Out There Outdoors // January-February 2025

LOVE OUT THERE?

Wild Walls was the passion project of climbing buddies and outdoors enthusiasts

Timon Behan and Bill Lockwood. At a time with few indoor climbing gyms, the two worked with experts in the climbing industry and builders in the community to construct two main pillars from 60,000 pounds of steel, plywood and concrete, opening doors in the heart of downtown Spokane in 1995. A lot of climbing space has been added since then, and Wild Walls is now a staple of the Spokane-area climbing community.

While climbing may have an intimidating reputation for some, Wild Walls manager Todd Mires says the climbing community in Spokane is very welcoming and has grown considerably in the last decade. “The community was small and climbing was a very niche sport and subculture,” says Mires. “Thankfully, climbing has become fairly mainstream, and the bigger the sport, the more people involved, the better the community. Climbing is for anyone and everyone who wants it.”

Mires’ own climbing story is one of finding a place to fit in and grow in confidence. He fell in love instantly when he began climbing at the age of 12. “I hadn’t excelled at anything athletically up to that point and didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere, so climbing truly rescued my self-esteem. Since then, I’ve observed my story play out similarly for many young climbers. I see my role as creating an environment for everyone to enjoy what climbing has to offer, and hopefully people will fall in love as I did,” he says.

To give Wild Walls a try, drop by and ask to try bouldering or auto-belaying. “There’s no pressure for those with understandable apprehension with regards to heights,” says Mires. “You are in control of how high you climb. We just want everyone to go at their own pace and what makes them comfortable.” Wild Walls offers belay classes when you’re ready to take your climbing to the next level too.

The gym also has a yoga studio on site,

offering vinyasa and acro yoga classes, which are included with any membership, punch card or day pass. While it may not be immediately obvious, the practices of yoga and climbing can really complement one another. “Yoga serves climbing by improving flexibility and mindfulness, while climbing serves yoga by improving strength and stamina,” says Mires. “I feel yoga and climbing demand a level of focus and body awareness that help tune out stress and anxiety and force participants to be present.”

This year will be Wild Walls’ 30th anniversary, so stay tuned for a special celebration. “We greatly appreciate everyone, especially our members, and hope to see you on the walls in 2025,” says Mires. You can find all the details on classes, rental equipment, and climbing times at Wildwalls.com.

Q: What are your outdoor goals for 2025?

Lisa Laughlin: Get more into cycling!

Holly Weiler: Spend more nights under the stars!

Eric Deady: To lead and guide more bikepacking routes and trips.

Brad Northrup: Take my dad to Alaska to fly fish for steelhead.

Alana Livingston: Explore more hiking in British Columbia.

Adam Gebauer: Get a picture of the Milky Way.

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©Copyright 2025 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 / Out There Outdoors do not recommend that anyone participate in these activities unless they are experts or seek qualified professional instruction and/or guidance, and are knowledgeable about the risks, and are personally willing to assume all responsibility associated with those risks.

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SHILOH TALL // PHOTO: TODD MIRES

A Season for New Things

I’M JUST GOING TO SAY IT: winter sucks if you’re not into snowsports. I can only wax poetical for a short time on the watercolor-like afternoons that follow fresh snow before I’m pining for spring trails and garden boxes. I’ve spent whole winters trying to be patient; this winter I’m trying skiing. Finding a hack for joy during winter is essential in our region. Last winter, for me, it

was bread. And I know I’m late to that party. To get through last January, I asked two of my friends to put me through sourdough bootcamp. We spent a foggy morning discussing water and flour ratios, the magic of proofing, and how to shape a loaf of bread. It sent me down a rabbit hole (what else was a trail runner to do who didn’t ski?) and I studied the fundamentals of bread, baking

two loaves a week just to nail the basics. My brain was on fire. It felt so good to learn something new in the dead of winter that it seemed like cheating the hardest season I knew.

So. The skiing. My winter hack with bread felt so good that I threw myself into ski lessons this past December. This felt equivalent to what I’ve seen of my toddler learning to walk. But, with great instruction from 49 Degrees North, I made progress. After each lesson, I buzzed from the input, trying to memorize the way my legs and feet moved in skis to make a parallel turn as I drove away from the mountain. I don’t know if the love of the sport has taken hold yet, but it’s brought that same thrill of learning that helped me survive last winter.

Learning new things goes hand in hand with capacity. And there will be an ebb and flow to that capacity. Some winter days, I still hibernate indoors, trying to ignore that it’s dark before dinner. It seems so much easier to pursue new things in summer, with its long light and abundant vitamins and vegetables. Though it may require headlamps, puffy layers, and grit, going after something new in winter can bring the same feel-good hit.

January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, and, with a fresh year ahead of us, it’s a great time to get out there and do some-

thing different to pass your winter days. (See our Out There Snow section for inspiration). If you’re a skier, try a snowboarding or telemark ski lesson. A snowboarder, try skis. I know that may border on blasphemy for some, but putting your feet in new bindings might just turn your mind in a refreshing way, the most invigorating thing I can think of during the dark, wet days of the season.

There are many ideas for new pursuits in this issue: find a sauna, take an aerial class, or glide behind a team of sled dogs around Priest Lake. Set camp at a winter campground and enjoy the sights and sounds of the less-common camping season. Make a twist on s’mores at your next outdoor bonfire, read up on lost apple cultivars, or trick out your bike for winter riding and go quest for local coffee. Or give yourself time and space to learn about the trickiest of subjects, yourself, and consider your relationship to the wilderness around you.

This list isn’t to promote busyness (our culture does a great job of that on its own), but rather the many small ways that learning and newness can be worked into your current life and hobbies. No matter how late to the party you may be, it’s better than not showing up. Happy year of new.

Lisa Laughlin, Managing Editor

DISPATCHES

DISHMAN HILLS FUELS REDUCTION IN THE WORKS

SPOKANE, WASH.

Trails near Camp Caro look very different lately since Spokane County Parks has been thinning the forest (smaller trees less than 8 inches in diameter). The goal is to clear out the underbrush and prune lower limbs to create a more open environment consistent with the historical fire tolerant ecology. The benefits are reduced fire risk; healthier trees that do not have to compete for limited water; and improved visibility for trail users, which can prevent unwanted encounters with wildlife and other people. Ruth Gifford, executive director of the Dishman Hills Conservancy, emphasized the importance of safety awareness during this process. “Do not go into areas where there are orange fences,” she says. Heavy equipment can throw wood and debris long distances, and workers wearing hearing protection may not see or hear people nearby. She also urges visitors to leave orange flagging in place, as it marks boundaries. Removing it could cause equipment to encroach on unintended areas.

The fuels reduction work will continue to be visually impactful for a while, says Gifford, adding that the end goal is well worth it. “The result is that the forest will be more open than in the past. It’s shocking now, but the appearance will continue to improve sea-

son to season, year to year.” This new openness will aim to keep wildfires on the ground, improve access for firefighters, and reduce the intensity of the fire, protecting the critical ecology.

Dishman Hills is managed jointly by Spokane County, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Dishman Hills Conservancy. With fires in and around the area becoming more frequent — including the Cimmaron Fire in September 2024 — Spokane County has created a Wildfire Mitigation Coalition comprised of fire districts and land managers all over the county to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires in an all-lands collaborative approach.

Gifford encouraged visitors to explore Dishman Hills’ other 22 miles of trails and four additional trailheads for the time being. The Glenrose, Stevens Creek, Iller Creek, and Phillips Creek trailheads are less impacted than Camp Caro this winter. From the Camp Caro entrance at East 8th Avenue and South Edgerton Road, visitors can still safely access the Ponds Loop, Eagle Peak, and Nimbus Knob trails. Other trail closures will continue for several months, with work near the Glenrose trailhead expected to begin in late winter and spring.

(Crystal Atamian)

ENTER TO WIN THIS EPIC SWEEPSTAKES

SPOKANE, WASH.

Your local Toyota dealers have lined up another year of free skiing and snowboarding for Toyota drivers with this season’s Toyota Free Ski Friday events at resorts around the region (check out the schedule and official sweepstakes rules at Toyotafreeski.com). New this year to spread the love of free skiing to all, whether you currently drive a Toyota

vehicle or not, Toyota and Out There are teaming up to give you the chance to still score free lift tickets and other prizes this season, including a SNEVA snowboard, lift tickets, mountain town lodging, ski and snowboard gear, and other outdoor gear prizes. Enter to win at Outthereoutdoors.com/contests. (OTO)

COLDSMOKE POWDER FEST, FEB. 20-23

NELSON, BC

This four-day celebration of alpine and backcountry ski and snowboard culture in the Kootenays takes place both on the slopes at Whitewater Ski Resort and in nearby Nelson, B.C. Participants can take part in clinics, competitions, gear demos, and arts, cultural and social gatherings, like the Ranger Night at Backroads Brewing in Nelson and the Stellar Film Competition.

On Feb. 22, Coldsmoke’s Backcountry Relay event will be a creative take on uphill relays, with team participants donning costumes while ski or splitboard touring uphill, using an avy beacon to find a hidden egg and firewood, then embarking on a slalom-style ski/board descent to the

final task of starting a fire and cooking and eating the egg in a frying pan participants carry along on the entire relay.

The Organic Slopestyle on Feb. 23 is also a popular spectacle. This humanpowered, off-piste competition for skiers and snowboarders starts with a boot pack before participants incorporate natural features into their tricks and jumps through Whitewater’s breathtaking Powder Keg terrain. Coldsmoke clinic topics include managing avalanche terrain, park skills, a telemark meet-up, women’s freeride snowboarding, skiing/riding steeps and deeps, adventure photography, freeride jumps and tricks, and more. Skiwhitewater.com. (OTO)

SPOKANE GREAT OUTDOORS EXPO, FEB. 22-23

SPOKANE, WASH.

Every year, come late February, the Spokane Great Outdoors Expo brings together outdoor clubs and non-profits, outdoor adventure retailers, travel destinations, and activities for adults and families at the Spokane Convention Center. This year’s two-day event set for Feb. 22-23 will showcase everything from RVs and overlanding and biking gear to representatives of public lands agencies and outfitters. Highlights include hourly presentations on a range of outdoor recreation, conservation, and natural history topics, as well as live wildlife educational presenta-

tions for kids and families. Free entertainment all weekend includes live traditional Americana music, extreme skateboarding demonstrations, marshmallow roasting in an indoor “campground,” magic shows, crosscut log sawing demonstrations, hourly prize drawings, and a Kids’ Adventure Passport activity, where kids get to complete various challenges for an outdoors expo swag bag. Attendees also get into the Spokane Golf Show, which is connected to the Great Outdoors Expo, with their ticket. More info at Spokaneoutdoorexpo. com. (OTO)

BOOK REVIEW: “LOST APPLES: THE SEARCH FOR RARE AND HERITAGE APPLES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST”

SANDPOINT, IDAHO

When David Benscoter left a 24-year career in federal law enforcement, he didn’t think he’d spend his time chasing down vanishing apple cultivars. But the premise of lost apples intrigued him, and he put his detective skills to work to piece together when, where and why certain apples were planted in the late 1800s in the Inland Empire.

While some homesteads are gone, Benscoter realized many of their apple trees remained. By cross-referencing plat maps, old nursery flyers, and records from apple entries in local county fairs, he spent the last 10 years hunting for big, gnarled trees in hopes of identifying rare or “lost” apples. The result is the book “Lost Apples: The Search for Rare and Heritage Apples in the Pacific Northwest.” Benscoter collaborated with Linda Hackbarth on the book, which was published last September by Sandpoint’s Keokee Books.

Benscoter applies historical knowledge— searching in low points next to water or on any land too rough for farm equipment, where homesteaders would have planted fruit trees—and takes the reader on a region-

ALTAI SKIS

al overview in “Lost Apples.” Photos from early-1900s fruit catalogues and ads in local papers like the “Palouse Gazette” add interest to this book.

While there are a few renown “apple detectives” in the U.S., Benscoter is one of the first to retrace apple history in the PNW. His close-to-the-land investigation includes familiar places like Steptoe Butte. Benscoter sends promising samples to apple identifiers in Oregon, who, in part, compare them to the historic USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection, excerpts of which appear throughout “Lost Apples.”

In 2013, Benscoter’s work led to the discovery of the once-lost apple known as “Fall Jeneting,” which he collected from a tree on the side of the road in Colfax. He since started the Lost Apple Project, dedicated to identifying and preserving heritage (pre-1920s) apple trees and orchards in the Pacific Northwest, and is hunting for more apples before they are lost to climate or time.

“Lost Apples” is a thorough read for any history fan.

(Lisa Laughlin)

BACKCOUNTRY SKI AND HOK FESTIVAL, FEB. 8

CURLEW, WASH

Situated at the foot of the Kettle Range mountains near the Canadian border, 30 minutes northeast from Republic, Wash., Altai Skis sponsors this annual gathering of ski touring enthusiasts in Ferry County. This year’s event is planned for Saturday, Feb. 8. Altai Skis sells backcountry skis that are inspired by the origins of skiing in the Altai Mountains of China, where they’ve been used as a tool for backcountry travel and hunting for millennia. This festival that takes place at Boulder Pass in the Kettle

Range mountains is a chance to try some of Altai’s gear on some relatively mellow backcountry slopes. Festival demos will include the Hok from Altai Skis, which is popular with snowshoers and skiers looking to tour around any size hills or mountains. The event also typically includes group ski tours, where you get the chance to explore the ski terrain and meet other backcountry skiers. Check for details and any schedule changes due to snow and weather conditions at Altaiskis.com. (OTO)

COME CLIMB COEUR!

The Trailhead

Inland NW Trail & Outdoor News

By Holly Weiler

FREE OUTDOOR-THEMED ENTERTAINMENT

• Washington State Parks will hold a fee-free day (no Discover Pass required) on both Jan. 1 and Jan. 20. Note that SnoParks on Washington State Park property are not included in fee-free days.

• Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness will be offering several fun winter outings! Advance registration is required and some trips may fill up, so check calendars and sign up right away. Offerings include Regal Creek on Jan. 11, Dry Creek Wildlife ID and Tracking on Feb. 8, a full moon snowshoe in coordination with Kaniksu Land Trust on Feb. 12, and a Ross Creek Cedars Snowshoe on Feb. 22.

• Spokane Nordic’s Winterfest is on Jan. 19, with a mix of free events along with some reduced-cost ski lessons. Among the free activities will be a kid’s treasure hunt (ages 4 & up), adaptive equipment demos, and a chance to meet Captain Ginge, Mount Spokane’s jolly Nordic groomer operator!

• Methow Trails Association is holding its annual Backyard Ski Day on Jan. 31. The usual daily pass fees will be waived for trail use this day, and there will be limited Nordic ski and fat bike demos, along with free cross-country ski lessons.

FILM FESTIVALS

• Banff Mountain Film Festival returns to Spokane Jan. 10-12. A limited number of VIP event tickets are available as a fundraiser for several area nonprofits as well as regular festival passes.

• Winter Wildlands Alliance’s Backcountry Ski Film Festival has several upcoming showings in our region! Selkirk Outdoor Leadership & Education (SOLE), Inc. will host a showing in Sandpoint on Jan. 10. Montana Backcountry Alliance will host the film festival on Jan. 16. University of Idaho Outdoor Program will host one in Moscow Jan. 29, and

Wild Montana—Flathead Kootenai Chapter, will host a showing on Feb. 6.

FUNDRAISERS

• Idaho Panhandle Nordic Club will host its annual Best Hand Poker Ski and Snowshoe fundraiser on Jan. 4. For a nominal donation to the ski club, enter either the ski or snowshoe category and follow the marked route to collect playing cards. Best poker hands get top choice of prizes, but sometimes even the poor poker hands earn swag, as local businesses sponsor many prizes for this fun event!

STEWARDSHIP, CONSERVATION, & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

• Join Okanogan Highlands Alliance on Jan. 24 for an in-person presentation on Whitebark Pine: Ecology and Conservation at the Community Cultural Center of Tonasket. The event starts with a dinner benefitting the Community Cultural Center from 5 - 6:15 p.m. The presentation starts at 6:30 p.m. and is free to the public.

