow Valley. Tiny Twisp, 8 miles east of Winthrop on SR 20, has a vibrant arts community and a more laid-back charm.

Where to Stay Lodging abounds, too, although keep in mind that winter is high season in the Methow Valley.

Although the winter closure of the North Cascades Scenic Highway means travelers from the west side of the Cascades must travel some seven hours from Seattle via Highway 2, hotel rooms are in high demand. Come December, “No Vacancy” signs go up as quickly as the rates.

Book well in advance, or better yet, come in March for off-peak rates and quiet trails. Try the Chewuch Inn & Cabins, whose owners, Dan and Sally Kuperberg, are serious outdoors enthusiasts and can provide trail-tested knowledge and advice. The afternoon baked goods in the spacious, wood-appointed main lodge make for a nice post-trek treat, as does the outdoor hot tub.

Snowshoe Rentals/Trip Planning Several locations in Winthrop rent snowshoes, including Methow Valley Ski School and Rentals, Methow Cycle and Sport, Winthrop Mountain Sports, and the North Cascades Basecamp.

Winthrop Mountain Sports, on Riverside Avenue in the heart of downtown Winthrop, also boasts an impressive array of outdoors clothing and equipment behind its tiny storefront. Check out the store’s extensive selection of USGS topographical maps of the region; many of the area’s forest roads are inadequately marked. To learn more, visit Methowtrails.org. //

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#ferniestoke January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

25

Find EPic

Deep-Winter powder

at chatter creek cat skiing

By Bob Legasa

Pretty epic, eh? World-class cat skiing in the Canadian Rockies.

Photos: Bob Legasa

Deep in the Canadian Rockies sits Chatter Creek, a cat skiing and heliskiing lodge with such an impressive landscape and remoteness that arriving is like stepping into another world.

About 20 years ago, childhood friends Danny Joseph and Dale McKnight, who grew up in this area, opened the doors to Chatter Creek. The huge undertaking involved clearing the land, milling the logs, and marketing to potential guests. “We’re real fortunate setting up our ski operation here in the Canadian Rockies,” says Joseph. “You have such a dramatic look. It’s big rock and big peaks, and when you couple that with our normal snow pack of some of the deepest, driest powder snow around, it makes for the perfect cat skiing experience.”

Chatter Creek is 70 kilometers away from Golden, B.C., and because of its remote location,

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

you and your gear are flown in by helicopter to this handbuilt, 20,000-square-foot rustic log lodge. This iconic Canadian lodge hosts comfortable guest bedrooms, a large dining area where you enjoy first-rate mountain cuisine prepared by professional chefs, a cool bar for après, a large drying room for all your gear, and a massage room that is a hit after the first day.

You go to Chatter Creek to slay epic powder, and with a tenure of 58,000 acres you’re in for a lifechanging treat. The professional guides at Chatter Creek are all certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. This highly trained team will guide guests through terrain from wide open glacier skiing to endless tree skiing. The tree skiing is top notch as you ride through mature, moss-covered spruce forest or the dramatic burn area. Both make for good visibility on many of Chatter Creek’s days

of big dumpage.

There’s terrain for all abilities: mellow slopes for intermediates and lots of steeps if you like to charge hard. Now if you really feel like testing your game, there’s Chatter Creek’s signature pillow field. This steep, heavily bumped run can be one of the most rewarding runs you’ll ever do – and one of the most humbling.

“It’s like a roller coaster ride, where you’re kinda controlling where you go,” says Sandpoint’s Matt Gillis. “There’s snow flying off as you hit each pillow. That’s the beauty of it. By the time you can get your bearings, you’re already back in the white room, leaving the ground again with snow flying around you the whole time.” No matter the outcome, you’re going to have a good time popping pillows at Chatter Creek.

Each day the cats depart the lodge at 8:30 a.m.

in search of untracked awesomeness. Twenty minutes later, you’re clicking in on a mountaintop with views of endless mountains and fields of powder. The crew of cat drivers has built an extensive network of roads spanning more than 80 kilometers that take you in every direction from the lodge, getting you to the goods, run after run.

By 4 p.m., your legs are pretty shot from a full day of pounding the powder, and you’ll head back to the lodge for some appies and après and maybe a ride or two on the shotski.

Chatter Creek has several packages available, including 2-day trips in December and 3- to 4-day trips right after Christmas through the first week of April. The experience at Chatter Creek is magical and one that you will remember for years, especially if you hit the infamous pillow field.

Chattercreek.ca/cat-skiing. //

BIG RESORT.

BIGGER VALUE!

January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

27

Mountain Sledding

Finding places to

Slide on Snow

By S. Michal Bennett

When the snow melts in town, head to the ski hill for mountain tubing! // Photo courtesy of Big White Ski Resort

Sledding – the ancient activity of sitting on your butt and getting over the snow far more efficiently than most wheeled vehicles. Today, unless you live in an arctic landscape, sledding or tobogganing is primarily a recreational sport enjoyed by all ages. After a fresh snowfall, who doesn’t relish pulling out their sled and running down a couple hilly side streets before the plows come around?

However, in recent years, snow in town has been scarce, and popular sledding places like Manito Park in Spokane and Cherry Hill in Coeur d’Alene have been patchy and slushy at best. This year, we went outside the box and tracked down some fun sledding spots that will take you out of town and into the majestic mountains of the Inland Northwest.

The Resorts Of the five local ski resorts, Schweitzer Mountain is the only one that has two fast-action lanes specifically designed for sledding. Their new sledding area, Hermits Hollow, is also a snow tubing center and is open Friday through Sunday. Silver Mountain and Mt. Spokane also have tubing hills with rope tows to pull you back to the top. In fact, one of Mt. Spokane’s hills is designed specifically for kids – the Children’s Choice Tubing Hill. See each resort’s website for rates and ticket information.

State Parks Round Lake State Park, located just 10 miles south of Sandpoint, accommodates a 1,000-foot run down to the lake, a popular place for local sled activity. The park stays open all winter for ice fishing and camping, if you’re willing to brave the winter weather. There is a $5 motorized vehicle entry fee for the park, or you can purchase a parking pass through Idaho State Parks and Recreation.

Farragut State Park, just off Hwy 95 on the way to Sandpoint, is another fantastic place to sled.

Its sledding area is at the northeastern side of the park and was formerly a large amphitheater that hosted Bob Hope and received a call from the Apollo astronauts in orbit. Again, a motorized vehicle entry fee is required to enter the park. However, if you live in Idaho and plan on visiting multiple state parks this winter and next summer, consider purchasing a $10 Passport the next time you renew your license plate. For a small fee, you can gain access to a wealth of invaluable outdoor experiences. For more info about these and other parks: Parksandrecreation.idaho.gov Lookout Pass and Wallace While Lookout Pass Ski Area doesn’t offer tubing or sledding at the resort, there are some good hills just across the pass, as you return to I-90.

The trail that winds up this hill is popular with snowmobile enthusiasts, but there are a few spots that could be great for sledding. If you’re up for it, you could even snowshoe up to the Lookout Pass Communications Facility and sled down a couple of sweet hills just off the main trails.

Finally, the Wallace Chamber of Commerce sometimes grooms a few sled runs in the mountains surrounding the town. However, City Council President Chase Sanborn states that the Chamber of Commerce won’t be grooming any hills this year in anticipation of a snow shortage.

Still, it doesn’t hurt to ask!

Close to Coeur d’Alene Although there aren’t any solid, tree-free sledding hills on 4th of July Pass, Fernan Mountain might be an alternative, if you’re desperate and there is enough snow. The parking lots for both the Canfield Backside and Fernan Saddle have small hills that could work for sledding, but because the trails in these areas are popular with snowmobilers, it is best to avoid these spots on holidays and weekends, especially between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. //

sledding safety No matter where you go to sled, always remember to check the location’s website for weather conditions, bring warm and dry clothing, and, if you are on ungroomed hills in the mountains, be aware of avalanche areas. If you are sledding in a new area, make sure there are no roads, rocks, stumps, cliffs, holes or other hazards below a sledding run. Stay safe and have fun out there!

