Out There Outdoors // May 2019

Fa r m e r s M a r k e t s | c ryo t h e r a p y | b i k e e v e n t s MAY 2019 // FREE

THE INLAND PACIFIC NORTHWEST GUIDE TO ADVENTURE + TRAVEL + CULTURE

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

8Rides

favorite

+

BC Bike Parks

Inland NW Whitewater Classics

spring hikes sinlahekin & Antoine Peak {Crowd-free climbing}

uncorked outdoors Wine & Recreation Guide

GRANT COUNTY WA S H I N G T O N

Just Natural Ingredients

Fishing • Hunting Camping • Hiking Watchable Wildlife For more information about accommodations:

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

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NEW 2019 ROUTES

2019

CONTENTS

FEATURES

26 | Northwest Paddling/Whitewater River Guide 30 | Favorite Rides 32 | Mayhem & Madness on the Midnight Century 34 | Granddaddy of Gravity

SIGN UP TODAY FOR ONE OF THE TOP CHARITY RIDES IN THE COUNTRY! PRESENTED BY

26

PLATINUM SPONSORS

SPECIAL SECTION 24 | Wine & Recreation Guide

DEPARTMENTS 12 | Gear Room 13 | Climbing 18 | Race Report 21 | Urban Outdoors 22 | Outdoor Living 23 | Hiking

COLUMNS 14 | Out There Kids 17 | Eatology 19 | Run WIld

16

IN EVERY ISSUE 7 | Intro 8

| Dispatches

10 | Hike of the Month 15 | Health & Fitness 16 | Provisions 20 | Nature 37 | Outdoor Calendar 38 | Last Page

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

YOUNG HIKERS WILL ENJOY SPYING ON VALLEY TRAINS FROM AFAR, YET WITHIN EARSHOT OF THE PIERCING TRAIN WHISTLE. ARBOR CREST WINERY IS VISIBLE FROM ITS PERCH ATOP A CLIFF OVERLOOKING THE RIBBON OF THE SPOKANE RIVER TO THE SOUTHWEST.

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LIMITED EDITION BLOOMSDAY TEES Pick up a limited edition Bloomsday graphic tee at the Fleet Feet booth during the Trade Show!

MAY 2019 WWW.OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM PUBLISHERS

Shallan & Derrick Knowles EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Derrick Knowles MANAGING EDITOR

Summer Hess ASSOCIATE EDITOR & DIGITAL MANAGER

Lisa Laughlin ASSOCIATE EDITOR

TRADE SHOW HOURS FRIDAY, MAY 3, 11:30 A.M. - 8:00 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 4, 9:00 A.M. - 6:30 P.M.

Jon Jonckers SPECIAL SECTION EDITOR

Amy Silbernagel McCaffree DIGITAL EDITOR

Siobhan Ebel COPY EDITOR

Andrew Butler CONTRIBUTORS

Crystal Atamian S. Michal Bennett Bradley Bleck Timothy Dunn Emily Erickson Chris Gabrielle Adam Gebauer Nicole Hardina Justin Haug Sarah Hauge Summer Hess Leah Hillbrand Jessy Humann Jon Jonckers Derrick Knowles Shallan Knowles Lisa Laughlin Amy S. McCaffree Holly McLelan Ammi Midstokke Justin Short Suzanne Tabert Aaron Theisen Nick Thomas Woods Wheatcroft Wil Wheaton Holly Weiler Josh Yake ART + PRODUCTION

Jon Jonckers Shallan Knowles TO REQUEST COPIES CALL

509 / 822 / 0123 AD SALES

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

Mailing Address: PO Box #5 Spokane, WA 99210 www.outthereoutdoors.com, 509 / 822 / 0123 Out There Outdoors is published 10 times a year by Out There Monthly, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. ©Copyright 2019 Out There Monthly, LLC. The views expressed in this magazine reflect those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily Out There Monthly, LLC. Disclaimer: Many of the activities depicted in this magazine carry a significant risk of personal injury or death. Rock climbing, river rafting, snow sports, kayaking, cycling, canoeing and backcountry activities are inherently dangerous. The owners and contributors to Out There Monthly do not recommend that anyone participate in these activities unless they are experts or seek qualified professional instruction and/or guidance, and are knowledgeable about the risks, and are personally willing to assume all responsibility associated with those risks.

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

ON THE COVER: NICOLE BLACK AND JENNINGS WATERHOUSE "CRUISING" THE SPRING STREETS OF SANDPOINT, ID

Photo: Woods Wheatcroft 6

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

Intro: Best Kind of Bike TWO YEARS AGO I parked my bike in front of Muv

Fitness downtown Spokane. Smoke from nearby fires hung heavy over the city, and a treadmill offered the only reasonable long run option that week. After two tedious hours of all-work-andno-pleasure joint pounding, I descended to street level, opened the doors, and stepped onto the sidewalk. Immediately I noticed that something wasn’t right.

I tried to convince myself that my bike was still there. It had to be. Or that maybe I had not ridden it after all, and it was safe in my garage.

Or perhaps I had parked it in a different rack. It took a few minutes to accept the reality.

I finally called Crime Check to report the bike stolen. Then I walked across the street and purchased an ice cream cone. I slurped my cold treat as I walked the 2 miles home and had a stomach-

ache by the time I was halfway across the Monroe Street Bridge.

Once the anger subsided—anger at the thief for taking my bike, and anger at myself for relying on such a flimsy chain—two competing concerns darted around in my over-sugared brain.

First, I was sad to say goodbye to an old friend, my Giant OCR3. I bought the bike with my tax return during my first year of grad school. During my first long and lonely winter in Spokane I used that bike to shake off the winter blues by pumping those pedals.

I bought a bike rack, installed it on the back of my friends Honda Accord, and drove that bike to Pennsylvania to a summer job and my first Olympic triathlon. At the end of the summer, I stashed it on top of my friend's Prius and it slowed down our gas mileage past Mount

Rushmore and through the Badlands on its way back to Spokane. I didn’t own a car, so it served as my primary form of transportation for nearly five years. It was my commuting bike, race bike, and cruise-around-town bike, all in one.

My second concern resembled a hyper-privileged existential crisis. Now that I was starting over, what kind of bike would I buy, and what kind of cyclist would I become?

I decided to dabble. First I bought matching yellow vintage touring bikes that had been stashed in a couple's garage for 20 years. I loved the way they looked, but I didn’t like how heavy they were as I lugged them up and down the stairs at work. Plus I could never totally eradicate the squeaks no matter how many parts I cleaned.

Next I purchased an ultra-flash tri bike at the 2018 Bike Swap. A year later, it’s still in my shed,

too aggressive and pro-looking for me to even shop for the pedals I need.

Finally, after way too many Craigslist sessions, I saw it— the Trek One, an entry level road bike, in my size, in good shape, and cheap. It’s light.

I can afford to replace it if it ever gets stolen.

It’ll race in a mediocre way, which is all I need.

It’s nothing fancy, and its just what I need: two wheels and a light aluminum frame.

The whole experience reminded me that the best bike isn’t determined by what the bike is designed for, be it road, gravel, trails, hills, or cruising. The best kind of bike is the one you like enough to climb on the saddle again and again and ride. // SUMMER HESS, MANAGING EDITOR

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Dispatches COMMUNITY MOURNS LOSS OF CLIMBER JESS ROSKELLEY— SPOKANE, WASH.

World-famous Spokane climber Jess Roskelley died in an avalanche on April 16, 2019, along with Austrian climbers David Lama and Hansjörg Auer. The trio was attempting to repeat the difficult route “M16” on Howse Peak in the Canadian Rockies first climbed

by Steve House, Scott Backes, and Barry Blanchard in 2000.

Jess Roskelley was much more than a climber, and Out There Outdoors has plans to highlight his contributions to the Inland Northwest outdoors community in an upcoming issue.

Meanwhile, the climbing world is still reeling from this tragic blow. All three of the climbers belonged to The North Face Global Athlete Team and were loved members of the mountaineering community. All of them also made significant contributions to alpine climbing.

Without a doubt, this has been one of the most heartbreaking tragedies to strike the outdoor adventure community in recent times. Their passing touches all of us. (Jon Jonckers)

BUCK KNIVES EBONY PROJECT—

POST FALLS, IDAHO

Back in 2011, Taylor Guitars became the coowner of the Crelicam ebony mill in Cameroon.

This one step set into motion a remarkable journey to learn every aspect of the ebony trade, including its impact on the forest ecosystems of Africa’s Congo Basin. Fast-forward to 2019, Buck Knives is proud to partner with Taylor Guitars and reintroduce ebony, a dense, black hardwood, to their classic knives. This natural material features beautiful grain patterns so that each knife showcases natures best designs. The ebony is harvested using sustainable practices, and it is a brilliant, eco-minded step forward for creating classic tools and pocket knives. You can learn more about the knives at the Post Falls showroom at Buck Knives HQ, or check out their Instagram feed. (Jon Jonckers)

NEW BOAT LAUNCH IN REDBAND PARK— SPOKANE, WASH.

The Spokane River Forum recently announced completion of Redband Launch on the Spokane River near downtown Spokane. Located in Peaceful Valley’s Redband Park (formerly Glover Field), the launch provides anglers, rafters and paddlers unprecedented and easy access to the Great Gorge and Spokane River. “It’s a premier addition to the Spokane River Water Trail,” says Forum executive director Andy Dunau. Four plus years in the making, the Spokane River Forum led development of this initiative with partner and funding support from the City of Spokane, Washington Department of Commerce, Spokane Conservation District, the Spokane Tribe of Indians, TransCanada, and Spokane Indians baseball. “Their contributions combined with broad and deep stakeholder support proves great things can happen when people work together,” says Dunau.

As part of the project, the parking lot was expanded and reconfigured to support trailer access. Later this summer, an outdoor restroom will open. In the grander scheme of things, the launch also ties into City of Spokane efforts to create a loop trail through Peaceful Valley that will begin construction this summer. With the new boat launch and rehabilitation of the ballfield to support youth sports, visitor traffic to Redband Park is expected to increase. To help assure a quality visitor experience, the Forum is working with partners to install a Redband Plaza this summer. “This will serve as a trailhead and gathering place featuring a 12 foot redband trout sculpture, interpretive area, and native plantings,” adds Dunau. (OTO) 8

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

TWO MOUNTAIN COMBO SKI PASS ANNOUNCED KELLOGG, IDAHO

With the recent announcement that 49 Degrees North near Chewelah has been sold to a company affiliated with Silver Mountain Resort comes a new combo ski and snowboard pass good at both resorts for the 20192020 season. Pass prices for adults start at $459 and $329 for youth. If you already purchased a pass to one of the mountains and want to upgrade to the combo pass, give the season pass office a call. (OTO)

BAY TRAIL RITE OF SPRING— SANDPOINT, IDAHO

The Bay Trail Fun Run has become an annual rite of spring in Sandpoint, where a few hundred runners and walkers cover the 5K and 10K courses along scenic waterfront trails. The family-friendly fun run or walk is scheduled for Sunday, June 9, this year, starting at 9 a.m. at Sandpoint City Beach. The event, a fundraiser for the Friends of the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail, follows the Bay Trail out and back for the 5K course and continues on along the Creekside Trail, which follows Sand Creek, for the 10K route.

This community event supports efforts to maintain, improve, and expand the popular Shoreline Trail and attracts runners from around the region because of its scenic setting with views of the lake, creek, and mountains and a mostly flat course with a mix of pavement and dirt path. All participants will receive T-shirts and goodie bags that include a coupon for a discounted post-race lunch at Trinity at City Beach.

Pobtrail.org. (OTO)

LADIES NIGHT AT SPOKANE ALPINE HAUS— SPOKANE, WASH.

Join like-minded outdoorsy ladies for an evening social with drinks, appetizers, a store-wide sale, and raffles and giveaways at the Spokane Alpine Haus on the South Hill from 6-9 p.m. on May 23.

“There will be gift bags for the first 20 women that show up, and we will also be holding a raffle and any money raised from that will be donated to a local charity along with a portion of sales from the evening,” says Drew Harding, who along with his wife Rachel owns and operates the long-time Spokane ski and water sports gear and apparel shop. “We will also be having a trunk show courtesy of Carve Designs,” adds Harding. “They will have samples of their entire line to try on and special order.” (OTO)

GET OUT FEST LAUNCHED FERRY COUNTY, WASH.

Northeast Washington’s new Get Out Fest, June 27-30, is being billed as a dynamic, communityled outdoor recreation and culture festival, with festival organizers boasting that there will be something for everyone. Located at the Ferry County Fairgrounds near the town of Republic, the first-time festival is offering a wide range of outdoor activities that festivalgoers can participate in, as well as food, music, an outdoor film, a climbing wall, and camping.

Events include a timed 5K & Half Marathon on the Ferry County Rail Trail, a mountain bike ride, and a hike on the nearby Kettle Crest Trail, which is part of the congressionally recognized Pacific Northwest Trail. Festival co-founders Emily Burt and Bobby Whittaker recently announced the headlining band for Saturday night will be the twangy, rootsy folk trio, The Cave Singers. “It is really coming together well,” says Whittaker, who has 25 years of experience in music promotions.

"Three things make an outdoor recreation and culture festival fun: location, location, location! The fourth and fifth things are wonderful people and great music."

In addition to its rivers, lakes, and 30-mile rail trail, Ferry County is bookended by the 1.1 million acre Colville National Forest—one of Washington State's best kept recreational secrets. "One of the wonderful things about Ferry County is the abundance of public land and the chance to get outside," says Burt, who with her husband Billy owns the Republic Brewing Company. "There are literally too many fun outdoor options to mention. The movies, music, food, and camping at the fairgrounds are just icing on the cake and a great way to bring everyone together at the end of a fun day of adventure.” Get Out Fest is happening June 27-30. Tickets and information are available at Getoutfest.com.

(OTO)

STAY & PLAY IN WHITEFISH, MONTANA

COME TRY OUT THE CLIMBING WALL AT GET OUT FEST.

FLY FISHING BETA: EURO NYMPHING, SPEY RODS, & SEASON CHANGES—

SPOKANE, WASH.

Euro nymphing, also called Czech nymphing, is a fly-fishing method increasing in popularity among local anglers according to Sean Visintainer, owner of Silver Bow Fly Shop in Spokane. “Normal nymphing—with sub-surface flies—typically uses a type of indicator similar to a bobber to regulate the depth and detect strikes. [Euro style] basically means your line is tight from your rod to your nymph, which is heavily weighted, and the drift is so good that your catch rates skyrocket when done properly…especially on the Spokane River, which is notoriously difficult to catch fish with dry flies,” he says. “I love it—it’s a fun way to fish…just another tool in the angler’s arsenal.”

Euro nymphing in smaller creeks is especially good, says Mike Beard, owner of Northwest Outfitters in Coeur d’Alene, where there are “smaller drifts but good presentations.” Rods for this technique are longer, lighter, finer, and more sensitive than regular fly rods. This method uses specialized lines and weighted nymphs. This season anglers are also using a wider variety and more technically-advanced gear, such as using a Spey rod instead of a sink-tip for trout. They are also trying new types of fly lines that “make it a lot more fun to catch fish,” says Beard.

While fishing season is year-round on the St. Joe and Coeur d’Alene rivers, there are new regulations for the Spokane River in Washington State. There used to be different regulations for the three stretches of river in Spokane County, but now the Spokane River from the Idaho border to Nine Mile Falls dam is closed from March 15 to the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend, which is May 25 this year. The new regulations simplify the rules and verbiage about catch-and-release, which should reduce confusion and poaching. If you see someone fishing on the river before opening day, you should report it via the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife enforcement page. New signs will be installed in late spring or early summer to spread awareness about these new rules, thanks to the collaborative work of Silver Bow and Trout Unlimited.

So, when will fly fishing be good on the region’s top fly fishing rivers this year? While peak fly-fishing season is June through August, the fishing can be good in spots in May. “Everything is a little behind compared to last year, as far as river conditions. Be patient and it will come around,” says Visintainer. “I typically really like May and June, even during bigger snowpack years—this year is pretty average. Water is going to be high and fishable. It’s going to be very productive—just need to pick and choose your spots. We should have good insect hatches, and the water should be colder for longer this year.” If snowmelt run-off occurs towards the end of May, which is historically typical, anglers “can fish longer into the summer with colder water,” says Beard. “It’s shaping up to be a good season around here.”

Northwest Outfitters, which owns the local Orvis corporate fly-fishing school, offers free “Orvis 101” classes on Saturday mornings through May, with knot-tying and casting lessons at the nearby pond at Riverstone Park. Guided fishing trips are also available for the Coeur d’Alene River.