• Washington Trails Association will host several snowshoe work parties through the winter months at Spokane County Parks and Mount Spokane State Park. Winter trailwork tasks consist of trimming encroaching vegetation, trimming low tree branches, removing downfall trees from popular snowshoe routes, and shoveling trail bridges. Gear requirements vary based on current snow conditions for each trail, from boots with micro spikes sufficient to snowshoes necessary. Please contact the event leader with any questions about gear.

Holly Weiler is the Eastern Washington Region Senior Coordinator for Washington Trails Association and is pretty sure this will finally be the winter to successfully summit Granite Peak on either snowshoes or skis, after turning around a bit shy of the top on the last two trips.

HIKE OF THE MONTH FRATER LAKE SNOWPARK

(COLVILLE NATIONAL FOREST, WASH.)

FRATER LAKE SNOPARK IS A DAY-USE ONLY trail system maintained for winter access via the SnoPark system (permit required) and easily accessible from Highway 20 just west of Tiger/east of Colville. The main trail system consists of 16 kilometers of trails that are groomed for Nordic ski access as conditions allow. Since this SnoPark sits at 3,180’ elevation, sometimes there is not sufficient snow to allow for grooming. It’s best to watch weather conditions or bring extra equipment to best match the snow level. Sometimes the trails are hardpacked and icy under the trees, best-suited for traction devices on boots or riding fat bikes. When conditions do allow for grooming, snowshoe (and fat bike) users are asked to stay off the groomed trail but can set a snowshoe trail alongside the groomed path.

The parking area is located on the north side of Highway 20, and the majority of the trail distance and most challenging trails are also on this side of the system. The trail’s maximum elevation is at Coyote Rock at 3,483’. A small warming hut is located next to Frater Lake. Bring a headlamp, as it can be dark inside. On the south side of the highway there is a smaller interconnected loop trail system. The trails here lack big climbs but have many short ups and downs that can be very fun on skis when conditions are good.

For a more challenging snowshoe hike or backcountry ski tour requiring navigation skills and understanding of avalanche conditions, it’s also possible to follow the summer trail to Granite Peak. This route is not marked or maintained for winter access, so map and compass skills are necessary.

SKIJORING IN FRESH SNOW AT FRATER LAKE SNOPARK // PHOTO: HOLLY WEILER

SPOKANE’S POPULAR BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL SHOWINGS ARE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH NON-PROFITS THAT SUPPORT OUR LOCAL OUTDOORS COMMUNITY. // PHOTO COURTESY OF BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL

& FITNESS

Can Sitting In a Sauna Make You Healthier?

HEATED ROOMS have been enjoyed by cultures around the world for thousands of years, but the modern sauna was developed in Finland, where the word sauna originates. In fact, saunas are such an integral part of Finnish society that in 2020, sauna culture was added to the UNESCO list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

And the Finns may have figured something out, because for the sixth year in a row Finland ranked as the happiest country in the world in the 2024 World Happiness Index. The warm embrace of a sauna can certainly raise your spirits—especially on a dark winter day—but scientific research suggests that saunas can be good for your physical health as well.

One of the most often-cited sauna studies was published in 2015 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers followed over 2,000 Finnish men for two decades and concluded that increased use

By Chris Maccini

says. “You get some bang for your buck without having to do a whole lot. You're just sitting there and letting your heart rate crank up with the heat.”

Short term benefits can include relaxation, pain relief, and increased cardiovascular endurance. But, like any exercise or treatment, a sauna can be intense for those not used to it.

For that reason, Nichols says it’s best to start with short intervals and work up to longer ses sions: “Ease into it, you know, five or 10 min utes. How do you feel after it? If you feel good, then keep hydrated, and go a little bit longer. But the more consistent and the more often we're in it, the more benefit there is.”

FINDING OR BUILDING A SAUNA

BUILD A SAUNA IN YOUR OWN YARD.

For those interested in starting their sauna journey, several area gyms and fitness studios include saunas which are available for mem bers’ use. The YMCA of the Inland Northwest has saunas at all four of their Spokane-area locations as well as the Litehouse YMCA in Sandpoint. Saunas are also available at many well ness spas, including La Rive Spa at Northern Quest Casino and Sanctuary Spokane in West Central.

But for hardcore sauna enthu siasts, nothing beats having a sauna at home. Rebecca HurlenPatano built an outdoor sauna— and a cold plunge—in her yard in North Idaho. “They’re a sig nificant investment,” HurlenPatano says. “But we had the opportunity to kind of do some deferred maintenance on our health. I use it as a great place to just focus on my breath and meditate.”

of saunas correlated with reduced risk of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal cardiovascular disease, and all causes of death.

Using a sauna can have short-term health benefits as well, according to Trey Nichols, a Doctor of Physical Therapy at NW Movement Co. in Spokane, who has used saunas in treating his patients. “The sauna is so beneficial because the stress of the heat can release hormones and do a lot of different work physiologically,” Nichols

At 63 years old, HurlenPatano credits her personal outdoor spa for keeping her healthy. “For me, being exposed in the outdoors has really given me a lot of immune boosting properties,” she says. “I go from the sauna to the cold plunge and then I take an outdoor shower. I'm outdoors and I'm walking on the rocks and I towel off in the wind and I think it has really helped my immune system.”

Whether it’s at home or at the gym, a sauna could help you stay warm, happy and healthy this winter and bring surprising long-term benefits.

Chris Maccini is a writer and audio producer from Spokane. When he’s not in a sauna this winter, you can find him on his snowboard or his Nordic skis at various Inland Northwest mountains.

DEEP coffee connects us to the mountains we love and the people who protect them.

Coffeeneuring By

Justin Short

IRECENTLY ATTENDED my first randonneuring event, so now it’s time to throw some pretentious sounding French cycling jargon at you. Randonneuring is a form of organized non-competitive longdistance cycling that is very popular in Europe. Riders are self-supported, though they are encouraged to work together to finish a given event within an established time cut, which is usually a 10 mph average that includes stopping to re-supply or sleep, of which there is very little on the longer events. Event distances range from 200-1,200 kilometers with a series of qualifying rides necessary to participate in Paris-Brest-Paris, the biggest and oldest cycling event in the world, which, as the name suggests, takes place in Paris, France, and NOT Paris, Texas.

Our local randonneuring club is Seattle Randonneurs, which organized a 100 kilometer “gravel populaire” on the Waterville Plateau east of Wenatchee back in September. My introduction to the randonneuring community involved knocking one of the riders off her bike barely a block into the ride. I may never live that down, but she and I were friends by the end as we had teamed up to hunt down the checkpoints and fill out our time cards, which are called “brevet” cards. I will now segue into the intended subject of this column by mentioning that the quite delightful hot, steamy coffee beverage called a “breve,” a latte made with half and half, is pronounced the exact same way as brevet,

a few years ago.

An official Coffeeneuring ride can be as little as two miles in one direction, but the sky is the limit in terms of maximum distance. DOMA Coffee Roasting Company just opened a destination coffeehouse right on the Centennial Trail on the Spokane River in Coeur d’Alene. I conned two friends into riding out there with me in a cold November downpour. That 100 miles was as satisfying as it was soggy. And I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t already mapped out an adventure route that summits Mount Spokane and Hoodoo Mountain on its way to Evans Brothers Coffee in Sandpoint, Idaho … but that will be for fairer weather, perhaps during Huckleberry Milkshakeneuring season. Dan Weber who works at REI has organized an event on his own (not affiliated with REI) called Donut Roll that is basically a Donutneuring event, which hits all the donut shops in one go. I think you’d have a panic attack before you got through a quarter of Spokane’s great coffee shops in the same manner.

I spoke with the good folks at Spokane’s City Planning Department too in an effort to make sure they have your safety in mind for your caffeine-addled quests. Bike infrastructure improvements include expansion of greenway bike thoroughfares and protected bike lanes in key places, and the city has purchased a snow removal machine to

plow those skinny bike-only paths that routinely get buried under snow. City personnel is being trained in its proper use, and we will have rideable protected bike lanes this winter. Hopefully they are consulting mountain bike coach Frank Bennish on how to operate this machine. Frank is the guy who operates the fat bike trail groomer in Riverside State Park and elsewhere in the Spokane region; he knows all the best combinations of obscenities to shout at just the right volume to bring any mechanical contrivance to heel. Snow plowed into unprotected bike lanes could remain a problem, but perhaps I could be persuaded to trade in my cushy union grocery hauling gig to drive snow plows for the city, in which case you would never see a snowflake in the bike lane ever again.

To learn more about the Coffeeneuring Challenge, visit ChasingMailboxes.com, but I suggest just hopping on your bike to get your ‘neur on … it will stimulate your neurons. See what I did there? I might need to cut back on my caffeine intake.

Staff writer Justin M Short BA has registered for the solo category in this year’s 24 Hours of Riverside Mountain Bike Race. He’s a little unclear if he’s going for a Riverside double century or just trying to get 8 hours of sleep between laps. Either way, coffee will be involved.

if you’re willing to overlook which syllable gets the stress. It is my belief that the homophonic similarity of these terms, brevet and breve, is what inspired COFFEENEURING, the fantastic new cycle-sport that is sweeping the colder climates. That’s right, there’s even a Coffeeneuring Challenge, and you get a cool patch to sew on your waterproof jacket if you meet all the requirements. I won’t get into the rules and regulations, because that’s almost entirely tongue-in-cheek anyway; let’s just take this in easy stages so we can get you outside on a bike, hunting down some excellent coffee roasted and brewed right here in the Inland Northwest.

This topic dovetails nicely with the last issue’s EDC column on urban fat biking, and perhaps a future column on the art of cold weather layering strategies. For now, let’s just get out there. You’ll figure out what to wear and what not to wear. There are more than a few destinations to keep in mind, Roast House Coffee is my personal favorite. They support every cycling event in Spokane, and they make damn good coffee. You can go to their tasting room on Cleveland Ave or hit 1st Avenue Coffee downtown. New Love Coffee in Kendall Yards is an excellent place to meet up with friends to sample their mouth-watering hand pies. Ladder Coffee Roasters is not to be missed at any of their three locations. The coffee shop in Saranac Commons features beans from craft roasters out of town, and Revel 77 out on 57th on the South Hill started roasting their own beans

IN LOVING MEMORY OF ROAST HOUSE

FOUNDER DEB DI BERNARDO // PHOTO: SHALLAN KNOWLES

In Memory of Roast House's Founder

If you ever met Deb Di Bernardo, you would remember it, clearly. There was a small holiday get-together at a friend's house and Deb was already there, at the head of the table, enthralling the room with her stories and her laugh. It was about the time she had just left her job and was starting Roast House Coffee. Her quick wit, love of expletives and unfiltered opinion left an impression. The success of Roast House is surely due to her energy and love of community. She had hot coffee for early morning riders during Bike to Work Week and Spokefest. She caffeinated Spokane Bike Swap shoppers. She donated to local nonprofits with abandon. Her desire was to change the world and she did, not just with her coffee and her words. Deb loved people. If you stopped by the tasting room, you were a forever friend, with an invitation to the back, a tour, and an invitation to grab a seat and hang out a while. Although she left the world in December 2024, she will be ever present in the outdoor community. Her memory will forever be a f****** blessing.

(Shallan Knowles)

ROAST HOUSE COFFEE COMES WITH INSTRUCTIONS. //

PHOTO: JUSTIN SHORT

Skills

Kick-Ass Cold and Flu Tea

By Karie Lee Knoke

WINTER IS TIME to play in the snow! Get outside and enjoy the quietness of the forest, as most plants are dormant and critters hibernate or take shelter from the cold weather. The colder season also brings along . . . you guessed it, colds.

Colder weather taxes our immune system, which may be run down after a busy summer of playing hard, to the hustle of fall as we tuck away our gardens beds, gather firewood and whatever it is we need to do before the snow flies. By the time winter comes, we are exhausted!

When you or your loved ones get sick, we go to the medicine cabinet and pull out our favorite arsenal of elixirs and potions, whether store-bought or handmade, in hopes to relieve symptoms quickly and regain our health. In this article, I’d like to share with you a kick-ass tea recipe that I make when I have that irritating stuffy head and congested lung from viruses.

First, I take a sip of elderberry syrup every day to keep viruses at bay. But sometimes, a cold catches us, and then you’re down. This is when I go for the stronger stuff. My personal army of heroic herbal remedies. Here is my recipe:

In a pot, rehydrate dried rose hips for a couple of hours. Then add ginger, turmeric, a dash of black pepper and gently simmer for 10-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and immediately add the following herbs: usnea, yerba santa, red root ceanothus, and stinging nettle to the pot. Let this steep for a few minutes. Then comes the final kicker; lomatium dissectum in raw honey!

Why these herbs? Rose Hips (fresh or dried) have 25 times more vitamin C than oranges!

• Ginger root (fresh) is anti-inflammatory, expectorant, warms the body, and can soothe a sore throat.

• Turmeric (fresh) is an anti-inflammatory and helps calm those body aches.

• Black Pepper (ground) increases the absorption of turmeric and activates its healing properties.

• Usnea (tincture is best) is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-microbial and an allaround kick-ass heroic herb!

• Yerba Santa (fresh or tinctured) is an expec-

torant, relieving coughs, colds, tuberculo sis, asthma and chronic bronchitis.

• Red Root Ceanothus (dried or tinctured) helps to flush toxins through your lym phatic system.

• Stinging Nettle (fresh, dried or tinctured) is a natural antihistamine and anti-inflam matory, reducing swollen nasal passages and relieving congestion and sneezing.

• Lomatium Dissectum Root (infused in raw honey), also called “bear root,” is another heroic herb that is antiviral, antibacterial and antiseptic.

• Raw Honey has propolis that boosts the immune system, is antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It soothes a sore throat, and, like Mary Poppins says, “it helps the medicine go down!”

If your ingredients are dried or fresh roots or rose hips, they will need to simmer first, then add the leafy-type ingredients to steep. No need to worry about the alcohol in tinc tures for kids or if you are non-alcoholic. The hot steaming water will evaporate off any alcohol in the tinctures.

A seasoned forager or herbalist will har vest these plants in the spring and summer and preserve them for later use, such as the winter cold and flu season. I like to have them in tincture form and readily available for when you need it most. When you’re sick! Most of these herbs are available at your local health food store, but what a blessing to have them already in your cupboard!

Start the memories… New Year

For more details on how to make this tea, check out my YouTube video on How to Make Kick-ass Cold and Flu Tea. In the meantime, stay well, stay warm and have a healthy winter!

Karie Lee Knoke is a wilderness/primitive skills instructor and founder of Sacred Cedars Wilderness School. She was a contestant on the reality survival TV show, Alone Season 9, on the History Channel. Go to www.karieleeknoke.com for more information or follow her on Facebook @ SacredCedarsWildernessSchool or Instagram @karie_lee_knoke.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KARIE LEE KNOKE

RUN WILD Midwinter Motivation

By Sarah Hauge

for today’s run. Last week, it was reality TV. Before that, it was stories of human cloning and convenience store hijinks.

From Agatha Christie mysteries to Emily Nussbaum’s excellent insights on reality TV in “Cue the Sun!” to Conan O’Brien’s thoughtful and absurd interviews (and endless co-worker bickering) on his podcast, my running soundtrack of audiobooks and podcasts is all over the place, in the best way. Some days, knowing all the great options I have to choose from is the impetus I need to put on my shoes.

As we power through the bleak midwinter, extra motivation can be especially helpful. While some of us revel in those frosty runs— I count myself among them at times—there are many things winter is not. It is not the season for fast paces, reveling in sunshine, or crossing paths with friendly dogs and kids on bikes. For year-round outdoor runners, it can feel downright solitary out there, with every day offering more of the same.

But that monotony makes it a great time to lean into running’s other benefits. With the solitude comes the peace of quiet streets. The sensations of frost-nipped cheeks, slightly numb toes, that dropped-stomach, almostlosing-your-balance sensation when you slide on some ice while sidestepping snow berms.

