Out There Outdoors // September-October 2020 by Out There Outdoors

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THE INLAND PACIFIC NORTHWEST GUIDE TO ADVENTURE + TRAVEL + CULTURE

Scenic Drives to hiking spots

Local Adventure Washington whitewater first descent

Camper Van Adventures

6 Fall Hikes & Trail Runs

Pandemic Provisions

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

10 WAYS TO YOUR PUBLIC LANDS

Explore the 73-mile trail of the coeur d’Alenes One of the nation’s most unique state parks spanning three counties and passing by rivers, lakes, and several historic towns!

wildlife

biking

skating

paddling

fishing

history

Explore and Stay in Harrison, Kellogg, and Wallace Start Planning Your Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes Trip Today

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

CONTENTS

Special Section 24 | Public Lands Guide

Columns 13 14 16 18 21

| | | | |

The Human Adventure Hike of the Month Everyday Cyclist Out There Kids Run Wild

In Every Issue 7 | Intro 8 | Dispatches 34 | Last Page HYDRATION DAY HIKING

COVER: Big Views and badass trails in the Columbia Gorge made possible thanks to public lands. // PHOTO: CHRIS KORBULIC

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 WWW.OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM PUBLISHERS

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S. Michal Bennett Dave Copelan Carol Corbin Liam Fitzgerald Adam Gabauer Nicole Hardina Sarah Hauge Summer Hess Jon Jonckers Dorian Karahalios Derrick Knowles Shallan Knowles Chris Korbulic Melinda Larson Heidi Lasher Lisa Laughlin Rebecca Mack Amy McCaffree Amanda Mead Pete Meighan Ammi Midstokke Justin Short Aaron Theisen Holly Weiler Wil Wheaton ART + PRODUCTION

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No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. Â©Copyright 2020 Out There Monthly, LLC. The views expressed in this magazine reflect those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily Out There Monthly, LLC. Disclaimer: Many of the activities depicted in this magazine carry a significant risk of personal injury or death. Rock climbing, river rafting, snow sports, kayaking, cycling, canoeing and backcountry activities are inherently dangerous. The owners and contributors to Out There Monthly/ Out There Outdoors do not recommend that anyone participate in these activities unless they are experts or seek qualified professional instruction and/or guidance, and are knowledgeable about the risks, and are personally willing to assume all responsibility associated with those risks. PROUD MEMBER Of

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INTRO PUBLIC LAND FOR THE PEOPLE

PHOTO: AARON THEISEN

IN EARLY AUGUST I took a climbing trip

to the Wind River Range in Wyoming, accessed by a scenic route that may be the most authentically American road trip in the country. What makes this drive such a patriotic experience is the abundance of public land and national parks, which writer and historian Wallace Stegner calls

"the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst." This tremendous terrain is American in the broadest sense of the word—America as a grand idea and great experiment, America as a massive and wild continent, America as an interconnected landscape of ecological

and human communities. As we drove east over multiple mountain ranges and the danger of running out of gas became real, we also traversed several important wildlife corridors, including the Cabinet-Purcell Mountain Corridor that delineates a zone of largely connected wildlife habitat between southeastern British Columbia and North Idaho and northwestern Montana. It’s one of the few places in the U.S. where a wide range of species from grizzly bears to elk can move across the international border through relatively intact habitat. Even though many of the wildlands we drove through have limited protection, the recent passage of the Great American Outdoors Act is proof that a majority of Americans care deeply about our public lands. While building on conservation successes of that scale are more important than ever, how we talk about the history of public lands and engage the indigenous people who call those lands home in future conservation initiatives is also crucial. Long before there were national forests or state parks, much of these lands were the traditional homelands of First Nations, many of whom were violently removed. It’s an essential reality that needs to be acknowledged and addressed in public lands conservation efforts. Fittingly, many conservation successes in recent years have been initiated by

tribes, restoring first nations people as critical stakeholders and public lands caretakers. Across the Northwest, tribes are designing, funding, and implementing programs that bring back wildlife and conserve their traditional lands and cultural heritage. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation are working to bring lynx back to their land and are leading efforts to reintroduce salmon into the Columbia River above Grand Coulee Dam. As discussed in this issue’s Nature column, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians is experimenting with innovative approaches to keeping cougars from harming pets and livestock. And many species of wildlife in eastern Oregon have more room to roam thanks to the Nez Perce Tribe’s purchase of thousands of acres of prime habitat. Other tribes are taking innovative legal approaches to protecting land and wildlife. One example that has gathered international attention is the Yurok Tribe’s declaration of the rights of personhood for the Klamath River. By assigning rights to a natural feature, the tribe hopes to create more opportunities for environmental protections and legal advocacy. By conserving habitat, tribes are ensuring their own cultural survival and the future of our public lands and the human communities that depend on them. // Summer Hess, Editor

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NEW TECHNICAL OUTDOOR GEAR SHOP TO OPEN SPOKANE, WASH.

When Mountain Gear closed its doors this past January after 37 years of selling technical outdoor gear, Spokane-area climbers and backcountry skiers were suddenly left without a local source for MARK BEATTIE IS OPENING ADVENTURE 509 THIS FALL. select gear and expertise. Conversations around the local outdoors community quickly turned to speculation about who would step up to fill the obvious hole left by Mountain Gear’s closing. Seven months later, local outdoor industry veteran Mark Beattie is months away from opening the doors of his new shop, Adventure 509, at a yet-to-bedetermined location in Spokane Valley. There probably isn’t another person more qualified to open the kind of shop Beattie envisions. He first started working for a store called Mountain Outfitters in Coeur d’Alene in the late 80s and eventually went on to open his own shop, Vertical Earth, that catered to steep mountain sports like climbing, mountain biking, and backcountry skiing. After selling Vertical Earth to current owner Mike Gaertner, Beattie went to work at Mountain Gear in Spokane for the next 12 years, where he sold gear, answered technical questions, and provided some of the most qualified boot and gear fitting services in the Northwest. About a week after the announcement came out that Mountain Gear was closing, Beattie says that watching the reaction to the news and the flood of long-time customers coming in convinced him he had to step up. “Spokane is a very active outdoors community and suddenly they became underserved. I didn’t want to let that happen.” I spoke with Beattie in the middle of August while he was waxing a pair of skis in his basement. In between bursts of loud scraping sounds over our speaker phone conversation, he shed some light on what all he had planned. For starters, Adventure 509 will focus on climbing, mountaineering, backcountry ski and avalanche gear, he says, with limited technical apparel and accessories. Beattie intends to add backpacking gear at some point too, and he plans to run demos and classes and host events to help get more people involved in backcountry sports. The shop will also provide professional technical services that are currently difficult to find or unavailable locally like backcountry boot fitting, ski tuning, touring binding installation, repair, and more. Look for store opening details on Out There’s social media pages. (Derrick Knowles)

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Volunteer efforts are in the works on a new trailhead on the south side of the Dishman Hills, just west of the Rocks of Sharon. The yet-to-be publicly opened Wilson Trailhead, the new gateway to the 137-acre Wilson Conservation Area purchased last fall, will complement the increasingly busy Stevens Creek Trailhead just two miles away. Volunteers from the Dishman Hills Conservancy are now working to cleanup and open the property to limited recreational access as soon as possible, with a route to a viewpoint and cabins likely to be opened before the snow flies. Volunteer projects scheduled every week this fall will help with a wide variety of jobs to clean up the area, fix-up existing buildings, and restore habitat. Each project will incorporate physical distancing and personal protective equipment. Volunteers will be rewarded with an opportunity to explore the property before it is open to the public and to learn the many stories from the 1900-era cabins to the airplane in the barn. Registration for work parties is required at DishmanHills.org/events. For more information contact Isobel Smith at Isobel@DishmanHills.org. (OTO)

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SPOKANE VALLEY, WASH.

NATIONAL BUFFALO SOLDIERS TRAIL UNDER CONSIDERATION WALLACE, IDAHO

Largely forgotten for over a century, the story of what may be America’s greatest ever cycling adventure could finally be getting its due, courtesy of a proposed National Buffalo Soldiers Trail. Back in 1897, U.S. Buffalo Soldiers, a group of all African American soldiers, were ordered to pedal 1,900 miles from Ft. Missoula to St. Louis in full uniform, through the very worst terrain and weather on 35 lb one-speed bikes. The riders packed tents, tools, rifles, and ammo with them while settling for hard tack for meals. Why? Back then America’s military was looking at ways to move troops faster than marching, cheaper than horses, and nimbler than trains. Both men and gear proved up to the task, averaging nearly 50 miles a day in their 41-day transcontinental trek, earning them the nickname “the Iron Riders.” That largely forgotten triumph has become acutely relevant today. The pandemic is coaxing millions outside and onto bicycles. Meanwhile interest in America’s historic race relations has also increased. In response the National Park Service, Buffalo Soldier organizations, and area tourism and outdoor recreation interests are now in the preliminary stages of getting the Iron Riders’ epic trek recognized as part of a National Buffalo Soldiers Trail. “The Park Service talked to us about a possible National Buffalo Soldiers Trail in June,” says Wallace Idaho Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Rick Shaffer, who is also the president of the non-profit Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Trails. “Since then we’ve been working with them and other partners to get the wheels rolling on the project,” he adds. The connections to Wallace are considerable. The town is a decades’ long proponent of rail trail tourism and also has strong connections with Buffalo Soldiers. Units were stationed there to quell 1890s labor unrest as well as to save the town from America’s largest ever wildland fire in 1910. Last year Wallace invited Iron Rider re-enactors to cycle the Route of the Hiawatha and the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes along with special meet and greets in the city. That relationship has flowered into several joint projects, including this proposed National Buffalo Soldiers Trail. Where will this cooperation lead? Maybe to a coast-to-coast 4,000-mile rail trail. The Rails to Trails Conservancy announced last year that its proposed Great American Rail Trail, stretching from Puget Sound to Washington D.C., was just over halfway complete. The biggest uncompleted stretches are in Montana, Wyoming, and Nebraska—nearly the same path pedaled by Buffalo Soldiers in 1897. “We’re hopeful the Iron Riders’ feats will inspire policy makers to complete the Great American Rail Trail,” says Shaffer. “Since Wallace would be right on that coast to coast trail, we would welcome the chance to tell the Buffalo Soldiers’ story to folks pedaling through.” (Dave Copelan)

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LOCAL GIRL COMPLETES VIRTUAL RACE ACROSS TENNESSEE PRIEST LAKE, IDAHO

With so many races cancelled due to COVID-19, some creative race directors opted for ‘virtual’ races. The Race Across Tennessee is a popular race founded by Gary Cantrell, the same race director for the Barkley Marathons. Normally, ultramarathoners race the diagonal length of Tennessee, roughly 1,000 kilometers, but this year runners were allowed to document their mileage from wherever they live and share their progress via a website. When 11-year-old Abby Eldore, from Priest Lake, learned that her mother was running the GVRAT 1000K, she asked if she could join her. Her mother, Stephanie, notes that “We had already been stuck at home for over a month, and several of our previously scheduled races were all canceled. She asked me what the GVRAT 1000K entailed, and I told her that we'd have to log over 5 miles every single day in order to reach our goal before the deadline. Without batting an eye, she said, "I can do that!" A thousand kilometers is a daunting goal for any age, but Abby is a very accomplished runner. She ran the Priest Lake Half Marathon at age 9. She has completed nine half marathons, including the difficult Wy'east Howl Trail Half Marathon that she ran at age 10. Building on the GVRAT success, Abby now has her sights on the Smokechaser 30k race coming up September 12. Stephanie recalls, “I have to admit that, at first, I was a little worried that Abby might tire of hitting the trails every single day, rain or shine, to get in our daily miles, but I needn't have worried. She is a very determined little person, and never once complained.” Congratulations Abby! (Jon Jonckers)

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DISPATCHES WEBSITE CATALOGS INLAND NW ADVENTURES KELLOGG, IDAHO

Every saturday and Wednesday through october Please check out our best practices for public safety at:

www.spokanefarmersmarket.org

Longtime outdoor enthusiasts Chic Burge and David Crafton launched a new website focused on highlighting routes and trails throughout the Inland Northwest. Initially focused on Eastern Washington, North Idaho, and Western Montana, with a handful of Canadian hikes, the website, Inlandnwroutes.com, catalogs hundreds of miles of trails and backcountry routes throughout the area, as well as several paddling options and cross-country skiing opportunities. The website also includes essays, poems, and a few tutorials, including a genius article about outdoor photography. Burge joined the Spokane Mountaineers back in 1984, and his passion for the outdoors is unmatched. He has led trips all over the Northwest, and he has been a celebrated photographer for over 50 years. This website is a passion project for him, and it shows. Stunning visuals, firsthand knowledge, additional tips, and articles in the website menu bar testify to his long-time adventure lifestyle. Crafton was born and raised at the foot of the Sierra Nevada range. He moved to the Northwest after college so he could be centrally located to what he considers the best outdoor playground in the world. “My goal is to get as much information out of our heads and onto this website as possible in an effort to inspire others to spend time in the mountains,” he says. The website will continue to evolve over time with the two veteran adventurers adding more trips and field reports. Do yourself a favor and bookmark www.inlandnwroutes. com. (Jon Jonckers)

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

UPPER STEVENS LAKE. // PHOTO: CHIC BURGE

MULTI-USE MANNERS FOR EQUESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS SPOKANE, WASH.

