Out There Outdoors / September-October 2022

Public Lands Panacea

laughter, and best moments are.

As it often goes when tragedy strikes, especially out in nature, people stepped up. Several members of our transitory river tribe were medically trained and quickly cleaned and bandaged his burned little feet. A few of us used a satellite device to solicit pain medication dosing advice from a pharma cist friend while others comforted the child’s parents. Pulling together to help one another is something our species has been doing for thousands of years, even though it may not always come naturally in the midst of our busy, urban lives. Out in the wilderness we seem more prone to turn toward one another and step up, lend a hand, and work towards the common good. And we are bet ter humans for it in the end.

I DIDN’T EXPECT to hear rifle gunfire ring out above our camp on the first night of a 7-day rafting trip on the Salmon River this summer. A couple of us were up late enjoying a river cocktail when a pair of ATV headlights appeared across the river. The four-wheeler slowed briefly and fired a couple of rounds somewhere above our camp before speeding off. Was it a kid with a misguided sense of humor or some extremist nutjob making a political state ment against out-of-state rafters who often lean to the left? Whatever the motive, after recounting the story with our crew of three families the next morning, we all quickly forgot about the incident, despite

how unusual and unnerving it was. As the river whisked our boats downstream, the stunning, wild landscape and the exhilara tion of riding along moving water chased the thoughts of ricocheting bullets from our minds.

Wild adventures out in nature have a way of cleansing our thoughts and emotions, leaving us better off than before. Even when bad things happen. Later on that same trip, an 8-year-old from our group sustained severe burns on his feet in a terrible acci dent. His screams that night were terrifying. I scooped up my own son of about the same age and held him tightly on my lap, feeling too deeply how fragile and fleeting our lives,

Fortunately our tough little friend recov ered quickly and was able to play, walk, and eventually enjoy the rest of the trip. As the river pulled us farther down the canyon, we swam and smiled and bathed barefoot in ridiculous displays of stars on soft white sand beaches, giving us all some distance from the terror of that night. While we floated and rowed through still water and thrilling rapids, there were no signs telling us who owned or managed those rugged, magi cal landscapes we passed by, yet we knew all of those canyons, beaches, bluffs and mountains are part of the Nez Perce Tribe’s traditional homeland. Today they are also a mix of public lands—Forest Service, BLM,

and Idaho state lands—as well as swaths of private lands, many of which were marked with no trespassing signs, fences, and second homes. Public lands, where we can all roam freely, are an incredible gift that we should never take for granted as the planet rapidly changes in ways that our grandparents could have scarcely imagined.

Toward the end of our leisurely-paced river trip, we had settled into the privi leged pace of living outside day after day surrounded by such stunning beauty with a community of friends looking out for one another. By the time we reached the takeout, those few dark moments on the trip and the stresses of home and work life seemed like a dream you can’t quite remem ber. Experiences out in nature on America’s public lands can provide some badly-needed positive perspective on life, and with all the economic, cultural, climate, and environ mental challenges our divided country is fac ing, we would all benefit from a little more time out in our backyard or backcountry wilds. In this issue, you’ll find plenty of ideas for getting out to explore and lend a hand on our public lands, including fall road trips, a guide to public lands agencies and outdoor recreation organizations and conservation non-profits, and other inspiring stories of how our public lands make our lives so much better. Enjoy the third-annual public lands issue of Out There! //

DERRICK KNOWLES, PUBLISHER

CLEARANCE SALE

DISPATCHES

FITNESS FANATICS MOVES TO MILLWOOD

in and check out the 2021 eMtb of the year...the Marin Alpine Trail E2, along with its little brother, the E1.

on certain Aventon eBikes, making way for the latest and greatest...

MILLWOOD, WASH.

Fitness Fanatics—Spokane area’s wellknown triathlon, cycling, and Nordic ski specialty shop—recently moved from its longtime location on Trent in Spokane Valley a few miles to the west in Millwood (8919 E. Euclid). “I have always loved Millwood—it’s a great little community,” says Robin DeRuwe, who founded Fitness Fanatics 33 years ago in October of 1989.

“My customers, the people, is what keeps me going (as a business owner). They’re awesome,” says DuRuwe. “I per sonally love to cross-country ski and do triathlons. I do all the sports that we have (gear for) at the shop.”

Located only two miles from its previous location, DuRuwe says the City of Spokane Valley bought her building to make way for road construction of a new roundabout. With its new home in Millwood’s pedestrian-friendly historic district, west of Argonne Ave., Fitness Fanatics is close

to the Centennial Trail and convenient for customers heading to Mt. Spokane State Park to pick up snowshoe or Nordic rental gear. (Fitness Fanatics’ on-mountain rent al trailer at Mt. Spokane Nordic Ski Park opens Dec. 1, depending on snow and trail grooming conditions.)

The shop is already making a strong positive impression on its new neigh bors, getting lots of foot traffic, and receiving a warm welcome from neigh borhood residents. Free parking is avail able, both in front and at a lot around the corner. Nearby businesses include Millwood Brewing Company and a farm ers’ market.

Fitness Fanatics is looking forward to its annual ski sale and swap November 5-6 (always the first weekend of November) at the new location. Customers can drop off their snowshoe and Nordic ski gear for consignment sale starting September 1. (Amy McCaffree)

FARRAGUT OPEN DISC GOLF TOURNAMENT

ATHOL, IDAHO

The largest disc golf tournament in Idaho returns to Farragut State Park September 16-18. The Farragut Open is a multi-day, PDGA-sanctioned, A/B-Tier, singles tournament that takes place on five courses at Farragut State Park. A wide range of divisions are available, according to the event website, and create opportunities for skill levels from novice to pro fessional, including age-protected divisions from juniors to 60-plus. Pro division partici pants will compete for cash prizes while amateur division players will receive prizes worth well over the entry fee. All divisions will play three rounds, one per day, except for juniors, who will play two rounds. Camping is available to players on a 25-acre group campsite near the courses within Farragut State Park. This year’s event has been made possible by spon sors including Rapid Fire Disc Golf and New Belgium Brewing. Learn more and register at Farragutopen.org. (OTO)

Italian road bikes

SANDPOINT, IDAHO

The Center for Biological Diversity and Idaho Conservation League filed suit on August 25 against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Army Corps of Engineers for approving the Idaho Club’s lakeside marina and housing development along Lake Pend Oreille near Trestle Creek. According to the conservation groups, the creek is one of the most important spawning streams for federally protected Bull Trout in the Pacific Northwest. “I’m highly concerned about this development’s threats to Bull Trout, Trestle Creek and Lake Pend Oreille,” says Whitney Palmer, a Sandpoint-based staffer for the Center. “It’s disappointing that two federal agencies authorized this incredibly destructive project. Bull Trout are resilient fish, but even they can’t withstand the massive habitat destruction and increased boat traffic this project will bring near the mouth of Trestle Creek.”

The private development was first permit ted in 2009 and is part of the Idaho Club golf course. It includes two new developments— one located just north of the mouth of Trestle Creek and one to the south—a number of single-family estates, two marinas, a widened concrete boat ramp, 124 boat slips, a sewage pump and a parking lot. It will also create a new private sandy beach along the lakeshore. The project will drastically reconfigure the shoreline along a scenic stretch of Lake Pend Oreille near Hope, Idaho. The property is a designated wetland and floodplain and is designated as critical habitat for the threat

ened trout. The conservation groups also note that the project will reroute the North Branch of Trestle Creek, which connects the lake to Trestle Creek approximately one mile upstream, leading to Bull Trout spawn ing beds. “Trestle Creek is the single most important spawning stream for Lake Pend Oreille’s Bull Trout,” says Brad Smith, Idaho Conservation League’s North Idaho director. “Bald eagles, deer, moose, beavers and more also thrive in this serene, hidden refuge for wildlife. That could all be lost if this harmful marina and high-end housing construction project moves forward. The area would bet ter serve the public interest through perma nent protection.”

Building the marina directly to the north of the mouth of Trestle Creek will require the excavation of an island with an active eagle’s nest, the filling of a back water channel, removal of a beaver dam, and pile driving as many as 410 steel piles for up to eight weeks, which is likely to occur when Bull Trout are migrating out of Trestle Creek. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, argues that the agencies failed to con sider the direct and cumulative impacts of building both the marina and residen tial development on Bull Trout critical habitat, resulting in violations of the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Bull Trout have been protected since 1999, when they were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. (OTO)

GREAT PNW OWNERS LAUNCH FOOD/ SNACK COMPANY

SPOKANE, WASH.

If you already love the Pacific Northwest, then you’re likely a fan of all the delicious foods available in our region. From the unique coffee shops to the beloved apple orchards, to the thousands of acres of huck leberry patches, as well as the fields of grain covering the Palouse, there’s a very vibrant local food community.

PNW Provisions took all the best ingre dients the Northwest has to offer and cre ated a snack food company aimed at fuel ing people during all their adventures. It’s a brand-new company founded by the own ers of The Great PNW clothing company. Right from the start, PNW Provisions is creating genius foods and snacks that cel ebrate the area. They created four trailhead bars, plus four blends of trailhead mixes, along with four coffee-inspired bars, also

known as mug shots.

In his Kickstarter video presentation, owner Joel Barbour says, “Beyond help ing the Northwest work hard, play hard and eat well, we wanted to give back to this place that so many of us call home. So, we’ve partnered with Conservation Northwest to keep our region as clean and pristine as possible.” A portion of every sale will contribute to wildland and wild life preservation and conservation.

The Kickstarter campaign for PNW Provisions is running through September 30, and it’s already hinting at potential plans to roll out other products. PNW Provisions will be available online and in the Great PNW’s retail store near the middle of October. You can find all the details, plus updates, when you visit Pnwprovisions.co.

(Jon Jonckers)

FALL MUSHROOM HUNTING: KING OF THE WOODS

By Rich Leon

The word king reminds me of the songs "King of the Road" by Roger Miller and Elvis’ "The King of Rock and Roll." Elvis was known worldwide, as is the King Bolete mushroom. It has a large following in many parts of the world and goes by many different names. Boletus edulis is referred to as Cep in France, Pennybun in England, and Stenpilz in Germany. In the U.S., it’s known as the King Bolete or Porcini.

If you were to make a list of the world's most prized mushrooms, the King Bolete would be right up there at the top along with Morels and Chanterelles. The King Bolete is the most sought-after mushroom in many parts of the world by many different people. Nowhere is that more evident then the countries of Europe. After the summer and fall rains, people take to the forests in droves in the hope to fill their baskets with these prized mushrooms. The King Bolete can be found locally in the Colville National Forest, Mount Spokane State Park, and

the mountains of North Idaho.

There is no one time in the fall that is best to find King Boletes. A lot depends on when we get our fall rains in the Inland Northwest. I have found them as early as September and as late as November, and it can vary widely from year to year. As far as where to look, Kings favor conifers (pine, spruce, hemlock and fir) but also grow with hardwoods such as oak and birch.

The Bolete mushroom family contains many other fine edibles besides the King Bolete, but there are also a few that are

poisonous. The best ones to avoid are the ones with red pores that stain blue when cut. Experienced mushroom hunters may try a small quantity the first time to see how their system reacts after identifying an edible bolete.

If after a full day of mushroom hunt ing you are lucky enough to bring home a basket of Kings, then you need to decide what to do with them. Fix them fresh or dry them to be used at a later date. If you are going to fix your prized mushrooms fresh, you need to be aware that bugs are also fond of them. They tend to start at

the base and eat their way up the stem and into the cap. I have a friend that says he doesn't mind a few bugs; it just adds a little extra protein to the meal. I don't think I will be joining him for a meal any time soon.

If you choose to dry your mushrooms, you can use a dehydrator or put them on screens in a warm, dry room. Do not use an oven, because they can become too hot and a lot of flavor can be lost. When dry, store them in glass jars and they will last for several years. You can rehydrate the mushrooms by placing them in a bowl of

warm water. Save the water as it makes a flavorful stock.

In case you are wondering, the King does have a Queen. You won't find her in our local woods though. You will probably have to go to Northern California where she is off visiting other Boletes. Some say the Queen has a better flavor then the King. That is if you are able to find her. Happy hunting.

YOGA IN THE WILD

By Crystal Atamian Love trails? Like yoga? Eclipse Power Yoga

is offering two opportunities to bring new elements into your yoga practice and deepen your connection to the outdoors by combining yoga and hiking in some truly spectacular settings. On Sept. 1 and Oct. 13, instructor Jessica Haffner will lead a short and invigorating hike that culminates in a yoga and meditation class in either a secluded meadow or at a panoramic viewpoint. The September event will begin in the Dishman Hills in Spokane at Glenrose Trailhead, and the October hike will meet up at Steven’s Creek Trailhead on the south side of the

Iller Creek Conservation Area.

Immerse yourself even further by join ing Eclipse Power Yoga on Sept. 10–13 for a four-day, three-night backpacking adventure at the Devil’s Dome Loop in the North Cascades. On this excursion, also led by Haffner, you will practice yoga, meditate, hike, explore Ross Lake, and conclude at a resort nestled in the Methow Valley. Registration and future events combining yoga and the outdoors can be found at Eclipsepoweryoga.com. Individual questions can be sent to Erin@ eclipsepoweryoga.com.

YOGA IN THE WILD. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ECLIPSE YOGA

Bikepacking Bags Are Cool

By Justin Short

bikepacking bags don’t do that,” says Guitar Ted of the Riding Gravel Radio Ranch podcast. Bikepacking bags are also more aerodynamic. A rack and pannier setup can work fine if you’re riding mellow road or trail, but bikepacking bags are worth their weight in gold if you should find yourself bushwhacking up an overgrown section of the Idaho Centennial Trail. A traditional rack and pannier setup is about 2 to 2-1/2 feet wide, so it’s hard to share that space with your legs when it’s time to push through the underbrush.

CLASSIC TOURING SETUP

I WENT ON MY FIRST proper bikepacking trip in the summer of '93 on a BMX bike. The trip was 400 miles from Pittsburgh to New York and took five days, so that was roughly 80-mile days on arguably one of the most inefficient forms of the bicycle a person could choose for a trip like that. There was not then, nor is there now, a single bag available for a BMX bike to suit such ill-conceived purposes, BAGS being the subject of this installment of the EDC column.

But before we get into that, I’d like to clarify a little jargon. At the time, I called that journey a “bike trip.” Later, the term became “bike touring,” and I never realized how this term failed to capture the imagination of even most cyclists until quite recently when the term “bikepacking” came into vogue. Where it was once difficult to find equipment, information, and the bike tourists themselves, it seems like everyone who rides a bike now is at least bikepackingcurious . . . except for Paul Main, co-host of the locally-produced and wildly popular Packfiller podcast, but I have no doubt he’ll be strapping stuff to his bike and sleeping on the ground before too long.

BIKEPACKING VS BIKE TOURING

So how do you know if you’re bikepacking or touring? It’s all the same, really. If you’re running the classic touring setup of racks and panniers (pronounced “PAN-yers”) and you’re going to see the sights and enjoy things other than riding a bike, you probably call it bike touring. If you find yourself bushwhacking over mountains, riding through the night, napping in ditches, and eating mostly what you can find at gas stations, you probably call it

bikepacking.

There is plenty of gray area between these two poles of the adventure cycling spectrum. I’ve met riders at bikepacking races who say “I’m riding touring pace,” and then they promptly ride away from me like I’m going backwards. You can be sure, though, that they will be stopping to enjoy things other than the ride such as swimming holes, breweries, visiting friends, and making new ones. That’s why I do this stuff, though I’m forced into ultra bikepacking tactics so that I can take a weekend to knock out things like the 320-mile Idaho Panhandle Ramble, a premier Inland Northwest bikepacking route designed by Coeur d’Alene rider Eric Deady.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BIKE BAGS

So now that you’re itching to pile some things on your bike and go for a ride, you’re probably wondering what kind of bags you need. The short answer? NONE. Many people start out using what they have and strapping gear to their bike and back. But, if the saddle sores I got back on my maiden voyage on the BMX bike almost 30 years ago can serve as a cautionary tale, don’t use a backpack if you can help it. The classic touring setup with racks and panniers will serve you incredibly well, especially if you’re already commuting and running errands by bicycle. You could probably swim Spokane Falls with Ortlieb panniers and your stuff would come out dry. My Orts have been old enough to vote for four years and they’re still going strong.