The experiences are small, but you notice them more. The roads are quiet. The landscape is muted bordering on humdrum, a tone-on-tone palette of icy blues, frosty whites, and misty grays. No, it’s not necessarily thrilling, but it sets the tone for reflection, letting your mind wander, exploring. On a winter run, the pressure is off.

This other day I woke up feeling foggy, stuck in a strange out-of-body disconnection I’ve experienced occasionally since childhood. After coffee and a laughable attempt to snap myself out of it by slapping my own cheeks, I decided what I needed was a cold

winter run. The air was freezing and damp, the kind of chill you can’t forget about even when you’ve been running for 30 minutes. My run didn’t totally shake me out of my fuzzy state of mind. But after six chilly miles accompanied by the syncopation of my feet, my heart, and my breath, I felt more like myself, ready to handle the afternoon ahead. Winter strips things down. It’s not a time for showing off, impressive paces, setting big goals. It’s about the good stuff.

The good stuff?

• Running with a friend.

• Listening to something you enjoy— whether that’s a favorite podcast, a good book, your running playlist, or just the sounds of your shoes hitting the pavement.

• Laughing at holiday decorations gone wrong (like the neighbor’s house with the gruesome severed head left hanging after Halloween well into December).

• Mulling over life’s big questions, like where the squirrels have gone, and where squirrels poop when they aren’t gone—and also, why you don’t know the answers to these age-old questions by now.

• Thinking, rethinking, letting your mind wander, making brilliant insights, mentally rehashing old arguments, letting them go.

Time on the run isn’t only measured by miles logged or records set. It’s about the sights you see, the thoughts you think, the conversations you share, the absurdities you observe. Anxiety released, depression mitigated, daylight savored. Roads taken, roads not. The drumbeats of hours spent, doing your thing, jogging along.

Sarah Hauge is a writer, editor, and grantwriter who lives in Spokane with her husband and two children. She hopes to sneak in some warmer winter running during a trip to L.A. with her daughter this February.

MURDER GOT ME OUT THE DOOR

Reading Is the Panacea

By Ammi Midstokke

I HAVE LOVED a great many asses in my lifetime, but never a donkey. This is what I’m thinking one evening, curled up beneath layers of a comforter, obscenely bright light reflecting off a wall in an attempt to cast a softer glow on the pages of my book.

I’m reading the Spanish poet Juan Ramón Jiménez because I once read a line of his describing how his donkey, Platero, with his cotton-soft lips disturbs the reflection of the full moon in a puddle as he drinks, his thick eyelashes lowering to watch the watery moon ripple away. My hesitation in reading this particular collection of prose, “Platero y yo” (Platero and I), came merely from this reality: It would solidify the conviction in my belief that I need a donkey. Also, some of those fainting goats seem like a good idea.

I cannot put Jiménez down at night, and each evening I look forward to reading and re-reading his lines. It is not his love of Platero that brings me back or has me sighing wistfully and returning to the beginning of the sentence. It is in how he brings loss to life, the ache of love to one’s chest. It is in how he sees the natural world, then pulls from it the colors of a painting, the smells of a pine copse on a wet night, the insect clamor of late summer, and sets them upon paper to be deliciously supped by one’s hungering mind.

And trust me, my mind is hungry right now. It needs the literary reminders of a world in which every sunset is magical and marvelously different. There are dozens of descriptions of sunsets by Jiménez, each one more remarkably visceral or amber or purple or glowing copper than the next and they never, ever get redundant.

This is the reminder I need right now: Sunsets will continue happening. People are trying to live their lives to the best of their ability. We should observe with respect and

awe. We are surrounded by beauty and wonders and loves that are temporal and fleeting. We should pay attention.

This is not my impulse right now. Indeed, I want to bury my head in the sand for the next four years like half the nation buried theirs in their asses for the last four (speaking of donkeys). While a fair amount of ignorance may be necessary to support our mental health as humanity navigates some big-picture problems, I am determined to distract myself with connection rather than dissociation, to remain curious and openhearted. To explore a world larger than mine and breathe deeply the minutia of my tiny, self-absorbed one.

It will take poetry and art and hiking. And conversations and questions and listening. And reading. More reading.

I do not mean headlines, newsfeeds, or social media. Pick up a copy of Hofstadter’s “Anti-intellectualism in American Life.” Read Thoreau and Whitman. Read Du Bois and Chesnutt. Read Edward Abbey, try to tolerate the misogyny for the other gifts, then read him again. Don’t forget Amanda Gorman and Thich Nhat Hanh.

When the throbbing of your head matches the pulse of your heart, take a break with Ocean Vuong. Read, my friends. Read about other lives and other perspectives. Read about ideas you disagree with. Read enough to contemplate the possibility of changing your mind. Read about sunsets that make you weep and sunrises that give you hope. Then go outside and find both.

Ammi Midstokke is currently reading her HOA rules about owning livestock. She will spend her winter buried in books as she prepares for the great, misled hope of gardening season.

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Start/Finish at Big Barn Brewing Co. in Green Bluff, WA ROAD RIDES: 25, 50, 66, & 100-mile routes

LEMONY RED LENTIL SOUP WITH CRISPY LEEKS

After a cold day playing in the snow, hot soup can be a powerful recovery food. This recipe from LINC foods is hearty, seasonal and warming, using organic and local produce.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup couscous // 1 Tbsp olive oil // ½ red onion from Big Sage Organics, diced // 2 carrots from Full Bushel Farm, diced // 2 garlic cloves from Royal Produce, minced // 1 Tbsp tomato paste // 1 tsp ground cumin // ¼ tsp ground black pepper // 1 cup red or yellow lentils from Palouse Brand // 6 cups water // 1 leek from Ralph’s Greenhouse or Hayshaker Farm, sliced into quarter inch rounds // 2 Tbsp butter // juice of ½ lemon.

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the carrots and garlic and cook for another five minutes.

2. Add the tomato paste, cumin and pepper, stirring for two minutes until fragrant. Add the lentils and water. Bring to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender, about half an hour.

3. Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat and add the butter and leek. Sauté for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until leeks are browned and crispy. Set aside.

4. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until about halfway until slightly thickened.

5. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon and crispy leeks sprinkled on top. Enjoy! (Courtesy of LINC Foods — The Local Inland Northwest Cooperative @ lincfoods.com.)

SAVORY S’MORES

This winter season, transform your s’mores into savory s’mores! Simply swap out the marshmallow for a chunk of cheese, the chocolate for a smear of spread, and the graham crackers for crackers or bread. The result is a warm, comforting bite that can be a main course before the traditional s’mores.

Since TikTok and Instagram launched savory s’mores onto the scene, this food trend has captured the imaginations of many content creators, camping enthusiasts, and foodies—the combinations seem endless. Referencing a variety of gourmet cheeses, cured meats, and crackers, the food concept may have sprung out of the movement towards charcuterie platters and grazing tables that spawned businesses and enhanced catering over the past few years. So, keep those pairings in mind as you prep your bonfire snacks.

Here are a few tips to get you started. First, use a melty cheese. Hard cheeses, like parmesan and pecorino Romano tend to crisp instead of melt. Second, don’t hesitate to add another ingredient to your roasting stick, like a slice of meat, an olive, or even a piece of fruit. Third, spreads are optional but definitely enhance the texture of your s’mores. And, finally, choose a cracker or piece of bread that both complements and fits the ingredients. Cheez-it crackers are a bit small for this snack. My top combinations: mozzarella ball, cherry tomato, pesto, and water crackers; Finnish bread cheese, salami, fig jam, and buttery crackers; and Mini Babybel, ham, cranberry sauce, and Triscuits. (S. Michal Bennett)

GAEASTAR CLAY CUPS

I was recently visiting the DOMA Coffee Roasting Company Café in Coeur d’Alene, and I noticed a new, innovative, disposable cup from GaeaStar that they started offering in September. As someone who has coowned a mobile coffee business and faced the struggle of paper cup waste, the simple, red clay cup intrigued me.

Single-use cups have been an environmental issue for a hot minute. Styrofoam is non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, and takes 500 years to decompose. Paper cups are lined with plastic to make them waterproof. But, GaeaStar cups are an innovative alternative disposable cup made of clay and inspired by the traditional single-use kulhar pottery cups used for 5,000 years by food stalls in India to serve hot beverages. The GaeaStar cup is simply made of clay, water, and salt. It’s also low-energy 3D-printed, leakproof, stackable, and reusable. It’s delicate yet sturdy, and if it ever breaks, it easily returns to the dust it was before.

DOMA has always promoted conservation and sustainability through its support and business practices, so offering this cup aligns perfectly with that tradition. “At our café and coffee lab,” says Muir Harrison, DOMA’s CEO, “we encourage people to bring their own reusable cups…GaeaStar’s mission is to eliminate plastic waste, and we’re 100% on board with that goal.” Pick up a clay mug from DOMA, bring it back on your next visit, and get a discount on your drink. Then, see how long you can use it or smash it in your garden at the first opportunity! I plan to fill mine with steaming chai and see if it can outlive me.

(S. Michal Bennett)

GINGER-LEMON ELIXIR

Combat the cold season with this simple yet powerful medicinal drink made with pantry staples that pack a healthboosting punch. Ginger, with its warming properties, increases circulation and soothes upset stomachs and nausea. Honey is a natural powerhouse—an antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and an effective remedy for coughs and sore throats. Lemon, rich in Vitamin C, gives your immune system a much-needed boost, while turmeric, if added, brings its renowned anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits to the mix. Drink daily or as needed to ward off illness, soothe a scratchy throat, or simply warm your spirits on a chilly day.

INGREDIENTS:

1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped // honey, to taste // juice of 1 lemon (or to taste) // 2 cups water // 1 teaspoon turmeric (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine water and ginger in a small pot and simmer for 10–20 minutes. The longer it simmers, the stronger the infusion will be.

2. If you feel a cold coming on, simmer the mixture until reduced by half for a potent, concentrated brew.

3. Remove from heat and stir in honey, lemon juice, and turmeric (if using).

4. Strain into a mug and enjoy hot for maximum comfort or chilled for a refreshing tonic.

(Alana Livingston)

Forest Service Budget Cut

By Adam Gebauer

TWENTY-PLUS YEARS AGO, I was a seasonal wildlife biologist, conducting surveys to threatened species in proposed timber harvest units. Many national forest districts rely on seasonal staff, as I was, to conduct fish and cultural resource surveys, mend fences and maintain the vast road networks that wind to some of our favorite places.

This year, the U.S. Forest Service is facing a half billion-dollar budget cut from their requested amount. This will likely have a large impact on us, the user groups. To adjust to this financial shortfall, the Forest Service has announced that it will not hire, other than firefighter workforce, any temporary season staff for 2025. Although it isn’t yet clear how many positions this will affect, in 2024 the Forest Service had more than 2,500 seasonal temporary job spots.

Many of these positions are the ones that interact with the public the most. Think of the seasonal trail crews that clear miles of trail each season, the recreation staff that make sure that campgrounds are clean and vault toilets are sanitary, and the climbing and backcountry rangers that patrol some of the most scenic areas (e.g. making sure the Enchantments are not being loved to death). These positions are also key to gaining experience and building the workforce of the Forest Service, and many are worried that without these positions the agency will lose the next generation of employees.

The forest service is taking actions to address this budget issue. Across the country, they have converted nearly 1,300 non-fire temporary (known as 1039 hires) employees to permanent status. The agency will maintain its 11,300-strong fire fighting force too. But there are concerns on agency related blogs and newsletters that this is signaling an agency-wide reduction in work force. Adding to that concern is the unknowns

with the incoming administration and the Department of Government Efficiency.

We may be less affected regionally than other areas. Tribes in the region are working on lending a hand and having more engagement on their ancestral lands. Both the Colville Confederated Tribes and Kalispel Tribe have a Tribal Forest Protection Act (TFPA) agreement with the Colville National Forest. The Kalispel finalized an agreement that will increase the capacity to do a variety of work with the Pend Oreille watershed of the Colville. A focus of many of these potential projects will be aquatic and forest restoration. These TFPAs bring increased capacity by utilizing tribal biologists, foresters, and engineers to complete projects on forest service property.

Regional national forests have also been working to address the staffing issue. The Idaho Panhandle National Forest was able to convert 18 temporary, seasonal positions to full-time. The Colville National Forest hired 45 non-fire temporary employees in 2024, and they were able to convert 21 of those positions to full-time. As was reported in the last issue of this magazine, programs like the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center have grown robust enough and have a close partnership with its NGO arm to not feel the financial hit to their program. Both of these forests already rely on the NGO partners to do a lot of their trail maintenance, including the Washington Trails Association, Backcountry Horseman, Evergreen East, Idaho Trails association, and other organizations.

Other forests might not be so lucky to have a strong volunteer base, so it might be time to grab a shovel and lend a hand.

Adam Gebauer will be hitting the skin track as often as possible and trying to train for his second half marathon this spring.

Get Out There In Your

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GEAR ROOM

The boutique skiwear company Nivis makes limited runs of high-performing outerwear with a focus on mobility, comfort, and exceptional waterproof construction. Nivis recently launched two new jackets the company hails as “ground breaking,” one of which is the Protego Pro Shell that I got the chance to try out. While an extra-busy work schedule torpedoed most of my early-season ski plans, I wore the Protego Pro on one of the most test-worthy days on skis I’ve had in years. Heading up the skin track, the near-perfect fit immediately caught my attention. Since I’m somewhere between a medium and large in most ski jackets, I was stoked that the Protego Pro is offered in a size-bridging ML. Climbing higher, I deployed the deep pit zips, which kept me from sweating out. As the wind and blowing snow starting going off, I battened down the hatches and was pleased that even with the jacket partially unzipped for venting, the storm hood, once cinched, kept insane

gusts from ripping the hood and my hat off my head.

While the Protego Pro is more jacket than I would typically wear in the backcountry, on extreme weather days I wouldn’t wear anything else. The jacket’s premium waterproofing and wind blocking capabilities make it an easy choice, however, for riding the lifts on all but the most pleasant bluebird days. The jacket features three-layer, four-way stretch waterproofbreathable fabric that has a more relaxed and comfortable feel than other bomber ski shells. The many thoughtful features—like a stiff weighted hood brim that keeps snow melt from fogging up goggles, massive sealable drop pockets, a stretchy removable powder skirt, and fleece-lined hand pockets on top of pockets for your pass and phone and multiple chest pockets—make it the ideal resort shell that will be my go-to for years to come. MSRP: $690. Nivisgear.com (Derrick Knowles)

WILDHORN DRIFT PRO MIPS HELMET

The new Drift Pro helmet from Wildhorn makes improvements on the original Drift ski helmet with some new features and style options, including the safety of premium Mips for full protection at the highest industry standards in case of a fall or collision. During my first time wearing my Drift Pro this season, the first thing I noticed was how I barely noticed I was wearing a helmet at all, which is probably the best compliment a helmet can get. Contributing to that full-comfort feel, it weighs in at one pound, has a low profile, excellent thermal insulation, and quick-slide venting on top.