Multi-use trails—where hikers, bicyclists and equestrians share the trail—function best when people work together, follow the rules, and get along, says Riverside State Park Foundation board member Ken Carmichael. An equestrian who has ridden in Riverside State Park for 35 years, Carmichael points to the basic guidelines for bike and horse encounters on the trail as an important starting point for getting along. As noted on trail triangle signs posted at many multi-use trails and trailheads, bikes yield to horses and hikers, and hikers yield to horses. “That is all well and good and as equestrians we appreciate this,” notes Carmichael, “But also, we encourage equestrians to move off the trail where possible when meeting bikes. After all, if possible, we do not want to be responsible for a good man, or woman, losing that momentum.” Carmichael adds that there are other actions that also make multi-use trails more functional. When equestrians see someone else approaching, they should be hollering out “horses” to alert other trails users that they are there. Likewise, when mountain bikers or hikers are approaching a horse, he recommends talking to the horse and rider to help let the horses know you are human. Blind corners are always a concern, he says, and slowing down is a big help. Equestrians also like to know how many are in your group, he says. “If we have swung off the trail to let you pass, it helps to know if there are stragglers that we should wait for.” Equestrians also need to tell others how many are in their group, he adds. Carmichael also recommends looking the horse rider in the eye and waiting for them to recommend the best course of action for safely passing each other on a trail. “In my case I will let you know what to do. Some horses are more concerned about bikes and more effort may be necessary to control them. In my case I will wave you through as we circle off the trail where safe,” he says. Trail users also need to be aware which areas are open to them, he says. Most of Riverside State Park is open to all nonmotorized trail users; however, bikes are not allowed in the area of the park known as the equestrian area. A good way to learn about any restrictions and the great trails in the park is to have the new trail map produced by the Riverside State Park Foundation, adds Carmichael. The maps are available at park headquarters, REI, and many bike shops and equestrian tack stores, and map sale funds support the park. (OTO)

REGIONAL AVALANCHE CENTER IN TROUBLE SANDPOINT, IDAHO

As most people know, avalanche fatalities in the U. S. have increased dramatically over the past 30 years. But what many people may not know is that most all avalanche accidents in this country occur on public land administered by the United States Forest Service (USFS) and that avalanches kill more people in our national forests than any other natural hazard. The explosion in the number of people venturing into the backcountry to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, or motorized over-snow travel (snowmobiles and snowbikes) has put more and more people at risk of encountering avalanches while pursuing their winter recreational activities. This is corroborated by statistics that show the overwhelming majority of avalanche fatalities in recent years have been snowmobilers and backcountry skiers. In an attempt to address the growing number of avalanche accidents occurring on public land, the USFS established regional avalanche centers to provide avalanche forecasts for backcountry users, beginning with the Colorado Avalanche Warning Program in the 1970s. Today, there are 14 avalanche centers in the U.S., most all of them located in western states. Idaho has three, the Sawtooth, Payette, and Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center, or IPAC, headquartered in Sandpoint. IPAC began in the mid-1980s, when two local USFS hydrologists decided to issue notifications to the public when they felt weather conditions were contributing to a widespread avalanche hazard. These announcements were accompanied by intermittent updates of general avalanche conditions through the use of a telephone hotline. In the mid-90s, another USFS hydrologist, Kevin Davis, joined the team and began submitting field data and observations from his backcountry travels in the mountains in and around the Idaho Panhandle. Davis’ contributions led to the development of regular backcountry avalanche forecasts, issued through a USFS website on a weekly basis. During the next decade or so, IPAC’s popularity continued to grow, and it soon became obvious that in order to keep up with the ever-expanding backcountry community, additional funding was needed. Davis, along with Gary Quinn and Scott Rulander, founded Friends of the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center, a non-profit organization whose purpose was to raise money, that, combined with USFS funding, would keep the center up and running, and also provide avalanche education opportunities for the increasing number of winter backcountry enthusiasts. With additional resources provided by the friends group, the IPAC was able to improve its website and notification capabilities and expand its forecast area. In 2016, Jeff Thompson was hired as Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center director, and the program continued to evolve. It now issues two forecasts each week for the Selkirk and Cabinet Ranges, and two forecasts for the Silver Valley/St. Regis Basin as well. Along with more frequent and detailed forecasts, IPAC also offers a variety of avalanche courses for backcountry skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers, and snowbikers, from late fall to early spring. In 2018, the Kootenai National Forest in northwestern Montana partnered with IPAC to develop a forecast for the mountains of northwestern Montana. Today, IPAC is in trouble. USFS budgets in many areas are diminishing, and avalanche centers are under increasing financial stress, with IPAC suffering more than most. Compared to the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, where 40% of the annual budget comes from the USFS, and the Payette Avalanche Center that is funded 100% by the USFS, IPAC receives less than one-third of its budget from the Forest Service, with the rest coming from the friends group. In addition, the job of director for both the Sawtooth and Payette centers is a USFS position, but not so with IPAC, where the director’s salary comes from the friends group. To make matters worse, the $21,500 the Sandpoint Ranger District provided IPAC this year may not be available in 2021. If things continue in this direction, it’s likely that next year there will only be three IPAC forecasters (all USFS employees, working under fairly restrictive time constraints) plus the one forecaster from the Kootenai Forest, producing backcountry avalanche forecasts covering an area of roughly 2,500 square miles. Those forecasts may also be reduced to one per week. This will be a big step backwards. On the national level, the USFS is committed to sustaining regional avalanche centers, but the day-to-day, year-to-year operations of those centers is left up to forest supervisors and district rangers, and for some of them, avalanche centers are not a high priority. If any of the USFS employees who currently make up the forecast staff should be reassigned elsewhere, the center would be in dire straits and likely have to curtail regular operations. To a rapidly growing backcountry community, this would be a significant loss. But the avalanches won’t care, not one bit. They will continue to occur wherever and whenever they choose, with no regard whatsoever as to whom they might be affecting. Without regular IPAC forecasts to help us make sound, informed decisions, and to help us safely maneuver in and around avalanche terrain, the North Idaho backcountry is likely to become a little more dangerous, and that’s something that none of us need. (Liam Fitzgerald, retiring Friends of Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center board member)

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

The Human Adventure

The Power of Aging By Ammi Midstokke

You’ve known me as bootfitter, ski-tuner and shop rat. Now I’m the owner. ~Mark Beattie

“I USED TO BE SUCH A BADASS,” said

Shannon. I pretended to ignore her. We were three days into a backcountry trek that had thus far involved limited trail, several unanticipated class-5 climbs with loaded packs, and 12-hour shifts of non-stop power-housing it through the mountains. Both of us were bleeding from every limb, sporting some fashionable new tan lines, covered with mosquito bites, and had ridden the adrenaline roller coaster more than a few times. If that wasn’t badass, then I really needed to recalibrate my measurements. Let me just add, Shannon is over 50, and I’m still flirting with fertility and a decade younger. Also, I’m arguably a badass. This season, I have run and rucked around and over mountains ad infinitum and have achieved the kind of fitness level that justifies a fair amount of donut eating. What we were doing: booking it through foreheadhigh infinite walls of alder brush on a steep slope at breakneck pace between episodes of exposed climbs up granite peaks. What I was not doing: holding her hand. I don’t know when age becomes the demon we all try to outrun, but I do know that it is inescapable. Although, as far as I could tell, Shannon was outrunning it just fine, and I hope to grow up to be like her— minus the tragedy of her inability to see just where her body had taken her that day and every day for the last five decades. There is a phenomenon that seems to occur during the aging process wherein we constantly compare ourselves with the blip of time in which we were perceived to be “our best selves” according to cultivated and potentially dysmorphic societal standards. In this dangerous exercise we zero in on a single quality (like our mile time or pant size) and measure our current worth based on this marker alone. Obviously, this is bullshit. First of all, we are the sum of our parts, our experiences, the lessons we’ve learned

along the way, and the snacks we’re willing to share. Secondly, we are reflective of the myriad things happening at us in this crazy world and thus dynamic, ever changing. Unless you’ve discovered a fountain of youth, you will never be stagnant in anything, least of all a level of badassery assigned to a specific sport, movement, or measurement. This kind of thinking is what convinces us we are on an inevitable decline, and it is a lie we need to stop telling ourselves. It diminishes our joy in the moment, and it fails to honor the other qualities that make us formidable outdoor partners, friends, athletes, and guides. Shannon, at 50-something, brought innumerable beneficial qualities to our excursion. One of them was her capacity to estimate risk and determine her emotional and physical ability to approach it. That is something that comes with wisdom and time (and maybe a few whippers). Her competence in the outdoors, from her ability to pace herself, cheer away bears, communicate effectively, ensure safety, and not panic when we found ourselves in harrowing situations is what made her badass—not the fact that she kept up (though this was also impressive). Also, it was upon her recommendation that I schlepped a pair of flip-flops through the mountains for the luxury of “camp shoes,” and for this I was grateful every night and every morning - as if wearing them put me in an alpine lakeshore spa. Where one drains their own blisters with an oversized safety pin, of course. To devalue ourselves and what we offer as aging outdoorspeople and humans is also to send a devastating (and untrue) message to those younger than us: It’s all downhill from here. And I don’t know about you, but I’m still planning on climbing a lot of uphills for years to come.

Coming Soon To Spokane Valley Climbing ° Backcountry Skiing ° Mountaineering ° Outdoor Accessories

Ammi Midstokke has spent this season doing All Things Mountain and is eagerly anticipating nap-and-knitting season. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

Hike of the Month

Mica Peak Conservation Area Spokane County, Wash. By Holly Weiler

GOLDEN LARCHES OF FALL AT MICA PEAK // PHOTO: HOLLY WEILER

CONSTRUCTION OF CALIFORNIA CREEK,

the main singletrack trail at Mica Peak Conservation Area, just wrapped up at the end of July 2020 in spite of new complications placed on volunteer projects due to COVID-19. This project has been years in the making, and while the trail has been open and accessible to the public for most of the last year, the much-needed finishing touches are now finally in placeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including a completed trailhead and new trail signage. This newest trail in Spokane County is a prime destination for fall exploration. Spokane County Parks acquired the initial 910 acres of Conservation Futures land in 2013, with an additional 884 acres added in 2018. The public property starts at 2,800 feet elevation and ascends to 5,100 feet (the summit at 5,200 feet is not part of the Conservation Area property). Since the parking lot sits at 2,725 feet and reaches the conservation area via a trail easement, all routes to Mica Peak include serious elevation gain. It also makes the area fantastic for year-round exploration with a well-maintained road to the trailhead. Fall is a prime season for a visit to take in the seasonal color transitions, but the area is also fun to explore via skis or snowshoes in winter and has fantastic wildflowers from spring into summer. The parking lot sits at the end of Belmont Road and just outside the conservation area. Visitors have two choices for a route up from behind the initial gate, both via old logging roads: the route on the left is a conservation easement leading to the county property in 1 mile, whereas the route on the right enters the conservation area via an adjacent Department of Natural Resources (DNR) property. The latter route is recommended since it quickly leads to a singletrack trail and has better views, but visitors can also consider entering one way and exiting via the other option. When the DNR trail connects onto Mica Peak Conservation Area, continue up a short hill to the main access road through the property. Continue hiking up the roadbed, passing the powerlines, until reaching the first trail sign for California Creek to the left. 14

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

The first half mile is a narrow connector road to the main California Creek Trail, which is signed and heads immediately uphill on the right. The views improve with every turn as the California Creek trail winds its way up the south face of Mica. The big, climbing turns allow for sweeping views eastward to Idaho's Mica Peak, westward into Spokane, and southwest to the Palouse. Hikers will reach the top of the conservation area after 4.3 miles of steady climbing and can consider returning via the same route or extending the hike by taking the Henry Road connector leading to Liberty Lake. There is also an option to return via the slightly longer doubletrack road through the conservation area (4.9 miles). Please note that while the doubletrack trails and California Creek are multi-use, bi-directional trails, the nearby Silicate Slide Trail is reserved for downhill mountain bike travel only. Hikers should also wear bright colors for fall visits, as the conservation area is open to limited hunting via a reservation permit system through Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. // ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE: 8.6 miles RATING: Difficult ELEVATION GAIN: 1,934 feet GETTING THERE: Take Washington State

Route 27 south from Spokane Valley. Turn east on Belmont Road at the town of Mica. Continue on Belmont Road for 4.5 miles to where it dead ends at the parking lot for Mica Peak Conservation Area.