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

NELSON B.C.

& AINSWORTH HOT Springs

ROAD TRIP

By Derrick Knowles

Good morning Ainsworth! // Photo courtesy of Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort

Skiing and snowboarding may not be for everyone, but who wouldn’t love to sink shoulder deep in mineral-rich hot springs water with an amazing lake and mountain view spread out before you? A road trip to Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort and Nelson, B.C., is a classic Inland Northwest winter getaway. The threehour-and-change drive from the Spokane area is like a trip back in time, but without losing any of the modern amenities and cultural sensibilities.

North of the border, traffic, freeways and urban sprawl give way to scenic highways, expansive mountain vistas and laid-back small towns. And this winter the currency exchange rate has been 30% and higher in favor of the U.S. dollar, meaning you will save on everything you buy in Canada, from hotel rooms and eating out to hot springs passes and Patagonia jackets.

Nelson, B.C. A scenic town of 10,000 built up on the hillside above Kootenay Lake, Nelson is the urban and cultural hub of the Kootenay region. With over 350 preserved heritage buildings and a dynamic arts and culture scene in a stunning natural setting, you can easily occupy several days without ever leaving sight of town. Eclectic restaurants, bars and shopping options are tucked into nearly every block of the beautiful downtown. Nelson also boasts more restaurants per capita than Manhattan or San Francisco. No fast-food chain restaurants here, but you will find organic bakeries, coffee houses and locally owned eateries specializing in authentic cuisines from around the world. If you’re looking for arts and entertainment events to plan your trip around or lodging and day-trip outing option information and travel deals, visit Nelsonkootenaylake.com.

Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort First visited by the Ktunaxa First Nations people, the hot springs were eventually developed with new additions and amenities added as this natural wonder changed hands over the years. Today, Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort, about a half hour north of Nelson, includes a large pool, a steamy horseshoe-shaped cave you can wade through, a cold-plunge pool, plus a newly-remodeled hotel

and a restaurant.

The hot water works its way down through fractures in the rock, increasing in temperature as it goes, from its source at the nearby Cody Caves area. The final result is hot, steaming water piped straight from nature with all of the natural minerals, including calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, that are believed by many visitors to have healing properties.

The first pools and the cave at Ainsworth Hot Springs were developed in the 1920s and 1930s after the town started to decline as a mining center. In the early days, the pool was open 24 hours a day and a swim cost 10 cents. Once the local mines closed, the hot springs owner Yale Lead and Zinc Co. sold the property, including the pool, cave and lodge. After changing hands several times, major renovations were made in the early 1980s, followed by the construction of the present hotel in 1987. In 2015 the resort and surrounding properties were purchased by the Lower Kootenay Band of Creston, B.C., returning the Ktunaxa people to this important site on Kootenay Lake. Major room renovations have since been completed and the new owners will no doubt be ushering in other improvements and innovations that will leave their own mark on the popular resort. Hotnaturally.com Border Crossings & Driving to Nelson/ Ainsworth Over the past several years, crossing the border into Canada (with the proper identification) has become even easier. No passport? No problem.

There is a cheaper and more easily obtainable option. Washington is one of a handful of states offering an enhanced driver’s license, and its youth counterpart, the enhanced ID. Both are faster and cheaper than getting a passport. If you already have a passport, make sure it hasn’t expired and get an enhanced ID or fast-track a passport renewal if necessary. Once you are on the road, Highway 20 and 31 in northeast Washington offer the fastest and safest route north to the border on your three-plus hour drive to Nelson. (Be sure to leave fresh fruits, firearms and other contraband at home to avoid unwanted border crossing delays.) //

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29

on the mountain Local Resorts

Hunting down untracked snow on run after run well after the last storm is an art. When in doubt, follow the locals. // Photos: Bob Legasa

Secret Stashes:

Local Resorts Offer Plenty of Stealth Powder Runs If You Know Where to Look

By Bob Legasa We’re all trying to get the best bang for our buck, and when you ski or board, that means trying to get some freshies in the days after a storm.

We are lucky living in the Inland Northwest with so many resorts all within a short drive. Taking last season out of the mix, each of these resorts usually gets consistent snowfall resets. As a powder lover, I always venture to the areas that are out of the way or not well-known. Each resort has plenty of its own “secret stashes,” but it’s just a matter of knowing where to look, who to follow or who you know. Even on the not-so-epic days, there are usually a few good stash spots at each of the resorts. Here are a few of my secret stashes.

Silver Mountain—South of the Border: SOB is an intermediate-advanced run and it’s always a goody. Off Chair 2, ski down Sunrise a short distance. On the right side, go through Kerry’s Meadow to the cat track and you’ll see the rope line. Look for one of the gate openings into South of the Border. It’s best if ventured in with a friend and only if you have the essential backcountry gear: transceiver, probe and shovel. South of the Border has some big old-growth trees and meadows that open up nicely. There are a few rock

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

drops in there, and it has a little bit of everything for skiers and boarders intermediate on up.

Robert Hoskinson knows all the hidden gems at Silver Mountain. “SOB is beyond the official border of the resort. SOB has some great mellow tree skiing, and the large open area of Avalanche Ridge. Just don’t miss the traverse marked with fog balls; otherwise, you’ll end up in Big Creek.”

Longtime local Alli Leveque says, “You have everything available to you, whether you want wide open, trees, rock cliffs or you want some fun little things to pop off of, there’s lots of fun stuff South of the Border. A lot of us locals don’t like to tell people about it. It’s our little private area, but definitely the best place on the hill.”

Lookout Pass—Lucky Friday Glades: Take Chair 1 and get off to the left. Head down Golden Eagle and you’ll come to the top of Lucky Friday Glades. Drop into this gladed tree area and veer to the left, hugging the little finger ridge that runs parallel with Lucky Friday Glades. This section is usually less traveled, providing pockets of freshies and a few steeper sections.

Dallas Ward started skiing at Lookout at age 5 and raced on the Lookout Pass ski team. She

has been on the Lookout ski patrol for the past 7 years. “I love the peacefulness when skiing Lucky Friday,” says Ward. “The Glades give me a great escape from the busy groomed runs, and the far left and far right sides always hold the best snow the longest.”

In the last few hundred yards before the cat track, veer even further left into the trees for more open shots before you’re dumped back down onto the Quicksilver Cat Track.

49 Degrees North—Cy’s Glades: This is an iconic tree run located on the upper-right side of Chewelah Peak. Ride either the Bonanza or the Sluice Box chairs, exit to the right and head down Lost Dutchman to the top of Upper Cy’s.

The openness of the trees let the snow accumulate on a consistent level and make for some fun runs.

49 Degrees North Assistant Ski School Director Ali Pasino has spent plenty of her days playing in Cy’s Glades. “Perfectly spaced trees allow for playful skiing without feeling crowded,” says Pasino.

“It’s a great introduction for people newer to offpiste powder stashes and still interesting enough to leave the most accomplished skier wanting sec-

onds.” Personally, I always go back for seconds.

When you get to the bottom of Cy’s, you’re drawn back down to the Sluice Box chair for your second helping of fun.

Mt Spokane—Roller Coaster: Smack dab in the middle of the mountain as you look up from Lodge 2 between Chair 1 and Chair 2, you can gain access to Roller Coaster by either chair. I usually come in through Meadows and then the upper portion of Siesta, which will drop you on top of Roller Coaster. Once in Roller Coaster proper, veer left into the trees. It’s tight in a few spots but opens up with lots of little pockets of open glades. This little zone always seems protected from the wind and offers numerous routes down to the Lost 200 Cat Track. “It’s hidden away just enough that you can find nice fresh patches of powder, long after you think everyone has skied it out. It’s well worth a look,” says Spokane skier Desiree Leipham.

Each resort has dozens of secret stashes. You just need to do a little investigating or know who to stake out and follow. Get out there and find your own secret stash. //

on the mountain Mountain culture

No. 9 Ranked ninth best resort overall

by SKI Magazine readers.

In the ski industry exceptional service and value pricing do not typically go hand-in-hand ...and then there’s Whitefish.

