July 2018 / Out There Outdoors

fishing derbies

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JULY 2018 // FREE

THE INLAND NW GUIDE TO OUTDOOR ADVENTURE, TRAVEL AND THE OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE

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INLAND NW LAKE GUIDE FLASHBACK: Spokane river Water Ski Festival GO SOLAR! outdoor workout classes high lakes fishing Lakeside Dining: Where to eat on the water Best paddling & Swimming spots

Montana Day Hikes

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Lake Country Map Inside

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Visit us on Facebook for upcoming events, tips and training clinics.

Where the Trails Meet

Route of the Hiawatha

“Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

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CONTENTS

FEATURE

40 | Barefooting the Spokane River

Seating

21 SPECIAL SECTIONS 21 | Spokatopia 22 | Inland Northwest Lake Guide

CrazyCreek.com

#sitthere

DEPARTMENTS 12 | Race Report 13 | Run Wild 15 | Spotlight 16 | Events 18 | Provisions 20 | Nature 36 | Health & Fitness 37 | Urban Outdoors 38 | Outdoor Living 39 | Hiking 42 | Gear Room

18

43 | Lifestyle

COLUMNS

IN EVERY ISSUE

14 | Out There Kids

7

| Intro

19 | Eatology

8

| Dispatches

SPOKANE VALLEY 2018

10 | Hike of the Month 45 | Outdoor Calendar 46 | Last Page

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THE CABINET MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS PROTECTS ALMOST 100,000 ACRES OF ALPINE LAKES AND KNIFE-EDGE PEAKS IN THE HEART OF THE RANGE. JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

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JULY 2018 WWW.OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM PUBLISHERS

Shallan & Derrick Knowles EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Derrick Knowles MANAGING EDITOR

Summer Hess ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jon Jonckers SPECIAL SECTION EDITOR

Amy Silbernagel McCaffree DIGITAL EDITORS

Siobhan Ebel Lisa Laughlin COPY EDITOR

Andrew Butler CONTRIBUTORS

Crystal Atamian Daryl Baird S. Michal Bennett Katie Botkin Paul Chisholm Siobhan Ebel Emily Erickson Adam Gebauer Sarah Hauge Judie Heath Summer Hess Jon Jonckers Derrick Knowles Shallan Knowles Lisa Laughlin Harley McAllister Amy S. McCaffree Natasha Meidinger Ammi Midstokke Erik Prichard Suzanne Tabert Aaron Theisen Brad Thiessen Holly Weiler Woods Wheatcroft

ART + PRODUCTION

Shallan Knowles Jon Jonckers Jordan Lemm TO REQUEST COPIES CALL

509 / 822 / 0123 AD SALES

Derrick Knowles: 509 / 822 / 0123 derrick@outtheremonthly.com OUT THERE OUTDOORS

Mailing Address: PO Box #5 Spokane, WA 99210 www.outthereoutdoors.com, 509 / 822 / 0123 Out There Outdoors is published 10 times a year by Out There Monthly, LLC.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. ©Copyright 2018 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 expertsor 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.

Printed on 50% recycled paper with soy based inks in the Spokane Valley PROUD MEMBER Of

ON THE COVER: LOCAL RESIDENT PULLING HIS CANOE ASHORE ON THE CLARK FORK DELTA ON THE EAST SIDE OF LAKE PEND OREILLE AFTER A PADDLE NEAR THE GREEN MONARCHS ON A STELLAR SUMMER DAY.

Photo: Woods Wheatcroft 6

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / JULY 2018

Intro: Adventures in Lake Country AFTER SITTING FOR HOURS with my fishing pole on the weather-worn dock, watching my bobber on the dark lake water, my seven-year-old mind focused on two primary thoughts: This is boring, and I’d rather be swimming. But eventually, after many Saturdays, I caught my first fish, a trout longer than my arm. I was delighted that my brother felt jealous of my catch. I still have the photo of me holding that dead trout, smile combined with a pained expression as the trout’s sharp mouth hung off my index finger. Once I had “catch a fish” checked off my list, I was free from fishing with my brother. And by then the weather was warm enough for swimming.

I still enjoy this memory (even though I didn’t have the temperament for fishing as a kid). Many other

lakes hold my most vivid summer memories: diving off docks, canoeing at summer camp, tubing behind a power boat with terrified glee, learning to slalom waterski. Good times at many different lakes, never just one.

Recently, my husband and I went for a sunset paddle—a post-dinner idea for our kid-free date night. We kayaked across Fish Lake’s dark, flat water, listening for wildlife in the reeds. Fish jumped in front of our bows.

Bats flew past our heads. And then there was a thunderclap. We paddle-sprinted across the lake through pelting rain, with a plan to follow the shoreline back to the boat launch. Then a lightning bolt flashed; its fractured arms splintering down beyond a not-too-distant hilltop—less than a half-mile away, we figured. So we pulled our kayaks onto the rocky shore, moved away

from our metal paddles, and waited for the storm to pass. As serious as the situation was, we couldn’t help laughing at ourselves—here we were, in our early 40s, scrambling to avoid being struck by lightning. Not our smartest decision to go paddling with an ominous weather forecast. We knew better. But our ambition overrode our common sense.

Still, it was a good adventure, and reminded me of a chart I once saw. A quick Google search found it again for me: a handwritten flow chart, posted on semi-rad. com, with a series of questions to distinguish outdoor adventures from, well, regular ventures. “Was it hard or dirty or uncertain at times? Did you think you were going to die? Did you get some minor injuries? Did you get lost? Did you get scared? Did you get cold?” If yes to any of these, the next question is: “But did you

die?” No. → “It was a good adventure.”

Maybe there are no misadventures outdoors, only learning opportunities. And lakes can be good teachers. Summertime, after all, is for boat rides and jumping off docks into glacier-fed lakes, the season of long days and bold sunsets. Out There’s annual Lake Guide provides ideas and inspiration for your lake-based recreation and travel to new destinations. Perhaps this is the summer you try a new watersport or catch your biggest trout. Or maybe your goal is to use your SUP or kayak as much as possible, to teach your kids how to fish, or to go boating every weekend. July is the heart of summer—time to dive in. // AMY S. MCCAFFREE, SPECIAL SECTION EDITOR

JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

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2018 Newport Autumn Bloom 5K & 10K Run fe

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Register online at RaceRoster.com or download registration form at NewportHospitalAndHealth.org On-site Registration: 7:30AM - 8:30AM

Race Contact: Lori Stratton, Foundation Assistant (509) 447-7928, ext. 4373 NHHSFoundation@nhhsqualitycare.org

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to add a must-do item to your summer adventure list. Located just outside the city of Liberty Lake, Wash., Mica Moon is one of the largest privateland zip line tours in the world. They offer a stateof-the-art zip line course that increases in intensity. Start with the Peekaboo zip line (the lowest and shortest zip from tree to tree) and work your way up to Big Mama, the newest zip line on the hill that travels across-canyon for nearly a mile, giving riders a full minute on the line.

New this month, Mica Moon is offering an aerial trekking course. Similar to a ropes course, the aerial trekking course offers multiple levels of obstacles (called “elements” by the adventurous and friendly Mica Moon staff) that are suspended above a rushing creek in the forest. While you’re wobbling your way across a line of hanging barrels, your friend

Newport, WA

Pre-registration Deadline: 9/10/2018

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MICA MOON ADDS AERIAL TREKKING COURSE IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD of Mica Moon, get ready

Newport Hospital & Health Services Foundation

10 K is a Second Seed Qualifier for Bloomsday 2019!

Dispatches

AARON THEISEN BALANCES ACROSS THE CLIMBING WALL. BOTTOM: LISA IS ALL SMILES AFTER MAKING IT ACROSS THE STRING OF LOGS. // PHOTOS: SHALLAN KNOWLES

might be launching from a Tarzan swing above you, giving a shout as they attempt to grab the giant spider net at the other end of the trees for a landing. Other surprising elements include (in ways we’ll keep secret) a skateboard, a life-sized canoe, slacklines, and something affectionately referred to as the “thimble” (it rolls).

One thing is certain—you’ll find a creative, engaging, core-challenging course that you’ll want to play on for hours. No previous experience is required, as you’ll receive training on your clipits (the magnetized clips that keep you anchored to the trees, aerial elements, or both at all times) before you hit the course. We highly recommend getting fresh air and adventure at Mica Moon with your family, friends, or coworkers this summer. Visit www.micamoon.com for more info.

(Lisa Laughlin)

STATE PARKS REMINDS BOATERS AND PADDLERS TO STAY SOBER AS PART OF A NATIONALLY coordinated effort,

Operation Dry Water, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies will be conducting boatingunder-the-influence (BUI) emphasis patrols on waterways across Washington throughout July. In Washington, it is illegal to use any substance that impairs a person’s ability to operate a boat. The law applies to all boats, including kayaks, canoes, rowboats and inflatable fishing rafts. State law allows law enforcement officers to require suspected intoxicated boaters to submit to a breath

or blood test. Refusing to submit to a test is a civil infraction with a maximum fine of $2,050. The penalty for operating a boat under the influence is a gross misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000 and 364 days in jail. Additionally, a BUI is considered a prior offense if there are later convictions for driving under the influence (DUI). Boaters can learn more about BUI laws in Washington State and about the risks of boating under the influence by visiting Boatsober.org.

(Jon Jonckers)

470 ACRES PERMANENTLY PROTECTED IN THE COLUMBIA GORGE FRIENDS OF THE COLUMBIA GORGE, an Oregonbased nonprofit group, recently announced that it had successfully completed its Preserve the Wonder campaign. Raising a total of $5.6 million, the triumphant land-preservation campaign allowed FOTCG to purchase and permanently protect eight different properties totaling 470 acres of land along the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge. This land-preservation campaign is one of the largest to be completed in the Gorge since it was designated as a national scenic area in 1986.

“One of the most impressive aspects of the Columbia Gorge is its uncanny ability to bring together so many people—from across the political spectrum and from around the Pacific Northwest— in a united effort to conserve and protect one of our nation’s natural wonders,” said FOTCG executive director Kevin Gorman. “I’m awestruck by the response to this campaign. And thanks to the generosity of the public, Friends now will be able to ensure that 470 acres in the Gorge are permanently protected from logging or development,”

Gorman added.

“The fundraising may be over, but the work to enhance wildlife habitat and build new trail connections around the Gorge has just begun,” said FOTCG land trust director Dan Bell. “The acquisition of a property like Steigerwald Shores will provide a historic opportunity to enhance two miles of wetland channels and provide critical, new resting habitat for salmon in the Gorge. It’s a testament to the key role local land trusts can play in working with land owners and public agencies to ensure the Gorge remains a treasure for generations to come,” Bell added.

Encompassing the second oldest national scenic area in the United States, the Columbia Gorge is home to 800 species of wildflowers, the highest concentration of waterfalls in North America, and more than 200 species of birds. The national scenic area contains 13 urban areas and is visited annually by millions from across the globe. In September 2017, a devastating fire started near the Eagle Creek trailhead, scorching over 48,000 acres of land on both sides of the Gorge. (Jon Jonckers)

FLEET FEET SPOKANE SCORES TOP RUNNING STORE STATUS HONORED BY THE 50 Best Running Stores in

America, Fleet Feet Spokane recently earned a spot in the top four running specialty shops in the nation. The annual award has been around since 2008, and it’s among the most prestigious accolades that a store can earn. Based on a 32-point list of criteria, shops are secretly judged by things like staff experience, fit knowledge, purchase details, store appearance, and more. In a Facebook post from the awards ceremony in Minnesota, store co-

owner Wade Pannell wrote “It’s all thanks to you, Spokane. We couldn’t have done it without our wonderful community of walkers and runners at home. We leave Minneapolis with full hearts and excited for the future of running in our city!” Fleet Feet Spokane supports the Flying Irish Running Club and hosts numerous running programs from their two locations. Check out the store’s calendar of races and programs at fleetfeetspokane.com/ calendar. (Jon Jonckers)

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INDIAN PAINTBRUSH ALONG THE TRAIL // PHOTO: HOLLY WEILER

THE HIKE FROM Trout Lake trailhead to Emerald

Lake is, for the most part, a moderately-difficult, flower-lined trail featuring stately, old-growth Ponderosa pine and interesting rock outcroppings. The trail traverses a portion of Hoodoo Canyon, named for the rocky pinnacles that can be viewed both alongside and jutting out above the trail.

In the early miles the trail contours above Trout Lake, then offers glimpses of marshland on the canyon floor. Summer wildflower blooms provide splashes of color against the backdrop of pine bark and a carpet of pine needles. With a starting elevation of around 3,000 feet, the trail tops out at a mere 3,500 feet, although a series of short climbs and descents along the way racks up an impressive nearly 1,800 feet of gain for the relatively short hike.

The route was made slightly more difficult in the spring of 2017, when an isolated slide approximately 2 miles from the trailhead created one very tricky section of trail. Hikers with small children and pets may want to turn back before the slide area. For those who continue through the slide, there is a short scramble up a steep bank to negotiate the detour, and trekking poles will be useful to get around the difficult section. Plans are underway to repair the trail, but there is not an estimated time for completion. An alternate access point from the Hoodoo Canyon trailhead is also currently under restricted access due to a mudslide on the Deadman Creek Road.

At around the 3-mile mark, the trail makes a sharp descent to Emerald Lake, where the water color really is a brilliant emerald green. The lake lacks an inlet stream, which concentrates minerals in the water (leading to the emerald hue) and creates a wonderful swimming temperature rarely

found among alpine lakes. Please protect the water quality by rinsing off sunscreen and bug spray away from the lake before jumping in.

Emerald Lake lacks true campsites, so a better option for anyone who would like to turn the hike into a camping trip is to take advantage of the free, first-come, first-served campsites at the Trout Lake campground and trailhead. This primitive campground offers picnic tables, fire rings, and an outhouse. // ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE: 7.4 miles RATING: Moderate MAPS: USGS Bangs Mountain and Boyds

Mountain, or Colville National Forest map

GETTING THERE:

Travel US 395 north through Kettle Falls and across the Columbia River. Turn west on the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway (Highway 20) and continue 5.2 miles. Turn north on Trout Lake Road, and stay left at major intersections as Trout Lake Road turns into Forest Service Road 20, which ends at the Trout Lake campground. The trailhead is just south of the boat launch, near the main kiosk.

GIVE BACK TO YOUR TRAILS: Join Washington

Trails Association for a new trail project at Mica Peak on July 31. Visit www.wta.org for details. // Holly Weiler is a hiker, backpacker, trail runner, and skier. She writes the Hike of the Month Column for Out There.

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RaceReport courses around a hilly pasture that is surprisingly rocky and technical for the first portion, and then ends with a gravel road that follows an irrigation ditch. Dropping down to the Yakima River, there is a 3-mile section of water that includes some small riffles that challenges some of the sea kayaks. The kayak pulls out near the city park where it all began, and the trail running section courses through the riparian areas below the high water mark of the river. There isn’t much elevation change, but a range of natural obstacles such as sand, cobble, and trees do complicate the course.

Our family found this to be a fun event, and if you enjoy the activities represented, then you should, too. (Harley McAllister) AMICA SEATTLE HALF MARATHON (NOV. 25)

TOP LEFT: QUICK CELEBRATIONS AT THE TRANSITION FROM MTN BIKE TO KAYAK. PHOTO: HARLEY MCALLISTER. // BOTTOM AND RIGHT: PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMICA SEATTLE MARATHON

YAKIMA GAP2GAP ADVENTURE RACE

If you are a weekend warrior endurance athlete looking for a good event to test your skills, then Yakima might have what you are looking for. Each June for 34 years the city has been hosting the Gap2Gap adventure race that includes running (3.3 miles), road biking (22 miles), mountain biking (8 miles), kayaking (3 miles), and trail running (3.1 miles). The distances involved are substantial, but not beyond the reach of the average amateur athlete, and they have a variety of categories to

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enter in either as an individual or as a team with two to five members. There are typically about 40-50 teams entered, so the event has a fun and low-key atmosphere with a wide range of talent represented.

The running leg is flat and parallels a busy road for much of it, so it’s probably the least inspiring leg. The race then transitions to road biking through the rolling agricultural areas of eastern Yakima and includes a surprising number of hills as you climb to the mountain bike start. This segment

&

I sat on the couch just two days before my race in a nest of blankets, mouth-breathing and fighting a whopping headache. My knee was badly inflamed and fatigue pressed down hard on my body, from my neck and shoulders all the way to my quads, calves, and feet.

I had imagined brimming with energy two days before my first marathon, feeling ready to run after tapering and eating a big Thanksgiving meal. Instead, I had a head cold, an injury, and a tough decision in front of me. Do I trust the training and push ahead with the plan? Or do I listen to my body, skip the marathon, and self-medicate with some much-needed rest?

When making a hard decision like this, all the hours spent training flash before your eyes. Every Tuesday I jogged to Shadle High School’s track and knocked out speed workouts while the peewee football team practiced. Every Sunday morning I ran in Riverside State Park for a couple of hours and witnessed the high summer heat, a brutal sea-

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son of forest fires, the relief of desperately-needed rain, the first autumn fog closing in on the Spokane River, the first glistening frost of the season, and the surprise of an early snow.

I didn’t know what to do. I talked over my dilemma with a friend, who said, “That’s a hard one. A race is supposed to be a celebration of all your hard work.” I thought about those words as the hours ticked away. What would feel most celebratory?

How could I honor the work while still respect my physical status?

I decided I wanted to enjoy the energy of other runners and chose to run the half marathon instead of the full. I had already made arrangements to stay in Seattle, and I might as well give it a go.

Fortunately, the race organizers made it easy and affordable to modify my entry.

The night before the race, my nerves spiked and dropped sporadically. I awoke feeling restless after only a few hours of sleep. But as I jogged from my hotel toward the Space Needle, the streets swelled with thousands of people, all moving toward the same starting line.

The hilly race wound us through downtown Seattle and along the scenic shores of Lake Washington. Tiny drops of rain fell intermittently from the sky, as you might expect on the coast in late November. As I jogged an easy pace, the expectations began to fade. Thousands of people cheered us up the hills, and volunteers met us with huge smiles as they handed out sugary sports drinks.

They helped confirm that I was still a runner, even if I wasn’t running fast.

The Amica Seattle Marathon was a great choice for my first marathon, and it still felt good to cross a finish line—even if it wasn’t the one I was aiming for. (Summer Hess)

RunWild MORE THAN STEPS

I’M IN A NEW RELATIONSHIP, and it’s compli-

cated. My husband surprised me with a Garmin running watch a couple of weeks ago, a splurge for Mother’s Day. I’ve wanted one for a long time— but I never anticipated I’d become as instantaneously committed to one as I did.

Initially I thought I’d wear the (very large) watch just while running, certainly not day in and day out. How little I understood myself three weeks ago. That was before I discovered the most addictive feature: In addition to tracking every detail of every run, monitoring data like heart rate and VO2 max, pinging when there’s a new text, and a trailing list of other features I’m still discovering, my new Garmin tracks how many steps I take each day. This is what hooked me.

// By Sarah Hauge

I don’t think of myself as a Type-A person— except for all of those times when I am. With a quantifiable, health-related goal in mind, Type A is me. Throughout the day I check, often, how close I am to reaching the pre-set step goal of 10,000+ (this is based on the general, though not universally accepted, rule of thumb that taking at least 10,000 steps daily leads to significant health benefits).