“About 10 years ago, people started switching to the modern bikepacking bag setup on races like the 2,700-mile Tour Divide, because racks were breaking and

Two bags are adequate for fair-weather camping, and with four bags you can bring all the “glamping” amenities and enough food in case you find some place you’d like to stay a few days. Tools and a tube go in a small bag under the saddle, and two water bottles go on the frame. That’s it, besides lights, blinkies and maybe a phone holder for navigation. There are rack configurations available for just about every bike now, and some of them, like Old Man Mountain racks, are designed to handle the punishment of major backcountry expeditions.

The first time I rode a modern bikepacking setup was in Vermont in 2018. I was staying at B&Bs and packed light, so the 80-mile days rolled off a lot more easily than I had expected, even in that mountainous country. This method is easily assimilated by backpackers who are accustomed to minimizing weight and packing space, whereas “kitchen sinker” bike tourists stuff their comparatively voluminous panniers with soup cans and Charles Dickens novels that somehow disappear, never to be seen again until unpacking at the end of the trip.

MODERN BIKEPACKING BAGS

There are tons of options and configurations for bikepacking bags, and just about any bike shop in town can get you started

should take care of your sleep system and clothing/warm layer/rain gear needs. For larger riders, a half-frame bag will offer additional packing space with room for water bottles underneath. For full-frame bags you’ll most likely have to go custom. Custom bag maker Rogue Panda can make you a sweet set of all the bags you need in colors that will knock your argyles off. Loam Equipment from Bellingham, Wash., specializes in ultralight custom bikepacking bags, and, if you show up at the Bike Hub in Spokane Valley with enough beer, you might be able to get Thomas Yeates to make you one of his lovely OhShitBalls frame bags.

A “gas tank” bag right behind your stem on top of the frame is a great place to keep snacks, chargers, cords, and perhaps a GoPro in case Sasquatch pops out. There are additional feed bags for snacks, bear spray, and more snacks that you can strap onto or near the handlebars. A few tools and a flat kit can go in a bottle cage underneath the frame. (I use a Skippy peanut butter jar.)

If your forks have cage mounts, you can put water bottles or cargo cages out there. Shorter riders may not have tire clearance under the seat for those gigantic seat bags, so strapping dry bags to cargo cages on the fork legs can be an affordable option. Tailfin and the Aeroe Spider rack are rear rack options that cost a bit more but also solve the seat clearance issue.

There are ways to mount just about all of this stuff to just about any bike, and every bike shop has at least one bikepacking or touring enthusiast who can help you figure out what you need and how to get it on there so you can get down to the serious business of getting lost in the woods. //

Justin Short has been rambling around the Idaho Panhandle all summer in prepara tion for an arguably much gentler tri ple century on the C&O Towpath/Great Allegheny Passage from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, Penn.

The Trailhead Inland NW Trail & Outdoor News

By Holly Weiler

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY

September 24, National Public Lands Day, is a fee-free day for all National Park Service sites. Additionally, Discover Passes will not be required for any Washington land agencies (State Parks, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Department of Natural Resources) on both National Public Lands Day and on October 10, which is World Mental Health Day.

EXPLORER BACKPACKS FREE FOR CHECKOUT

Spokane Conservation District is now offer ing Explorer Backpacks for checkout to local families with K-12 students. Each pack can be checked out for up to two weeks and includes educational materials on one of five different themes (trees, rocks and soil, water, pollina tors, and snow). This program can be paired with Spokane-area libraries’ Check Out Washington Pass, which includes a Discover Pass for free entry into Washington State Parks (and other state-managed lands). The library kits additionally include binoculars and field guides and the check-out period is seven days. Plan a family adventure!

NE WASHINGTON FOREST ROAD CLOSURES

The Sullivan/Newport Ranger District of the Colville National Forest will have some tem porary closures for road improvement work this fall, impacting access to several popu lar hiking and backpacking destinations on the forest. Both Highline Road and Sullivan Creek Road will be closed for several weeks, preventing vehicle access to trailheads for Sullivan Mountain and Crowell Ridge, Gypsy Meadows, Thunder Creek, Shedroof Cut-off, Salmo Mountain, and the Salmo Loop. Hiker access to Crowell Ridge will need to start at the Red Bluff or Halliday Trail trailheads, and hiker access to the Shedroof Divide will only be available at Pass Creek Pass.

PARKING LOT WORK AT SLAVIN

The trailhead parking area at Slavin Conservation Area southwest of Spokane is scheduled for improvement work beginning in September, with completion expected in early November. Spokane County Parks will do their best to ensure the trails are still accessible during the majority of the work, but there may be times when access is tem porarily closed to allow crews to complete crucial steps of the process. Be sure to check Spokane County Park's website before a visit to Slavin this fall.

SALTESE UPLANDS EXPANSION

By early October, Saltese Uplands Conservation Area near Liberty Lake, Wash.,

will grow by 10 percent! Spokane County Parks is expected to close soon on a 54.6-acre addition to the popular hiking, mountain biking, and trail running destination.

FISH OF THE TEANAWAY WORKSHOP

The Teanaway Community Forest will be host ing a Fish of the Teanaway educational workshop on September 10, as well as multiple National Public Lands Day volunteer opportunities on September 24. Advance registration is required, hosted by the Mountain to Sounds Greenway Trust. (Mtsgreenway.org)

FALL TRAIL PROJECTS NEED VOLUNTEERS

Trail work and public lands stewardship projects continue to seek volunteer help across the region. Fall brings cooler temperatures and plenty of work to be done to keep trails in good shape after high summer use and prepare them for the upcoming ski, fat biking, and snowshoe season.

• Join the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness for a trail maintenance project at Napoleon Gulch in early September, or for their end-of-hiking-season trek up to the summit of Scotchman Peak in early October. Advance registration required.

• Pacific Northwest Trail Association's season continues through the beginning of October, with several drop-in or backpack volun teer opportunities in northeast Washington. September will see a heavy presence on the Kettle Crest National Recreation Trail.

• Pend Oreille Pedalers will host Thursday eve ning trail work events throughout the fall. Check their website for meeting locations.

• Idaho Trails Association (ITA) and Washington Trails Association (WTA) will each be co-host ing a backpacking trail work weekend in early September, focusing attention on the Jackson Creek Trail, which straddles each organiza tions’ namesake state. The trail has a long list of maintenance needs, but the crews hope to start in their respective states and meet at the state line by the end of the weekend.

• Idaho Trails Association will additionally be working on a bridge at Moose Lake in early September, as well as hosting a National Public Lands Day project on the Idaho Centennial Trail.

• WTA has continuing projects at Mount Spokane State Park and within several Spokane County conservation areas, and will be hosting a National Public Lands Day project at Fishtrap Recreation Area. //

Holly Weiler is a long-time contributor to Out There Outdoors and writes The Trailhead column for each issue. You can find all of her hike recom mendations at outthereoutdoors.com.

HIKE OF THE MONTH

MILL BUTTE, LITTLE PEND OREILLE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE (NORTHEAST WASHINGTON)

The Mill Butte Trail is a 4.8-mile forested hike with 625 feet of elevation gain located across the road from the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. The paved parking area has educational displays and a short, barrier-free trail leading to an overlook above a nearby wetland, as well as a toilet.

Cross the road and start the Mill Butte hike at the trailhead kiosk. The trail makes a counter-clockwise loop through the forest, where annual controlled burns keep the understory low and create a park-like view through the woods. The main draw here is the forest, which contains a healthy mix of conifers and several native shrubs with an understory of grass and flowers. Note how the tree and shrub species change throughout the hike as the trail ascends through a drier landscape, then descends along a seasonal stream with a wetter ecosystem.

Late September will bring the last of the wildflowers, and by early October the Western Larch and several native shrub species will begin to show their fall colors. Don't miss the short spur trail to the summit of Mill Butte, with a view of nearby mountains and overlooking the mysteriously named Starvation Flat. The Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge is open to hunting, so wearing blaze orange is recommended during any active hunting seasons. This is a hiking-only trail.

Getting There: The Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Area headquarters is located at 1230 Bear Creek Rd., near Colville, Wash. Mill Butte Trail is located just across the road from the main office. No pass required at this location.

VIEW OF THE WETLANDS FROM THE ADA TRAIL NEXT TO MILL BUTTE. // PHOTO: HOLLY WEILER

MILL BUTTE'S FOREST VIEWS // PHOTO: HOLLY WEILER

mountain bikers,

plus aquatic adventures

boaters, and easily accessible scenic viewpoints -

within minutes of town - there is a piece of Sandpoint for everyone. And our great outdoors provides both place and inspiration for frequent events ranging from rides and runs to music and art

Less than 90 minutes east of Spokane, Sandpoint is nestled alongside magnificent Lake Pend Oreille amid two inspiring frontal ranges of the Rocky Mountains – the Selkirk Mountains that stretch north to Canada, and the Cabinet Mountains sprawling east into Montana. Don’t sweat the fall stuff! Find yourself in beautiful Sandpoint, Idaho.

People in the Wild

Jesus, Walmart, and Ultra-running

By Ammi Midstokke

Aside from how he’s managed his undiagnosed ADHD, what is most fascinating is his unlikely approach to the art of running really far. He’s got the running down, but his fueling is something straight out of a highway overpass camp, and his wardrobe, he says, was bought at Walmart. The problem is that the Walmart basketball shorts only have side pockets. He drops his cell phone into one and the whole dark blue pair sags to one side, threatening to slide down his lithe body. He wears thick cotton socks pulled halfway to his knees. That part, at least, is not a result of his frugality, just a clear preference for cotton.

When the race laps begin, he has the broadest grin of them all, and I secretly hope we get a few hallelujahs as he trots by. This kid is high on life in a way that is refreshing and a stark reminder of how little we actually need to be bursting with joy. A few flour tortillas and a tiny bluetooth speaker, apparently.

lack of will, just that pesky if not demanding reality of owning a human body.

By the next morning, his usual cheer and sparkle had returned. I found him sitting in a camp chair wearing fresh cotton socks and trail shoes, a new pair of basketball shorts (same color, phone thumping against his leg), cracking open a cold can of Progresso

BY NOON, IT WAS OVER 100 DEGREES. RUNNERS WERE DROPPING LIKE FLIES.

A BEAT UP OLD CHEROKEE pulled into the field at the Tartarus Backyard Ultra, past the lined up cars and unfolding tents, and out into the middle of the mid-day heat where it came to a jerky stop. A slight man emerged, brown hair and dressed in black t-shirt and jeans, allowing a glimpse of the chaos inside before closing the door behind him: plastic bags, wrappers, a wayward shoe, piles of blankets, random food stuffs, maybe a Big Gulp cup.

He set his canopy on the sunny side of the starting line in the scorch of the afternoon. He unfolded his plastic buffet table, then loaded it with the usual hors d’oeuvres of an ultra: a bright orange Gatorade cooler, a pack of Fig Newtons, a loaf of white bread, peanut butter, a few cans of soup, and a fortune in Hammer products. Caffe Latte flavor, arguably the worst and indisputably so in this heat.

The Tartarus is a last-person-standing event. At 8 a.m. the runners begin a 4.167mile loop. They repeat this on the hour, every hour, until only one person is left running. Any runner not finishing a lap within that time or who is too nauseous, exhausted, blistered, sleepy, or dead to start the next lap is disqualified. It is a race of one finisher.

Jeff tells me that’s the goal, or 200 miles, and that he’d be disappointed if he didn’t run at least 130. He’s unpacking his food and the spread grows so increasingly . . . gross . . . that I have to approach to learn more about this strange creature in his natural habitat.

Jeff looks somewhere between 20 and 40 (though I learn later he is 23). It’s hard to tell behind a thin beard that refuses to grow evenly from anywhere but his chin. He’s a little guy, lean and tanned from what I assume is months of sunny training. He tells me it is from roofing in the 120-degree heat, a perfect acclimation for this day or the following two of running.

He is almost electric with anticipation when he talks about training runs and long miles. It beams from his wide smile, teeth big like a child whose grown-up pearly-whites have just appeared in their too-small head, and flickers in bright eyes that are flirting with the edge of something reminisce of ecstasy. I ask why he runs so much.

“Because I have so much energy. I’m so happy when I run!” It almost giggles out of him, his feet vellicating on the dry grass. He wasn’t always that way and there’s something fierce in the glint of his eyes when he talks about running into the night with a headlamp. Like maybe he was angry once, then found a way to distill the bitterness of it into joy, one chafed mile at a time.

Jeff says he was in the Army until they kicked him out, which I thought was almost impossible. He responded to this rejection by working in a cannery with a bunch of convicts in Alaska and picking fights with felons. The felons seemed to perceive him as nothing more than a fruit fly and maybe their calm in contrast to his rage is what sent him searching for another way.

I didn’t ask if that is where he found Jesus. There is a polite manner to him and a lack of swearwords uncharacteristic of ultra runners that gives him away. Then the mention of a year in Ethiopia. “I was teaching English,” he said, as if the world wasn’t on to the clandestine cover of missionaries. “It gets them into a university,” he followed, suggesting redemption is a small price to pay for a little education.

He tells a story of being raised in the church, a boy bright in school, then nearly flunking out almost intentionally. When he talks it is clear that his mind has more words than his mouth can keep up with. If he runs like he thinks, he would never stop. Somewhere in there he mentions that coffee puts him to sleep.

Prayer and peanut butter aren’t enough to offer salvation from the sweltering heat, however. By noon, it was over 100 degrees. Runners were dropping like flies. Red-faced, soaked-through, and dusty, they stumbled in from their laps in capitulation to the heat. Sometime around one, Jeff was just drinking ice water, still smiling. By four, he was curled up on the ground next to his table speaking in tongues, standing up only to vomit a concoction of orange soda and enriched bleached flour. We fed him salt crystals until the delirium was replaced with comprehensible statements. He’d only made it something like 30 miles. It was not for

Clam Chowder. Clearly, he has just the right amount of indifference and crazy to be a formidable athlete and give a lesson in happiness we could all use. I scowled at his choice of 8 a.m. breakfast, worried he’d ruin his morning mood. “Are you kidding?” he said. A trembling lump of congealed white soup plumped over the edge of his spoon. “I love this stuff.” He ate it straight out of the can with a plastic spoon and a smile. //

Ammi Midstokke writes the People In the Wild column for each issue of Out There. She can be contacted at ammimarie@gmail.com.

JEFF TRYING TO KEEP HYDRATED AT THE TARTARUS BACKYARD ULTRA.

us out:

if your loans paid you?

Fall

OUTDOOR LIVING

Preserving the Fall Bounty

Simple steps to can or dry the season’s freshest food

By Bri Loveall

THE FIRST YEAR I STARTED canning, my spouse was sure I would unintentionally kill us with botulism. In the beginning, canning seemed daunting and impossible. There were new kitchen gadgets to buy, websites to scour, recipes to learn, not to mention I had to grow the food first. I entered canning with an all or nothing attitude, which led me to a lot of frustration when I burned out in later years. If I was going to using canning to preserve food, I needed to do it the “right” way. But canning, especially if you’re new to it, should be like any other skill we learn. Start small and give yourself grace. No one wakes up and, having never hiked, decides to tackle the Pacific Crest Trail, right?

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CANNING

There are two different types of canning: pressure canning and water-bath canning. Foods low in acidity (meats, stock, and certain fruits and vegetables) must be canned using a weighted or dial gauge pressure canner. For several years I stayed away from pressure canning simply because I didn’t have a canner. Luckily, many of the common items we see at the markets or grow in our backyards (tomatoes, cucumbers, and most fruits) only require the water-bath method.

Water-bath canning requires little special equipment and is far less intimidating than using a pressure canner. Canning kits are available at most stores and include a jar lifter, wide mouth funnel, magnetic lid lifter, and bubble popper (yes, that’s the actual name). You’ll also need a stock pot deep enough to hold jars and a canning rack (a metal insert that keeps jars off the bottom of the pot to improve water circulation and reduce the risk of the jars touching each other during canning).