SUPPORT LOCAL TRAILS

Watch for upcoming opportunities to volunteer on local trails by checking the wta. org volunteer page and sorting to "Eastern Washington" under the region tab. Group size limits are dependent upon current COVID-19 guidelines. Holly Weiler loves exploring the trails of the Inland Northwest and helping to build new trails as the Eastern Washington Regional Coordinator for Washington Trails Association.

GEAR ROOM OUTDOOR RESEARCH APOLLO STRETCH JACKET

Don’t head into fall without a reliable, comfortable rain jacket. This affordable jacket from OR pairs plenty of room to move thanks to stretchy nylon twill fabric with the waterproof, breathable construction you’ll need out on the trails. The result is a shell that offers far more value than its price tag would imply. I liked the voluminous pockets and that it feels longer than other rain jack-

NOBO DOG LEASH

ets I’ve had. It’s also softer and quieter than a lot of rain jackets. You can certainly spend more on bells and whistles, but this jacket’s everything-you-need, nothing-youdon’t approach makes it a great investment for the impending cooler, wetter weather. MSRP: $83.85-$129. Outdoorresearch.com. (Shallan Knowles) Quickly open it up and unroll the grill, prep your charcoal (I use Smarter Starter Fluid made from vegetable oil that you can buy at the General Store in Spokane), and light it up. I’ve cooked a dozen or more meals on our GoBQ this summer, and the heavy-duty heat and flame resistant fabric and the rest of the grill’s components have held up amazingly well and are worth every penny. MSRP: $149.95 Gobqgrills. com (Derrick Knowles)

AQUA VAULT PORTABLE FLEXSAFE

This portable, water-resistant, slash-resistant, RFID blocking safe is light weight and flexible for travel of any kind. The FlexSafe offers an 8oz protected storage area (10” x 6” x 2.5”) for phones, wallets, passports, and other compact valuables. The

3-digit combination lock is reprogrammable, and the lid folds over and secures to many different fixed objects, ranging from bike handlebars or frame tubes to hostel or hotel bed frames, deck railings, and more. MSRP: $69.95 Theaquavault.com (Wil Wheaton)

PIGGYBACK RIDER KID CARRIER

For kids in the 2-4+ range under 50lbs, the Piggyback Rider can save the day for the rest of the family looking to complete a hike or by-foot outing when little legs get too tired to carry on. It fits the adult like a backpack, but instead of a pack on the back, there is a metal crossbar for little feet to stand up on and handles that help keep kids from grabbing at your head or face. For safety, there’s a harness for the child that connects to the Piggyback Rider that

it’s time to deploy one of the leash bags, tie your shoe, or whatever. Made from climbing rope with a locking carabiner for easy collar clipping, the leash is solid and functional with an outdoor adventure style. The optional waterproof and stink-proof collars ($24.99) come in several colors with outdoors-inspired designs. The NOBO Leash is also assembled and packaged in Spokane by Spokane-based NOBO Pets, an added bonus for those of us that do our best to shop local. MSRP: $59.99 Nobopets.com (Derrick Knowles)

MISHMI TAKIN LIGHT-WEIGHT HIKING BOOTS

GOBQ PORTABLE GRILL

I’m the kind of guy who brings a small charcoal grill on bikepacking and backpacking trips for postadventure grilled chicken to go with my beer. Charcoal cooking makes food taste so much better than gas, particularly the non-briquette, lump hardwood kind. So when I watched the promo video for the GoBQ and saw what looked to be a quality-built and easily packable and compact charcoal grill, I was sold. Take the grill wherever you go in a backpack, vehicle, or RV without a mess.

Being a relatively new dog owner, I’ve had my share of shameful oh-crap-I-forgota-poop-bag moments this summer. The NOBO Leash aims to make us all better pet owners with its dog leash that incorporates a built-in bag dispenser into the handle. As long as you keep the refillable dispenser loaded (you can buy biodegradable bag roll refills on the NOBO website), there should be no more excuses for leaving behind a mess. Another innovative feature is a quick-release handle loop for easily securing your pooch to a bench, tree, or other solid anchor point when

keeps them from falling off. Kids love the high up-abovethe-shoulders view, and the system is most comfortable on shorter outings under a couple of miles, although some adults will be able to tolerate carrying little ones on much longer distances. You can also accessorize your Piggyback with a mud flap, carry bag, selfie stick and water bottle holders, and side pocket. MSRP: $124.99 and up. Piggybackrider.com (Derrick Knowles)

Named after a rare goat-antelope found in the remote Eastern Himalayas, Mishmi Takin makes high performance outdoor gear for wet conditions. The Jampui mid hiking boots are a great choice for backpackers and longdistance hikers who want a tough, light boot that will hold up through difficult trails and off-trail hiking.

The boots are super light (15oz per boot), strong and supportive, and ultra breathable thanks to the eVent membrane that helps keep feet cool and dry. And there’s no sacrificing traction with the Vibram Megagrip, even in wet conditions. MSRP: $174.93 (sale price: $149.93). Mishmitakin.com (Wil Wheaton)

MOONSHADE PORTABLE AWNING

Sure you can try to find a place to camp or hang out after a hike or mountain bike ride that has perfect tree placement for putting up a tarp for sun or rain protection. But with a MoonShade, you can set up and attach the 9’x7’ awning to a vehicle or other fixed feature just about anywhere. No perfectly-spaced trees required. Weighing in at about 8lbs and the size of a yoga mat, the MoonShade won’t take up much room in your rig, and the awning’s quickset-up design with carabiner and Velcro

attachments means you can be enjoying a cold one in the shade or protected from light rain in minutes. Connecting the MoonShade to your vehicle can be done via super strong magnets or suction cups. I tried both and ended up going with the suctions cups that worked awesome and spared me from being overly paranoid about scratching the paint on our VanDOit campervan. MSRP: $315. Moonfab.com (Derrick Knowles)

MALOJA KLAUSM JACKET

I got to test a similar Maloja Gore-Tex jacket made for mountain biking this summer, but by the time I was set to write the review, it was already sold out. The KlausM featured here is a beefier, shoulder-season and winter version of the one that kept me dry on a multi-day trip deep into some seriously soggy Bitterroot Mountains. The two things I love best about the Maloja jackets I’ve tried are how well they fit and the incredible, high quality construction. The KausM is a 3-layer Gortex-Pro

jacket built for all weather conditions. It’s wind and waterproof, highly breathable, and tough enough for early-season backcountry bushwhacks. The seams are taped and the snow guard and cuffs with Velcro and gaiters keep powder from blasting its way in. Features include two zipped side pockets, a zipped chest pocket, a zipped pocket for ski passes, adjustable vents under the shoulders, and an adjustable, helmet-fitting hood. MSRP: $689. Malojaclothing.com (Derrick Knowles)

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

Every Kid Deserves A Great Bike

EVERYDAY CYCLIST

Pedaling Public Land By Justin Short

ILLUSTRATION: JUSTIN SHORT

Trade-in your used kids bikes for cash or store credit. 1711 N. Division Spokane Wa. 509-326-3977 wheelsportbikes.com

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

MY WIFE, LYNN, and I moved to Spokane in 2012. Having emptied the moving truck the previous night, I went on a morning constitutional on the longboard around Browne’s Addition to take a closer look at the neighborhood where we had landed. I discovered a trailhead leading down to Latah Creek—a discovery that set the process of unpacking back by a couple months. Within a few weeks I had discovered trails down both sides of the river into Riverside State Park that were mostly or completely rideable, plus connectors to the South Hill Bluff and Palisades Park. With each turn of the pedals, it seemed I’d find myself someplace new with a spectacular view, a swimming hole, or both. I’d return home giddy with the residue of adventure dripping off of me, also giddy that I had failed to talk Lynn into moving to Pittsburgh like I’d wanted when we were done getting rained on in Portland. After eight years of exploration, I still have no shortage of that sensation local cyclist and Team ODZ rider Jason Mower calls a WHERE-THE-%&$!-AM-I moment. And you don’t need to be turning triple digit miles to experience that on a regular basis here. Pat Bulger, local rider, racer, and host of the legendary The Packfiller Podcast, has been cycling here since the early 80s when Spokane was under consideration to become the training center for the U.S. Olympic cycling team. He says, “Every so often I think I’ve ridden every square inch of Spokane’s cycling opportunities. But then I find myself on a dirt road less than 30 minutes from my front

door, and I realize, I have far more roads to explore.” It seems like all the precious pearls of public land in and around Spokane are strung on a golden thread of trails and gravel roads to be enjoyed at a pace and topography that fit your spirit of adventure. Other memorable excursions include a gentle ride up the Fish Lake Trail to Turnbull Wildlife Refuge, a crank bender up the gravel side of Mount Spokane from Green Bluff, and a bushwhack down through Inland Empire Paper land (permits available at White’s Boots) to the McKenzie Conservation Area on Newman Lake. The Inland Northwest has a mindboggling amount of breath-taking public land, pedal-turning options. For routes, ride reports, and resources, check out the GASUP (Getting Around Spokane Using Pedals) Facebook page or the new Gravel Braintrust Facebook group, Instagram account, YouTube channel, and website. The website needs a little help, OK, A LOT of help. But if those goofballs ever stop riding long enough to fix it, there will be a database of Ride with GPS links as well as a forum for your own golden nuggets of adventure and ride beta. If you’re not on social media, and hooray if you can pull that off, just go to literally ANY bike shop and ask where the rides are, or invite them where you’re going, and we’ll see you Out There! // Justin M. Short has spent the COVID quarantine season turning pedals through our delightful public lands in preparation for the 2020 Cross-Washington Mountain Bike Race—if it happens.

NATURE

Creating a Scaredy-Cat By Adam Gebauer

A YOUNG TOM WITH RADIO COLLAR TREED BY HOUNDS. ADAM GEBAUER // BELOW : THE AUTHOR INSPECTING A SLEEPING COUGAR. PHOTO: BART GEORGE

MOUNTAIN LIONS are one of the most elusive animals in North America. Chances are if you spend time in the wilds you have rousted a cougar out of its bedding area without even knowing it. But some of these big cats get habituated to the human world and lose their life because of it. Kalispel tribal biologist Bart George is working on a study to see if he can haze these felines into keeping their distance. Washington has seen an uptick in cougar sighting and attacks of livestock and pets in the last few years. Many of these cats have been reported hanging closer to homes and sticking around longer. This has led the state to euthanize more cats in recent years. As a houndsman and avid cougar hunter, George has worked with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to kill many of these cats. But he also wanted to be proactive and devise a study that could save the lives of domesticated animals and the cougars. Using a crew of volunteers, tracking dogs, paintballs, and some new GPS technology, George is working to change the cats’ behavior. He wants to see if repeated harassment will make the cougars warier and move farther away from human stimuli. Calls of cougar sightings get routed to George, and he uses a pack of well-trained hounds to chase the cat up a tree. He then

calls off the dogs, and using a dart gun delivers a tranquilizer to the cat’s hind quarters. The cat usually climbs down and slinks off a few yards before the sedative takes full effect. George and the team then take weight measurements, determine age and sex, and fit it with two tracking collars. One collar stays on all the time and sends periodic data to George’s computer. The other collar is new for this study. It can be toggled on and off from his handheld Garmin GSP unit and can give location data every 2 seconds to within feet of the animal. I joined George and his volunteers in early July to track and remove collars from a 5-year-old female that was done with the study. We headed up a steep hillside just east of Usk, Wash., and as we started moving, he played a popular hunting podcast, Meat Eater, at 80 decibels, the volume of loud outdoor voices. As we approached the cat, George frequently checked his GPS unit, which was updating the cat’s location. When we were 93 meters away the cat left its bedding area under a rock outcrop and took off down the opposite slope. George also takes data on slope and vegetation structure to determine how much energy the cougar spent fleeing the scene. We then waited until the cat stopped moving at 507 meters up the far slope. From here he

radioed into Bruce Duncan, a volunteer and fellow houndsman, to release the dogs. From our vantage point we could not see the dogs but we could hear them baying. Once the cat was darted and both safely on the ground and knocked out, we removed the two tracking collars, waited for the tranquilizer to work through the cat, and delivered a reversal drug. Within a few minutes the cat was up and disappeared into the woods with the hope that it will be warier of human activity. So far the data is showing a change in

the cats’ behaviors. Most cats flush at 40-50 meters the first time, and the distance increases with each successive approach. They also seem to expend more energy moving away. Bart has collared around 40 cats this year, and this was his 97th treeing. He hopes this study can be used in other parts of the country where these big cats intersect with human activities. // Adam Gebauer has a compulsion for outdoor activities and is an avid chaser of snow, rock, water, and vistas.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