While I like being active, much of how I spend my time—lots of writing, lots of reading—is sedentary.

The step count reminds me to move, to stretch, to use my body.

Running knocks a lot of my steps, but there are often thousands more to get in. My watch has encouraged me to sneak in quick walks I ordinarily wouldn’t. This, to me, is its best effect. I love

walking—running’s cool-headed, efficient sister.

I’ve started looping over to Kendall Yards for a short stroll before I set up my computer to write at Indaba on the mornings my daughter has preschool. I took advantage of a 15-minute window between one thing and another to stroll through Manito Park last night, just after a rainstorm that left the lawns a dewy, saturated green. A low step count is why I said yes to a (surprisingly fun) round of indoor soccer with my daughter the other night, even though I didn’t really feel like it, and what prompted me to turn on the music for a few extra family dance parties to the “Hamilton” soundtrack this week.

On the flip side, I now have a new gadget to compulsively check. In search of steps, I’ve marched in place in my kitchen for more minutes than I’d like to admit. This is both tedious and ridiculous. Did the number on my watch, in the middle of a stationary morning of email catch-up, recently result in some light jogging in a Starbucks bathroom? I’d rather not say. And then there are the many, pesky notifications that come from the synchronization with my smart phone. My watch is reminding me to be active, to move, to do—all while driving the reach of technology further into my life.

The balance between technology hijacking and enriching my life are, at times, precarious. The other morning while I ran, I listened to a podcast, Krista Tippett’s On Being, which featured a conversation about beauty between Tippett and the now-deceased Irish poet, philosopher, and theologian John O’Donohue. Their discussion drew my attention back to the inherent loveliness of the landscape I was passing through: the jagged basalt outcroppings and the leafy shade of the path, the movement of my body, the push of fresh air into

my lungs. Is there anything better, on a fresh, green morning, than to use your healthy body to stride down a hill?

At the end of the podcast, which was recorded in 2008 shortly before O’Donohue passed away, he read one of his poems, which concludes with the words excerpted here. The title, “Beannacht,” means “Blessing” in Gaelic.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours, May the clarity of light be yours, May the fluency of the ocean be yours, May the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow Wind work these words Of love around you, An invisible cloak To mind your life.

I had to rewind twice to listen to the poem because Garmin notifications kept popping up during its brief five stanzas. But I needed to undistractedly hear those words: light, ocean, ancestors, earth—reminders that I’m at once vital and tiny.

The Garmin still encircles my wrist and I’m glad, mostly, to see it there. But I’m trying to let its reminders to get up and move take me somewhere that matters, where the beauty of the world around and within winds around me like an invisible cloak. // Sarah Hauge lives in Spokane with her husband and two daughters, and will be taking advantage of longer days with plenty of early-morning runs this summer. She wrote about new happenings at Riverfront Park in the June issue.

Lisa is a leader with a record of working across the aisle to get things done. > Led the creation of a new medical school and teaching health center. > Secured investments including the Fox Theater, University District Gateway Bridge, Sandifur Bridge, Fish Lake Trail, Centennial Trail at Mirabeau Point, and more. > Passed the Cooper Jones Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Education Act.

We can trust Lisa Brown

to get it done for us. lisabrownforcongress.com Paid for by Lisa Brown for Congress (D) JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

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BEYOND SWIMMING Lake Fun Without Getting Wet // By Amy S. McCaffree

LEFT: SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLIES. MIDDLE AND RIGHT: FISHING FROM LOGS AND DOCKS. PHOTOS: AMY S. MCCAFFREE

REFRESHINGLY CHILLY is a good way to describe

our regional lakes. Many are snowmelt-fed and deep, though some—even large lakes like Priest and Pend Oreille—feel pleasantly warmer by July.

When you’re not swimming or cruising in a boat, and it’s time for beach-based and flatwater, staydry activities, here are ways to combine physical activity and nature exploration.

1.LOOK FOR BUTTERFLIES. In the Inland

Northwest, tiger swallowtail butterflies like to hang out at sandy beaches on hot days when there’s full sun and no wind. Because butterflies are cold-blooded, they bask in sunlight with their wings open to warm their blood and flight muscles, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Butterflies must be warm enough before they can fly, and you won’t see them on cloudy days. They also need patches of sand or soil for water and mineral intake. It’s not unusual, in fact, to see swallowtails grouped together on a beach. Teach your child how to think like an entomologist, and to be observant and respectful of nature.

2. ROCKHOUND. That is, search for and collect

rocks and fossils. Kids can spend hours looking for agates and rocks with interesting colors and shapes. Did you know that petrified wood is Washington State’s official gemstone? And “Gem State” Idaho’s official gemstone is the star garnet which, according to the U.S Forest Service, is a rare gemstone that’s only found in significant quantity in two places in the world—the

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / JULY 2018

Panhandle National Forest and India. Though not lakeside recreation, the Emerald Creek Garnet Area, south of St. Maries, Idaho, is open through Sept. 3 this summer, by permit only, to search for garnets. (Open Fridays through Tuesdays; free for age 6 and younger; $5 for age 6-12; $10 per adult).

More details at fs.usda.gov.

3. GAMES ON THE BEACH. Bring supplies and use

the sand and dirt to create courses for disc golf (set up targets) and mini-golf (putt balls into dug holes). You can also try beach bowling, by digging

out six holes in a pyramid configuration and rolling tennis balls into the holes, or by using empty bottles as pins. Bocce ball or beach skeeball are also popular choices. Play musical towels and have water bucket relays. (Find more ideas at Parents. com and RedTri.com.)

4. GO FISHING. Fishing from a dock allows for short lessons about different types of bait and how to watch a line and bobber, identify fish, and correctly handle and release fish. Some children, like my daughter, have patience and attention-

JULY FAMILY & KID EVENTS JULY 7: SPOKATOPIA OUTDOOR ADVENTURE FESTIVAL at Camp Sekani Park, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Kids and

parents can register for adventure clinics, including a Voyageur 8-Person Canoe Tour, demo paddleboards and kayaks, play in the game cave, ride Strider demo bikes on a dirt trail, try rock climbing on the Bloc yard bouldering wall, and watch the Mountain Bike Jump Show. Learn more at spokatopia. com.

JULY 13-15: POST FALLS FESTIVAL at Q’emiln Park which includes kid games and inflatables.

JULY 15: KIDSTOCK— Live music on the beach at Hill’s Resort, Priest Lake, Idaho. 2-6 p.m. Free for

children under age 12; $15/adults; $5/students. Fundraiser for Priest Lake Education Foundation.

JULY 18: WEDNESDAYS IN THE WOODS at Riverside State Park. This evening includes a “Rockin’

Reptiles” show with West Valley Outdoor Learning Center and free ice cream. Bowl & Pitcher amphitheater, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

JULY 19-21: RENDEZVOUS IN THE PARK at East City Park in Moscow, Idaho. Music and arts festival

that includes special arts program for kids, age 5-12, with activities and workshops; there’s also a pre-K and ages 3-4 program. Register at rendezvousinthepark.com.

span levels for hours of casting and waiting for bites; others, like my son, prefer incremental fishing time combined with more adventurous lake action. To improve chances for success, visit a small stocked lake, or check local fishing reports for the latest conditions. State agencies provide their annual fish stocking information online.

In Spokane County, Clear Lake was stocked this spring with 8,000 catchable trout, averaging nearly 11 inches in length. Williams, Badger, and Liberty Lakes are also well-stocked this season.

5. PADDLE AND SEARCH FOR WILDLIFE. Canoeing

or kayaking on calm flatwater along a lake shore or gentle creek combines exercise with experiential learning about waterfowl and other species.

In a kayak, young children can sit with an adult in the cockpit, and starting at 6 to 7 years old, kids can learn how to paddle and navigate their own kayaks. A great destination for kid-friendly paddling is the Plummer Creek outlet and marsh area of Lake Chatcolet at Heyburn State Park.

My family has seen beavers, turtles, red-winged blackbirds, grebes, white pelicans, sparrows and their nests, and deer on shore—all while kayaking.

Teach your child to think like a biologist, and go slow and quiet to prevent startling animals.

6. BEACH TREASURE HUNT. Here’s a checklist to

get started. Find a feather; rocks that are white, spotted, or shaped like a square (find one of each); something heart-shaped; something blue; something sparkly or shiny; and collect in a bag any trash you find. //

Spotlight A CHAMPION OF TRAILS ON THE PATH TO CONGRESS? // By Jon Jonckers

Our best prices for our best customers.

Thank you Spokane!

Starts Aug 8

LISA BROWN AND HER PARTNER BRIAN MCCLATCHEY ON THE FISH LAKE TRAIL. // PHOTO: JON JONCKERS.

ENJOYMENT AND SUPPORT of the Inland Northwest’s abundant outdoor recreation opportunities transcends party lines and politics for the most part, yet too often elected officials in places like Eastern Washington’s 5th Congressional District devote too little time to safeguarding the trails, natural resources, and active lifestyle that so many of us of all political stripes enjoy.

So when Lisa Brown, former Washington State Senate Majority Leader and chancellor of Washington State University Spokane, stepped up to run for Congress in the 5th Congressional District, outdoor enthusiasts (Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike) gained a new champion for outdoor recreation and trails.

Brown, a Democrat, loves hiking and biking for the same reasons the rest of us do: recreation with family and friends, exercise, a healthier commuting option, and connecting with the great outdoors.

Naturally, her appreciation for these activities means she is a strong advocate for public paths, trail safety, and giving back to neighborhoods, communities, and small businesses that thrive on walkers, runners, and cyclists.

Back in 1996, when Brown was elected to the state Senate, she served as chair for the Ways and Means Committee in her first term. This unique position exposed her to dozens of projects around the state, and she was instrumental in working with counties and parks to bring about many of Eastern Washington’s most popular trails.

“Non-motorized trails and bridges are a tremendous addition to our quality of life. I am happy to have been part of funding as a legislator and advocate for the Centennial Trail at Mirabeau Point, the Fish Lake Trail, and the University District Gateway Bridge,” says Brown.

She is also quick to point out that Tom Foley, former Speaker of the House of US Representatives and the last Democrat to hold the job she is currently running for, truly paved the way for the success of the Centennial Trail, which is the backbone for several other trails in Spokane County and a magnet of economic development and community revitalization. Foley secured federal funding for the trail back in the late 80s, and his efforts kickstarted more federally funded projects that recently gained traction, such as the Ben Burr Trail and the Children of the Sun Trail.

In addition to her work helping to establish wellused and well-loved urban pathways, Brown is also a down-to-earth user of and supporter of many of the popular natural areas and trails in our region.

She goes snowshoeing at Sherman Pass, hiking at Liberty Lake, and is a big fan of the Iller Creek trail in the Dishman Hills. She has run and walked Bloomsday “nine or ten times,” but quickly confides that for many of those years she was part of the brigade pushing strollers at the back.

Her personal love of outdoor recreation and advocacy for the quality of life we enjoy in Eastern Washington reveals just how deeply she is rooted here and dedicated to this region. Other projects Brown has gained support for that have benefitted our local communities and economy include the North Spokane Corridor, The Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, and human services and community facilities throughout the region, including the Fox Theater, the Mobius Science Center, the renovated YMCAs and YWCAs, the Northwest Autism Center, and Crosswalk.

On a recent bike ride on the Fish Lake Trail, Brown and I talked openly about outdoor recreation as an economic engine, and the challenges of urban development, trail safety, and completing portions of many of our region’s exceptional pathways and trails. She knows all of the easy portions are usually done first, and the difficult projects are saved for others to handle, which takes a lot more work and support from communities and land owners and an ability to bring people together, something Brown has a history of pulling off.

Near the end of our ride, we were casually talking about maps, guides, and smartphone apps that people use to plan trips. When asked if she preferred the convenience of her phone or the wealth of details in a guidebook, her response came quick.

“I love a guidebook, preferably by Rich Landers.”

While many of us prefer to keep our politics and outdoor pursuits separate, when there’s a candidate of Brown’s caliber who has actively championed the interests of hikers, runners, bicyclists, and other outdoor enthusiasts, it’s time to take notice. //

We’re proud to sponsor Spokatopia!

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Jon Jonckers is a Senior Editor at Out There Outdoors, and he serves on the Board for the Friends of the Centennial Trail.

JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

15

Events

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / JULY 2018

THE 4TH ANNUAL Spokatopia Outdoor Adventure Festival, set for Saturday, July 7, at Spokane’s Camp Sekani Park and Boulder Beach on the Spokane River, has grown into one of the region’s most popular outdoor recreation events. While the festival is one of the biggest bike demo events in the Northwest, there are plenty of things to see and do at Spokatopia that don’t involve wheels, from water sports and kids’ activities to live music and shopping for deals on outdoor gear.

TRY THE LATEST BIKES, PADDLEBOARDS, KAYAKS, AND BOATS

Spokatopia is the largest bike and watersports demo event in the Inland NW. That means you can try the latest and greatest bikes, boats, and other water sports toys all in one day at the same location. While general admission to the festival is free, a $5 demo pass is required to take advantage of unlimited bike and water sports demos.

Demo passes are available at the event from the Out There Outdoors booth at the Camp Sekani festival grounds and at Boulder Beach (cash and cards excepted). Bring appropriate clothing, gear, a towel, and your ID and a credit card, required for some demos. (A bike and bag check will be available.) More info on the Spokatopia.com demo page.

SO MANY DEMO BIKES, SO LITTLE TIME

Spokatopia is the place to try out a wide range of dirt and pavement-oriented bikes from several bike shops and a dozen different bike brands all in one location from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. The Bike Hub, Wheel Sport, North Division Bicycle Shop, Velofix Spokane, Mojo Cyclery, and Shred Sports Outlet will have plenty of mountain bikes that you can take for a spin on Camp Sekani singletrack, as well as other electric-assist bikes, road bikes, and hybrid bikes that can be ridden on the paved Centennial Trail or Camp Sekani gravel roads.

Bike brands lined up this year include Specialized, Pivot, Niner, Yeti, Ibis, Trek, Rocky Mountain, Transition, Santa Cruz, Giant, Raleigh electric bikes, and the new line of Rossignol mountain bikes.

TEST THE BEST BOATS AND BOARDS AT BOULDER BEACH

On a hot July day, there’s no better way to cool off than by trying out different boats and boards on the lake-like waters of the Spokane River behind Upriver Dam. The water sports demo area at Boulder Beach (across the road from Camp Sekani Park along the Centennial Trail) will include demo paddleboards and boats and water sports vendors on hand to talk about their gear. With a $5 demo pass, you can try inflatable paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, Hobie kayaks and

trimarans, and multi-purpose Switchblade SUP paddles from Fun Unlimited, Mountain Gear, SailSport NW, and Switchblade Paddles from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

FREE CLIMBING, YOGA, SLACKLINING, AND TRAIL RUN

New to Spokatopia this year will be a bouldering wall designed by Spokane’s Bloc Yard Bouldering Gym with routes for kids and adults and a free, beginner-and-intermediate level trail run (starting at 8:45 a.m.). Back again this year is the slacklining area where you can test your balance and a free “yoga for everyone” class under the big tent at 9 a.m.

KIDS & FAMILY ACTIVITIES

There are plenty of free activities set up for families this year, including slacklining; Strider balance bikes for kids to try; a climbing wall; General Store water soaker “squirt gun” zone; REI Campground with free outdoor skills clinics, tents and outdoor furniture, and free trail mix bar making activity; geocaching sponsored by REI with a chance to win prizes; the INB sponsored “Game Cave” with games for kids and parents; a mountain bike jump show (1 p.m.); and several “Adventure Clinics” suitable for kids and families, including rock climbing, paddleboarding, disc golf, and more (look online for more info).

OUTDOOR GEAR DEALS & INFORMATION

With over 40 exhibitors, including local outdoor retailers, brands, and bikes shops, be ready to find deals on outdoor and biking gear, water sports equipment, and apparel from The North Face Spokane store, Mountain Gear, Spokane Alpine Haus, The General Store, local bike shops, Switchblade Paddles, Stillwater Outdoors, Shred Sports Outlet, Kind Apparel, Fleet Feet Spokane, and Potty Glove. And cruise the exhibitors to chat with experts from local outdoor clubs, organizations, and travel destinations.

ADVENTURE CLINICS

Get hands-on instruction and pick up a new outdoor sport or brush up on your skills. Clinics include paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking, disc golf, SUP yoga, climbing, and mountain biking.

Space is limited and clinics, which cost from $10$20, usually sell out, so sign up early. More info at Spokatopia.com/adventure-clinics.

MORE FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES & INFO ONLINE

Check out the full schedule of Spokatopia activities and attractions at Spokatopia.com. Parking is limited, so consider other options on the “Getting There” page. See you at Spokatopia! //

JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

17

Provisions

(n.) food, drink, or equipment, especially for a journey.

PICNIC ON THE SPOKANE RIVER AFTER A FUN UNLIMITED PADDLE.// PHOTO: SHALLAN KNOWLES GRAND TASTING TACOS // PHOTO: SHALLAN KNOWLES

APERITIF: THE LAKESIDE DINING LIFE

CRAVE! A CELEBRATION OF NORTHWEST FOOD & DRINK (JULY 12-15)

BY S. MICHAL BENNETT

FROM MARINA RESTAURANTS, to fine dining

on panoramic decks, to picnics you pack with all your favorite foods, lakeside feasting is the cardinal form of eating within or next to nature.

A few years ago, I joined a bachelorette party on a friend’s boat on Lake Pend Oreille. We had snacks and drinks on the boat, and we floated on tubes in a quiet corner of the lake. Yet, it was a welcome treat to disembark in the middle of the day at the marina in Hope, Idaho, for a lunch break at the Floating Restaurant. We met some wonderful people among the kaleidoscope of customers, and we relished the intermittent melody of the waves lapping against the dock.

Outdoor summer activities in the Inland Northwest often involve one of the many lakes that bespeckle our landscape, but you don’t have to own a boat or fight the beach crowds to enjoy a picturesque piece of lake scenery. Many of the region’s larger have at least one restaurant or resort bar where you can hang out on the patio or cool off next to panoramic windows. You may pay more for a good drink with a pristine view, but on a hot summer day, it’s worth it. (See my article on lakeside dining in the Lake Guide in this issue for some of the best restaurants to sit and take in the water view.)

If you choose to make a meal, pack it up, and find your own spot, consider taking the Bayview Shuttle water taxi from Bayview to one of the little beach campgrounds on Lake Pend Oreille. With just a text, Captain Wes will pick you up when you’ve had enough sunshine and water for the day. Tubbs Hill in Coeur d’Alene is also an excellent place for a picnic right in town. It is also extremely popular, so you may have to hike around for a few minutes to find just the right spot. Just remember, alcohol is not allowed in city parks.

However you choose to enjoy a meal lakeside this summer, I hope you make it delicious, healthy, and fun. Bon appétit, my lake-loving friends.

18

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / JULY 2018

SOOTHING ESSENTIAL OILS.