Clinics, contests, comps, parties and, hopefully, plenty of powder. See you at Coldsmoke! // Photo: Katie Botkin

Coldsmoke, Snowboarding and Mountain Migraines:

Whitewater Ski Resort’s Coldsmoke Powder Festival Is Always a Trip to Remember

By Katie Botkin I make it within five blocks and 20 minutes of the opening social event at Coldsmoke Powder Fest in Nelson, British Columbia, and I realize I’m getting a migraine. To the point that I can’t see. Did I mention this particular event I’m supposed to be covering is a series of short films?

Coldsmoke celebrates mountain culture with clinics, socials, competitions and more. From February 19 through 21, 2016, the 10th annual event will take place at Whitewater Ski Resort and in nearby Nelson, British Columbia. With any luck, the snow will be better this year — conditions at Whitewater last year were not bad on groomed runs, but they were frozen chop offpiste. As a result, the backcountry clinics, usually well-attended for the BC powder, suffered. The on-piste clinics, however, provided tailored feedback and small class sizes, and my intermediatelevel snowboarding decidedly improved in only a few short hours with Nelson local and former pro rider Kendra Starr.

Even with a migraine, the social events are fun, from dinner and tastings featuring local artisans such as Tod Creek Cider and Kootenay Distilleries to the aforementioned film festival. I wrangle getting in early to the films and ask the staff if there’s a pharmacy close by. Yes, a block and a half away.

In a blind fog, I stumble out of the building and across the street, concentrating hard on the aura of headlights to avoid getting hit. Good news: I manage to find the pharmacy. Bad news: It closed 10 minutes ago.

I’ve left my coat behind on the theory that the cold will constrict the vessels in my brain and cure the migraine. Longer exposure may do me good, so I set out down the street to find drugs, preferably legal ones. I have to stare down buildings head-on to read their signs, or maybe sideways depending on the spots in my vision, keeping a good pace so I don’t freeze to death.

I lurch along Nelson’s main drag like a drunken tourist who has never seen civilization before. An older fellow appraises me at a stoplight and asks if I’m not cold. “I’m trying to find a pharmacy,” I blurt out, and then correct myself: “I’m trying to find something to cure migraines.” The fellow is sympathetic and suggests the local co-op, so I lurch my way to the natural market to find out what natural oils hippies prescribe for my particular ailment. Peppermint, of course. I purchase a vial of peppermint oil and slather my eyebrows,

neck, forehead and temples with it. I march back to my destination and drink copious amounts of water, massaging the peppermint oil into my neck.

The first film is Sweetgrass Production’s “Afterglow,” a psychedelic night skiing light show with existential dialogue I can’t process. The colors are pretty, though. The music is so good it’s making my spine feel funny. I decide migraines are kind of like being on ecstasy, only with pain instead of pleasure. Everything just washes over you in feelings, tiny things that you wouldn’t notice otherwise. If you think about it correctly, it’s kind-of delicious. I lean back in my chair and decide that if I hold my skull just right, my sensitivity is actually veering off into the realm of fun. I can see straight again. And my head doesn’t really hurt. I’m just high on peppermint oil now.

From there, my Coldsmoke Powder Fest trip just keeps getting better. The snow on the mountain is fast and icy, which normally terrifies me, but it forces me to learn what I’ve put off learning for so long. Alpine Inn and Suites, on the outskirts of Nelson, provides a quiet spot away from the bustle of downtown and is the last (and therefore latest) pickup on the Whitewater shuttle up to the mountain.

The clinic I take, one of a few covering snowboarding, focuses on learning how to ollie, how to ride switch and how to carve on steeper terrain. The four of us in the class get individual tips on beginning tricks and improved form. Other clinics teach telemarking and skiing and cover a wide range of skill levels, from an introduction to touring to the “beyond expert” freeskiing clinics (all of which will be taught at the upcoming Coldsmoke Powder Fest). I demo a new snowboard and love it.

I also check out the competitions, of which four will repeat this year: the ROAM Randonnee Rally, the Village Ski Hut Slopestyle, the Poker Run and the Backcountry Olympics. Participants may compete individually, but the highest-scoring male and female to complete all four events will be crowned the King and Queen of Coldsmoke with all the pomp and circumstance (and prizes) that entails. Winners earn a Whitewater 2016/2017 season pass as well as The North Face ski gear.

Social events throughout the festival provide plenty of opportunities to win everything from Keen socks and Clif Bars to actual skis. Find more info and register for clinics at Coldsmokepowderfest.com. //

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January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

31

on the mountain Artifacts

Loulou Kneubuhler showing off one of his collectable skis with an experimental release binding. // Photo: Chic Burge

Loulou’s Ski Museum

By Chic Burge

In the past, Loulou’s Ski Shop was the local place to go for all your alpine ski equipment.

Founded in 1973 by Loulou Kneubuhler, this little shop provided great service and ski equipment for Spokane and the surrounding area.

Loulou’s Ski Shop had the expertise and knowledge to equip and fit every level of skier.

Loulou Kneubuhler was born in St. Jean De Maurienne in the French Alps in 1943. Where he grew up, there were 80 ski resorts within 100 miles and many more outside that 100-mile radius.

A quarter century later and one hemisphere over, Loulou started the Mighty Mite program and coached at White Pass Ski Area. He also coached for the Spokane Ski Racing Association. As good weather fortune would have it, Loulou happened to come to Spokane during the 1968-69 winter, which was the best snow season on record. “I

thought I’d died and gone to the heaven with the big snow flakes,” Loulou says.

Loulou opened Loulou’s Sports Shop in 1973, and in 1978 he installed “Magic Mountain,” a moving carpet that allowed indoor instruction.

Skiing greats like Phil and Steve Mahre, Tamara McKinney, and Craig Kelly honed skills on Magic Mountain. Allison Cowles (of the family that owns The Spokesman Review) spent time on Magic Mountain, and it was there that Mt. Spokane 2000 was conceived to revive a fledgling ski hill. Loulou became a board member for the Mt. Spokane 2000 project. In 1996, Loulou sold the business to Mike King, who operated the ski shop for several years.

Now the building houses a tennis pro shop and Loulou’s Ski Museum. I was blown away with the selection of equipment from long ago. He starts

his tour with the “Evolution of Skis” from the old days. I mean really old days. The oldest ski was found in Glacier (before it was a national park).

Loulou believes that one of his ski artifacts was used by a trapper. Other skis in a place of honor are a 1960 first steel edge ski that won a race at Squaw Valley, a red Head ski designed by racing great Jean Claude Killy, and a white Kniesl ski designed by Karl Schranz from the early 60s.

In the 1970s, Loulou teamed up with the Crescent Department Store and hosted ski clothing style shows at the Ridpath Hotel. But the museum houses far more than skis. The ski boots, both leather and plastic, cover a wide variety of types and styles, and the ski bindings will amaze you that they were ever used. This collection shows the evolution from crude straps to early state of the art. It surprises me that us old timers

on skis survived. The vintage clothing takes you back not only to the old days, but also through the evolution of winter wear. A lady gave Loulou a fancy wool ski jacket and pants set that would now be the star attraction at a retro day on the mountain.

Loulou’s Ski Museum is a non-profit operation.

Donations from people all over the region, nation and beyond contribute to the museum collection.

If you own an ancient piece of alpine (downhill) ski gear, Loulou would gladly accept it for his collection.

Loulou’s Ski Museum is located at 428 E. Pacific Avenue in Spokane. Admission is free, but visits are by appointment only, so call ahead: 509-5990625 or email loulou@skionline.com for other inquiries. //

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on the mountain Travel

Big White, big weekend. // Photos: Shallan Knowles

Big White Ski Resort Re-defining Family-Friendly Fun in B.C.’s Okanagan Country

By Derrick Knowles Where exactly Big White Ski Resort is located was pretty much a big mystery to me before our first trip to the resort earlier this winter. I knew it was near Kelowna, B.C., a few hours north of the border, and that they often open early and get huge powder dumps when other regional areas get skunked. But I had no mental image for the mountains, the town or even the road route to get there. Thanks to a littleknown shortcut (cut west from Highway 395 over Boulder Pass to Curlew, Wash., and head northwest to the Midway Border Crossing, open 9-5 daily), it’s only a five-hour drive on some of the most beautiful and well maintained Inland Northwest backroads to reach the resort.

