Get Out There

LEFT: WAIKIKI SPRINGS // EVERGREEN CLINIC

BE A CITIZEN SCIENTIST FOR THE DAY AT WAIKIKI SPRINGS BIOBLITZ (MAY 22)

Come join the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy (INLC) Stewardship Team at Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve near Spokane for a day of citizen science. During this field day from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. volunteers will help collect biological information including plant species identification, wildlife data collection, soil sampling, and forest canopy analysis. No experience is necessary. INLC staff and group leaders will provide the tools and resources volunteers will need. Visit Inlandnwland.org for more information and to sign up. (OTO)

TAKE A MOUNTAIN BIKE SKILLS CLINIC

Whether you’re a beginner or want to hone some advanced mountain biking skills, Evergreen East Mountain Bike Alliance is offering clinics this spring and summer to fit all abilities and skill levels. Evergreen offers a low student-to-instructor ratio to make time for personalized feedback and instruction. Knowledgeable instructors break down and demonstrate each skill before progressing onto practice and drills. And each class includes trail riding so that students can try out what they are learning as class progresses. Classes include MTB Foundations, Technical Descending, Foundations in the Air, Advanced Cornering, and more. There are co-ed, women-only, and kids’ classes too. Evergreen East members get a discount on class registration, so be sure to sign up and pay your membership dues before registering. By being a member of Evergreen, you are supporting mountain bike trail building, maintenance, and advocacy right here in the Inland Northwest. New this year, riders who may not have the budget to pay for a clinic can apply for a scholarship to help cover the clinic cost at Evergreenmtb. org/scholarship. For clinic details, visit Evergreeneast.org/2021-class-schedulesign-up or email info@evergreeneast.org. (OTO)

HELP CLEAN UP ALONG THE SPOKANE RIVER

In year’s past, conservation groups have organized one or two big group clean-up events along the banks of the Spokane River per year, but this year’s effort by Spokane Riverkeeper and the Spokane River Forum will span the entire spring and summer season, including four public clean-up events. For 2021, there will be three ways volunteers can help pick up trash along the river, says Jule Schultz with Spokane Riverkeeper. First, there’s the first big public cleanup event that’s scheduled (with COVID safety protocols in place) on Saturday May 8 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. That kickoff event will be followed by four additional public trash pickup days, including June 19 at Mission Park, July 10 at Peoples’ Park, August 21 in the University District, and September 18 in Spokane Valley. River clean ups are great for removing litter, but they are also a great opportunity to educate people about other threats to the river, says Schultz. “We are seeing more and more interest in the Spokane River and protecting it than we ever have before.”

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LEFT TO RIGHT: SPOKANE RIVER CLEANUP // WOLF TRAILS // BIRDING ON THE TRAIL OF THE COEUR D’ALENES

them to schedule their own DIY river cleanup events with friends and family members whenever it’s convenient. You will be responsible for rallying the volunteer labor, and Spokane Riverkeeper will recommend a trash pickup location and provide the trash pickers, bags, and gloves. And when you’re finished cleaning up your area, they will haul away the trash bags. Businesses and civic groups can also work with the Riverkeeper to set up a private group river clean-up event. For more information or to sign up, visit Spokanerivercleanup.org. (OTO)

HIKE NEWPORT, WASHINGTON’S WOLF TRAILS

The name Wolf Trails conjures up a wild, enticing, and maybe even a tad forbidding place, but this trail system on the edge of town in Newport, Wash., is actually a sweet wooded area of gently rolling terrain adjacent to the Pend Oreille River. With about 4-5 miles of interconnected loops, divided by State Route 20 into the “Upper” and “Lower” trail systems, hikers and mountain bikers can choose any length of outing they desire. Lower Wolf has a charming bench at an overlook of Ashenfelter Bay on the Pend Oreille River, where ducks, geese, and sometimes Tundra swans lounge in the calm water. Spring is a favorite time of year, with the soft, damp trail; wildflowers blooming; and birds flitting about. I saw a pileated woodpecker big as life on Upper Wolf in early April. These trails were developed on land donated to the Colville National Forest decades ago by newspaper owner Fred Wolf for the express purpose of recreation. The Forest Service and the Pacific Northwest Trail Association have done a great job designing and maintaining this jewel of a trail system so close to town that within minutes of completing your hike, ride or trail run you can be in Newport to enjoy a coffee at Union St. Perk or a burger and beer next door at the second oldest bar in Washington State (Kelly’s). Find directions and trail map at Newashingtontrails.com/wolf-trails/. Dogs are okay on leash. For trail conditions call the Newport Forest Service office at 509.447.7300. (Gayne Sears)

TAKE A SPRING RIDE ON THE TRAIL OF THE COEUR D’ALENES

One of Northwest’s longest paved biking trails, stretching across the Idaho Panhandle for 73.2 miles, the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes is a great spring and early summer ride. You can ride shorter out-and-back sections from one of several trailheads or take on a larger one-way stretch of the trail. Whatever distance you choose, your ride could have you pedaling past lakes, along a wild river, through small towns, and past wetlands and woods teaming with birds and other wildlife. Recently named one of the top 25 trails in the United States by the Rails to Trails Conservancy, the trail extends from the towns of Plummer to Mullan. Wetlands along much of the route afford the opportunity to see many species of birds, including eagles, swans, hawks, owls, and migrating songbirds. Frequently-sighted wildlife along the trail include coyotes, deer, moose, and elk. For more info on riding the trail, visit Outthereoutdoors.com and search “Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.” (OTO) //