The actual canning process is relatively simple. Jars are washed, sterilized, and (usually) hot packed with whatever pro duce is being preserved. Processing times vary by recipe (and altitude), but most recipes for pint jars require less than 20 minutes in a stock pot full of boiling water.

PRESERVING FRESH FALL FOODS

Our September and October farmers’ mar kets should be full of easy-to-can fruit and vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, zuc chini, apples, pears, onions, cabbage, beets, and blueberries. While canning enough food to feed yourself through the winter months requires hundreds of pounds of produce, a pound of vegetables will yield several pints of homemade pickles, crushed tomatoes for soups, pineapple zucchini

(perfect with chicken and rice), homemade applesauce, cinnamon pears, or onion jam.

Jam is a great way to use up a berry harvest, but berries can also be frozen for later use in smoothies or oatmeal. And even if your pantry only holds a few dozen jars, there is nothing more empowering in the kitchen than making tomato soup from scratch using a few jars of tomatoes that you canned yourself. (Plus, it’s seriously delicious.)

MORE CANNING TIPS AND TRICKS

• Work in small batches. For example, when making jam, if your canner only holds four- or five-pint jars, only fill that many jars to process at one time. Find a friend who’s willing to host a canning party.

• The first year I started canning, my spouse and I spent a day with an older woman in our community as she canned several hundred pounds of produce in one day. (I do not recommend this for new canners.) She explained different techniques, terminology, and the things she’d learned along the way. At the end of the day, we took home a half dozen jars of pears, green beans, and tomatoes.

A great way to learn to can is to find

someone who already does it and follow along.

• If you don’t have a fun old woman in your community, the USDA publishes a canning book full of recipes, safety guidelines, and general canning knowledge that makes it easy to start your canning journey.

EASILY DRY FRESH FOODS

An even easier form of food preservation is accomplished through dehydration. No dehydrator? No problem. Most foods can be dehydrated using an oven at the lowest setting, or even the sun (hello, sun dried tomatoes). Herbs like dill, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, and parsley, can be dried separately and then blended to create your own seasoning and dry rubs. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries should still be available in the markets, and when dried, make excellent additions to homemade granolas or oatmeal. //

When she isn’t tending her garden, reading, or building forts with her four children, Bri Loveall is usually whipping something up in the kitchen. Her current obsession is pineapple-zucchini.

some color to

PINEAPPLE-ZUCCHINI RECIPE

WAY OUT THERE

Close Encounter with Bears

By James P. Johnson

A new season for adventure.

IN THE LATE 90S, I spent four sum mers finding the best route to the top of the highest 50 mountains in Eastern Washington. It turned into a hiking guide that has since been published and gone out of print. I didn’t carry anything to deter bears on those hikes, and I still don’t. My rationale is a complete lack of reported bear attacks in Eastern Washington. After all those miles on remote trails, I can recount nine encounters with black bears while hiking. Every bear fled, frightened.

Except one.

Hiking the Thirteenmile Trail south of Republic, Wash., I awoke a bedded down bear just off the trail. He started running toward me, so I yelled and waved my arms. He didn’t respond favorably. I tried shin nying up a tree even though black bears climb trees. Realizing there was no way I’d get far enough up, I dropped down and gave one last, deep-voiced yell and threatening wave of arms. The bear was undeterred. It quickly closed the gap between us. Standing my ground, the bear slid to a halt, inches away. I could’ve pat him on the head. After a brief pause, he turned and ran away. Never growling or acting aggressively except to run toward me, I theorized he was groggy after being startled awake. Realizing I was human, he did what bears normally do. I resumed my hike, making noise for a while, then not even worrying about it.

On another one of my hikes in Northeast Washington near Horseshoe Lake, I stopped for a good view while descending a ridge. Seventy feet below me, I noticed a pair of bear cubs. The sow was a bit far ther down. After a few moments watching, I tossed a pine cone which landed below me. The cub ran to mom, whimpering at being startled. The sow, suddenly alert, scanned the landscape thoroughly before relaxing. I was amused something so simple as a pine cone falling to the ground scared the cub. I retreated, made plenty of noise, and resumed hiking down the ridge. As I expected, the family of bears had disap peared. I was lucky I’d stopped at just the right spot to see them without being seen. Had I walked straight into the bear family, it could’ve been bad news.

Things didn’t turn out so pleasantly for

Michael Reasoner, a Forest Service assistant silvi-culturist. In August 2017, traversing through the thickly wooded Caribou Creek Drainage in North Idaho, he happened upon a black bear cub who ran, whimper ing, to mom.

Reasoner believes what he did next caused a dangerous encounter. When he turned to walk away, the 300-plus pound sow galloped after him. She came within 20 feet, growling and huffing aggres sively. Reasoner talked to the bear calmly and soothingly. Eventually retreating, the sow returned, charging again. More talk ing caused the sow to back off, but then charged a third time, coming within 10 feet of him. He raised his hands and yelled. A loud, aggressive standoff ensued as the bear responded likewise.

The sow eventually backed off before charging a fourth time. Reasoner pulled out his core auger, a forestry tool used to determine the age of trees, and behaved as aggressively as possible while slamming the auger against a tree. Agitated, the bear came within five feet, growling loudly, spit flying from her mouth.

When the sow turned to check on her cub, Reasoner hid behind a large Douglas fir. Shortly after, she returned, searching and sniffing about but didn’t find him. Able to slip away, Reasoner moved quickly until coming to a steep hill. The 20-min ute adrenaline-fueled encounter had left him completely drained, and he could barely exert himself, but he had made it away safely.

Reasoner told me he has five to eight encounters with bears each year. The bears, he says, almost always run away. Crossing paths with a sow and cub was a first and his only frightening bear encounter. It took a couple years before he could begin his daily forest trudges without feeling uneasy. He didn’t have bear spray that day, but now car ries it, always. His story gives good reason for me to do likewise.

James P. Johnson’s book “Spokane and Coeur d'Alene Freshwater Shark Attacks,” came out in March of this year. He wrote about five things to never do at a lake in the last issue of Out There and at

OutThere Kids

Adventure Travel Tips For Families Plan now for the most adventurous year ever

By Amy McCaffree

FOR MANY FAMILIES, the start of a new academic year feels more significant than January 1—and, likewise, includes making new goals and planning for the next 12 months.

You know the parenthood adage is, “The days are long, but the years are short”? It’s true! Now that my own kids are pre-teens, our family calendar is busy year-round. Which is why we start brainstorming during fall for the upcoming seasons of non-school days, holidays, and spring and summer breaks. Not that we’re quick to make solid plans, but it’s good to know what’s coming, since we also have club soccer and youth theater commitments.

This past summer when I heard that Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia trees nearly burned, I felt some panic: I haven’t been to the Tunnel Tree! This led to an epiphany: With only seven more sum mers until both my kids finish high school, we need to choose more carefully how we spend our family vacation time.

Flooding, droughts, wildfires, and other climate-change impacts threaten all of America’s public lands, year-round. I can’t take the National Parks, forests, waterways, and wildlife for granted.

Not to get all doomsday, but much is bound to change during our children’s

lifetimes. Will Glacier National Park’s glaciers still be there in five years? Will there be enough snow to alpine ski every winter in 20 years? Go see orcas in the Salish Sea before they’re extinct, and visit Alaska before the next oil spill.

Sooner is better when it comes to doing all the outdoor adventures I would like to share with my children, whether it’s skiing big mountains or hiking Half Dome. Also, my knees aren’t getting younger.

Destinations and recreation ideas are plentiful; having enough money and time are the greatest challenges. Here are some ideas for starting the adventure travel planning process.

BRAINSTORM DESTINATION & RECREATION IDEAS

I have great ideas for epic trips, but if my pre-teens won’t buy in, their lackluster enthusiasm won’t make it work. Older kids can lead the brainstorming: “Which mountains, National Parks, and countries would we like to visit while mom and dad are still paying the bills?” (It’s best to provide budget parameters.)

BUY GUIDEBOOKS

Once you decide on a destination, purchase a paperback travel guidebook. The Mountaineers has a large catalog of family-

oriented books, including the Adventuring with Kids series, written by Spokane authors Harley and Abby McAllister—one each for Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite, and one for Utah’s Big Five parks. Mountaineers also have state-based “Best Hikes with Kids” series and guidebooks for urban trails and parks in major U.S. cities.

CHOOSE WHEN TO GO Summer is busy tourist season everywhere. Consider travel during non-peak seasons to save money. The best time to go is when your family can actually go, once money is saved, and parents have time off work— maybe even if it means missing school or a major holiday with extended family.

PLAN EARLY FOR RESERVATIONS

Unique accommodations like fire lookouts, cabins, and glamping yurts are in high demand. Campsite reservations for National Parks and forests can be made six months in advance, at Recreation.gov. For state parks in Washington and Idaho, the reservation window is nine months. National Park lodge rooms, RV park campsites, and rental homes may be reservable a year in advance.

HIRE AN EXPERT TRAVEL GUIDE

If you want exciting high adventure but

don’t have the gear or expertise, book excursions with a professional guide. Outfitters offer one-day activities as well as multi-day trips.

Whitewater rafting, sea kayaking, and rock climbing come to mind as “extreme” recreation for beginners to try; a high-level of expertise is vital for a safe outing. Even for more experienced recreationalists and travelers, whether it’s backpacking or bik ing, a multi-day trip led by guides takes the stress and burden off parents for planning and daily logistics.

Northwest guide-service companies include ROW Adventures, Breakwater Expeditions, and FLOW Adventures, and the non-profit organization Peak 7 Adventures. ROW even offers international excursions in 25 countries through two newer business brands, Adventure Unbound and Sea Kayak Adventures. We’re talking epic travel adventures: safari in Tanzania, river rafting in Chile, kayaking and camping on Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.

Time is precious, and adventure awaits—go find it with your kids. //

Amy McCaffree is the Out There Kids columnist and a longtime Out There contributor.

EXPLORING DURING LOW TIDE

AT SALTWATER STATE PARK IN DES MOINES, WASH.

PHOTO: AMY MCCAFFREE // RIGHT: ART SUPPLIES ON A CAMPING TRIP CAN HELP BRING KIDS OF DIFFERENT AGES TOGETHER.

PHOTO: SHALLAN KNOWLES

provisions

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

The zucchini and lime make this black bean soup bright for a late-summer or early-fall evening (serves 3-4).

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup dried black beans from Palouse Brand, soaked overnight

1 onion from Elithorp Farm, diced

HIBISCUS COSMO FROM DRY FLY

Based on a classic 1920s cocktail, the new Dry Fly Hibiscus Cosmo is a delicious drink with crisp flavor. Featuring Revival Tea’s Wild Berry Hibiscus tea, this cocktail includes a splash of lime to complement the award-winning Dry Fly vodka. A balanced tartness accompanies the fruity notes you’ll find in this can.

This is a delightful drink for the cosmopolitan lover. The hibiscus flavor is very similar to cranberries. It’s subtle, delicious, and never overpowering. Following the success of their other ‘On The Fly’ beverages, it didn’t take long for Dry Fly to put together this refreshing classic drink.

The high-quality Dry Fly vodka tastes great; however, this cocktail carries some punch with 5.8% ABV. Premium cocktails in a can make it an easy, locally-made beverage to pack along on any outdoor adventure.

The Hibiscus Cosmo is ideal for pretty much every trip including long hikes, long bike rides, or recuperating after a tough day. If you haven’t already, give Dry Fly’s other canned cocktails a try, including the Gin & Tonic and the Moscow Mule, all made with craft spirits from one of the best distilleries in the Northwest. (Jon Jonckers)

3 zucchini from Fleming Farm, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 bell pepper from Full Bushel Farm, diced

2 cloves garlic from Royal Produce, minced

1 Tbsp dried oregano from Footehills Farm Olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder from Hayshaker Farm

5 shakes cayenne pepper flakes from Hayshaker Farm 1/2 lime

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Simmer the black beans with olive oil for roughly 1 hour or until soft. Strain off excess liquid. In a soup pot, sauté the onion with olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the zucchini, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté for 4 more minutes until browned. Add the oregano, black beans, 2 cups of water, and spices.

Simmer for half an hour. Add the juice of 1/2 lime and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with green onions, parsley, cotija cheese, sour cream, white rice, and/or quinoa. Enjoy! (Courtesy of LINC Foods—The Local Inland Northwest Cooperative @ Lincfoods.com.)

MOUNTAIN BERRY BOWLS ARRIVES IN CDA

Mountain Berry Bowls started with a surfing adventure. While on vacation, Jared and Lindley Lynch were sipping a so-so smoothie and decided that they could do something better. In 2015, they built out their first truck and began serving healthy, all-natural smoothie bowls out of funky food trucks.

Since then, they’ve franchised their luscious offerings into other locations in Montana, where they’re from, as well as Idaho and Colorado, for a total of 13 food truck locations. This spring, locals Thomas and Janie Staples opened the first Mountain Berry Bowls in Coeur d’Alene, and they’ve been busy serving the community from the moment they opened their windows.

Mountain Berry Bowls keeps it simple with a handful of acai bowls plus customizing options to fuel your day. Their all-natural acai smoothie base consists of unsweetened coconut milk, acai, strawberries, blueberries, and bananas—no sugar added! As someone who doesn’t enjoy overly-sweet foods and drinks, I thought the smoothie bowl had just the right amount of sweetness, and it was even quite refreshing. They also have a list of superfood toppings to choose from and fresh fruit, which they source locally when possible. And, finally, they make their own gluten-free granola, which, again, I thought had just the right amount of sweetness and a wonderful crunch that lasted until the final bite.

You can find the truck set up at 1301 E Sherman Ave. most weekdays, but they also motor to events around the area. Check out their schedule and menu online at Mountainberrybowls.com/coeur-d-alene or on Instagram (@mountainberrybowlscda).

(S. Michal Bennett)

BLOOMING SPICES

If you haven’t tried blooming spices, you are in for a real treat. Blooming spices is a technique that has been around for ages. Basically, you heat spices/herbs in oil/fat to release more flavor and texture to your dish. Don’t be fooled by how simple this sounds. It is an absolute game changer and only takes about 30 seconds to do.

Bloomed spices can be added at the beginning or end of a dish. At the beginning, the spices will be evenly distributed throughout the food; if added at the end of the dish, they will give it a pop of flavor. (Why not try both?!) You can bloom spices for simple things, such as a drizzle over your popcorn—give cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg a try.

For an amazing dip, try cumin seeds, mustard seed and chili cooled and stirred into yogurt. You can even save your blooming creations for a base to an amazing vinaigrette. Craving Italian sausage but only have ground turkey? Bloom fennel seed and Italian spices to mimic the sausage flavor.

Start by blooming spices and herbs that are in dishes you already make such as your favorite chili recipe. You will quickly see the difference. For breakfast, I like to heat some oil then add turmeric and chili flakes to bloom for about 15-20 seconds (seeds/pods need about 30 seconds) then I crack an egg into the pan, spoon the bloomed oil overtop until the egg is done serve it with avocado toast. For a quick side dish or base to some Mexican fare, bloom cumin seeds in oil then add cauliflower rice, a squeeze of lime, sliced tomatoes, cilantro and salt. Whatever it is you like to eat, next time bloom some of the spices in the recipe while you’re cooking. You’ll be glad you did. (Alana Livingston)

ZUCCHINI AND BLACK BEAN SOUP

Grizzly Bear Comeback?

Bear numbers see continued slow growth, but recovery zone con nectivity remains a challenge

By Adam Gebauer

THERE MAY BE NO OTHER animal that represents the wildness of the West more than the grizzly bear. These long-lived (up to 25 years in the wild), omnivorous mammals can grow to as much as 800 pounds and need large tracks of quality habitat in which to find mates, denning sites, and the variety of food that get them through a long winter of hibernation.

Before European settlement, there were an estimated 50,000 grizzly bears in the continental U.S. distributed in one large contiguous area of 18 western states. Early Spanish missionaries wrote about the hundreds of grizzlies they observed fishing in San Francisco Bay. Due to predator removal and habitat loss, by 1975 as few as 700 to 800 individuals remained in the continental U.S.