Right away when we got there we knew something was different about Big White, and not just because of the ubiquitous Australian accents of nearly every resort employee. Everyone seemed to be smiling and genuinely stoked to be there, from the young Aussie servers to the seasoned local skiers and snowboarders we met on the lifts. With a wide range of ski-in/ski-out lodging choices, from high-end condos and townhouses to plenty of economic options including a youth hostel, Big White is accessible to a diverse range of snow sliders and is Canada’s largest ski-in/ski-out village.

Big White is often promoted as a “familyfriendly” resort, but before deciding to reproduce in our late 30s, that wouldn’t necessarily have appealed to us. What we figured out over the weekend, though, is that “family friendly” at Big White means you don’t have to endure f-bomb saturated teenage rants or suck up second hand smoke in the lift lines, which is appealing whether you have kids or not, but it also means that there’s a positive vibe in the interactions with pretty much every employee, skier and snowboarder we met around the mountain. There’s an authentic sense of community, especially with the people who work there and the regular mountain residents, that felt a lot like a big family.

Family friendly also means that Big White has a kids ski school that’s rated #1 in Canada and

a place called Happy Valley where beginner terrain and a whole other world of winter activities awaits family members of all ages who may not be as keen on alpine skiing and snowboarding as you are. There are two magic carpets for kids and

adults learning to ski or ride, a tubing hill, ice skating rink, snowshoeing trails, a 60 foot ice climbing wall, and sleigh rides and snowmobile tours.

There is also a Kids Centre in the village where parents can drop off their children in a fun, safe

Dining & Drinking Out on the Town at Big White Since we brought along our own childcare for the weekend, we had the chance to explore the resort’s amazing eating and drinking options and diverse nightlife. With 19 on-mountain restaurants, pubs, cafes, delis and nightclubs, ranging from high-end to ski bum-friendly options, there is no shortage of quality places to fill your belly or quench a well-earned thirst. Save your brown-bag days for the local resorts and plan to splurge on eating out at Big White. Everything we tasted was amazing, and we frequently forgot that we were at a ski resort. Here are a few of the dining and drinking highlights that made our ski trip an awesome culinary adventure to boot.

The Toasty Tree House: Ski right up to this little food hut in the village center for a Flammlachs, a traditional salmon recipe from Finland served hot off the plank on a European style bun with cream sauce, or other quick bites that you can enjoy by the bonfire.

Kettle Valley Steakhouse: Hidden in the Happy Valley Day Lodge, the specialty here is the Certified Angus Beef and a selection of sustainable seafood options. The wall of wine behind the bar means you’ll find a vast selection of Okanagan Valley wines.

6 Degrees Bistro: Slope-side fine dining in a cozy, inviting atmosphere. Tucked into the Stonebridge Lodge, this is the place to enjoy a finely-crafted meal and wine pairing prepared by people who are passionate about all aspects of food and the dining experience.

Sante Bar & Grill: Located in the heart of the village in the White Crystal Inn hotel, this casual eatery offers several creative variations on the Canadian classic poutine (fries, cheese curd and gravy) as well as loads of burgers, salads, bowls and other comfort foods. We had the best, buttery bowl of chicken, rice and Indian curry ever.

Globe Café and Tapas Bar: All of the food we tried here was delicious, including the gluten-free options, but the highlight was the Table-top S’mores, a gourmet spread of s’more fixings that you get to prepare for yourself over an open flame.

Gunbarrel Grill: Feeling a little sleepy after an amazing meal and looking for a second wind to enjoy a bit of the village nightlife? Try the Gunbarrel Grill’s signature booze and coffee drink, the Gunbarrel Coffee. It’s a tasty adult beverage and show in one, featuring a Montgomery Ward double-barrel shotgun from the early 1900s that serves as a flaming cocktail mixer!

environment that includes ski outings and other games and activities before heading out for some adult-only time on the slopes.

But don’t let those impressive family-friendly credentials scare you away if you’re a childless skier or snowboarder looking to shred the steeps.

Family friendly at Big White doesn’t mean that every inch of the mountain is a good place to drag a 5-year-old. There is plentiful challenging terrain (over 25% of the resort is rated black or double black) to keep hard chargers entertained. And while there were a lot of kids and families bebopping around the village and sliding down the slopes for sure, the scene was far from Disneyland.

There were a ton of kid-free singles and couples everywhere we went. And on an early-season Saturday night, the village bars were packed with music, dancing and revelry late into the night.

Since our little one was still mastering crawling in front of the fireplace back at our beautiful suite at the Stonebridge Lodge with his grandparents, we took advantage of a snow host, a free guest service that hooks you up with a guide to show you around the mountain. Our snow host made sure we got a good sampling of the mountain on different runs at a fun, adult-appropriate clip. We had fresh snow each day, which meant the skiing was amazing, but we missed out on the reportedly epic views of the Monashee Mountains (a trade-off we were definitely okay with). The runs we found ourselves gravitating towards over the three-day weekend were mostly long, blue cruisers with fun, interesting terrain and plenty of powder pockets along the tree line. We noticed too that the greens skied more like blues and some of the blues felt like they were approaching what would be a black run in the U.S. (we were okay with that too).

Even with only a portion of the mountain open so early in the season when we visited in early December, we barely scratched the surface of Big White’s vast 7,355 acres and 118 runs served by 15 lifts. Which means we will be back next year.

And the year after that and the year after that. //

January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

33

on the mountain The skiing life

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Ski Town Bars

Bar Hopping in Wallace, Idaho

By Aaron Theisen

traverseskiandbike.com

I’m sitting in the Silver Corner Bar and Grill in downtown Wallace when a longtime local walks in. When I mention I’m writing a story about Wallace nightlife, he volunteers a, let’s say, colorful reminiscence of Wallace’s wild days. His anecdotes might not be suitable for a relatively family-friendly publication like “Out There Monthly,” but suffice to say the Oasis Bordello Museum two storefronts down might undersell the red-lit history of this small mining town.

Bars are to Wallace what frou-frou coffee shops are to Seattle: there’s one on every corner, and there’s no shortage of flannel or tattoos. The Metals Bar and Lounge is where the women dance on the tables and the world-famous dill-pickle pretzels flow as quickly as the Coors.

The Day Rock boasts raucous karaoke. Wallace sits within 10 minutes of two of the region’s ski resorts, but parkas and ski pants are uncommon.

This is still a mining town, where storefronts display the day’s silver prices.

I strike up a conversation with a woman who spent her first 38 years here, moved away and

then came back. She notes, with some pride, that Wallace has resisted the ski-town gentrification of the Jacksons and Aspens, although a newcomer was planning to turn an old loft into five-star accommodations. (We decided, she says, that Wallace first needed some three-star accommodations before shooting for the stars.)

As fortunes in the mining industry flourish and fade, so do the bars that depend on the miners who depend on them. Wallace once boasted that it had nine bars in a four-block stretch of downtown (and probably a good deal more a half-century ago). Today the Lucky Horseshoe is shuttered; the Jameson Saloon is for sale. Microbreweries now pour local beers in decidedly more family-friendly settings. But it’s the old dive bars, permeated with smoke and stories and dimly lit for those miners who want to avoid stepping into the sunlight for a little bit longer, that document a way of life that’s rapidly disappearing elsewhere – even if most of it can’t be revealed here in print. //

...and dimly lit for those miners who want to avoid stepping into the sunlight for a little bit longer...

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OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

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Piste Off Liftie

Midseason Mountain Speak

By Brad Northrup

Funny what happens after a couple of months of working long hours up on the hill.

Days start to run together, the mornings seem to get a little earlier, and the Jagermeister hangovers take a little longer to get over. The rotting lump of gray matter that resides in my skull just can’t seem to process the enormous amount of gibberish that comes my way every day, but the local shaman says mescaline and nightly drum sessions should help. Either way, by this time of year, my nerves are frayed, my mind is numb, and my patience is as thin as a supermodel. I can tell it’s midseason just by the conversations I have with my fellow resort employees. Follow along and you will see what I mean.