NATURAL SUNSCREEN AND SUNBURN RELIEF SHOGA SUSHI BAR CHEF’S CHOICE. // PHOTO: S. MICHAL BENNETT

SHOGA SUSHI BAR

It was late afternoon after a day of paddleboarding on Lake Pend Oreille when we walked into Shoga Sushi Bar in Sagle, Idaho, and asked for a table. It was our wedding anniversary, and we were looking for something special. Friends had recommended Shoga, with the condition that we order omakase style, or chef ’s choice. We decided to give it a try.

We sat on the patio in partial shade, but with a full view of the evening sun glowing on the water.

Shoga, along with its sister restaurant Forty-One South, is located inside The Lodge at Sandpoint right on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. We had stayed at the Lodge a few years before, just after a remodel and before Shoga was built. We had arrived late and didn’t get to see much of the scenery. This time, we soaked in every bit of it over cups of Hakutsuru Junmai Ginjo sake.

We started with tuna poke salad, a choice favorite of my husband Young. It melted in our mouths.

The Chef ’s Choice, from nigiri to umami sushi rolls to something heavenly topped with a quail egg, was truly exquisite. Although we were so very full, we finished with Okinawan Andagis, which are delicately-battered donuts with caramel and berry sauces.

The sun had almost finished its descent as we thanked the chef and headed for the door. Later, as we shared an anniversary nightcap, we knew we had truly experienced something special.

(S. Michal Bennett)

Summer’s here! The weather is beautiful and we want to be out in the sun and enjoy all that nature has to offer. Whip up this easy-to-make and effective sunscreen to stay protected.

SUNSCREEN

12 ounces shea butter 3 ounces olive or jojoba oil 1/3 cup zinc oxide powder 1/2 teaspoon each lavender and peppermint essential oils Melt shea butter, take off heat, and add olive or jojoba oil. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and stir in the zinc oxide and essential oils. The zinc may want to settle to the bottom of the pot. Place the sunscreen in the fridge and stir every 5 minutes until the zinc stays emulsified but the sunscreen is still pourable. Pour into jars and use liberally before, during, and after sun exposure.

SUNBURN RELIEF

If you do stay out in the sun too long, here a recipe to cool the burn.

3/4 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon lavender essential oil Mix oils thoroughly and apply gently to burned area. Use liberally several times a day as needed.

Avoid contact with eyes. Lavender essential oil helps to alleviate sunburn and speeds healing.

The olive oil is super moisturizing. Together, this amazing combo relieves sunburn and helps to prevent peeling. (Suzanne Tabert)

About four years ago, local James Beard Chef Adam Hegsted, founder of the Eat Good Group, had this idea to put on an event that would showcase a wide range of the best food and drink available here in the Inland Northwest, while also supporting education and positive growth in the hospitality industry. But it wasn’t until 2017 that he was able to realize his vision when Tom and Karen Stebbins of Vision Marketing approached him about partnering on a similar event in Spokane Valley. “I already knew that I wanted to do this four-day event,” says Hegsted. “I think they had something a bit smaller in mind, but I had a pretty grand idea and they went with it.”

In its second year, CRAVE! is presented by the City of Spokane Valley at the CenterPlace Regional Event Center. Each of the four days feature main events focused on different foods. Thursday night is seafood. Friday spotlights foods from around the world. Saturday is all about “fire and smoke,” or BBQ. And Sunday is brunch. Each main event pairs 15 chefs with 15 winemakers, and involves two breweries and two distilleries. A grand tasting is held on Saturday for people to sample flavors of the Northwest, like artisanal cheeses, honeys, liquors, wines, beers, and more. “The whole idea is to showcase the Northwest,” says Hegsted, “and show what we have going on in the region.”

CRAVE! also aims to give back to the community in two ways. First, they established a non-profit.

Hegsted explains, “The foundation helps support education in the hospitality industry and enrich, challenge, and expand our regional appreciation of culinary, nutritional, and cultural diversity.”

Second, the event benefits Second Harvest Inland Northwest and Spokane Valley Partners to provide food, clothing, and community resources to lowincome families. “Through this and other events,” says Hegsted, “we want to build a corner in the community, help camaraderie, and keep the growth of the industry going in a positive direction.”

(S. Michal Bennett) //

Eatology

FEEDING THE BODY BEFORE WE FEED THE SOUL // By Ammi Midstokke THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT of science that goes into designing food. That’s right: In case you did not know, a bunch of guys in lab coats invented those crackers you love. It was not a kitchen full of grandmothers making snacks before a game of bridge—except for maybe in the case of bran muffins.

Much of modern food, and in particular packaged food, comes from a laboratory environment where a few things go into consideration. Not surprisingly, how the company can make lots of dollars seems to outweigh considerations for the consumer’s general health. The way to achieve this is by making a food delicious. Not just the kind of delicious of Granny’s bran muffins, which she would sneak prunes into for guaranteed efficacy, but the kind of delicious that allows a consumer to fool themselves into thinking they want or need more.

Sometimes the nutrition world refers to these as “highly rewarding foods.” They are the kind of things that make our brain salivate because they are sweet or salty or deliver a specific kind of crunch.

They also typically get very small after chewing and swallowing so you have lots of space in your belly for more.

These foods don’t typically have a lot of other nutritional value. They are the crackers, chips, candy bars of the world, and eating them and thinking about eating them makes our brains happy in the way only a donut or a bag of nachoflavored corn chips really can.

And your friends, bless them, stock all their summer barbecues with these foods because they inherently know it will satisfy the guests. What’s a picnic without some chips and salsa?! How many of us have eaten an entire additional meal of chips and salsa after already cleaning up on the potato salad and kielbasas?

Food should be joyful and wonderful. Our tastebuds should delight. Our bellies should feel the abundance with which we are blessed. And yet, the consumption of these foods seems to often be pleasurable only while we are eating them, then fade to guilt or the extra four miles we have to run the next day.

The question is: How can we create balance in between enjoying those foods while not eating them in excess? Some people have this ability by nature, and I am suspicious they are actually an alien life form in a human body. When people

write down in their food journals “7 tortilla chips,” I start watching their eyes to see if they blink sideways or something.

For many of us, the answer comes in the dirty term “portion control.” Studies do show us that the portions and even the plates we use today are significantly larger than even just a couple of decades ago. While portion control can be used to guilt ourselves into being comfortable with a measurable level of deprivation, we can achieve the same awareness and results with something a little more compassionate.

OUR BELLIES SHOULD FEEL THE ABUNDANCE WITH WHICH WE ARE BLESSED. When people pause to honestly assess their current need or desire for a food, they make far better choices. It costs nothing and you don’t have to count out potato chips at the table. It is perfectly okay to enjoy the pretzels, and for best effect we should do so intentionally and with self-honesty.

That means taking a moment to consider how much we want or need, making that available to ourselves, and then setting the rest aside.

In the American diet, we are seeing a trend to replacing foods with nutritional value with these highly rewarding foods because we can mindlessly consume the latter. In all my years as a clinician, I’ve never seen someone binge on salad. With those foods designed for consumption, our dopamine receptor sites are firing on all cylinders and we’re thinking more about the pleasure centers of the brain than nourishing the body’s structure and function.

It’s summer; there are barbecues and late-night ice cream cones. Enjoy those delightful foods but first, load up on the nutrient-dense ones. Get your fruits, veggies, good fats, and proteins from clean sources. Make sure your body has everything it needs in order to thrive and perform. Then you can feed your soul with the cookies. //

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Ammi Midstokke goes outside to do all the things without prejudice or preference, so long as it justifies more calories in the form of peanut butter. Last month she wrote about fiber in the outdoors.

JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

19

Did your ride end like this?

Nature

SPOKANE’S LARGE RODENTS // By Adam Gebauer

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MARMOT BY THE SPOKANE RIVER // PHOTO: SUMMER HESS

WHEN MANY PEOPLE hear the word “rodent,” they may cringe a little and think of infestation in their shed or the friend their cat brings home.

But here in Spokane we have three of the larger rodents in North America—marmots, beavers, and porcupines—and all have helped shape our ecology and culture.

The order Rodentia make up about 40% of all mammal species and are present in almost every ecological niche, whether naturally occurring or introduced by humans. One characteristic of all rodents is their big, rust orange front teeth. These incisors are what allow rodents to be such good chewers, whether it is holes in the basement or cutting down cottonwood trees.

PORCUPINE

I have a strong connection to porcupine, Erethizon dorstatum, having tracked their movements along the Rio Grande in New Mexico. It is no easy task to put a radio collar around the neck of a muscular tube of quills that can weigh up to 40 lbs.

Due to their tendency to spend days and even months in the same tree, porcupines are one of the harder rodents to find. Evidence of their activity can be seen as road kill or in the snouts of dogs.

However, they do leave traces of their activity as they wear down the bark of their favorite tree, creating a smooth climbing surface. Close inspection of these climbing trees will usually produce a hand full of quills stuck in the bark.

Porcupine’s 30,000 quills are modified types of hair that cover most of their bodies except their faces and bellies. These quills have a natural antibiotic that prevents porcupines from becoming infected when stuck with its own—or a mate’s— quills. Traditionally only hunted when other game was scares, the quills of porcupines have been used by many Native American tribes to adorn clothing, baskets, and aid in medicine.

BEAVERS

The many rivers and lakes in and around Spokane make for excellent beaver habit. Beavers, Caster canadensis, are the largest rodent in North America, weighing up to 70 lbs. They are slow moving when on land but agile swimmers and use that skill to evade predators.

Joe Cannon, who works on beaver-related issues with The Lands Council, has found that beavers are enjoying the nightlife of downtown Spokane.

During the high water periods of spring, beavers get stuck in the area between No-Li Brewery and the falls. The reservoir-like conditions allow access

to food without the need to build dams, and the number of people helps keep predators away.

Beavers are also active along Hangman Creek, where they build dams during low water flows.

These dams filter sediment and slow water flows, reducing erosion and creating wetland habitats.

Sedges and rushes establish, which helps stabilize the riverbanks and create habitat for other species.

The City of Spokane might not exist without beavers. The Spokane House, which was the first European settlement, was established specifically for the trading of beaver pelts. Like other fur-bearing mammals, beaver were hunted to near extinction. Knowing their ecological benefits, there are now many efforts to reintroduce beaver to many western mountain rivers.

MARMOT

Although a bit smaller than porcupines and beavers, weighting in at 8 lbs, the yellow-bellied marmot, Marmota flaviventris, has a big presence in Spokane as the city’s de-facto mascot. Marmots, also known as rock chucks or whistle pigs, are a type of ground squirrel. Unlike porcupines and beavers, they are most active during the day, scurrying out of the way of bikers and runners along the Centennial Trail and South Hill Bluff trails.

Professor Elizabeth Addis of Gonzaga University suspects the high numbers of marmots are due to their lack of predators and access to food such as clover in manicured lawns. But these high numbers can cause them to be a nuisance. Marmots have been known to crawl under cars and chew on hoses.

They burrow in landscaping and can eat hundreds of dollars worth of flowers and vegetables.

Professor Addis has found that some populations of Spokane’s marmots are lacking hair in spring. She has found that these marmots are succumbing to the gluttony of processed food such as chips that provide un-natural fats, leading to poor hibernation.

Marmots constant presence in the city has led to the likes of Marmot Music Fest, Marmot Beer Festival, and Marmot Art Space—in addition to marmot themed t-shirts, coffee mugs, and memes.

Maybe with time, we will see similar respect for our other large rodents with a Porcupine-a-Palozza or Beavers Brews on the river. // When Adam Gebauer is not teaching skiing or submitting a mountain, he is wrangling his herd of goats and running Syringa Ecological Consulting.

He wrote about the Spokane Tribal Series at the Mobius Science Center in June.

SATURDAY JULY 7, 2018 9 AM-6PM CAMP SEKANI PARK/BOULDER BEACH, SPOKANE, WA

DETAILS online @ SPOKATOPIA.COM FREE GENERAL ADMISSION try new bikes, paddleboards, boats, outdoor activities, and the latest outdoor gear at the 4th annual spokatopia outdoor adventure festival!

Spokatopia Demo Pass ($5)

3-Mile Trail Run (free this year) Free Yoga for Everyone Class

Pick up your demo pass at the Out There Outdoors/Demo Pass booth at Camp Sekani or Boulder Beach for unlimited access to demo bikes, paddleboards, and boats. Or pick up a $20 Spokatopia Bonus Bag that comes with a demo pass, Spokatopia bandana, 2-for-1 Silver Mountain Bike Park pass, 2-for-1 Bloc Yard Bouldering Gym pass, KIND snack, and more surprises while they last!

Kids Strider Bike Demos

Rock Climbing Wall

Paddleboarding Mountain Bike Jump Show

Slacklining

spokatopia parking

Kayaking

Parking at Camp Sekani is limited so please carpool, ride your bike (free bike corral with prizes for riders!), or use the Pasadena Elementary park & ride shuttle option (details online).

REI Campground

hourly prizes and grand prizes

General Store Water Soaker Zone

Outdoor Skills Clinics

Geocaching

INB Game Cave

Must be present to win!

Hammock Garden

Disc Golf Canoeing Mountain Biking SUP Yoga Bikes & Brews Craft Beverage Garden Enjoy craft beverages from Millwood Brewing Co., Ground Breaker Brewing (gluten-free), Genus Brewing, badass backyard brewing, Big Sky Brewing, One Tree Hard Cider, kombucha town, and more! All proceeds benefit Evergreen East Mountain Bike Alliance so enjoy a beverage and support our local mountain bike trails!

Food Trucks & Live Music

Biggest Bike Demo Event of the Year Thinking about upgrading your ride? Try the latest and greatest bikes from your favorite local shops and bike brands all in one place.

Paddleboard, Canoe & Kayak Demos Try paddleboards from Fun Unlimited, different kinds of kayaks and canoes and Hobie Kayaks from Mountain Gear, Hobie Tandem Island trimarans from SailSport NW, and Switchblade Multi-purpose Paddles all in one place at Boulder Beach on the Spokane River (a five-minute walk from the Spokatopia festival grounds). $5 demo pass required. Details at Spokatopia.com.

What to Bring for Bike/Water Sports Demos Bring your own helmet, a current ID, credit card, and your riding gear for bike demos, and a swimsuit, towel, and ID for water sports demos (life jackets provided).

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JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

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WATER SKIING ON LAKE ROOSEVELT// PHOTO: AMY S. MCCAFFREE

BY AMY S. MCCAFFREE WHENEVER WE RELAX and play at a lake, we connect to nature and that place where deep memories were made. Whether a lake park or remote, wild setting, our region provides abundant opportunities for those connections—for every recreation style and water sport. Maybe you’re looking for new places to launch your kayak or ski boat, swimming beaches for your kids, or quiet fishing spots. Use Out There’s 3rd annual lake guide for your adventure planning, learning where to go, and what to expect for over 65 lakes. While not completely comprehensive or inclusive, we simplified details and added new lakes to inspire your travel to new destinations.

EASTERN WASHINGTON: From rustic channeled scabland lakes carved by Ice Age floods to backcountry gems surrounded by mixed-conifer forests, these lakes provide the setting for high adventure and relaxing recreation. (For more amenity details, visit wdfw.wa.gov for public boat launches and fishing/boating access sites; all WDFW boat launches require a Discover Pass).

BANKS LAKE: This 27,000-acre reservoir lake

extends 27 miles between two community hubs, from Coulee City north to Electric City and Grand Coulee. Boaters, wake-boarders, and water-skiers have fun here, and anglers enjoy catching several species. Amenities: WDFW 6 sites, most developed is Barker Canyon; Steamboat Rock State Park (3 campgrounds, 7 watercraft launches, dock, campsites); Coulee City Community Park and Campground (public launch, swimming area); Coulee Playland Resort in Electric City (watercraft rentals, launch); KJ Watersports Boat Rentals.

BEAR LAKE: Find this quiet, spring-fed lake

15 miles north of Spokane, near Chattaroy.

Amenities: Bear Lake Regional Park (beach, hiking trails, no boat ramp).

BADGER LAKE: Expect good trout fishing and serene paddling at this scablands lake. Amenities: WDFW dock.

BEAD LAKE: Paddlers, boaters, and anglers seeking kokanee and trout enjoy this lake in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. Amenities: FS boat launch.

BIG MEADOW LAKE: Loons and trout call this

rustic lake home, and fishing prospects are “excellent” in July, according to WDFW. Amenities: FS Big Meadow Campground—launch, fishing dock, interpretive trails.

BONNIE LAKE: A paddler’s haven located south

of Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, put-in your watercraft at the small, rustic boat launch

by Rock Creek bridge. Private landowners allow launch access, so be respectful and Leave No Trace. Paddle upstream to find the long, narrow lake and its island. Amenities: None.

CLEAR LAKE: Anglers, boaters, and water-skiers

enjoy this 316-acre lake west of Spokane. Amenities: WDFW; Sun Cove Resort (boat launch, camping).

DEER LAKE: Fed by springs and snowmelt, this

lake has 1,150 acres for all watersports. Amenities: WDFW; Deer Lake Resort (RV park, camping, cabins, day-use beach, boat launch, watercraft rentals).

LAKE: Expect good fishing at this 754-acre lake near Newport, which was recently stocked with more than 12,500 trout.

Amenities: WDFW; camping at Little Diamond Lake KOA or Thousand Trails RV Campground.

DIAMOND

ELOIKA LAKE: Nestled in the Selkirk Mountain foothills, paddlers can spot beavers and muskrats around this 3-mile long lake. Amenities: WDFW; Jerry’s Landing Resort (RV/tent camping, cabins, boat rentals, dock, day-use).

FISH LAKE: Enjoy this 32-acre rural lake, off

KEY: U.S. FOREST SERVICE (FS), WASHINGTON DEPT. OF FISH & WILDLIFE BOAT LAUNCH (WDFW), IDAHO FISH & GAME BOAT LAUNCH (ID), U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM).

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / JULY 2018

Spokane-Cheney Road, and its quaint county park. The north end trailhead for the 130-mile long Columbia Plateau Trail State Park begins nearby. Amenities: Fish Lake Regional Park (free boat launch, no gas motors, beach, fishing dock).

FISHTRAP LAKE: A remote 190-acre lake near Sprague, in Lincoln County, with 8,000+ acres of BLM public land along its west shoreline, which includes nearby Hog Canyon Lake. Amenities: WDFW launch sites; Fishtrap Recreation Area (no facilities or services); Fishtrap Lake Resort (launch, dock).

HORSESHOE LAKE: One of the best local paddling

destinations, according to Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club members, this 128-acre lake in Pend Oreille County has a “no wake” rule. Amenities: WDFW launch.

LAKE SPOKANE: Local paddlers, boaters, and bass anglers especially enjoy this 24-mile lake reservoir, located along the Spokane River, from Nine Mile Falls to Long Lake Dams (which is why it’s also referred to as Long Lake). Amenities: Riverside State Park—3 campgrounds: Nine Mile Recreation Area (paved launch, dock, camping, swimming, watercraft rentals), Lake Spokane Campground (primitive campsites, some boat-in only access), and Long Lake Campground (launch, beach); Willow Bay RV Resort & Marina (docks, cabins, beach).

LAKE ROOSEVELT: This 130-mile long reservoir lake is protected as a national recreation area.