OutThere Kids Teach Your Children Well By Amy McCaffree

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE is the best way to

teach kids that every American citizen is a landowner thanks to the preservation and conservation of public lands for the greater good. Here are seven ways to get started. 1. Learn History. Public lands have a rich, in-depth history, and some of it’s ugly—starting with the fact that all U.S. public lands were originally inhabited by Native Americans until tribes were forcibly pushed off their lands by western settlement and the U.S. Army. National Parks employ interpretative rangers specifically for teaching the public and the junior ranger programs. Additionally, state parks often have interpretative signage to provide historical context for the land and teach about a park’s unique features or environmental impacts, such as threats to wildlife or effects of climate change. In the Inland Northwest, you can learn about Native American history, Ice Age floods and the Channeled Scablands, and the Great Fires

of 1910 by visiting state parks, wildlife refuges, and national forests. 2. Engage. Don’t just look; teach kids to use all their senses to enjoy the wonder and beauty of a place, like the scent of evergreen trees and wildflowers, the sound of songbirds and rivers flowing, the taste of huckleberries, and the feel of rough bark and smooth rocks. Practice Leave No Trace principles; kids can draw pictures in a field journal (make your own) or take photos of what they might otherwise want to bring home. Bring a field guide to better identify native plants and wildflowers while you’re there. I started doing this with my kids and it has enriched our time in the wild and can even make it feel like a scavenger hunt. 3. Stay Overnight. Camp at a national forest campground. It’s rustic, but campsite reservations cost less than state parks. Some state parks have cabins, yurts, and converted fire lookouts for overnight

accommodations, and national parks also have lodges. Experiencing a park after dark provides new sights and sounds that kids will love, especially the starry night sky. 4. Become a Junior Ranger: Most national parks, and many state parks, offer Junior Ranger education programs for youth. With COVID, some in-person programs have been modified or suspended, but there are Junior Ranger Online programs (NPS.gov/kids/junior-rangers), such as Junior Cave Scientist or Railroad Explorer. The Bureau of Land Management website offers a Make Your Splash! Junior Ranger program to learn about America’s Wild and Scenic Rivers. 5. Visit a Wildlife Refuge: Find a National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website. States also manage wildlife areas; for example, there are six in the Idaho Panhandle region.

6. Every Kid Outdoors Pass: Available to children in 4th grade through EveryKidOutdoors.gov, the free pass provides a year of unlimited visits to all federal parks, lands, and waters (Sept. 1-Aug. 31 of that school year). The pass waives vehicles fees, and for any park that charges a per person entrance fee, up to three adults and all children age 16 and younger are free. 7. No-Fee Days: Most national forests and recreation areas, such as Lake Roosevelt, cost nothing for day visits. Certain days at state and national parks are designated nofee days. In Washington State, many public libraries offer “Check Out Washington” that includes a Discover Pass for admission to state parks and water access sites. The National Park Service offers free America the Beautiful Passes for active-duty U.S. military and people with disabilities, and discounted passes for senior citizens (hey, grandparents!). //

UPCOMING NO FEE DAYS • Sept. 13 (make-up day from Spring 2020 when parks were closed)*^ • Sept. 26: National Public Lands Day*^ • Oct. 10: World Mental Health Day* • Nov. 11: Veterans Day*^ • Nov. 27: Autumn Day* *no Discover Pass required for Washington State Parks ^no fee for parks/public lands managed by National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management.

ZIP

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

WAY OUT THERE

Expedition Kayaking When Borders Close By Chris Korbulic

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRIS KORBULIC

WHEN I HEARD THE NEWS, I WAS GUTTED. I didn’t know something like this could happen. Nobody did, and when the Canada border closed, I knew my summer was going to be much different than planned. As a professional whitewater kayaker, I’ve grown accustomed to pivoting when major plans fall through or change, so I took the COVID clamp-down and B.C. inaccessibility in stride and decided to spend the summer based in Wenatchee. I knew work may be scarce, but still, it was time to explore the wonders of the North Cascades. I connected with my friend Brett, who like me, actively seeks out the extra effort and unknowns of first descents, sections of river that have never before been paddled. We talked about this spectacular creek he had seen while hiking a couple of years ago and before long, we were at the trailhead fully equipped to run it. It was early in the season, but we were too eager to concede it would be far too full of spring melt water. Thunder echoed as we approached the first gorge and reality struck a stark contrast to our optimism. At the edge, we stood in awe of the turbid blue snowmelt plummeting between rugged vertical walls. The entrance to this creek was a series of waterfalls, the tallest of which blasted powerfully toward a vertical headwall, creating an eddy with only one way out. We would have to wait for lower water. Thankfully, this isn’t an international undertaking of great endurance and remote daring, where a repeat attempt would require years of waiting and high financial investment. It’s a backyard adventure two hours driving from Wenatchee, so by comparison it would be easy to come back. Brett couldn’t get away from work when the next weather window approached, but he was gracious enough to give me the greenlight to make the descent despite his earlier hopes of someday being the first. Among expedition kayakers, few are keen on embarking on missions that have the potential to be more “hike-a-boat” than paddling. Coincidentally, one of them had also spotted this creek on a North Cascades hike and contacted me immediately

after seeing a glimpse of it again on my social media. Unfortunately, our combined hunger resulted in another high-water, failed attempt. I would have to carry my 75-pound kit, which included a paddle, PFD, helmet, safety rope, dry suit, camping gear, and food, all crammed into my kayak and balanced on my shoulder, for a third time. When the third opportunity emerged, another lightly employed connoisseur of such boutique adventure (aka sufferfest) kayaking was nearby and, this time we had waited long enough for a perfect flow. Is there something we can’t see? Will we be able to paddle out of the eddy at the bottom? Nervous, I entertained doubts of kayaking something that’s never been done but reminded myself that I have logged and learned from other successful descents. I paddled toward the water disappearing in elegant slow motion amidst sunlit mist rising before a moss-covered headwall. Gravity’s acceleration arced me into vertical, brief, and beautiful freefall before I found myself upright at the base of the falls. I paddled toward the exit of the eddy to test its power, and with a few strong strokes was on the other side, safe and with more to enjoy downstream. Anticipation that had been building since March dissolved in minutes. We finished the first descent of the gorge, reveling in the quality and beauty of whitewater, then couldn’t help but hike back the next day to do it again, almost as if to reassure ourselves how good it really was. Paddling downstream through a grand glacial valley to the takeout, I felt grateful to have had the chance (times 3!) to experience this river. Our access to the outdoors in the PNW is unrivaled, and this North Cascades backyard is as epic as any. World class adventure is not only in some recondite, foreign corner; it’s closer than you think, probably on public lands near you. // Chris Korbulic grew up in Oregon and has logged first descents all over the world. Follow his adventures @ckorbulic. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

HEALTH & FITNESS

Explore the Outdoors with Mobile Apps By Jon Jonckers

Mat Lyons, TREAD Executive Director, says the app is “one stop shopping for all trail users. [TREAD offers] real-time, hyperfocused trail updates from the people out there today.” After miles and miles of helpful input, the genius WASHINGTON

Be SAFE

TRAILS ASSOCIATION TRAILBLAZER MOBILE APP provides several fea-

Awesome selection of helmets, lights, bells and more…

SpokaneMASKS •Made in Spokane, Wash. •Quick Turnaround Time •Porch Delivery in Spokane Area

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OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

NEW AND UPDATED outdoor apps on your phone are perfect for finding new trails or exploring the outdoors in the Pacific Northwest. If you’re looking to flatten your own bulging curve during the COVID-19 pandemic, or if you want access to current trip reports and trail conditions around Washington, then you might consider some of the following apps for your smartphone. TREAD stands for Trails, Recreation, Education, Advocacy and Development. The TREAD MAP APP , based out of Wenatchee, combines all of the different user groups together, including hikers, bikers, horseback riders, and trail runners, so that various areas can be enjoyed responsibly. By combining information from land managers and local enthusiasts, TREAD Map offers up-to-date recreation maps on your phone with custom layers so you can get trail conditions, safety information, or even volunteer opportunities. The app includes progressive ideas for adventure with outdoor community spirit.

tures that separate this app from most local guidebooks. For starters, users can search for trails by name, location, or relative difficulty (measured by length of trail and elevation gain), and for family and dog friendly hikes. You can also link to NOAA's website easily to get current weather conditions and forecasts at the trailhead. Last but not least, the My Backpack feature allows users to add and remove hikes from My Backpack, and the hikes saved in My Backpack are available even when offline. This is definitely a gamechanger. Please note these mobile apps don’t replace guidebooks or paper maps. Not even close. Furthermore, some apps don’t work if you’re outside of cell service, and none of them work if your phone dies. However, these apps definitely provide easy, current, and convenient information necessary for finding new trailheads and new areas and discovering places that aren’t over emphasized by Instagram likes. These apps can also reveal recent forest fire damage or trailhead changes due to logging or erosion. Ultimately, the guidebooks are important, but the new apps are the wave of the future, and they’re a useful tool for discovering a new favorite hike in your backyard. Both apps are free and available on Google Play or the Apple Store. Saving the best for last, do yourself a favor and look into GOSKYWATCH. After the tent is up, the mattresses inflated, and the flask is passed around, sit back and appreciate the night sky in a whole new way. Turn it on, point your phone at the sky, and start exploring. The app overlays the constellations with the images the Zodiac lines represent. Planets are color coded, showing their relative brightness to other stars for easy identification. It’s awe-inspiring and lots of fun with the right conditions. // Jon Jonckers has been a constant Out There contributor since 2006 and still enjoys sharing his love for the Northwest with anyone willing to listen.

RUN WILD

Become a Better Runner with Yoga By Sarah Hauge

RUNNERS JANELLE AND KIM AT MANITO PARK. // PHOTO: SHALLAN KNOWLES

RUNNING CAN BE A STRESS-BURNING,

outdoors-exploring, heart-pumping source of fun—but it’s also monotonous, with the forward motion repeatedly taxing the same exact muscles, mile after mile. This is why smart runners rest, stretch, and cross train to strengthen other muscles, to increase flexibility, and to prevent injuries. The challenge is to maximize running time while still squeezing in everything else. Fortunately, there is a simple practice that can check every box in a single workout. Yoga combines strengthening, stretching, and—depending on the pace of the type you practice—enough cardio to really elevate the heartrate. It can be relaxing and restorative and often prevents injuries, too. That was the experience of runner and certified yoga instructor Annelie Stockton, who teaches yoga and running classes at Empire Fitness and loves to help runners incorporate yoga into their routines. Before she found yoga about seven years ago, “I was always dealing with running injuries,” she says. “It was really debilitating.” Through consistent yoga, she was able to address sciatica and muscle imbalances. She hasn’t been injured since. “With yoga you get your strength training, core work, stretching, and recovery all in one,” says Stockton. Her preferred practice, vinyasa, “is fast-paced, so you’re moving pretty quickly.” Flowing through or holding poses can strengthen small muscles like those around the ankles and knees that are often overlooked in weight training workouts. Yoga works muscles in a fluid and challenging way that yields big results. “You can do all the sit-ups in the world but you won’t get the same core strength as you will doing yoga,” Stockton says. “I try to lift weights, but I find that I don’t always have time for everything. If I was going to pick two, it would

definitely be running and yoga.” Those who practice it know that yoga impacts more than just the body. “I think it’s a very mental workout,” says Stockton. “Running takes a lot of mental toughness, and I find that yoga really complements that. It’s challenging, but also really calming.” She notes, though, that it takes time to build to that calm feeling. “In the beginning, I couldn’t do a pose without my mind racing.” For those who practice consistently, yoga brings both physical and mental benefits. “It’s really cool to see not only how your body changes, but for sure your mental state.” Stockton’s preferred routine is to follow a run with a vinyasa class a couple of days each week. On other days, she spends a few minutes post-run on poses, taking care to target the hips and low back. “Runners have tight hips, so it’s super important to work on them.” Her favorites include yogi squat, down dog, low lunge, pigeon, half split, cow face (author’s note: I adore this one for both the puzzling name and the deep hip stretch), and child’s pose. (Author’s other tip: though it’s ideal for new yogis to begin with in-person classes with real-time instructor feedback, if that’s not feasible during this neverending pandemic, check out the excellent YouTube channel Yoga with Adriene, which includes tutorials for beginners.) Stockton has an article online about her yoga practice that goes through favorite restorative poses and a series of yoga flows at www.teamrunrun.com. For running or yoga classes with Stockton at Empire Fitness, view descriptions and sign up online at www. empirefitspokane.com. // Sarah Hauge is a writer and editor who lives in Spokane and tries to maintain COVID19-era sanity by running and practicing yoga as often as possible. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

provisions

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

VEGAN COCO CURRY PLS

Coconut Curry and Potato Leek Soup join forces to make a tasty and satiating vegan dish that works great as either an appetizer or a main course. Enjoy a delicious and deeply flavored broth that will sit satisfyingly in your belly thanks to an extra helping of coconut cream. No omnivore’s dilemma here! INGREDIENTS:

2 large leeks, finely chopped 2 large carrots, finely chopped 2 stalks celery, finely chopped 4 medium sweet potatoes, coarsely chopped 4-8 garlic cloves, finely chopped 4 cups vegetable broth 1 can (13.5ounces) coconut cream 1 tablespoon curry powder 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 tablespoons cooking oil salt & pepper to taste DIRECTIONS:

Sauté leeks, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt in cooking oil over high heat until it starts to brown. Add garlic and continue sautéing until vegetables form a dark brown crust. Add curry powder and red pepper flakes and sauté for 20-30 seconds. Add 2 cups of the vegetable broth and scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula to release all the delicious brown bits. Add the rest of the vegetable broth, bay leaves, and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft. Fish out the bay leaves and blend using an immersion blender. Alternatively, mash the sweet potatoes with your spatula for a rustic texture. Add the coconut cream, mix, and season to taste. (Dorian Karahalios)

PROVISIONS FOR OUTDOOR CELEBRATIONS

One of the most difficult aspects of this pandemic has been missing out on life’s milestones. Some have opted to celebrate in alternative ways, with drive-by honkings and socially distanced backyard hangs. Most of us, however, have struggled to figure out how to acknowledge a milestone in our lives while remaining safe. My wife and I usually celebrate our July anniversary by going to dinner at one of Spokane’s many excellent fine dining restaurants, where we indulge in three courses and expensive cocktails. But what if you’re a low-key person or you’re not interested in dining out right now? That’s where Wanderlust Delicato comes in. Wanderlust is a cheese shop that opened in downtown Spokane last fall. It offers cured meats, cheeses, wines, and other delicacies. If you’re not a charcuterie connoisseur, that’s fine. Wanderlust offers pre-made platters, small to-go options, and sandwiches. With the help of employee and chocolatier Drew Smith, I chose four cheeses for my platter, including a Croation Paski Sir with beautiful crystals, and three meats: Spanish chorizo, smoky tasso coppa, and a mild jamon serrano. We threw in sides, like cornichons, which are tiny pickles, and sweety drops, which are tiny red Peruvian peppers that burst in the mouth with a delightful and satisfying pop. Smith also added some of his custom-made decadent chocolate bars. At home, I prepared a white sangria using sauvignon blanc and local fruit to go with it all. A wooden cutting board artfully displayed our fare, but all of these items could be placed in a picnic basket or pack and taken to your favorite park or trail. (Amanda V. Mead)

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

LATTES TO GO IN BULK

BLACKBOARD MARKETPLACE, WALLACE, ID

More staying home and less eating out has led to a boom in takeaway options with many restaurants, but coffee shops have been making to-go easy for a while. Now, a handful of Inland Northwest cafes are making it even easier to have our coffee and take it with us too, whether you need pre-brewed coffee for a camping trip or want a stash at home for whenever. This spring, Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters launched their Super Size Me cold brew, mocha, and latte cartons, available until the weather turns cold. The 64-ounce cold jugs can be purchased at their Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene locations or ordered for pick up online. Dairyfree options available. Indaba Coffee Roasters is also jugging up their Cold Brew Coffee in plain, vanilla, and lemon vanilla flavors. Choose high drive, decaf, 1/2 caf, or single-origin coffee, or ditch the coffee for Mandala chai or matcha with a range of dairy and nondairy options. Buy year-round at their five locations, or order online for pick up or delivery. Vessel Roasters in Spokane sells 12-ounce cold brew cans in four packs— original, oat milk or whole milk—available for local pick up. You can also order a pack of four bottled lattes, chai lattes, or sweet lattes in the Monroe Street café or online. Spokane’s Ladder Coffee & Toast serves up 32-ounce bottles of cold brew concentrate in original, chocolate, and other flavors, as well as single-serve, ready to drink iced lattes. Takeaway only. Coffee Roboto, a mobile café in the Coeur d’Alene area, safely delivers cold brew concentrate, chai, and shrub syrup to your doorstep in CDA, Post Falls, or Hayden every Friday morning, every month of the year. Order online. Created Coffee in Coeur d’Alene brews their signature orange cold brew every summer and sells it in 32-ounce bottles for you to enjoy by the lake or on your deck. Grab a bottle with a house-made flower bouquet at the Third Street shop. (S. Michal Bennett)

I wandered into the Blackboard Marketplace after a morning of skiing and afternoon of day drinking around the many bars and brewpubs of Wallace and had a surreal where-the-hell-am-I moment. Tucked into a beautifullyrestored historic building, the Blackboard is like a choose-your-own adventure book with several boutique businesses in one. Anchoring the establishment is a mostly from-scratch restaurant, where former pro ski racer and chef Rob Wuerfel cooks up classic sandwiches with a twist for lunch and extensive Italian offerings for dinner. Then there is the Market, which is part coffee and pastry shop; part build-yourown sandwich deli; and part gourmet food market where you can grab quality, hard-tofind cheeses, meats, chocolate, wine, beer and other delicacies to go. Being that it was about dessert time, we bought some chocolate and a bottle of wine to sip on while we checked out the Blackboard’s book store, with eclectic, thoughtful book titles lining the walls. And finally, a corner of the Blackboard is dedicated to fashion-forward outdoor apparel from brands like Prana, Kuhl, and The North Face, so no excuse for skiing in jeans this winter if you forget your ski pants. The fact that the Blackboard exists in Wallace, which at first confounded me, makes more sense once you learn a little more about owners Rob and Luanne Wuerfel. The couple were drawn to Wallace for the small-town charm and easy access to biking and skiing without the crowds after a previous career running restaurants in glitzier and busier places like Taos, the Caribbean, and Seattle. Luanne says that despite COVID they’ve been super busy this summer serving lunch and dinner Wednesday-Saturday and may keep the restaurant open 7-days a week this winter. The Market will continue on with a 7-day-a-week schedule, making it easy to dine in or grab food from the restaurant or market to go for any fall and early winter adventures. Blackboardmarketplace.com (Derrick Knowles)

URBAN OUTDOORS

Wander Spokane Scavenger Hunt By Carol Corbin

PHOTO: CAROL CORBIN

AS WE WOUND AROUND the foot of the

bluff, looking at houses nestled in nooks and crannies of Peaceful Valley, we peered ahead, hoping to catch a glimpse of the staircase we think is nearby. This staircase connects the valley floor to Brownes Addition and is part of the cadre of staircases throughout the city. They hearken back to cable car days when many residents walked or used public transportation to get to work and school. The search for this staircase is part of Wander Spokane’s week-long scavenger hunt that took my son and adventure buddy, Gavin, and me all over the city to visit parks,

historic buildings, works of art both old and new, and unique vistas that are all but unknown to many Spokane residents. When we finally saw the steel steps rising from the dense foliage, I started my timer to see how long it took us to make it up the hillside. 2:12. Not bad for short legs. During this, my second Wander Spokane scavenger hunt, I checked a few things off my bucket list—most notably a visit to Spokane’s very own Hobbit House and the home where the 1986 movie Benny and Joon was filmed. Alana Livingston, founder and owner of Wander Spokane, is a master of local lore and creates a colorful and fascinating journey

through Spokane’s history and geography for scavenger hunt participants. Wander Spokane is a small business designed to help people experience the essence of this community on foot through wine, beer, and food tours, as well as urban wilderness tours. More information is available on their web site at wanderspokane. com. This particular adventure was selfguided due to the state’s phased reopening, and dozens of other teams signed up to compete for points and explore the city over the course of a week in June. Wander Spokane partners with restaurants, breweries, wineries, and other businesses to help residents, guests, and transplants experience the best that Spokane has to offer. And they don’t disappoint! Food from Three Ninjas kept us on our feet long enough to peruse Coeur d’Alene Park (oldest park in Spokane), find the labyrinth in Polly Judd Park, and search (unsuccessfully) for the abandoned wagon on the old Haynes Estate. We kept our clothes on in People’s Park (historically a nudist park), took selfies with the namesake for Iron Goat Brewing, made fish faces with the Redband trout statue, and found evidence of the zoo that once existed in Manito. We even learned how to

read a sundial. As I traipsed through downtown with Gavin, who was just in this for ice cream at Sweet Peaks Ice Cream—another Wander Spokane partner—I was crushed to realize they were closed for the night. I also saw things that reminded me of last year’s hunt. I winked at O’Doherty’s where I stood on the bar and sang, “You Are My Sunshine.” I nodded to the Cochinito pig, the musical instruments bench outside the Bing, and the Rotary Fountain in Riverfront Park, designed by local artist Harold Balazs. This year, it’s been tough not to feel “stuck.” Stuck at home, stuck inside, stuck with immediate family. But thanks to organizations like Wander Spokane, my son and I have challenged ourselves to find the hidden gems that are right around the next curve of the street, hiding behind that clump of bushes. Check the fall calendar of events and tours at wanderspokane.com for future scavenger hunts and other opportunities for exploring Spokane at its finest! // Spokane is a perfect fit for Carol and her son who, together, love to hike, run, bike, build trails, kayak, climb, camp, snowshoe, and snowboard.

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

PUBLIC LANDS 101 by Summer Hess

IN THE COLLECTIVE MIND’S EYE OF AMERICA, public

This is our first issue focused on celebrating public lands, something we hope will become an annual tradition. The vast acreage of public lands we enjoy here in the Inland Northwest give us incredible places to play outside. But, more importantly, they help sustain wildlife and native plant communities and the natural processes that sustain all life on our planet. We can never take that for granted. It’s up to all of us to do our part to clean up our favorite places and protect the wide-open spaces that keep our water and air clean and fill our lives with wonder. (Derrick Knowles) 24

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

lands were born the day Yosemite became a public park in 1864, when president Lincoln deeded it to the State of California, or when president Woodrow Wilson established the National Parks Service in 1916. In reality, protected lands in the United States are managed by a broad swath of federal, state, county, city, and tribal authorities. Here is a quick primer in land designations to help make better sense out of which agency or municipality manages our favorite public lands.

FEDERAL LANDS

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR— The DOI man-

ages the country’s most famous land designation, the National Parks. There are many other DOI designations, including National Parks, National Monuments, National Recreation Areas, and National Preserves. Some of the largest DOI lands in the Pacific Northwest include Olympic National Park in Washington and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT—The BLM is part of the DOI and manages one eighth of the country’s land mass, including areas like the beloved Owyhee River Wilderness. The BLM was formed in 1905 as a combination of the General Land Office and the Grazing Service. UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE— The USFS is an agency of the Department of Agriculture that was founded under the Roosevelt administration. It manages vast swaths of public forests like the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, the Colville and Idaho Panhandle national forests, and much of the Cascade Mountains, including wild areas like the Glacier Peak Wildness. UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE—The

USFW was created in 1956 to manage lands reserved for fish, wildlife, and their habitats. Inland Northwest lands managed by USFW include the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge and the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge.

WILDERNESS AREAS—A designated wilderness area

is the highest level of protection that Congress can apply to any federally-managed land. Wilderness areas can be on Forest Service land like the SalmoPriest Wilderness or on BLM lands, like the Juniper Dunes Wilderness.

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS—The USACE is responsible for federal engineering projects, military construction, and civil works. It also provides plenty of outdoor recreation at more than 400 lake and river projects in 43 states, like camping areas and water sports access at places like the Chief Joseph Dam and Lake Pend Oreille.