Ski Patrol Director: “You know, if you would keep a closer eye on the chair as it swings around the bull-wheel, it might help prevent the chair from cracking folks in the back of the knee – or the head.”

Me: “They had it coming, and so will you if this conversation continues.”

Half-Pipe Supervisor: “Dude, did you witness that huge front side Ollie 720 McTwist that so-andso hucked yesterday? That was sick!”

Me: “No, but did you see that huge sausage McMuffin I puked up this morning under Chair 1?

Man, does warm PBR make me sick.”

Bar Manager: “I can’t believe what that waitress wore to work yesterday. It was so trashy, even for up here.”

Me: “She’s hot.”

Race Coach: “Hey man, I saw you skiing on your

break. If you would just articulate your ankles a little more and work on your edge pressure during turn initiation, your turns would be better.”

Me: “If you don’t stop bothering me, I am going to have to break your ankles. Can I bum a dip?”

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Ski Instructor: “Can you please slow the chair down for my students? They are scared of how fast it runs.”

Me: “I can’t hear you over the Megadeth I have cranked on my Walkman. Did you say speed it up?”

Ticket Office Girl: “Like, I can’t believe how busy it was yesterday. Like, do people know how cold it is up here?”

Me: “Dear God, please kill me now.”

Marketing Director: “We need to strive to provide a positive experience for our customers.

Maybe you can work on being more engaging.”

Me: “I can start by engaging you with my middle finger. Sound good?”

General Manager: “It is imperative that the lifts get loaded correctly every time with no mistakes.”

Me: “The only reason I don’t shank you right now is cuz it’s payday, and you sign the checks.”

Editor’s Warning: Piste Off Liftie, OTM’s tonguein-cheek column exploring the fictional exploits of a quintessential dirt-bag ski lift operator, may contain offensive language, inappropriate innuendo and politically incorrect real-life scenarios.

January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

35

on the mountain The skiing life

January 2015 Retro Ski Pass Contest WINNERS!

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Ski Bum Advice

Ten Signs You Need New Skis

By Brad Northrup

A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to have a Friday off from work on a day when there was nearly a foot of fresh snow in the mountains. You know, back when we actually had powder days. Anyway, on my way up for the first run of the day, my much younger chairlift partner looked down at my 80mm waist all-mountain skis and sneered, “I used to have a pair of skinny skis like those – man are they work in deep snow.” He had a pair of God-knows-how-wide skis that looked like you could use them in summer on water.

For once in my life, I had no comeback, no wise-ass response. Here I was, a fairly decent technical skier with decades of experience, with nothing to say. Because he was right – times had changed, and the technology had changed. In any event, for those of you thinking that it might be time for new sticks, keep an eye out for the following signs.

1. You measure your required ski length by reaching as high as you can, with the ski tips touching your wrist. Evidently length really does matter to you.

2. Leaning back as far as possible on powder days is the only way to keep your tips up. You rationalize this by claiming to enjoy the quad workout. You are usually done by noon and can’t walk the next day.

3. It is difficult to figure out where the bases of your skis end and the rust on the edges begins. When you take them to a local shop to get tuned, they tell you they’re at least 8 weeks out. You hear them snickering as you leave.

4. At the end of the day, you ski across the parking lot to your car, ignoring those who point and laugh.

5. While in the lift line, you don’t care if people ski over the tops of your skis. At 215

centimeters, they do take up some space.

6. You know what a Stem Christie is, and how to do it. More importantly, you think it is still applicable.

7. Your skis were made in the United States of America.

8. Each tip of your skis is adorned with a rooster.

9. There is a groove down the middle of your skis, and you own a scraper designed to work on them.

10. You think this shaped ski thing is just a fad. // Brad Northrup is a former ski racer, coach, shop monkey, and resort marketing director.

He still leans back while skiing powder and has quads of steel.

top: It’s all about the stash. Snow stash of course. Dave Brady Bottom: All smiles for the season. Joelle Huguenin

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36

OutThereMonthly.com / January-February 2016

on the mountain Backcountry

Hopefully whoever put in this skin track knows where they’re going…. // Photos: Mikell Bova

Immense But Not Impossible

Discovering the Inland Northwest Backcountry

By Mikell Bova I’m on the wrong side of the road as I skin up Columbia Mountain. It looked good from Google Maps, but as I continue to ascend it looks like I’ll either be skiing mellow trees back down to the car or dropping into some very steep terrain with trees and cliffs that will take me who knows where. The snow feels nice under my skis, and my pit results leave little to fear as I continue my ascent. From the summit of Columbia Mountain, I look north and pretend I can tell where Canada begins and click a picture.

More importantly, I look south and see Sherman and Snow peaks on the south side of Highway 20; now I know where to ski next time. I pull off my climbing skins, place them in my backpack and descend some nicely-spaced trees on an easy-going slope.

When I moved to the Inland Northwest a few years ago, there was plenty of trial and error but not much backcountry skiing beta. I would read online about someone skiing in the southern Cabinets and then figure out the trailhead.

Sometimes I would have success, and other times I would spend hours skinning up a snow-covered Forest Service road before I realized I had missed the turnoff for the drainage I was hoping to ski. I’d spend hours on sites like summitpost.org trying to find places to ski by looking for tall peaks with manageable approaches and guessing keywords to search for trip reports on Google and national ski forums. In the fall of 2012 there was very little information out there.

Luckily I was able to find some solid backcountry skiing partners, but two of the three guys were also recent transplants to the area. We were all pretty clueless as to where to ski, but we did come to realize that there is a tremendous amount of backcountry skiing terrain in the Inland Northwest. Getting to it is a whole other beast.

I moved to the Inland Northwest from the

Intermountain West and spent my formative years backcountry skiing in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah and the Colorado Rockies. Both of these areas offer amazing access to skiing due to geography and strong ski and tourism industries. The many mountain ranges of Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho and Northwest Montana, on the other hand, have rich histories in mining and logging, which translates to miles of unplowed access roads. I knew that backcountry skiing without a snowmobile meant we would need a plowed road to come within five miles of our destination. The search was on.

Having sharpened my teeth skiing in the Colorado Rockies where high passes along the continental divide make the backcountry skiing all too accessible, I looked around the Inland Northwest for skiing near highway passes and made some of my first outings from Sherman and Lookout. Sherman Pass quickly drew my attention as it offers some great north-facing terrain and easy access from Washington State Route 20. There is often a skin track circumnavigating the westside of the mountain that gets put in by people coming and going to the Snow Peak Cabin.

It makes the first mile of the hike nice before you have to break off and begin to gain altitude up Sherman Peak. The classic run off Sherman Peak is the Hourglass, a north facing run that starts on a gentle slope before rolling over into some steep, craggy treed terrain before eventually depositing the skier onto an apron below some very large cliffs. Lookout Pass on the Montana-Idaho border offers more consistent and heavier snowfalls, but the easily-accessed terrain of FAA Mountain (east of the pass) consists of well-spaced lodgepole pines on a 20ish degree slope and St. Regis Basin (west of the pass), which offers some great skiing, is also a very popular snowmobiling area.

As the season progressed, so did my explora-

tions. Still traveling on loose beta and hearsay from locals not overly keen on giving up their stashes, we continued our trial and error ways into Western Montana and the Idaho Panhandle.

Our luck improved and soon we found ourselves visiting other areas in the region with increased frequency and venturing further east and west of Spokane.

Today, the Panhandlebackcountry.com backcountry ski site provides a forum and trip reports makes finding places to ski and people to ski with in the Inland Northwest much easier. This region needed a place for backcountry skiers to find each other and share beta as the amount of quality skiing in the area is immense. //

Find Your Winter Sports Stoke at the

Backcountry Film Festival (January 28, Spokane)

Celebrating its 11th anniversary this year, the Backcountry Film Festival will feature nine unique films aimed to inspire winter adventurers to explore the beauty, diversity and fun of the winter backcountry experience. Produced by the Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Backcountry Film Festival covers diverse films that deal with skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and other backcountry winter sports. Proceeds from the Spokane showing support the Inland Northwest Backcountry Alliance’s efforts to preserve and promote opportunities for quiet human-powered winter recreation in the Inland Northwest.