According to the most recent population survey, there are around 2,000 grizzly bears across six recovery zones in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Washington–occupying about 6 percent of their historic range. The majority of these bears reside

in the two largest zones in Montana and Wyoming. Over 1,000 bears roam the North Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) between Missoula, Mont., and Glacier National Park. Another 737 grizzlies call the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) their home. Closer to Spokane, there are between 55-60 in the Cabinet-Yak Ecosystem (CYE) and at least 53 in the Selkirk Ecosystem (SE). Individual bears have been observed in the Bitterroot (BE) and North Cascades Ecosystems (NCE) recovery zones, but so far there has been no evidence of denning or reproduction in these areas and these bears are considered transient.

In the wild northeast corner of Washington, there are two resident grizzlies spending most of their time and wintering over in Pend Oreille County. One of these bears has been confirmed to have had cubs in Washington. Of the 50 bears in SE, about 15 of them move between the Washington and Idaho Selkirks.

There appears to be an increase in activity in the Bitterroot recovery zone too. Recently

there have been four confirmed individuals moving through the Bitterroot Valley. One individual’s movements were tracked with a radio collar leaving the Seeley Lake area in the NCDE and moving into the BE south of Missoula.

Even with the increase in bear sightings, the movement of grizzlies between estab lished populations have been minimal and this is a concern for their continued recov ery. Megan Wright is a Ph.D. candidate and wildlife biologist for the Kalispel Tribe look ing at the genetic diversity and health of the grizzlies in CYE and SE. The Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak grizzly bear populations are largely isolated from each other and from other grizzly bear populations, she says. “Highways and developed valleys are the main culprits preventing more movement between recovery areas. This fragmenta tion, combined with the relatively small size

of these recovery zones, is cause for concern about low genetic diversity and inbreeding.” Wright adds that in recent years there has been a modest increase in bears moving from the Purcell Range in Canada south into the SE and CYE, which may help with genetic diversity.

The recovery goal for both the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yak is around 100 individual bears, and they are currently increasing around 2.1 percent per year. Maintaining quality habitat on public and private land along with the bears’ ability to disperse to other recovery zones will be a sure sign that the West is still wild. //

Adam Gebauer writes the Nature column for each issue of Out There. His last article high lighted new virtual fencing technology that benefits ranchers and wildlife. It’s available online at outthereoutdoors.com.

RUN WILD A Run on Trails

Pandemic drives more Inland NW runners off-pavement

By Sarah Hauge

Usually, Warrington says, 50 percent of those signed up for a given running group show up initially, with attendance dropping to about 40 percent by the session’s end. The trail running group was still above 60 percent of its attendees in its final week. The biggest complaint he heard? That they weren’t starting a new trail running group until 2023!

Local race production company Negative Split has also leaned into trail running since the pandemic. They launched a “Back to Nature” trail race series in 2021, which offers courses along the Hiawatha Trail, at Mount Spokane, and at Silver Mountain. “We noticed people were running a lot during the pandemic, but there were few races,” says Negative Split’s owner Ryan Hite. From a race production standpoint, trail races offered something simpler than the average road race, as there wasn’t the need to pull the many permits associated with city races or deal with the domino effect that occurs when any issue arises. These trail races, held at area mountain resorts, required just one permit. Not only were the races appealing for participants—with Hiawatha selling out both years so far—but, with less of a logistical load, they offered the Negative Split staff more ability to enjoy the locations where these races were held, which was a nice plus.

RUNNING HAS GAINED POPULARITY since the pandemic began, with existing runners increasing their mileage and new runners taking up the sport. (In the last issue I wrote about one of these pandemic-born newbies: my husband, Brad.)

One of the branches of the running world that’s drawn increased interest is trail running. In contrast to city runs, trails offer quiet, a slower pace, wildlife, and a chance to breathe. That said, it can be intimidating for unfamiliar runners to get started, which is part of the draw of Fleet Feet’s “Explore Trails” group, which wrapped up its multiweek session this summer. “People come to training groups and running groups for various reasons,” says Steve Warrington, Fleet Feet’s PNW Training Groups Manager. “I think that community reason right now has a way stronger push than it did pre-pandemic. People got out of sorts, disconnected, lonely.”

The group’s 100 or so participants were able to bond while learning the ins and outs of trail running, enjoying its inherent beauty, and embracing its inherent pitfalls (packing gear, challenging terrain). They met weekly to explore some of Spokane’s vast network of trails, including Beacon Hill, Dishman Mica, and Waikiki Springs, which awakened a love for the sport in its participants.

Trail races have a unique feel, says Hite. “Some of these races, sometimes there’s a lot of stress and hype. People are kind of on edge with city races.” In contrast, “these trail runs are really nice. People are there more for the experience of it. I know people are competitive, but it doesn’t have the same high stress as like a Boston qualifier.” Hite says the trail race series is here to stay, and Negative Split is contemplating adding another race to the series to enable more participation.

Both Warrington and Hite note that runners should take on trails with others— not on their own—and plan carefully with their gear, hydration, and nutrition. From there it’s about accepting and embracing what the trails have to offer. You’re going to fall at some point. “It’s not if, it’s when,” Warrington says. You’re also going to be slower than on the road.

“Be willing to give yourself some grace and a little bit of forgiveness,” says Warrington. “You’re gonna move slower, you’re gonna walk the hills. That’s not only okay, it’s expected. It enhances the experience if you don’t get hung up on the pace.” //

Sarah Hauge writes the Run Wild column for each issue of Out There. You can read her past columns at outthereoutdoors.com.

COACH STEVE LOVES THE TRAILS OF SPOKANE AND LEADS THE EXPLORE TRAILS GROUP FOR FLEET FEET SPOKANE. // PHOTO COURTSEY OF FLEET FEET

The History and Return of the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol Ski Swap

By Amy McCaffree

MT. SPOKANE Ski Patrol Ski Swap returns to the Spokane Fair & Expo Center on October 28-30, 2022, after a two-year absence due to the pandemic.

“We opted not to hold ski swap the last two seasons due to COVID health con cerns. As first-responders ourselves, we are responsible for community safety,” says Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol (MSSP) director Kristin Whitaker. “We are very much looking for ward to hosting the swap again this year.”

More than 22,000 items will be ready for sale by the time doors open for shop ping—which is why it’s the biggest winter retail event in the entire Pacific Northwest. The swap’s energy and good vibes essentially makes it a kick-off event for the winter sports season.

New for this year will be a bigger presence by Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park—a non-profit organization totally separate from the 501(3)c Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol—includ ing a beer garden and area to buy seasonpasses.

In addition to ski and snowboard gear, Nordic, backcountry, alpine touring (AT), and snowshoe gear is also for sale at ski swap.

“The selection of backcountry and AT alpine gear has grown, and we plan to have them in their own section this year,” says Whitaker. Because of high demand, she recommends shopping early on Saturday morning for best selection—same for buying children’s gear.

Admission is $5 per person (free for chil dren ages 12 and younger) and includes both Saturday and Sunday. Whitaker encourages shoppers to return on Sunday for 25% off red-tag items.

SKI SWAP HISTORY

Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol was founded in 1938, making it one of the oldest member groups of the National Ski Patrol. More impressive, it’s one of the largest all-volun teer patrols in the U.S. and the largest patrol in the region, with nearly 170 patrollers. Most patrols comprise both paid and vol unteer patrollers.

In 1964—in the days of leather ski boots and skinny, straight skis made of wood or metal—MSSP Director Marlen Guell learned from a friend in Colorado that patrols there were hosting “ski swap” events to raise money.

A swap is a brilliant yet simple idea: host a single-location shopping event where local ski shops bring gear and the public can bring in their used gear to sell and buy new, essen tially “swapping” out old gear.

Swap founders who organized the very first Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol Ski Swap include Guell and fellow patrollers Jack and Edna Fruit, Dutch Andres, and Lee and Jackie Bratcher. They wanted to “help the [Spokane] community to save money and keep skiing,” in addition to raising funds, says Gloria Fletcher. Money raised, then as well as now, goes toward purchasing medical and first aid supplies as well as rescue and transport equipment. (MSSP never charges for aid services.)

With Guell as swap director, the first MSSP Ski Swap took place in a back room of the Armory building in downtown Spokane. “Not many people came,” says Fletcher, but the event raised $200 for the patrol, only because participating ski shops were asked to donate.

For the second swap, in 1965, the com mittee used an empty car dealership down town. They cleaned and painted walls to get it ready, painting a big ski mural. With more public attention, more shoppers came.

During the next two years, ski swap took place at Spokane’s downtown Civic Center and then at a hotel in Coeur d’Alene. By then, “advertising was better, and it was pretty crowded with equipment,” Fletcher says. In 1968, the swap committee decided they had to move to the Spokane County Fairgrounds where it has taken place ever since.

As the event grew, so did its notoriety—so much so that many years ago, MSSP had the name “Ski Swap” and its event logo officially trademarked. Now, the swap encompasses four large bays within the Spokane Fair &

Expo Center.

LEGACY OF SERVICE

The two patrol couples who helped found Ski Swap, Jack and Edna Fruit and Lee and Jackie Bratcher, attended every one, and continued volunteering until the pandemic. Their smiles and go-getter energy inspired younger generations of patrollers year after year.

Lee and Jackie’s last ski swap was in 2019. They both passed away in 2021 in their 80s. “Losing Lee and Jackie was hard,” says Whitaker. On January 15, 2022, a “Final Sweep” memorial took place on the moun tain.

MSSP published a tribute on its Instagram and Facebook social media pages, with a photo: “This cherished couple donated their time, talent—even vacation days—to the betterment of Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol. They were pivotal in the development and opera tions of the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol Ski Swap, working every day at every Ski Swap since its inception. Not only were they instrumen tal in building the ski patrol building, but their selflessness and dedication was core to building the culture and sense of commu nity carried on by today’s Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol. Together, always together, they left an impression in our hearts and on our slopes.”

That cold January night, current and alumni patrollers—all wearing their patrol jackets—along with Bratcher family mem bers gathered near the top of Mt. Spokane’s Parkway Express (Chair 3). Both Lee and Jackie’s red patrol jackets were ceremonially placed in a rescue toboggan and a “last call” on the radio was given.

Then, with lights turned off, a serpen tine line of skiers, each one holding high a lighted red flare, quietly and solemnly made their way from the top of Parkway Express down Northwest Passage and Ego Flats to the patrol lodge. The tribute is a beautiful Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol tradition and amaz ing to witness.

The dedicated service of the Bratchers,

Fruits, and hundreds of other Mt. Spokane ski patrollers has maintained “the legacy of ski swap as a community event,” Whitaker says. Everyone on patrol is proud of ski swap’s “longevity as a staple in the Spokane community [to provide] affordable access to gear to get more people up to the mountain.”

This year for Jack and Edna Fruit, both in their 90s, attending the 56th Ski Swap will be challenging. Health issues prevent Jack from coming, but Fletcher plans to ensure Edna gets a chauffeured ride.

“Since Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol hasn't had a ski swap for two years,” Fletcher says, “we think this will be an amazing one.”

GEAR AT THIS YEAR’S SKI SWAP

About 20 ski shops from across Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon bring mer chandise. Shop owners know Inland Northwest skiers and snowboarders are as passionate about great deals as they are about their sports. Priority is given to local shops, according to Gloria Fletcher, long-time volunteer for MSSP and ski swap committee member. But trucks full of gear will be arriving from businesses as far away as Boise and McCall, Idaho; Seattle and Portland areas; and even Great Falls, Mont.

About 80 percent of ski swap merchan dise is provided by ski shops—“Everything from brand-new current season gear to last season’s gear, still new and unwrapped,” says Whitaker. The rest is brought in by the public for consignment sale, which is a big draw for many shoppers, especially fami lies. Though people can sell (and buy) items through online marketplaces, MSSP Ski Swap is more fun and less of a hassle.

Public check-in for sale items is Friday, Oct. 28, 3-8 p.m. Everything must be clean and in good condition. On Sunday, after the swap ends, people can pick up their checks and any unsold equipment.

Find complete details for the 2022 event at Skipatrolskiswap.com and on Facebook and Instagram.

SHOP VENDOR MERCHANDISE CHECK-IN DURING MT. SPOKANE SKI PATROL SKI SWAP. PHOTO COURTESY MSSP

NEW AND USED ALPINE SKIS FOR SALE AT THE ANNUAL MT. SPOKANE SKI PATROL SKI SWAP.

// PHOTO: AMY MCCAFFREE

JACKIE AND LEE BRATCHER, CO-FOUNDERS OF MSSP SKI SWAP AT THE 2012 PATROL CHRISTMAS PARTY // PHOTO COURTESY OF MSSP

Fit to Be Useful

Volunteering on our public lands and trails is a healthy activity for all

By Alana Livingston

“CAN I LEAD THE WAY TODAY? ” my son asks as we start down the Waikiki Trail towards the first switchback. I notice the darkened Oregon grapes on the trailside and the browning of the once-gorgeous oceanspray bushes as I follow behind. Rounding the second switchback, we can hear the sound of the water and the trail begins to open up a bit. We say hello to the few walkers we see out for evening strolls with their dogs and take in the view at the next switchback that stretches out beyond the river to Rattlesnake Ridge. I love to hike in the evening.

My family recently became volunteer land stewards for the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy (INLC). In this new role, we are able to spend time together as a family, exercising and breathing fresh air as we look after a place we love, Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve. As land stewards for the INLC, we help to design and complete habitat enhancement projects, monitor trails, educate public land users and note wildlife vegetation and hydrologic trends on the land.

We have always spent time hiking at Waikiki Springs, but since becoming stewards we are spending time learning more about the area—the plants, the animals, the Little Spokane River that runs through it, and how we can take better care of it all. We are getting better at using maps, observing and taking notes, using a compass and basic first aid practices. We are learning and practicing good trail etiquette, the effects of not following these rules, and sharing it with others. We are experiencing what it feels like to be active in our community and to think and act beyond ourselves and see the bigger picture.

A lesson we didn’t expect but I have grown increasingly appreciative of is to be intentional with our time. Now we schedule

our busy lives around our commitment to this place. In a fast-paced world where we tend to put self care and mental health on the back burner, I am happy to have found something that checks so many boxes on the health and fitness list. If you are anything like me, when someone says “health and fitness” images of gym memberships, health magazines, and the latest diet fad runs through your mind. I say let the outdoors be your gym and allow your time exercising to be for more than just your body. As a parent, I am happy to have the opportunity to model all of these life lessons by exploring an amazing place with my kids.

Other organizations that have volunteer opportunities to shape your outdoor fitness regime include The Lands Council, The Spokane Riverkeeper, Dishman Hills Conservancy, Friends of The Little Spokane River Valley, Washington Trails Association, Friends of the Bluff, Evergreen East, Idaho Trails Association, and Pend Oreille Pedalers. Many parks also have “friends of” groups with more opportunities. All of these organizations offer events such as clean ups, plantings, trail work, and more. Spokane Humane Society and PAWS need dog walkers and Habitat for Humanity offers several construction and labor opportunities.

Whether you’re looking for just yourself or your whole family, for occasional events or a bigger commitment, there is something for everyone. Look for volunteer opportunities with organizations you are interested in and redefine what health and fitness mean to you.

Livingston gets to hike as part of her work as the owner of Wander Spokane, a downtown tour business. She wrote about wandering Spokane’s urban wilds in the May/June issue of Out There.

BY

Fall Fly Fishing in Fernie, B.C

Native trout

AS A NEWBIE FLY FISHERMAN, there are many wild trout waters I’ve floated or hiked by over the years that I intend to fish in the coming decades. One of those topof-the-list epic fishing destinations that I hope to check out for the first time this fall is Fernie, B.C. The Elk River, which flows right through town, offers anglers a shot at monster trout with plenty to do off-water, from mountain biking and hiking, to golf and exploring the pubs and restaurants in the historic downtown. For me, this article is field research for what will hopefully come to pass as one awesome fall road trip.