I also love the super-smooth magnetic chin strap clasp that practically locks itself in place. Less intuitive, at least for the first few tries, was releasing the strap to take the helmet off (a skill I’ve since mastered). While I don’t listen to tunes while skiing, preferring instead to keep my ears alert for a certain member of my family approaching wildly behind me, the Drift Pro has audio-ready earflaps. Last, but certainly no less important, the anti-microbial liner should help keep your helmet from smelling like my kid’s snack-encrusted car seat by the end of the season. MSRP: $160. Wildhornoutfitters.com (Derrick Knowles)

Natural fibers rule for warmth and thermoregulation, even when damp, and these PAKA baselayer pieces feature royal alpaca fiber that gives them the legit “softer-than-cashmere feel” that the company claims. The hoodie (MSRP: $135) provides all the warmth you could want on a cold ski day, including on your neck and head. The mid-weight bottoms (MSRP: $125-$135) pair un-matched comfort and

moisture-wicking without the itchiness of some wool baselayers due to PAKA’s use of the finest alpaca fibers. Rest assured you won’t smell like a llama after a day getting after it on the slopes, thanks to alpaca fibers being lanolin free and anti-microbial. Plus, PAKA’s apparel are more sustainable with alpaca fiber ethically sourced from the South American Andes. Pakaapparel.com (Wil Wheaton)

I love technical duffle bags for their versality. A well-made one like the Peak Designs Travel Duffel can be deployed on so many different types of outdoor adventures and travel situations, from keeping ski apparel and gear stored in one place and ready to grab for easy early morning departures, to using as a basecamp bag with everything you’ll need at camp before heading out on backpacking, biking, or rafting and kayaking adventures. It’s also a great travel choice when used as a carry-on or vehicle road trip organizer. I’m a fan of duffels like the Travel Duffel that can be carried by

hand, over-the-shoulder, or worn as a backpack. And then there’s the ability, unlike a backpack, to open it up wide to find what you need without having to pull everything out. The technical features, though, are what make this duffel ideal for outdoor sports and travel. It’s constructed with a tough, water-repelling fabric with a waterproof bottom liner and has three exterior and two interior zippered storage pockets for stashing and organizing smaller items. The Travel Duffel comes in three sizes: 35L, 50L, 65L, and 80L. 50L MSRP: $154.95. Peakdesign.com (Derrick Knowles)

This new packable and light-weight table from Crazy Creek, made 100% in Montana, is as useful on short backpacking trips as it is for post-adventure happy hours in any season. The cube-shaped collapsed table sets up in seconds, creating a 12”x 12” textured table surface with legs that adjust in 1-inch

The Maxfield Pro L is visibly striking in a cyborg-esque way with its edge-to-edge, face-sprawling lens that provides an incredible 185° field of visibility. The stock lens, which is easily swapable with a photochromatic autotint adjusting lens (not included) via a magnetic lens-change system, is high-end with Wildhorn’s Fenom technology for better

increments between five and eight inches tall, allowing you to adjust to match uneven terrain. The Pack Table will happily hold the weight of up to 10 lbs. of whatever you want to put on it, from food and beverages to a lantern or games. MSRP: $59.95. Crazycreek. com (Derrick Knowles)

A cool, techy alternative to an old-fashioned candle, the solar-powered LED Luci Candle glows and flickers like a real candle for up to 18 hours on a full charge. As light as a titanium cook pot with a blow-up design that makes it flat and highly packable when deflated, it’s a great choice

clarity and contrast and with double the anti-fog coating. My first time out this season with the Maxfield Pro goggles was on an obnoxiously foggy day, and they allowed for as much visibility and depth perception as my 40-somethingyear-old eyeballs could ask for given the conditions. MSRP: $150. Wildhornoutfitters.com (Derrick Knowles)

This string of bright yet soft-on-the-eyes LED lights that wraps around and plugs into its own storage/charging station is the camp-lighting solution of my dreams. Bright enough to read or cook by in a dark camp, they also look super cool, making them perfect for breaking out at backyard barbecues or every evening on your deck. The 44-foot string of lights has 20 shatterproof, soft-light bulbs and the whole length

for multi-day backcountry forays. Break it out for camp task lighting and ambiance. It's also waterproof and floatable for night swimming or hot springs and won’t be bothered by hanging off a pack or paniers after a long slog in the rain. MSRP: $19.95. Bioliteenergy.com (Wil Wheaton)

is detachable from its 4,000-mAh power hub. This makes it super convenient to leave the lights strung all about the way you have them while detaching the hub for recharging via USB when it runs out of juice. The lights can run up to 40 hours on a full charge and even longer when the sun is shining down on the solar panel on top of the hub. MSRP: $69.95. Bioliteenergy. com (Wil Wheaton)

Editor’s Note: Unless otherwise stated, product for these reviews was provided by the brand at no cost to the reviewer. Out There strives to only review quality gear and provide honest, thoughtful, and entertaining gear reviews, but readers should always do their own research.

NIVIS PROTEGO PRO SKI SHELL

PEAK DESIGNS 50L TRAVEL DUFFEL

WILDHORN MAXFIELD PRO L GOGGLES

PAKA THERMAL HOODIE AND BOTTOMS

BIOLITE LUCI CANDLE

BIOLITE LUCI SOLAR STRING LIGHTS

CRAZY CREEK PACK TABLE

Winter is wonderful in Sandpoint, Idaho... and not just for the whoppin’ 300 inches of deep powder our epic mountain, Schweitzer, collects each year. With 2,900 acres of varied terrain and 92 named runs, Schweitzer is the biggest ski mountain in Idaho. But with so much more to do around our town, winter goes even deeper in Sandpoint. We hope to see you here!

epic trails

The snow doesn’t slow us down! Enjoy the abundant fat bike, nordic, & snowshoe trails at Pine Street Woods, Schweitzer, & more.

Music & More

The arts and entertainment scene here is simply amazing. Any given week find live music bustin’ out all ‘round town, plus major events all winter.

Visit Sandpoint, Idaho this winter ... less than 90 minutes east of Spokane Get visitor information at 208.263.2161 • www.VisitSandpoint.com

Wine & dine

The excellent restaurants, breweries, cafes, and taverns in Sandpoint offer something for everyone. Come hungry, leave happy!

Getting out in the Great Indoors

We’re all about the outdoors, but we admit that there are some pretty cool indoors-y things going on that can promote wellness and cross-training during the darkest, coldest, and wettest months in our region. From hot yoga to parkour, or giving those beautiful silks a try, here’s a collection of local ways to stay active in “the great indoors.” Especially if you don’t ski or snowboard, these options will help keep you fit and moving throughout the season.

9 Active Things to Do Inside

This Winter

By Alana Livingston

With so many options, it’s easy to stay active and energized indoors this winter in the Spokane region. Search for similar activities in your immediate area to help ward off the winter blues.

HARMONY YOGA STUDIO

This inviting studio offers yoga classes tailored to different needs, including beginner, restorative, and vinyasa styles. Its calm atmosphere makes it a go-to spot for improving flexibility and building strength while reducing stress. (1717 W 6th Ave)

WILD WALLS

Perfect for those who enjoy climbing or want to give it a try. Wild Walls features top-rope climbing, auto-belay systems, and bouldering areas. They also offer classes and workshops for all experience levels to help you improve your climbing skills. (202 W 2nd Ave)

COIL STUDIO

This studio provides unique fitness classes, including belly dancing, yoga, and aerial arts. The creative sessions focus on dynamic movement and self-expression, making it a fun and energizing way to stay fit. (314 W 2nd Ave)

THE WAREHOUSE

With six dedicated indoor pickleball courts, The Warehouse is a great spot for players of all levels. The courts are open weekdays from October to April, with nets and balls provided, so you can jump right into the action. (800 N Hamilton St)

BLOC YARD BOULDERING GYM

Bloc Yard caters to climbers with its range of bouldering routes and training options. The gym also holds regular clinics to help climbers refine their techniques while building strength and endurance. (233 E Erie St)

KRETE ACADEMY

This parkour-focused gym in Spokane Valley offers structured classes for all ages. Learn to move with confidence and agility or take advantage of open gym sessions to practice on your own. (15215 E Marietta Ave, Suite B105)

BEYOUTIFUL HOT YOGA

Experience the benefits of heated yoga at Beyoutiful, where classes range from gentle to highenergy flows. The warmth helps deepen stretches and detoxify the body. (12422 N Division St)

COEUR CLIMBING

Climb the walls at Coeur Climbing in Post Falls for a great indoor workout or fun outing with kids! The region’s newest indoor climbing hot spot is a full-service climbing gym with routes and activities for all abilities, including an awesome kids’ area, bouldering, an auto belay, top-roping, and lead climbing. Look for deals and more info in their ad in this issue (764 Clearwater Loop Suite 101, Post Falls).

SPOKANE GREAT OUTDOORS EXPO (Feb 22-23)

This annual event put on by Out There Outdoors at the Spokane Convention Center features outdoor recreation, bike and travel exhibitors including many outdoor clubs and organizations, kids’ activities, an extreme skateboarding show, presentations on outdoorsy topics, demonstrations, marshmallow roasting, live Americana music, hourly prize drawings, display RVs, a full bar and more (Spokaneoutdoorexpo.com).

Exploring Aerial Classes and Discovering Hidden Strengths

By Alana Livingston

When I signed up for my first class at Coil Studio, I had one goal: try something that would make me feel like a circus performer, even if just for an hour. I’d heard about the studio’s aerial classes, yoga, dance, and even belly dancing, but what really intrigued me were the aerial hoop (lyra) and silks. I wanted to see if I could hang, quite literally, with the crowd who make flipping upside down look effortless.

I began with the “Intro to Lyra” class. First, let me say that any illusions I had about this being “easy” vanished about three minutes in. We started with a warm-up to get our blood pumping and bodies ready to move. Then came the real challenge: the hoop. I quickly learned that the lyra requires a solid amount of strength, especially in places I hadn’t thought about— hello, sore sides and tender spots! The instructor was encouraging and patient, helping us understand how to hold, swing, and pose. I was instantly hooked, pun intended, though I know it’ll take some serious strengthening to make friends with that hoop.

Next up was an “Aerial Teaser” class on the silks. Unlike the lyra, where you’re dealing with one solid piece of metal, the silks require a whole different level of coordination and technique. We learned how to secure ourselves by twisting and wrapping the silks in ways that kept us from slipping right back to the ground. Our instructor was a superhero, breaking down each move step-by-step and making sure we were safe and comfortable. It was challenging for sure, especially for my core, but what a thrill! At the end, I left feeling accomplished, if a little noodle-armed.

Beyond these two intro classes, Coil Studio offers everything from belly dancing to deep stretch yoga on the silks. Each class is set up to make everyone feel welcomed and encouraged. And, trust me, these classes challenge you physically and mentally. There’s an element of embracing where you’re at, learning to accept your own limits, and giving yourself credit for trying something out of the ordinary.

One of the best parts about Coil Studio? They also do amazing shows, where you can see the pros show off what’s possible when you stick with it. I left feeling inspired, sore, and ready to come back for more. I’d highly recommend Coil to anyone who’s curious about circus arts, wants a workout with a unique twist, or just wants something fun and different to do indoors for winter. I absolutely loved these classes, and if you’re like me—drawn to things a bit outside your comfort zone—you might just surprise yourself with what you can accomplish here.

Join the Grind at Farmgirlfit

By Maura Lammers

For the majority of my life, I have openly identified as “not an athlete.” After I started running more seriously and completed a few half and full marathons, I decided to let that moniker go, and replaced it with “not a gym person.” Besides the time I begrudgingly cross-trained at a YMCA 10 years ago to weight-lift with a friend, I never set foot in a gym.

Then I found Farmgirlfit, an all-women’s gym in Spokane. Initially, I tried out Farmgirl because it was around the corner from my workplace at the time, and a coworker recommended it. Even as a true beginner who had never touched a barbell before, after my first class, I was hooked.

“The Grind,” as the Farmgirl workouts are called, are group classes designed with multiple fitness levels, paces, and intensity in mind, allowing every member to work out at the level they choose. The circuit-style workouts typically involve bodyweight and strength movements, including plyometrics, barbells, kettlebells and cardio. Farmgirl prioritizes functional fitness to make daily movements like reaching, squatting, pulling and lifting easier, ensuring healthy bodies for long-term physical activity.

Part of the joy with Farmgirl is showing up and being surprised. The workouts aren’t posted in advance. You will never experience the same workout twice. (A big perk for someone like me, who gets bored easily.) Monday might be a tabata, Tuesday might be an AMRAP, Wednesday might be running the mile for time, and on and on. Each month, members work toward posted benchmarks and PRs. Or, as we like to say, “you can show up and just vibe.” Instead of counting reps or recording max weight at the end of a workout, you can simply put a smiley face.

Besides the weekly Grind schedule, Farmgirl offers Kinstretch, mobility stretches that target range of motion. Free childcare is also offered weekday mornings to coincide with 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Grinds. A weekly yoga class was recently added to Thursday mornings at 10:45 a.m. Every month, they gym hosts a coed Saturday Grind, where male partners, friends and family members can enjoy a free class.

Whether you’re a skier, a hiker or a birdwatcher, regular strength training builds stability and stamina for all your outdoor activities, especially in the winter. Going to Farmgirlfit two or three times per week has given me stronger arms, better functional strength, and improved running endurance. When I broke my fibula earlier this year, once I was cleared to return, coaches modified workouts while I regained full ankle mobility and calf strength. I’m positive that strength-training helped me recover from the injury more efficiently.

Alana Livingston is looking forward to starting an outdoor dinner club in January 2025.

The best part about Farmgirl—what keeps me coming back week after week—is the warm and supportive community. It’s a safe space for me to push myself and fail, without judgment. It’s a queer-inclusive space where gender-nonconforming members and trans women are equally welcome. It’s a place where I might work out next to a pregnant woman on her lunch break, a college athlete, a retiree in her sixties, or a mom with kids in tow, and I can connect with all of them. It’s a space where, after a hard workout, I’ll lock eyes with another member and we’ll make a face that says, “that sucked” one day, and “I feel awesome” another day. No matter where the Grind goes, we’re always in it together.

Visit Farmgirlfit at 128 S. Sherman St., Spokane, for your first free class and to learn more about pricing and memberships. Find more info on class schedules at Farmgirlfit.com.

Maura Lammers is a writer and runner who is "not outdoorsy" but is trying to be.

The Great Indoors

A Mountain Biker’s Worst Nightmare

The story of a rider’s life-threatening injury and reconciliation with wildness in the Northeast Washington backcountry.

By Eric Deady

THERE IS OFTEN A PEACEFUL RESOLVE that settles into a person when confronted with the certainty of death in the backcountry. It’s a very unique abandonment of fear, and an acceptance of what is to come. Those of us who recreate in remote places, or those who have made outdoor pursuits a centerpiece of our lives, often have a long, profound, and very personal list of reasons why our outdoors lives have mattered. When confronted with the unthinkable, we have a tendency to settle in and draw on those same memories and experiences from past adventures to bring us peace and acceptance of the outcome.

That acceptance of fate washed over Josh Anderson, a 34-year-old mountain biker from Spokane, on July 17, 2024, when a routine backcountry mountain bike exploration turned into a fight for survival and a reckoning with the very fundamental question of “Why.” Why do we put ourselves in these remote situations, knowing full-well what the outcomes could be?

For Anderson, the answers to those questions would come after an hours-long struggle through the backcountry

of the Colville National Forest near Sullivan Lake in the far Northeastern reaches of Washington State, where a standard scramble over a fallen log turned into a fight for his very survival.

Anderson and his friend David Donnelly began their day with the energy and enthusiasm that usually comes with a day on mountain bikes. Machines lubed, checked and tuned. Gear assembled, car full of gas. All of the standard checklist items that precede a good day out in the woods on bikes. With the car loaded, Anderson and Donnelly made their way to the Noisy Creek trailhead in the Colville National Forest for a ride on some forest service trails that had yet to be cleared for the season. Many of us have encountered trails like this—overgrown, with sections of fallen trees and brush. For Anderson and Donnelly, these are the unruly conditions they love and have prepared for. The sense of adventure and discovery that comes with riding trails like these is, for them, only heightened by the added dangers of unpredictable terrain, obstacles, and constantly changing conditions.

The two cyclists had planned to shuttle that day’s ride, with their two vehicles staged at the entry and exit points of the trail. With those vehicles dropped off, they began their ride around 9 a.m. on what was sure to be a typically warm and beautiful summer day. Being early in the season, the trees were flushed with nearly neon-green leaves. The creeks were full of clear, cool water, and the forest was alive with the sounds and smells of an early summer morning.

A mile and a half of downhill mountain biking can pass in the blink of an eye, and it wasn’t long before Anderson and Donnelly found themselves deep in the woods. Alone, without cell service, they confronted a deteriorating trail, covered with fallen logs from the previous winter’s blow-down.