Silver Bow provides guide services for the Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, and St. Joe Rivers, with trip planning dependent on current river conditions. (Amy McCaffree) // MAY 2019 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

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HikeOfTheMonth ANTOINE PEAK'S EMERALD NECKLACE Spokane Valley // By Holly Weiler

ANTOINE PEAK'S Emerald Necklace is a fan-

tastic way to experience all of the sights of this large conservation area just north of the Spokane Valley. Starting from the west trailhead minimizes the elevation gain, although the Emerald Necklace can be reached from the east trailhead as well.

Begin by ascending the new singletrack trail on the open grassy hillside just above the parking lot.

Hikers will need to cross the cell tower access road, an alternate hiking option that stays in the trees and meets the singletrack again at the top of the first hill. It's a little under a mile to the intersection with the Emerald Necklace route, and on a clear day the views of the Spokane Valley are superb.

Young hikers will enjoy spying on valley trains from afar, yet within earshot of the piercing train whistle. Arbor Crest Winery is visible from its perch atop a cliff overlooking the ribbon of the Spokane River to the southwest. It's also easy to spot neighboring conservation areas at the south end of Spokane Valley, with the towers of Iller Creek/Rocks of Sharon to the southwest and the dome of Mica Peak visible to the southeast.

At the top of the first hill, rejoin the tower access road for a short section to a signed trail junction for the Emerald Necklace. For the easiest hike, turn right at this junction, noting the return route on the left. This section of the hike is along an old roadbed with views of Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake. While an excellent hike in all seasons, May is an especially nice time to visit due to generally good visibility and peak wildflower blooms within the conservation area.

At approximately the 3-mile mark, hikers will reach the "chicken-foot intersection." Remain on the Emerald Necklace by proceeding straight ahead, but note the trail on the left leads to the summit of Antoine Peak, whereas the trail on the right leads to the east trailhead.

The north side of the Emerald Necklace is an entirely different ecosystem. Note the lush growth and greater variety of tree and bush species on this

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

wetter side of the mountain. There are fewer views into the distance, but Mount Spokane State Park is prominent from several vantage points along the way.

At approximately the 4.3-mile mark the trail intersects the west side summit trail, an optional extension of this hike for those who would enjoy the view from the top. For the main hike, continue straight ahead and downhill. At about the 4.7 mile mark, hikers will return to the first Emerald Necklace sign. Stay straight and return via the same route you ascended to start the hike. This hike is especially pleasant around sunset, as the hike out faces west for best viewing of evening light over Spokane.

ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE: 5.7 miles RATING: Moderate ELEVATION GAIN: 780 feet GETTING THERE: From Spokane Valley, trav-

el north on Forker Road to the new Bigelow/ Forker interchange. Continue north on Forker and take the first right (east) on Brevier Road.

Pass the intersection with Adams Road and continue east on Brevier to the signed Antoine Peak Conservation Area parking lot. Passenger vehicles should use the paved parking spaces at the east end of the lot, saving room for horse trailers along the south side and in the middle.

SUPPORT LOCAL TRAILS: Volunteer with the

Washington Trails Association (WTA) for a fun and rewarding way to give back to the places you love to hike. Trails across Washington need our help more than ever. The next WTA work party will be at Fishtrap west of Spokane on May 4 and Antoine Peak on May 15. See www.wta.org/volunteer for more information.

Holly Weiler is easing back into trail running after a long winter hiatus that included plenty of time spent on skis instead. She writes the Hike of the Month column every month for Out There.

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Test ride an e-bike = Get a scratch card Every card is a wiNner May 1-31st

GearRoom BODYGLOVE 3T BAREFOOT MAX WATER SHOE

Grip your stand-up paddleboard like a gecko with these versatile water shoes. An ideal footwear choice for Inland NW rivers and lakes where encounters with sharp rocks, glass, and other jetsam are inevitable, these Bodyglove water shoes could save you a trip to the emergency room to have a shard of Keystone Ice can removed from your foot.

And they will definitely give you better traction on slippery rocks when launching or portaging your SUP, tube, or kayak. These amphibious

shoes are made for both the water and beach time, where they will save your feet from hot scorching sand. The Barefoot Max shoes have a stretchy fit, integrated drainage system, shocklace and Velcro strap to limit heel lift, and a three-toe design that makes getting them on and off relatively easy. Pick a pair up at the General Store in Spokane and be ready for the start of the paddling and Spokane River floating season. MSRP: $49.99. Bodyglove.com. (Derrick Knowles)

GARMONT DRAGONTAIL HIKE II GTX BOOT

Finding the right balance between a light-weight, minimalist hiking shoe and a beastly, full-protection hiking boot can be a challenge. Garmont's new Dragontail Hike II GTX is a great boot option that bridges that divide well with a trusted name in outdoor footwear. Inspired by the brand’s iconic Dragontail approach shoe,

this light, mid-cut boot features enough ankle and foot support without having to lug unwanted weight high into the mountains. It also has a roomy toe box, Gore-Tex liner, and grippy Vibram Winkler sole for rugged trails and rock. If you’re looking for a new pair of hiking shoes that can do it all, this may be the boot for you. MSRP: $220.

Garmontnorthamerica.com. (Wil Wheaton)

318 SH50 SMART BIKE HELMET

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

No, those aren’t voices in your head talking to you; it’s the latest in smart bike helmet technology.

Transitioning my trusty 8-year-old, bare-bones Bell noggin protector to a bright yellow, modern helmet with slide-down earbuds (that will tell you when you’re powering up and turning off the smart helmet functions), rear alerting lights, and an accompanying Bluetooth remote and smart app was a bit of a technological shock, but the built-in lights are definitely an upgrade worth having on their own. The integrated headphones, that LA SPORTIVA SPIRE GTX SHOE

Strong and built to breathe, the Spire GTX is a low cut, mid-duty waterproof hiking and backpacking shoe that features 360-degree breathability from the Gore-Tex® Surround™. The first thing I noticed about this hiking shoe is that it feels and looks ready for whatever terrain you would ever want to throw at your feet. The second thing that jumped out at me is the obvious effort to create a highly breath-

slide up and out of the way if you choose not to use them, provide a nice distraction when some low-volume music or a podcast can take the edge off a workout ride. The helmet fits and vents like a champ, although I wish it came with a sun visor to pick up the slack of the free credit union sunglasses I’ve been riding in lately. Assuming you’re not a luddite and you bought your helmet back when you still had a flip phone, consider upgrading to a 318 SH50 smart bike helmet. MSRP: $229.99. Fitechsports.com. (Derrick Knowles) able shoe, from aeration channels in the midsole and abrasion-resistant mesh in the uppers.

The Spire GTX is a tough, technical day hiking or light backpacking shoe that will maximize foot comfort and combat moisture from within and without through waterproof/breathability harmony. Available at REI and online. MSRP: $190. Sportiva.com.

(Derrick Knowles)

ENO DOUBLENEST PRINTED HAMMOCK

The magic of hammocking is how quickly you can transform where ever you are into a chill place for relaxation, and how quickly your mood can then shift from work or homelife stress to Zennedout bliss once you’re swinging in that nylon cocoon. The many new printed hammock options for ENO’s classic DoubleNest let you crank up the style a notch with bright

colors and cool designs, making even a backyard hammock session feel like an exotic vacation. Set one up on your stoop, fire up a frozen concoction in the blender, grab your sweetie, and crank up some island-inspired tunes to transport yourself to a welldeserved micro staycation. MSRP: $79.95. Eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com.

(Derrick Knowles)

Climbing LEAVENWORTH CLIMBING

Off the Beaten Path // By Jessy Humann

FULL OF BAVARIAN CHARM, beer, and brats, Leavenworth is a dream. Nestled in the Cascade Mountains of Central Washington in the Wenatchee River Valley, many people are drawn to its breweries, festivals, and shopping. Nutcracker museums and Reindeer Farms aside, Leavenworth is a mecca for outdoor recreation, especially for climbers.

With over 50 granite crags within 10 miles of town, there’s a reason people travel from all over the country to climb here. Due to its overall popularity and close proximity to Seattle, Spokane, and Wenatchee, Leavenworth gets busy, especially on weekends. Although Leavenworth has superb roadside climbing, even the most sociable climbers would probably admit that a little solace would be nice. With some extra effort and determination, it’s possible to find moderate bouldering, sport, and trad routes with less of a crowd.

BOULDERING

A CLIMBER GOES FOR THE TOP OUT IN LEAVENWORTH. // PHOTO JONJONKERS

There are over 1000 boulder problems to climb in Leavenworth, but many of them go unexplored as popular areas like Mad Meadows, Swiftwater, and Forest Land see all the attention. Though such areas are worth visiting, there are boulder problems strewn up and down Icicle Canyon, Tumwater Canyon, and Mountain Home Road that offer climbing just as good but with far less people.

In Icicle Creek Canyon, seclusion is more likely to be found farther up the canyon. Nine miles up the road is Egg Rock,

which offers classic moderates like Smoke Stack Lightnin' V2, Weather Report V3, and Dark Hollow V6. Although it’s close to the road, it has a remote feeling and is far enough away that it typically won’t be crowded.

In Tumwater Canyon, Driftwood Boulder is off the beaten path and the perfect place to tick off Clipped Wings, Gooseneck, Driftwood, and Bubbleslab, which are rated V0, V1, V2, and V4 respectively. For more guidance on how to find less crowded bouldering options in Leavenworth, pick up a copy of “Leavenworth Bouldering” by Kelly H. Sheridan, an essential companion to bouldering in the area.

with classics. The approach is long enough (about 45 minutes) to deter some people, but the routes are likely to be favorites regardless. Snow Creek Wall has mostly trad routes ranging from 5.8-5.11. Outer Space is iconic: six pitches of 5.9 with excellent crack climbing. Orbit offers four pitches of 5.8+ climbing, is almost as loved as Outer Space, and has a superb finger crack system running through the hardest part of the route.

The Pearly Gates Crag is full of crack and slab climbing. Located in Icicle Canyon about 40 minutes worth of hiking from Snow Creek Lot, this is the place for easy single pitch trad and bolted slab climbing.

SPORT AND TRADITIONAL CLIMBING

Whether the preferred method of climbing is bouldering, sport, or trad, Leavenworth has it all. As with any climbing endeavor, nothing substitutes for a written guidebook, so pick up a copy of “Leavenworth Rock” by Viktor Kramar for a comprehensive and more detailed list of all the climbing in the area. Forest Service passes are often required for parking, so be sure to check beforehand, and no matter where you’re coming from, don’t forget to grab a post-send beer; it wouldn’t be a proper trip to Leavenworth without one. //

There’s nothing quite like getting into the flow and fun of climbing a moderate multi-pitch route, and Condorphamine Addiction on the Condor Buttress offers just that. Though the approach has been known to be tricky and time consuming, the seven pitches of well-bolted 5.10b sport climbing are worth it.

Value Village is a beautiful granite crag that takes about two to three hours to hike into. It’s well worth trekking in and gaining over 2,800 feet of elevation to climb the classic routes Full Boar and Pulled Pork. A 5.11a/b splitter crack route, Full Boar can’t be missed, and just as fun is the steep and knob-studded 5.10a Pulled Pork.

One of the most popular crags in Leavenworth, Snow Creek Wall, is lined

Jessy Humann's outdoor pursuits are mainly focused on climbing and hiking, though lately she's been intrigued by running. Humann loves the Inland and Pacific Northwest and is always looking for a good excuse to get outside.

MAY 2019 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

13

KIDS +++

++++

MULTI-SPORT ADVENTURE CAMPING // By Amy S. McCaffree

thoroughfare to Upper Priest Lake. Though there isn’t a dock, you can fish from the shoreline, boat, or other watercraft.

5. Brush Lake Campground near Bonners Ferry has a dock and boat launch (electric motors only). Last year, the lake was stocked with over 5,000 hatchery-raised trout.

6. Sullivan Lake in the Colville National Forest has three campgrounds. West Sullivan and East Sullivan both have docks and boat launches.

7. Liberty Lake County Park has campsites, trails, and a swimming beach, but a Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife boat launch and dock are located on the other end of the lake (Discover Pass required). This past March, the lake was stocked with over 5,000 hatchery-raised rainbow trout.

8. Steamboat Rock State Park at Banks Lake has three campgrounds within the park, a dock, and seven boat launches. The 27-mile acre reservoir lake, popular for catching whitefish, stretches between Coulee City and the towns of Electric City and Grand Coulee.

CAMPING DESTINATIONS. // PHOTO: AMY MCCAFFREE

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND is the ceremonial start

to camping, and it’s not too late to book a trip at any of the hundreds of campgrounds throughout the Northwest.

If you’re new to camping, how should you decide where to go? One of my favorite aspects of camping is that the actual campground serves as an opportune base camp for further exploration—a means to access a broad range of nearby adventuring possibilities. While it’s relaxing to hang-out at a campsite all day, it’s also possible for a week-long trip or even a three-day weekend to become a multi-sport adventure. Rather than just “go camping,” plan a trip itinerary more like an expedition—an opportunity to explore with your kids and try a new activity or devote time to a favorite sport, such as fishing, paddling, biking, or hiking.

Here are some regional campground destination ideas, organized according to activities. Not meant to be a comprehensive list, all the suggestions below include campgrounds located on public lands, such as state parks and national forests. Many of these places provide access to multiple activities—it all depends on how much time you have and how much gear you’re willing (and able) to pack.

BEST CAMPGROUND DESTINATIONS FOR DOCK FISHING AND PADDLING:

1. North Idaho’s Chain Lakes, connected to the Coeur d’Alene River via narrow channels, provides scenic paddling through a designated wildlife management area. Blue Lake is one of the largest, along with Lake Killarney, which has a dock, boat launch, and campsites—including a site and picnic area on Popcorn Island—all managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

2. Hawley’s Landing Campground at Heyburn State Park, at Lake Chatcolet, has a dock and small beach boat launch area, only accessible by a short, downhill hike. A short drive away is Rocky Point, which has a larger dock, swimming beach, and boat launch.

3. Round Lake State Park, near Sagle, Idaho, has two long docks and a boat launch for paddlers and boats (electric motors only). This small lake is popular with local anglers; Idaho Fish & Wildlife annually stocks it with thousands of hatchery-raised rainbow trout.

4. Beaver Creek Campground at Priest Lake provides the closest access for paddling the

BEST CAMPGROUNDS WITH TRAILS FOR HIKING OR MOUNTAIN BIKING:

National Parks provide interpretative nature, hiking trails, and detailed maps to guide you to alpine lakes or other scenic viewpoints. Stay in Glacier National Park at Apgar Campground, near Apgar Village and Lake MacDonald. Ride the park’s free shuttle or drive farther into the park to access additional trailheads and lakes. Note: Mountain biking is not typically allowed on trails within national parks.

In North Cascades National Park, Goodell Creek and Newhalem Creek Campgrounds are two of the largest ones. Backcountry hiking includes access to the Pacific Crest Trail. Or stay at Lakeview Campground in Stehekan, which is located at the headwaters of Lake Chelan and only accessible by ferry, private boat, or on foot.

Riverside State Park, Mt. Spokane State Park, and Farragut State Park all offer extensive trail networks for hiking and mountain biking.

BEST CAMPGROUND FOR BIKING ON PAVED TRAILS:

Riverside State Park’s Bowl & Pitcher campground provides close access to the Centennial Trail. For the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, stay at Heyburn State Park’s Chatcolet Campground, situated on a hill above the trailhead at the Lake Chatcolet day-use area.

CAMPING RESOURCES:

“Camping Washington” by Ron C. Judd, published

by The Mountaineers Books (2009) is a comprehensive guidebook to campgrounds throughout the state. Find updated information at Parks. wa.gov and Recreation.gov. For more information about camping in Idaho or Montana, visit their state park websites or OutThereOutdoors. com and use the search tool for accessing archived articles. // Amy McCaffree is special section editor and wrote about regional summer camps, biking trails, and family adventure ideas in the Family Outdoors Guide, published in the April issue.

UPCOMING FAMILY EVENTS • MAY 4: Silverwood Theme Park season opening day.

• MAY 11: Kidical Mass is a family-friendly neighborhood 3-mile bike ride starting from Chief Garry Park in Spokane, 1-3 p.m.

• MAY 18: Animal Carnival will be held at the West Valley Outdoor Learning Center in Spokane Valley from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; $5/person suggested donation.

• MAY 25: Route of the Hiawatha trail season opening day.

• MAY 31-JUNE 2: ArtFest at Coeur d’Alene Park in Spokane, includes Make it Art Kids Fair, art vendors, and live music performances.