STATE LANDS

Each state in the Northwest has agencies tasked with managing state lands, wildlife and habitat. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Idaho Fish & Game protect their states’ fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable recreational and commercial opportunities. The Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area and Amber Lake are examples of WDFW land in Spokane County. Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Idaho Department of Lands generate revenue through logging while preserving forests, natural areas, and aquatic habitat.

STATE PARKS

Washington State Parks (WSP) and Idaho State Parks provide opportunities to explore diverse natural and cultural heritage and recreational and educational experiences. The Spokane region is home to the two largest state parks in the system: Riverside State Park and Mount Spokane State Park. In the Idaho Panhandle, Farragut State Park and the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes offer a wide range of recreational opportunities.

LOCAL LANDS

Many county and city governments throughout the Northwest protect and conserve parks, trail systems, open space, and wildlife habitat. Spokane County manages some of the region’s most beloved recreation destinations, including Liberty Lake Regional Park, Dishman Hills Natural Area, and Fish Lake Regional Park. Spokane County’s Conservation Futures program leverages property tax levies to acquire and preserve open space. Areas secured by this program include Antoine Peak, Micah Peak, and hopefully more of Beacon Hill/Camp Sekani. The City of Spokane manages dozens of neighborhood parks and is also responsible for managing recreation hotspots like the High Bridge Disc Golf Course, Camp Sekani, High Drive Bluff Park, and the John A. Finch Arboretum.

TRIBAL LANDS

Several Native American Tribes continue to caretake portions of their traditional homelands, fish, and wildlife. Examples of recreation opportunities provided by regional Tribes include camping and fishing opportunities as part of the Spokane Tribe of Indian’s Shoreline Campgrounds system along the Spokane River; the Kalispel RV Resort in Cusick, Wash., run by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians; and the Parks and Recreation Department of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation that offers camping areas like the Lake Roosevelt Rogers Bar Campgrounds and Bridge Creek Campground. Please note that some tribal recreation areas are closed to the general public through the end of 2020 and many require permits. //

3 SCENIC INLAND NW DRIVES WITH DAY HIKES by Aaron Theisen

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OWNS nearly 30 percent of Washington’s land; in Idaho, that figure is more than doubled. Which is to say, we, the public, own some of the most beautiful real estate in the country, from sagebrush steppe to subalpine meadows. And while much of it is remote backcountry requiring serious sweat equity, vast swaths border backroads and two-lane highways. The three scenic drives below sample some of the region’s off-the-radar but on-the-road public lands. Fill up your gas tank and prepare to take a drive through your property. TELFORD/CRAB CREEK (Eastern Washington)

Driving Distance: 96 miles Although the Bureau of Land Management can be more familiar to farmers than recreationists, the agency administers nearly half a million acres of land in Washington, much of it in the channeled scablands of the central and eastern part of the state. Scoured to the basalt bedrock by Ice Age floods and buried by the exhalations of ancient volcanoes, this is a harsh landscape—especially to those who visit in the high heat of summer. But up-close exploration reveals a surprisingly colorful scene, where delicate ground-hugging flowers dot a trackless landscape of sagebrush. It’s also, surprisingly, thriving with wildlife. Drive on the edges of daylight and you’re likely to see hawks and owls perched on fenceposts and coyotes crossing the road. From Davenport, drive south 13 miles to the charming farm town of Harrington—a good spot to top off on gas and snacks—and then head west on Coffee Pot Road. Out here, the grid-like lines of farm roads contrast with countless pothole lakes that range from sizeable bodies of water, popular with anglers, to fish-less dimples in the surrounding landscape. For hikers, the best of the bunch is Twin Lakes. To reach it, continue on Coffee Pot Road 14 miles, then turn right onto Highline Road. After 2 miles, turn right at an unnamed road, marked by a sign denoting public access to Twin Lakes. Continue 2 miles to the parking area. An 8-mile loop circumnavigates the lakes through aspen groves and wildflowers, although a short out-and-back hike in either direction will provide a good survey of the terrain. Back on Highline Road, continue north 4 miles, then turn left and follow Seven Springs Road for 2.7 miles to Swanson Schoolhouse Road. Turn right, and in a mile reach the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area. From the wildlife area headquarters, a short ADA-accessible trail provides good wildlife viewing opportunities over Swanson Lake, a prime pit stop for migratory birds and waterfowl. Back on Swanson Schoolhouse Road, continue west for 7 miles to Highway 21. Turn right and drive north 8 miles to Wilbur on US 2. From here it’s 29 miles back to Davenport, bordered for long stretches of the drive by more BLM land on either side.

PURCELL MOUNTAINS (Northwest Montana) Driving Distance: 76 miles Overshadowed—quite literally—by the granite spires of the Selkirks to the west, the Purcells, which form the northernmost border between Idaho and Montana, are off the radar of many recreationists. Although most of the Purcells in the U.S. escaped glaciation, the Northwest Peak Scenic Area boasts chiseled cirques and expansive vistas. This is logging country—the “Timber Wars” of the 1980s began in this forest—but there’s still plenty of pristine wilderness to explore. And one side effect of that logging activity: The roads are in great shape. From Moyie Springs, east of Bonners Ferry, leave US 2 on Forest Road 435. Part-paved, part well-maintained gravel, FR 435 (Deer Creek Road) steadily works its way from thick forests of lodgepole pine to a subalpine landscape of snowcowed spruce and fool’s huckleberry interspersed with small meadows. After 19 miles, crest Canuck Pass. Here, the 1200mile Pacific Northwest Trail crosses the pavement. To the north of the pass, Trail 35, Ruby Ridge, is open to motorcycles but receives little use. To the south, Trail 44, Keno Ridge, is non-motorized only. Numerous signs will remind you this is grizzly country and you should practice bearaware recreation. Wander in either direction at your leisure, then return to the road. Descending east off the pass, FR 435 enters Montana and, now referred to as Spread Creek Road, becomes all gravel as it intersects the Pacific Northwest Trail again. From this second trailhead, hikers can take a mile-long hike to Canuck Peak. Although the low, forested summit lacks its own grandeur, Canuck Peak offers nice views of the scalloped slopes of Davis and Northwest peaks to the east. Continuing on FR 435, return to pavement on the Yaak River Road, 15 miles from Canuck Pass. The 22-mile drive south along the paved Yaak River Road passes through wide meadows and ghost towns that are now simply a name on a map. 7 miles before reaching US 2, Yaak Falls spills over the angled layer cake of exposed billion-yearold bedrock. A roadside pullout provides easy access to the falls and makes an essential pit stop before the 20-minute drive back to Moyie Springs.

OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS (Northeast Washington) Driving Distance: 70 miles Where the broad expanses of the Okanogan Highlands begin to creep up on the westernmost outliers of the Rocky Mountains in northeast Washington lies arguably the quietest pocket of the quietest corner of the state. Ever since gold prospectors poured into the area in the 1860s, the eastern Okanogan Highlands have invited exploration. Yet far fewer heed the call these days compared to during gold rushes. Crowds are scant, even by Northeast Washington standards. From Republic, drive west on Highway 20, noting the transition from ponderosa pine forest to arid foothills as you crest Wauconda Pass. At 20 miles, turn right onto Bonaparte Lake Road (FR 32). Bonaparte Lake, along with Beth, Big Beaver, Little Beaver and Lost lakes, forms Five Lakes Recreation Area. Crowning the area is Mount Bonaparte, at 7,257 feet, the third-highest peak in eastern Washington. Although not a giant by Cascades standards, Bonaparte towers more than 3,000 feet above the surrounding orchards and wheat fields. It’s a pine, fir, and larch-adorned island in a sea of working farmlands. At the summit, a hand-hewn lookout, built in 1914 and on the National Historic Register, sits next to the highest working lookout in eastern Washington. The Forest Service campground on the south end of Bonaparte Lake provides a great base for exploring the more than 20 miles of trails that crisscross Bonaparte’s massive flanks. From just north of Bonaparte Lake, bear left on FR 050 toward Lost Lake and the Strawberry Mountain Trail. This easy hike winds less than a mile each way through dense Douglas fir and western larch for an unbeatable view of Mount Bonaparte and its namesake lake. Clear days offer up the Cascades, with a foreground of far-reaching farmland. Combine this hike with the Big Tree Botanical Loop, which can be accessed from Lost Lake Campground, to see a pair of western larch that were old growth when Columbus spied the Americas. Back on Bonaparte Lake Road, continue north for 6 miles (the road switches to FR halfway) to Beaver Lake and Chesaw Road. Turn right and continue 4 miles to Toroda Creek Road. Turn right again and drive through the ghost town of Bodie to close the loop on Highway 20. Aside from the decrepit state of the buildings of Bodie, things look much the same as they did in 1860. // SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

EXPLORING THE HANFORD REACH NATIONAL MONUMENT by Lisa Laughlin

Photo: Aaron Theisen

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

PADDLING A RIVER through any desert area seems a contradiction, at first. In the arid middle of Washington State, the Columbia River churns past sunbleached sage and grasses, jackrabbits and rattlesnakes, and, in one special stretch, an abandoned nuclear reactor. Northwest of Richland, the Hanford Reach National Monument includes the bones of the Hanford Site, a government area used to develop nuclear materials for the Manhattan Project during World War II. The secret project required a large security buffer of land, off-limits to the public. As scientists cooked up plutonium, native flora and fauna crept back onto the land, which had recently been home to orchards, farmland, and a few small towns. After the war, cleanup began, and the isolation continued. A land untouched by development or agriculture since 1943, the monument area is now home to a beautiful desert ecosystem. The nuclear reactors might be the showiest features of the area, but there are unique geological points and historical remnants as well. The monument is named, after all, for the Hanford Reach, the last nontidal free flowing section of the Columbia River. Towering around the river’s curvature are the White Bluffs, hillsides created by giant whirlpools when water backed up from the Great Missoula Floods. There is glacial erratic, large rocks from other areas that were carried in on ice rafts. Zoom out, and you’ll notice giant ripples and gravel bars, impressions from turbulent waters that raged and then ebbed. Tucked in the soil are more unlikely finds—the White Bluffs have produced fossils of mammals from the Miocene Era, like rhinoceros, camel, and mastodon. Due to its unique geography, protected land, and national history, the Hanford Reach National Monument was the first of eight such monuments administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Monuments are similar to National Parks, with the reason for preservation setting them apart—National Parks are protected for scenic

value and recreation, whereas National Monuments must also have a national historic significance. National Monuments are not buildings, though many contain protected historic structures, like the plutonium reactors at Hanford. The land for a National Monument must already be owned by the federal government— clearly the case at Hanford—and can only be deemed a National Monument by a U.S. President, under authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906. (National Parks, on the other hand, can be created through legislation passed by Congress).

THE NUCLEAR REACTORS MIGHT BE THE SHOWIEST FEATURES OF THE AREA, BUT THERE ARE UNIQUE GEOLOGICAL POINTS AND HISTORICAL REMNANTS AS WELL. The Hanford Reach National Monument was established by Bill Clinton in 2000. At the time of this writing, there are 158 National Monuments in our country. From a present-day recreation standpoint, the Hanford Reach National Monument is a great area for a paddler. John Roskelley, author of Paddling the Columbia: A Guide to All 1,200 Miles of Our Scenic & Historic River, has led multiple paddling tours along the Hanford Reach. He loves the cool, clear, free-flowing water of the area. “The Columbia River has some of the best, most diverse paddling anywhere in the country, and the Hanford Reach is the iconic stretch along the river,” says Roskelley. “[It has] America’s nuclear history visible along the shorelines, shrub-steppe habitat and wildflowers that have never seen a plow, and a variety of wildlife and birds.”//

OUR KIND OF YELLOW BRICK ROADS LEAD TO SOME

DELIGHTFUL places

OK, THEY AREN’T YELLOW OR BRICK. But for hikers and mountain bikers, the hundreds of fantastic trails around Sandpoint, Idaho lead to places every bit as nice as the Emerald City. If you’re a MTB rider, more than 30 outstanding trails at Schweitzer Mountain Resort will challenge your skills amid amazing vistas. For hikers, the 200-plus trails in the Cabinet and Selkirk mountain ranges surrounding Sandpoint offer destinations from alpine peaks and lakes to lush forests and sparkling streams. And when the day’s done, Sandpoint’s fine lodging will provide rest for tired muscles, while superb restaurants serve up delicious feasts to match your hunger.

THIS FALL, COME WANDER THE TRAILS OF SANDPOINT. Get visitor information at 208-263-2161 www.VisitSandpoint.com

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

10 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR PUBLIC LANDS AND WATERWAYS

by Heidi Lasher

EASTERN WASHINGTON and North Idaho

include millions of acres of public lands. Most of us have seen only a small fraction of these lands and waterways. But even the exhaustive explorer can fall into the habit of experiencing public spaces through a singular lens: as a trail runner, for example, or a mountain biker or a bird watcher. To broaden my own lens, I sought help from people I admire to describe how they love their public lands and waterways.