While lifting his mountain bike over one of these fallen logs—a scenario as benign as reaching for a snack— Anderson’s foot slipped off the log and plunged through some branches below. One of those branches was sharp enough, strong enough, and oriented at just the right angle to fillet nearly his entire calf, leaving an unimaginably large flap of exposed flesh staring back at him when he looked

ABOVE: OUT OF THE FOREST AND INTO THE LIGHT // PHOTO: KYLE LUCAS

ABOVE RIGHT: ANDERSON AT HOME ON TOP OF THE WORLD // PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSH ANDERSON RIGHT: SWEEPING VIEWS FROM HALL MOUNTAIN // PHOTO: KYLE LUCAS

down to see what damage had been done. A routine slip turned into a bloody nightmare in the blink of an eye.

In complete disbelief, all Anderson could say was “I messed up man . . . I really messed up,” while staring down with a growing sense of panic at what he describes as the “guts” of his leg and the immediate gush of blood, now soaking his entire leg and foot. With Donnelly now at his side, the two riders immediately got to work applying pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding, but the damage was too severe, and the flap of flesh just too large for a pressure bandage. This was no mere cut or scratch. This was a complete separation of one of the largest muscles a cyclist has, and a wound so devastating that immediate action needed to be taken in the form of a tourniquet, fashioned from Anderson’s favorite Arcade Belt and a chunk of broken stick lying nearby.

With their ride now obviously over, and their focus shifting onto extracting themselves from the woods, that once quick mile and a half of downhill riding turned into the prospect of an impossibly long uphill nightmare. The mountain they had so quickly descended was now facing these two in the form of a life-and-death struggle back up to the car, where they hoped to find enough cell coverage to call for help. Their decision to turn around and start hiking was made, in part, because neither of them had their emergency beacons (Garmin inReach), and their cellphones were not responding to the SOS feature now found on many newer phones. The only option was to hike out on a leg that was now bandaged and disconnected from any sensation because of the tourniquet. A proposition with a questionable chance of success at best.

With no other option but to get moving, and with blood still oozing from his wound, the pair began the hike back up the mountain. With every step up the hill, their nightmare only seemed to get more real, as the extent of Anderson’s injury and their limited options for rescue began to sink in. With Anderson having lost a lot of blood, and now fighting the swimming allure of unconsciousness, he literally leaned on Donnelly, leg completely numb and oozing blood despite the bandaging and tourniquet while scrambling over the same fallen logs and branches they had crossed on the way

WILDERNESS FIRST AID

By Holly Weiler

Wilderness first aid is a term that applies to any injury that happens more than an hour from advanced medical care, so even a short outing from a local trailhead could result in an injury that falls under this definition. A small first aid kit can be a crucial piece of gear for any trip, from protecting minor scrapes to stabilizing a broken bone until evacuation is possible.

If you already stock a home kit that covers the basics (alcohol towelettes, antibiotic ointment, different sized bandages, sterile dressings for cuts) it can work to take a few of each and put them in a waterproof bag to add to your pack. If you don’t already have a home supply, there are many pre-built kits available for sale, and it might be the most cost-effective choice to start with one of these and add activity-specific supplies.

For hikers and trail runners, a package of Second Skin can address small blisters, and a roll of athletic tape can stabilize a sprained ankle. For mountain bikers and trail workers, add Quick Clot gauze to stop bleeding. A roll of vet wrap is useful for pet owners and works just as well on people. Consider adding a SAM splint and triangle bandage to help stabilize a broken wrist or arm. For longer trips, a mylar blanket can help keep an injured person warm until evacuated or prevent hypothermia on an unplanned overnight. A package of emergency water treatment tablets is a great backup to filters. Add a couple pairs of latex gloves for treating others’ injuries, and you’ll have a kit that can help save yourself or a friend in case of emergency.

down. It was agonizingly slow, and since Anderson had no sensation in his leg, some sections of trail were impossible to navigate without periodically loosening the tourniquet long enough so he could feel his foot, navigate an obstacle, and then re-tighten the tourniquet, all while watching more of his blood flow into the trail.

They made it a full mile like this before their cell phones began to chirp, having picked up a weak signal. Knowing the urgency of the situation, they took the opportunity to call 911. They had just enough time to explain to the 911 operator their location, the critical nature of their situation, and a description of their car before the cell signal was lost and the call was dropped, leaving them once again on their own. Another half mile of uphill hiking through brush and deadfall faced them before making it back to the car, so the pair had no choice but to keep making their way up the mountain.

Would it have been myself in Anderson’s bloody shoes that day, I think at this point in the story I would be feeling just how lonely and isolated I was out there. Sure, Donnelly was there, but when faced with a situation so completely bonkers and out of control, the realization that you are alone and vulnerable would have been overwhelming and complete. The same friendly woods, once alive with the sights and sounds of a summer morning, were now conspiring to keep Anderson there forever.

The last half-mile to the car was a journey through halfconscious delirium. For Anderson, this stretch defined his entire ordeal and crystallized for him what his relationship to the outdoors truly meant. The panic and adrenaline that defined his experience until this point gave way to a complete, calm acceptance of his fate. This was not an abandonment of care or concern for himself, or a fatalistic forfeiture of life, but a clear and vivid understanding that his journey through life was likely over, and his experience on Earth would be coming to an end. And despite everything—the blood, the pain, and the fear—he was at peace. He accepted.

Of course, Anderson’s life did not end that day. This is not a story about death, or the dangers of recreating outdoors. This is a story of the relationship and connection formed between us and the wild places where we spend our time.

This is a story about Anderson, and his ordeal, but it is also a story that could have happened to any of us at any time while we pursue our outdoor passions. Anderson is a reasonable, skilled, competent outdoorsperson. He makes plans for contingencies, and follows those plans. He travels with people he trusts with his life, and chooses those people carefully. He has a plan for the day, and lets loved ones know where he is. His preparation and foresight may well have saved his life, but his experience and preparation did not prevent the accident from happening. The bad still came for him that day.

Anderson made it back up the hill on that July morning, relying completely on the heroic efforts of his friend Donnelly, who he credits with saving his life. Nearing unconsciousness, and still bleeding horribly despite the tourniquet, Anderson’s thoughts were centered on his family, friends, and loved ones who he would leave behind. But there was another, more personal thought that he reflects on by saying “I was thinking that all I want to do is keep exploring this beautiful planet.”

The rest of the story is one of speeding cars, shocked ambulance crews, and desperate helicopter flights. Highly skilled first responders met the pair while they were driving down the road and took one look at the injury, loaded Anderson up and made the determination that more help was necessary. The first responders called Life Flight, a critical care air medical transport service of which Anderson was a member, and met the Life Flight helicopter in a nearby field while administering pain medication and as much help as they could. Life Flight took him to the hospital for emergency surgery to move his muscles back in his calf and make sure he had enough blood to replace what was lost on Hall Mountain. Anderson’s story is also one of hospital stays, grateful families, and

a months-long recovery. Of stitches, staples, and scars.

For Anderson, the hardest part of his story so far has been missing the woods that call to him in a way they never did before. Maybe it’s because he senses his relationship to those woods has changed, and has become one of belonging. Of membership. Of home.

What I find so fascinating about Anderson’s experience is how his ordeal has created in him an affirmation of his outdoor pursuits, and a new sense of belonging to wild places. Anderson now feels more a part of the outdoors than he ever has before, and his relationship to outdoor spaces has changed from being a mere observer within those places to becoming a true participant and member. He belongs to those places now more than ever in the past through his own blood and a message delivered to him by the forest that day: that he is a part of this place, and is a real and true part of nature, and wildness, and pain. He is not an observer, but a participant.

Each of us could all find ourselves in a situation like Anderson’s and be faced with the same thoughts, emotions, and consequences that he had that day. It’s important to remember that our natural environment is not a sterilized, manicured zoo, and we cannot truly exist in nature as mere selfiesnapping interlopers, considering ourselves immune from the very real outcomes of existence within outdoor spaces. We must, as Anderson discovered, be integral parts of these spaces we love so much. It is only through the acceptance of our fragility within wild places that we can truly be a partner with them, not a master over them.

Eric Deady has been bikepacking and touring around the world for more than 30 years, and now shares that love of the outdoors with his children.

EMERGENCY TRANSPORT SERVICE ALL OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS SHOULD HAVE

If you are a mountain biker, hiker, skier, climber, road biker, whitewater boater, snowmobiler, off-roader, or do just about any other outdoor activity in the backcountry or travel on back roads in the Inland Northwest, you should already have a Life Flight Network membership. This emergency air transportation service is offered to members in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, and in the case of a life-threatening emergency, Life Flight will swoop in to pick you up and take you to a hospital when necessary via helicopter, plan, or ground transport. It’s like an added backcountry insurance policy that just may save your life or the lives of your family members. This vital service is available to anyone and reduces the time it would otherwise take to get to the needed medical services. Life Flight membership will cover any transport services at no out-of-pocket cost to you or

for any Out

Jump Into 2025!

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EXTREME SKATEBOARD & BMX BIKE DEMONSTRATIONS

Reach an active adult audience that’s looking ahead to warmer months of biking, guided trips, RVing, boating, water sports and summer travel. Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of a fun, engaging, and interactive show that nails your target audience!

Reach out with questions about exhibitor opportunities: derrick@ outtheremonthly.com or 509-822-0123.

FEBRUARY 22-23 AT THE SPOKANE CONVENTION CENTER SATURDAY 9-5 AND SUNDAY 10-4 JOIN US AS AN EXHIBITOR FEB 22-23, 2025 AT THE SPOKANE

Watch talented skateboarders and BMX riders pull off sick stunts on and off the half pipe! Demonstrations happen both days indoors at the Expo courtesy of Hopper Skateboards, Yousta, and our sponsor Layne Stoops State Farm, your local Spokane insurance agency!

LEARN HOW TO USE A CROSSCUT SAW

Ever wonder what’s it’s like to be on the end of a working cross-cut saw? Give it a try with members from the Idaho Trails Association!

JOIN A 5K “SWAG RUN” TO KICK OFF THE EXPO

Sign up to join the Negative Split 5K Swag Run! The race starts and finishes at the Great Outdoors Expo at the Spokane Convention Center Saturday morning (Feb. 22) and features a scenic course along the Centennial Trail and Spokane River. Score access to last year’s leftover Negative Split swag and a free Expo ticket after the finish line! Sign up at Nsplit.com.

FREE ENTRY INTO THE SPOKANE GOLF SHOW!

Your Expo ticket will double as entry to the Spokane Golf Show going on in the same space at the convention center.

EXPO CAMPGROUND

Enjoy our indoor campground! Roast a marshmallow, play yard games, enjoy an adult beverage, check out RVs from R’nR RV, and listen to live American string music all weekend long! Music sponsored in part by the Inland NW Bluegrass Music Association

TONS OF FUN FOR KIDS!

LIVE MAGIC SHOWS: Kids and adults will love this show by magician Matthew Vanzee (one each day).

KIDS ADVENTURE PASSPORT ACTIVITY: Kids and parents can explore the Expo, visiting multiple booths to complete activities to collect stamps in a passport booklet that can be exchanged for a bag of prizes!

LIVE WILD ANIMAL PRESENTATIONS: Get up close and personal with live hawks, owls, and reptiles and learn about these amazing animals! (One presentation each day.)

KIDS’ BIKE RIDING AREA (ALL INDOORS): Kids of all ages can try out different bikes, from Strider balance bikes for the littles or bigger BMX bikes for “kids” of all ages in an indoor riding area (all weekend long).

MARSHMALLOW ROASTING: Roast free marshmallows at our indoor “Expo Campground” around a faux campfire, complete with live music, camp chairs, and games! Visit Spokaneoutdoorexpo.com for the full schedule and details.

Great Outdoors Expo Exhibitor Spotlight LIBERTY WARRIORS RUGBY CLUB FOR YOUTH

RUGBY IS ONE of the fastest growing sports in the nation. It is a close contact team sport that is fast-paced, with a position on the field for every size of athlete. From the Olympics to international competitions, rugby is rapidly growing in popularity, as evidenced not only by its viewership rates on television, but also by the Liberty Warriors club’s growth locally over the past five seasons.

The Liberty Warriors is a youth sporting organization developed to serve student athletes in Spokane and Kootenai Counties. The organization’s indoor and outdoor practice and match facilities are conveniently located in Liberty Lake, WA, and Post Falls, ID, making them centrally located for families in the PNW.

The Warriors have a flag program for players as young as 7, with additional tackle divisions in age brackets of U12, U14 and high school. Practices begin in February and the club’s season ends in mid-June, so it’s not too late to sign up! The Warriors exist to raise young people of character, further the spirit of camaraderie that is unique only to rugby and to produce grit in its players that transcends beyond the field and into the classroom. Come see what all the excitement is about! Visit their booth at the Expo or at Libertywarriorsrugby.com. See you on the pitch!

OVER 70 OUTDOORS EXPERTS ALL IN ONE PLACE

TALK TO REAL human experts on all things outdoor recreation related at the Great Outdoors Expo! Learn from our dozens of exhibitors, including RV dealers and overlanding companies, outdoor clubs, public lands managers, non-profit trails groups, travel destinations, outdoor gear retailers, outfitters and guides, and more!

HOOT: HAWKS & OWLS

LOCAL HERBS THAT MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE

Great Outdoors Expo Exhibitor Spotlight THE LATEST IN WATERSPORTS TECH: THE HYDROFLYER

A one-of-a-kind electric watercraft that almost anybody can ride Revolutionize your lake time with the new HydroFlyer, the most versatile personal watercraft for outdoor enthusiasts. The HydroFlyer seamlessly blends an e-bike, jet-ski and a surfboard with its unique platform design and its high-output electric motor. Early adopters love the versatility, control features, portability and short learning curve. It stows in or on most vehicles and only weighs around 80lbs. The HydroFlyer solves the key challenges most people experience with e-surf foiling, such as managing wake, fatigue and balance with the addition of the removable handlebars, boat-inspired board design and extended two-hour battery. Riders can launch and return as easy as stepping off and back on the dock.

The distinctive handlebars make it easier to balance, reduces wipeouts and shortens

LEARN & GET INSPIRED HOURLY PRESENTATIONS ON OUTDOORSY TOPICS ALL WEEKEND LONG!

Check the Expo website for the full schedule at Spokaneoutdoorexpo.com!

ROCKIN’ REPTILES PRESENTATION

Learn about the fascinating world of reptiles by getting up-and-close with some live reptiles in a hands-on learning experience. Gain a deeper appreciation for these often-misunderstood creatures.

HOOT: HAWK & OWL PRESENTATION

Discover the world of birds of prey and see some live raptors up close while learning about the hunting skills, behaviors, and unique characteristics of these impressive birds as well as the role raptors play in maintaining ecological balance in the wild.

WOLVES IN WASHINGTON’S GREAT OUTDOORS

Learn about Washington’s wolf recovery efforts and how to play it safe around wolves and other predators when out hiking, biking, camping, and enjoying the outdoors from a Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife biologist.

GEOLOGY OF OUR LOCAL ADVENTURES

From Beacon Hill to Riverside State Park, Silver Mountain, and lakes of North Idaho, EWU Instructor and outdoor enthusiast Nigel Davies will share the geologic stories behind many of our region’s beloved outdoor playgrounds and how their unique geology makes these places so special.

THE GREAT BURN: LAND OF FIRE AND ICE

In the summer of 1910 one of the worst fires in US history ravaged three million acres in a matter of days throughout Washington, Idaho and Montana. The heart of this region, a 250,000+ acre roadless area straddling the Idaho/Montana border, became known as The Great Burn. The intervening hundred years has seen the rapid evolution of outdoor recreation on this pristine subalpine landscape. Through still images and video, photographer Brian Christianson will take you on a tour through the rich recreation opportunities and ecological threats facing The Great Burn Recommended Wilderness.

LOCAL HERBS THAT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE IN THE OUTDOORS

Charlie Bouck with Herbal Expeditions will teach us how local plants can support your health on your next outdoor adventure. Bouck will share how nature has what it takes to effectively keep you outside longer. He will cover local plants that provide relief and protection from insect bites, alleviate digestive discomfort, provide pain relief or sources of natural antiseptic and antibiotics, and how to stop bleeding with nature’s help. Prepare yourself by learning how to locate, identify, and use local, naturally-occurring remedies to support your outdoor lifestyle!