THE RIVER

The Elk River flows 140 miles from the dramatic peaks of the Continental Divide in the Canadian Rockies (specifically the Petain Glacier next to Mt. Joffre) to Lake Koocanusa at the U.S. border. The stretches of river up and downstream from Fernie offer clear, clean, and cold water that trout thrive in. The Elk River, so I’m told, has a reputation as one of the finest dry fly-fishing rivers in North America for Westslope Cutthroat and

Bull Trout.

By Derrick Knowles

Local guide and shop owner Paul Samycia explains the allure of the Elk River this way: "The Elk River has what all fly anglers are looking for. A beautiful, free stone river with spectacular scenery, wild native fish eager to take a dry fly, miles and miles of wade-able and drift-able water with a great small town to base your adventure out of.”

THE CATCH

Locals laud the Elk River’s large population of Westslope Cutthroat Trout and their incredible color and spotting. These wild fish cruise the river’s surface in search of the flying insects that hatch in the warmer valley surrounding the town of Fernie. While Bull Trout are hard to come by and protected in many waters in the U.S., it’s game on for this aggressive, hard-fighting fish around Fernie. Reportedly, resident Bull Trout on the Elk River above the Elko dam are regularly 20-30 inches or bigger.

WHERE TO FISH NEAR FERNIE

Whether you are planning a DIY trip or looking for a guide, Tourism Fernie pro

vides this excellent overview Elk River fish ing beta that will help you get started for your trip to the north:

From the town of Sparwood down, the river gains momentum and girth. From Sparwood to Olsen, the river is known for big, greedy Westslope Cutthroat, long boulder sections, countless riffles and deep corner holes. From Olsen to the hamlet of Hosmer is drift-boat heaven. Hosmer also has a boat launch and is a good place to start or finish a day. Hosmer down to Fernie offers braided sections and some big log jams with magical views of the Lizard Range. Buckets and holes are ripe for the casting on this stretch. In the heart of Fernie is a boat launch

at Dogwood Park with ample parking, a public washroom, and space for mul tiple boats. The section from Fernie to Morrissey winds gently through perfect trout water and includes some long deep runs, riffles, and seams. The takeout at Morrissey Bridge has also had some work done recently and there is parking along the road with room for trailers. Morrissey to Elko is the next haul and should be given a whole day. If you like fishing log jams, this stretch is for you. Some great stretches of wood provide perfect habitat that the cutties stack up under and along.

For more information about fishing the Elk River and Fernie, visit Tourismfernie.com. //

sports medicine

PHOTO: JEREMY KORESKI

ROOM

At 1 lb., 2 oz. per boot, the Scarpa Rush TRK is an excellent lightweight Gore-Tex hiking boot that’s way tougher and sturdier than you might think given its light weight. It has a reinforced toe box that’s awesome for rough, rocky terrain. The boot also has a quick lace system that’s easily adjustable and more reminiscent of a heavier moun

taineering boot. It balances the light and agile feel of a trail running shoe with the support and protection you want from a hiking boot. It’s thoughtfully designed with Scarpa’s latest technology that translates to a boot that can tackle any trail without tiring out your feet with excess bulk

and weight. MSRP: $239. Us.scarpa.com

(Kyle Merritt)

The reimagined Eagles Nest Outfitters (ENO) SingleNest and DoubleNest ham mock series underwent a rigorous design analysis of the supply chain, materials, hardware, construc tion, customer feed back, and point-ofpurchase strategy to ensure that not only are they being respon sibly made, but that they hold their place as the industryleading adventure-ready hammock. “We focused our innovation efforts on materials and construction by developing a dura ble, bluesign-approved fabric, improving features, and crafting hammock-specific hardware to differentiate them as truly

I put this lightweight (2 lbs.), durable, and roomy tent to the test on a week-long wilderness river rafting trip this summer. Nature threw sand, heavy wind, and rain at it, and my dog threw up inside the tent one night after enjoying too many treats from plates of tasty river grub. (I easily cleaned up the tent in the river in the morning and it doesn’t smell bad at all!) This tent checked all the boxes

unique products,” said ENO’s product team director, Ryan Klinger. “The rede sign gave us an opportunity to refresh our color and artwork palette; it’s inspired by the diversity of our cus tomers’ lifestyles and the natural landscapes of our planet, and we hope these new hammocks encour age users to get outside.”

The classic ENO ham mock relaunch includes several new cool features: a crinkle treatment for a softer feel, an extended hammock length, a new inter nal stash pocket, refreshed hardware like a side-release buckle, and more. MSRP: SingleNest, $54.95; DoubleNest: $74.95. Eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com (OTO)

for me: it’s easy to set up, is super light, seems to be strong and well made, ventilat ed well, keeps bugs and water out, and is a pretty good deal price-wise, especially since it comes with a ground cloth. It’s a front-entry tent with a roomy vestibule and has a unique, easy-to-use and solid cross-hook design for attaching the aluminum poles to the tent. MSRP: $224.95 Naturehike.com. (Derrick Knowles)

If fall to you means elk bugling and the start of the archery, muzzle loader, or modern hunting season, the General Store in Spokane is your headquar ters for quality camo hunt ing gear. While the General Store has a wide range of brands and options from shirts, jackets, pants, hats, gloves, and more, one of the coolest offerings this season is the new Realtree EDGE, the first camo pattern that allows hunters to blend into their hunting environment

at close range, thanks to natural elements arranged in a way to disrupt the human form. The water proof, insulated Whitetail Jacket with a fleece lining is quiet and warm, with under arm vents for added breath ability for comfortable sitting or stalking (MSRP: $172.99). Check out the General Store’s huge camo and hunt ing gear selection at the Spokane location at 2424 N Division Street. Generalstorespokane.com (Derrick Knowles)

When I pulled this thing out of the box, I knew this was unlike any flashlight I’ve ever owned. It feels substantial and big (just over a foot long), crazy high powered, and is made from strong aircraft-grade aluminum. It comes in 5,000, 2,550, and 850 lumens versions, all of which will light up the night as far as you would want to see. The 5,000 lumens version has a 200-meter beam distance. This flashlight has an adjustable beam and

can run for two hours at full strength. It also comes with three lighting strength modes. To help reduce battery waste, the Infinity is dualpowered with two power cores, one that takes nine AA batteries and a second USB-A cable recharge able power core that also dou bles as a backup power battery for other devices. MSRP: $89.00. Infinityx1.com (Wil Wheaton)

The Arcade tagline, “change the way you think about belts,” is pretty damn accu rate. I own three of these belts in various styles and can’t go back. As the pack aging accurately says, these belts are comfortable, dura ble, and functional; basical ly everything my old thrift store leather belts were not. I wear mine with belt-looped board shorts in the water all summer and with my few pairs of nice pants for the occasional work

meeting, and pretty much everywhere else too. Made with stretchy, washable web bing material with low-pro file plastic buckles, these belts are light, adjustable, and come in an incred ible number of styles. Pick one up locally at Spokane Alpine Haus, Shred Sports, Rambleraven Gear Trader, and other regional outdoor gear shops. MSRP: $31.95$34.95. Arcadebelts.com. (Derrick Knowles)

SCARPA

ENO

DOUBLENEST HAMMOCK SERIES

ARCADE STRETCH BELT

REALTREE

I love our dog, but damn she sheds a ton of fur for a short-haired mutt. It gets on our blankets, on fleece jackets and base layers, and all over our camper van. The FurZapper Glove is a creative tool for easily removing excess fur from your pet before it ends up all over your favorite sweater. My dog seems to enjoy these fur-removing petting sessions, and I’m sure most sociable cats would approve too. Once the removed fur builds up on the 2,000 soft bristles that line the double-sided glove, it’s easily cleaned by peeling off the fur and then rins ing the glove under water.

MSRP: $12.99. Furzapper.com (Derrick Knowles)

Heading out on fall road trips, hunting adventures, or winter ski and snowboard outings, it’s nice to know you can jump start your own vehicle if your bat tery decides to give out in a remote spot. This 1,000-Amp lithium-ion jump starter and power bank will get all cars and most trucks and RVs roll ing again in no time. The battery pack holds a charge for 365 days. Once fully

A super-light, 203-gram, all-mountain pole choice for fast, weight-conscious hikers and alpine climbers on approach. This folding carbon pole features the newly-designed Cross Shark grip that com bines the power transfer benefits of Leki’s Shark system and an ergonom ic, open-pored foam support surface with a wide range of grip ping options. If you’re not familiar with the Shark system, this bit of trekking pole

The Sport is Go Sun’s fastest solar oven that can cook a meal for a couple of people in 20 minutes under direct sun, or a little bit lon ger with partial sun. Just set up the oven, prepare your food for cooking, and you can bake, steam, or roast many foods by the

powered, you can connect the battery ter minals, wait for the green light, and start your vehicle without need ing to flag down assistance or wait for a tow truck. You can even plug it directly into your vehicle’s 12V cigarette lighter port and start your rig without getting out under the hood. It has a built-in light too as an added safe ty feature. MSRP: $119.95 Cobra.com. (Wil Wheaton)

magic allows you to connect and dis connect to the poles quickly and easily with a glove-like hand strap system made from breathable mesh. The beauty of this system is that it allows you to relax your hand muscles without sacri ficing power and control. As I get older, my fingers and joints don’t tolerate a trek king pole death grip like they used to. The Cross Trail poles break down to a 42-cm. pack size for easy stowing when not in use. MSRP: $234.11. Leki.com (Derrick Knowles)

power of the sun. The design is light and compact enough to fit eas ily into your camp kitchen set up, and it makes a great emergency cooking oven in case of a prolonged power outage. The Sport heats up to 550°F, which gives it amazing cooking power.

MSRP: $199. Gosun.co (Wil Wheaton)

LEKI

OUTDOOR ED

BY TABITHA GREGORY

INLAND NORTHWEST UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES are producing the next generation of natural resource practitioners, land managers, and outdoor leaders who will shape the way forests, parks, and waterways are protected and managed. Gonzaga, Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, Whitworth University and Spokane Community College each offer different takes on what today’s students will need in terms of knowledge, experience, and ethics as they step into their careers during an era of climate change, increased demand for public land recreation, and acrimonious policy disputes. While each school approaches the responsibility of preparing students for these challenges differently, they all agree that an academic education must be paired with real-world experiences and field work, and all are attempting, through evolved courses, organizations, and degree programs, to focus students’ attention on broader environmental and public service missions.

LOCAL UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE OUTDOOR ED PROGRAMS

Gonzaga, a private Spokane-based university, offers degrees in Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies within its College of Arts & Sciences. Brian Henning, a professor and director of the school’s new Center for Climate, Society and the Environment, describes the programs as highly interdisciplinary and says that the programs reflect the school’s Jesuit tradition—students must study philosophy, ethics, and religion as well as

science. He says, “We lean into social justice and hope students leave with a concern for the common good.” Along with classroom studies, students engage in practicums and internships. Recently, students have taught climate change in local elementary schools and mapped heat zones for the City of Spokane.

At WSU, a public university headquartered in Pullman, students major in Earth Science, Environmental and Ecosystem Science, Forestry, Wildlife Ecology, and Conservation Sciences — all housed in the School of the Environment, a merger of formerly separate disciplines. Director Allyson Beall King says the programs are more integrated than in the past. “Big ideas are discovered and conceived of when students and professors come together at the intersections of disciplines,” she says. Students at WSU also engage in hands-on field work. For example, 2022 Ph.D. grad, Kayla Wakulich, who now works for Utah Open Lands, spent much time planting, measuring, tracking, and monitoring local creek restoration.

Eastern, a public university located in Cheney, offers a degree in Outdoor Recreation Leadership through the College of Health Science and Public Health. According to director Jeremy Jostad, students learn to manage people and recreational activities occurring in outdoor spaces. He says the program is heavy on experiential education, with much of the learning taking place in the field (think backpacking, whitewater boating, and mountaineering).

Classroom study is also required. Katrin Ferraro, a 2022 graduate and the Director of Outdoor Recreation & Ski School at Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, says that along with the skills-

EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS LEARN WHITEWATER RAFT GUIDE TECHNIQUES.

PHOTO: JEREMY JOSTAD

BELOW: EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A WINTER CAMPING CLASS NEAR LOOKOUT PASS

PHOTO: KATRIN FERRARO //

based courses she took classes in diversity and social justice, statistics, and budgeting and was required to conduct research and write academic papers.

Whitworth University and Spokane Community College, both located in Spokane, also offer environmental science, environmental studies, and natural resources management degrees.

GENERATION Z LEADERS ARE IMPRESSING THEIR PREDECESSORS

Recent graduates from Inland Northwest schools have already taken their seats in agencies, non-profits, and private industry. Many of these new professionals are members of the so-called Generation Z, and, according to their professors, they are passionate about their work and concerned for the future of the planet and humanity. “We’re seeing students who want to solve the world’s problems,” says Gonzaga’s Henning. Beall King of WSU adds, “They are kinder, compassionate, and interested in diversity.”

Carrie Herrman, a 2017 Gonzaga graduate and current Outreach Director for Washington-based Save our Wild Salmon, says she believes that her education—especially the work she did for the campus community garden and an environmental organization— prepared her for the real world. She says, “I learned to ask the right questions, become a better communicator, and lead others through community initiatives and projects.”

Other students agree that their practicums allowed them to develop proficiencies they’ve put to use in their first career jobs. They honed teaching and decision-making skills, collaborated, worked on teams, and managed group dynamics—all skills they say have proven critical in their environmental and outdoor workplaces.

BIG CHALLENGES LIE AHEAD OVER NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Educators at the Inland Northwest universities say their graduates will be responsible for managing extraordinarily complex and intractable environmental and social challenges. Among the toughest: navigating a growing divide between traditional land-conservationists and climate activists; leading the nation in adapting to and mitigating climate change; finding ways to change public behaviors; and creating meaningful opportunities for a growing and more diverse public in an increasingly crowded natural world. The new professionals forecast that solutions to climate change and related issues such as water supply, habitat, and conflicting uses will be their generation’s holy grail and will be complicated by social and environmental injustice and on-going political strife.

THE FUTURE OF THE OUTDOOR REC AND NATURAL RESOURCE WORKFORCE

Many graduates from the Inland Northwest’s colleges and university natural resource and outdoor recreation programs go on to graduate and law school. Others join consulting and engineering firms, non-profits, legislative offices, government agencies, recreation companies and leisure businesses. Ryan Griffith, a supervisor with the City of Spokane’s Parks and Recreation Department, says his agency has hired many outdoor students from both Eastern and Gonzaga into both temporary and full-time positions and applauds the programs. Even so, the speed with which newly minted professionals are finding work and the level of job security and compensation varies greatly and does not appear to be commensurate with current demands and the level of influence they’ll have on critical global resources and issues.

Gonzaga’s Herrman observes, “There are jobs in my field, and the Environmental Studies Department at Gonzaga was constantly sharing our job postings.” She shares that it can be hard to find a job without the university’s assistance. Other graduates indicated that it took advanced degrees, acquisition of additional certifications, several years of seasonal, nomadic, or part-time work, relocating, and/or a lucky break to land full-time jobs with salaries and benefits sufficient to support themselves and their families. With current cost of living trends and the time it takes to land a secure, full-time position, some young graduates—like their peers in other fields—are delaying starting families and buying houses. If compensation doesn’t grow along with the challenges and demands, the field risks losing out on highly educated, skilled, and driven people.

Even faced with daunting professional challenges and personal economic realities, Inland Northwest alumni are enthusiastic, optimistic, and expect to remain in their chosen fields for the long term. Wakulich of WSU says emphatically, “I know I'm in the right field, and I know I will work in it for the rest of my life,” and Eastern’s Ferraro says, “Yes! Absolutely,” that she expects to stay in this field for her career.

As Baby Boomers and Generation X leaders exit the workforce, Generation Z professionals will increasingly take the drivers’ seats. Brian Henning suggests that senior professionals usher in the next generation by making space for them and transferring knowledge. He offers, “This and future generations will be solving problems you’ve laid groundwork for. You won’t complete these things—they will.”