1. LEARN THE STORY OF THE LAND.

“Within the landscape is a really interesting story,” says Nigel Davies, geologist at Eastern Washington University. Places like Palisades Park and Escure Ranch are full of basalt, whereas the granite and igneous rock at Willow Lake and Beacon Hill show intrusions that occurred more than 40 million years ago. “No one public land holding can capture the complexity of a region or geologic story.” 2. LEARN WHO LOVED THIS LAND FIRST. The

Salish-speaking people who inhabited the upper Columbia River watershed before it was settled by European immigrants have much to teach us about the land we live on and its natural and human history. Today, the Upper Columbia United Tribes is working to reintroduce salmon in the upper Columbia River. Their efforts remind us what has been lost and what may be recovered with community support.

3. HUNT OR HARVEST. This spring I accom-

panied local falconer, Doug Pineo, into the Palouse to hunt upland birds. Not only was it fascinating to hold and see the falcons close-up, the experience gave me insight into the way hunters might feel when they go out on the land in the early morning to hunt game. All of my sensory capacity was engaged with the land, the wind, and the hidden heartbeats of the birds.

4. RECREATE SOMEWHERE NEW. From

TOP RIGHT TO LEFT: TREE VIEWS, PHOTO: SHALLAN KNOWLES // LANDSCAPE SKETCHES, PHOTO: BEA LACKAFF. // BLACKBERRY HARVEST, PHOTO: SHALLAN KNOWLES // CAROL CORBIN TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION, PHOTO: SHALLAN KNOWLES // BOTTOM LEFT TO RIGHT: TODD DUNFIELD BUILDING TRAILS, PHOTO: CAROL CORBIN // LOVE THE PLANTS, PHOTO: SHALLAN KNOWLES // WILDLIFE, PHOTO: CAROL CORBIN

watching the sunset at Steptoe Butte to fishing the St. Joe, paddling the Winchester Wasteway, biking along the Trail of the Coeur ‘d’Alene , hiking in Riverside State Park, cross-country skiing on Mount Spokane, bird watching at Turnbull, or picnicking at Liberty Park, there are as many ways to recreate in public lands as there are acres to enjoy. 5. SKETCH THE LANDSCAPE. As natural history illustrator, Julie Zickefoose, writes, “to draw is to see, is to understand. If you would know how something is built, draw it.” Local watercolor artist, Amalia Fisch, says, “When I paint, I notice the color yellow, the shadows in a tree, how the light hits leaves and how you can see through them. Drawing requires me to be fully present.” 6. LOVE THE PLANTS. I love hiking with my botanist friend Amy because I am forced to stop speed-walking and talking, and slow down to marvel at wildflowers, trees, and shrubs. Of the many species she has intro-

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duced to me on our walks, my favorite has been the Dog Vomit Slime Mold (Fuligo spetica), which she found one day on the bluff. 7. GET ACQUAINTED WITH WILDLIFE. The Inland Northwest is home to an abundance of wildlife, including deer, moose, sage grouse, foxes, coyote, wolf, turkey, porcupine, bobcats, and trumpeter swans. Some (like turkeys) are easier to spot than others, but all can be found with a little patience and persistence. 8. STEWARD YOUR LAND. One of the most satisfying ways to give love back to public lands is to steward it. Todd Dunfield, Community Conservation Manager at the Inland NW Land Conservancy (INLC), finds his passion in trail work. “I love the practicality of working with my hands and seeing a lasting impact.” Stewardship can also include picking up trash on a hike, building mountain biking trails, cleaning up the river corridor, and planting trees.

9. PROTECT LAND AND WATER. Despite

legal protections, our lands and waters are increasingly threatened by development, pollution and de-regulation. Jerry White, the Spokane Riverkeeper, has been at the forefront of battles over pollution in the river and has been holding regulators accountable for upholding the laws that protect land and water. “Our laws are only as strong as we are willing to enforce them,” he says. “Water protection requires constant vigilance.”

10. SHARE WITH SOMEONE YOU LOVE.

When I asked Carol Corbin, Philanthropy Director at INLC, how she loves her public lands, she said she likes to learn things to share with her son. “I tell stories in any way I can about how amazing (and fragile) this place is. It’s been through massive transitions and is so beautiful. I feel lucky to live here.” So do I. //

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HIKING MOUNT MISERY by Pete Meighan

TAKING IN THE SUNSET NEAR CAMP

APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH, Eastern Washington’s Blue Mountains appear as little more than inconspicuous rolling hills on the horizon. This outwardly unremarkable appearance belies the spectacular network of deep canyons and tabletop ridges concealed within the Umatilla National Forest. Perhaps the trail that best showcases the dramatic landscapes comprising the Blue Mountains is the ominously named Mount Misery Trail. The Mount Misery Trail is a 16-mile trail that bisects a northern swath of the WenahaTucannon Wilderness, connecting the Diamond Peak and Teepee trailheads. The trail meanders along the broad and largely open ridgeline that divides the drainages that feed the Wenaha River to the south and the Tucannon River to the north—the eponyms of the 177,465-acre wilderness area contained within The Blues. Beginning from the Diamond Peak trailhead on the northeastern corner of the wilderness area, the Mount Misery Trail points west, climbing sharply along Diamond Peak’s forested northern slope. Upon gain-

ing the open ridgeline, you will reach a signed intersection with the Bear Creek trail, which descends to the Tucannon River to the north. From this intersection, peak baggers might be tempted to turn south and follow the unmaintained path to the summit of Diamond Peak—the second highest peak in The Blues at 6,379 feet—before continuing west along the Mount Misery Trail. After Diamond Peak, the trail descends slightly to a saddle and a junction with the Melton Creek Trail, which winds steeply into the Chapperal Basin to the south, ultimately connecting with the Crooked Creek Trail. This might be an attractive side trip for those tempted to plunge deeper into the WenahaTucannon Wilderness or perhaps be taken as one of several long-distance looping options that incorporate the Mount Misery Trail. In either case, water can usually be collected from the nearby Diamond Spring before proceeding. The trail undulates along open ridgelines and saddles forested with groves of pine and fir trees before reaching Sheephead Spring and the first of several excellent campsites

along the trail (approximately 2.5 miles from the start). You can either set up camp here, or journey approximately 1 mile further to another spring near the next developed campsite. While taking a moment to refresh your water supply from the reliable spring, venture up to the nearby ridgeline to enjoy impressive views into the central canyons of the Wenaha-Tucanon Wilderness. From this vantage point, the long distinctive ridgeline of Oregon Butte—the tallest peak in the Washington Blue Mountains—looms in the distance. With a careful eye, you can spot the Oregon Butte Lookout station, perched nearly 4,000 feet above the network of canyons below.

From Sheephead Spring, the trail veers north to skirt the headwaters of Crooked Creek before arching back westward towards an expansive array of broad ridgelines comprising Indian Coral. There are multiple camping options and a reliable spring in Indian Coral, which is often used by hikers from the Panjab trailhead as a staging area for a summit trip to Oregon Butte. After visiting Oregon Butte, you can complete the last few miles of the Mount Misery Trail to the Teepee trailhead, where resourceful hikers might have a shuttled vehicle awaiting them. Or simply retrace your steps back to the Diamond Peak trailhead. //

REMNANTS OF A LATE AUTUMN SNOW SHOWER IN THE BLUE MOUNTAIN HIGH COUNTRY. // PHOTOS BY PETE MEIGHAN

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

4 LONG TRAILS TO

HIKE OR RUN by Holly weiler and ammi midstokke

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SOMETIMES A REASONABLE day hike is enough. Sometimes you need to push your mind and body to see how far you can go. The following recommendations are for hikers and trail runners who want to cover some serious distance in a single-day push. OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS— Kettle Crest Trail Trail Distance: 30 miles one way The Kettle Crest Trail is a National Recreation Trail and segment of the newest long-distance National Scenic Trail, the Pacific Northwest Trail. Experience its beauty as it skirts 10 named peaks and goes directly over the summit of an 11th, Copper Butte. To do this traverse as one long push, start by dropping off a shuttle vehicle at the northern terminus, Deer Creek/ Boulder Summit, then drive around to Highway 20 to start at Sherman Pass. The trail heads north while contouring around the summits along the way, offering views of both the Selkirk Mountain Range to the east and the Cascade Range to the west. Time this traverse to finish at sunset for spectacular views of a post-fire landscape as the route concludes through the Stickpin burn of 2015. (HW) OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS—

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Mini Kettle Crest Trail Distance: 8 miles roundtrip To try this traverse as a shorter option without a long shuttle required, start at Sherman Pass and take the Kettle Crest Trail north as far as the Columbia Mountain Loop. A spur trail leading northeast to the summit intersects the main Kettle Crest Trail at the 2.4-mile mark. This trail circles the mountain for great views in all directions, with a secondary spur trail leading directly to the summit where a restored historic fire lookout cabin awaits visitors. Return to the Kettle Crest via the same spur trail,

and then retrace the route south back to Sherman Pass for an 8-mile version of the Kettle Crest North traverse. (HW) SELKIRK MOUNTAINS— Long Canyon Creek Trail 16 Trail Distance: Choose your own adventure length This (mostly) gentle, sloping trail works its way up the aptly named Long Canyon until it connects to Pyramid Mountain Trail No 7 at around 12 miles. The canyon offers shelter from warm temperatures thanks to the beautiful hemlock and cedar forest, as well as several mild and refreshing creek crossings. This is an out-and-back trail that allows for turning around anytime, but it can also be turned into a loop at its junction with Parker Ridge and Pyramid Mountain trails. This makes for a brutal 30+ mile day, but the views once out of the canyon are worth it. The trails is accessed via Copeland Road north of Bonners Ferry and is perfect for a long run in the woods without a summit. (AM) CABINET MOUNTAINS—

Rock Lake Trail 935 Trail Distance: 8 miles roundtrip This adventure near Trout Creek, Mont., begins with a spicy creek crossing right out of the gate (bring extra shoes and tie them to a tree for the return crossing). The trail follows an old mining road for the first three miles, leading happy runners through beautiful meadows before reaching the Heidelberg Mine site—a perfect history break—and then climbing up to some beautiful falls before reaching the lake. For much of the run, one is surrounded by views of tempting peaks. Jump in the lake with the fish before heading back down for a pleasant descent (and oh, right, that last creek crossing). This trail is also the means of accessing several of the Cabinet Wilderness Area’s peaks, including the off-trail adventures of Ojibway and Rock Peak. (AM) //

CAMPERVANNING WITH THE PETTING ZOO by Rebecca Mack

WILL YOU BRING THE PETTING ZOO? Our

far-flung kids ask this every time we head out to see them. Of course, the answer is yes. The ability to travel with the animals is one of the primary reasons we bought our van, so we’re happy to make room for the dogs and birds and their sundry provisions. Our two senior rescue mutts, Chili and Ellie, aren't impressed that we went whole hog and bought a crazily expensive Winnebago Revel Sprinter van complete with solar panels and a nifty motorized bed. They just like being able to go with us on our adventures. Everyone likes a good view out the window, so my husband built a custom viewing platform for our short-legged dogs, which doubles as their bunk bed at night. Our parrot Lovey is happy sitting up front on the cupholder or perched on the swing in her cage where the motion of the van mimics swaying treetops. Having animals along for the ride requires you to tolerate nose prints on the glass and a certain amount of dirt, dog hair, and dander. The smell is negligible, but maybe we're just used to it. One recent weekend we had no idea where we were headed, but we had a short list of must-haves. Hudson’s hamburger joint was a top priority, so we headed east to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. We enjoyed our lunch in the shade of a lakeside park and looked at a map—the paper kind. Our campsite had to be in the woods on public land, away from people and traffic but not too long a drive, and with a creek close by for refreshment. The area north of the freeway between Kellogg and Wallace looked promising, with vast expanses of Forest Service land laced with a multitude of watersheds and old logging roads. We followed our noses through gorgeous green

countryside, occasionally consulting our map. There was no Internet and very little signage. After fruitlessly pursuing several narrow winding tracks that initially looked promising, we found ourselves bumping along in the deepening dusk, peering into the looming forest through a downpour. We began to trade away our must-haves in exchange for actually finding a place that would suffice. The animals were restless, and we were beginning to think it was a bonehead idea to embark on an excursion with zero planning. We ended up on forest road #152, a fairly decent road interspersed with deep ruts and pockets of standing water. No people, no cars. After a while, we spied a rugged sidetrack that led off into the woods on the right, where we suspected there was a creek. We were grateful for having four-wheel drive, because, Eureka! We hit pay dirt. A level, needle-and-moss carpeted space to camp, sheltering firs, and a small crystalline creek just steps away. Next morning, we explored the rest of FR 152, and found it ended at Settler’s Grove, a 2-mile easy hiking loop through old-growth cedar. The giant trees were stunning, the burned areas intriguing, and we didn’t see a soul. Invigorated after a little morning birdwatching, we headed home over King Pass, and dropped into Wallace after a picnic by yet another pretty little creek. We have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the variety and abundance of beautiful outdoor places to romp. Our recent quickie trip in the van shows that sometimes, all you have to do is pack up, grab a good map, and head out. And, yes, take the petting zoo! // SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