ALL ABOUT E-BIKES

Learn about the different types of electric-assist bikes and where you can ride them from a local bike shop expert! Check out some different bikes, ask questions, and learn about these amazing distance-boosting bicycles.

the learning curve for beginners. Even first timers with zero surf or foiling experience can get up and enjoy flying right away. Speeds range from mild to wild (up to 35mph), making it the ultimate personal watercraft for varying ability levels. The HydroFlyer is the next generation of responsible and eco-friendly watercraft technology that the whole family can enjoy. Come see a Hydroflyer for yourself at the Great Outdoors Expo or visit Hydroflyer.com to learn more.

ROCKIN’ REPTILES

THE GEOLOGY OF OUR ADVENTURES

THE GREAT BURN

YOUR TICKET

EARLY ONLINE TO SCORE A FREE BONUS ADVENTURE

DEAL WORTH UP TO $50!

Choose from one of these FREE bonus adventure deals with your Spokane Great Outdoors Expo ticket purchase while they last. Redeemable only at the Spokane Great Outdoors Expo 2025 with your ticket stub.

TIMBERLINE ADVENTURES, COEUR D’ALENE, IDAHO

$20 off the Lake CDA 7-Line Zip Tour!

WILD WALLS CLIMBING GYM, SPOKANE, WA

Climbing gym day pass with gear rental ($22 value)

GUSTOVANS & GUSTO-OVERLAND, SPOKANE VALLEY, WA

$25 off any camper van rental from GustoVans or custom van work or overlanding accessories from Gusto-Overland.

STONEROSE INTERPRETIVE CENTER & FOSSIL SITE, REPUBLIC, WA

Free rock-splitting tool rental for fossil hunting during the dig season at Stonerose Fossil Site in Northeast Washington. ($7.50 value).

SKYDIVE WEST PLAINS, RITZVILLE, WA

$50 off a tandem skydive jump with Skydive West Plains (some restrictions apply).

More bonus ticket deals coming soon! Scan the code to check them all

Outdoors Expo Exhibitor Spotlight YOUR

The Spokane Mountaineers is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to the outdoors through education and conservation.

Spokane Mountaineers Courses and Schools

Ice Climbing Seminar: Beginner and intermediate tracks

Mountain School: Mountaineering, 14-week course

Backcountry Skiing 101: Beginner course, free for members

Backcountry Ski School: 12-week intermediate course for ski and splitboard

Backpack School: Introduction to overnight backpacking (8 weeks)

Rock School: Beginner-friendly outdoor rock-climbing course

Applications open in advance. Participants must be active members. Become a Spokane Mountaineers member—join for the outdoor education and recreation, stay for the community! SpokaneMountaineers.org

Looking for plenty of space to play without the crowds?

Northeast Washington has you covered!

Great Outdoors Expo Exhibitor Spotlight

Great Outdoors Expo Exhibitor Spotlight FIND WONDERFULLY WILD WINTER ADVENTURES IN NORTHEAST WA

NORTHEAST WASHINGTON IS a winter outdoor recreation enthusiast’s dream, offering sprawling public lands, miles of uncrowded trails, and one of the best alpine and Nordic ski areas around at 49 Degrees North! Whatever your idea of “wild” is and no matter how you like to get out in the winter, whether it’s on skis, snowshoes, bike, or snowmobile, you will find your perfect spot in Northeast Washington. Enjoy it all while never being too far away from one of the region’s friendly small towns a great cup of coffee, a local craft brew and a tasty burger. Get out and explore the wonderfully wild winter experiences that are waiting just a short drive from Spokane or North Idaho! Plan your escape from the rat race at Wonderfullywild.com or visit the Northeast Washington Wonderfully Wild booth at the Expo.

READY TO START MOUNTAIN BIKING?

Q&A WITH EVERGREEN EAST MTB INSTRUCTOR JERROD SNYDER

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU START MOUNTAIN BIKING?

Jerrod Snyder: My first mountain bike was the first thing I bought after I finished college back in 1994. I bought a sweet red GT Corrado from the bike shop in Bellevue. Fully rigid, 3x8 drivetrain, horrible brakes, and wheels made of butter. I didn’t ride my mountain bike much from 2005-2012 (bad case of the triathlon bug), but re-entered the sport in 2012 and have been riding all over the western US and Canada for a few years now.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT BEING AN INSTRUCTOR WITH EVERGREEN?

JS: My favorite part is helping people become proficient more quickly than they would on their own. Sometimes there’s a hole in their skillset, or some confidence and assistance they need to tackle something. For example, simple things like helping beginners understand how they can get restarted on hills after a dab (putting a foot down for balance) can be the difference between lots of bad days and lots of good days.

ANY ADVICE YOU'D GIVE TO RIDERS JUST STARTING OUT?

JS: For beginners, I’d love to see everyone come out to one of our beginner classes. You don’t have to learn the basics of climbing, descending, and braking the hard way! We can help get you started with the fundamentals and find some trails near you that you can ride often, ideally with some friends. A bit of instruction to get you rolling, along

Great Outdoors Expo Exhibitor Spotlight

METALINE FALLS BIGFOOT FESTIVAL JUNE 14-15

a believer or not, the Metaline Falls Bigfoot Festival, set in the picturesque Northeast Washington town of Metaline Falls, is a festive celebrationous Selkirk Mountains, the area has long been a hotspot for Bigfoot sightings. Cryptid enthusiasts may come for the schedule of sasquatch-focused speakers, but outdoor lovers, families and fans of unique small-town festivals will enjoy the food, music, vendors, art and kids’ activities as well as the annual Bigfoot 5K fun run and a kids’ Color Run. Held over Fathers’ Day weekend this year, it’s a great opportunity to check out the festival and also get in some hiking, camping, fishing, or back road exploring around the nearby Colville National Forest. More info at

with just getting out and doing it will go a long way.

Interested in joining a class with Jerrod or another one of Evergreen’s top-notch instructors? Evergreen’s classes will start back up in April of 2025. Check Evergreeneast.org or visit their booth at the Spokane Great Outdoors Expo to find out more about local mountain biking opportunities, events, and kids skills camps. Or reach out to schedule a private lesson during the off season at privatelessons@evergreenmtb.org.

Evergreen East promotes mountain biking opportunities by creating and maintaining sustainable trail networks throughout the Spokane region in collaboration with other trail advocates and is dedicated to trail stewardship, advocacy and education.

OUT THERE KIDS

How to Motivate Your Kids to Love Snow Sports

By Amy McCaffree

MOST KIDS really don’t mind how cold the weather is as long as they’re staying dry and warm enough—and they should be able to withstand at least 30 minutes of outdoor activity when dressed appropriately for winter. But there are still a few tricks to creating a lasting positive impression of outdoor winter play and sports.

“If you want your kids to be outdoorsy, the best way is if you’re out there leading by example,” says Sam Russell, Spokane father of two, ages 8 and 6. He shreds the slopes with his young son and daughter, who both learned to ski starting as toddlers, and he’s a volunteer ski patroller at Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park. He also worked 13 years as a ski and snowboard instructor. “The older I got, the more fair-weather I became. But as a parent, I had to kick that habit because my kids don’t care how cold it is outside—I was like that, too, as a kid.”

Russell’s second advice tip: “Always try to make it fun. If kids are not having fun, they won’t want to learn (how to ski)”—or do much else when it comes to spending time outdoors. Fun is made easier with these winter wear must-haves: warm base layers, mid-layer, and socks—made from synthetic fabrics or wool (no cotton, which remains cold when wet); waterproof (or water-resistant) coat and boots; and gloves, hat and snow-boots.

My son, Landon, who learned to ski 12 years ago when he was age 2, says what made it fun for him was “having good equipment and a good teacher.” Also, he says, “I remember you and dad giving me a fruit snack after every run. And I’d want to do it again so I could get another fruit snack.”

Landon also recalls liking how the Edgie Wedgie (ski tip connector) and safety-harness made it easier to learn and increased his confidence. As for the “good teacher,” my patient husband gets most of that credit; I was the assistant and in charge of fun—packing desirable snacks and hot cocoa. Never feel guilty for enticing kids with a sugary treat—it’s not bribery; it’s essential for every-

one’s emotional wellbeing.

Russell also advises, “Quit while they’re still having fun. Make the kids leave while they’re still wanting more rather than crying because they’re cold and tired.” You never want an outdoor experience to end with a negative vibe or, worse, misery. This could discourage kids from going again. So, to recap how to motivate your kids to spend more time outdoors this winter: Be a role model for your kids. Make it fun. And end the activity while kids are still enjoying themselves—don’t wait until things turn bad.

3 IDEAS TO START INTRODUCING KIDS TO WINTER OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

•Snow Tubing: Whether sledding at local hills or at an official tubing hill at a ski mountain, kids of all ages can enjoy this thrilling winter pastime. Mt. Spokane, Silver Mountain, and Schweitzer all offer tubing.

•Outdoor Ice Skating: Numerica Skate Ribbon at Riverfront Park, Spokane; The Pond presented by STCU, a newlyconstructed, nonprofit organizationled, community skating rink just outside of Sandpoint, in Ponderay, Idaho (Skatethepond.com, Niicearena.com); and CDA on Ice, in Coeur d’Alene (open through January 20, 2025; cdaonice.com).

•Downhill Skiing/Snowboarding: Visit a ski area that has a “surface lift” or “Magic Carpet” (think conveyor belt) for littles just starting out on skis or a snowboard. Easier, and less scary, than a chairlift, this is a great way to introduce downhill fundamentals. Parents can ski, walk or run beside or behind their child as they make their way down a short, gentle slope and back to the lift loading area.

Amy McCaffree looks forward to lots of snowfall and downhill skiing with her family and would like to introduce her 1-year-old dog to snowshoeing and/or XC skiing this winter.

MCCAFFREE FAMILY ALL SMILES ON THE SLOPES // PHOTO: AMY MCCAFFREE

OUT THERE SNOW

1,700+ACRES•SKISCHOOL•EPICTERRAINPARK•NIGHTSKI•SNOWTUBING

Ditch the drive and maximize your winter. Located just outside the city limits, and offering 12-hour ski days, Mt. Spokane gives you more time to play on the slopes.

WHAT’S UP AT LOCAL RESORTS

THE MONTHS of January and February, with plenty of snow and colder temps in the mountains, are the heart of our Inland Northwest winters. Here’s a list of local events and opportunities that will make your trek even better. Head up to your favorite ski area to enjoy some of the best conditions of the year!

LADIES’ DAY AT MT. SPOKANE

Ladies’ Day is back this year at Mt. Spokane with two different opportunities to ski, eat, win prizes, and find life-long snowbuddies. This popular instructional clinic includes breakfast, lunch, a post-ski snack, and tons of awesome prizes like skis and gift cards. Any woman skier from beginner to advanced level can benefit from the clinic, as participants are grouped by skill level. The cost of the clinic is $149 (add on an additional $49 for a lift ticket and $32 for rentals). Mt. Spokane’s Jodi Kayler says that the clinics usually see about 75 women per day. “It’s a good group,” says Kayler, “it feels like a community day…we have people who meet there and continue to ski together throughout the season.”

49’S NORDIC CENTER OFFERS XC, SNOWSHOE, & FAT BIKE TRAILS

The incredible Nordic Center at 49 Degrees

North offers groomed trails for classic and skate Nordic skiing and trails for snowshoers and fat bikes, as well as rental gear and lessons. The center is open this season Friday-Sunday and holidays from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., and trails are open Friday-Tuesday. Grooming and trail maintenance are performed Friday-Sunday. Look for the Nordic Center in the yurt next to the trail system which includes 25k of groomed trails plus plenty of additional options for ungroomed snowshoe exploring between the groomed trails. Fat bikes are welcome on the trails when conditions and the weather allow for it, as are “socialized dogs” on non-operation days and any day after 2 p.m. Adult and youth Nordic passes are available and all 49 alpine passes include access to the Nordic trails. Stay up to date on conditions and operations of the Nordic Center on Facebook.

FILL THE FOOD BANK AT LOOKOUT PASS

On April 4 you can ski for (almost) free and help out community members in need. Lookout Pass has partnered with the Wallace Food Bank to help fill the bank with non-perishable items. Redeem seven cans of food at Lookout Pass for a $20 ski voucher, good for that day. Some of the more requested items are peanut

butter, coffee, soups, crackers and pancake mixes. Find a full list of items and more info online.

WHY SILVER MOUNTAIN’S WATERPARK BELONGS ON YOUR WINTER BUCKET LIST

No winter is complete without a trip to Silver Rapids indoor waterpark. Admission is free with every lodging stay and access is granted on both check in and check out day. Kids and parents love the 315 feet of lazy river, interactive spray deck of Cub Cove, and Moose Sluice Family raft ride. There’s a full-service bar on the mezzanine level, and patrons of Trestles Surfside Grill can enjoy tropical drink specials or tasty apps. Guests can also try out the FlowRider, a continuous wave moving at 35 miles per hour that lets you surf or boogie at your own pace. Don’t want to wait in line? Book the FlowRider by the hour and invite your friends and family. Admission to the waterpark can also be pre-purchased separately without a lodging stay and group rates are available online.

MULTI-WEEK LESSON PROGRAMS AT MT. SPOKANE

Mt. Spokane’s multi-week programs are designed to get you out on the slopes building skills and confidence all while

having fun and making lifelong friends. Participants can expect the same instructor over a four-week period with multiple opportunities for all ages and skill levels. The Mini Mites, a program designed specifically for the tiniest skiers ages 4-6, includes group lessons with small class sizes that are the perfect way to introduce young children to skiing in a fun, safe environment. As an added bonus, upon completion of any two camps or multi-week programs, students receive a season pass good for the remainder of the season. Multi-week registrations close one week prior to the start of the program or when the class reaches capacity (whichever comes first).

JACKASS DAY AT SILVER MOUNTAIN

It’s almost time for the annual Jackass Ski Day at Silver. On Jan. 9, don your vintage ski gear and score $20 lift tickets to commemorate the re-opening of the previously closed Silverhorn ski area in 1990 under the name Silver Mountain Resort. Party goers can expect 1,600 acres and 80 runs to celebrate what might be the coolest birthday we know of, as well as free birthday cake up at Moguls. These retro-priced tickets can be purchased online or in person (for just a few dollars more). Scan for the Latest Resort Event, Lesson, & Ticket Info

MT. SPOKANE POWDER DAY // PHOTO COURTESY OF MT. SPOKANE

SKI BUM PROM NIGHT // PHOTO COURTESY OF SILVER MOUNTAIN

SNOW BOWLING & MNT FEST AT LOOKOUT PASS

Ever wondered what it would be like to use your child as a human bowling ball? Wonder no more, because on Jan. 26 Lookout Pass will resume its annual Snow Bowling and Mountain Brewfest tradition, where parents and kids work together to strike out. Lookout’s Matt Sawyer says knocking over the inflatable bowling pins is less about skill and more about luck. Parents take turns hurling their kids down the slope on small saucers. The three highest-scoring families enter a bowl-off to compete for first, second, and third place, with prizes awarded for each. This event runs from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and requires a waiver.

TUBING AT SILVER MOUNTAIN RESORT

Starting in January, tubing at Silver Mountain resort is available Friday through Sunday (and Mondays on holiday weekends). With four tubing lanes and over 640 feet of groomed hillside, these two-hourlong sessions are the perfect way for everyone in the family to get out and enjoy the snow. Guests will enjoy unlimited tubing during their session as well as the covered magic carpet ride back to the top of the hill

(no schlepping inner tubes and kids yourself). The ease of ordering tickets online (as well as the discounted rates for larger parties) make tubing at Silver Mountain perfect for groups, family get-togethers, or even school events.

SNOW MUCH FUN AT 49 DEGREES NORTH

49 is open seven days a week, with lifts running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting Jan. 18 (currently 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Don’t miss the Two Peaks Taco Truck (available on weekends)! The Boomtown Bar and Grill, located in the lodge, is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., serving up delicious meals and a menu of its own. Live music also happens every Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You don’t need to ski or snowboard to enjoy the great vibes, tasty food, and refreshing drinks. Whether you're a seasoned skier or just looking for a cozy place to enjoy some live music, 49 has something for everyone.