Allyson Beall King, at WSU, is hopeful for the future of the natural environment and public lands because of advances in science, knowledge, and technology, and also because of this generation’s attributes. “I want to see the world when they’re in charge.” //

Tabitha Gregory is the author of the non-fiction book “Valdez Rises: One Town’s Struggle for Survival After the Great Alaska Earthquake.” She wrote about small town museums in the July-August issue of Out There and at outthereoutdoors.com.

Rolling into the best days of the season

This guide includes many but not all of the outdoor recreation, wildlife, and land conser vation organizations and public lands agencies represented in Eastern Washington, North Idaho, and Northeast Oregon. Support them, get involved, and support our public lands!

Outdoor Recreation Groups

MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL ORGANIZATIONS

These organizations build and maintain Inland Northwest mountain bike trails with volun teers and advocate for mountain biking access on public lands. Help them clear some trails and dig some dirt!

EVERGREEN EAST, Spokane, Wash.

LAKE CITY TRAIL ALLIANCE, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

MOSCOW AREA MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION, Moscow, Idaho

PEND OREILLE PEDALERS, Sandpoint, Idaho

HIKING/BACKCOUNTRY TRAIL GROUPS

Hiking and backcountry trail organizations help remove downed trees and maintain trails

near major towns and in backcountry areas for hikers, equestrians, trail runners, and moun tain bikers with a mostly volunteer work force. Lend a hand!

BACKCOUNTRY HORSEMEN INLAND EMPIRE CHAPTER, Spokane, Wash.

IDAHO TRAILS ASSOCIATION, North Idaho

PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL ASSOCIATION, Northeast WA / North Idaho / Western Montana

SELWAY BITTERROOT FRANK CHURCH FOUNDATION, Missoula, Mont.

WASHINGTON TRAILS ASSOCIATION, Spokane, Wash.

BIKING / WALKING TRAILS & RAIL TRAIL GROUPS

These organizations look after our region’s incredible, long paved and gravel trails and rail trails and help raise funds for improvements, maintenance, and expansions.

FRIENDS OF THE CENTENNIAL TRAIL, Spokane, Wash.

FRIENDS OF THE TRAIL OF THE COEUR D’ALENES, Wallace, Idaho

NORTH IDAHO CENTENNIAL TRAIL FOUNDATION, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

PALOUSE TO CASCADES TRAIL COALITION, Winthrop, Wash.

OUTDOOR CLUBS

These clubs don’t just climb, hike, and ride on our public lands and trails; they give back to the places where they play with hours of volunteering!

BAUER CLIMBING COALITION, Spokane, Wash.

SPOKANE BICYCLE CLUB, Spokane, Wash. SPOKANE MOUNTAINEERS, Spokane, Wash.

Conservation Organizations

LAND TRUSTS

These non-profit organizations help private landowners protect their rural farms and forests from future development with conservation easements. Some land trusts also raise funds to help purchase private land for wildlife, recreation access, and open space that they either man age themselves or transfer to public lands agencies. Support your local land trust!

INLAND NORTHWEST LAND CONSERVANCY, Spokane, Wash. KANIKSU LAND TRUST, Sandpoint, Idaho PALOUSE LAND TRUST, Moscow, Idaho

Save the Sandpoint Sled Hill

FOR DECADES, the Pine Street Sled Hill was the unofficial community outdoor recreation hub for families in the Sandpoint area. Over the years, the landowners generously shared their space with the public to ski and go sledding on the conspicuous hill that drew generations of community members.

In recent years, the sled hill was closed to the public and the property was put up for sale. Set along Pine Street Loop, this par cel includes 48 acres of forest, meadows, a large pond, a historic homestead, and, most notably, the sled hill. Located adjacent to the Pine Street Woods community forest, which is owned and managed by Kaniksu Land Trust (KLT), the property has been on the organization’s wish list for a long time.

When news spread that Friends of Kaniksu Land Trust was under contract to purchase the historic sled hill, it seemed that the trust had closed the deal. Yet, the property remains unsecured. It is not fully protected until KLT is able to purchase it outright, and now there is time for planning and fundraising around that goal.

KLT has already received contributions toward the purchase of this historic property, giving the land trust a great kick start. The combined cost of the property and establish ment costs are $2.1 million, leaving about $850,000 left to raise by November of 2023.

The property location lends a new poten tial access point for the Syringa Trails net work, enhanced educational programs including KLT’s Kaniksu Folk School which offers classes on traditional crafts and music,

and a dedicated home for programs and operations of Kaniksu Lumber. The goal of Kaniksu Lumber is to grow and man age healthy forests in a sustainable way, mill wood products that benefit the com munity, and encourage the community to come full-circle with their relationship to using natural resources via education and use of milling byproducts such as wood shavings.

KLT’s interest in the property is rooted in the desire to conserve the rural values of the West Pine neighborhood and support creative opportunities for use that will foster an ethic of land stewardship and sustain ability. Prime for conservation, education, and recreation, this parcel acquisition will augment the community benefits of Pine Street Woods.

“This is such a win for our community, we are so grateful for the support of our partners. What we have needed all along the way is time, so having the property under contract now gives us that,” exclaimed Katie Cox, KLT executive director.

KLT’s future vision for the property includes reopening the sledding hill, estab lishing a home on the property for trails and programs, and preserving the rural quali ties and open space of this scenic homestead property.

Anyone interested in preserving this spe cial place for future generations can donate to the “Save The Sled Hill” campaign or learn more at Kaniksu.org/savethesledhill.

PARKS/NATURAL AREA ADVOCACY

Our city, county, and regional parks don’t always have the funding needed to take care of all of the trail and park maintenance and programs. These organizations help fill that gap by rais ing funds and providing volunteer labor. Some even advocate on behalf of the parks, access, and wildlife.

SPOKANE PARKS FOUNDATION, Spokane, Wash. DISHMAN HILLS CONSERVANCY, Spokane Valley, Wash. FRIENDS OF THE BLUFF, Spokane, Wash. FRIENDS OF THE LITTLE PEND OREILLE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, Colville, Wash. FRIENDS OF THE LITTLE SPOKANE RIVER VALLEY, Spokane, Wash. FRIENDS OF THE PEND D’OREILLE BAY TRAIL, Sandpoint, Idaho FRIENDS OF TURNBULL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, Cheney, Wash. RIVERSIDE STATE PARK FOUNDATION, Spokane, Wash.

WILDLIFE/WILDLANDS/RIVER & LAKE CONSERVATION GROUPS

These non-profit organizations turn donations and volunteer time from people like you into advocacy and education for our region’s amazing public lands, wildlife, lakes and rivers. Find ones that advocate for your favorite places or critters and support them!

AUDUBON SOCIETY SPOKANE CHAPTER, Spokane, Wash. CONSERVATION NORTHWEST, staff across Washington FRIENDS OF THE CLEARWATER, Moscow, Idaho FRIENDS OF SCOTCHMAN PEAKS WILDERNESS, Sandpoint, Idaho GREATER HELLS CANYON COUNCIL, La Grande, Ore.

IDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE, Sandpoint, Idaho IDAHO RIVERS UNITED, Boise, Idaho KETTLE RANGE CONSERVATION GROUP, Republic, Wash. KOOTENAI ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

LAKE PEND OREILLE WATERKEEPER, Sandpoint, Idaho NIMIIPUU PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, Lapwai, Idaho OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS ALLIANCE, Tonasket, Wash. ROCK CREEK ALLIANCE, Sandpoint, Idaho SAVE OUR WILD SALMON, Spokane, Wash.

SELKIRK CONSERVATION ALLIANCE, Priest River, Idaho SPOKANE FALLS TROUT UNLIMITED, Spokane, Wash. SPOKANE RIVER FORUM, Spokane, Wash. SPOKANE RIVERKEEPER, Spokane, Wash.

THE LANDS COUNCIL, Spokane, Wash.

HUNTING/FISHING/CONSERVATION

These two conservation organizations, largely made up of hunters and anglers, have an active presence in the Inland Northwest. Both help with fish and wildlife habitat conserva tion projects on the ground and advocate on behalf of public lands, wildlife, and responsible hunting and fishing policy.

BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS & ANGLERS, chapters across North America including active members in Spokane and North Idaho INLAND NW WILDLIFE COUNCIL, Spokane, Wash.

Public Land Management Agencies

FEDERAL LANDS

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR —The DOI manages National Parks, National Monuments, National Recreation Areas, and National Preserves.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT —The BLM is part of the DOI and manages one eighth of the country’s land mass, including local natural areas like Fishtrap Recreation Area and Escure Ranch.

UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE —The USFS is an agency of the Department of Agriculture that manages vast swaths of public forests including the Colville and Idaho Panhandle national forests.

UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE —The USFW manages lands reserved for fish, wildlife, and their habitats, including Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge and the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge.

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS —The USACE manages federal engineering projects and also provides plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities, including camping areas and watersports access at local places like Chief Joseph Dam and Lake Pend Oreille.

WILDERNESS AREAS —The highest level of protection for any federally-managed land that prohibits development, motorized vehicles and equipment, and mountain bikes. Local Wilderness areas include the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (Forest Service) and Juniper Dunes Wilderness (on BLM land).

STATE LANDS

Each state in the Northwest has agencies that manage state lands, wildlife, and habitat, including the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Idaho Fish & Game.

STATE PARKS

Washington State Parks (WSP) and Idaho State Parks manage state lands for recreation, wildlife, and educational experiences. Local examples include Riverside State Park and Mount Spokane State Park in Washington and Farragut State Park and the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes in Idaho.

LOCAL LANDS

Many county and city governments throughout the Northwest protect and conserve parks, trail systems, open space, and wildlife habitats, including Spokane County Conservation Futures program properties like Micah Peak and Antione Peak, and City of Spokane parks including Camp Sekani and High Drive Bluff Park.

TRIBAL LANDS

Several regional Native American Tribes continue to take care of portions of their traditional homelands and fish and wildlife, providing hunting, fishing, gathering, and recreation opportunities for tribal members and in some cases non-tribal members. (OTO)

Editor’s note: To be a part of the 2023 Out There Outdoors Public Lands issue, contact us at derrick@outtheremonthly.com.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PLACES WE LOVE

BY OLIVIA DUGENET

Indian Creek Community Forest

IN 2012, the Kalispel Natural Resources Department began man aging a 410-acre forest just south of the Kalispel Tribe’s reservation in Pend Oreille County (about an hour north of Spokane). The Tribe’s primary goal for this property is to create a thriving habitat benefiting native fish and wildlife. Additionally, the Tribe sees this land as an oppor tunity for forestry education and demonstrations and named it Indian Creek Community Forest (ICCF). This community forest will serve as an educational resource for local landowners to learn more about the plants and trees on their proper ties and how they can help make their forests more resilient to dis ease and wildfire. The signs at the community forest include Kalispel language and information regarding culturally-significant aspects of the natural world.

Forests are the defining feature of our watershed’s landscape, yet few

BY MIKE LITHGOW

who reap the benefits of visiting a for est have an intimate awareness of the many wonders at work. A stronger sense of place and our place within it will naturally follow by welcoming community and encouraging con nection within a living, working for est. The ICCF serves as a civic space that connects people to the natural world and will strengthen social and cultural connections within the com munity. The forest provides a refuge from the fast-paced world. The con nections made in the forest can lead to thoughtful stewardship and under standing of our surroundings.

For the ICCF to provide these unique experiences, it needed a trail system to help users navigate the property effectively. To do that, the Natural Resource Department called upon its long-time partner, Holly Weiler of the Washington Trails Association (WTA). Holly is a true professional who has helped in all phases of trail development. The

first trail that was created is a small loop trail that focuses on native plants and trees. The second trail that WTA staff and volunteers are developing is a larger loop trail focusing on forest and stream health and land manage ment techniques.

Without the support of our part ners, the ICCF would not exist. U.S. Forest Service, Bonneville Power Administration, and Kalispel Tribal funds were all necessary to acquire the property, and that was just the beginning. The National Parks Service, Department of Natural Resources, Eastern Washington University, Washington State University, and WTA all stepped up in significant ways to help the Tribe plan and implement the development of the community forest.

As the ICCF continues to grow and takes shape, keep an eye out for opportunities to participate and learn at Knrd.org/portfolio/indian-creekcommunity-forest.

THERE’S A PRETTY PLACE along a bend in the Little Spokane River near my house. My dog and I have been going there for years to swim. Lately, crowds of people have been discovering this tucked-away spot, and I find more and more trash abandoned on that peaceful riverbank. At some point, my dog stopped swimming because he was too distracted by the open cans of chili, marshmallows, and dirty diapers stashed in the bushes.

I finally got mad and self-righteous, put on some gloves, stomped down the trail and shoved some guy’s discarded under wear, empty potato chip bags, and dozens of bottles and cans into some large bags. I took those bags home and overfilled my own trash and recycle bins.

I have continued to clean up at least a couple of times every summer, and I’m not as mad about it anymore. The project has become an act of caring that connects me with this specific liv ing place, which is inclined toward balance and in need of some help. My project has even changed my relationship to all those anonymous garbage-leavers—confused creatures fouling their own nests. I guess they need help, too. The land, the garbageleavers, and I are part of the same community, and my choices matter.

This is Environmental Care Ethics—a relational approach to understanding our connection to land. Unlike traditional ethics, Care Ethics is more concerned with action than a conceptual notion of right versus wrong. It’s more about responsibility than obligation. When trying to understand social problems that harm our natural world, it can be interesting to work out logi cal theories about why people are destructive and how to make them stop, but theories don’t move garbage. This fall, find a spot you love and work to clean it up, even if you’re a little grumpy at first. You may be surprised at how your relationship to that place and the people who use it evolves.

TRAIL BUILDING AT THE INDIAN CREEK COMMUNITY FOREST. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE KALISPEL TRIBE OF INDIANS

Evolution of a Land Trust

BY DAVE SCHAUB

WE HAVE AN ABUNDANCE of nature in the Inland Northwest, and we love living here in part because of our beautiful surroundings: mountains, lakes, rivers, prairies, rocks, forests, wetlands, and trails. The Inland Northwest has an abundance of natural lands and waterways that we are able to enjoy for outdoor recreation. We run ourselves ragged trying to make the most of all that surrounds us. To maintain public access in the future, it’s best to know how those places became protected in the first place and where the future of those protected places may go.

It’s easy to take these community assets for granted—to forget that this trail, that forest, this stretch of a river may or may not remain in its current, natural, undeveloped state in the future. Thankfully, there is a range of entities across our region that man age lands and waters for the public good. City, county, and state parks departments, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Idaho Fish and Game, and several other agencies watch over many of the places we love to visit. However, one thing we know about these natural spaces

is that “they ain’t making any more of ‘em.” This is especially concerning with the rapid growth of our communities across the Inland Northwest. So, how can we protect more of the places that we love? How can we steward this natural legacy for those who come next? We need a diverse set of land conservation tools and strategies.

For the last 30 years, the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy (INLC) has been quietly working behind the scenes to protect and steward lands in our region. INLC, a nationally-accredited land trust, has a strong track record of helping private landowners and agencies conserve natural spaces across our region, racking up an impressive 23,000 acres of land protected since 1991. We work in addition to and sometimes with some of the aforementioned agencies to protect these natural places through policy work, land acquisition, conservation agreements and more.

In recent years, INLC has increased its pace of work and diversified its strategies to emphasize public land protection. In other words, while the organization continues to help private landowners put permanent conservation agreements in place on their

lands, it is also now owning and managing its own lands for public benefit. In some instances, INLC plans to remain the longterm landowner, and in other circumstances, it is transferring the land into public hands. The recently completed Rimrock to Riverside project to expand Palisades Park and connect it for wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts to Riverside State Park in Spokane is a good example of this strategy to add more conserved lands into public ownership. The upcoming Saltese Uplands Addition project with Spokane County Parks is another such project. The popular Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve, on the other hand, is an example of a space INLC will own and manage as a public preserve for recreation access and habitat enhancement, including rehabilitating the riverbanks, planting healthy native trees and shrubs, rehabbing trails, and more.

As our region continues to grow, INLC will continue to evolve and work for a future of interconnected natural habitats that support thriving populations of native plants and wildlife for all of us who call this region home to enjoy. Learn more about the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy at Inlandnwland.org. //

Dave Schaub is the Executive Director of the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy.