TRAIL & PUBLIC LANDS

BILL WAY

SOME OF US ONLY RIDE, hike, or run trails. But there are many others who also support outdoor recreation and conservation groups and volunteer their time on trail and restoration projects. We need more of the latter, people like these three trail and public land champions. (OTO)

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It began with a simple outdoor adventure. In about 2013, Bill Way’s friend (who happens to be Out There’s own Derrick Knowles) asked if Way would hike with him to find an obscure trail he’d seen on a map of the Colville National Forest. The goal was to determine whether the trail might make for a good mountain biking route. “What Derrick found on an older map was the end of the Taylor Ridge Trail,” says Way—a feeder to the Pacific Northwest Trail on the Kettle Crest. Three miles of this trail, known as the “Tom Creek” section, had been washed out about 20 years ago “in a tremendous rainstorm.” Trail maintenance had ceased at that time. With some difficulty, they found the trail. To Way, a retired teacher who lives outside Colville, it was clearly full of potential for mountain biking, with the restored segment and potential future road access resulting in a 20+ mile, shuttleable ride with exciting shifts in elevation, big trees, and water access. First, though, would come a significant amount of work. Way formed The Northeast Washington Trailblazers (NEWTS), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting non-motorized outdoor recreation and establishing trails and routes in northeast Washington. It quickly grew to over 100 members. Way served as president for four years and is currently on the group’s board. Taylor Ridge was the instigator for the group’s formation. Once the members held meetings, though, other projects came to the fore and were also undertaken, notably including work on the Colville Mountain Trail and the Sherman Creek Wildlife Area. Much of the trail’s work is facilitated and coordinated through Kristin Ackerman, the Eastern Washington Regional Coordinator of the Pacific Northwest Trails Association. “Bill is great. He’s a champion. I wish we could clone him,” Ackerman says. “We’ve seen him handily outwork younger, less experienced volunteers. In and out of the field, Bill is an invaluable member of the trail community.” The work of volunteers and partnering organizations like the NEWTS, says Ackerman, is “super critical” when it comes to a functional and expanding trail system. “The recreation departments, especially in the Forest Service, they’re not getting as many resources as they need to take care of all of our trails.” Current NEWTS president Matt Monbouquette (owner of Colville bike shop Adventure Peddler) says he’s working to “fill Bill Way’s very large shoes…Bill’s leadership has been the cornerstone of the organization for a long time. His passion for the outdoors and creating new places for people to recreate is inspiring.” “The Taylor Ridge Trail is really the crown jewel of the NEWTS organization,” Monbouquette says. “Due to the persistence of Bill and the NEWTS group we did work on the trail with the blessing of the Forest Service, and now the Forest Service is sending work crew/trail parties to the trail to work on it annually. That is really our biggest achievement and the main focus of the organization the past few years.” Way cautions those interested in similar efforts to be prepared for physical work and to recognize that things probably won’t move quickly. “It just takes a long time sometimes,” he says, given that working on trails you’re likely partnering with trails organizations, the Forest Service, state or national parks, and/or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, all with rules and regulations to follow. For those who’d like to tackle their own projects, Way recommends contacting an organization like the Washington Trails Association for advice—or, of course, a group like the NEWTS (Northeast Washington Trailblazers on Facebook, or email newasts@gmail.com). For his part, Way finds that the effort and patience required for stewarding public

CHAMPIONS DIANA ROBERTS lands are well worth it. “It has taken quite a bit of my time sometimes, but it’s been very rewarding to see things come together. It’s given me connections to people that have maybe similar interests but maybe I wouldn’t have known. I’ve learned a lot about how to get things done,” he says. “Plus, I love to go out and hike and bike and ski on the trails, too.” (Sarah Hauge) DIANA ROBERTS: STEWARD AND FRIEND OF THE BLUFF

Diana Roberts always cared deeply for the land and its inhabitants. As a young girl on a tree farm in Zimbabwe she learned agriculture from her father. While working as an agronomist with Washington State University, she shared her knowledge with area farmers. In 2010, her love of the High Drive Bluff in Spokane led her to start the non-profit organization, Friends of the Bluff. Roberts’ passion and dedication provided the kind of spark that is needed to sustain a non-profit, all-volunteer organization. Over the past 10 years, the Friends of the Bluff have organized trail maintenance, fire suppression, invasive plant management, tree planting, park cleanup, and naturalist projects and events. The High Drive Bluff would not be what it is today without her wisdom and caring spirit. Roberts recruited the group’s original board of directors and hosted the meetings, where her dogs would always greet everyone at the door. These lucky animals not only attended board meetings and hiked the bluff, they were also skijoring and paddle boarding companions. Roberts even had her pets certified for visits to hospices so that they could provide comfort to the residents. Her love and compassion truly extended to all living things. Sadly, Roberts passed away in March, but she left a legacy of people organized and educated to carry on her work. She was truly one-of-a kind, and will be missed dearly. Whether you knew her personally or not, if you have been on the Bluff, you have felt her presence. Next time you find yourself on Spokane’s High Drive Bluff, smile at your fellow trail users while you’re out there. Say hello. Diana would have liked that. (Submitted by The Friends of the Bluff)

BILL KINZEL MTB TRAIL HERO BILL KINZEL

A typical pre-ride checklist for a mountain bike trip includes staples such as a helmet, water, and snacks. For Bill Kinzel, that list also includes a hand saw and a trash bag. Kinzel is a volunteer whose efforts are well known and appreciated by local land managers and fellow trail users. He has already worked nearly 400 hours this year on our region’s trails clearing downed trees and brush and much more. Spokane County Parks special projects manager, Paul Knowles, put Kinzel’s recent contributions into perspective. “In the time of COVID, it’s been humbling to see trail volunteers like Bill continue to put in an incredible amount of their own personal time to improving and building out our community’s trail system.” Chris Conley, president of Evergreen East Mountain Bike Alliance, also praises Kinzel and others like him. “These trail heroes are working countless hours, often in remote locations by themselves because they possess a passion for keeping these areas accessible for all forms of recreation.” Kinzel became involved with Evergreen by participating in dig days at Spokane-area trail networks. He believes that the outdoors are a truly transcendent place. “A place to clear your mind and a place where time becomes irrelevant,” he says. “I believe as humans time is our most valuable resource and when you can go to a place where time is no longer a factor it really can make a positive impact on your life, your mental wellbeing, and your outlook.” When asked what motivates him to volunteer, Kinzel explains it’s “the opportunity to make a local impact, get others involved, and see a direct visible result from my work which benefits the trails and the communities in which we live.” Trails, he says, “provide recreational and outdoor health opportunities for all users.” Bill’s advice for other mountain bikers: “The best way to get involved is to become a member of Evergreen and come out to one of our monthly trail committee meetings or trail maintenance events which we promote on social media channels.” When not out working on trails, you might find Kinzel riding his favorite stretch of singletrack, Mount Spokane State Park’s Trail 140. (Melinda Larson)

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www.LakeRooseveltAndMore.com SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 / OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM

LAST PAGE Beach Oven Adventure

WHEN CHELSEA SUGGESTED our group of friends go camping at Third Beach, outside of La Push, I was excited. The Olympic Peninsula is one of my favorite parts of Washington. Then she said we should build a beach oven and have a seafood bake, and I began to worry about the ways the project could go wrong. Camping at Third Beach is technically backcountry camping, but it’s backcountry for babies. There’s a pit toilet at the trailhead, but no facilities or potable water at the site. Campers have to bring in their own water, and bear cans are required. Then again, the trail from the parking lot to the beach is a mostly flat, well-groomed walk of just over

By Nicole Hardina

a mile. Worst case scenario, we could make multiple trips to the car for supplies. In the days leading up to the trip, I thought of how difficult it was just to get several adults with different schedules together, and I questioned how we’d make sure everyone was prepared. Because of COVID-19, REI wasn’t renting bear bins, and the Wilderness Information Centers (WICs) were closed to the public. Who would bring the seafood, and how would we keep it cold? Were we really going to carry shovels and buckets in addition to all the other supplies? I committed to the idea that on this small scale, even a disaster would be an adventure. The parking lot was packed when my friend Ford and I arrived. Hiking in we passed shelf fungi the size of our heads and tiny ferns sprouting on tree snags, and my worries began to dissolve. Soon, Ford spotted the break in the trees. The trail descended a few root-covered switchbacks, and we were there. Volcanic rocks stood like shipwrecks in the rising tide, and sea stacks marked the southern end of the shallow bay. We found half the crew already around a fire they’d built in a pit that would become our beach oven. The logistics I’d worried about had been easily solved. Chelsea and Braden contacted

OUTTHEREOUTDOORS.COM / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020

the WIC folks and picked up bear bins. They also had water filters and a feather-light avalanche shovel. I’d found burlap sacks for the beach oven at a hardware store. Braden went to cut some cedar fronds to place over the coals while Ford set up our tent. Lainie and Bretton had already arrived and were chatting with Ben and Izzy, Chelsea’s grad school friends. Alex and Annie were the last piece of the puzzle. They were bringing dinner. We settled around the fire to wait. Hours later, we were still waiting. The fire had dwindled to coals. Chelsea dragged the fronds onto them, scenting the smoke. Sunset came and went, and we watched for the comet Neowise through low clouds. Whether or not the beach oven worked out, we’d managed to put aside the pandemic for a while. We’d spent the day moving between togetherness and solitude, each finding a way to recharge. Bretton took a solo hike; Chelsea, Ford, Ben, Izzy, and I explored tide pools; Lainie napped in the sunshine and fashioned some witchy art out of beach stuff; and Braden kept the fire going. Later, the beach oven project gave us something to think and talk about besides whatever worries we’d individually left at home. Finally, they arrived. Annie carried an enormous bedroll, and Alex had what looked

like a Baby Bjorn holding eight pounds of clams and two Dungeness crabs. It was beach oven go time. Chelsea and I soaked the burlap at the shoreline, getting it sandy in the process. We laid the burlap with seaweed over the fronds and chucked in corn and sweet potatoes. Then the clams went in. Braden snipped the bands off the crabs and threw them on top. We spent an hour anticipating, laughing, and being together in a way that felt luxurious compared to pandemicinflicted isolation. “How will we know it’s done?” I asked. “One way to find out,” Braden said. He pulled back a corner of the burlap. The sweet potatoes looked ready to slip out of their skins. The corn husks had a light char. The clams had opened. The crabs were hot. Well after midnight, we loaded our plates. Everything had a little bit of sand in it. We poured garlic butter on top and sucked down the smoked seafood and buttery sweet potatoes and corn, grit and all. Sated and happy, we cleaned up, doused the fire, and let the early morning waves shush us to sleep. // Nicole Hardina is a Seattle-based writer training for her first marathon and praying the circus reopens soon so she can go back to her new love, flying trapeze.

2021

Saturday, th April 10

Spokane County Fair & Expo Center

Although we had to cancel our 2020 event, we’d like to give

Special Thanks t o our Sponsors!

and Exhibi t ors! Baddlands Cycling Club  Bicycle Butler  Chafe 150 Gran Fondo  Edward Jones  Eli Coski State Farm Evergreen East Mountain Bike Alliance  Historic Silver Valley Chamber of Commerce  Inland Empire Century  International Selkirk Loop Liberty Lake Centennial Rotary Club  Lutheran Community Services  National Multiple Sclerosis Society – Greater Northwest Chapter North Division Bicycle  Northwest Recumbent Cycles  Press Works  Shred Sports Outlet  Silver Mountain Resort Spokane Bicycle Club  Spokane C.O.P.S.  Spokane Fire Department  Spokane Police Department  SpokeFest Association Stradasoul  Tough Rooster  Trek Bicycle Store CDA  Tri County Economic Development District  Valleyfest Washington State Parks  Wheel Sport

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