A few of the films this year include: ✴“Japan by Van,” a Sweetgrass Productions film, explores the head-deep powder of the Shirakawa backcountry. ✴“The Weight of Winter” by filmmaker Ben Sturgulewski. ✴“I Love Splitboarding,” a film by Right on Brother opens up the world of splitboarding. ✴“Always Above Us” offers a glimpse of the tremendous amount of sacrifice and hardship involved in the life of a climber. Sherpas Cinema follows Kris Erickson and Conrad Anker in a memoir for David Bridges and Alex Lowe. ✴“Connections” highlights the Dynafit story of how the company’s “low tech” design changed the face of backcountry skiing. ✴“The Forecaster” features expert avalanche forecaster Drew Hardesty and the responsibility that comes with backcountry freedom.

The festival hits Spokane Thursday, January 28, at the Bing Crosby Theater. Doors open at 6 p.m. and films start at 7. Admission is $12 and advance tickets are available at TicketsWest outlets and at Mountain Gear. Learn more about the films and the Inland Northwest Backcountry Alliance at Ibackcountry.org. (OTM)

January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

37

on the mountain Learn to Ski/Ride

it’s never too late to learn to ski or snowboard.

January is Learn to Ski/Snowboard Month!

Ski What?

Why So Many People Love to Ski and Snowboard and Why You Should Learn

By Derrick Knowles Last fall we put the call out on Facebook for OTM readers to share a bit of what motivates and inspires them to get out to ski or ride as much as they can each season. With a chance to win tickets to the Spokane showing of Warren Miller’s film “Chasing Shadows,” we had a great response. Here are a few of our favorites – enjoy and remember to pass on the stoke for learning to love winter in a whole new way to a young or old newbie as we celebrate Learn to Ski/ Snowboard Month this January!

“Spending time with my kids – outside – sharing the beauty of the view from the top of the MT or the serenity of when the chair lift is over quiet trees…. Nahhh, who am I kidding. I love the challenge of the terrain park – nothing like a dorky 48 year old mom taking jumps with a bunch of 14 year old boys. #momlikeaboss.”Jo Brown

was sitting in the lodge watching them fly down the mountain that I should be out there! After just my first lesson I was hooked, and I cannot wait to get back on the snow! We are making plans as a family to explore all of the amazing mountains we have in our area!!!” Tiffany “I ski as many days as possible every single year, wind, rain, shine, sleet, or (hopefully) powder.

Playing outside in the snow is the closest I can get to feeling like a kid again, and skiing is my happy place because there are no bad days on the mountain. If someone complains they aren’t going to ski because the conditions aren’t good enough, ditch ‘em – you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.” Anna Twohig “I didn’t want another expensive sport (riding road, cross, and mountain bikes is plenty enough), it’s too damn cold, the snowboarding clothing looks ridiculous, and the lift tickets are too expensive. But when your girlfriend threatens your manhood, calls you a cheapskate, and reminds you that ‘you wear spandex in PUBLIC!’, there’s no reply good enough to get you out of hitting the slopes. Plus, she looks super hot as a snow bunny.” Alan Jacob

pair of ski boots when I was about 5 or 6. I now board with my boys. Why a person loves it can’t be explained. You either do or you don’t, you either love the cold or you hate it, you either get excited about snow or you dread it.” Heather Hubbart “The joy of skiing with my son is what really motivates me. Skiing is the first sport we did together and I love the idea that it will be something we can do until I’m too old to strap the sticks on my feet anymore.” Rick Eichstaedt “My dad took me skiing for the first time when I was 10. LOVED it immediately! 4 days into that trip, I broke my leg. That wasn’t enough to diminish my love for it. Now all these years later, how do you describe the sensation of riding that uncut powder line, floating, carving out your path? For those moments in time, every worry in the world disappears. Your only thoughts are embodied in that instant of pure joy. Nothing compares to hearing the wind in the trees or the deafening silence of snow falling. It is sheer contentment.”

Kim Faulk Lakey

“When I was a kid I wanted to learn to ski more than anything. Unfortunately it wasn’t in the cards.

Then, when I was 16, my sister bought me a Learn to Ski package for $29 – three days of lessons, lift tickets and ski rentals. After the first morning of lessons I abandoned the bunny hill and took the chair lift straight up the mountain. Riding that “I ski because it was my husband’s passion – chair up I was terrified; even at 16 I knew how now I realize he’s given me a precious gift: love of woefully unprepared I was. I spent the next hour the mountains, an appreciation for the exertion it crashing down the mountain and cherishing every “Loulou Kneubuhler fitted me for my first takes to get better and a great way to cross train moment. Now, all these over the winter. years later, I still cherish Sometimes I don’t January Is Learn to Ski/Snowboard Month! every moment I’m lucky even mind being cold anymore!! enough to spend skiing Local resorts are offering too-good-to-pass-up deals on lessons, rentals and lift tickets for adults in the mountains with As he always says, and kids who want to learn to ski or snowboard during the month of January. Each year, Mt. friends and loved ones.” ‘there is no such Spokane, 49 Degrees North, Silver Mountain and Lookout Pass offer unbelievable package deals Lloyd Hixson thing as a bad day for beginners as part of Learn to Ski/Snowboard Month. If you’ve ever wanted to learn yourself skiing, just varior introduce a loved one to skiing or snowboarding, this is the best time to make it happen.

“I learned how to ski able conditions!”

Package deals at the four participating resorts include all the gear rentals, lift tickets and prolast year. My kids got me Anne Fleming fessional lessons in the $100 range, which is a huge savings. Learn more about Learn to Ski or out on the snow for the Snowboard Month special deals at Skinwrockies.com. first time. I realized as I 38

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on the mountain profiles

Mountain Mugs

Climber Bob Hempsted sporting Batwaves snowboard mitts on Mt. Everest. (left) chase Sanborn pouring cold ones at Wallace Brewing. (right) // Photos courtesy of Chase Sanborn

Wallace Brewing Company Owner Chase Sanborn Shares His Stoke for Snowboarding and the Silver Valley

By S. Michal Bennett For long-time Silver Valley residents like Chase Sanborn, owner of Wallace Brewing Company, Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area is the perfect place to leave the crowds behind and immerse yourself in the winter wonderland of the Bitterroot Mountains. “I learned to snowboard up there in 1991,” says Sanborn.

“It’s always been a fun mountain. You can just get right on the hill and get going, which works perfectly for me.”

Sanborn grew up in Sandpoint and moved to the Silver Valley in 1990, where he and his brother Del established a snowboard mitt company called Batwaves. “Back then, there wasn’t equipment and clothing designed specifically for snowboarders,” explains Sanborn. “So, you had these gloves that were thin nylon – they didn’t hold up. If you dropped your hand through the snow hard pack

or if you went through the trees, you just tore up your equipment.”

They launched their brand first at Schweitzer, but finding affordable business space in Sandpoint was difficult. The situation was just the opposite in the Silver Valley. They opened shop in Mullan in the early 90s, then moved operations into the old JC Penney’s building in Wallace. “There were a lot of people [in Wallace] who were our age,” says Sanborn. “It was also close to two ski areas and a lot of great mountain biking trails. It was the perfect environment for what we were doing.”

As the business grew, Sanborn and his brother began to build relationships and work closely with the then-owners of Lookout Pass: Dean Cooper, Jim Fowler and Don Walde. Together, they built the first snowboard park at Lookout and held a number of events, including a week-long snow-

boarding camp. They brought in pro boarders to teach, and each camp concluded with a cross-style race. “It was a lot of fun to put this on,” recalls Sanborn. “Several hundred kids would show up.

They learned a lot, they had a chance to race, and we had lots of prizes for them. My association with Lookout has always been a pretty strong one.”