Altogether five agencies and the Spokane and Colville Tribes collectively manage the lake, so be sure to consult a map and plan carefully before you go fishing or take your watercraft to any primitive, sandy beach. Amenities: Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (over 10 boat launches, 11 campgrounds currently operating, boat-access only campsites, day-use areas, beaches); Private resorts with boat launches include Sun Lakes Park, Two Rivers, and North Lake RV Park and Campground, and Blue Moose Lodging; Lake Roosevelt Adventures rents houseboats and operates Seven Bays Marina and Keller Ferry Marina & Campground.

LITTLE PEND OREILLE CHAIN OF LAKES: In the

Colville National Forest is a chain of four small lakes interconnected by the Little Pend Oreille River. Starting from the north end, it includes Lakes Leo, Heritage, Thomas and Gillette (connected by a small, navigable channel), and Sherry.

Each provides paddling, swimming, and fishing recreation. Amenities: FS campgrounds, boat launches, and day-use areas at Lakes Leo and Gillette; FS campground only at Thomas; Beaver Lodge Resort & Campground at Gillette.

LIBERTY LAKE: An iconic lake close to its city

core, it’s popular with paddlers, boaters, and other users. Amenities: WDFW, dock; Liberty Lake Regional Park (beach, campground, no boat launch, entrance fee).

LOON LAKE: There’s over 1,000 acres for boating and waterskiing on this lake in Stevens County,

which has excellent kokanee fishing. Amenities: WDFW; Shore Acres Resort (cabins, dock, beach); Granite Point Park (resort campground).

LONG LAKE: Located in the Colville National Forest, this rustic 13-acre lake that’s good for paddlers is regulated for fly-fishing only. No motorized boats. Amenities: FS Long Lake Campground with boat launch.

MEDICAL LAKE: This spring-fed lake, with an aver-

age summer temperature of 74 degrees, is ideal for swimming and paddling. No combustion-engine boats allowed. Amenities: City-owned Waterfront Park (free boat launch, beach).

MOSES LAKE: This shallow 6,727-acre lake reservoir, 105 miles west of Spokane, is great for all watersports. An official Water Trail map from the city promotes non-motorized activities among 8 shoreline parks and points of interest. The lake’s outlet water trails, at an irrigation dam, connect to Potholes Reservoir. Amenities: 2 WDFW launches; city launches at Blue Heron, Connelly, Montlake, and Peninsula parks, and Cascade Park Campground; Camping at Grant County Fairgrounds, Big Sun Resort (Lakefront RV Park), Suncrest RV Park, Sunny Springs Resort & Campground (Ephrata).

ered by shallow water. Popular for all watersports, the state park provides 6,000 feet of shoreline access, and this lake is also a Columbia Basin Wildlife Area unit. Two water trails on the east end connect to Moses Lake. Amenities: 5 WDFW launches; Potholes State Park (launches, dock, campsites); primitive boat launches and camping areas, such as Sand Dunes Site; Mar Don Resort, O’Sullivan Sportsman’s Resort, and Sun Desert RV Park (all have campsites, dock, launches); ProTouch Jet Ski & Boat Rentals.

SILVER LAKE: Located near I-90’s Four Lakes exit,

this long, narrow lake is popular with paddlers and anglers. Amenities: WDFW, dock; Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center.

SOAP LAKE: This quiet, natural mineral lake is

renowned for its “healing” effects, and on windy days, soap bubbles appear on the lake shore.

Enjoy paddling and buoyant swimming, but be aware of sulfur-smelling mud. Amenities: Smokiam Park (city-owned campground), West Beach, and Paul Lauzier Community Park; resorts, spas, and inns, including Smokiam Resort (camping, rental cabins, teepees, dock, boat launch). No fishing available.

SPRAGUE LAKE: You can’t miss this 6-mile long

Spokane County (1,200 acres), you’ll enjoy views of Mt. Spokane and other peaks as you paddle, fish, or waterski. Amenities: WDFW; McKenzie Conservation Area; Newman Lake Resort & Marina and Sutton Bay Resort (both: launches, docks, beaches).

by 1-mile wide lake (1,760 acres) along I-90, west of Spokane. Best known for its good fishing prospects, 675 acres of the lake’s wetlands and shoreline is designated as part of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area. Amenities: WDFW; Four Seasons Campground & Resort; Sprague Lake Resort; Columbia Basin Wildlife Area interpretative trail.

POTHOLES RESERVOIR: Located in central

SULLIVAN LAKE: Located in the Colville National

NEWMAN LAKE: One of the largest lakes in

Washington’s desert landscape, the 25,000acre Potholes Reservoir was created when the O’Sullivan Dam filled the Ice Age flood-carved “potholes.” Sand dune islands abound, some cov-

Forest, near Metaline Falls, enjoy camping, paddling, fishing, hiking, and picking huckleberries. Last summer’s wildfire burned the lake’s forested east side.

Amenities: FS campgrounds and day-use areas with

boat launches and beaches: West Sullivan and East Sullivan (both at the north end, provide docks), and Noisy Creek Campground (south).

SUN LAKE: Located at the foot of Dry Falls, enjoy all your favorite watersports, including tubing, wake surfing, and waterskiing (periodic restrictions apply). Amenities: Sun Lake-Dry Falls State Park (watercraft launches, moorage slips, dock, campground); Sun Lakes Park Resort.

TROUT & EMERALD LAKES: Rustic lakes in the

Hoodoo Canyon of the Kettle Range. Hike the Hoodoo Canyon Trail #17 to Emerald Lake Trail #94 (6 miles round-trip). Amenities: FS Trout Lake Campground, no boat launch, paddlers putin at shoreline.

TWIN LAKES: On the Colville Indian Reservation, near the town of Inchelium, there are actually two lakes, named North Twin and South Twin.

Anglers need tribal fishing permits. Amenities: Boat launches, docks, beaches, and camping at Rainbow Beach Resort (North) and Hartman’s Log Cabin Resort (South).

WAITTS LAKE: This quiet 500-acre lake, located south of Chewelah, is good for fishing and paddling. Amenities: WDFW; Camping/day-use at Silver Beach Resort, Winona Beach Resort, and Waitts Lake Resort.

WEST MEDICAL LAKE: A small lake in east Spokane County that attracts anglers, as well as white pelicans, herons, and other waterfowl. It’s considered one of the best trout lakes in Washington, according to WDFW. However, that status is threatened by the huge population of illegally dumped goldfish currently overrunning the lake, according to recent reports. Amenities: WDFW; West Medical Lake Resort (dock fishing, boat rentals).

WILLIAMS LAKE: Anglers and paddlers enjoy this small, spring-fed channeled scabland lake, stocked annually with rainbow and cutthroat trout.

Amenities: WDFW; Klink’s Resort (launch, dock, watercraft rentals, RV/tent camping, restaurant), Bunker’s Resort & Marina (launch, dock, cabins, tents/RV sites, bar & grill).

NORTH IDAHO: Lake culture is big in Idaho’s Panhandle, whether it’s boating on one of the vast, majestic lakes or fishing at an alpine forest hideaway. (For complete details about boating access sites and launch permit fees, visit Idaho Fish & Game (IFG) at idfg.idaho.gov; for Kootenai County, visit kcgov.us.)

BRUSH LAKE: Located north of Bonners Ferry, this scenic destination was recently stocked with over 5,000 trout. Amenities: FS Brush Lake Picnic Area launch (electric motors only), dock, campsites.

CHAIN LAKES OF THE COEUR D’ALENE RIVER:

This series of small lakes are interconnected by narrow channels, some too shallow to navigate, off the Coeur d’Alene River. Some of the bigger ones are Blue Lake (226 acres, no motor restrictions) and Killarney, which has Popcorn Island (1 acre, managed by BLM) that provides a picnic unit and campsite. This Coeur d’Alene River Wildlife Management Area includes Thomas and Anderson Lakes as state birding trail areas, and the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes runs along the river. Amenities: Lake Killarney BLM boat launch (dock, campground); BLM boat launches along the river include Thompson and Anderson Lake Outlets.

COCOLALLA LAKE: This 800-acre lake, south of Sandpoint, was stocked this spring with over 9,000 rainbow trout. Amenities: ID boat launch, docks; day-use only, campground closed indefinitely.

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JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

23

Where the Trail Meets the Lake Harrison, Idaho on Lake Coeur d’Alene

-Weekend Fun-Awesome Day Trips Summer Concert Series every Saturday in City Park

LAKE CRITTERS & JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAMS AT IDAHO’S ROUND LAKE STATE PARK, “The best way to observe wildlife is to hike around the

lake” on Stewardship Trail (approx. 3 miles) or Trapper’s Trail (approx. 2 miles), says Park Manager Mary McGraw. Dawn and dusk are prime times for wildlife spotting. “Animals commonly seen in the park are western painted turtles, great blue heron, osprey, bald eagles, bats, white-tailed deer, beaver, and bull frogs. Occasionally moose are seen feeding at the lake edge.”

Other birds to look for are pileated woodpeckers, cedar waxwings, barred owls, flycatchers, hummingbirds, Canada geese, and ducks. According to McGraw, beaver dams are found in Cocolalla Creek, both upstream from Round Lake to Cocolalla Lake and downstream towards Pend Oreille River.

Every Saturday during summer, Round Lake State Park offers a free guided Junior Ranger program, geared for children age 6-12, to learn about the park’s plants and wildlife. Or families can get a Junior Ranger Guide from the visitor center for self-guided discovery. The goal, McGraw explains, is “to help children have fun in the outdoors while learning about state parks and making connections to the natural world.”

Other local junior ranger programs in North Idaho include Priest Lake, Farragut, Heyburn and Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, and Coeur d’Alene Old Mission State Parks, and at Lake Roosevelt’s Fort Spokane Visitor Center in Washington.

CHATCOLET & BENEWAH LAKES: Accessible from Heyburn State Park near Plummer, or from the south end of Lake Coeur d’Alene, these two beautiful, serene lakes have no actual separating boundary. Amenities: Rocky Point Beach and Marina (docks, boat rentals, beach), Plummer Point dogfriendly beach, Hawley’s Landing Campground (dock, paddle watercraft launch), rental cabins, Benewah Campground, Chatcolet Campground and day-use area (boat launch, dock, Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes).

Enjoy the public beach, kayaking, boating, and fishing!

Ride the 72-mile Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes bike Trail

Explore historic downtown Harrison’s shops and restaurants

Start Planning Your Lake Escape at

Harrisonidaho.org Find more trip ideas at OutThereOutdoors.com

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / JULY 2018

LAKE COEUR D’ALENE: This 25-mile long mecca is

31,000 acres with more than 15 boat launch locations (complete details at lakecoeurdalene.com).

Here are highlights you need to know.

CITY OF COEUR D’ALENE: The city’s downtown

lakeshore hub serves locals as well as tourists.

For fancy, visit The Coeur d’Alene Resort and Boardwalk Marina. For adventure, hike around Tubbs Hill (trailhead at McEuen Park) and swim at one of its small, sandy beaches. For family fun, McEuen boasts the city’s largest playground, a splash pad, dog park, and the Centennial Trail goes through the park. Amenities: McEuen Park boat launch; City Park (beach, sports courts) & Fort Sherman Playground; Independence Point (beach, dock, tour boats, seaplanes, and parasailing); Boat rentals: KJ Watersports, Lake Escapes Boat Rentals, New Sun Adventures, Just Add Water Sports (JAWS).

NIC BEACH: This large public beach at the edge of the North Idaho College campus is accessible from Rosenberry Drive or the North Idaho Centennial Trail. Amenities: NIC’s Outdoor Pursuits boat house is open daily for watercraft rentals, 10 a.m.6 p.m., through Labor Day; reserve at (208-7693290); free campus parking.

HARRISON: Lake Coeur d’Alene Scenic Byway on the lake’s east side leads to this quaint lake town.

Amenities: Harrison County Docks (launch, overnight moorage); City day-use park, beach, RV/tent camping park; Gateway Restaurant & Marina (gas dock, convenience store); Carlin Bay Resort (launch, gas dock); Harrison Pontoons & Rentals; FS Bell Bay Campground (docks).

OTHER NOTABLE AMENITIES AROUND THE LAKE:

Boat-access only campgrounds/mooring docks: Windy Bay and Mica Bay Boater Parks (BLM), Mowry Boat Park (Kootenai County); Marinas with fuel docks: Tobler (Black Rock), Conkling, Silver Beach, Sun-Up Bay.

GRANITE & KELSO LAKES: Two small, forested,

trout-stocked lakes north of Athol, situated near each other off the same rural road. Kelso is a state birding site Amenities: ID (electric motors only), docks.

HAUSER LAKE: Located north of Post Falls, enjoy the surrounding forest and mountain views. Amenities: Hauser Lake Park launch, swimming area.

HAYDEN LAKE: Enjoy your favorite watersports and views of the Bitterroot Mountains. Amenities: ID; Honeysuckle Beach (launch, dock, lifeguards); Hayden Lake Marina (launch, rentals).

MCARTHUR LAKE: Protected as a state wildlife management area (WMA), north of Sandpoint, there are three other lakes for public recreation within WMA boundaries. Amenities: ID launches at Lakes McArthur, Dawson (dock), Bonner, and Freeman (campground, dock, electric motors only).

MIRROR LAKE: Near Sagle, this secluded 85-acre trout-stocked lake, nestled between two mountains, is where Dante’s Peak was partially filmed.

Amenities: ID; private campground; no public shoreline fishing access.

MOOSE CREEK RESERVOIR: Visitors with kayaks and fly-fishing float tubes will enjoy this small, forested reservoir lake east of Moscow. Heavily stocked with rainbow trout, it’s also a state birding trail area. Amenities: Moose Creek Park launch (no gas motors allowed), fishing docks, campground.

MOOSE LAKE FISHING POND: Located near Priest Lake’s Huckleberry Bay, private landowners allow public shoreline access at this small, trout-stocked fishing hole—a great destination for families with young children. Amenities: Shoreline pathways, picnic table, no boat launch.

LAKE PEND OREILLE: Idaho’s largest and deepest lake (pronounced “Pond-uh-ray”) has key areas not to be missed.

SANDPOINT (west side) – Amenities: City Beach (marina, launch, lifeguards); watercraft rentals: Action Water Sports, Outdoor Experience, A Day On the Lake, 49 Outfitters, Sandpoint Marine and Motorsports; Lake Pend Oreille Cruises; FS Green Bay Campground south of town (beach, tents only.

FARRAGUT STATE PARK: (south end) – Amenities: Boat launch, Beaver Bay Beach, campgrounds.

ELSIE LAKE: Enjoy serene paddling and fishing at this high alpine lake near Kellogg. Amenities: No-fee gravel launch, beach, primitive campsites; no motor boats allowed.

BAYVIEW (NE of Farragut) – Amenities: Kootenai County launch; Bayview Marina (camping, rentals); Scenic Bay Marina and Resort; MacDonald’s Hudson Bay Resort (gas dock, rentals, cabins)

FERNAN LAKE: A 300-acre lake in Fernan Lake

HOPE (east side) - Amenities: Hope Marina; Beyond Hope Resort (camping, RV park, marina, boat rentals, floating restaurant); Pend Oreille Shores Resort (rental condos); FS Sam Owen Campground (launch, beach); Action Water Sports

Village, near Coeur d’Alene, that’s great for paddling and fishing. The Idaho Panhandle National Forest borders its northern shoreline. Amenities: Fernan Park boat launch, dock, marina.

(rentals); FS Whiskey Rock Bay Campground near Clark Fork.

ROSE LAKE: A forested, 371-acre lake near Cataldo

for boating, waterskiing, paddling, and fishing.

Amenities: ID, fishing docks, primitive campsites; Watsons Rose Lake Resort (camping, cabins).

ROUND LAKE: Enjoy relaxing water activities at

this small, scenic, family-friendly lake near Sagle.

It was recently stocked with over 4,000 rainbow trout. Amenities: Round Lake State Park—beach, docks, launch (electric motors only), paddling rentals, campsites.

SPIRIT LAKE: Enjoy forest and Selkirk Mountain views at this lake north of Rathdrum. Amenities: ID, 2 Kootenai County boat launches—Maiden Rock (east) and Bronze Bay (west); Sedlmayers Campground & Resort; Silver Beach Resort; Spirit Lake Rec Center near Fireside Park has water sports rentals and a store. The Empire Trails mountain bike and hiking trails traverse the lakeside hills with e-bike rentals available in town at Fresh Air E-bikes.

TWIN LAKES: Located near Rathdrum, the upper

and lower forested lake sections are connected by a narrow channel to provide over 800 acres for power boating and fishing (stocked with over 7,700 rainbow trout). Amenities: Kootenai County launches and docks.

PRIEST & UPPER PRIEST LAKES: These forested lakes are legendary for their beauty and nearby huckleberry patches. Priest Lake (19 miles long) is flanked by national forest on its western shoreline, with views of the Bitterroot Mountains to the east, while the east side enjoys summer sunsets. Paddle or boat (no wake) the Thoroughfare to Upper Priest Lake Scenic Area for day-use or overnight camping. Amenities: FS Boat Launch, 9 FS campgrounds (launches, beaches, day-use areas), and 3 boat-accessible islands (camping, day use); Priest Lake State Park (3 campground units, launches, cabin rentals); Hill’s Resort and Elkin’s Resort, both on west side.

WESTERN MONTANA: Big lakes, big mountains—everything you’d expect from the Big Sky state to beckon lake lovers.

HEART & PEARL LAKES: These two lakes in the

Great Burn Wilderness of Lolo National Forest, near Superior, make great day-hiking or backpacking destinations. Heart Lake (5,825’ elevation) is known for good fishing (bring a float tube).

Amenities: FS Trout Creek Campground; primitive campsites around Heart Lake.

LOON LAKE: This small, shallow, “no-wake” lake

in the Kootenai National Forest, near Libby, is best for paddling and fishing. Amenities: FS Loon Lake Campground, primitive.

FLATHEAD LAKE: Enjoy all watersports recreation at the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi—28 miles long and 15 miles wide.

Amenities: Volunteer Park (day use); Flathead State Park, 5 units; Wild Horse Island State Park; Northern Rockies Outfitters; Flathead Lake Charters; Pointer Scenic Cruises; Sea Me Paddle Kayaking Tours; Dayton Yacht Harbor; Edgewater RV Resort and Motel (dock, watercraft rentals); Many Springs Flathead Lake Resort (marina, watercraft rentals).

WHITEFISH LAKE: A pristine, glacial, 7-mile long

lake, with 16 miles of shoreline surrounded by mountains, you can do it all here. Amenities: City Beach (boat launch, sandy beach, docks, watercraft rentals); Whitefish Lake State Park (boat launch, campsites); The Lodge at Whitefish Lake (lodging, public marina, boat launch, gas dock, boat and watercraft rentals, charter fishing) and “Lady of the Lake” private boat cruise and tours; Boat/watersport rentals: Extreme Watersports, Whitefish Marine.

GRANT COUNTY WA S H I N G T O N

Just Natural Ingredients

BRITISH COLUMBIA:

Sometimes “getting away” means leaving the country. Beautiful, stunning mountain scenery, clear blue lakes, and a favorable money exchange rate awaits in southeast British Columbia. Lakeside communities and numerous provincial parks— Canada’s version of national parks—provide water adventure opportunities.

CHRISTINA LAKE: Enjoy every imaginable water sport activity on this long, forested lake, that’s especially good for bass fishing. Amenities: Christina Lake Provincial Park; Christina Lake Marina public boat launch and boat rentals; Gladstone (Texas Creek) Provincial Park (north side) and Texas Point boat launch; Schulli Resort; Christina Pines Campground.