• MAY 25: Gondola Rides at Silver Mountain Resort, season opening; family activities based around Kellogg Peak’s Mountain House, including an interpretative nature trail. Children ages 3 and younger ride free.

• JUNE 1: National Trails Day is Washington State Parks Free Admission Day; No Discover Pass required.

SUM MER rts

a t e r S He

Paddle Boards * Summer Apparel * Sunglasses * Tubes * Surf Boards * Water Skis 14

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

Health&Fitness THE BIG CHILL

Can Cryotherapy Aid Recovery? // By Sarah Hauge

NOW

5 K G LIN L O R EN

Since

1980 WRITER SARAH HAUGE RECEIVES HER FIRST-EVER CRYOTHERAPY TREATMENT AT SPOKANE NUTRISHOP AND CRYOTHERAPY

FOR MOST FOLKS, being scantily clad in subfreezing temperatures is far from desirable. With the exception of that strange breed of year-round shorts wearers (you know who you are), low temperatures are cause to bundle and protect.

Not so for proponents of whole body cryotherapy (WBC), where users enter a futuristic, sub-zero chamber with goals including reduced inflammation and faster post-workout recovery.

WBC’s popularity has increased in recent years, earning favor with professional athletes including LeBron James, Floyd Mayweather, and Usain Bolt, celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, professional sports teams, and even the cast of Dancing with the Stars.

In WBC, the user enters a chamber cooled by liquid nitrogen and remains inside for up to three minutes, with temperatures ranging from 200 to 300 degrees below zero. The thinking is this: When subjected to extremely low temperatures, the body enters a pre-hypothermic state and blood concentrates in the core and vital organs. As a brochure provided by Spokane Nutrishop and Cryotherapy on the South Hill describes it, “During the 2-3 minute session, your blood short loops through your natural filtration system (heart, kidneys and liver) and removes toxins and inflammatory properties in the blood.” When the user walks out into a normal temperature, this nutrient-rich blood travels back throughout the body, speeding recovery.

Darrin Friberg, a trainer at Orange Theory on Spokane’s South Hill, goes in for HBC once or twice a week and recommends it to clients. “In the moment you’re like, the timer’s going down, dang, get this thing done,” he says, though that hasn’t stopped him from making it a regular habit.

Outweighing the temporary discomfort, Friberg has found that WBC aids recovery and reduces post-workout soreness, getting people back to being active more quickly. “If it keeps you working out, there’s something to be said for that,” he says.

One person Friberg recommended cryotherapy to is Sarah Doxey, a Spokane runner who went in for a treatment with a friend, Laura Carey, just before the two of them traveled to Hawaii to run a marathon. “Definitely it’s a weird experience,” Doxey says. “You’re standing in a tube…you have to put on really thick socks, slippers and gloves…

It’s not unbearable, but you’re just freezing,” Doxey says with a laugh. If you’re wondering how it feels, the general consensus is that it’s very, very cold, but not terribly uncomfortable, especially for such a short time.

Doxey had WBC recommended to her by both Friberg and her physical therapist; she’d been expe-

riencing such bad calf strain leading up to her race that she couldn’t run for the two weeks beforehand.

She’s not sure if it was the cryotheraphy session that made the difference, but the day of the marathon her calf didn’t bother her at all.

John Brumbaugh, the owner of the shop Doxey and Friberg visited, says regulars include people with psoriasis and arthritis, as well as athletes both amateur and professional, like Alyssa Hawley, a member of the 2019 Spartan Pro Team who comes in regularly for cryotherapy and treatment with the shop’s NormaTec boots. (Author’s note: these specialized full leg massage boots are amazing and should not be missed.) Cost for cryo followed by 30 minutes in the NormaTecs is $37. Spokane Nutrishop and Cryotherapy is the only Spokane location that offers both treatments.

Hawley began using cryotherapy this year. “As an athlete, I don’t want to take shortcuts; I think it comes down to taking care of your body as a whole—eating right, sleeping enough, rolling and stretching,” she says. “But because I have those things pretty dialed in, the cryo really just helps speed up the recovery process. Also, drawing an ice bath takes forever, and I am all about efficiency and my favorite thing is how quick and efficient cryo is!”

Prior to returning to the Inland Northwest a few years ago, shop owner Brumbaugh spent a decade in Huntington Beach, where WBC is much more prevalent. He chose the machine in his shop (CryoSense, made by CryoUSA) because of its safety features and because it starts with a heat cycle that opens up the vascular system before shifting to the cold cycle, which he finds to be even more beneficial. He recommends that folks come in once or twice per week for treatments.

Though it’s become more mainstream, it’s important to note that WBC has not been approved or regulated by the FDA, and its benefits are supported more by personal testimonials than conclusive scientific study. Consult with your physician before giving it a try. People who are pregnant, have heart conditions, or extreme cold sensitivity are among those who should not try cryotherapy.

As for the rest of us, as Friberg put it to himself before his first session, “What the heck is there to lose?”// Sarah Hauge is a writer and editor who lives in Spokane with her husband and two daughters. She’s running a handful of races in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene this month. Sarah wrote profiles of local run club leaders in the last issue of Out There Outdoors.

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15

Provisions

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

SPRINGTIME IN WALLACE. // PHOTO: COURTESY OF WALLACE CHAMBER

MOREL MUSHROOMS // PHOTO: COURTESY OF JOSH YAKE

PHOTOS: SUZANNE TABERT

KENDALL YARDS NIGHT MARKET. // PHOTO: ASHLEA TERHUNE PHOTO: CRYSTAL ATAMIAN

APÉRITIF: FRESH FOODS AT FARMERS' MARKETS

By S. Michal Bennett IN SPITE OF OUR SHORTER GROWING SEASON,

the Inland Northwest boasts mryiad abundant markets that connect people to local food and farmers. These markets are a wonderful place to discover new and staple foods, support the local economy, build community sustainability, and learn how to use local foods in creative ways.

In recent years, heirloom and rare varieties of all sorts of fruits and vegetables have become more available through local growers. When we as customers are more curious about our food, it inspires farmers to seek out produce that we can all be passionate about. It also brings deeper layers of flavor to our table.

World-renowned Spanish-American chef Jose Andres explains it this way: “Bringing all these heritage breeds and heirloom varieties back helps us connect to our roots, our communities, and helps us feed America the proper way.” This spring, ask your farmer at the market if they have any heirlooms or special produce, and give them a try.

In addition to the established weekly markets across the Inland Northwest, the 2019 season is launching with new and expanding markets. The new Spokane Valley Farmers Market will be Fridays 5 to 8 p.m. from June 7 through Sept. 13 at the CenterPlace Regional Event Center.

Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone Village Market had a bustling first year in 2018 and returns with an invitation to “Eat*Shop*Play” every Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. The Silver Valley Community Market in Kellogg is also making a name for itself on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. as they “foster small business and strengthen community.”

FRESH SOUL OFFERS AMAZING FOOD & COMMUNITY CHANGE

Fresh Soul is a small café in east central Spokane offering ribs, chicken, cornbread, collard greens, and other Southern favorites that will make your mouth water. The interior and exterior are colorful and modern; there are two murals on the east and west sides of the building by artists Daniel Lopez and Ellen Picken, and a rotating selection of local art adorns one wall inside.

Fresh Soul is a bright spot in this part of town for so many reasons. In addition to great food, Fresh Soul also hosts a community enrichment program that offers teens life skills and job training they would have trouble finding anywhere else.

The Spokane Eastside Reunion Association (SERA) is a non-profit committed to “feeding souls, sowing hope, and transforming community” according to their mission statement. They have a tutoring program that partners struggling kids with tutors from Spokane area colleges, and summer basketball camps for disadvantaged youth from all over Spokane. And then there is the Fresh Soul restaurant, which is run by SERA founder Michael Brown. This small vibrant restaurant provides a life skills and job training program for 14 to 18-yearolds. During the 16-week program, these teens learn kitchen training and etiquette, food handling skills, and customer service. They must also open a savings account and are taught budgeting, resume building, job search, and interview skills.

If you are looking for food that is great for body, mind, and soul then Fresh Soul is the place to go. Open from 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

(Crystal Atamian)

RECIPE: WILD GREENS PESTO

Hiking and camping food doesn’t have to be boring. How about delicious, fresh plant pesto made with garden or wild plants? It can be brought on hikes in little snack sized zip-top baggies. The pesto can be simply squeezed into your mouth, spread onto crackers, or eaten as a chip dip. How about pesto sandwiches with added fixings? As far as camping is concerned, I know for a fact that pesto on freshly caught and cooked fish is amazing! And how about a dab on fried potatoes?

INGREDIENTS • 4 cups of any edible wild greens such as dandelion leaves, chickweed, or wild mustard. From the garden think any green of choice like early kale, radish tops, beet greens, garlic scapes, or chives.

• 2/3 to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil • 1 cup nuts of your choice – almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, macadamias, pecans, cashews, etc.

• 2 to 6 cloves garlic to taste • 1/2 cup Romano or parmesan cheese INSTRUCTIONS Put all ingredients in a food processor and process on high until creamy, making sure all ingredients are completely incorporated. For those with nut allergies, think about substituting nuts with nutritional yeast. It’s fab! For non-dairy folks, don’t put in the cheese, or use non-dairy cheese instead.

Bring it to your next potluck; you’ll be super impressive and your social anxiety will disappear. It’s that good! The pesto can be frozen in little freezer bags, plastic containers, or even in ice cube trays for up to 6 months. Put the little cubes in freezer containers after freezing in the trays for best storage.

(Suzanne Tabert)

FIND YOUR OWN FOOD

When asked to identify edible wild plants, my local Idaho Master Gardeners like to quote an old saying: “Everything is edible once.” People always chuckle at this, but safety and education should be top priority when scrounging for food in the wild.

Start with education. Take a foraging class through your local extension office, read up on wild edibles with Sergei Boutenko, and get a foraging app or field guide such as “Plants of the Inland Northwest and Southern Interior British Columbia.” Talk to your kids about what grows in the woods, so that they don’t mindlessly pop a poisonous berry in their mouths. When it comes to mushrooms, consult an expert and, as Tim Gerlitz local Idaho mycologist says, “When in doubt, throw it out.”

You should also take a hike or two with a professional. It is wise to forage with others to deter unwanted wild animal encounters and mitigate emergencies. The North Idaho Mushroom Club (NIMA) meets regularly April through November and hosts a variety of talks and mushroom “forays,” which you can learn about on Facebook. You can also check Spokane Mushroom Club’s Facebook group for other wild food forays and events.

Be sure to buy from a local forager. Josh Yake of Gourmet Foragables & More has been rummaging for wild edibles throughout the Northwest since his childhood growing up in Twin Lakes, Idaho.

He turned his hobby into a business in 2010 and spends more than 20 hours a week during spring, summer, and fall hunting for wild edibles, which he sells to individuals and at area farmers’ markets and grocery stores. In May, you will find his baskets laden with wild greens, wild onions, mushrooms and more. Follow Gourmet Foragables on Facebook to find out what Josh has available on a given week.

(S. Michal Bennett) //

SERVING BREAKFAST LUNCH & DINNER 7 DAYS A WEEK 521 E. HOLLAND #20 509-413-1739 16

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Eatology STOP EATING RABBIT FOOD // By Ammi Midstokke

We do Bikes better than

anyone!

4505 N Division St

(509) 325-1620

4505 N Division St

(509) 325-1620

PROTEIN PACKED SUMMER SALAD. PHOTO: SHALLAN KNOWLES

MY FAVORITE PATIENTS are the ones who come

in with their hoity-toity food journals that say things like: “Lunch: mixed greens with a spray of olive oil, 1/2 carrot, 2 walnuts. Sparkling water.”

“I eat a lot of salad,” they say.

“Gross,” I say, then assume they find joy in their lives with a Netflix or porn addiction, because it sure as hell isn’t coming from lunch.

One of the most major deterrents of a healthy diet is the assumption that eating well has to be miserable, dissatisfying, and generally sad. This can be the case if one equates eating healthy with buying giant boxes of mixed baby greens and changing the color of their stool one well-chewed meal at a time. This is a recipe for failure because after about three days of that, even gas station burritos start sounding pretty sexy.

The truth is, you probably do need to eat more vegetables. For this reason, the gods have placed an impressive variety of such things on the planet for us, though we seem to stick to an average of about seven regular vegetables. If we’re feeling particularly exotic, we might throw some tomatoes or bell peppers on our salads.

The risk we run in eating limited variety, other than indigestion from deli corn dogs, is that we are not getting enough of the vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids we need from those meals. The cravings we get when we go on ‘health kicks’ are often not just withdrawal, but your body reminding you that it likes fat for a reason (brain health, hormone production, cell membrane integrity, and oh yeah, deliciousness).

When we eat “light” lunches, we often find ourselves calorie and happiness-deficient by dinnertime. This leads to pre-dinner eating, dinner over eating, post-dinner grazing, and crawling into bed with a bunch of extra calories and carbohydrates on board. So do yourself a favor, and stop eating rabbit food. Yeah, you with the carrot and celery sticks in your snack pack. Put some peanut butter on those babies.

If you like to pack or go out for a salad for lunch, by all means, it is a great way to get a lot

of vegetables in your body. But don’t forget to load that honey up with some goodness. Here are some ideas: GOOD FATS: Avocados, walnuts, toasted almonds, pecans, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, flax meal, oils (olive, walnut, sesame, avocado, etc.), cold water fish (salmon, halibut, mackerel), goat and other cheeses if you’re a dairy eater, a beautiful vinaigrette (this does not mean some nasty ranch dressing).

GOOD PROTEIN: Sprouted beans and legumes,

fish, chicken, steak, micro greens (which, by the way, are like 5 times more nutrient dense than salad), bacon - yeah, bacon. Just remember that industrial meat is carcinogenic and those cow farts are apparently impacting global warming.

Get your meat clean, local, and preferably sung a sweet lullaby before its peaceful passing.

Opening Day Saturday May 11 Wednesday Market Starts June 12th

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Every Saturday

GOOD CARBOHYDRATES: No, they are not all

created equal. For example, sweet potato has far more fiber, manganese, potassium, and vitamin C than a white potato. Sweet potato, quinoa, parsnip, roasted beets, squashes, Brussel sprouts, whole grains, and fresh fruit. Who doesn’t love blackberries on their salad with some goat cheese, roasted beets, and smoked salmon?

The next time you’re making yourself a salad for lunch or dinner, use the lettuce like it’s the fluffy bed space for all the other goodness you’re going to nourish your body with. You might even find that you are still full two hours later. And if you are actually happy, then you’ve done a fine job. // Ammi Midstokke had a salad for lunch while she wrote this article. While there was lettuce involved, it consisted mostly of an obscenely large avocado, goat cheese, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, coconut aminos, tomatoes, onions, and Black Forest ham from a pig that probably had a name. Last month, she wrote about adventures in prep cooking.

·veggies ·eggs ·meats ·breads ·honey ·bedding plants

8a.m. to 1p.m.

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17

RaceReport

SLAY THE DRAGON (June 29) A race for the bravest of runners and lovers of lore, Slay the Dragon 50K attracts all levels of competitors from around the Inland Northwest to SilverStar Mountain Resort, in south-central British Columbia, to take on their newest stretch of singletrack named “Beowulf.”

Inspired by the literary hero, this trail winds high and low around the resort, reaching upwards of 6,400 feet, while also largely remaining tucked in the lush, B.C. foliage. With vistas all around Silver Star Provincial Park and the Monashee Mountains, and with lodging available right at the resort, this race is a destination worth traveling for.

Also, as the race is situated high enough to beat the summer heat, but not so high as to push the limits of oxygen intake, Slay the Dragon is a great opportunity for those dipping their toes in the ultra-running world or wanting to add a friendly race to their existing schedule. Put on by experienced directors and in partnership with Bush Babes & Bros Trail Running, this event, although new to the scene, is well organized and sure to be challenging in only the right ways.

Additional race lengths are available as well, including “The Grendle” 13K run and “Grendle’s Mom” 25K. Enjoy the long Canada Day weekend, channel your inner prince or princess, and try your hero’s hand at Slaying the Dragon. For more information on the race, or to sign up, visit the events page at Skisilverstar. com or find Slay the Dragon on Ultrasignup.com. (Emily Erickson) RACE THE WOLF (July 6) If you’re looking for an epic trail race this summer, look no farther than northern Idaho. Schweitzer Mountain will host the new Race the Wolf event, part of Skyrunning USA’s trail running series, with 52K, 25K, and 8K distances boasting panoramic views and summer wildflowers.