For over 10 years, the Sanborn brothers made their heavy duty mittens and even sponsored extreme riders, such as Jay Liska and Tex Davenport. However, in 2000, they decided to move on to other ventures. Sanborn now stays busy as the co-owner of Wallace Brewing with former Lookout owner Dean Cooper, but that certainly doesn’t mean he’s given up snowboarding.

“I really enjoy carving,” says Sanborn. “I like nicely groomed runs with maybe a little powder on the side so I can hop off the groomed and bar-

rel down some powder for a little while, then get back onto the groomers.” Although, he did help build a full-size half pipe in Lookout’s parking lot in the 90s, and considers himself a “really strong intermediate” rider, he prefers to keep his feet on the ground. “I’m an earthbound guy,” he says.

“The parks are fun to watch, but I prefer to be as close to the ground as I can get.”

These days he says he still chooses Lookout Pass over any other ski area in the Inland Northwest, both for snowboarding in the winter and mountain biking in the summer. And, as the president of the Wallace City Council, he firmly believes in the community he and others are building in the Silver Valley. “It is a great community to be a part of, and Lookout is a great partner for events year-round.” //

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Donut Dash relay race Cider Trail to lunch and cider $5 45-minute ski lessons Back-country ski clinic Sunday Jan. 24, 2016, 9:00 - 4:00 Mt. Spokane Cross-Country Ski Park

Back-Cider trail trek ... and more!

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER AT SPOKANENORDIC.ORG/WINTERFEST

January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

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OutdoorCalendar Jan-feb 2016 BIKING (Wednesdays) Bicycle Movie Nights. Where: Greasy fingers Bikes N Repair, Sandpoint, ID. When: 6 to 8 p.m. Bicycle themed movies every Wednesday night. Bring your own refreshments.

GreasyFingersBikes.com

WINTERSPORTS (January 1-31) Learn to Ski or Snowboard Month. Great deals on lift ticket, gear rental and les-

son packages for adults and kids who want to learn at one of the local resorts. Skinwrockies.com

(January 9) Winter Trails Day. Where: Schweitzer

Mountain Resort, Sandpoint, ID. Join Snowsports Industries of America and Schweitzer Mountain for the chance to try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing along any of Schweitzer’s snowshoe or Nordic ski trails. This is a free event. Schweitzer.com

(January 9) Kinky Rail Jam. Where: Fernie Alpine

a part of Lookout’s Winter Carnival, Family Funday and the Wife Carrying Contest. Skilookout.com

(January 23) Skijoring Introduction. learn to Skijor with your pooch. Ski-driving or Skijoring in Norwegian, is a dog-powered sport where canine athletes pull you on cross country skis. Class covers equipment, dog-training and fitness and a chance to try it. Cost: $29. SpokaneParks.org/Recreation (January 24) Spokane Nordic Winterfest. Where: Mt. Spokane Cross-Country Ski Park. Donut Dash relay, ski lessons, backcountry ski clinic, Back-Cider Trail Trek and more. Spokanenordic.org (January 24) Bavarian Brews, Brats & Music Festival. Where: Lookout Pass, Mullan, ID. Enjoy local brews, brats, and Bavarian music at this annual event. Skilookout.com

(January 30) 2nd Annual Fatty Flurry Fest.

Resort, Fernie B.C. Compete for prizes against other skiers and snowboarders at the RCR Rail Park.

SkiFernie.com

Where: Round Lake State Park, Sagle, ID. When: 10 a.m. Fat Bike festival includes demos, group rides, camp fire and refreshments. GreasyFingersBikes. com

(January 10) Cross Country Ski Trip Geophysical Area. Twist and turn along the groomed trails near

(Jan 31) Sam Adams HeliYum Beer and Snow Bowling Contest. Lookout Pass. Skilookout.com

Newport, WA. Includes instructors, equipment and transportation. Bring lunch and water. Cost: $35.

SpokaneParks.org/Recreation

(Jan 16) Women’s Snowshoe Day. Where: 49 Degrees North. Guided tour of the snowshoe routes through old growth forest, followed by a delicious lunch catered by the 49 Degrees North Gourmet kitchen. Ski49n.com (Jan 17) Lookout Pass Winter Carnival. Come be

Bing Crosby Theater, 7 p.m. Films that celebrate the human-powered winter experience, presented by the INW Backcountry Alliance. Tickets are $12 and available at Mountain Gear. Info: Ibackcountry.org

(Jan 8-Feb 26) Toyota Ski Free Day at resorts around the region. Toyota will be in the house to

give a free day ticket to the driver of any Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicle.

(Feb 6-7) Mardi Gras on the Mountain. Where:

SIXMONTH TRAINING CALENDAR

Silver Mountain Resort. It’s a party in Moguls with beads, music a balloon drop and more. Silvermt. com

RUNNING

(March 26) Spokane Superhero Fun Run. Where: Gonzaga University. When: 10 a.m. Third annual run, capes optional, costumes encouraged.

Free hot dogs. Procedes benefit CASA Partners for foster children. Info: active.com/spokane-wa/ distance-running-races/spokane-superhero-funrun. Cost: Starts at $7.50

(April 3) Hauser Lake 10K Ice Breaker Fun Run. Where: Hauser Lake, ID. When: 10 a.m.

Bloomsday Second Seed Qualifier. Race benefits special needs dogs. Info: DoubleJDogRanch.org

(April 17) Spokane River Run. Where: Riverside

State Park. Annual trail run held through beautiful pine forest along the Spokane River. Courses range from 50K to 5K. Info: SpokaneRiverRun. com

(May 1) Lilac Bloomsday Run.

(January 28) Backcountry Film Festival. Where:

Where:

Downtown Spokane. Spokane’s most famous 12K fun run. Info: BloomsdayRun.org

(May 21) Troika Triathlon. Where: Medical Lake.

Options include Olympic Course, Long Course and Sprint Course. Info: TroikaTriathlon.com (May 29) Spring Festival Run. Where: Priest

Lake. Half-marathon, 10K and 5K options. Info: Priestlakerace.com

(Feb 6, 13, 20 & 27) Kan Jam Freestyle Festival.

Where: Mt. Spokane. The Kan Jam is now a fourevent series spanning the entire month of February.

Mtspokane.com

(February 7) Souper Bowl Snowshoe and Nordic Ski Event. Where: Mt. Spokane

Nordic Ski area. When: 9 a.m. Poker ski or poker snowshoe course. This is the only time snowshoes are allowed on the Nordic trails. After fun on the trails, enjoy soup, bread and desserts, all prepared by the Women and Children’s Free Restaurant.

Busses are available from Spokane Valley, Downtown Spokane, and Mead for $10 roundtrip. All proceeds benefit the Womens and Children’s Free Restaurant. Cost: $35 Info: SouperBowlSpokane.org (February 12) Snowshoe Headlamp Hike. Walk

through the quiet forest of Mt. Spokane with hot chocolate at resting stops. Equipment, guides and transportation provided. Info: SpokaneParks.org/ Recreation

(February 13) 2nd Annual Inland NW Winter Ruck. Where: Lake City Community Church,

Dalton Gardens, ID. When: 8 a.m. Meet long distance hikers who have completed the PCT, the CDT or the AT as they share their expertise on how to prepare for a long distance hike. Take a loaded pack for an expert gear shakedown. Info: aldhawest.org

(February 20) Cross Country Moonlight Ski & Dinner. When: 6 p.m. Moonlight snowshoe

through the woods to an Italian dinner by Trezzi Farm. Includes ski, equipment, dinner and guides.

Cost: $42 Info: SpokaneParks.org/Recreation

(February 19-21) Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Festival. Where: Whitewater Ski Resort, Nelson,

B.C. A festival for skiers, snowboarders/splitboarders and tele skiers looking to enjoy socials, films, competitions, resort and backcountry-based clinics.

Info: ColdSmokePowderFest.com

OTHER (April 9) Big Birds with Brian Baxter. Where: Heron, MT. Search the lower Clark Fork and Bull River valleys for eagles, hawks, herons, geese and other birds. Info: ScotchmanPeaks.org

BIKING

(June 5) Windermere Marathon. Where: When:

(June 11) Woodrat 25er. Where: Priest Lake.