BOOK READING

HALCYON JOURNEY: IN SEARCH OF THE BELTED KINGFISHER BY NATURALIST MARINA RICHIE

MARINA RICHIE'S PURSUIT of the Belted Kingfisher is one of curiosity and kinship with a wild, creek-side community in Missoula, Mont. The first book to feature North America's beloved bird of waterways, Halcyon Journey threads natural history, memoir, and myth. Richie is a nature writer based in Bend, Ore. She is the author of two children's books: Bird Feats of Montana and Bug Feats of Montana. Her work appears in many publications including Birdwatching Magazine, National Wildlife, and Audubon. She pens a bi-monthly nature blog at marinarichie.com.

Richie will read from her book Halcyon Journey on September 20 at the New Moon Art Gallery, 1326 E. Sprague Ave, Spokane, Wash. The gallery opens at 6 p.m. with refreshments and the reading begins at 7 p.m. The event is sponsored by the New Moon Art Gallery and the Spokane Audubon Society. (Sam Mace)

BOOK REVIEW

THE MINISTRY FOR THE FUTURE

The Ministry for the Future, a novel by Kim Stanley Robinson, starts off with a pandemic and a heat wave. Sound familiar?

Unlike some of the other climate fiction I have read recently—Blackfish City, Oryx and Crake, and Parable for the Sower— Robinson creates a world based on our present climate situation and builds a realistic vision of our near future. He covers everything from politics and culture to economics and ecology. Throughout the novel, individuals, nations and the planet grapple with the chaotic and devastating effects of a warming climate. Along with the main characters, the novel highlights a variety of voices from across the globe as they navigate the effects and, more importantly, the solutions to climate change. Although you need to commit to a long read (or listen), this book is perhaps the most important look at our near future that I’ve read.

(Adam Gebauer)

Honoring a River’s Journey

BY ADAM GEBAUER

OUR COMMUNITY asks a lot from our river. It is the reason the bands of the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene tribes have gathered, fished, and lived in this region for time immemorial. It is the reason we have the city of Spokane. It has removed our waste and drained our stormwater. It provides recreation, scenic beauty, and character to our city and region. Although great strides have been taken to protect the water quality and quantity, there are still many challeng es to maintaining a swimmable, fishable, drinkable Spokane River.

CELEBRATING THE CLEAN WATER ACT

Early on a rainy, chilly June Saturday, about a dozen hardy folks clad in rain gear and life jackets gathered around canoes on the banks of Lake Coeur d’Alene for the first of several legs to journey the entire 111-mile Spokane River. This journey was organized by the Spokane Riverkeeper to honor all that the Spokane River gives to the com munity. This year is the anniversary of a milestone for the protection of water in

this country. Fifty years ago, the Nixon administration passed the Clean Water Act, creating a legal structure to regulate the dis charge of pollution into U.S. waterways and setting standards for what constitutes clean water. This act is unique in its inception in that it allows citizens to hold polluters accountable.

With that milestone in mind, this year’s Spokane River journey had an added signifi cance. Another goal was to join with partners and lovers of the river to sign the Universal Declaration for the Rights of Rivers. This is an initiative to define the basic rights of riv ers. This declaration has support from over 200 organizations in 40 countries and looks forward to new laws that will help protect our waterways. The declaration states that rivers have the right to: flow, be restored, be free from pollution, feed and be fed by sus tainable aquifers, perform essential ecosys tem functions, and have the right to native biodiversity.

During this float of the upper eight miles, conversation soon turned to stories of other

river journeys—a few days floating here, rafting there, and rivers trips wished for. This section of the Spokane was once home to numerous timber yards and now is prime real estate for waterfront houses. The flotilla got an up-close look at some of the impacts to our river, paddling right up to stormwater outlets. Some were flowing heavily, causing sediment to be flushed into the river while others with vegetated swales retained much of the stormwater and reduced sediment loads.

LONG HISTORY OF POLLUTION

Jerry White Jr. and Katie Thompson, Spokane Riverkeepers, note that the Spokane River had many historic pollutants, including heavy metals of zinc, cadmium, and lead from mining in the Silver Valley, sawdust and creosote from timber mills, raw sewage, and hydrocarbons from dry-cleaning operations in downtown. Although there have been many successes in mitigating these pollutants, there are still impacts from these legacy pollutants.

With all the rain this spring, it was visually stunning to see the impacts that agriculture has on Hangman Creek and the Spokane. Due to the lack of vegetative buffers, during rain events these rivers run brown from agricultural runoff. An EWU study found that thousands of pounds of phosphorous enter the Spokane from Hangman Creek. In warm, still water, this can lead to toxic algal blooms like those that occurred last summer.

PROTECTION

There are silver linings to improving the Spokane River. The Riverkeeper settled a lawsuit with the EPA that holds the WA Department of Ecology accountable for cleaning up Hangman Creek. The Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, and Colville tribes have released adult and juvenile salmon in order to study their survival above Grand Coulee Dam. The Spokane City Council passed a drought ordinance to protect flows in the Spokane. There is also the formation of a Spokane watershed lead entity that could receive funds from the Governor's Salmon Recovery Office to perform restoration work throughout the watershed.

Rivers are dynamic systems, and, accord ing to Jerry White, so is this first 2022 “prototype” Spokane River Journey. So far this season, the Spokane River Journey has SUPed and canoed from upriver dam to downtown Spokane, spent two days floating Lake Spokane with member of tribal canoe families, rafted the rapids of Bowl and Pitcher, and, as of this writ ing, planned a community tube float from Redband Park in Peaceful Valley to TJ Meenach. The Riverkeeper hopes the journey will occur on a seasonal basis and gather many members of the Spokane River community to celebrate all the various aspects of the river. Learn more at Spokaneriverkeeper.org. //

PROGRESS

Your Fall Get-A-Way

Moses Lake has fun activities for the entire family. Enjoy a day boating along Moses Lake or hiking one of the local trails. Spend the day sampling wine from one of the local wineries. Or do both!

And when the sun goes down, we have you covered with unique night spots to hang out and enjoy the friends you’ve brought with you, or hang with the locals.

First Adult Salmon Return to Hangman Creek Since 1908

A FEMALE SPRING Chinook salmon released in 2020 in upper Hangman Creek near Tensed, Idaho, has returned to the Upper Columbia River where she will be transported around dams lacking fish passage and returned to her natal stream. Once there, she will be the first adult Chinook salmon to return to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s territory in over 100 years.

To date, two adults from this release have returned from the ocean to the Columbia River. The original release group in which she was raised included just over 1,400 PIT-tagged smolts (raised in the ‘nik’wln Research Facility, in Plummer, Idaho) and were about 4½ -5.0 inches in length at their release.

The return of this adult, and her sibling, who made it past Wells Dam, proves that even under current conditions in the blocked area upstream of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dam, salmon can navigate their passage to and from home. As a juvenile, this

fish successfully migrated through five dams with no juvenile fish passage, and through over 150 miles of reservoir before she even made it to the current anadromous zone in the Columbia River. She then successfully overcame the rest of her journey to the ocean. After avoiding commercial and sport fishing in the ocean, she made the migration back upstream in the Columbia River through additional sport and tribal harvest efforts to ultimately make it as far as she could under her own power to the base of Chief Joseph Dam, which wasn’t built with upstream fish passage.

Thomas Biladeau, anadromous project lead for the Tribe, stresses that “Salmon such as these that start and end their journey in Hangman Creek are subject to more sources of mortality than any other fish originating from habitats in the blocked area. This return provides the most profound proof of concept for salmon reintroduction to date.” (OTO)

RECOVERING AMERICA’S WILDLIFE ACT

According to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), nearly one million species worldwide are at risk of extinction, and one-third of all U.S. wildlife species are already imperiled or vulnerable. Habitat loss, climate change, invasive species, disease, and severe weather have all taken a severe toll on birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, and bees. All types of wildlife are declining—in many cases dramatically. If there’s hope of saving thousands of at-risk species, this bi-partisan piece of legislation that would invest in collaborative, on-the-ground solutions that match the magnitude of the wildlife crisis may be it.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will help at-risk wildlife before they decline to the point of needing protection under the Endangered Species Act by providing states, territories, and tribes with $1.39 billion annually to implement proactive efforts to restore habitat. The bill would also help recover species that are already listed as threatened or endangered. NWF warns that the rapid decline of so many species of wildlife and the habitats they depend on consequently threatens Americans’ quality of life and our outdoor recreation economy, which they note contributes $887 billion to our national economy annually and creates 7.6 million direct jobs. Learn more and take action at Nwf.org.

TRIBAL MEMBER VINCE PEONE, FAR LEFT, MOMENTS BEFORE HE PLACES A SALMON INTO HANGMAN CREEK.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COEUR D’ALENE TRIBE.

Recreation and Climage Change

BY JEAN ARTHUR

FOR SEVERAL SUMMERS, my family and I hiked deep into the backcountry of Glacier National Park in northwest Montana to look for pikas and mountain goats. As part of the park’s volunteer Citizen Science program, we helped document species impacted by climate change, specifically, snows receding earlier each spring and accruing later each fall in the 1.2-million-acre park.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK PIKA ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE

One remarkable event documented on our family’s citizens science outings: none of the volunteers during recent summers’ hikes found evidence of pika dens near Sperry Chalet, yet historically, pika, a relative of rabbits and hares, lived and raised their babies there. We did, however, find new dens some 175-feet higher in elevation.

According to researchers J. Stewart, D. Wright and K. Heckman in their PLOS ONE article and republished in a park press release, “This cold-adapted species is sensitive to summer heat but also relies

on winter snowpack for insulation from cold winter temperatures. Increasing temperatures or decreasing snowpack could reduce the amount of suitable pika habitat.”

We learned during the citizen science training that pika do not hibernate and instead have tunnels under the snowpack where they’ve stored “hay piles” of wildflowers and grasses, winter feed. When snow melts earlier each spring and no longer cloaks traditional year-round habitat, the pika have a harder time avoiding predators and difficulty staying cool under traditional summer snowpacks that no longer exist. Pika don’t pant. They need snow and cool temperatures below 78 degrees to survive.

Notably, in 2020, temperatures at West Glacier, the small community at the park’s western gate and park headquarters, exceeded 90 degrees 11 days that summer, a temperature once rare in the park.

OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS ARE FACING THEIR OWN CLIMATE CHALLENGES

Outdoor recreationalists are facing their own set of climate change impacts. For

The perfect place to

example, across the Rocky Mountain West, wildfires have become more frequent, average temperatures have increased, and damaged, dirtied waterways suffocate fish and cloud drinking water.

Glacier hikers may recall several previously well-shaded hikes such as the 4-mile route from Going-to-the-Sun Road switchback up to Granite Park Chalet that succumbed to wildfire. Now hikers are exposed to blasting heat on the formerly green corridor. Other trails around the West met similar fate such as once-forested trails that burned in the Kettle River Range in northeast Washington.

The researchers also note that while mammals, including humans, are negatively affected by warming climate, cold-adapted fish such as Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat succumb to heated rivers which have lower oxygen, lower water levels, and increased winter flooding as well as wildfires that burn stabilizing vegetation causing increased debris and sediment in formerly pristine, cold waters.

GLACIER PHOTOS PAINT A GRIM PICTURE

Perhaps the most startling evidence of warming is revealed via the Glacier Repeat Photography projects, which uses images from the earliest years of Glacier’s induction into the park service in 1910.

The photos show the drastic reduction in glaciers such as the famous Sperry Glacier which shrank from 900 acres in 1930 to 215 acres currently. Remarkably, every named glacier in the park lost glacial ice, some by more than 80 percent.

SOLUTIONS

Like many public parks, Glacier’s sustainability program aims to reduce carbon emissions by replacing aging lightbulbs with LED lights, electric vehicles, wind and solar power and shuttle vehicles for employees and visitors. The National Park Service’s Climate Change Response Program provides planning support to manage recreation in a warming climate with science-based approaches such as limiting capacity to public scapes, like Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road’s required reservation system, which allows fewer vehicles per summer day on the historic and scenic route, and provides a better user experience with smaller crowds.

Recreators can demand that land managers adopt effective and consistent planning across agencies’ lands and collaborative decision making and actions associated with climate change adaptation. Currently, coal burning power plants are experiencing a diminished demand for carbon-dioxide-producing dirty energy. Citizens can call for further reductions to coal-fired plants in Montana and Wyoming by contacting the Committee on Energy and Commerce at (202) 225-2927, and asking that the coal mined from the two states cease shipment to China.

Recreators can also plan trips using public shuttle systems, avoid shortcutting switchbacks which causes erosion, use products and clothing that does not pollute or fill the garbage dumps, and, of course, introduce others to the outdoors. //

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#REALVANLIFE

BY SHALLAN KNOWLES

Growing up, I spent most of my summers riding in the back of our grey and maroon 80s-era GMC Get-A-Way camper van as I traveled to craft shows up and down the West Coast with my hardworking mom. It was a dream childhood, without AC. No screens to keep me occupied, seatbelt laws a vague suggestion, and a new town, parks, and trails to explore each week.

I thought I had had my fill of van life and back highway road trips by the time I was an adult, so when I met and married my partner, and he made clear that his dream is essentially an endless “road trip” between bouts of intense work, I was concerned. And when he bought my mom’s old Get-A-Way van over a decade ago, it was easy for me to wish him well as he disappeared for days at a time with his pals on various van adventures

FOUR INLAND NW CLIMBING ROAD TRIPS

BY LOGAN SIEGFORD

I am extremely scared of heights, but I have found a passion for climbing because it pushes me to better myself. Like many of you, I have a full-time job and do not have the privilege of having fun all day everyday. I work so I can first, afford to live, and second, enjoy life by exploring the outdoors. As a weekend warrior, these are some of my favorite climbing destinations close to the Spokane area. Every time I visit them, I find myself discovering new areas and falling in love with how vastly different they are. All these places should be on the agenda for a weekend climbing adventure.

LACLEDE, IDAHO

NUMBER OF ROUTES: 150

TYPE: Trad, sport

DRIVE FROM SPOKANE: 1 hour 20 min.

CAMPING/LODGING: The Mudhole, Riley Creek, Hotels in Sandpoint

FAMILY FRIENDLY: No

This is a lightly-visited climbing area that needs more attention. With a free guide book online and one of Idaho’s only 5.13s, it’s an awesome place to explore! Parts of the crag are located right along the Pend Oreille River and boast beautiful views at the top. The approach is rather steep and hard to find, but well worth it when you find the way. For only having 150 routes, this area seems to have endless areas to explore. Routes here range from 5.7 to 5.13 making for some fun slap to ridiculously hard project routes. The main wall is split up into two parts, which makes for a cool and scary approach. You have to traverse while holding onto a wire to explore the whole wall. This is one of the only crags featured that would be best climbed from late spring to early fall. Temperatures here will be lower for warmer weather fun.

FRENCHMAN COULEE

(AKA Vantage, Wash.)

NUMBER OF ROUTES: 633

TYPE: Sport, trad, boulder

DRIVE FROM SPOKANE : 2 hours

CAMPING: Right at the crag!

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Maybe

Do you like basalt columns? This destina tion is one of the most renowned climbing areas near Spokane. There are a total of 663 climbs, according to Mountain Project (a very useful climbing guide). With route difficulty ranging from 5.5 to 5.12+, you are certain to find an area that will suit your needs. Expect to find tall, well-climbed rocks that will push you to your limits. This area is well used, so you should expect to see other groups climbing alongside you. If you are used to climbing granite as we find more often closer to Spokane, this rock will have a smooth, polished feel. The exposure of climbing in Vantage is comparable to big wall climbing, as there is a vast desert sur rounding you. Vantage can get very hot and is best climbed in the winter, spring, and fall. There are a few hikes around, but most people come here specifically to climb.

throughout the Northwest. Then the pandemic hit.

We sold that old van and replaced it with a new Ford Transit Vandoit campervan (which has AC!!), and we hit the road with our then 5-yearold. We visited out-of-the-way campgrounds and traveled south and then north again. We pined for a visit to Canada and Mexico. We drove through the entrance to Yellowstone National Park and did a u-turn after finding out all of the campgrounds were full and then drove half the night to camp in a giant field on the other side of the Tetons.