Courses will include technical singletrack and fast doubletrack with steep climbs from the starting line at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. With views that sweep from Montana to the Canadian border, the tough trail will reward runners with some gorgeous scenery. Post-race highlights for the 52K and 25K will include beer and a BBQ meal. The 8K (held on July 7) will offer a faster and shorter route with some wild

18

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

huckleberries along the trail.

While there have been other trail races at Schweitzer, Race the Wolf will be the first of its scale to take advantage of the network of trails. “There are a select few of our local running elite that have been pushing our 7,000-acre boundary for years, and now it’s time to celebrate their exploration and experience,” says Schweitzer events manager Andre Bircher.

Runners can stay and dine in nearby Sandpoint before and after the race, which has plenty of charm and adventure of its own. “It only takes one drive over Sandpoint’s Long Bridge to figure out there’s something special here to explore. What better way to do it than running ridgelines with massive Lake Pend Oreille views and a glimpse into the Selkirk Mountains,” says Bircher.

You can register for Race the Wolf online at Racethewolf.com. Runners can also view course elevation profiles, maps, and learn the location of aid stations ahead of time. Technical stuff aside, Race the Wolf should be a scenic summer run you won’t forget.

“It’s always a treat to be in the high alpine,” says Bircher. “In summer months, as the heat waves start to roll into the valley, it’s always a bit cooler up here.” Follow Race the Wolf on Facebook or Instagram (@racethewolf), or check out the hashtag #skyrun, then register and “join the pack.” (Lisa Laughlin) //

RunWild THE RIGHT WAY TO FALL // By Sarah Hauge

I WAS OUT FOR A RUN on an early August morn-

ing—sun up, blue sky, birds singing, the whole deal—when about a mile from home I lost my balance, fell on the sidewalk, and fractured my elbow.

This is not how I pictured a running-related fall going (literally) down. As a near-professional worrier, fretting is kind of my jam, and for running that mostly means I focus on not being assaulted and not slipping in the winter. Ice is near the top of

my watch list. I wear traction aids faithfully. I keep a vigilant eye on conditions. I walk slick patches, slow down on hills, and run after the morning thaw as often as possible.

All this is to say, a random fall on an easy breezy August morning was not on my anxiety radar. But that’s what happened: one instant I was running, the next I was flying. There was no split second of jerky, dizzy panic as I tried to steady myself—I

was just suddenly aware that I was hurtling toward the ground. I landed with my arms outstretched, hands and knees catching the impact. I examined my injuries: bloody gashes on my palms and my knees, all caked with gravel and sand. My headphone cord had snapped on impact. I wiped off the blood as best I could and started the slow walk back home. I thought that was the worst of it, but as the day progressed I noticed increasing numbness and tingling in my left arm. In the evening I called a physical therapist friend, who encouraged me to go into urgent care. They gave me the verdict: fracture of the radial head.

In the realm of running-related injuries, I recommend the minor elbow fracture. Mine was small and easy enough to recover from, treatable with rest time in a sling and, after a certain point, some exercises. Nonetheless, it was definitely an inconvenience—my livelihood depends 100 percent on typing at a computer, which was impossible. Dayto-day life presented new challenges. My husband picked up lots of slack, and my daughters rose to the occasion to take on things I could no longer handle, fighting over brand-new topics like who got to push the grocery cart or fasten the backs of my earrings and the hooks of my bra.

One thing my injury helped me realize is that while I’ve poured a lot of mental energy into avoiding falls, I’ve spent zero time thinking about how to fall well. I asked my friend and running buddy Erika Ellis, a doctor of physical therapy who works at Stepping Stones, to give me a few tips. (In an ironic twist, just before we talked about this on the phone, she tripped while running and took a nasty fall of her own.)

“I think your experience is pretty classic,” Ellis says. She says it’s natural to catch ourselves with

our arms (what physical therapists refer to with the acronym FOOSH for “falling on outstretched hands”), an instinctive response that protects vital body parts like the head and abdomen. The downside is that a FOOSH often results in less severe but still undesirable injuries, like the fracture of the hand, wrist, and elbow.

Often there is no fraction of a second to think about much of anything, but if you can recognize that you’re falling and react, Ellis says it’s wise to tuck in limbs, cover your head, and allow the majority of the impact to contact the fleshier parts of your body—like "the outside of your shoulder, the outside of your hip, or your butt.”

Ellis also advised me on what not to do in a fall situation: fight hard against gravity. “Probably the worst thing to do,” she says, “is to try to avoid the fall, because then we put our bodies in all sorts of suboptimal positions.” In other words, we stretch in ways we’re not meant to, which can result in torn ACLs, sprained ankles, and the like.

Athletes in sports where falls are commonplace, like football and gymnastics, tend to have more practice and training in falling well. For runners, “it’s not a component of what we do,” Ellis says. As much as I hope falling won’t become a regular part of my life, it can’t hurt to funnel a little bit of my mental energy into something helpful, like envisioning myself doing a successful tuck and roll the next time I go flying. Anything can happen to any of us, any time. It’s how we respond that matters. // Sarah Hauge is a writer and editor who lives in Spokane with her husband and two daughters.

She writes Out There’s Run Wild column in every other issue.

MAY 2019 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

19

Announcing Redband Launch in Peaceful Valley

Nature

COLLABORATIVE RIVER CONSERVATION // By Adam Gebauer

Spokane RI V ER

forum

www.spokaneriver.net

NORTHERN PIKE AND THE HATCHERY REDBAND THEY HAD BEEN EATING. // PHOTO: HOLLY MCLELLAN

RIVERS ARE COMPLEX SYSTEMS, and conserva-

tion efforts can be as complex as river systems themselves. Collaborative efforts involving multiple stakeholders have the best chance to be successful. Here are two regional conservation efforts where multiple stakeholders are working together to improve our waterways.

Learn more at www.spokanewatertrail.org

9

504 E SHERMAN CDA | 524 CHURCH ST SANDPOINT THANKS FOR THE VOTES!

20

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

INVASIVE PREDATORS

Invasive northern pike have been making inroads into the Columbia River from illegal introductions in Montana and Idaho. These large carnivorous creatures will eat anything they can get into their mouths, such as ducks, bass, to other pike.

Northern pike have the potential to impact steelhead and salmon populations—especially if they make their way to spawning grounds past Grand Coulee Dam and into the Okanagan. Pike are already feeding heavily on native redband trout and burbot and are affecting hatchery rainbow trout populations.

A collaborative effort has been under way for several years to suppress the population of these invasive pike within the Columbia River system. The co-managers of Lake Roosevelt—the Spokane Tribe, Colville Confederated Tribes, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)—are working with agencies both up and down stream, such as Canada’s first nations and Ministry of Environment; the Kalispel and Coeur d’Alene tribes; and Douglas, Grant and Chelan Public Utility Districts.

According to Holly McLellan, a Colville Fish Biologist, northern pike are gill netted in spring when they spawn in shallow waters. The co-managers of Lake Roosevelt held weeklong “All Hands On” suppression effort in April using 450 nets and 10 boats with a goal of catching over 1,000 spawning pike.

The Colville Confederated Tribes also has a reward for anglers catching pike, $10 per pike head.

The tribe has established several drop off stations and paid out $4,500 to anglers. McLellan states, “We need their help to keep the pike population in check.”

Since 2015 the Colville Tribe, Spokane Tribe, and WDFW have removed over 8,761 pike.

STREAMSIDE RESTORATION

Hangman Creek is the most polluted waterway in the state. The waterway suffers from low oxygen, high nutrients, high temperature, and too much sediment suspended in the water. Just walk down to the confluence of Hangman and the Spokane River right after a rainstorm and notice

the brown, cloudy Hangman versus the greenishclear Spokane.

The primary cause of these issues is the lack of connectivity of the creek to its floodplain. An intact floodplain with complex habitat of riparian trees, down woody debris, and over bank flooding traps sediments, slows floodwaters, and reduces pollutant entering the waterway. Currently there are several collaborative projects addressing these water quality issues.

In the Idaho headwaters the Coeur d’Alene Tribe is restoring tributary creeks with a goal of enhancing native redband trout habitat. They are removing creeks from straight ditches along railroad track and allowing them to run through historic meanders. By adding wood debris, planting trees to produce shade, and curves to the creeks flow, water will slow down, settle out sediments and make more complex habitat features, all benefitting redband trout.

In the lower basin of the Hangman, many organizations have been working to increase the amount of historic cottonwood and willow forests that once lined the creek. Organizations such as the Spokane Conservation District, The Lands Council, and Department of Ecology frequently have volunteer plantings. They are also working with local landowners to fence off portions of the creek to remove cows, which trample vegetation, erode the stream banks, and can add pollutants.

The Spokane Falls chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Spokane Riverkeeper have started a citizen science initiative to monitor water clarity.

Participants sample the water clarity as well as take photo points to document the state of our river.

The Spokane River Keeper recently won a court case that stated the Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection Agency needs to do more to lower pollutants in the Hangman Creek drainage. This includes a full assessment of riparian vegetation, greater enforcement of current laws, cattle removal, and strengthening collaborative efforts.

Waters in our river basins are a shared resource; anything done up stream will eventually make its way down stream. Collaboration from all user groups, mangers, and the public will make these waters healthier for all users and just more fun to play in. // When Adam Gebauer is not unintentionally chasing or being chased by an 800-pound moose down the forest roads of Eastern Washington, he is chasing his 6-pound cat around the house. Adam most recently wrote about the importance of a slowly melting mountain snow pack in March.

UrbanOutdoors TWO-WHEELED TOUR OF THE CORK DISTRICT // By Amy McCaffree

PHOTO: JON JONCKERS

WHY DRIVE when you can bike? No parking

hassles. Fresh air. Exercise. It’s a win-win plan.

So, with your bike equipped with panniers or you wearing a backpack to hold soon-to-be-purchased new bottles of wine (and snacks and water bottles), you’re ready to begin your two-wheeled tasting room tour of downtown Spokane’s Cork District.

Begin anywhere on the map of wineries—which includes 14 in the downtown vicinity (a few others are located outside the downtown core). Find the digital map at Corkdistrict.blog, and use it to navigate. This tour description takes you to all 14 tasting rooms; however, that’s probably too many to visit and taste samples all in the same day. So pick and choose three to five tasting rooms you’d like to visit. Or get lots of great exercise and complete the full tour; just be sure to limit your sampling and drink and ride responsibly (see tips to the right).

For this suggested cycling route, begin in the Kendall Yards area of the West Central neighborhood. Here, just steps from the Centennial Trail off Summit Parkway, you’ll find two wineries: Craftsman Cellars and Maryhill Winery.

Leave Kendall Yards via the Centennial Trail and pedal east through Riverfront Park to Post Street, where you’ll find Tempus Cellars and Cougar Crest Winery. Nearby inside the Davenport Hotel are two tasting rooms: Va Piano and Arbor Crest.

Next, head west on Sprague Ave to the two tasting rooms in the Theater District: Helix Wines and Terra Blanca, located within a block of each other.

While on this side of downtown, you can cycle south to Barili Cedars at Post and 2nd Avenue.

Then proceed east to a cluster of three wineries off W. Pacific Ave, which includes Robert Karl Cellars, Bridge Press Cellars, and Overbluff Cellars. Further

east, off Sprague Ave on Scott Street is V du V Wines. When you’re ready to head back towards the downtown core, take the new University District Gateway Bridge that begins at Riverside & Sherman. Pedal north over the railroad tracks to a paring lot off Martin Luther King Jr. Way, near the WSU Spokane campus. From here, it’s an easy route to Barrister Winery’s downtown tasting room at Main and Washington.

CORK DISTRICT BIKING TOUR TIPS

1. Taste responsibly. While it’s tempting to savor and truly enjoy every sip, especially when you’re paying a tasting fee, after too many “samples” a buzz will start to kick in. Cycling while under the influence can be dangerous. Limit the number of tasting room stops or limit your tasting.

2. Make time to enjoy al fresco dining while downtown. Some wineries offer a small menu of food items, and there are plenty of great dining options downtown where you don’t stand out while wearing biking gear. Besides, it’s Spokane— flaunt your helmet hair and cycling attire.

3. Bring bus fare. Especially if you biked to downtown from your home neighborhood, you may need alternative transportation home, whether it’s because of the extra load of wine you purchased along your tour or because that fuzzy-head feeling is impairing your cycling skills. Board a Spokane Transit bus (bike racks available) or call a friend. // Pacific Northwest born-and-raised Amy McCaffree most enjoys pinot noir and chardonnay. She wrote about kid-friendly biking destinations in April’s Family Outdoors Guide.

Get outside at downtownspokane.org

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MAY 2019 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

21

OutdoorLiving A DIY GUIDE TO RAINWATER HARVESTING IN THE INLAND NW // By Nick Thomas

RUN FOR THE HILLS SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2019

TRAILS DAY events from 9 am to 4 pm Family Fun // Nature Walks // Agility Course Info on hikes and volunteer projects.

FREE

RUN REGISTRATION $20, t-shirt +$15 Register at dishmanhills.org/events

8 AM Check-in Camp Caro Lodge Photo: Jon Jonckers CUSTOM BUILT RAINWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM. PHOTO: // NICK THOMAS

SINCE 2009 it has been legal to harvest the rain-

water from your roof throughout Washington State, so long as it is collected from an existing roof and used solely to water your property (not for drinking). If you are going to grow anything in your garden, collecting rainwater is a good option because it's free and non-chlorinated.

If you plan to water a garden solely off of rainwater, you'll probably need a lot more than a 55-gallon rain barrel. A decent starting point, especially if you use drip irrigation and mulch your garden, is more like 500 gallons, but even that will likely run out in the dry months of an Inland Northwest summer.

I picked up a 275 gallon, food grade, "caged" IBC Tote from Eagle Peak Containers, and sourced another one from Bumble Bar. Depending on the tote's drain valve thread style, you may have to special order a garden hose adapter instead of assembling your own from PVC pieces procured from a local store. And really, ordering all your connection components online will save you a lot of time and effort compared to tracking down each and every part in person. Another option is to search online for a rain barrel component kit.

With all this effort you’re going to want as much water storage capacity as possible. So if anything, go overboard on cistern size. When it comes to irrigation, there is really no such thing as too big of a tank, only too small. For instance, 55 gallons is about how much a single 4 by 8-foot raised bed will consume per watering session. Unless you are hand watering a small container garden, or you daisy chain a bunch together, those rain barrels are not practical in the Spokane area’s hot summers.

For the serious water harvester with the space,

Home Depot stocks 2,500 gallon cisterns ($999), and many other large capacity tanks are available online, including slimmer, narrower tanks, perfect for tucking between houses.

I installed rain gutters from the hardware store, checking with a level to ensure it sloped toward the downspout. Though not strictly necessary, I also installed a "first flush diverter" ($38 from Rainwater Systems via Amazon). During a rain event, the diverter fills up with the initial burst of pollen, dust, and asphalt shingle gunk, and automatically diverts clean water to the cistern, preventing the drip emitters and in-line filters from clogging up.

I also installed an overflow tube at the top of the cistern to divert excess water towards the garden.

I also wrapped a reusable mesh bag around the gutter outlet and over a mesh colander that functions as a cover for the cistern hole. This keeps mosquitos from breeding and provides a quick way to empty leaves or anything else that falls over the hole. Burlap sacks also keep light from both creating too much algae and block UV rays from breaking down the plastic.

Despite being slightly uphill from the garden, there was not enough water pressure from good old gravity alone to fully pressurize the drip system.

This year I plan to install a low-watt "rain barrel" pump. This should be enough to pressurize an average home garden drip system. // Nick Thomas hikes, bikes, and gardens his way through the Pacific Northwest and the wilds of new parenthood. He last wrote about downtown Spokane’s possible zipline in April.

TIPS FOR HARVESTING YOUR OWN RAINWATER • Source the cisterns from places like Eagle Peak Containers, Earthworks Recycling, or Craigslist (make sure to buy food grade containers). Multiple online sources can deliver specialty cisterns.

If you get an IBC tote, check if the drain threads are skinny or fat. The fat thread is called a "butterfly" valve.

• Carefully secure gutters and PVC plumbing parts. Lowes has the best selection, but beware: there is a slight but very important difference between 2 inch inner diameter versus 2 inch outer diameter PVC pipe and connectors.

• Design your system so it’s easy to drain all the parts in wintertime.

• Design your outflow so you can quickly fill a watering can and/or shunt it to your drip system.

It sucks standing there for 5 minutes waiting for a watering can to slowly fill up.