Fishing • Hunting Camping • Hiking Watchable Wildlife

KOOTENAY LAKE: Nestled between the Selkirk and Purcell mountain ranges is one of B.C.’s largest lakes, at 67 miles long and nearly 500 ft. deep.

The municipal hubs of Nelson, on the lake’s west arm, and Kaslo, a mountain village along the lake’s main section, offer all you need including paddle sports and boat rentals and tours. Amenities: 5 provincial parks; public parks and boat launches include Kokanee Park Marina, Kaslo Bay Park, and Balfour; Nelson City Campground, Kaslo Municipal Campground, and many others; Woodbury Resort and Marina.

OKANAGAN LAKE: North of Tonasket, Wash., this lake spans 84 miles, north to south, and boasts long sandy beaches. Surrounding area is divided into three sections: Kelowna, the major city located about midway on the lake; Lake Country; and West Kelowna & Peachland. Amenities: Public boat launches, 30+ beaches, and watercraft rentals available in the municipal hubs; 6 provincial parks with campgrounds; Lake Okanogan Resort; Cove Lakeside Resort; Okanagan Lake Boat Rentals. //

LAKE PEOPLE: JACOB ROTHROCK AT LAKE COEUR D’ALENE “THE FASTER WE GO, THE LESS TIME WE HAVE TO ENJOY WHERE WE ARE,” says Jacob Rothrock, of Coeur d’Alene, whose

favorite watersports are paddling and sail-boating. His wisdom applies to life as much as lake recreation. Which is why, as Outdoor Pursuits program coordinator for North Idaho College (NIC), he aims to help students feel better connected to place, whether it’s a local lake or mountain.

For Outdoor Pursuits, he teaches self-sufficiency skills like bike maintenance and outdoor cooking through hands-on workshops and organized overnight trips. For NIC’s physical education department and Workforce Training Center, he teaches sailing, stand up paddle-boarding, and kayaking classes. “I like my job because students are energetic to learn something new, meet new people, and try new experiences,” he says, whether it’s lake kayaking or sailing on a Hobie-Cat. “I’m amazed when people who’ve lived here a long time have never been on the lake.”

For more information about accommodations:

Grant County Tourism Commission P.O. Box 37, Ephrata, WA 98823 l tourgrantcounty.com l 800.992.6234

Making plans for

Vacation?

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#FindingAwesome Beaches in BC!

Kootenay Lake, more than 120 km long and one of the largest lakes in B.C. is perfect for sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, stand-up paddling, canoeing and beach lounging!

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e r u t n e adv its aw a

BEST PADDLING AND SWIMMING SPOTS

BY AMY S. MCCAFFREE

PADDLING IN THE BLUE// PHOTO: DARYL BAIRD

KIDS & TEENS SUMMER ADVENTURE CAMPS Splash. Bike. Kayak. Climb.

Canoe. Swim. Win the day!

Limited scholarships available.

SpokaneParks.org Call 311 or 509.755.2489

Liberty Lake Regional Park, managed by Spokane County. While there is no boat launch at the park, there is a swimming beach (entrance fee required).

FLATWATER BECKONS YOU to break its

glassy surface with swimming strokes or kayak bows and paddles. Check out these 13 lake destinations for their great paddling and swimming waters. Note: Discover Pass required for all Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife boat launch sites. Idaho requires an annual State Parks Passport, which covers entry and boat launch fees, or you can pay a $5 daily motor vehicle entry fee.

WASHINGTON

BEAR LAKE: At Bear Lake Regional Park near

Chattaroy, there’s a nice swimming beach.

Although there’s no official boat access area, you can launch your canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard from the beach.

BONNIE LAKE: “This is a great paddle when the

thoroughfare to the lake is open, and you paddle through the tall grasses into the beautiful lake with its rocky cliffs and tons of bird life—hawks, turkey vultures, and mud swallows,” says Spokane Canoe & Kayak Club (SCKC) member Debbie Pierce.

The lake is located south of Turnbull National Wildlife, and you can use the small, rustic boat launch next to the bridge over Rock Creek, then head upstream. Local landowners allow access to the put-in. Be sure to stay off the creek and lake shorelines since it’s all private land; however, the lake’s island is designated public land.

FISH LAKE: A sandy swimming beach and nonpaved boat launch are at Spokane County’s Fish Lake Regional Park. Only watercraft without internal combustion motors are allowed, making this a quiet paddling lake.

HORSESHOE LAKE: Considered one of the best local paddling destinations by members of the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club, this no-wake lake in Pend Oreille County has a WDFW boat launch.

We offer hundreds of camps and classes—plus four golf courses, six aquatic centers, 17 splash pads and more than 80 parks.

LAKE SPOKANE (LONG LAKE): Paddling launch points and swimming beaches are located at Riverside State Park’s Nine Mile Recreation Area and Lake Spokane Campground. There’s also a boat launch at Sontag Park. Visit spokaneriver.net/ watertrail for more information.

LIBERTY LAKE: A WDFW boat launch on the lake’s

north end, near the city’s business district, makes a convenient access point. On the south end is

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MEDICAL LAKE: This spring-fed lake, with an aver-

age summer temperature of 74 degrees, is ideal for both swimming and paddling. Waterfront Park provides a no-fee boat launch, swimming beach with restrooms, and outdoor showers.

Combustion-engine boats are prohibited.

IDAHO

CHATCOLET LAKE: Accessible from Heyburn State

Park near Plummer, there are two public boat launches. One is at the Rocky Point Beach and Marina, off Highway 5 (about 10 minutes from the park’s visitor center), which also has docks and large swimming beach. From here, you can paddle up the St. Joe River or to nearby Lake Benewah (east), which has no physical barrier with Chatcolet. You can also paddle to the lake’s southwest corner and the Plummer Creek marsh area. While there is no boat launch here, you can carry your canoe or kayak to the dock, and park at the visitor center if not staying at Hawley’s Landing Campground. The Chatcolet’s day-use area has a large, paved launch, dock, and unprotected swimming beach. There’s also a dog-friendly swimming beach at Heyburn’s Plummer Point day-use area.

KILLARNEY & SWAN LAKES: These are two of the chain lakes east of Lake Coeur d’Alene, connected by narrow channels to the Coeur d’Alene River.

Use the BLM boat launch at Killarney, located off I-90’s Rose Lake exit. There’s also a dock and primitive campground. “Paddle around the beautiful little lake, including a stop at Popcorn Island, before continuing into the slow-moving…Coeur d‘Alene River,” says SCKC member Debbie Pierce.

Killarney’s south end is where you’ll find the channel connecting to the river. Paddle downriver and look to the right to find the pole markers indicating the Swan Lake access channel.

LAKE PEND OREILLE: For this big lake, find calmer

water at south end at Farragut State Park. Beaver Bay Beach is great for swimming. Further into the park, use Eagle Boat Launch. Pierce recommends “crossing the lake to look for mountain goats.”

You can also paddle south to explore Beaver and Bottleneck Bays. On the lake’s upper eastside, East Hope’s Pringle Park has a public boat launch.

Further south is Sam Owen Campground and its boat launch, dock, and dog-friendly shoreline for swimming and paddling. Paddle south around the peninsula to explore the Denton Slough, an Idaho

State wildlife management area for waterfowl and other animals.

ROUND LAKE: This is an all-around familyfriendly lake for swimming, fishing, and paddling. Round Lake State Park has a swimming beach, docks, boat launch, and rentals for canoes and paddle boats. Only electric motorboats are allowed. Explore the inlet (east) and outlet (west) areas of Cocolalla Creek. Look for evidence of beavers around the marsh on the east side. You might even see moose.

THOROFARE TO UPPER PRIEST LAKE: A classic, must-do paddle route, this 2.5-mile channel begins at the north end of Priest Lake. Launch from Beaver Creek Campground’s day-use area or drive to the trailhead for the Navigation Trail to carry your canoe or kayak to a primitive shoreline access area. //

LAKE CHATCOLET// PHOTO: AMY S. MCCAFFREE

PADDLING SAFETY ◉ Beginner paddlers should choose a small lake, not prone to big wind and waves, and stay close to shore—especially with a canoe. ◉ Wear a correctly-fitted, Coast Guard certified PFD (life vest) with an attached whistle, to signal for help if needed. ◉Bring extra clothes for air temperature fluctuations and an extra canoe paddle, in case one breaks. Use a technical dry bag to store clothing and other belongings, or use a homemade version of a sealed plastic bag inside another.

LAKE EVENTS

BY EMILY ERICKSON

LONG BRIDGE SWIM// PHOTO: DARYL BAIRD

THE LONG BRIDGE SWIM (AUG. 4, SANDPOINT, IDAHO)

Swim alongside the iconic Long Bridge in the largest freshwater lake in the Northwest: Lake Pend Oreille. Taking place in Sandpoint, Idaho, join hundreds of participants of all ages in the 1.76-mile open water swim with views of the Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Panhandle National Forests accompanying as you go. The event begins at 8 a.m. with a mandatory safety meeting and the race to follow. For more information, visit longbridgeswim.org COULEE PLAYLAND BANKS LAKE OPEN TEAM BASS TOURNAMENT (AUG. 4-5, ELECTRIC CITY, WASH.)

SUMMERS IN THE INLAND NORTHWEST

are unparalleled, and as the temperature continues to rise, there is no better place to be than on the water. Boasting a plethora of lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, we have it made—especially when it comes to outdoor recreation events.

HAYDEN TRIATHLON (JULY 14, HAYDEN, IDAHO)

Beginning on Honeysuckle Beach in Hayden, Idaho, participate in the three-sport spectacular: swim a half mile in the clear waters of Hayden Lake, bike 12 miles through the local community, and finish with a 3.1-mile run along tree-lined neighborhoods. The event is an official USAT sanctioned sprint triathlon, with the official race start time at 7 a.m. Visit haydentri.com to register.

BANDS ON BOATS (JULY 6–AUG. 31, COEUR D’ALENE, IDAHO)

What’s better than watching live music in the summertime? Enjoying the show from the middle of Lake Coeur d’Alene, atop a double decker cruise boat with fresh air and North Idaho mountain views. The Bands on Boats series features lively shows from local musicians on select Thursday and Friday evenings.

The boats depart from The Coeur d’Alene Resort at 7 p.m. Participants must be 21 to ride. For more information, visit cdacruises.com.

CHELANMAN (JULY 21-22, CHELAN, WASH.)

From the kids’ Splash n’ Dash to official Sprint, Olympic, and Half Ironman races, the ChelanMan triathlon event on the banks of Lake Chelan in Central Washington has something for everyone in the family. Put on by the Lake Chelan Multisport Foundation, all of the events boast impeccable organization; a fun, festive atmosphere; and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest vistas. For more information on the available races visit chelanman.com.

Test your fishing finesse at the 9th annual Banks Lake Open Bass Tournament on Central Washington’s beautiful Banks Lake. This team event is open to the public and is hosted by the Banks Lake Bass Club. Enjoy casting lines in the Devil’s Punchbowl or soaking up the Steamboat Rock State Park panoramas between bass bites.

Headquarters for the tournament is located at Coulee Playland, and a Washington state-sanctioned fishing license is required for participation.

Learn more at bankslakebassclub.com.

WILLOW BAY SURF FEST (AUG. 4, PRIEST RIVER, IDAHO)

If you spend your summer surfing freshwater waves, then the Willow Bay Surf Fest is the event for you. Surf Fest is a wakesurf competition for people of all skill levels. Participants in the Juniors, Masters, and Amateurs categories will be towed behind a Nautique G23, ensuring an event enjoyable by surfers and spectators alike. Visit intleague. com for more information.

NELSON SPRINTS ROWING REGATTA (AUG. 11, NELSON, BRITISH COLUMBIA)

Calling all rowers to the only sanctioned Rowing BC event in Inland British Columbia! Along the banks of Kootenay Lake in Nelson, BC, the Rowing Regatta offers races of both 1,000-meter and 500-meter distances. The event is open to rowers of all ages and abilities and is followed by a Kootenay-style Nelson barbeque. To learn more, visit nelsonrowing.ca.

PADDLE, SPLASH, AND PLAY (AUG. 11, NINE MILE FALLS, WASH.)

This free event, located in the Nine Mile Recreation Area in Eastern Washington, is a chance to engage the whole family in a paddle-packed day. Try stand up paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, and more on the Spokane River, with gear and tutorials available to the public. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a Discover Pass is required. Visit sckc.ws/events for details. //

SUN UP BAY FIREWORKS. PHOTO: KATHY WILSON

BEST LAKES FOR WATCHING FIREWORKS Many regional lakes (and rivers) host spectacular 4th of July fireworks shows, beginning at dusk. Here are a few of our favorites.

-LAKE PEND OREILLE: Sandpoint’s City Beach; Hope Marina, Ellisport Bay. -LAKE COEUR D’ALENE: City of Coeur d’Alene City Park; Harrison, begins approx. 9-9:30 p.m.

-LOON LAKE: Shore Acres Resort.

-PRIEST LAKE: Elkin’s Resort, at Reeder Bay. -COLUMBIA RIVER: Grand Coulee Dam, “Festival of America” show, viewing from visitor center’s lower park after regular nightly laser light show.

-SPOKANE RIVER: Viewing gatherings at Riverfront Park, along the Centennial Trail, or from Kendall Yards’ Olmsted Brothers Green Park. (Amy S. McCaffree) JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

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LAKE SCUBA DIVING

BY SARAH HAUGE

DWELERS OF THE LAKE/ PHOTO: INLAND NW DIVERS DENNIS BEEMER GOT INTO SCUBA DIVING to

solve a mystery. “It all started with a Chevrolet Coupe that was in a place it had no business being,” he says. About 15 years ago, Beemer was snorkeling near family property on Lake Coeur d’Alene, looking for a boat a family member had sunk decades earlier. He saw something about 40 feet down, 150 yards from shore. At first, he thought it was the boat. But when he went down as deep as his snorkel gear would allow, he saw that it was a car sunken to the bottom of the lake, resting on its side. Beemer was intrigued. He needed to know more.

“So that’s when I got certified as a scuba diver,”

he says. After certification, he started diving on the vehicle, piecing together the mystery. Repeat dives revealed it was a 1941 Master Coupe Deluxe Chevrolet, a handsome vehicle with chrome detailing. The key to the mystery was one revealing clue: the black rocks spilling out of the trunk, which Beemer realized were coal. A likely narrative became clear. “They were out ice fishing,” he imagines of the vehicle’s occupants. “There was coal in the trunk of the car. They’d been having a fire on the ice, I assume, and the car went through the ice.

It’s probably been down there since the mid-40s.”

From land, none of this was apparent. Family who had owned the lake property since the early

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / JULY 2018

1960s hadn’t heard a thing about this car. There really are hidden treasures beneath the surface.

When scuba diving, “you’re seeing the world that nobody else sees,” Beemer says. “It’s a feeling of being an explorer, and yet being 300 yards from the shore.”

At Jake’s Diving School in Coeur d’Alene, Jake Powlison has been instructing divers since 2011; he estimates he certifies about 300 each year. “We have a lot of lakes to dive around here,” Powlison says. “A lot of treasures to be found.” In our local lakes you’ll find steam boats, sunken cars, antique fishing lures, old bridge trestles and pilings, paddle wheel steamers and tug boats, 50-foot barges that look like old pirate ships, lost Rolexes, and accidentally-dropped engagement rings. There are antique bottles—so many bottles. In the days before garbage service, “folks used to take their garbage and dump it out in the lake,” says Beemer. “You’ll be diving out in 40 feet of water and there will be 100 old bottles, because everything’s disintegrated except for the glass.”

And then there are the living things. Around November or December at Higgens Point on Coeur d’Alene, “we see the salmon coming in to spawn,” says Powlison. “They come in by the thousands.” Our local lakes are home to a variety of fish. Though trout will take off when they see people and pike are a bit skittish, bass are curious. Beemer goes back often to visit the Chevrolet, and near it he sees 5 and 6-pound bass as well as plenty of smaller ones. “Once they figure out you’re not there to do any damage, they’re curious and they follow you around like a puppy,” he says.

Regardless of what you find under the surface, it’s crucial for divers to follow safety precautions, not pushing the limits of what they’ve been trained to do. “Do what you’re trained for,” says Powlison. “A lot of people want to go outside of what they’re trained to do—caves, underneath docks, where they don’t

“THE CAR WENT THROUGH THE ICE. IT’S PROBABLY BEEN DOWN THERE SINCE THE MID-40S.” have a clear ascent to the surface.” If something goes wrong, that’s incredibly risky. It’s also critical to only dive with a partner in case there are any gear issues or other problems. Plus, it’s more fun that way. “Having a dive buddy, that’s another pair of eyes down below, and it doubles the things you find,” says Beemer.

Divers seeking ideas of where to dive or looking to connect with other local divers should visit the Inland Northwest Divers group on Facebook. Jill Eberly, a master diver and one of the group’s administrators, says the intention of the group is “to bring people together so they can find somebody to dive with, to meet new dive friends, and to see new locations.” She often dives with new divers in need of partners, or helps them make connections. The group, as well as local dive shops, often organize group dives. The more connections in the scuba diving world, the better. “I don’t want people to give up because they don’t have somebody to go with,” says Eberly. “That should be the last reason.” //

LAKESIDE DINING WATERFRONT DINING is a great

way to take in the dazzling views of nature, even if you sometimes pay a premium for the added panorama. Here are my top picks for lakeside dining spots around the area, both fine dining and casual. These selections come out of experience, trusted recommendations, and prominent public opinion.

LAKE COEUR D’ALENE

TONY’S BY THE LAKE: Tony’s has been a staple in Coeur d’Alene for a long time. It is well known for its Tuscan Italian food, extensive wine selection, and quality service. Pasta is the heart and soul of the menu, but it also makes fantastic arancini and gnocchi. Its docks are now easily accessible to all boaters, and the lake views are spectacular.

THE LODGE AT CARLIN BAY: After being haunted

by years of scandal, Carlin Bay has been cleaned up, and the Lodge is under new ownership. Their menu has been simplified and includes some unique combinations of flavors. The tuna poke appetizer is topped with crisped rice and pickled watermelon rind. Their spicy Carlin burger comes with jalapeno bacon chutney and honey cream cheese spread. Bar drinks draw from summer and local flavors, including huckleberry, of course. You can even eat or lounge with a drink on the dock.

HAYDEN LAKE THE BOATHOUSE BAR AND GRILL: The Boathouse

is on the southern side of Hayden Lake with a patio that hangs over the water at the marina.

Their menu has the usual beach front bar food and seafood, but locals recommend trying the cocktails.

HAUSER LAKE

BY S. MICHAL BENNETT

EMBERS BY THE LAKE: The Hammons family opened Embers in June 2014 with a focus on handcrafted wood fired pizza and have slowly gained a reputation for good food with a lovely view. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, they offer a variety of salads and some fun simple and small plates, like hot corn & cheese dip, PB&J, and Embers cheesy mac, which is baked in the wood fire oven and topped with hickory smoked bacon.

They also keep six beers on tap and serve an array of wines by the bottle and glass.

LAKE PEND OREILLE FORTY-ONE SOUTH AND SHOGA SUSHI, SAGLE:

These sister restaurants are located inside the Lodge at Sandpoint on the Sagle side of the lake.