GIRLS ON SHRED AT LOOKOUT PASS

Samantha Veysey, founder and executive director of Girls on Shred, knows how important it is for youth, women, and marginalized genders to build and experience a

Ski the NW Rockies Association Resort Events

Jackass Day at Silver Mt. Jan. 9

Wintersportsfest at 49 Degrees North Jan. 15

Après Ski Outdoor Bar at Silver Mt. Jan. 18-20 & Feb. 15-17

Martin Luther King Day at Mt. Spokane: Free hot cocoa in the Vista house Jan. 20

Women of Winter Ski & Snowboard Clinic at 49 Degrees North Jan. 24, Feb. 28, & March 14

Kids Snow Bowling & MTN Brewfest at Lookout Jan. 26

Nordic Family Weekend at 49 Degrees North Feb. 1-2

Skijoring Race Event at 49 Degrees North Feb. 1-2

Ladies’ Day at Mt. Spokane Feb. 7 & March 7

Chewelah Winter Fest & 49 Rail Jam at 49 Degrees North Feb. 8

Skijoring with Dogs at the Nordic Center at 49 Degrees North March 1

Doug E Fresh Banked Slalom and Ski Bum Prom Night Skiing at Silver Mountain March 1

Toyota Free Ski Friday at 49 Degrees North March 7

Toyota Free Ski Friday at Silver Mt. March 14

Marchi Gras at Silver Mt. March 15

Telebration Telemark Skiing Event at 49 Degrees North March 16

Toyota Free Ski Friday at Mt. Spokane March 21

Toyota Free Ski Friday at Lookout Pass March 28

Kids Cardboard Box Derby Day at Lookout Pass April 13

Leadman Triathlon at Silver Mt. April 19

safe mountain community. Veysey will be at Lookout Pass on Feb. 23 to promote her non-profit organization, provide gear for demos and help intermediate to advanced riders connect. Youth and women can test out different boards or skis all while promoting a spirit of inclusivity. To find out more about Veysey’s work, visit the website at www.girlsonshred.com.

DOUG E FRESH BANKED SLALOM AND SKI

BUM PROM NIGHT AT SILVER MOUNTAIN

March 1 marks the 10th anniversary of the Doug E. Fresh Banked Slalom Boarding competition sponsored by the Ski Shack and Silver. Honoring the life of the late Doug Johnson, an avid skier and biker, all proceeds from the race will benefit the Doug Johnson Memorial Fund, a non-profit that helps youth involved in mountain culture. Racers can expect a fast-paced and intense slalom course set in the terrain park, which they’ll get to attempt twice, with the fastest time being counted. Prizes for multiple categories are up for grabs and Grand Teton Brewing will be sponsoring drink specials at the finish line. Silver Mountain’s Gus Colburn expects around 150 participants this year. Following the race (which includes entertainment from a live DJ, as well as food and drink specials at a snow bar), party-goers can head up to Moguls for the Ski Bum Prom Night to celebrate the last evening of night skiing. With live music from Jamshack until 8 p.m. and awesome raffle prizes, this is one prom you won’t regret attending.

WOMEN’S CLINIC SERIES AT 49 DEGREES NORTH

This winter, 49 Degrees is offering a Women’s Clinic Series with three lessons, one each in January, February, and March. This series is a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow enthusiasts, build confidence, and enhance your skills with instructors who cater to your level. Participants can expect to work on specific skills all while having fun and building life-long friendships. Classes are two hours long and include lunch and video analysis.

NEW NIGHT RIDERS PROGRAMS PROVIDE TWEENS AND TEENS SPACE TO SHRED

New to Mt. Spokane this year is a Night Riders program aimed at tweens and teens ages 8 to 17. Intermediate and advanced skiers and boarders who have outgrown other kids’ programs can attend this Friday night extravaganza starting Jan. 3 ($25$45). Participants can expect three hours of intense fun that will include the terrain park, skiing and boarding through the trees, and lots of shredding while Mt. Spokane’s coolest instructors provide tips and tricks. Advanced registration is required.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT 49 DEGREES NORTH

Mark your calendars for the FAST Blast Race on Sunday, Jan. 26, part of 49’s youth competitive sports program. You can also find family-friendly Nordic events nearly every weekend, including cross-country lessons and snowshoe tours. For dog lovers, join on select Fridays for “dog-joring,” where pups can enjoy a day of fun! February kicks off with Skijoring Trials on Saturday, Feb. 1, followed by the finals on Sunday, Feb. 2, in the lower parking lot. If you want to see skiers and horses work together, this is the event for you! Don’t miss the Rail Jam in downtown Chewelah on Saturday, Feb. 8. This judged competition showcases Terrain Park features for skiers and snowboarders of all ages, complete with phenomenal prizes!

Later that month, check out 49’s Second Annual Snow Moon Dinner with a Valentine's theme on Feb. 15. Enjoy a locally-sourced menu and surprise entertainment—perfect for singles, couples, or groups! Finally, dust off your Hawaiianinspired clothing and join in for Hawaiian Daze, an event that boasts a pond skim, silent auction, Hawaiian-inspired burgers, live music, and more, with all proceeds benefitting the 49 Degrees North Ski Patrol.

Sponsored by:

POWDER HUNT IN THE TREES // PHOTO COURTESY OF 49 DEGREES NORTH

FLYING RYAN THROWING SNOW AT LOOKOUT // PHOTO COURTESY OF LOOKOUT PASS

DOGS AT WORK OUT THERE SNOW

THE AVALANCHE RESCUE DOGS OF SILVER MOUNTAIN

BY AMY MCCAFFREE

FURRY, FOUR-LEGGED Silver Mountain ski patrol members always arrive for duty excited for the day ahead. Loki and Roger, Silver’s first two certified avalanche rescue dogs, work a set schedule on the mountain, along with their patrol handlers. With days off for mental and physical rest, Loki’s handler, Erica Aamodt, says, “If you asked them, they would probably love to be on the mountain every day.”

Aamodt, now in her eighth season patrolling at Silver, got Loki in 2018 when he was eight weeks old and trained him to be a “regular” search and rescue (SAR) dog. After all, as a Weimaraner, Loki isn’t the typical breed to become an avy dog.

“The K9 team leader at the time encouraged me to think about training Loki for avalanche rescue. In my personal life, I enjoyed backcountry skiing and was interested in learning more about avalanche safety and rescue. All of those interests came together when I had the opportunity to start training Loki,” says Aamodt. “Silver Ski Patrol was supportive of the idea, so I started bringing Loki up to [the mountain] where we started learning skills such as riding the chairlift and traveling safely around the mountain. Over the next few years, the program took shape, and we added Roger to the team in 2020.” Loki, now seven years old, is the region’s only all-season certified SAR dog. (He wears sweaters to support his love of snow.)

Roger, a five-year-old Labrador Retriever, reports for duty with handler Drew Mahan, Silver’s Avalanche Dog Program Director and longtime ski patrol member (now in his 16th season). “[Avy dogs are] a morale booster for the whole patrol,” says Mahan. Some of Mahan’s many director duties and responsibilities include organizing training

drills for the dogs and recruiting volunteers to hide in snow caves; overseeing the progress of each dog and handler; collaborating with regional partner programs on training and clinics, including the Northern Rockies Avalanche Canine Rescue group (NRAC); and arranging for Silver’s handlers and dogs to attend training opportunities outside the Inland Northwest, such as the Wasatch Backcountry Rescue Dog School at Alta/ Snowbird, in Utah.

Silver’s youngest avy dog is Cedar, an eighteen-month-old Lab, and her handler is Izzy Davis, who is in her fourth season with Silver Ski Patrol. While working as a lift operator in Breckenridge, Colo., Davis says, “I would see all the dogs and handlers skiing around and knew it was ultimately what I wanted to do. I’ve always had a strong bond with animals and a deep love for skiing, so working with an avalanche dog merged both those interests.”

As Cedar, Roger, and Loki got established on the mountain, a fourth human member of the training team was Steve Janke. Janke came to Silver Mountain Ski Patrol from Alta, in Utah, after many years working as a patroller and avy dog trainer and handler. Alta is renowned for having the oldest avalanche dog program in the U.S. Although not returning to Silver Ski Patrol this winter, Aamodt says that Janke, as a secondary handler, spent “countless hours passing along his wealth of knowledge.”

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN AVY DOG

A typical duty day for Silver’s avy dogs begins with a gondola ride with their primary handler. After the patrol team’s morning meeting, the dogs will either catch a ride on a snowmobile to their duty station

for the day or sometimes ride up a chairlift with their handler.

“As the dogs move around the mountain, their handlers are constantly thinking of their dogs’ safety. One of the biggest hazards to the dogs are ski and snowboard edges, which can seriously injure a dog if a dog gets sliced by an edge—this is why our handlers ask that guests never approach the dogs or try to call them over,” Aarmodt explains. Avy dogs are off-leash, but wear a red harness marked with a ski patrol white cross and a dog is always accompanied by a ski patrol-handler wearing an official ski patrol red coat.

“Another long-term hazard is the increased wear and tear on a dog’s shoulders from running down steep terrain. For these two reasons, handlers mitigate these risks as much as possible using safe travel skills such as snowmobiles, skiing gentle terrain while the dogs run, and carrying the dogs down steep and/or crowded terrain.”

For practice, patrollers dig snow caves to set up training problems. A volunteer will sit or lay inside the cave with a dog toy, the cave opening covered with snow blocks. “Once everything is set up, a handler will give their dog the command to search for human scent under the snow,” says Aarmodt. “As a dog narrows down the source of the scent, they will start digging and will dig down all the way into the snow cave, where their subject is waiting with a toy. As soon as the dog digs into the cave, they get to grab onto the toy and play a game of tug with the subject. To the dogs, this is the best kind of hide and seek game!”

Patrol duty concludes after the dogs run alongside their handlers as they sweep the mountain and ensure all guests have made

it off the mountain safely, Aarmodt says. “Once their uniforms are off, the dogs get some free playtime, and then make their way back down the gondola with their handlers.”

CERTIFIED SNOW DOGS

It takes two to three years for an avalanche rescue dog to become fully certified. “We like to say that we are constantly training our dogs—every interaction we have with them has the opportunity to shape and reinforce behavior,” says Aamodt. “Some days are more focused on obedience and safe traveling skills, and some days are more focused on difficult rescue drills.”

In addition to being certified ski-mountain avalanche SAR dogs, Loki and Roger are both backcountry certified by NRAC, which is a great benefit to our region because this certification qualifies them to assist with SAR emergencies at any regional ski mountain as well as participate as a canine-handler SAR team when requested by a county sheriff’s office.

Aamodt’s strong partnership with Loki is what she most enjoys about being a handler. “We’ve done a lot together—riding in helicopters, rappelling from chairlifts, and looking for people under challenging circumstances—and we have a close bond. Most of all, it is the knowledge that our partnership has the potential to save someone’s life someday.”

Learn more about Silver’s Avalanche Dogs on Instagram @silver_mountain_avy_dogs.

Amy McCaffree is a Senior Writer for OTO and alpine skis with her husband and their two children. Follow Amy on Instagram @adventure_amy_spokane or TikTok @ pnwadventureamy.

OUTLAST OUTLIVE

One big, rugged family.

We’re tough where it counts. From dominating wild trails to maneuvering rushing streams, roaming vast canyons and tackling remote peaks, our trucks prove their rugged capability over and over.

JANUARY IS LEARN TO SKI AND SNOWBOARD MONTH

BELOW

TWO OUT THERE WRITERS TAKE A SHOT AT NEW WAYS TO LOVE WINTER

It’s never too late no matter how old you are and there’s no better time than now to learn to ski or snowboard. Two of our writers went out on their own paths this season in pursuit of doing just that, and, in the process, gained insight and experience into the cult of snow-sliding fanatics.

LEARNING TO SNOWBOARD AT SCHWEITZER

BY AMMI MIDSTOKKE

IT’S HARD FOR SOMEONE in North Idaho to admit, but I gave up on Ski Hill Life a couple of seasons ago. It was not for lack of effort or investment in all things ski-related. Maybe I just assumed my Norwegian genes would give me some inherent ability. But after several years of trying to learn to ski, it was clear only bone strength and indifference to public humiliation had been passed down through my generational bloodlines. Someone, probably a sadist, suggested I try snowboarding. There’s a pretty short list of things not suited for middle-aged moms to pick up as hobbies, but I think snowboarding and bullfighting are in the same uninsurable category. (Whereas divorce and CrossFit seem very popular, both of which I hear are less painful than snowboarding.)

Optimistic that I could meet my deductible with another ER visit, or in search of closure on ski-hill hopes, I scheduled a snowboarding lesson with the experts at

Schweitzer Mountain Resort. I arrived overcaffeinated and ready to lie about my athletic experience. I find it best to keep expectations low and briefly considered pretending to suffer from chronic vertigo or a pirate leg or something, for there could be no other explanation to my inherent lack of snowbility.

In the days and hours leading up to my lesson, I had been warned by various citizens about which of my limbs would snap first. I shared these reasonable fears with my instructor, Matt, who calmly assured me that lessons greatly reduce such a risk, even while showing me how to protect said limbs in the unlikely event of a yard sale.

I don’t know if it was the time we spent sitting in the snow talking about the mechanics of a snowboard or the sunshine on my seasonally pale face, but something made me less afraid and more willing to try. Perhaps faith in my instructor or my body’s ability

to heal. I stood up on that snowboard and I tried with all my might to translate his words into commands directed at my stubborn and less-than-nimble body.

It listened. Not only did it listen, but it… stayed upright. No one was more surprised, or elated, than I. In a history of athletic talents related mostly to being able to eat food while sportsing, balance and coordination have long eluded me. Maybe Matt had some fairy-snow-dust he sprinkled on me (called “years of teaching experience”), but by the end of that first run, he had me making turns in at least two letters of the alphabet, and maybe a letter or two I made up.

After two runs, we left the bunny hill for higher country— because I asked if we could. And this is the most remarkable part: I don’t think I ever skied a day in my life that was not terrifying and defined by me whiteknuckling my way down a slope. And here I was, on a snowboard of all things, grinning

my way down the mountain, with only the occasional flashing of my life before my eyes. Maybe I could start wearing cute après-ski sweaters after all!

There were so many gifts in that single morning for me. The idea that I could get Vitamin D in January was among them, and that I can again participate in grocery aisle chat about snow conditions like a contributing member of Pacific Northwest outdoor society. Perhaps the most wonderful, however, was the redemption of all my years of thinking myself incapable.

Ammi Midstokke extends her gratitude to the crew at Schweitzer for their support in an unexpected therapeutic experience. She notes that a season’s pass still costs less than a season of actual therapy, which is exactly how she’ll justify it to her husband.

LEARNING TO SKI AT 49 DEGREES NORTH

BY LISA LAUGHLIN

WORKING FOR THIS MAGAZINE, I’d long been inundated with notions of “the stoke.”

I’d googled ski terms and jargon, sometimes without answer. I’d even found myself amongst skiers watching Warren Miller ski films. Each time, there was this nagging: I wish I knew how to ski.

Last December, I threw myself out there and asked to write this article. I knew most mountains offered a three-lesson Learn to Ski program, and I chose 49° North as the place I wanted to learn. I bought a good pair of gloves from the Spokane Alpine Haus, snow pants on sale at REI, and headed up the mountain.

First off: the folks at 49° North know how to take care of a newbie. Under the 1-2-3 Learn To Ski program, a lift ticket and all the gear rentals you’ll need are included. It’s a come-as-you-are (but dress warmly) scenario. I checked in at their new, domed Experience Center, where I was fitted in rental boots and handed skis and poles. I then walked clumsily to the flagged learning area at the bunny hill, carrying my skis while the real skiers hustled into line for the chair lift. (Having gotten stuck after clipping into a bike pedal before, I damn well wasn’t going to clip into my skis until someone gave me instruction.)