22

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

Hiking SPRING HIKING IN THE SINLAHEKIN WILDLIFE AREA // By Crystal Atamian

MAIN SINLAHEKIN TRAIL IN JUNE. PHOTO: // JUSTIN HAUG

THE SNOW HAS DISAPPEARED from the sur-

rounding peaks, and buttercups and glacier lilies have been showing their yellow faces. I love wildflowers, and the successive waves of bloom are so brief. This means spring hiking is on my mind well before I put my skis away for the season. I often have trails listed on notepaper and taped to my computer screen in anticipation.

One of my absolute favorite spring hikes is the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area. In fact, I return there every year. Just 2.5 miles south of Loomis, Wash., the Sinlahekin Valley is a deep, glaciated canyon with steep rock sidewalls rising from a broad valley floor. This unique valley holds a lot of history and meaning for conservation in Washington. The first sections of the Sinlahekin were acquired in 1939 to protect winter range for mule deer, making it one of the first state-managed wildlife habitat and recreation areas in Washington.

The abundance of wildlife within this intimate valley is incredible; I have been up close and personal with bighorn sheep, deer, bald eagles, forest grouse, and a huge variety of colorful songbird species like the Lazuli bunting. This area is also home to the state’s most diverse butterfly population. Every year I am amazed at the wildflower colors and variety: lupine, bitterroot, penstemon, balsamroot, and scarlet gilia. The challenge in this area is finding the window between spring runoff and the summer’s impending heat. Whenever you choose to explore, the scenery and wildlife diversity will not disappoint.

The winding path running through the center of the valley flirts with several lakes that are ideal for fishing and kayaking. There is even an ADA accessible section of the trail between the refuge headquarters and Connor Lake that leads to an ADA fishing pier. Officially named the Dave Brittell Memorial Trail, the 8-mile out-and-back trail honors a man who worked tirelessly to conserve almost 300,000 acres of fish and wildlife habitat and recreation lands in Washington.

THE DAVE BRITTEL MEMORIAL HIKE

Every year since 2014 the refuge has hosted the

Dave Brittell Memorial Hike on National Trails Day. This year’s event will be hosted on June 1.

Participants make a small donation, and this money goes to a scholarship fund that supports any student studying wildlife ecology at a university in the Pacific Northwest. Anyone who donates receives a t-shirt designed by the Brittell family or friends and is treated to an evening BBQ and campfire. Since the scholarship’s creation, the Brittell family has awarded scholarships to six students attending five different universities, says hike coordinator Steve Pozzanghera.

Dave Brittell spent 18 years as the Assistant Director of the Wildlife Program for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Brittell’s work with Washington’s native cats included more than 200 live captures of cougar, bobcat, and lynx. “Dave’s work was very connected to the Sinlahekin,” says Pozzanghera. “His lynx research in Okanogan County, including the Sinlahekin Valley, changed management of the Department of Natural Resources’ Loomis Forest and U.S. Forest Service land to balance timber harvest with species protection.”

More importantly, adds Pozzanghera, “He was always looking for the best possible conservation outcome by pulling in and engaging his staff, stakeholders, and the public. When Dave engaged you in a conversation it was always about you and your thoughts and ideas—never about his own.”

The trail runs the length of the valley throughout ponderosa pine woodland, wetland areas, and shrub steppe, and is 8 miles out and back. The main road, which runs the length of the valley past Blue Lake in the south, also gives the option of parking a car at either end and doing a 4-mile through hike. A Discover Pass and Refuge Entrance Pass are required.

For more information about the National Trails Day hike, contact Steve Pozzanghera at steve.pozzanghera@dfw.wa.gov. // Crystal Atamian is a writer and editor in Spokane.

She wrote about hiking near water and the benefits of summer day camps in the April issue of Out There.

SCKC SPOKANE CANOE & KAYAK CLUB

MAY 2019 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

23

Uncorked Outdoors

A GUIDE TO OUTDOOR RECREATION IN WASHINGTON WINE COUNTRY

EXPLORE WASHINGTON’S Wine Country in the heart of spring, when wineries debut new releases and celebrate the journey from grape vine to barrel and bottle. This wine and outdoor recreation guide features two major AVA (American Viticultural Area) wine grape-growing regions in Eastern Washington, plus a section for Spokane County.

Recreation destinations and outdoor highlights are paired with select wineries and estate vineyards, notable for their scenic locations and on-site amenities. Look for future guides covering other wine grape growing regions throughout the Northwest in future issues of “Out There.” Load up your bikes and boots or pack your paddling gear for a vine-to-wine road-trip adventure with wine-tasting rest stops.

Spokane County ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS

The Cliff House and tasting room at Arbor Crest’s winery in Spokane Valley not only boasts scenic views of the Spokane River below, it’s also a great cycling destination close to the Centennial Trail.

You can depart the trail at the East Moringo Drive Trailhead, to the west of the winery, or Islands trailhead to the east—which is closest to Upriver Road’s intersection with Fruit Hill Road and the one-mile climb to the winery.

Winemaker Jim van Loben Sels says, “We own the land all the way to the trailhead, so someday I want to connect to the Centennial Trail so people can ride or hike right up to our winery.” The winery hosts outdoor summer concerts from May through the end of September, starting with TulipFest to showcase the more than 7,000 tulips on its spacious grounds. Arbor Crest’s tasting room in downtown Spokane’s Cork District is now located inside the Davenport Hotel.

LATAH CREEK WINE CELLARS

on the Centennial Trail or paddling the Spokane River. (See article about biking the Cork District on page 21.)

Columbia Valley

This “macro” AVA region is the largest one in Washington and encompasses all the other smaller, regional AVAs, including the Ancient Lakes AVA—a newer wine-growing region that includes Quincy, Moses Lake, and Lake Roosevelt.

QUINCY & GRAND COULEE—

Outdoor Recreation Highlights This channeled scabland area, with fascinating geographical and historical sites, is ideal for rock climbing, hiking, paddling, and mountain biking. Popular destinations are Frenchman Coulee near Vantage; Lake Lenore Caves; Beezley Hills Preserve and Monument Hill, near Ephrata; and Drumheller Channels National Natural Landmark, near Othello (IAFI.org). The Washington Trails Association’s website, WTA. org, is the best resource for trailhead driving directions and hike descriptions. For local paddling, boating, and fishing, visit Crescent Bar Recreation Area or Wanapum Recreational Area along the Columbia River.

CAVE B ESTATE WINERY

Neighboring the Gorge Amphitheater, this winery and vineyard boasts panoramic views of the Columbia River. In fact, the Bryan family originally conceived of music concerts in the “little gorge” bowl—what was once called the Champs de Brionne Summer Music Theater. Today, Cave B’s tasting room hosts “Music & Wine in the Vines” during the summer. Cave B Inn & Spa Resort (no longer owned by the winery) has rooms, “glamping” yurts, hiking and mountain biking trails down to the riverbank, and an outdoor pool.

WHITE HERON CELLARS & MARIPOSA VINEYARDS

Overlooking the Columbia River and Crescent Bar Resort, visitors are welcome to picnic on the grounds and play outdoor chess and petanque (a French game similar to Italian bocce) after their tasting room visit.

CHRIS DANIEL WINERY

Namesake winemaker for the Stewart family business is son (and WSU alumni) Chris Daniel Stewart, whose winemaking sensibilities were influenced by time spent with grape growers and winemakers in Chile and France. The winWINE HIKES AT ICICLE RIDGE WINERY. // PHOTO COURTESY OF ICICLE RIDGE WINERY

SPRING WINERY EVENTS

Located less than a mile from the Centennial Trail in Spokane Valley, instead of driving to the tasting room, pedal or power-walk your way there. Leave the trail near Mirabeau Point Park—consult a trail map to choose your trailhead exit and proceed south on city streets to the winery.

• MAY 2: TulipFest & outdoor music concerts at Cliff House at Arbor Crest Wine Cellars.

TOWNSHEND CELLARS

• MAY 18: Benson Vineyards Summer Concert Series.

Located in Green Bluff, enjoy a view of Mt. Spokane at the tasting room after cycling along the country roads of this farming community. Or stop here after hiking or mountain biking at Mt. Spokane State Park.

• MAY 10-12: Spokane’s Cork District Spring Release Weekend.

• MAY 11-12: “A Taste of WA paired with Chris Daniel,” Spring Release at Chris Daniel Winery (Quincy).

• MAY 17-19: Wild Goose Bill Days at Whitestone Winery Tasting Room in Wilbur.

• MAY 17-18: Lake Chelan Wine & Jazz Festival.

• MAY 24-27: Columbia River Gorge Memorial Day Weekend Wine Tasting.

• MAY-JUNE (MULTIPLE DATES): Wine Hikes at Icicle Ridge Winery (Peshastin).

• JUNE: Wine Down Wednesdays at Powers Winery & Badger Mountain Vineyard.

• JUNE 8: Echo Valley Mountain Bike Race at Vin Du Lac Winery (Chelan).

DOWNTOWN CORK DISTRICT

• JUNE 13-15: Celebrate Walla Walla Valley Wine.

With 14 tasting rooms, it’s easy to pair wine tasting with urban recreation, whether it’s cycling

• JUNE 22: Cycle de Vine and Century Challenge at Lake Chelan.

24

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

• JUNE 22: Music & Wine in the Vines at Cave B Estate Winery.

ery and tasting room is located close to I-90, east of George.

CAMAS COVE CELLARS

Located on the west shore of Moses Lake, south of I-90, you can kayak, powerboat, or even JetSki to this boutique winery’s dock, when the tasting room is open. Add this stop to the Moses Lake Water Trail, which includes eight shoreline parks and points of interest (information and maps at cityofml.com). There are six public boat launches around the lake, including at Blue Heron Park. At the lake’s south end, there is an outlet to Potholes Reservoir and Potholes State Park.

WHITESTONE VINEYARD & WINERY

At Whitestone Ranch, this red-only estate winery and its Lake Roosevelt Shores Vineyard is located along the lower part of the lake, less than 30 miles behind Grand Coulee Dam. Visitors are welcome to arrive by kayak or boat. Anchor on the beach near Whitestone Rock and hike ¾-mile on the road to the winery facilities. For boat launch locations, visit the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area website, nps.gov/laro.

TRI-CITIES & YAKIMA VALLEY—

Outdoor Highlights Hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers can explore Chamna Natural Preserve in Richland, along the Yakima River; Badger Mountain and Candy Mountain (friendsofbadger.org); Rattlesnake Mountain; and Hanford Reach National Monument.

For boating, fishing, and watersports, visit Sacajawea Historical State Park, a day-use park at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia, where there is also a trailhead for Sacagawea Heritage Trail—a 23-mile paved walking and cycling path along the Columbia River.

Columbia Park in Kennewick has a disc golf course, Audubon Nature Trail, and trailheads for both the Sacajawea Heritage Trail and TriCities Riverfront Trail (20 miles, round-trip).

Hiketricities.com has a comprehensive list of 40+ hikes and trails around the Columbia Basin.

POWERS WINERY & BADGER MOUNTAIN VINEYARD

Located on the southern slope of Badger Mountain, near Kennewick, this winery and certified-organic estate vineyard welcomes visitors to stay and enjoy the gazebo, picnic area, and rose garden. The winery hosts special events throughout the summer, including evenings with live music and food trucks.

CASCADE CLIFFS VINEYARDS.// PHOTO BY ANDREA JOHNSON COURTESY OF CASCADE CLIFFS VINEYARDS & WINERY

TERRA BLANCA

BENSON VINEYARDS ESTATE WINERY

Enjoy a tasting and tour of the winery and certified salmon-safe estate vineyard at Red Mountain.

Afterwards, hang out at the dog-friendly courtyard or picnic area, or dine on brick-oven pizzas and salads at the Vineyard Grill, with a panoramic view of the vineyards and lower Yakima Valley.

Spokane’s Cork District also has a Terra Blanca tasting room.

Tasting room and on-site Bistro with al fresco patio seating provides Lake Chelan and vineyard views. Summer concert series begins May 18.

GOOSE RIDGE ESTATE VINEYARD & WINERY

This 2,500-vineyard in Richland has a tasting room that also offers a small food menu and outdoor seating (no picnicking allowed).

Columbia Cascades

This AVA region boasts more than 50 wineries and tasting rooms, mostly near Lake Chelan but also in Leavenworth, Wenatchee, and at Lake Roosevelt.

LAKE CHELAN—

Outdoor Highlights This wine region has more than 25 wineries, estate vineyards, and tasting rooms, located at either the lake’s south side, near downtown Chelan, or in the small town of Manson, near Wapato Point. There are six public boat launches at Lake Chelan, the third-deepest lake in North America. Anglers can fish on the lake or head to the Stehekin River for fly-fishing.

Stehekin Fishing Adventures fly shop provides guide services.

Both Lake Chelan State Park and 25-Mile Creek State Park can be base camps for hiking and boating. Head to the Upper Lake Chelan to visit Stehekin Village—the east side gateway to North Cascades National Park—which is only accessible by boat or paddle-craft or the Lady of the Lake ferry. You can also stay and play at Lake Chelan National Recreation Area or Holden Village. Washington Trails Association describes the Chelan Lakeshore Trail as good for an earlyseason backpacking trip—a 17-mile one-way thru-hike from Prince Creek, via ferry ride, to Stehekin.

VIN DU LAC WINERY

In addition to a tasting room and farm-to-table bistro that hosts live music, this winery sponsors local biking and running events, including the Echo Valley 14/30/60 mile Mountain Bike Race on June 8; Echo Valley 10k, Half Marathon, 50k, and 100k on June 15; and Cycle de Vine and Century Challenge on June 22. (More information at vindulac.com and its “Outdoor Sports Series” webpage.)

FOUR LAKES WINERY

From the town of Manson, drive the backroads to the winery’s tasting room and vineyard property to enjoy your wine from the spacious deck, with panoramic views of the surrounding lakes.

WENATCHEE & LEAVENWORTH— Outdoor Highlights One of the best ways to enjoy central Washington’s hot sunny weather is on the water. Launch your kayak or power boat on the Columbia River at Rock Island State Park or Rock Island Hydro Park. Camping is available at Wenatchee Confluence State Park and Lincoln Rock State Park at Lake Entiat. For rock climbing, visit Peshastin Pinnacles State Park. (Learn more at visitchelancounty.com.)

Leavenworth tasting rooms are clustered in the downtown Bavarian Village, at the foot of the Cascade Mountains. Outside of town, the Icicle Creek area has rustic campgrounds and hiking trails. Venture into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and the Enchantments in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. West of town off Highway 2 is Lake Wenatchee State Park.

RACE DATE: AUGUST 17, 2019

MARTIN SCOTT WINERY

Located close to the Columbia River in East Wenatchee, the winery and vineyard offers tours, tastings, and hand-tossed, wood-fired pizza on Saturdays. In the summer, they host a patio dinner series.

CHATEAU FAIRE LE PONT

Enjoy a tour and farm-to-table Northwest cuisine at this Wenatchee winery and its Chateau Grill Restaurant. Visitors are also welcome to picnic in the vineyard.

ICICLE RIDGE WINERY

Known for its unique ice wines, this destination winery in Peshastin has a log-home tasting room and hosts outdoor concerts and Wine Hikes.

Editor’s Note: For current tasting room hours, be sure to contact each winery, or visit its website before you go (hours of operation change seasonally). Please drink responsibly and designate a driver for your wine tasting tour. //

Looks good from here Visit our Tasting Rooms in the Historic Davenport or on the Cliff House Estate For Concert Schedules, Tasting Room hours and more, visit arborcrest.com MAY 2019 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

25

14 MUST-PADDLE RIVERS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THEY SAY THE BEST whitewater in Oregon is in Washington. They also say the most dangerous part of kayaking is mountain biking, but I digress.

The truth, however, is that you’ll find watersheds producing amazing whitewater almost anywhere you travel within the greater Pacific Northwest.

Here we have tallied 14 rivers east of the Cascade Ridge for your summer boating tick list. From smaller intimate creeks to massive big water systems, these sections of whitewater are great for beginner and intermediate paddlers looking to expand their boating territory and check out some of the classics. A hard shell kayak is the perfect vessel for all of these rivers, while many are also ideal for rafts, standup paddleboards, and inflatable kayaks.

WASHINGTON

WHITE SALMON RIVER: BZ Corner to Buck Creek

(The Middle) – Class III+, 7 miles, 500 – 2,000 cfs.

The White Salmon is the epicenter of the Pacific Northwest’s whitewater Mecca. Offering sections of whitewater from grade II-V, this river remains runnable long after others have dried up due to an extensive groundwater system feeding the headwaters. The Middle is the classic section and offers great boulder garden and pool drop style rapids with beautiful Bombay Gin water to cut the summer heat. Don’t forget to check out the Lower (Buck Creek to Northwest Lake) and the Lower Gorge (Northwest Lake to Columbia River) while you’re in the area.