Forty-One is a fine dining experience with plenty of seafood and steak on the menu. Shoga serves some of the best sushi and Japanese cuisine in the Inland Northwest. Reservations are recommended any night at both establishments.

DISH, DOVER BAY: Executive chef Eddie Sneva

and general manager Gary Peitz recently released new menus filled with fresh ingredients and mouth-watering twists on traditional foods. They put havarti cheese on their Dover burger, chimichurri on their grilled ahi, coconut milk in their beet bisque, and toss their edamame in truffle oil, red chili oil, and black and white sesame seeds.

Try the DISH’s famous bloody mary, complete with three spiced prawns.

THE LAKE HOUSE BAR AND GRILL, BAYVIEW:

Formerly the Floating Patio, the Lake House opened last summer under the management of new owner Natasha Meidinger. The blue restaurant floats right next to the public dock and boat launch and offers a full menu and bar. Their

THE LAKE HOUSE: BAYVIEW / PHOTO: NATASHA MEIDINGER

most popular menu items are the fish tacos, cheese curds, steak salad, half-pound burger, and cheesecake. Sip a draft beer while enjoying the gentle rock of the bay, or try one of their innovative cocktails, like the spiked huckleberry lemonade or Arnold Palmer made with peach pecan whiskey. The floating grill even has a patio where they feature live music on Saturdays. Dogs and kids welcome.

of local chef William Webster. When you eat at Elkins, there are plenty of rave-worthy items to explore on their Pacific Rim-inspired menu. Be sure to try the huckleberry martini too.

CAVANAUGH’S: Under new ownership, Cavanaugh’s has simplified its menu and improved its service. Try the poutine and make sure dessert includes their huckleberry offering—a white chocolate macadamia cookie huckleberry ice cream sandwich. //

PRIEST LAKE ELKINS AND HILL’S RESORTS: The entire shore-

line of Upper Priest Lake is either owned by the State of Idaho or is federal land. Development is focused around Lower Priest Lake, where two resorts on the northwest end of the lake dominate food, recreation, and tourism: Elkins Resort and Hill’s Resort. Both rate neck to neck in public reviews for both food and accommodations. Hills gets plenty of shout outs for the culinary skill

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JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

31

HIKING AND FISHING WASHINGTON’S HIGH COUNTRY

BY HARLEY MCALLISTER

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BACKCOUNTRY LAKES ARE ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL // PHOTO: HARLEY MCALLISTER I CONSIDER MYSELF BOTH backpacker and a fisherman, but if I’m honest with myself I have to admit that I’m not a die-hard proponent of either pastime. It isn’t often that I have backpacked without some other goal or motivation in mind and, if the fishing isn’t good, my enthusiasm wanes quickly, and I switch to something else.

So, when I learned about Washington’s highcountry fishing opportunities, the chance to combine hiking with good fishing instantly caught my attention. Here is the promise of pristine lakes nestled into some of the most scenic backcountry the Cascades have to offer. Some of these lakes have an overabundance of trout and are accessible by trail at a distance that is challenging but nonetheless doable.

There are a good number of lakes in the Cascades that are stocked with trout periodically, but not all of them have enough nutrients to support the population. The result is that some of these lakes have excess fish, whose growth is stunted due to overpopulation. Therefore, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) actually encourages anglers to catch plenty of fish and keep them in their creel for eating. The fish are the perfect size for the frying pan, and who wouldn’t trade a fresh, wild trout meal for the freeze-dried fare that is so common on backpacking excursions?

Normally a lake with so many fish would quickly get pressured back to mediocrity by an influx of anglers, but the fact that these lakes are a few miles from the end of the road keeps them from being over-exploited. There are some at distances that make them feasible for day hikes, and others are in more remote (and beautiful) locations that beg for an overnight campout on their shores. Another

“Though I’m surrounded by the mystery of nature virtually everywhere, it’s on foot in the mountains that I best awaken my capacity to see.�

- Tim McNulty great feature is that different lakes are stocked with different species of trout, so you have the opportunity to catch cutthroat, rainbow, brook, or even the elusive golden trout—depending on where you go This past summer I planned a weekend excursion to one of the lakes with my 12-year-old son.

Wanting to start easy, we found a campground near the trailhead and car camped, then started for the lake the following morning. It was a little over 2 miles into a beautiful alpine basin where we were surrounded by towering mountains and a little bit of smoke from the fires that were burning about 20 miles to the north.

When we reached the lake, we could already see trout rising to eat the small insects that were hatching off the surface. We rigged up our rods and caught a nice number of pan-sized trout over the next couple hours. After a picnic lunch and some good conversation in a beautiful setting, we headed back down the trail with a few fish and a lot of memories. // PLANNING A “HIGH LAKES� FISHING TRIP

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / JULY 2018

WORTH THE HIKE: // PHOTO: HARLEY MCALLISTER

The Washington Department of Fish and Game has an excellent website to help you plan your excursion. Go to wdfw.wa.gov and click on “High Lakes.� This website lists the lakes by county, by national forest, and by fish species.

It also has a listing of lakes with an overabundance of fish, recommended fishing methods, stocking schedules, and suggested ‘getting started’ lakes. What it doesn’t offer is detailed descriptions for hiking trails that take you to those lakes, but that’s where the Internet comes in. When you have found a lake that interests you, just type that lake into the search bar and chances are you’ll find that hike reviewed on one of several hiking websites. The information is out there and the planning is half the fun.

FISHING DERBIES

BY LISA LAUGHLIN

TAGGED CATCH FROM WILLIAMS LAKE // PHOTO: WA DEPT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE A TRADITIONAL FISHING DERBY involves one body of water, one or two species of fish, and one shared timeline in which all participating anglers take a shot at hooking the big one. Fish are measured by weight, and as the results pile in, the anticipation piles up. Most fishing derbies offer cash grand prizes. But in the best fishing derbies, it’s about more than the money.

The Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club (LPOIC) is one such fishing derby host that cares about the quality of the water and fish in their lake. They care about having a good time, but they also care about the latest fishery health issues. They host derbies throughout the year to get folks onto the water for competition, a sense of community, and a bit of awareness of all it takes to help a lake thrive.

This attention to the ecosystem is reflected in some of LPOIC’s derby themes: last fall they implemented a Challenge Derby that encouraged anglers to return smaller fish to grow and spawn into a healthy rainbow trout population. This spring, they added a Walleye Division to keep the invasive species in check. While derbies across the Inland Northwest vary on fish species, a good derby works with the environment of the lake, fostering fun and fish health.

“We volunteer hundreds of hours annually to help Idaho Fish and Game clean tributaries where Kokanee like to spawn.”

“We volunteer hundreds of hours annually to help Idaho Fish and Game clean tributaries where Kokanee like to spawn. In the past, we’ve helped to collect tissue samples from rainbows to help Idaho Fish and Game study growth rates,” says LPOIC board member Clint Nicholson. The group has also organized a scholarship available to local graduating seniors. “We believe that the future of our waterways and fisheries is in the youth of today.”

Fishing derbies are fair playing fields for kids— in LPOIC’s recent spring derby, 3-year-old Owen Peterson caught a 15-pound rainbow on the first weekend of the derby and led all Rainbow categories for a couple of days. As Nicholson puts it, “every angler with a line in the water has just about as good a chance of catching a fish as the other guy.”

For Nicholson, it’s about the camaraderie: “We are all just out doing what we love to do, which is fishing and having the opportunity to catch a big fish. I’m the guy that is happy for anyone who catches a ‘fish of a lifetime.’ The prizes are just icing on the cake.” //

WASHINGTON TROUT FISHING DERBY

While a single lake and common goal creates great camaraderie, there are other fishing derby models. Some incorporate lakes across the state and a long competition window to provide easy access. The 2018 Trout Fishing Derby, put on by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, runs as follows: catch a trout with a green tag in any participating lake across the state, report the tag number to WDFW, and claim a prize.

The Trout Fishing Derby is currently open and runs through October 31. The sense of community in this derby is a bit more modern; you can see photos of Trout Fishing Derby participants under the hashtag #watroutderby on Instagram, or visit their Facebook page. The derby is open to anyone with a valid fishing license, and there is no entrance fee. There are over 100 stocked lakes statewide and over 1,000 prizes to be claimed.

No matter which type of derby you participate in, you’ll need to make sure your fishing license is up to snuff and that you follow all rules and regulations. A great resource to make sure you’re legit is the free Fish Washington app, which provides up-to-the-minute fishing regulations for lakes, rivers, and streams. You can also visit wdfw.wa.gov for a map of lowland lakes listed by county.

A WINNING TROUT // PHOTO: WA DEPT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

33

THE ART OF NATIVE PADDLECRAFT

BY S. MICHAL BENNETT

PADDLING PORT TOWNSEND// PHOTO: JUDIE HEATH

ON A COLD MONDAY EVENING in January, I sat in a room surrounded by friendly members of the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club eagerly listening to Hari Heath of North Idaho talk about native paddlecraft design and the wood strip wahnooyak he had crafted. His visual presentation involved a series of paper scrolls, transcribed with bullet points, sketches, illustrations, and the boat itself— a unique woodstrip vessel that is a hybrid between canoe and kayak. As he unrolled each scroll, the beauty and skill of this traditional craft became more and more indisputable and fascinating.

Heath is a quiet yet passionate man who lives in the North Idaho woods. He’s a logger and he ran for the Idaho House of Representatives this year. He also teaches primitive skills at ancestral skills gatherings like Between the Rivers Gathering, which is held near Chewelah, Wash., every spring. He is self-taught in many things, including woodworking and paddlecraft.

larger ships for commerce and for war. Yet, the techniques and artistry of crafting a boat with your own hands has endured. It is a skill that involves natural, carefully-selected materials; knowledge of ancient and native design; an understanding of hydrodynamics and aerodynamics; and a lot of time.

“The craft exists in the interface between atmosphere and water,” Heath explained. “We want to move the water, to open it up.” A craft can be symmetrical—same shape on the bow and the stern— or asymmetrical—shaped differently on bow and stern. These designs determine how well you “open” the water in front of you and “close” it behind you.

The hull or bottom of a watercraft can have three basic shapes: flat bottom, which is stable and good for fishing; displacement or rounded, which is fast, but not recommended for standing in; and planing or v-shaped, which moves easily through the water and gives a smooth ride.

Heath’s wahnooyak is an open canoe-like boat

We can discover mutual respect and affirmation through slowing down, putting away our phones, and teaching our hands a new old skill.

SCKC SPOKANE CANOE & KAYAK CLUB

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / JULY 2018

His first awareness of the need for a boat came when he was flying model airplanes. After difficulty retrieving his planes from several water landings, he realized that having a boat would help tremendously. The need turned into research, which turned into an idea and sketch, which turned into a plan, which eventually transformed into a wahnooyak.

The oldest discovered boat, the Pesse canoe, is estimated to have been made around 8,000 BCE, but rock carvings older than that show reed boats from Azerbaijan and skin-covered kayaks from Europe. Transportation, escape from enemies, and fishing for food created the demand for the development of watercraft throughout history. As Heath put it, “We are and need food.”

Early boat types consisted of three basic categories: rafts made of reeds or logs, dug-out canoes, and leather crafts, which were rigid frames covered in waterproof animal skins. The Native Americans developed the birchbark canoe, a frame covered in strips of bark from the birch tree. The Metal Age, the period of the 3rd through the 1st millennia BCE, brought the ability to cut and shape wood into planks. This is when humans began building

with a frame of apoxy and fiberglass covered in wood strips that blends several paddlecraft designs.

“It sits just below the water, is fast and efficient like a kayak, is very quiet in the water, and has a 3-dimensional, full convex shape,” said Heath. “It’s not a good fishing boat, though. I don’t stand up in it!” This unique craft is indicative of his devotion to “remember where we came from” and look back on our heritage in order to build a more resonant and deliberate future.

Heath touched on the native Ojibwa story of creation that talks about each life being interdependent on the other and providing for every creature’s needs. In a digital age of apps, social media, and unlimited information, we often isolate ourselves in our cybernated worlds and perceptions. Native paddlecraft and other primitive skills have the capacity to remind us that we are not alone, that relationship and significance are rooted in tangible things, and we can discover mutual respect and affirmation through slowing down, putting away our phones, and teaching our hands a new old skill. //

JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

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Health&Fitness REFILLING THE TANK // By Brad Thiessen

I GOT MY FIRST HARSH lesson in hydration in June six years ago. I was training for a fall marathon but was

already up to 22-mile training runs. One afternoon I set out alone on the Centennial Trail for a marathondistance run. My hydration consisted of water in a 12-ounce handheld, plus more water in a small Starbuck’s Frappuccino bottle stashed at the 5-mile mark for my return. To top it off, my only nutrition was a single energy gel bummed off a cyclist at the halfway mark.

Fortunately, there was a rest stop at the 15-mile mark that allowed a refill. I made it back safely, but once I finished my legs were in a state of shock that lasted 15 minutes, during which I couldn’t walk or lie down without extreme discomfort. Clearly my hydration plan, or lack of one, was dangerously stupid.

At the time, I didn’t realize the risk: dehydration can result in dizziness, confusion, and even seizures. Since then, I drink a lot more water on long runs in the heat, but I still wonder: What’s the “right” amount—and the right way—to hydrate?

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

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Most of the writers I’ve come across say that water is sufficient for typical exertion under one hour, and our obsession with sports drinks is an unnecessary intake of salt and sugar. I polled a half dozen, local, longdistance runners and trainers— plus a handful of mountain bikers from Evergreen East. They all consume at least 16 ounces, and as much as 24 ounces, per hour beyond one hour of activity. Also, most carry a hydration pack, either in place of water bottles or as a backup.

For aggressive exercise lasting more than an hour, almost all sources point to the need to consume an electrolyte supplement to replace what’s lost through sweating. Since electrolytes carry water to your cells, without them water isn’t absorbed. The Mayo Clinic says that this state, called hyponatremia, can bring on nasty symptoms, including vomiting, headache, muscle spasms, and even coma.

HYDRATION CHECK

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There are two common ways to make sure you’re keeping hydrated. The simplest is the craft beer pee test.

Dark pee the color of red ale (or worst case, stout) = dehydrated. Stop running immediately and get medical attention. According to Runner’s World, pee the color of light beer = hydrated. Anything in between means you should increase your hydration (with electrolytes and water, not beer) right away.

Runner’s World also suggests a second method: weigh yourself right before you head out, then again right after. The difference between the two weights is the amount of liquid you lost, which is how much you need to replace the next time you exercise in similar conditions. One key point, according to hydration and nutrition trainer Andy Blow and reinforced by several of the Evergreen East riders, is to start your activity hydrated. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to play catch-up once you’re active.

FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE

So, how much should you drink, and what’s the correct or best balance of electrolyte solution to water? Each person’s electrolyte concentration is dependent on factors such as intensity of effort, unique physiology, terrain, and temperature during the activity. Ultimately, you need to test over time to figure out what works for you, but experts like outdoors nutrition and hydration coach Steve Kramer provide a good place to start. He gives this formula for intense running and mountain biking in the heat: At 80 F—3 gulps every 7 minutes; at 90 F—3 gulps every 6 minutes; at 100 F: 3 gulps every 5 minutes. // Brad Thiessen is an ardent trail runner and cross-country skier. His last article was on the importance of outdoor exercise in recovery from trauma, in the June 2018 edition. For sources used in this article, contact the author at brad@flipjacket.com.

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Arctic Blitz-flavored Gatorade after a workout.

While the flashy colors, labeling, and advertisements are enticing, they might not be the best choice for refueling a body hungry for nutrients.

Nearly all recovery and electrolyte replacement drinks these days are loaded with empty calories, sugars, and artificial colors and flavors. Exactly what your body doesn’t want after losing lots of salt and sweat.

Fortunately, there’s a company that has recognized this issue and is producing a great product right here in the Inland Northwest. Senseable Supplements, out of Liberty Lake, makes Lyte Balance Electrolyte Concentrate using more than

30 years of research. It contains zero calories, zero sweeteners, and zero flavorings. Add it to your favorite drinks, smoothies, and even foods!

Why do you need electrolytes? Reduced muscle cramping, quicker recovery, improved circulation, improved energy, and blood pressure regulation to name a few. Lyte Balance also has 10 times the potassium of Gatorade, and 50mg of magnesium, while Gatorade has zero.

In this age of glitzy marketing, it’s nice to know there are still simple and effective products out there that just do their job, do it well, and don’t need a slow-motion LaBron James dunk to sell their stuff. (Erik Prichard)

UrbanOutdoors FREE DOWNTOWN WORKOUT FUN // By Sarah Hauge

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8

OUTDOOR WORKOUTS // PHOTO: DERRICK KNOWLES

COMBAT WORKOUT doldrums and get active in our city’s core through Downtown Spokane Partnership’s free series of outdoor workout classes this summer. Designed to give locals and visitors of all fitness levels a chance to appreciate our downtown area and try something new in the (urban) outdoors, these classes will be offered beginning July 9 through the end of August on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings at 7:15 p.m. at the Spokane Tribal Gathering Place (353-367 N. Post St., between Riverfront and Huntington parks).

The workout series has expanded since it was first offered by the Downtown Spokane Partnership a few years ago, says Elisabeth Hooker, Downtown Spokane Partnership’s marketing and programming manager. There’s little something for everyone, with barre on Mondays (offered by Pure Barre), yoga on Wednesdays (offered by The Union), and various cardio classes, like kickboxing and Zumba, on Thursdays (offered by the Spokane Club). People of all skill levels are encouraged to attend. “Last year there were some intense, intense cardio classes, which I loved—but we’re going to go a little easier on people this year,” says Hooker with a laugh. Thanks to sponsorship by Numerica Credit Union, there is no charge for participants.

Jackie Allen attended several of these classes last summer. “The outdoor setting was fabulous,” she says. “With our hot summers it was very nice to exercise in cooling temps.” She also appreciated the chance to spend time in a revitalized part of downtown, overlooking the falls and ideally situated for amazing sunset views. “It was free, near the falls, outdoors in the waning daylight…it was kind of magical,” she says. She liked that the setting, with a large, flat area and cement benches, made it easy to see instructors—which can sometimes be a challenge outside of a typical class environment. Allen recommends coming early, as some of these classes were quite popular. “It was very full last year—‘well attended,’ shall we say.”

The timing and location mean classes are easy

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to get to after work, or to check out before or after dinner, a movie, or window shopping downtown.

They could also be paired with a trip to the Kendall Yards Night Market on Wednesdays or a stroll through Riverfront Park. Plus, with their after7:00 start time, there is no charge at the meters for street parking.

Hooker recommends wearing appropriate shoes for concrete, as well as toting in a towel or gloves to handle a workout outside. Bring a water bottle, and bring a yoga mat for yoga classes if you can (there are some available to borrow if needed). Children are invited to attend alongside a supervising adult.

“Kids are more than welcome to come,” Hooker says, noting that there will be hula hoops and jump ropes available to use. In the event of inclement weather, cancellations will be posted on Downtown Spokane Partnership’s Facebook page.