25 and 12 mile mountain bike race. Info: Priestlakerace.com

WINTERSPORTS

(June 18) CHAFE 150 Gran Fondo. Where: Sandpoint. 150, 80 and 30-mile fully supported ride routes along Lake Pend Oreille. Info: Chafe150.org

7 a.m. Full and half marathons are senic and fast.

Info: WindermereMarathon.com

(March 5) Paws & Poles Race. Where: 49 Degrees North Nordic Area. Bring your dog and skis or snowshoes for a romp in the snow. Proceeds benefit Spokanimal C.A.R.E. Register at Mountain Gear.

Have an Event You Would Like to List?

Please visit www.outtheremonthly.com and click “Add Event” under the “Outdoor Calendar” tab to get your events listed online and considered for the monthly print magazine calendar. To be considered for the print calendar, events MUST be entered by the 20th of the month to be listed in the following month’s issue. Please follow the instructions for submitting an event using the web form.

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Health&Fitness Sign Up for Team OTM Challenge & Be More Active This Year // By Janelle McCabe If you had a chance this year to try something new, something a little out of your comfort zone, something slightly off the beaten path – would you take it? What if you had six chances?

Out There Monthly is excited to introduce the Team OTM Challenge, a new 6-month program of trail and road runs and bike rides that will remind you why living in the Inland Northwest is way up there on your “Things I’m Thankful For” list.

This program will challenge you to complete at least one participating race each month from May through October. OTM is working with race directors of more than 30 events in 2016 to bring Team OTM Challenge participants a diverse selection of races, both on dirt and on pavement. “We have so many cool races and events here in the Inland Northwest,” says OTM Publisher Derrick Knowles, “and we wanted to find a way to encourage more of our readers to get out there and try something new.”

The Team OTM Challenge will focus more on the act of running or riding than on the social aspect of those activities (although there will be plenty of team camaraderie before, during and after the 2016 season), letting you test yourself during each event and throughout the season without the pressure of weekly group runs. Your challenge is to explore and discover new races, activities and countryside, and push your own limits, not to compete against the clock.

“Even though it’s an individual challenge,” says Knowles, “our program participants will be a part

of something beyond themselves by getting out there to push themselves with like-minded people in the outdoors community.”

Kick-Off The Team OTM Challenge will kick off with a party at a Spokane brewery on April 6 (location TBD), where you’ll have a chance to meet your fellow teammates, receive your gender-specific team tech shirt and other OTM swag, chat with local race and event directors, and win raffle prizes from our program sponsors – all with a free pint in hand.

The Program Season From May through October, you’ll challenge yourself to complete at least one running or riding event each month. You’ll have dozens of races and less competitive fun runs and rides to choose from. As a Team OTM Challenge participant,

you’ll receive generous registration discounts of up to 30% off each event (which means you’ll easily make back your program registration fee). Participating races will include individual and relay run and bike events, both on and off road. As of December, the list of partner events includes: CHAFE 150 Gran Fondo Kaniksu Ultra Kootenay Sufferfest Priest Lake Marathon Priest Lake Spring Run Priest Lake Woodrat MTB Race Priest Lake Triathlon Rathdrum Adventure Race Spokane to Sandpoint Relay Run Tiger Triathlon Up Chuck Challenge And many more coming soon!

Team OTM Challenge Benefits • Registration discounts to up to 30 local and regional running, biking and multisport races, rides and fun runs in 2016 • Opportunities to try many events and disciplines in new places • Personal challenge and team camaraderie • A cool Team OTM Challenge tech t-shirt and other OTM swag • Cool prizes from program sponsors • Bragging rights (and maybe a little road rash) • Special discounts and deals at Fleet Feet Spokane and on other outdoor gear and products and services like massages

Team OTM at the 2015 S2S finish line at Sandpoint’s City Beach

Wrap-Up At the end of the season, participants will get together again at a Spokane area brewery (location TBD) in early November, where we’ll celebrate our successes (and mourn our missteps) with more prizes from our program sponsors, more free beer, and a preview of the following season.

Register Now Early registration (now through April 6) costs $50. Late registration (after April 6) will cost $60. Register online at www.outtheremonthly. com/team-otm-challenge. You love getting out there, and we at Out There Monthly love helping you achieve that goal. In 2016, let’s get out there together with the Team OTM Challenge!//

January-February 2016 / OutThereMonthly.com

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Last Page Why I Learned to Ski // By Summer Hess

Mount Shasta is one of those irresistible peaks that beckon from highways and airplanes, and I finally had the chance to climb it last May. The conditions were much like John Muir described them in his 1877 Harper’s Magazine account of his adventure on this massive icon in the northern California landscape: “The crisp icy sky was without a cloud, and the stars lighted us on our way. Deep silence brooded the mountain, broken only by the night wind and an occasional rock falling from crumbling buttresses to the snow slopes below. The wild beauty of the morning stirred our pulses in glad exhilaration, and we strode rapidly onward, seldom stopping to take a breath.”

My partner Matt and I reached the summit well before noon and snapped a few photos, the kind of photos that make you look like you’re floating on clouds. The wind kicked up and battered us around so we soon descended, navigating our way back across the false summit until we could see the Red Banks rock outcropping. At that point, Matt clicked into his split board, and I briskly rubbed my rump to prepare for miles of glissading.

For the next few hours, we played that game you play when using two different forms of transportation in the mountains. Matt snowboarded down the mountain until barely out of sight, and I sat in shoots of snow and pushed off, shifted my weight from side to side and used my ice ax

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to brake. Glissading looks like a sliding board on snow, but it feels like someone is scraping your bum with shards of ice. Each time Matt stopped long enough for me to catch up with him, he grinned and seemed eager to push off into another turn. I envied the efficiency of his descent.

After nearly two hours of glissading, I strapped on my snowshoes and tried to surf the mashed potato slop. I could no longer bare the stinging numbness on my backside, and the snow was too slick and mushy to navigate easily in just

ed that I had to abandon my plan to climb at Castle Crags two days later. Instead, my partner took off for a trail run, and I lurched like the tin man down the wheelchair-accessible trail that provided a magnificent view of Mt. Shasta to the south. A perfect, beautiful storm ravaged the summit, and I thanked the gods for having gifted us a clear day on our ascent.

When I returned to Spokane, I saw a doctor who confirmed my severe patellar tendonitis. Like many people, this was not the first time my knees had given me trouble. I realized that, if I were going to continue climbing big mountains, I too needed a more efficient way to descend.

I have resisted the backcountry ski movement since moving to Spokane. Growing up in the Northeast, skiing was a country club sport. It was something my rich friends did with their rich families. You needed money for equipment, lift tickets, and transportation. You needed time off from work. The sport was inaccessible to me, save for an annual church ski retreat.

My perspective on skiing has shifted since I moved west and began spending more time out-

Each time Matt stopped long enough for me to catch up with him, he grinned and seemed eager to push off into another turn.

I envied the efficiency of his descent. my mountaineering boots. The morning skidded away as I strained to keep my feet under my knees. In the sloppy conditions, my feet constantly threatened to slip out from under me at odd angles. By the time we reached the car, I could not flex or extend my legs. With each step I felt a dull metal stake forced under my kneecap.

The range of motion in my legs was so restrict-

side, but it did so very slowly. When I moved here, I decided to become a one-sport woman. I wanted to learn how to climb, and I also wanted to stretch my limited graduate school resources. For a few years, climbing was my only form of recreation.

But then I became interested in bigger mountains. It seemed unreasonable to live so close to the Cascades and only run around in canyons. So I bought mountaineering boots and alpine pants a year and a half ago. Perhaps it is inevitable that I am now patching together my first ski set-up. I suppose what makes me okay with skiing is that it has been a natural progression. I started top roping intermittently 15 years ago, and I now spend most weekends in the spring and summer months climbing or hiking in the mountains.

Skiing no longer feels as exclusive. It turns out that, with its abundance of ski swaps and affordable resorts, the Inland Northwest is one of the most cost-effective places to learn. I am finally ready to launch into my first season of earning my turns, so long as there’s snow and Santa remembers to bring me those bindings for Christmas. //

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