CLE ELUM RIVER: Cle Elum Dam to the Confluence with the Yakima River – Class II, 6 miles, 1,200 – 4,000 cfs. A great beginner run with playful wave trains, lots of continuous class II action, and easy access right off I-90. At higher flows this section may feel a bit continuous for beginners, but at low and medium flows it is a great training ground for those just coming out of roll sessions. In the spring, this river is a great option for Seattle folks looking to soak up some east side sun and get out on the water PALOUSE RIVER: Palouse Falls State Park to Lyons

Ferry State Park – Class II, 4 miles, 500 – 6,000 cfs. This is a slightly obscure run, but the massive canyon walls and the echo of Palouse Falls roaring behind you bolster the awe-factor of this short, scenic class II section. Hike downhill to the put in just below the falls and take a moment to contemplate Tyler Bradt’s world record waterfall descent.

Although this run may not warrant a day mission in and of itself, it is a great section to check out on your way east or west.

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SPOKANE RIVER: Harvard Park to Mirabeau Park

(The Upper) – Class II, 5.5 miles, 1,000 - 40,000 cfs. Stay-cations are all the rage. Minutes from your door, this urban Spokane float is great for beginners looking to practice their roll, smooth out their eddy turns, and dial in their ferries.

Spring snowmelt swells this section into fast moving water where swims can be long and cold so be sure to dress appropriately. By summer you’ll be sharing the river with inner tubes, SUPs, canoes, and coolers full of beer.

TWISP RIVER: Buttermilk Creek to Twisp – Class

III, 10 miles, 600 – 2,000 cfs. Head up the beautiful Methow Valley, grab some delicious baked goods at the Twisp Bakery, and slide yourself into the flow of this great class III section of the Twisp River. At spring levels (1,500 cfs – 2,000 cfs) the Twisp is continuous III-III+ with fast flows, few eddies, lots of action, and few rocks in sight. By late season (~550 cfs) you’ll be dodging rocks and catching lots of mid-river eddies. Portage left or run the fish collection dam halfway down the run (runnable at some flows), and always keep a keen eye out for wood.

WENATCHEE RIVER: Leavenworth to Cashmere

– Class III, 18.6 miles, 2,500 – 20,000 cfs.

Boasting some of the best playboating in the Pacific Northwest, when the spring melt is on the Wenatchee is going off. High water, blue skies, and grassy take out lure in the Westside crowds during the late spring when Seattle is still under clouds.

This river offers many put in and take out options and is great for playboat-centric paddlers, as well as river runners. As flows drop in the summer, options open up for SUPs as well, and flows are always good for a fun raft float. Be sure to keep your eyes out for the low-head dam near Peshastin and portage right.

IDAHO

PAYETTE RIVER: Banks Township to Beehive (The Main) – Class III+, 7 miles, 800 – 12,000 cfs.

Boise’s favorite backyard run! From early season high water adventures to late summer low-flow floats, this river provides an oasis for those looking to beat the heat and get away from the crowds

(although be warned, commercial traffic does get busy on summer weekends). This section is great for intermediate boaters who already have good river running experience and are looking to hone their skills. Don’t forget to drive up the North Fork to gawk at the class V hair boating upstream!

SALMON RIVER: Stanley to Sunbeam Dam – Class

III+, 13 miles, 600 – 6,000 cfs. Beautiful mountain scenery? Check. Cute mountain town? Check.

Loads of free camping? Double check. Oh wait, and great sections of roadside whitewater, how is this possible? The Salmon River emerges from the awe-inspiring Sawtooth Mountains and starts its dramatic drop through the deep wilderness of central Idaho, but before the permitted sections begin further downstream there are miles of great headwater boating to be had around the Stanley township. Scenic class I-II at the start of this section picks up into more continuous Class III-III+ downstream of Mormon Bend. Many roadside put-in and take-out options exist, along with additional boatable sections both upstream and down.

SALMON RIVER: Vinegar Creek to Riggins – Class

II-IV, 28 miles, 1,000 – 100,000 cfs. At Vinegar Creek the Salmon River emerges from its 100+ mile journey through the River of No Return Wilderness, leaving 28 more miles of roadside pool-drop big water boating set in a deep canyon.

With a huge range of flows possible, quality whitewater and play at nearly all flows, and many put-in and take-out options, this section offers a “pick your own adventure” feel. Oh, and don’t forget your volley ball, Frisbee, soccer ball; as flows drop, sandy football field-sized beaches emerge, and camping and lounging are aplenty.

LOCHSA RIVER: Split Creek bridge to Lowell (Selway Confluence) – Class II-III+, 25 miles, 400 – 25,000 cfs. In the Nez Perce language, Lochsa means “Rough Water” and, true to its name, the Lochsa is an 80-mile freight train of whitewater— from its origins where the Crooked Fork and Colt Killed Creek meet all the way down to where it spills into the Selway River. Deep water, big waves, and only a few holes in this lower section make it great for beginners and intermediates.

Head upstream to Lochsa Falls during the annual Memorial Day Loscha River Madness festival

By Chris Gabrielli

and feast your eyes on endless carnage as hundreds of kayaks, rafts, and cat boats drop into the crashing whitewater and try to emerge still attached to their craft.

HENRYS FORK RIVER: Riverside Campground to

Hatchery Ford Road - Class II-III, 6 miles, 500 – 1,200 cfs. Runnable year round, no dangerous holes, fun and splashy class II-III—what else could you ask for? Load up the raft and kayaks, bring the kids, brings the dogs, stuff the coolers, and get your fill on this gem of a river. The Henrys Fork is as good as class II-III whitewater gets; it’s continuous but not too continuous with beautifully forested surroundings, easy logistics, and hundreds of catch-on-the-fly surf waves to boot. Stay left of the island just downstream of the campground and don’t forget to jump off some boulders in the pool below Swimming Hole Rapid (mile 4).

MONTANA

MIDDLE FORK FLATHEAD: Moccasin Creek to

West Glacier Township – Class III-III+, 7 miles, 1,000 – 8,000 cfs. The Middle fork is a breathtaking intermediate river that should be on everyone’s tick list. Crystal clear water, great river action, a long paddling season, beautiful scenery, and easy logistics. But don’t take our word for it. Head up there and find your own reasons to fall in love with this river. While you’re in the area, check out the upper sections and start scheming your multi-day on the wild and scenic headwater run.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

ELK RIVER: Elko to Highway 93 Elk River Bridge

(The Lower) – Class III-III+, 10 miles, 700 – 3,500 cfs. The Lower Elk is a great introduction to BC whitewater. Just north of the boarder, this large volume river is set in a beautiful valley interspersed with short, spicier canyon sections.

In classic BC fashion, the canyons also dish out a high intimidation factor: proper horizon lines, tricky scouting, and boil-y entrances. As your sphincter tightens, just remember: they all go, and they all hold true to their (BC) class III-III+ rating.

LEFT: SPOKANE RIVER. // MIDDLE SLOCAN RIVER. // THIS PHOTO: SALMON RIVER. PHOTOS AARON THEISEN

The second half of the run includes beautiful open valley with fun playful features.

SLOCAN RIVER: Crecent Valley Township to Highway 3A (The Lower) – Class II (III) 6 miles, 1,800 – 18,000 cfs. Deep in the southern half of the Selkirks, the Lower Slocan offers a section of whitewater that is great for beginner hardshell kayaks, IKs, and SUPs alike. Rapids start simple with wave trains and pool-drop features and build in complexity to the class III Facina Rapids (scouted on the right). Great catch-on-the-fly waves (Elevator waves,

Canadian wave, and 5.0) are interspersed through the run to keep you on your toes looking for that next surf. Easy shuttle logistics and warm water temps come July and August make this a great summer run for beginners. // Chris Gabrielli can be found kayaking Tumwater Canyon, skiing steep couloirs in the Enchantments, or climbing alpine rock in the North Cascades. He's stoked to be exploring his new backyard behind Wenatchee, Washington. This is his first article for Out There.

GO BIRDING ON THE WATER WITH THE WENATCHEE RIVER INSTITUTE THE WENATCHEE RIVER INSTITUTE (WRI) engages students of all ages in experiential environ-

mental learning, and its flagship program, Field Days, partners with local schools to improve science education through hands-on scientific exploration at Barn Beach Reserve. This 9-acre nature preserve on the banks of the Wenatchee River serves as a state-of-the-art green classroom, equipped with microscopes, snowshoes, kick nets, and live animals.

This May’s Field Days are focusing on wild birds, and you don’t have to be a grade-school student to get involved. The WRI partners with the Leavenworth Bird Fest from May 16-19 to celebrate the return of migratory birds in the midst of peak wildflower season. The weekend is packed with field trips for kids and grown ups such as Birding by River Raft, Birding by Big Canoe, Birds & Beer, and Bikes & Birds. Free family activities for all ages include the Blackbird Island Family Bird Walk and bilingual activities with Team Naturaleza.

Rachel Bishop is the community education lead for the WRI and leads events such as Breakfast and Birding, Sleeping Lady Bird Walk, and the Owl Prowl. One of her favorite events to recommend is the birding by river raft trips. “It’s a cool and unique kind of birding. You get close to the birds. It’s really quiet on the water and you can sneak up on them.”

She says it’s relaxing and interesting to see a wide range of birds that nest in and rely on riparian zones, such swallows eating insects on the water’s surface. She also reports seeing Bullock’s orioles, bald eagles, and osprey. The float lasts two hours and connects the Icicle to the Wenatchee River.

She reckons that a lot of birders come from across the country to view the white-headed woodpecker because it’s so specific to eastern Washington. “We don’t have it on west side, probably because it lives off of and east insects on ponderosa pines.”

The Leavenworth Bird Fest is a great opportunity for lifelong birders to tick a few more birds off their life lists and for the bird-curious to learn more about this species-rich region. (Summer Hess) MAY 2019 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

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THE BIKE SHOP THAT COMES TO YOU

BOOK ONLINE VELOFIX.COM

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

NORTHWEST RIVER & PADDLING EVENTS

By Leah Hillbrand & Derrick Knowles

TAKE ON THRILLING WHITEWATER, LEARN A NEW BOATING SKILL, ENJOY A RELAXING PADDLE, OR COMPETE IN YOUR PREFERRED PADDLE SPORTS PURSUIT AT ONE OF THESE NORTHWEST ON-WATER EVENTS.

NORTHWEST PADDLING FESTIVAL (MAY 10-11)

This Festival is hosted at Lake Sammamish State Park near Seattle. Although not on a river, this is great event for paddlers of all types. If looking to purchase a new paddle craft, put this event on your list. According to the festival website, there are over 60 paddle sport vendors and businesses selling the latest equipment. This event also features a variety of seminars to attend, from standup paddleboard (SUP) yoga to kayak fishing. If you want to test your skills, there is also a 2-mile and 6-mile race on Lake Sammamish for kayakers, SUPers, and outriggers. Attendance is free except for the fee for a Discover Pass.

UPPER CLACKAMAS WHITEWATER FESTIVAL (MAY 18-19)

This year is the 36th annual Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival at Carter Bridge on Oregon’s Clackamas River. If you are looking to race, this is the festival for you. It boasts 10 different raft events, six different kayak events, and two SUP events. However, this festival isn’t just about competition. There are two clinics: one on un-pinning your boat and another on emergency raft repair. In the evening enjoy live music by Balance Trick and a beer garden and barbecue that starts at 4:30 p.m. on the 18th.

BIGFORK WHITEWATER FESTIVAL (MAY 24-26)

Like the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival, this is a long-running competition held in Bigfork, Mont., that is on its 44th year. The festival features mainly slalom events in which competitors must make it through gates on designated sections of the river. There are rafts, kayaks, and decked canoes that compete in the slalom competitions. In order to compete in the giant slalom competition, kayaks and decked canoes must compete in a down river race, which is a mile long sprint down a class IV section of the Swan River.

There is also a 1.25-mile, flat-water SUP race. If you are looking for a multisport event, then sign-up for the whitewater triathlon that features paddling, biking, and running segments.

LOCHSA RIVER MADNESS (MAY 25-27)

Madness is exactly what this event on Idaho’s Lochsa River and at the Wilderness Gateway Campground is about. People from all spectrums of the whitewater community converge over Memorial Day weekend to this informal gathering at a typically peak flow on the Lochsa River. This brings about much carnage entertainment on the river as well as in the evening, too.

There is a “movie” contest on Sunday night at the group shelter at Wilderness Gateway Campground. According to Idaho Whitewater Association’s website, the Wilderness Gateway Campground is sold out for the 2019 event, but campers can head to the first come, first serve Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest campgrounds nearby.

BIG WATER BLOWOUT RIVER FESTIVAL (JUNE 1)

This day-long event allows visitors to experience class III and IV rapids along the Salmon River and the second deepest river gorge in North America. Bring your own kayak or raft or take advantage of discounted guided trips. If you would rather stay dry, catch the action from the shore or bridge. The event also typically includes a Dutch oven cook-off in Riggins City Park. Enjoy live Americana and bluegrass music this year by High Pine Whiskey Yell. Check Facebook for updates.

SPOKATOPIA OUTDOOR ADVENTURE FESTIVAL (JULY 13-14)

Try a wide range of paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, and other watersports gear, as well as mountain and pavement-friendly bikes at one of the Northwest’s biggest outdoor gear demo events. Live music, a beer garden, over 50 outdoororiented exhibitors, and kids’ activities happen all weekend long at Spokane’s Camp Sekani Park and Boulder Beach on the Spokane River. A SUP race is also in the works. Spokatopia.com

PADDLE, SPLASH AND PLAY (JULY 20)

This local event on Lake Spokane is a great introduction to a variety of paddling for kids and adults a like. According to Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club, canoes, sea kayaks, whitewater kayaks, inflatable kayaks, recreational kayaks, standup paddle boards, and personal flotation devices (PFDs) are provided.

However, they recommend that if you have your own lifejacket or PFD that you bring it. Kids are free and everyone over 18 is just $5. Since this event is located at the Nine Mile Recreation Area north of Spokane, you will either need to have a Discover Pass or buy one on-site. //

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SPOKANE AND COEUR D’ALENE MEGHAN HENRY, triathlete and winner of this

year’s second leg of the Tour de Dungeness.

BIKE OF CHOICE: Giant TCR Advanced Pro BACKGROUND: Henry competed in Ironman races for eight years. 2019 is her second year road racing where, at the time of this writing, she is four points shy of Category 3 upgrade.

FAVORITE ROAD RIDE: Saltese Flats and Quinimose Hill A 31-mile loop skirting Liberty Lake that winds around and through the Saltese Conservation area, with a 1.5-mile climb. A good bit of up and down with winding descents or climbs, depending upon the direction travelled. It includes one 500foot climb and 1,300 feet of climbing overall. The Saltese-Quinimose loop can be tackled in either direction by intermediate riders and made as difficult as one likes. (Bradley Bleck) DAN WILSON, Evergreen East board member BIKE OF CHOICE: Pivot Mach 5.5, “a climbing and

descending machine.”

YEARS RIDING: 15 kind-of-serious years, since high school FAVORITE MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE: Caribou Ridge Wilson says Caribou Ridge near Coeur d’Alene has “got some of the most gnarly, technical ridgeline trails around. My favorite thing is to go out and climb and do it all for the descent. I love trails that keep me on my toes and push me. If you fall off, it can be really bad.” Distance: 14-mile loop with about 2,800 feet of climbing. Difficulty: Advanced to expert or a willingness to tumble down some steep slopes (Bradley Bleck) 30

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

88 BIKE BIKE FANATICS FANATICS SHARE SHARE THEIR THEIR FAVORITE FAVORITE RIDES RIDES ABOVE: DAN WILSON CATCHING AIR ON MT. SPOKANE'S TRAIL 290. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DAN WILSON. OPPOSITE PAGE TOP: CRICKET BUTLER BIKEPACKING THE GREAT DIVIDE MOUNTAIN BIKE ROUTE JUST NORTH OF HELENA. PHOTO: COURTESY OF CRICKET BUTLER // NAT MCGRATH. PHOTO: AARON THEISEN.

JUSTIN M. SHORT, Dirty Spokanza founder BIKE OF CHOICE: An Open Unbeaten Path carbon

gravel bike, nicknamed the Blue Goose Looney YEARS RIDING: 41, or since he got training wheels.

FAVORITE RIDE: Dirty Spokanza This 100-mile, mixed-surface ride with pavement, gravel, singletrack, doubletrack, and a few optional jumps was first held this past summer.

The Dirty Spokanza starts and finishes at Mojo Cyclery in Spokane Valley. From there, it’s off to Beacon Hill and then Mount Spokane’s summit.