My instructor was named Hana, a lifelong skier from the Czech Republic. She began by asking what the goals were for each of the

adults in my small group lesson. One wanted to keep up with his partner who skied every weekend. I wanted to learn to ski alongside my son. We began by walking in circles with one ski on one foot. Though comical looking, it felt doable. And that was the emphasis throughout the lesson: always ski in control. Seemed like a good motto.

I wasn’t totally new to sliding on snow, as I grew up snowmobiling, but having a ski on each foot felt totally awkward. I was jealous of the two-year-olds on the bunny hill sliding between their parents’ skis, wondering if this sport would ever feel natural starting at 33.

At first, I couldn’t even control my “pizza” wedge. But Hana was calm, encouraging, and gave expert pointers for someone like me who was a logistical/visual learner. After a form correction, I was able to stop when intended on the next run down the bunny hill. Hana tutored all three adults both individually and as a group during our hour-and-a-half lesson. She reminded us that it was not a competition, and that we would take the fundamentals we learned on the bunny hill to all future terrain.

From crossing my tips to making my first fluid turns, it was a satisfying morning of progress. My second lesson was the next day, as 1-2-3 lessons operate weekends only, so I drove the hour and change from

southwest Spokane through Chewelah and up the mountain again. We were blessed with ice, so my day two instructor, Nicole, taught us how to set an edge and how to finesse a wedge turn into something more parallel. After the lesson, I was starving. I pounded a basket of chicken strips and fries from the lodge’s “Yard Sale” eatery and made my way down the mountain, already feeling a bit at home within this new world.

Lesson three took place a few weeks later, and I’m pleased to report that most of it occurred on Chair 3. After a warm-up on the bunny hill, Hana taught me how to load the chair lift and gave real-time pointers and

drills as I navigated my way down the hill. In just three short lessons, I had my ski feet under me. I know I have a lot more to learn and am already eyeing 49’s all-women clinics later this winter.

It will be a while until I’d call myself a skier. But a little bit of that stoke has taken hold. As I took my lessons, my husband gave our five-year-old his first ski tutorial on the bunny hill. Thanks to 49° North covering the logistics of learning, we’re both on our way to nailing the basics.

Lisa Laughlin is the managing editor of Out There Outdoors. She hopes to do a little night skiing with her brother this winter.

LEARNING MADE EASY

All five of the local resorts around the Spokane area and North Idaho offer some version of the infamous “Learn to Ski or Snowboard” all-inclusive package. Whatever the name, the idea is the same: make it easy, accessible and affordable for adults or kids to pick up a new winter sport. These programs for beginners, known as EZ Ski or Ride 1-2-3 at several resorts, includes three lift tickets, three rentals (boots, poles and skis, or snowboard), and three small group lessons. Pricing and other details vary by resort, but start as low as a couple hundred dollars. Start by researching which ski area is the best fit for you and your budget, then give their ski school a call to sign up and schedule your lessons. They will walk you through the details, but be sure to show up the day of the first lesson with plenty of time to get yourself situated and fitted for your rental gear. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to learning to shred! (OTO)

HOW TO READ A SNOW REPORT

BY BRAD NORTHRUP

AS A DOMESTICATED middle-aged dude, I have way more responsibilities than I would care to, so I only get to go skiing on Sundays. And since that is my one and only day on the hill, I don’t really put much effort into checking the conditions prior to heading to the mountain. It could be 5 below zero with snow blowing sideways and every chair on wind hold, and I wouldn’t even bat an eye. No, my friends, the season is short and I’m going up no matter what. Now, for those of you who have to intently scrutinize the snow report like its an intelligence estimate from the CIA in order to make a deci-

sion whether to head to the mountain, I thought I would help by pointing out some of the subtleties that might escape the layperson.

“VARIABLE CONDITIONS”

Now this could damn well mean anything, but usually it equates to wind-scoured ice patches on the upper mountain, anklebreaking crud that has the consistency of wet concrete at mid mountain, and paper-thin coverage mixed with gravel and chunks of tree branches on the lower mountain. Make sure your insurance is up to date prior to heading up….

“PRECIPITATING”

If it was snowing, they would tell ya. But this means it is definitely not snowing. Yep, it’s the dreaded “R” word, but don’t sweat it. If you have the right gear, skiing in the rain can be a hoot. Well, until every stitch of clothing you own is soaked to the skin and you have to wring your gloves out when you head in for lunch. If you don’t care how you look, I might suggest cutting a hole at the top of a garbage bag and rocking it like a rain poncho. As a side note, I would suggest the large Hefty Extra Strong bags for lawn debris—they fit really well ….

“LIMITED VISIBILITY”

Ever heard the phrase “skiing by braille”? This is it. Skiing is hard enough even with optimum conditions, but trying to slide down the mountain when you can’t see five feet in front of you is just a different kind of awful. And nothing will make you want to head straight for the car like goggles encrusted with frozen fog. Pro tip: Use the thumb you wipe your nose with to clear your goggles—the viscosity of snot helps facilitate the removal of ice crystals from your lenses.

“FIRM AND FAST”

If it hasn’t snowed for weeks, this is typically what is left to ski on. Any soft layer that existed is usually brushed down to

the ice layer by mid-morning, leaving you to negotiate an uneven, frozen river pockmarked with death cookies and littered with debris from fallen skiers who couldn’t set an edge if their lives depended on it. If you haven’t had your skis tuned for a few years, this is not the day for you. But, if you did, then godspeed.

“THIN CRUST OVER FRESH POWDER”

Now don’t let the “fresh powder” part of this fool ya. Sure, there might be some quality snow lurking under that so-called thin crust, but getting to it is gonna cost ya if you are snagging first tracks. First off, breaking through the crust is going to take more effort than it is worth. And even once you do break through it, I guarantee you will have non-existent control over your sticks. Oh, and that crust you worked so hard to muscle through? Yeah, it has a sharpness akin to an obsidian blade used by surgeons. But I guess you will figure that out when you roll into the bar with the bottoms of your $400 North Face pants shredded to ribbons while those around you quietly snicker. But, hey, at least you scored some fresh powder, right?

Brad Northrup is a former ski racer, coach, and ski industry professional. He gets excited when conditions are firm and fast.

ANYONE WITH A DOG knows the familiar scene when you reach for the leash and the dog suddenly realizes they are going for a walk. The dog starts whining with anticipation, running in circles or jumping up and down with excitement. Now, multiply that times 10 big, athletic dogs that are part of

a seasoned team, and you get some sense for what running the snowy trails behind a team of beautiful huskies can feel like.

Priest Lake Husky Sled Tours offers these experiences for anyone wanting to answer the “call of the wild” for a few hours, but without having to travel all the way to

Alaska. The operation is a family affair, run by Stephen and Danielle Porter and their three adorable children, who lend a hand in the care and feeding of the sled dogs. Big working dogs require a lot of work, but it is a labor of love for this family, even more so because all the dogs in their kennel are rescue dogs from a variety of backgrounds. Numbering about 30 animals, some come from animal shelters, some from a rescue organization specializing in huskies, and some were even found on Craigslist. The Porters love giving these special animals a second chance at life, a chance to do exactly what they love to do—run.

Steven learned the craft of mushing while living in Vail, Colo., working as a guide there since 2004. With 20 years of experience under his belt, they moved to Priest Lake in 2021 with a vision to start a sled dog company in that picturesque area. If you join them for an excursion, they will share their knowledge while on the trail, giving you an education in the process. You’ll learn about the art of mushing, the different types of dog breeds that are used and why, various versions of sledding that focus on different aspects of the craft, as well as the natural history of the beauty around you as you hum along in a sled behind a team of 10 to 12 happy dogs.

When you go, you will meet the Porters at one of several trailheads they utilize in

the Priest Lake area north of Priest River, Idaho. There are two tours each day, one starting at 9:30 a.m. and one at 1 p.m. Trips begin with a short orientation and safety talk, then you are quickly underway as the anchor is pulled and the dogs lean into their tugs. Once underway, the previously noisy dogs settle into a purposeful silence as they do what they love to do. Approximately an hour down the trail there will be time for a twenty-minute break with snacks and hot cocoa, as well as opportunities to meet the team and take lots of photos together with the dogs and the beautiful scenery. Then it’s time to turnabout for the trailhead again, culminating in more photos with your new canine friends.

For more information, go to their website at www.plhuskies.com to see photos and videos, read the FAQs, and book a tour online. And if you need a little more information first, you can always give them a call at 208964-7915. I can guarantee you a fun experience that you won’t soon forget.

Harley McAllister and his wife Abby have written a family-focused guidebook series to the National Parks called "Adventuring with Kids" published by The Mountaineers. In the winter, you'll most likely find their family alpine skiing at one of the regional ski areas.

SUBLIME SCENERY FROM A DOG SLED DEEP IN THE FORESTS OF NORTH IDAHO // PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN PORTER

FELIX AND PAULA RIDING GROOMED TRAILS IN COEUR D'ALENE. // PHOTO: ERIC DEADY

Turn Your Winter Adventure into an Overnighter Winter camping tips and places to go around the Inland Northwest

BY HOLLY WEILER

OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS know that there is no bad weather, only inappropriate gear and clothing. There is no need to put away the camping supplies just because it’s below freezing and there’s a little snow on the ground! That choice campsite that is impossible to reserve in the summer is most likely wide open for winter, and a willingness to try winter camping leads to opportunities to recreate farther afield at a low cost.

GEAR YOU’LL NEED

While a four-season tent is a definite upgrade for winter camping, it is also possible to use a three-season tent for all but the most challenging winter conditions. A closed-cell foam sleeping pad helps reflect and retain heat and should be placed on top of an inflatable pad if using both for extra cushion. Check the temperature comfort rating on sleeping bags against forecasted low temperatures, but the temperature rat

ing of a three-season bag can be improved through the use of a silk or fleece bag liner inside the sleeping bag, and with a minimalist bivy over top. If car camping, there’s no reason not to toss in some extra blankets, too!

WHERE TO GO

Test your gear system by trying a night in your own backyard or at a nearby campground that’s open year-round. Many campgrounds have reduced rates for winter. Here are a few fun trip ideas:

• For those who live in Spokane, Riverside State Park’s Bowl and Pitcher campground is a great place to test winter camping gear. A standard campsite is $25 and can be reserved in advance. Hike, snowshoe, or fatbike the trail system right out of camp. Enjoy heated bathrooms and hot showers when you return

from the trail.

• Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area maintains year-round access to Spring Canyon, Fort Spokane, and Kettle Falls campgrounds. Reservations are required, with a winter rate of $11.50. The best recreation opportunities will be a short drive away from each of these sites, although shore fishing (and beach walking) are available from camp.

• A favorite shoestring-budget ski trip to Mission Ridge includes a night at Wenatchee Confluence State Park. A standard campsite is $25. No reservations needed, seldom full, and Mission Ridge is just 30 minutes away. Nearby Squilchuck State Park is groomed for fat bikes and has a sled hill.

• Grant County PUD maintains several campgrounds for year-round camping access, with fees ranging from $15-20 for a standard campsite. Campgrounds

are located close to the Columbia River at Sand Hollow, Rocky Coulee, Priest Rapids, and Jackson Creek Fish Camp. Fish from shore or check out nearby trail systems.

• Steamboat Rock State Park offers standard campsites at $20, with hiking available right out of camp or at nearby Northrup Canyon.

• Many (but not all) SnoPark locations on National Forest land allow overnight parking and camping, making for great Nordic and backcountry ski or snowshoe outings. Check regulations for your favorite SnoPark location before you go. A popular spot is Sherman Pass on Highway 20, which you will need a SnoPark permit to camp at.

Holly Weiler is the WTA Eastern Washington Regional Coordinator and “The Trailhead” columnist for Out There.

Thumbs Up

By Olivia Dugenet

I WAS BACKPACKING alone because I had desperately needed a break from my everyday life. I was in the Lewis range of the Montana Rockies, in summer, and I had been rationing a low water supply for a couple of miles. There were no streams at that elevation. Just ragged stone against plump white clouds that stampeded east, shapeshifting as they ran. My thirst compounded with every step. Close to finishing a long climb, I walked in long, fast strides up and over the ridgetop where the wind hit me suddenly with invisible force.

I stumbled all over the place, shuffling my feet and flailing my arms to maintain balance, but the heavy backpack threw off my center of gravity. I landed hard on my hands and knees and caught my sunglasses with one hand just as the wind ripped them off my face. I shoved them in through the collar of my shirt and speed-crawled to the leeward side of an enormous stone cairn. I sat down, wiggled out of my backpack, and leaned into the stone.

Some part of me had hoped that immersion in wild nature would produce answers about how to escape the difficulties that had recently plagued me. For example, several days earlier I had accidentally chopped the tip of my thumb off with a kitchen knife. That’s the sort of mishap that makes me want to throw chairs through windows. There were other things: divorce, financial losses, isolation, a child’s health crisis, a car crash, job change, emergency vet, etc. I had handled all that, but I drew the line at a thumb stump, which was now throbbing and wrapped in bloody, dirt-crusted bandages at 7,600 feet.

I squinted up at the surrounding stone and sky and wondered if I could distill wis-

dom that amounted to anything more than confirmation bias. I was looking for potent insight grounded in raw physical reality. Sitting there in the dirt, though, all I got was thirstier and farther behind schedule. I recklessly drank my last four ounces of water and stepped back into the barreling wind.

The trail snaked for miles along a narrow spine, skirting oblivion. Eventually it rose steeply to a lookout platform situated in the middle of nowhere with shock-andawe views of the surrounding landscape—a massive assembly of towering peaks and arétes, sharp as blades. I scrambled up, uttering expletives to keep my spirit light while gusts hurled me toward the cliff edge.

An agitated young man stood on the ridge fidgeting and watching me climb. Enormously tall with a wild expression and broad build, he charged toward me. “We’re lost!” he shouted over the wind and waved a GPS device as proof. He blurted out a story about how he’d gotten disoriented and stumbled mistakenly into this unknowable and sinister region. As I was the only other person he’d seen, he was convinced I had also lost my way.

I don’t know why I believed him. Instantly I felt my heart drop, and dug my phone out of my pack to have a look at my own GPS app. “Where are you heading?” he said. I told him the name of the lake and he shouted in triumph. “I knew it! You are so lost. You’re going the wrong direction. These are the wrong mountains.”

He held his digital device up so I could see. I leaned in close and studied the onedimensional black outlines of various peaks that appeared on his screen. Then I looked up and around at the mountains themselves, silent snow-spotted giants. How were the

mountains wrong? This guy wasn’t making sense. “Hold on,” I said. “Where are you going?” Watching the worry on his face, I wondered which was more dangerous: getting physically lost in the wild, or mentally lost in a maze of disappointment and despair.

He told me his destination and I laughed out loud. “You’re not lost,” I said. “I passed that lake earlier today. There is one trail between here and there, and you are on it.”

“How can that be?” He held up his GPS again.

“Don’t overthink it,” I said. “I promise you’re on the right track. Just keep going.”

“But this wind—it isn’t safe. This can’t be right.” he said.

“That’s true. It isn’t safe,” I said. “This isn’t normal wind. It’s a storm. Be careful out there.”

I wished him luck and moved on, glad to distance myself from his gloom, but also grateful for the encounter. I thought of Alfred Korzybski, the philosopher and engineer who had offered the simple yet profound observation that “the map is not the

territory.” When we find ourselves resisting the challenging terrain of true experience, it’s a clue that we’ve strayed into abstraction. Coming into the trip, I had been sure my difficulties were “the wrong mountains.”

My mouth imploded with thirst. A few more miles of dry, wind-scattered scree later, my backpack and I were jogging down wildflower hillsides toward the blue lake. I filtered cold, fresh water and marveled at its sweetness, its revitalizing power, its weird, shape-changing properties and the alien feel of it on my lips. The way I was experiencing water felt like . . . potent insight grounded in raw physical reality.

I walked my whole sweaty, aching body in for a swim. I treaded water with my injured hand suspended above the surface, the aching digit inside its soggy gauze encasement forced into a persistent and involuntary thumbs up.

Olivia Dugenet is a Spokane writer and frequent backcountry traveler whose left thumb is just a tiny bit shorter than her right. RIDGE