These classes “are a great way to interact with different people,” says Hooker. “And it’s amazing that it’s free!” With workouts designed to be accessible for a range of experience levels, “it’s a really welcoming setting. It’s super supportive,” says Hooker. “We want to make it accessible to introduce people in an easy way to an activity they might be a little tentative to try. If you’ve never done yoga, or barre, or Zumba, hopefully we can get you hooked on it because it’s both fun and good for you,” she says.

Allen says it’s definitely worth trying out a class and taking advantage of another of our city’s unique opportunities to be active alongside our fellow Spokanites. “All in all it was a lovely Spokane active community experience,” she says. “It made me happy inside, like a Bloomsday or Hoopfest day.

Spokane at its best!” // Sarah Hauge lives in Spokane with her husband and two daughters, and will be taking advantage of longer days with plenty of early-morning runs this summer. She wrote about new happenings at Riverfront Park in the June issue.

JULY 2018 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

37

OutdoorLiving TURN YOUR BACKYARD INTO A CAMPFIRECAPABLE HANGOUT // By Katie Botkin

SIMPLE FIRE PIT COMPOSED WITH SHOVEL AND ROCKS ENCOURAGES PARTY-GOERS TO GATHER AROUND IT. // PHOTO: KATIE BOTKIN

STAYING OUTSIDE LATE into long-lit evenings is particularly enjoyable in July. Before fire season rolls around, smogging up the air and preventing outdoor burning of any kind, small backyard fires can provide the backdrop to many hours of social gatherings, family bonding, and open-air cooking of the on-stick variety.

If you do not already have a fire pit in your backyard, various options exist, whether you want an expensive cast-iron portable or a simple dirt pit you dig yourself.

PORTABLE OUTDOOR FIREPLACES: The easiest

path to backyard campfires in terms of regulation and set-up is to purchase an enclosed receptacle of some kind. In Spokane, portable fireplaces are allowed closer to buildings than fire pits. For multi-family dwellings, you need to have at least 15 feet of clearance. Otherwise, you’re supposed to abide by the manufacturer’s safety instructions. A number of options are available, starting at around $75. More decorative options from Etsy run to $200 or more.

HANDCRAFTED OFF-THE-CUFF FIRE PIT: If you

choose to dig your own fire pit, in both Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, it must be no greater than three feet across and built with 25-foot clearance from structures and combustibles. A pit is generally the cheapest option and has a certain rustic charm. If you already have rocks or bricks onhand, you can simply dig your own little pit and protect it with a ring of amateur masonry.

INTERNET TUTORIAL FIRE PIT: Regulations still apply, but if you’re trying to craft a certain look, there are a number of step-by-step videos and blogs online, complete with purchase suggestions.

You can buy materials for around $60 or less, depending on the project. One family-friendly option is stacking shaped pavers in a circle to create a small, concentric wall that prevents sparks from escaping and children from tumbling in.

You can even pave out the bottom as outlined at Keepingitsimplecrafts.com/how-to-build-diy-firepit-for-only-60.

UPCYCLED DO-IT-YOURSELF PORTABLE FIREPLACES: If you chose to make your own por-

table fireplace rather than a permanent in-ground one, it’s safest to abide by the in-ground fire pit regulations. There are a number of ideas online complete with tutorials. One of the best is using an old washing machine drum, adding bolted-on perforated angled bars for legs, and finishing it all off with heat-resistant paint. The full tutorial is here: Theflourishingabode.com/2012/06/diymetal-fire-pit-tutorial-hack-challenge-finale.html GRILLING ATTACHMENTS: If you’re interested in

grilling over coals or open flame, make sure it is possible with the model you choose; some premade fire pits come with grill attachments, or you can purchase a freestanding fire pit grill separately.

In a pinch, of course, you can use existing grills you may already have, particularly if you’re handcrafting your fire pit. The best oysters of my life were grilled over a large portable fire pit, and I’ve made delicious campfire chicken the same way.

The secret is to brine it for at least 24 hours so it doesn’t over dry. // Katie Botkin enjoys rock climbing, snowboarding, and running around the woods barefoot. She wrote an article on MovNat for the February issue.

REGULATIONS FOR BACKYARD FIRES WHEN CAN YOU HAVE A FIRE IN YOUR BACKYARD? The answer is “it depends.” Your city may

have more stringent regulations than the state, and if there’s a fire ban in effect or poor air quality, burning of any kind is forbidden. In Spokane, if winds rise above 10 mph, you’re not supposed to burn anything, either. Outside city limits, in both Idaho and Washington, you’re supposed to have a fire permit during certain seasons.

In Coeur d’Alene, the legality of your backyard campfire also depends somewhat on the neighbors: if neighbors call the police or fire department due to “smoke, loud parties, late hours” and so on, this “will result in extinguishment of the fire,” according to the City of Coeur d’Alene.

What you can burn is most safely defined as untreated, dry wood, or charcoal briquettes where applicable, but in some places and at some times you can also burn debris such as leaves. Trash is illegal to burn in the backyard.

More specific details can be found here: Spokane: My.spokanecity.org/news/stories/2014/06/05/use-caution-with-outdoor-recreational-fires/ Coeur d’Alene: Cdaid.org/1486/departments/fire/permits-and-inspections/recreational-fires 38

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / JULY 2018

Hiking 5 DAY HIKES IN THE CABINET MOUNTAINS // By Aaron Theisen

WHEN FRENCH-CANADIAN fur trappers first sur-

veyed the mountain range straddling the IdahoMontana border, they dubbed it the Cabinet Mountains, for the shelves of rock that loomed over the rivers below. In the intervening 200 years, the hiking technology used to cross the Cabinets may have changed, but little else has.

The Cabinet Mountains are commonly regarded as one of the wildest mountain ranges in the lower 48 states. Grizzly bears, mountain goats, and even wolverines take refuge among its glaciercarved cirques and hanging valleys. The Cabinet Mountains Wilderness protects almost 100,000 acres of alpine lakes and knife-edge peaks in the heart of the range. Think of it as an off-the-beatenpath alternative to Glacier National Park. These five day hikes or overnight backpack trips in the Cabinets are also an easy drive from Spokane or North Idaho.

ROCK LAKE (7.8 miles)

A disused access road to a defunct mine offers easy access to this popular Cabinets destination, its many islets and coves occupying one of the most spectacular hanging valleys in the range, all under the sheer-faced spectacle of Ojibway Peak.

Getting There: From Montana Highway 200 about 1.8 miles east of the Noxon turnoff, and just past the railroad crossing (milepost 17.1), turn north onto Rock Creek Road (Forest Road 150). Drive 0.2 mile and bear right under the powerlines to stay on FR 150. Continue 5.8 miles to the junction of FR 150A, bearing right and continuing 1.6 miles on increasingly rough road to the trailhead (elev. 3,270 feet).

ENGLE LAKE (6.4 miles / 2,900 feet elevation gain) A high-elevation trailhead, a high subalpine lake, ridgetop walking through one of the best beargrass displays in the Cabinets, and the possibility to bag a peak sans scrambling make this hike a six-mile sampler of what the Cabinets have to offer. But make no mistake: even with a highelevation trailhead, Engle Lake doesn’t skimp on the characteristic steep that other classic Cabinet Mountains hikes offer.

Getting There: From Montana Highway 200 about 1.8 miles east of the Noxon turnoff, and just past the railroad crossing (milepost 17.1), turn north onto Rock Creek Road (Forest Road 150). Drive 0.2 mile and bear right under the powerlines to stay on FR 150. Continue 4.5 miles and, just before the bridge, turn right onto Orr Creek Road (FR 2285). Drive this good gravel road 7.4 miles to the road’s end and trailhead (elev. 4,940 feet).

CEDAR LAKES (10 miles / 3,200 feet elevation gain)

If the Cabinets are a miniature version of Glacier,

the hike to Cedar Lakes explains why: tumbling, tumultuous creeks; indigo subalpine lakes, and the amphitheater-like walls of glaciated peaks. The only thing missing is the crowds.

Getting There: From downtown Libby, Mont., drive west on US Highway 2 for 7 miles. Just after crossing Cedar Creek, turn left (south) onto Cedar Creek Road. Drive 2.5 miles to the road’s end and large trailhead parking lot (elev. 2,920 feet).

LEIGH LAKE (2.8 miles / 1,910 feet elevation gain)

Short—albeit steep—access to the second-largest lake in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness means Leigh Lake is a popular spot: some 3,000 people visit its sprawling shores every year. But the destination—a granite-ringed subalpine lake set under the highest peak in the Cabinets—makes up for the lack of elbow room. And a resident mountain goat herd means Leigh Lake is truly a “kid”-friendly hike!

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Getting There: From Libby, drive 8 miles south on US Highway 2. Just past milepost 40, turn right on Bear Creek Road (Forest Road 278). Drive 3 miles, then turn right on Cherry Creek Road (FR 867).

Drive 4.3 miles and turn right on Leigh Creek Road (FR 4786), negotiating 1.7 of rough, rocky, and slow miles to the road’s end and trailhead (elev. 4,090 feet).

GEIGER LAKES (5.8 miles / 1,810 feet elevation

gain) Sheltered on a set of timbered shelves just below the sprawling subalpine lawns of the Cabinet Divide, this pair of pretty lakes gives high reward for your hiking effort. Add in an easy and essential side trip to Lost Buck Pass and its bedrock overlook of the interior of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, and you have a Cabinets classic. No surprise, then, that it’s quite popular; this is one of the few Cabinets trails where you’re likely to have frequent encounters with other hikers.

Getting There: From Libby, Mont., drive 24 miles southeast on US Highway 2. Shortly after milepost 56, turn right on West Fisher Creek Road (Forest Road 231). Drive 5.8 miles, then turn left on FR 2332. In 0.5 mile, turn left on FR 6748, cross the bridge, and continue for 1.6 occasionally rough miles to the road’s end and trailhead (elev. 3,750 feet). // Aaron Theisen is a Spokane-based writer and photographer and author of the newly-released book “Day Hiking Glacier National Park and Western Montana.” He wrote about the region’s bike parks in the June issue of Out There.

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39

BAREFOOTING

IN THE LATE ‘80S, near a now-defunct river-

side restaurant called Shenanigans, a niche group of locals started jumping off the bridge into the Spokane River, bruising backs and spraining necks in the process, all in the name of learning a new sport: barefoot waterskiing. They “scorpioned” when their form strayed, face planting at eye-lid-peeling speed. They’d started out on surfboards then ditched the boards mid-run to ski on their feet, and eventually their barefoot starts progressed to running from the beach, jumping off dock pilings, hucking off rocky cliffs, and jumping off bridges into the river. At some point someone said, hey—let’s put on a show.

That someone was Vince Zimmer, who created the first Spokane Water Ski Festival in 1987. The show featured barefooters like Ron Mael and Alan Shepherd—the aforementioned bridge jumpers— who were the show’s opening act. The first year of the festival, Zimmmer brought professional slalom and trick skiers to town. He included an act from the Newman Lake Junior Ski team, who formed a human pyramid on water skis. He flew up a husband and wife duo from Cyprus Gardens. He contacted the local paper, television, and radio. He lined both sides of the river with large grandstands.

That first Friday night, 10,000 people came to the show. “I just dreamed it up,” says Zimmer.

“Being exposed to the water ski show in Cyprus Gardens, I thought, god, I wonder if we could pull that off in downtown Spokane.”

At the start of the ’87 show, Zimmer idled the boat while Mael and Shepherd waited with long lines on the rail of the Division Street bridge. As Zimmer radioed the emcee to announce the start of the show, the long line ropes began to tighten, signaling Mael and Shepherd to thread the rope around their feet and make the 30-foot drop start into the river.

“It was a glorified deep water start,” says Shepherd. “You’d hit the water and go wham—you’d go quite a way into the water from 30 feet up—and then you’d arch your body backward to create lift and come up and get up to speed. You’d take your feet off the rope and go.”

The jump was a crowd-pleaser, as many of the folks lining the grandstands hadn’t watched the barefoot technique before, let alone seen someone jump off a bridge. As for Mael and Shepherd, the opening act was one of the first times they’d seen a bridge jump too. Their usual method of practice was to try a jump and then try something bigger.

“We’d basically find anything to jump off that had deep enough water we wouldn’t die,” says Shepherd.

“We used to see some pros do it out of a helicopter from 80 feet, but we didn’t have a helicopter,” says Mael. Luckily, perhaps. The Division Street bridge was the highest barefoot jump the duo ever did.

“The bridge was the highlight,” says Shepherd of his barefoot career. “Doing that in front of 10,000 40

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / JULY 2018

THE SPOKANE

BY LISA LAUGHLIN people when people had never even seen barefooting . . . we were kind of famous for a few days.”

The first time Shepherd tried the bridge jump, he landed slightly sideways and missed the padding of his barefoot body suit, resulting in a straightedged bruise running the length of his back. He shook it off; it was one of many bruises in the catalog of learning that came from teaching himself the sport.

To help hone his technique, Shepherd bought what he called the Barefoot Bible—a book on technique by Ron Scarpa called Barefoot Water Skiing: An Illustrated Guide to Learning and Mastering the Sport. He and Mael went to the water nearly every night of the summer to practice, often recording each other on video so they could study their form and improve.

“We beat the crap out of ourselves learning how to do it on our own,” says Shepherd. “Which is why I have a bad neck.” Once the Barefoot Bible became tattered from studying, they brought Ron Scarpa to town.

“We were lucky that the sport was young enough that we could get the best guy in the world to come up, stay at our house, and train us,” says Shepherd. “We’d get 10 or 12 guys together and learn from the best. We were starstruck. Everything he did was so effortless.”

One challenge of barefoot skiing is combating waves, something traditional water skiers don’t have to worry about in the same way.

“Your feet are little, the waves are big, and you’ve gotta skip through them. Calm water—glass—is our goal,” says Shepherd, who’s pictured posing during a tumble turn on those glass-like conditions. “We’d go out on the whip, sitting on our butts on the corners, at around 75 mph. It’s funny, that’s probably the easiest trick we ever do.”

“It’s not like you could get on YouTube and watch a video like you can now,” says Mael. They learned by taking punishing, whiplash falls and trying not to repeat the effect.

“Your feet would hurt, so you’d go down on your butt and rest your feet,” says Shepherd. “Barefooting takes every muscle you have. It’s more about bare-bodying. You never just stand, you’re moving back and forth.

Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down. The longest run we’d ever take would probably be three to four minutes.”

Mael taught Zimmer how to barefoot one afternoon, but it didn’t stick.

“I said, I’ll never have to go to a chiropractor again, because I cracked my back so hard when I planted head first and my body went over the top,” says Zimmer. “I thought, I’m going to stick to hang gliding. It’s safer.”

As Shepherd and Mael practiced barefoot back-to-front transitions, Zimmer saw the growth of the sport in the gear industry as he worked at the Spokane Alpine house. By 1985, just two years before his inaugural Spokane Water Ski Festival, he was selling MasterCraft ski boats. He saw boats come to town with specific bars for barefooting.

The festival—and all waterskiing near downtown on the Spokane river— came to an end when the Division Street bridge went under construction, sending scaffolding down into the river that blocked the thru path for motor boats. A few years later, the Centennial Trail was built along the river, removing the popular boat launch of the day. An event that Zimmer had hoped to be an annual show, like Bloomsday or Hoopfest, came to an end.

“You look at your life in chapters, especially at my age—I’m almost 67— and that chapter of those three years of the festival was so fun. It was something we just worked so hard at and came together to do. It’s something we old guys talk about now,” says Zimmer.

Shepherd and Mael still barefoot, though a bit less frequently now. Mael heads down to Arizona to do some barefoot skiing with his daughter, who’s

TOP: SPOKESMAN REVIEW CLIPOUT FROM THE ORIGINAL WATER SKI FESTIVAL. MIDDLE: ALAN SHEPHERD IN A TUMBLE TURN BOTTOM: BRIDGE JUMPING TO START. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALAN SHEPHERD

on the ASU water ski team. Shepherd has transitioned to downwind paddle boarding on the technical, wind-driven waves of Hood River. He still has the Barefoot Bible, the illustrations that taught him how to deep-start from the bridge a bit faded, but familiar.

Though the grandstands are gone, the glassy stretch of water that was popular for barefoot tumble turns is used today by paddleboarders and kayakers. You can get out on downtown Spokane’s urban river playground with your own watercraft or a rental from FUN Unlimited, which rents boards under the Division Street bridge. The next time you drive across or paddle under the bridge, imagine a barefooter leaping from the railing—eying the speed of the boat, timing the hit of the water, muscles operating under hard-earned muscle memory to push forward for another round, another trick. //

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GearRoom ADVANCED ELEMENTS ADVANCEDFRAME KAYAK

California-based Advanced Elements introduced the world’s first truly hybrid inflatable kayak that increased boat performance and portability over a decade ago. The popular AdvancedFrame kayak is a hybrid of a folding frame and inflatable kayak with built-in aluminum ribs in the bow and stern that tracks as well as many hard-shell kayaks. This popular day-touring kayak is 10’5” long, weights 36 lbs., has a 300 lb. paddler and gear carrying capacity, comes with plenty of on-board storage, and sets up in minutes. Come check out one of these boats at the Spokatopia Outdoor Adventure Festival and get a chance to win one of them at the Great Gear Giveaway Saturday, July 7 at Camp Sekani Park in Spokane. MSRP: $539.99. Advancedelements.com. (Derrick Knowles) LEKI MICRO TRAIL PRO RUNNING POLES

These super-light and easy-to-pack poles, thanks to the ability to fold them up for easy stowing and their 100-percent carbon shaft construction, are perfect for trail running or fast hiking. They proved especially useful on a local trail with a steep pitch. The non-slip, adjustable wrist loops on each pole make for a natural-feeling hold and are made with soft, breathable material. The cork-like thermal grip extension of the pole handles kept dry despite hours of sweating. As I tested these poles on a black-diamond-rated trail, I noticed they were especially useful for technical intervals. These poles are handy in trail situations where you’d like some added balance or stability on a rocky climb. If you’re unfamiliar with trail running poles, they may take some time to get used to, but the Micro Trail Pro are so light you can run with them in-hand as you find a rhythm. These particular Leki poles will lend awesome stability, lightness, and speed to your mountain trail runs. MSRP: $199.95. Leki.com (Lisa Laughlin)

THE BIKE SHOP THAT COMES TO YOU

CRAZY CREEK DROP SAC

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Some outdoor activities lend themselves to more plentiful and unruly gear. A multi-day rafting trip with kids on the Grande Ronde River, for instance. The 70-liter Crazy Creek Drop Sac helps contain and organize some of the chaos that comes with such gear-intensive outings. Spread the Drop Sac out flat, drop whatever gear you want to organize (toys, fishing gear, camp kitchen items, etc.) and pull the draw string to cinch up its contents. A quick and easy outdoor gear organizing solution that zips away in its own storage pocket when not in use. MSRP: $30. Crazycreek.com. (Derrick Knowles) CREEKKOOLER

The CreekKooler is a tow-behind, floating ice chest for your kayak, canoe, raft, paddleboard, or other watercraft.