It starts with a wheelie contest, followed by the ride to and a big air contest at Beacon Hill, then a summiting of Mount Spokane where those who brought kites fly them. Short is looking to change up the route, trying to work in 10,000 feet of climbing. Difficulty: Advanced to expert.

(Bradley Bleck)

KYLE MCNATT, Arlberg Sport bike and ski tech-

CENTRAL WASHINGTON DIRK FOWLER, Manager at Cycle Central BIKE OF CHOICE: Trek Emonda YEARS RIDING: Since 1995-ish FAVORITE ROAD RIDE: Mad River Road

Drive to the town of Entiat and park at the south end of Entiat City Park (road biking). Head up Entiat River Road. Just after Cooper’s General Store, take a left on Mad River Road. Begin climbing for the next 11.6 miles and enjoy the beautiful brutality. When the pavement peters out at around 4,500 feet, turn around and head back to Entiat.

This 3,000-foot climb is one of the most challenging in the state. It’s also stunning as it begins at a gorgeous creek and heads into high alpine country. It’s relatively untraveled and best in June or July in the early morning when wildflowers are blooming. Distance: 51 miles and 4,595 feet of elevation gain. Difficulty: Advanced. It’s one of two 8c climbs in Washington. (Summer Hess)

nician

BIKE OF CHOICE: 2019 Specialized Stump Jumper

Expert

YEARS RIDING: 16 FAVORITE MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE: Upper Mission

Ridge Trail to Lower Devil’s Gulch You can ride both trails both directions, but the logging road has a more gradual uphill. Park at the Lower Devil’s Gulch Trailhead. Ride up Fire Road 7100 until it ends and take a right on FR 9712. Pass the Upper Devil’s Gulch Trailhead and continue another 2 miles to the Mission Ridge Trailhead. The upper section is super rocky and really technical. After 4 miles come to an intersection and continue down Devil’s Gulch Trail and enjoy a flow trail the rest of the way down. Mission Ridge Trailhead tops out at nearly 6,000 feet and you can see 360 degrees. You’re in the woods the rest of the time. Distance: About 14 miles uphill on fire road and 12 miles down on trail. Difficulty: Intermediate-advanced.

(Summer Hess)

REACHING ILLUMINATION ON THE MIDNIGHT CENTURY // PHOTO:TIMOTHY DUNN

KEEP ROLLING ALL SPRING LONG

By Justin Short and Summer Hess

April showers have brought May flowers, and now it’s time to get our legs on for another great season in the Inland Northwest. All the local bike shops have their weekly rides up and running for the season. Whatever your inclination—road, mountain, gravel, or basket bike— you’ll find a group ride to fit your schedule and fitness level. Call your local shop or check out a shop you’ve never been to—the important thing is that you get out! Here’s a line-up of local events that will help you put your hard-earned training, and spectating, to use.

TOUR DE BLOOM (May 3-5) This three-day stage race features a road race in the community of Plain on Friday, a Merckx-style Time trial Saturday morning, a twilight criterium in downtown Wenatchee Saturday afternoon, and a road race near Waterville on Sunday. Spectators can enjoy these rides and other Apple Blossom Festival food and entertainment events throughout the weekend.

HILLY NILLY GRAVEL SERIES (May 5, June 9)

Two rides remain in this series put on by the Coeur d’Alene Trek Store. This self- supported spirited bicycle ride series travels on pavement, gravel, mud, and dirt—regardless of weather. Distances vary as weather gets warmer and snow melts. Come prepared for any weather and road conditions. No fees, no support—just fun.

MONTANA & BRITISH COLUMBIA CRICKET BUTLER, Whitefish Bike Retreat owner BIKE OF CHOICE: Trek Stash YEARS RIDING: 13 FAVORITE BIKEPACK: Red Meadows Divide Ride

Start at Whitefish Bike Retreat with the option of riding singletrack or gravel roads. Head north toward Upper Whitefish Lake then continue on to Red Meadow Lake with a few primitive tent sites.

The ride is treed with open views along the ridges up to Red Meadow Pass—the one major climb.

Enjoy pristine alpine lakes with lots of wildlife and great fishing. There’s most likely snow in June, so this ride is best July-September. For a longer tour, it’s possible to ride to Kintla Lake or Bowman Lake Campgrounds via dirt roads through the west side of Glacier National Park. The west entrance of Glacier is not as popular and makes a good 2-3 night trip. Distance: Approximately 20 miles or one day to get to Red Meadows. Difficulty: Beginner friendly. (Summer Hess)

NAT MCGRATH, a mainstay on the BC Cup

downhill series

BIKE OF CHOICE: Rocky Mountain Maiden YEARS RIDING: 17 FAVORITE DOWNHILL RIDE: Hula Girl, Mount

Swansea.

British Columbia’s Upper Columbia Valley is not the first spot in the province that comes to riders’ minds when they think of classic BC biking. But there’s a reason the region produces riders like Nat McGrath, a mainstay on the BC Cup down-

hill series. Thanks to the arid climate—with its wineries and golf courses, the Upper Columbia Valley bears more in common with the Columbia Valley of southern Washington than with the surrounding Canadian Rockies. Its rocky, rooty, oldschool trails allow for a long riding season. Hula Girl highlights the features in this technical trail system, where ladder-like launch platforms and rock steeps demand dialed-in riding. Distance: 1.7 kilometers one-way. Difficulty: Intermediate.

(Aaron Theisen) JESSE MCCLINTOCK, SilverStar team rider BIKE OF CHOICE: Carbon Devinci Wilson 27.5 YEARS RIDING: 8 FAVORITE DOWNHILL RIDE: BX Creek loop at

Silver Start Bike Park McClintock recommends an 8-kilometer loop beginning on Brian’s Trail, which connects to BX Creek trail, and then onto Grizzly Adams and Corkscrew. “The main reason for that is because the trailhead for Brian’s Trail is literally out my front door,” says McClintock. But the riding itself is worthwhile: short, steep climbing switchbacks and berms alternate with root-strewn descents for a technical pedal. He admits that he loves every trail at SilverStar. He says, “It really just depends on what you feel like riding and who you're with.

I honestly just love being on my bike with awesome people or by myself with my headphones blasting.” Difficulty: Intermediate to expert.

(Aaron Theisen) //

3/4 MINUS CYKELTUR (May 4) Join your friends in Sandpoint, Idaho, for this inaugural timed gravel grinder to benefit Pend Oreille Pedalers. The ride begins and ends at Matchwood Brewing Company with 65-and 48-mile options, three aid stations along the way, and an after party to knock your socks off. Register at Syringacyclery.com.

GRAND DEPART OF THE CROSS WASHINGTON MOUNTAIN BIKE ROUTE (May 19) At almost 700 miles from the coast of the Olympic Peninsula to the Idaho border at Tekoa, the XWA is Washington’s premier adventure bikepacking race. Go to www.trackleaders.com to watch spot tracker dots of riders from around the Northwest (including at least one Spokane rider) take on this grueling endeavor. And while you’re at it, watch Spokane rider Jason Oestreicher’s dot on the Bike Nonstop US, a 3,500-mile transcontinental bikepacking race!

24 HOUR ROUND THE CLOCK MTB RACE (May 25-26)

This is the last one, so come down to Riverside Park 7 Mile Airstrip and get in on the action. If you’re not soloing or taking a few laps on your friends’ team, at least help them empty the keg. We are going to miss this race! Register at Roundandround.com.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT MOUNTAIN BIKE RACES (Wednesdays in May & June) Jump in on the fun at the 7 Mile Airstrip in Riverside State Park. As long as you have a bicycle worthy of being ridden on dirt and can pedal it, you can do this! If you are a pro, it’s great for training. If you are new to mountain biking or Riverside State Park, it’s a great way to learn the trails and make new friends. This series features a different course every week. Nomadzracing.com.

APPLE CENTURY RIDE (June 1) This 100-, 50-, and 25-mile ride, sponsored by the Wenatchee Sunrise Rotary, starts and finishes at the Walla Walla Point Park. It’s a fun way to enjoy the beautiful Wenatchee Valley as well as support dozens of community projects. Included are support stations during the ride and a meal with live music and beer garden after.

CHAFE 150 (June 15)

With a start and finish at City Beach Park in Sandpoint, Idaho, the route for this gran fondo scenic ride travels along Lake Pend Oreille and into Montana and the Cabinet Mountain river valleys.

Choose from three different routes at 30, 80, or 150 miles. Participants enjoy seven fully-stocked break stops, professional support, after-ride party, and more. Organized by Sandpoint Rotary, 100 percent of all money collected from entry fees goes directly to the Pend Oreille School District’s program serving children of all ages with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

MAY 2019 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

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most seasoned rider can resist the temptation of the sprinting mob. It’s late on a warm Saturday night and you’re turning pedals with your friends; how do you NOT go a little too hard?

From State Line the ride dips into Idaho before it swings back around the north shore of Liberty Lake. Then riders begin the grueling ascent up and over Quinimose.

It is here that the mysticism of the Midnight Century takes hold. It delivers a vague sense that, somewhere in the inky black darkness, the ghostly presence of Mica Peak is looming.

Lights from various farms and homesteads dot the valley below, offering a heart-rending vista indeed.

As the route meanders eastward on the northern edge of the Palouse, riders get their muchlonged-for-and-later-regretted gravel roads. Food and water options are almost non-existent on the course, but the MC has its own Dust Angel. A dude named Glen sets up a respectable feed station out of the back of his car somewhere around the 50-mile mark. He also stocks a feed table at the end of his driveway a few miles from Spangle. Mic Woodruff was also out there dust angel-ing mid-course somewhere last year. You can’t hope to find two friendlier

MAYHEM MAYHEM AND AND MADNESS MADNESS ON ON THE THE MIDNIGHT MIDNIGHT CENTURY CENTURY

BY JUSTIN SHORT

THE MIDNIGHT CENTURY (MC) is a legendary Spokane bike ride that begins, as one might expect, at the stroke of midnight at The Elk in Browne’s Addition on the first Saturday night in August. It travels to Central Food in Kendall Yards by way of a colossal 100 miles of road, trail, and gravel.

On the patio at The Elk you’ll find all manner of riders gobbling down burgers and tossing back pints an hour or two before the start. Other patrons might wonder—“Why all the helmets?”— which is part of the mystique of this ride; there are no promotions, no sponsors, no entry fee, no insurance,

and no support aside from the camaraderie of your fellow riders. This thing just happens. There’s an arcane little website with a cue sheet for the route and some helpful tidbits about endurance riding— most of it from an Out There article from 2009.

The 2018 MC saw a good turnout, with roughly 40 riders in all, standing about gabbing when, all of a sudden and with no fanfare, the whole mob took off like a pack of psychotic bike messengers. The route hops on the Centennial Trail where it makes a mad dash east for State Line. And it truly is a mad dash because the sensible thing to do on an endurance ride like this is pace yourself. But only the

y a t S & e k i B

TRAIL OF THE CDA • 72 Mile Paved Rails to Trails Route • Access right from the Gondola Village • Beautiful riding that follows the scenic Coeur d’Alene River • Pavement bike rentals available at Silver Mountain Sports

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BEGINNER TO EXPERT Trail system with over 35 well-marked trails The Best Lift-served Biking in the NW! BIG VERT! 3400’ or 800’ with 2 Lifts RENTALS New GIANT Mountain Bikes, helmets, and body armor.

faces in the dark!

Faster riders come blazing through Spangle under a veil of darkness. At my pace the faint pink wisps of dawn are beginning to light the horizon, and others mosey through when the sun is up.

Then comes Jennings Road, a 6.7-mile meandering ribbon of deep loose gravel and inescapable washboards that will rattle your fillings out. You may think you see a smooth line through the rough patches. There isn’t one. It’s a psychological test of sorts. If the Midnight Century is still fun after Jennings, then you have an extraordinary spirit of adventure.

After Cheney, the route returns on the Fish Lake Trail, a godsend as home stretches go, gently whisking between the pines all the way back to civilization. I teamed up with local cyclocross legends Lynn Stryker and John Osterbach for a pace line to the finish. Lynn and John, like so many other riders you’ll meet, exude a love of the ride, and to join with them in that experience is nothing short of transcendent. At least it transcends the pee stops, exhaustion, and bone-rattling washboards.

For a finish line there’s an unassuming little sheet taped to a window at Central Food in Kendall yards for riders to sign before they stumble in for breakfast. The restaurant, owned by Midnight Century’s inventor David Blaine, doesn’t open till 8, but if you don’t think it’s a better idea to go home and fall face down in a bowl of cereal, you may just find yourself sitting around the back patio sharing war stories over a meal with the likes of Tim Dunn and Josh Hess. And later arrivals will be slumped over their plates at Central Food while you’re at home sawing logs and dreaming about your night of mayhem on The Midnight Century. // Justin M. Short is a local rider who you might meet commuting at some obscene hour, tearing up the jumps at Beacon, or grinding gravel in the middle of nowhere. Though not a stranger to its pages, this is his first article for Out There.

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Did your ride end like this?

GRANDDADDY GRANDDADDY OF OF GRAVITY GRAVITY

FREERIDE MOUNTAIN BIKING IN BC’S THOMPSON-OKANAGAN

BY AARON THEISEN

Start the road to recovery by hiring an experienced bicycle accident attorney for you so you can focus on getting back on your bike.

TWENTY-SOME YEARS AGO, a small cohort of crazed cyclists skidded their way down the white silt cliffs outside Kamloops, in the ThompsonOkanagan region of south-central British Columbia. Mountain biking had just entered the Olympics; racing was ascendant. But this was something altogether different.

Not since Marin County hippies bombed cruiser bikes down dirt roads some 20 years before that had the sport of mountain biking changed so fundamentally. Together with similar enclaves in the Kootenays and the North Shore of Vancouver, free riding was born.

Today the Thompson-Okanagan region remains at the forefront of gravity-based biking.

Brett Rheeder, this year’s winner of the Redbull Rampage, the Super Bowl of freeriding, calls SilverStar Bike Park, near Vernon, his home hill;

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several of his competitors in the invite-only competition hail from the Okanagan. It’s likely little coincidence that the sport’s marquee event, although based in Utah, is held on a landscape remarkably similar to that Kamloops dirt.

Visit the region’s lift-served bike parks and it’s not hard to see why it produces world-class riders. Here is the future of bike park design. Gone is hand-hacked singletrack; in is machine-built trails with big, bike-dwarfing berms and manicured, precisely sculpted jumps.

Despite the rowdy nature of the trails, the Okanagan bike parks give off a laid-back, low-key vibe. Absent is the agro attitude that has occasionally plagued the downhill scene. Here there’s a home-hill bonhomie where all are welcome—the patrollers, the park rats, the first-timers, and the old-timers.

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BIG WHITE BIKE PARK

DESPITE ITS PROXIMITY to the birthplace of freeriding, Big White Ski Resort, near Kelowna, didn’t have a bike park until the summer of 2017. But Big White Bike Park has made up for lost time, applying decades of dirt-moving knowledge to the construction of its trails. The crew from LOFT Pike Parks, a build crew on the cutting edge of trail design, has shown what’s possible with a blank slate.

“We are incredibly lucky to be entering the bike park game at this point,” says Luc Gaudet. Gaudet, a member of the Bike Patrol team since the park’s inception, is also involved with trail construction and maintenance, including the slopestyle course in Happy Valley.

“Sustainable building practices have been the biggest lesson in bike park construction over the last decade or so,” says Gaudet. “The changes in geometry and most importantly wheel sizes have changed the physics of how we need to approach building a modern park, particularly with jump and turn radius shapes and sizes.”

But the work the build crew, in conjunction with LOFT, has put in shows: even green runs such as Pry Bar boast big, beginner-friendly berms and low-consequence doubles.

What started off as a handful of trails in the abbreviated season of 2017 continues to grow, with black flow trail Dark Roast, whipping riders down the lower half of the mountain on a series of massive step-up and tabletop jumps. Meanwhile, Bermslang coils big turns one on top of the other.

Gaudet’s enthusiasm for the bike park is infectious; his favorite trail is always the one he’s just about to ride. “Rock Hammer into Dark Roast is the current owner of my heart,” says Gaudet. “It has everything: above-tree-line alpine with stellar rock formations, then spitting you onto a brown highway all the way the bottom.”

Gaudet also gushes about the full unveiling of The Joker, the massive, gasp-inducing jump line featured in the Red Bull film “Rhythm.” Designed

by local freeride pro Bas van Steenbergen before the bike park even opened its gates, The Joker opens to the public for the 2019 season.

Big White Bike Park is unique in the region in that it extends into true alpine. From the 7,057foot top of the Bullet Express, double blacks Rock Hammer and Catapult Ranch lead with granite slabs into immaculate dirt with sight lines all the way to the base area and to the Monashee Mountains in the east—should you take your eyes off the trail.

“The quality of our rocks is also something to be spoken of,” says Gaudet. “It has an incredible amount of grip that allows it to be ridden with some confidence in even wetter conditions.”

Down below, in Happy Valley, the LOFT crew has carved out a pro-level slopestyle park of monolithic jumps. Mere mortals can test their skills on a slimmed-down version of the pro line, which is only open for competitions. Make no mistake: even the “amateur” line is intense.

Says Gaudet, “More than anything, we are aiming for a world-class experience from the first-day rider up to the professional.”

SILVERSTAR BIKE PARK

IF YOU’VE WATCHED A mountain bike film in

the last 10 years, you’ve seen SilverStar Bike Park.

This park, near Vernon, about 90 minutes north of Big White, goes big. The resort’s Comet Six Pack Express—Canada’s longest mountain bike chairlift—climbs 1,600 vertical feet and accesses over 600 berms and more than 300 jumps on 30 miles of downhill trails. The cross-country crowd needn’t feel left out since the park features roughly the same mileage in pedal-friendly trails.

Oh, and the wildflowers are legendary—not that you’ll notice.

Gently rounded as opposed to Big White’s slabby summit, SilverStar makes the most of its elevation and the “magic dirt” of its open meadows and loamy forest. Their terrain allows SilverStar’s build-

ers to finesse the trails rather than simply fighting the fall line.

“We don’t have a lot of rock features at SilverStar, but what the trail crew has done is use the rock that is there to its best ability,” says SilverStar team rider Jesse McClintock, who winters at Mike Weigele Heli Skiing as a guide.

“If you are looking for some technical bikepunishing trails, then my favorite would be Dag’s Downhill,” adds McClintock. “It’s the race for the BC Cup Downhill series. Lots of rock, rock drops, and fast tree sections on this trail. It really keeps your heart rate maxed out!”

Crystal Townsend, a SilverStar team downhill rider and bike instructor here, says that SilverStar is the best place she’s coached at because there’s a natural progression of trail difficulty. It culminates in Walk the Line and its wall rides with 15-foot gaps and mandatory doubles.

Adds McClintock, “I love the intermediate trail called Super Star because it is pretty mellow, but you can really dial in your skills before heading to the bigger jump/flow runs like Walk the Line or Pipe Dream, both of which are rowdy.”

Here as at its neighbors, though, the mountain offers instruction ranging from half-day sessions to weeklong skills camps, so flatlanders and freeriding first-timers need not be intimidated. That’s a feeling that extends beyond the confines of the skills camps too. “The community here [includes] some of the most friendly people I’ve ever met,” says McClintock. “They make you feel at home and will gladly show you around or help you out if they can. I’ve met some life long friends up here.”

SUN PEAKS BIKE PARK

BRITISH COLUMBIA’S second-largest ski resort,

Sun Peaks Resort, hosts the province’s second-oldest, lift-served bike park, just behind Whistler— this year marks its 20th anniversary. In many ways this bike park just north of Kamloops retains the feel of an elder statesman, with steep, rowdy,

and rocky hand-hewn singletrack reminiscent of downhill’s late-90s arms race.

But the builders at Sun Peaks have begun adding some machine-built trail for modern riding. The showpiece Steam Shovel speeds off the Sunburst chair into a corkscrewing progression of berms and jumps. With no mandatory drops or big gaps, intermediate riders can safely roll through any features. An as-yet unnamed green trail provides a solid thirty minutes of smooth, sinuous descending of machine-built tread from Sunburst down to the lodge.

Sun Peaks-sponsored rider Gabe Neron is younger than the bike park, and even though he only crossed over to mountain biking from the moto world four years ago, he embodies the oldschool bike park riding mentality. “[The park] has still got the rocks, roots and free-ride background to it,” says Neron. “We’re working toward building more of the machinebuilt, flowy stuff, but we’re definitely interested in keeping the raw, old-school flavor that Sun Peaks is all about.”

For a rider with eyes set on qualifying for the World Cup, Sun Peaks is an ideal training ground.

“If I go to another resort where the course is a little easier, I’ve got the background where I can go down the steepest, gnarliest stuff,” says Neron. “I always know I’m going to be able to ride it.”

Just as at SilverStar, the subalpine wildflowers deserve special mention; they are popular enough that they have their own festival at the end of July.

It’s worth the short hike from the Sunburst Express to the top of Tod Mountain after a day of riding.

On a clear day—of which there are many—scissorshaped Shuswap Lake is visible to the east. And to the south, so is the birthplace of freeriding. // Aaron Theisen is the author of “Day Hiking Glacier National Park and Western Montana.” He wrote about Camas Prairie ski hills and skiing in McCall for the March issue.

Explore Vernon in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia for a variety of adventures. Home to five provincial parks and the Okanagan Rail Trail, Vernon offers a variety of biking and outdoor activities to suit all abilities.

A C T IVATE Y OUR RID E V E RNON, BR ITISH C OL U MBI A , C A N A D A

An unrivaled lakeside trail that is popular with locals and tourists alike, the Okanagan Rail Trail is 50km of level, discontinued rail corridor connecting Coldstream to Kelowna, with spots for picnics and swims along the way.

Savour the serenity of the forest in Ellison Provincial Park as you cruise along single track that’s perfect for families, casual and even advanced riders.

Looking for a more gravity fueled adventure? Test your cardio and technical skills on the longest rock slabs in the Okanagan on Predator Ridge’s new trail, The Mantle. Try one of our two epic loops in Vernon: Honest Ed in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park and Beowulf at SilverStar Bike Park (IMBA Silver Level Ride Centre).

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KALAMALKA LAKE PROVINCIAL PARK / ROBB THOMPSON

SILVERSTAR MOUNTAIN RESORT

ELLISON PROVINCIAL PARK / ROBB THOMPSON

From valley to alpine trails, it’s no wonder that Vernon is considered the hub of cross-country and downhill biking in the North Okanagan.

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MAY 2019 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

35

SPOKANE VALLEY 2019

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

OutdoorCalendar RUNNING (May 19) Windermere Marathon & Half Marathon. Where: Centennial Trail, Spokane. A fast, flat course with scenic views of the beautiful Spokane River. Info: Nsplit.com/windermere

(May 26) Coeur d'Alene Marathon.

Where: McEuen Park. The Coeur d’Alene Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5k fun run offers one of the most spectacular events in the country in scenic Coeur d’Alene. Info: Nsplit.com/cdamarathon

BIKING (May 11) Kidical Mass. Where: Spokane. A fun, safe bike ride especially for kids. Join this family friendly afternoon bike ride of about 3 miles cycling on anything that rolls! All types of bikes, trailers, Xtracycles, tandems, folding bikes, and trikes are welcome! Ride through the Chief Garry neighbor-

hood beginning at Chief Garry Park. Presented by Summer Parkways & Christ the King Church. Info: Summerparkways.com

(May 13-17) Spokane Bike Everywhere Week.

Where: Spokane. Spokane Bicycle Club hosts events all week, including a pancake breakfast, energizer stations, a Ride of Silence, and Friday's celebration of Bike to Work Day. Info: Spokanebikes.org

(May 25-26) 24 Hour MTB Race.

Where: Riverside State Park, Spokane. The last year for this long-running mountain biking tradition. Riders pedal from noon Saturday to noon on Sunday, racing around the clock in teams of 2-10 people or as individuals. Camping and food included. Info: Roundandround.com

OTHER (May 4) March for Science.

Where: Spokane.

This year’s event starting at WSU Spokane will be

a family-friendly, science outreach event that will conclude with a “march” river walk cleanup along the Spokane River. Info: Facebook

(May 23) Ladies Night at Spokane Alpine Haus. Where: Spokane. Join like-minded outdoorsy ladies for an evening social with drinks, appetizers, a store-wide sale, and raffles and giveaways at the Spokane Alpine Haus on the South Hill from 6-9 p.m. Info: Thespokanealpinehaus.com

(May 26) Ski to Sea. Where: Bellingham, Wash.

Started in 1973, the Ski to Sea Race is a 93-mile multisport relay race from Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay. A team consists of three to eight racers competing in seven sports: cross country skiing, downhill skiing/ snowboarding, running, road biking, canoeing (two people), cyclocross biking and kayaking. Choose from 15 different divisions. The finish line party is in conjunction with the Historic Fairhaven Festival.

Info: Skitosea.com

SIX MONTH EVENTCALENDAR RUNNING (June 1) Tom Rogers Legacy Run.

Where: Dishman Hills, Spokane Valley. This 5-mile fun run winds through Dishman Hills in honor of the late Tom Rogers. In the 1960s Tom Rogers had the vision and led a grassroots effort to preserve this natural area. Info: Runforthehills.org

(June 9) Bay Trail Fun Run. Where: Sandpoint, Idaho. Up to 400 hundred runners and walkers cover the 5K and 10K courses along scenic waterfront trails near City Beach. Info: Pobtrail.org.

(July 7) Race the Wolf. Where: Schweitzer Mountain, Idaho. Part of the Skyrunning USA’s trail running series in 2019, there are three distances: 52k and 25k events on July 6 and an 8k trail race on July 7. Info: Schweitzer.com (July 14) Spokatopia Trail Run.

Where: Camp Sekani Park, Spokane. A 5K trail run perfect for anyone new to trail running or more seasoned runners looking to kick off a day at the Spokatopia Outdoor Adventure Festival with a fast and fun trail run.

An optional free trail running clinic will be offered before the run, and the entry fee includes festival admission. All runners are entered to win prizes from Black Diamond. Info: Spokatopia.com

(June 16) Dad’s Day Dash. Where: Manito Park, Spokane. Celebrate Father’s Day with a 5K run or walk (or a 1.4 mile option). The event supports SNAP. Info: Snapwa.org/ddd5k (June 21) Summer Solstice 10K & Kids Race.

Where: Kendall Yards, Spokane. Join the Children’s Tumor Foundation and Fleet Feet Spokane for this race along the Centennial Trail. The Kids race will host two options for distance: 1/2 mile or 1/4 mile.

Info: Fleetfeetspokane.com

(June 22) Mountain Magic Trail Run.

Where: Mount Spokane State Park. Celebrate the first day of summer on some of Spokane’s most enchanting trails.

Wide-open views, rolling terrain and mostly-nontechnical running make for an enjoyable running

experience on the 5K and 10K. Or choose from a 15k loop and 25K course. Info: Mountainmagicrun.com

(July 27) Round About 5K. Where: Deer Park, Wash. The fun run kicks off the community’s Settlers’ Days activities and follows a flat, easy course through the Deer Park area. All proceeds go back to the local community. Info: Roundabout5k.com

try outdoor activities like paddleboarding, kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking and more.

Spokatopia is the biggest bike and water sports demo event of the year. Live music, beer garden, slacklining, rappelling, kids’ games and climbing wall, and other entertainment and activities. Cost: free general admission; some activities cost between $5-$50. Info: Spokatopia.com

BIKING (June 15) CHAFE 150 Gran Fondo. Where: Sandpoint, Idaho. Don’t let the “150” in the name fool you. Distances for this ride that supports literacy for youth include 30, 40, 80, 100, and 150-mile routes, plus a new family fun ride. Info: Chafe150.org

INDEPENDENT LOCAL

(June 22) 8 Lakes Leg Aches Bike Ride. Where: West Plains, Wash. The ride explores the beautiful scenery in the Channeled Scablands west of Spokane with three routes: 30, 45, and 75-mile. Info: Lcsnw. org/8-lakes-bike-ride

OTHER (June 1) National Trails Day Hikes. Where: Dishman Hills, Spokane Valley. Family hikes and other outdoor activities will be offered throughout the morning and early afternoon in celebration of National trails Day. Info: Dishmanhills.org (June 27-30) Get Out Fest. Where: Republic, Wash. Northeast Washington’s new Get Out Fest is being billed as a dynamic, community-led outdoor recreation and culture festival, including music headliners The Cave Singers. Located at the Ferry County Fairgrounds the first-time festival is offering a wide range of outdoor activities, as well as food, music, an outdoor film, a climbing wall, and camping. Events include a timed 5K & Half Marathon on the Ferry County Rail Trail, a mountain bike ride, and a hike on the nearby Kettle Crest Trail. Info: Getoutfest. com.

(July 13-14) Spokatopia Outdoor Adventure Festival. Where: Camp Sekani Park/Boulder Beach, Spokane. Two days this year, at Spokatopia you can

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Last Page IN PRAISE OF MENTAL TOUGHNESS // By Nicole Hardina

NICOLE HARDINA AND HER HUSBAND, JAYLAN RENZ. // PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

BEFORE I STARTED WORKING in restaurants

again, I spent Saturday mornings running with a group. Now I work nights, wake late. I drink coffee into the afternoon and think about my friends who’ve put in 6, 12, 20 miles that day. I miss scampering around the pre-dawn city with my runbuds.

The miles go by over sidewalks, bridges, tracks and trails, through the easy seasons and the difficult ones. We’ve seen each other through divorce and death, illness and injury, marriages and babies and a boatload of PRs and BQs. No matter how long it’s been since I showed up, I know I’ll find my runbuds right where I left them—in their sneakers.

When I started running with the group, I

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / MAY 2019

wouldn’t have called myself a runner. Now, I am one. You don’t have to be fast or finish marathons.

Just show up and run. Here are some other things my runbuds have taught me: You can do it. It’s about putting in the time and developing mental toughness. Don’t wait for conditions to be perfect. Take the long view. Races will come and go. The hills are hard for everyone. Run for the smiles as well as the miles.

A week before the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon, I messaged my favorite runbud, Chris.

You running Lake Sam? He replied right away. If you are. That was all I needed to get in the game. I’d missed a lot of training, but there were still things I could do to prepare.

That week, I went for a few easy runs and ate and slept well. I didn’t make a list of the ways the race might go poorly. I visualized easing into the first miles, ramping up for a strong effort, and crossing the finish line. The night before, I checked the forecast, laid out my gear with my race bib on top, and turned in early.

The next morning, I woke early. The sunrise cast everything soft and frost glittered on the trees.

Lake Washington was a bowl of jewels reflecting pink and gold off the bellies of seagulls. Mt. Rainier sprawled to the south and Mt. Baker saluted from the north. Ahead of me were the starting line and 100 of the most reliable people I know.

The early miles flew as the bottleneck thinned and pace groups formed. Chris and I fell into a quick step, and I picked a few shirts to keep my eyes on. We coasted through aid stations, a minute per mile faster than usual. Chris warned that we were flying, but flying felt good, so we kept pushing.

We crushed the second 5 kilometers. I worried about keeping up the pace, but two runbuds cheering from the sidelines gave us new energy.

There’s no fuel like high-fives, performance goo, and adrenaline.

At mile 7, I felt myself start to shudder like a busted car. 8 through 10 were going to hurt. Chris said he was starting to feel it. I agreed. Everywhere.

We pushed on, heartened by the signs along the route. If it were easy, I would do it! Keep going! You’ve got this! It wasn’t easy, but I was doing it. I would keep going. I had this.

At mile 9, a spectator appeared at the end of her driveway, dressed in a rainbow tutu and blasting “Your Song” by Elton John. Odd choice, but there

it is. How wonderful life is now you’re in the world.

I heard the song, and I couldn’t hear my feet or feel my heart. I couldn’t see the trail for my tears.

My husband Jaylan, who’d died just months earlier, had serenaded me with “Your Song.” He sang it around the house, in karaoke bars, and once, on our wedding day while I sat atop a grand piano like a starlet.

I sang it back to him as he lay in our bed on the last day of his life. How wonderful life is. You’re in the world.

Then, he wasn’t.

Everything hurt. My knees, my hip flexors, my heart. I began sobbing. Animalistic sounds wrenched from the deep well of my heartache.

I stumbled and righted myself. Performance goo.

Sports drink. High fives. Mile 11. Almost there. I ran, choking on grief.

At the finish line, more high-fives and hugs.

Chris hung a medal around my neck. We’d gotten there together, but we’d each met the challenge on our own.

I’d like to get back to running. There’s still time to train for the summer races. I often think about my favorite sign from the Lake Sam course. I’ve taken it to heart, like a promise, like a reason.

The day will come when you are no longer able to do this. Today is not that day. // Nicole Hardina dabbles in running, climbing, and flying trapeze. She's writing “Little Washington,” an exploration of Washington's 100 smallest towns, and she's working on a memoir about love and grief.

Find her work at nicolehardina.com. This is her first article for Out There.

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