Say goodbye to cans of your favorite beverages getting warm rolling around the floor of your boat or fighting an on-board cooler for elbow room on your next river or lake float. The well-insulated CreekKooler holds ice as long as you should need it and has a kayak-like hull design that means it won’t slow you down on the water—that is as long as you don’t take too many ice-cold beverage breaks. Pick up a CreekKooler locally at the General Store in Spokane. MSRP: $165. Kanoolerproducts.com. (Derrick Knowles) HYDRAPAK EXPEDITION 8L RESERVOIR

Tired of refilling bottles at basecamp for your camp chair and hammock lounging friends and family? Keep your crew super hydrated on your next group rafting, backpacking, car camping, or bike packing adventure with HydraPak’s highest capacity water storage reservoir. It has a wide-mouth cap for easy pouring, a flexible handle for effortless carrying and hanging, and a free-standing design with dual baffles for stability. And it’s lightweight and extremely packable. Fill this sucker up and get back in that hammock. MSRP: $60. Hydrapak.com (Wil Wheaton) MALOJA MOUNTAIN BIKE COLLECTION

Maloja, pronounced “mah-low-yah,” is a high performance biking and outdoor sports apparel brand named for a sleepy village and the steep slopes of the high Swiss valley Engadin. The brand specializes in stylish yet functional active wear for biking, running, and hiking. The DomenicaM All Mountain ½ jersey ($109) is light, quick drying, and stretchy, with a deep chest zipper to keep the air flowing, and a stand-up collar to add some class to your mud-speckled face. It is so light, airy, and comfortable that I forgot I was wearing and testing a stylish, high-tech “red poppy” colored biking shirt while out pedaling Spokane River singletrack until I rolled up to my neighborhood pub and saw my reflection in the window. Same goes for the uber-light, breathable, and 4-way stretch GionM bike shorts ($95) that have an elastic waistband, a zippered fly, and ventilation holes just below the waist in the back. With the optional FlurM tight baselayer insert with seamless, technical chamois padding ($80) to keep you going over the river and through the woods for miles, this Maloja mountain biking kit is the coolest, most functional set of riding duds this dirt-trail-loving dirtbag has ever donned. Check out Maloja gear online or at Revolution Cycles in Rossland, B.C., next time you’re up riding the 7 Summits Trail.

Malojaclothing.com/shop/men/mountainbike. (Wil Wheaton) OBOZ CAMPSTER SANDALS

After forgetting my Chaco river sandals sitting on our wood stove at home, I was stoked to have a new pair of Oboz Campster sandals stashed in the bottom of my dry bag for the four-day float ahead. For jumping on and off the raft and wading in the river while rigging gear, I started off in a pair of old trail running shoes that never dried out and soon smelled like a rotting steelhead carcass. I had intended to wear my Campster sandals Euro style with wool socks around camp, which I did in complete comfort, but I couldn’t bear putting those cold, clammy running shoes back on for the second day on the river and the Campster sandals became my all-day-and-night footwear workhorse, in and out of the water. They provided plenty of traction sloshing around on slimy river rocks and dried in time for happy hour camp chair lounging each evening. Its pivoting heel strap makes slipping them on and off a breeze, and provided enough support for short hikes and upstream fishing missions. And they are plenty light enough to justify packing along on any backpack or bikepacking trip. Your feet will thank you. MSRP: $90. Obozfootwear. com. (Derrick Knowles)

Lifestyle INSTALLING A HOME SOLAR SYSTEM // By Crystal Atamian INSTALLING SOLAR ARRAYS ON THE GROUND IS ONE ALTERNATIVE TO PLACING THEM ON YOUR ROOF. // PHOTO COURTESY OF VOLTRIC ELECTRIC.

SOME THINK THAT INSTALLING solar panels on

your home only makes sense if you live in Nevada or the sunny Southwest. Not true. Spokane’s solar potential is enough to pay for itself, according to Jeremy Patterson of Voltric Electric, a locally owned and operated business that provides electrical contracting services and installs solar panels.

If solar system makes you think of planets, shift your thinking. Here are the basics: a typical solar setup involves an energy grid type system. Solar panels produce DC power, inverters change the power to AC, and then that power is pumped back into the energy grid. As the system does its job, your meter actually moves backward; your energy bill drops and eventually you stop paying the utility company and they start reimbursing you for the extra energy you produce.

Clean energy and a reduced energy bill make sense, and monetary incentives for solar installation in Washington State are enticing. While you’re thinking green, also think local because Washington-made panels offer even more of an incentive.

The US Department of Energy suggests the following steps if you are thinking of installing solar: 1. INVESTIGATE YOUR HOME’S ENERGY EFFICIENCY. The point is to reduce costs and go green. That

often starts by evaluating where energy is lost in your home currently and tightening those gaps.

2. ASSESS YOUR SOLAR POTENTIAL. Try check-

ing out Google Project Sunroof. The website uses Google maps to give you an idea of how much sunlight your house gets and how much you are likely to save over a 20-year period. It is pretty specific, taking into account the trees surrounding your house and the day-to-day weather patterns.

3. CHECK OUT FINANCING OPTIONS. As far as

cost, Patterson says that a lot of people will finance through a credit union. There are larger companies who follow the state incentives, and they often offer a solar lease or power-purchase agreement (PPA), neither of which require any upfront payment, but you also do not own the panels, nor do you get the tax incentive. Patterson added that most people in Spokane seem to pay upfront or get a loan from a bank.

4. ESTIMATE YOUR SOLAR ELECTRICITY NEEDS.

Gather information about your home and electricity use over a full year. Avista has a few tools to help with this on their website under “Saving Tools.”

5. OBTAIN BIDS AND SITE ASSESSMENTS FROM CONTRACTORS. The North American Board

of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) provides a free searchable database of US and Canadian companies who specialize in homebased solar. Patterson recommends a free site inspection from a NABCEP-certified installer who will evaluate shading, pick the best location, and walk you through the process. In addition to rooftop solar, ground mounts are also very common. Keep in mind the biggest installers don’t always have the best price, or offer the best product, and that top of the line equipment does not always result in higher savings.

6. UNDERSTAND THE AVAILABLE INCENTIVES.

As per Washington law RCW 82.16.165, a production incentive from the state is paid per kilowatt hour to those who install solar. Payments last for 8 years, or until payments add up to 50% of the total system cost including sales tax, whichever occurs first. Avista does participate in this program in Washington, and further details are listed on their website.

In addition to the state incentive, there is also a federal tax incentive known as the Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which allows you to deduct 30% of the installation cost from your federal taxes. The ITC applies to both residential and commercial systems, and there is no cap on its value, but the rate phases out over time and will reduce to 26% in 2020.

This really is a great time to take advantage of incentives, potentially increase the value of your home, and save on energy bills by installing solar. //

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Crystal Atamian is a science editor and gardening enthusiast who would love to tell people she owns her own solar system. She wrote about whitewater rafting with kids in the May issue of Out There.

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July 7th

Camp Sekani on the Spokane River

9AM-6PM

Free admission / 5$ Demo pass

Biggest Bike Demo & Sale

Event of the Summer.

Live music all day + Free Yoga Class Paddle board demos + Beer Garden over 50 exhibitors + kids climbing wall Mountain bike shuttles + Food Trucks REI CAmpground Activities + fun run kids games + Mountain Bike Jump show

major sponsors:

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Presented by:

OutdoorCalendar RUNNING (July 7) Spokatopia Trail Run.

Where: Camp Sekani Park, Spokane. This FREE fun run is replacing the Up Chuck Challenge but still starts on the Up Chuck Trail for a fun, winding around-3-mile run through the forest to kick off the Spokatopia Outdoor Adventure Festival. The perfect run for anyone looking to get into trail running or get a mellow run in before Spokatopia. Info: Spokatopia.com

(July 21) Spokenya 7k Run/Walk.

Where: Life Center Church, Spokane. 7k is the average distance that people in Kenya must walk to find clean water.

This loop course follows the Centennial Trail before turning onto the Spokane Falls Community College Campus and then through the wooded Mukogawa campus, and back towards Life Center Church. 100% of your registration fee goes directly to clean water projects in Kenya. Spokenyarun.org

BIKING (July 7) Spokatopia Bike Demo Day.

Where: Camp Sekani Park, Spokane. Spokatopia is the biggest bike demo event of the year, and it’s part of a bigger outdoor adventure festival. Try the latest mountain, road, fat, and e-bikes from local bike shops and brand reps from around the Northwest on Beacon Hill singletrack or the paved Centennial

Trail. Take part in group rides, shuttles to the top of Sekani downhill trails, and enjoy live music and a beer garden that benefits Evergreen East, the local chapter of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance.

Info: Spokatopia.com

(July 11, 18, and 25) 3 in July Wednesday Night Mountain Bike Races. Where: Farragut State Park, Idaho. Known as 5 in July (when we have 5 Wednesdays in July), this family mountain bike event includes single track racing on 7 to 18 mile courses depending on the week. A fund raising BBQ is included after the race. Selected Youth Sports Teams serve the BBQ to earn the donations. $25 gets you a 1 or 2 lap race plus a BBQ dinner. Info: Facebook.com/teammtb5.in.july/?ref=bookmarks

(July 14) Sturdy Dirty Ladies Enduro. Where: Silver Mountain Resort, Kellogg, Idaho. Sturdy Dirty is the world’s first ladies enduro race series. Show up to set a personal record, make new friends, or just to watch volunteers out-costume each other. This event proves that fun and competition aren’t mutually exclusive! Info: Silvermt.com (July 21) Blue Goose Chase Family Bike Ride.

Where: Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, Colville, Wash. A free bike ride on the 11-mile auto tour loop (gravel road). Prizes, snacks, and music included. Info: Refugefriends.com

(July 29) Spokane Valley Cycle Celebration.

Where: Spokane Valley. Choose from 10, 25, or 50-mile rides on some of the most scenic roads in the Spokane area. Info: Cyclecelebration.com.

OTHER (July 7) Spokatopia Outdoor Adventure Festival. Where: Camp Sekani Park/Boulder Beach, Spokane. Try outdoor activities like paddleboarding, kayaking, rock climbing, bouldering, slacklining, mountain biking and more. Spokatopia is the biggest bike and water sports demo event of the year. Try the latest mountain, road, fat, and e-bikes as well as paddleboards, kayaks, and other water craft. Live music, beer garden, and other entertainment and activities.

Cost: free general admission; some activities cost between $10-$20. Info: Spokatopia.com

(July 9) Valley Girl Triathlon. Where: Medical Lake, Wash. When: 7:45 a.m. Women’s sprint distance triathlon. Info: Valleygirltri.com (July 21) Tiger Triathlon. Where: Colville, Wash.

Swim Gillette Lake, ride the mostly downhill course down Tiger Pass through the Colville National Forest, and finish with a run on Rotary Trail to Colville. Info: Tigertri.com

SIX MONTH EVENTCALENDAR RUNNING

(September 15) Newport Autumn Bloom.

(August 4) Dig Your Grave Trail Race. Where: Hope, Idaho. This is a solo or relay team event covering 100k in one day on a point to point course. Info: Run7b.com

Where: Newport, Wash. This fall fun run includes two distances starting at T.J. Kelly Park, a 5k and 10k, which is a Bloomsday 2nd seed qualifier. The event benefits the Newport Hospital and Health Services Foundation. Info: NewportHospitalandHealth.org

(August 5) Huckleberry Color Fun Run & Walk.

(October 6) Centennial Beer Chase.

Where: Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Run or walk through the forest and get covered with color tossed by the forest urchins. This is a great family event and is marked for 5k and 2.5k participants. Info: Schweitzer.com

(August 18) Tase T Lentil 5K Fun Run. Where: Pullman, Wash. Enjoy the food, music, and other festivities of the National Lentil Festival and a 5k fun run or walk. Info: Lentilfest.com (September 16) Sandpoint Scenic Half & 10k. Where: Sandpoint, Idaho. With a route across Sandpoints iconic Long Bridge, offering panoramic views of Lake Pend Oreille and the surrounding mountains, this race is an established, fun, and professionally managed event.

Info: Sandpointchamber.com

(September 30) Sekani Trail Run. Where: Camp Sekani Park, Spokane. The 10th annual event includes a free kids 1k, plus a 5k and 10k run/walk on forested singletrack above the Spokane River. Info: Sekanitrailrun.com (September 22) Spokane Happy Girls Run. Where: Where: Spokane. Women’s half marathon, 10k and 5k runs with great post-race festivities and fabulous goody bags. Info: Happygirlsrun.com

Where: From Spokane to Coeur d’Alene. Run in a group of six people, exchanging at breweries along the way.

Info: CentennialBeerChase.com

BIKING (August 4) Blazing Saddles Bike Ride.

Where: Colville, Wash. 40, 62, and 100-mile road biking routes through the beautiful Colville Valley countryside. Enjoy the beer garden, food, music and more as part of Colville’s Rendezvous Days.

Info: Blazing100.org

(August 12) Wallace-Hiawatha Ride The Passes Adventure Loop Ride. Where: Wallace, Idaho. A mountain bike ride starting in Wallace around 8 a.m. that heads over Lookout Pass, through the Route of the Hiawatha Trail, then up and over Moon Pass and back to Wallace (approximately 57 miles with over 5,800 feet of climbing). 17 tunnels and trestles to make the ride amazing scenic. Info: 208-667-8969

(August 18) 8 Lakes Leg Aches.

Where: Spokane. One of the best organized rides in Eastern Washington that explores the beautiful scenery surrounding Spokane, West Plains, Medical Lake and Cheney. Routes are clearly marked and include food stops, medical and mechanical support. Proceeds benefit the programs of Lutheran

Community Services Northwest. Info: Lcsnw. org/8-lakes-bike-ride

(September 15) Global Kidical Massive. Where: Kendall Yards, Spokane. Just like the regular Kidical Mass, a fun, safe 3-mile bike ride especially for kids, but on this special day Spokane joins thousands of kids all over the planet for a worldwide “Kidical Mass” bike ride. Info: Summerparkways.com

MULTISPORT (August 11) Swim the Snake. Where: Lyons Ferry, Wash. A open-water swimming and paddling event on the Snake River and a non-competitive 33.3 mile bike ride from Waitsburg Fairgrounds to Lyons Ferry Marina. Info: swimthesnake.org (August 11) Paddle, Splash, & Play. Where: Nine Mile Recreation Area, Lake Spokane, Wash. A free kids’ event where kids can try different water sports in a supervised setting. Info: Sckc.ws/events (August 11) Ales for the Trail. Where: McEuen Park, Coeur d’Alene. Enjoy great Northwest craft beer, live music by The Rub, and support the North Idaho Centennial Trail! Info: Alesforthetrail.org

(August 31-September 3) 26th Annual Fall Fest at Schweitzer. Where: Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Sandpoint. Four days of live music, regional wines, and over 75 regional micro-brews and ciders!

Soda tent for kids where they can mix their own flavors and create wild concoctions. This is the final weekend of summer operations, and the chairlift will be open for sightseeing, hiking, and mountain biking.

Info: Schweitzer.com

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Last Page SCRAMBLING AFTER A REMINDER // By Paul Chisholm

THE AUTHOR’S CAMPSITE BENEATH MT. CHISHOLM. RIGHT: PANCAKES ON THE WOOD STOVE AT MAXEY CABIN. // PHOTOS: PAUL CHISHOLM.

PEOPLE OFTEN GO to the mountains because they need something—solitude, maybe, or adventure.

For me, on that particular spring weekend, I needed a reminder.

That’s why I rolled out the topos and started looking for a mountain to climb. A few names instantly popped out at me. Montana’s Bloody Dick Peak was a compelling choice, but the route sounded painful. Washington’s Whiskey Dick Mountain received consideration, but I doubted it would offer the stiff challenge I was looking for. In the end, I knew it when I saw it—Mount Chisholm, a 10,000-ft peak near Bozeman that bore my name.

If there was any place that could help me remember, that was it.

When I pulled up to the trailhead in Hyalite Canyon, I was faced with my first setback. I knew the road up Hyalite was temporarily closed to cars, but a Forest Service rep I’d spoken with had assured me it would be snow-covered. Instead, I was star-

ing dumbly at black asphalt with a pair of skis on my shoulder. I felt like I had just walked into a Halloween party in full costume, only to discover everybody else wearing normal clothes. Bicyclists rode by, smug smiles pasted on their faces. I wondered what would happen to them if I stuck a ski in their spokes as they sped past. The visualization made me smile.

I was disappointed by the lack of snow, though not defeated. I had hoped to cover much of the approach on ski, but I could still walk it nearly as fast. 9 miles by boot and another 8 by snowshoe brought me to my campsite beside Heather Lake in the shadow of Mount Chisholm.

I went to bed, and a storm blew in. Wind shrieked down the canyon and blasted my shelter like a sledgehammer. Sleep was impossible. The deadman anchors keeping my tent from taking flight kept popping loose in the soft snow, and three times I scrambled through the darkness in

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my underwear to secure them. Ah, yes—the quiet serenity of a night in the mountains.

The wind died down by sunrise, and I managed to drag my pitiful form into the morning light.

My body felt like I’d stumbled into the street after a night of heavy drinking and been plowed over by a runaway school bus. Did I really want to go through with this?

I was pretty sure I did. After all, the last year had been pretty rough. Following graduation, I’d applied to about a million jobs, though my resume always seemed to get forwarded to the “Bottomless Black Hole” folder every time I clicked the “Submit Application” button. After being told dozens of times I wasn’t good enough, I was sick of it. I was intent on proving those people wrong. And I was intent on reminding myself that the person I was could still do something hard.

I struck out for the mountain, and it wasn’t long before I was swapping my snowshoes for crampons and entering the couloir that led to the summit ridge. Ascending the couloir was fairly straightforward, though the soft snow made me nervous as the route steepened. Near the top, I reached a series of short, near-vertical rock bands.

As my hands searched for holds, the crumbly volcanic rocks peeled off one by one like an old scab, sending debris crashing down below me. I was thankful I didn’t have a climbing partner, who would undoubtedly be catching face-fulls of rotten Gallatin boulders by now.

Improvisation was in order. I poked around with my axe until I found a pocket of sufficiently deep snow and drove the shaft in as far as I could, about 4 inches. I probed the rock with my foot, my cramponed boot skittering across the cliff face before

finding a foothold of sufficient quality. Neither hold was great, but together they were enough to get me over the lip and onto the ridge.

From there it was an easy scramble to the summit. I took a break to soak in the view, which extended from the snow-laden Gallatins to the sharp-toothed Absarokas, and from the green hayfields of the Gallatin Valley to the mosaic of sage and evergreen forest that is the Yellowstone Plateau.

My trip wasn’t over, but I’d surmounted the biggest hurdle. Preferring not to downclimb the couloir, I detoured across neighboring Overlook Peak and descended gentler slopes to the north.

Returning to my campsite, I packed up and descended to Maxey Cabin, a Forest Service rental near Hyalite Reservoir.

After the trials of the high country, the cabin felt like Shangri-La, despite its lack of plumbing or electricity. I discovered a box of pancake mix in one of the cupboards and a pizza pan in another, so I cooked up some dry, crusty pancakes atop the woodstove. Then I washed them down with a can of refried beans that looked older than the Nixon administration. It all tasted delicious.

That night, as I lay in my sleeping bag reading an article from the March 2011 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, I knew I had gotten what I’d come for.

Shadows from the dying fire flickered across the walls of the cabin, and I drifted to sleep. // Paul Chisholm is an avid backpacker and PhDlevel scientist who would be a fantastic (if darkhumored) new hire at your company or organization. He wrote about Kamiak Butte for the March issue of Out There. Follow him on Instagram @ BackcountryScientist.

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