We drove long days, found some amazing campsites, made coffee or dinner at rest stops, and sucked as much life out of road-tripping as possible. Work has come back and we have less time to spend chasing swimming holes, desert biking trails, and National Parks, but it has become a way of life for me again that I would never give up now. Some people like road trips just as much as they like coming home. Others could live on the road forever. In this year’s Weekend Road Trips section, we pulled together some adventures that you can pull off with just a fall weekend. But you might want to add a day or two or more on either end to make the most of it.

BANKS LAKE, WASH.

KETTLE VALLEY

NUMBER OF ROUTES: Over 250

TYPE: Trad, sport, top rope, boulder

DRIVE FROM SPOKANE: 3 hours

CAMPING: Camping in the Colville National Forest or at Curlew Lake State Park

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Yes!

Are you looking for a rural trad area with a history? This area started to see climbing back in the early '70s. Most of these old timers climbed with very little gear. In the 1990s, climbers involved with the Curlew Job Corps began bolting and developing the area, so expect stiff grading, preserved rock, and long run outs on sport climbs..

Since this area is a mix of public and private land, users need to obey all no trespassing signs. Many of the routes are trad or mixed routes. While there are many full sport routes, you need to be careful on which route you start so you do not accidentally start a mixed gear route (bring a few pieces of gear just in case). The crag features 5.2-5.12c routes with several multipitch opportunities. With the Kettle River flow ing through the valley, there’s also excellent floating, fishing, and swimming and the Ferry County Rail Trail is nearby.

NUMBER OF ROUTES: 119

TYPE: Sport, trad, boulder, top rope

DRIVE FROM SPOKANE: 1-hour 50min

CAMPING/LODGING: Multiple state park campgrounds, plus hotels in Electric City and Grand Coulee

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Very!

Does the term deep water solo intrigue you? If so, this is the place for you! Granite rock is everywhere surrounding Banks Lake. You will find steep slab, crack, over hang, crimpy, and juggy climbs. This area has it all with routes ranging from 5.65.12a. Banks Lake has multiple routes that are bolted above the water where you need a boat as a belay platform. If you love big wall climbing, there are several multipitch routes that range from 2 to 5 pitches. This area, unlike Vantage, is spread out over multiple rocks within a 15-minute drive. There are nine different climbing loca tions surrounding the lake. This is a lightly explored area that has options for every type of climber. While offering top-notch climbing, Banks Lake is also perfect for families and has various other outdoor activities such as golfing, hiking, boating, fishing, and watersports.

EASTERN WASHINGTON DESERT CLIMBING.

PHOTO: LOGAN SIEGFORD

HEAD NORTH OF THE BORDER AND FALL INTO CANADA’S ARROW LAKES REGION

FROM WINERIES AND HOT SPRINGS TO WORLDCLASS MOUNTAIN BIKING AND FISHING, AN AUTUMN TRIP JUST NORTH OF THE BORDER IS SURE TO BE MEMORABLE.

BY VINCE HEMPSALL

THERE AREN’T TOO MANY PLACES in North America where you can enjoy a bike ride in the morning, visit a winery in the afternoon, fish for trout in the evening and cap the day off with a visit to a natural hot spring, all within a 10-mile radius. Located in southern British Columbia, an easy three-hour drive from Spokane, the Arrow Lakes region is the perfect autumn roadtrip because of its incredible bounty, both in food and activities.

From its northern end near the village of Nakusp, which boasts two nearby hot spring resorts, to the southern end near the Canadian/American border just south of the city of Castlegar, the 100-mile-long Arrow Lakes region is connected by a quiet highway that winds its way through beautiful valleys in the Selkirk mountain range. The road follows along the large waterways of Slocan Lake and the Arrow Lakes system, which are connected by the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers and pass through five provincial parks and other swaths of stunning wilderness. In between are quaint communities featuring inns, hotels, B&Bs, camp sites and cabins, with access to backcountry lodges. Below are some itineraries that highlight the autumn beauty of the Arrow Lakes region.

FALL FARE

The fertile lands of the Slocan Valley and Arrow Lakes attracted pioneers to the area a cen tury ago and small-scale farming traditions continue here. There are now about 40 farms and food producers located in the Slocan Valley alone, and their offerings are available at road-side stands and farmers’ markets throughout the autumn months.

To wash down your fresh food findings, there are makers of every kind of craft beverage in the Arrow Lakes region. Start your tour in Castlegar with a visit to Tailout Brewing, which offers a variety of beers made on site as well as a spacious setting and custom art reflecting the staff’s love of fishing. The next stop is Tonik Distillery in the southern Slocan Valley, famous for its flavored vodkas and “Old Tom” gin. At the northern end of the valley is the appropriately-named Valley of the Springs Winery. Lounge in the tasting room or by the outdoor fireplace, take in views of the surrounding mountains and enjoy a bottle of red, white or rosé, all made on site. If your taste buds prefer something a little more tart, visit the nearby Burton City Cidery. Located on a 30-acre farm with sheep, chickens, a llama, and an orchard, the family-run business offers pizza nights and lunches, with a variety of made-onsite ciders on tap.

Once you’ve gotten your food fix, it’s time for some active fun. The Arrow Lakes region specializes in all forms of outdoor enjoyment from the human-powered, like hiking and biking, to motorized experiences such as ATV-ing and boating.

FISH YOUR WAY THROUGH THE REGION

Hire a Castlegar guide to show you the secret fishing holes on the Columbia River or Lower Arrow Lake where you’ll find some of the largest Kokanee salmon in the world, as well as rainbow trout and walleye. Or cast your line into any other river or lake in the Slocan Valley, including Summit Lake and the stocked Box Lake, both perfect for family outings. The northern end of Arrow Lakes is popular for its quiet spots to cast a line from a boat launched at the Nakusp Marina.

BIKE THE MANY TRAIL NETWORKS

If dry land is more your preference, there are innumerable hiking and biking trails in the area. For example, between the two resorts of Halcyon Hot Springs and Nakusp Hot Springs, you’ll find the Mt. Abriel Recreation Area, a lakeside campsite at the foot of a mountain biking zone that now includes more than 60 trails ranging from beginner to expert. Farther south in the valley are many converted railway beds, which are perfect for bikers and walkers looking for mellower terrain with monumental views. Closer to Castlegar, another former rail bed, the C&W Trail, runs alongside Lower Arrow Lake and through tunnels before veering south and west for 95 miles. Castlegar’s Merry Creek and Rialto mountain bike trail networks are also popular with riders of all levels and age groups.

HIKES FOR ANY TYPE OF ADVENTURER

Hiking is a popular autumn pastime in this region because the larch trees turn yellow and the alpine slopes become canvases of every shade of green and gold. There are many places throughout the Slocan Valley where you can hike high into the mountains, but for trails closer to the road, there are seven excellent ones near Nakusp Hot Springs ranging in length from 0.5 to 5 miles. Another family-friendly outing is the Yellow Pine Nature Trail in Syringa Provincial Park near Castlegar that offers views of Arrow Lake from a terraced hillside. In fact, in the region’s five provincial parks you’ll find everything from beautiful waterfalls and rock climbing cliffs to lakeside camping spots, all inhabited with wildlife like bighorn sheep, elk, bufflehead ducks, and ospreys. //

Vince Hempsall lives in Nelson, B.C., where he spends his time rock climbing, backcountry skiing, and mountain biking (when not working). He is the editor of “Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SAMPLE THE WINES AND ENJOY THE VINES AT VALLEY OF THE SPRINGS WINERY, NAKUSP. // HALCYON HOT SPRINGS IS A LUXURY RESORT ON ARROW LAKES. // BURTON CITY CIDER SERVES LOCALLY BREWED CIDER ON TAP IN THEIR TASTING ROOM. // BURTON VALHALLA MOUNTAIN TOURING HAS NUMEROUS HIKING TRAILS RIGHT FROM THEIR BACKCOUNTRY LODGE.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARROW SLOCAN TOURISM

WHETHER YOU’RE CLIMBING MOUNTAINS, traversing lakes, sledding down slopes or explor ing the backcountry, these are all activities that are merely a warm up for the ultimate adventure of them all; the exploration of flavors. New dining opportunities have arisen all across the Kootenay Lake region from Nelson to Kaslo to the East Shore. Expand your culinary horizons by exploring these exciting new eateries that are a short drive north from Spokane and North Idaho.

NELSON, B.C.

Easy Tiger, Nelson’s first speakeasy, is an underground bar with an intimate atmosphere. Access to this swanky establishment is hidden by an unassuming facade. Keep your eyes peeled for a red light illuminating above an alley door. Ring the buzzer and you will be granted entry. Inside, you will be treated to intriguing drinks that are perfect for a nightcap (or two).

Beauties is the home of pizza and mischievous beverages. Its cocktails are dangerously good and the by-the-slice pizza makes it hard to resist sampling each flavor. Grab a seat on the patio, situated on the bustling Baker Street.

Nelson’s latest hidden gem, The Black Cauldron, is nestled in the Herridge Lane alleyway and is a one-of-a-kind restaurant. The witchy vibe is not only evident in the decor, but also in their bewitching beverages, or ‘elixirs’. Sink into a cushy velour chair whilst sharing a contemporary charcuterie platter amongst your clan.

Located in the historic building of the Savoy Hotel, The Bear & Sturgeon is Nelson’s newest pub. You will find a curated selection of local beers on tap, a variety of appetizing snacks, and two screens streaming a range of sports channels. They even have foosball tables. Roll your sleeves up and get ready to challenge your friends to a game while sipping on a local beer.

While we’re on the topic of beer, you’ll want to know about the brand new event called Kootenay Beer Week happening on September 10-17 in Nelson, BC. There will even be a deliciously thirst-quenching festival called Kootenay Beer Festival held

EATING ADVENTURES IN THE KOOTENAYS

EXPLORE NEW RESTAURANTS, PUBS AND BARS AROUND THE NELSON, B.C. AND KOOTENAY LAKE REGION.

BY DANICA HEATON

on the final day, September 17.

EAST SHORE

A short drive and free ferry ride from Nelson, the “East Shore” of Kootenay Lake is home to several eating and imbibing options. The Hub Pub & Eatery is one of the East Shore’s latest dining spots and prides itself on providing fun cocktails, craft beer and good eats. The modern, pub-style dishes are bound to have you walking out of their establishment feeling gleeful and satiated.

The community of Crawford Bay’s very own bakery, Red’s Bread & Bakery, is the ideal spot if you’re looking for somewhere to sip on a coffee and indulge in a pastry. All items are baked in-house on a daily basis using locally sourced ingredients. It doesn’t get any fresher than that.

KASLO, B.C.

A short drive north of Nelson and Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort, the village of Kaslo on Kootenay Lake also has its share of eating and drinking establishments to explore. Angry Hen Brewing Co. has recently expanded and rolled out a substantial food menu. This craft brewery is a superb location to kick back after spending the day on Kootenay Lake or exploring the quaint town of Kaslo. This establishment is proudly owned and operated by women, with the amazing brewmaster Shirley at the helm. Take a swig of a refreshing pint while satisfying your cravings with one of the creative menu items.

These new dining spots are bound to leave an impression. Check out Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism’s interactive map to see where all these places are located and to stay up-to-date with new dining opportunities in the region at Nklt.travel/eatdrink.

If you’re after dessert, or simply a midday treat, Gina’s Gelato and Big Dee’s Fancy Wieners & Quality Ice Cream will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ainsworth Hot Springs

Balfour

East Shore

Kaslo

Nelson

North Kootenay Lake

Photo by Dave Heath

BY S. MICHAL BENNETT AND DERRICK KNOWLES

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we love our fall festivals, especially since we are known for our apple, grape, hops, and grain agriculture, resulting in some of the best brews in the country. Here are a few 'smaller in size but big in spirit' fall harvest, arts, and culture festivals and events that we suggest you check out this year—most family-friendly!

ANNUAL BANDON CRANBERRY FESTIVAL , September 9-11, Bandon, OR

Celebrate everything cranberry, from a cranberry eating contest and cooking competition to a parade and vendor market. Shop local produce, cranberry products, and craft items throughout Old Town, Port of Bandon waterfront, the high school, the city park, and the local community theater. The Washed Ashore art exhibit and workshop is also a must-see. Cityofbandon.org

DEUTSCHESFEST , September 15-18, Odessa, WA

Celebrating the strong German-Russian heritage of the area for 51 years, Deutschesfest is Odessa’s German festival with plenty to see and do for all ages. There will be a full city block-size biergarten, German food, street vendors, helicopter rides, an activity and play area for kids, and much more. Check out the bed races on Friday, the beer stein holding contest on Saturday, and the live music all weekend long. Deutschesfest.net

40TH ANNUAL WALLOWA VALLEY FESTIVAL OF ARTS, September 16-18, Joseph, OR

This art festival is the largest juried fine art exhibition in the eastern half of Oregon and fea tures representational realism and contemporary art including from Northwest artists. The event unfolds at the foot of the inspiring Wallowa Mountains in the arts-loving mountain town of Joseph in the northeast corner of the state. Come experience the opening reception, En Plein Air competition, Afternoon of the Quick Draw event, live music, gallery walk, and more. Josephy.org/festival-of-the-arts.

SOUTHERN OREGON WINTER BREWFEST, September 16-18, Central Point, OR

Experience the flavors and aromas of beers from Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, the United States, and the world at this large beerfest sponsored by Rogue. The beer garden alone will have over 70 taps featuring a wide selection of award-winning microbrews. Breweries include Crux Fermentation Project, Deschutes, Cascadia Cider, Lagunitas, Worthy, and more. Attheexpocom/brewfest

FREMONT OKTOBERFEST AND DOGTOBERFEST, September 16-18, Fremont, Seattle, WA

Fremont is one of the best places in Seattle to walk, shop, eat, and drink. The annual Oktoberfest includes over 100 seasonal beers, does NOT allow kids or babies, requires tick ets for every day, and welcomes dogs on Sunday for Dogtoberfest. With a ticket, you get a 5-ounce commemorative mini-mug and drink tickets to fill that mug. Premium tickets and N/A Designated Driver tickets are also available, in addition to BIG stein and boot options. Fremontoktoberfest.com

FALL FOR HISTORY, September 29-October 1, Wallace, ID

Sign up for one of the weekend’s tours or events or get the whole weekend package. This year’s theme is “Wallace, A Checkered Past” and spotlights the town’s sketchy activities over the years as well as its run-ins with the law. A highlight will be Grub and Games on Saturday, a steak and chicken dinner with games and prizes at the Elks Lodge.

OREGON’S ALPENFEST, September 29-October 2, Enterprise & Joseph, OR

This Bavarian-inspired festival promises bratwurst, beer, and a rousing good time. It’s the only Swiss-Bavarian cultural festival in the western U.S., so come enjoy local bratwurst, brews from Enterprise-based Terminal Gravity Brewing, live music from The Polkatones dance band, the Tirolean Dancers of Oregon, Swiss yodeler Shelby Imholt, alphornists Phil and Gayle Neuman, free polka lessons, and the Alpine Fair featuring arts and crafts. Oregonalpenfest.com.

SPOKANE FALL FEST, October 1-2, Spokane, WA

Stay close to home with a wealth of activities for all ages in the heart of Spokane, from Howard and Wall Streets to River Park Square and Riverfront Park. There will be a petting zoo, kids’ carnival, urban pumpkin patch, live music and entertainment, horse and carriage rides, food trucks, a beer garden, and much more. Get more info and check for updates online. Downtownspokane.org.

HOOD RIVER HOPS FEST, October 1, Hood River Valley, OR Hood River and the surrounding area is known for some pretty great beer as well as its hops production. Since 2003, this hops festival has gathered brewers from near and far to

cider press demonstrations, Oregon Trail adventures for the kids, a family pioneer costume contest, mansion tours, local vendors, food trucks, live music, and more. Take home some local pre-pressed cider to enjoy! Meekermansion.org

UNION GAP CORN MAZE AND PUMPKIN PATCH, October Wednesdays through Saturdays, Union Gap, WA

Throughout October, this family-friendly regional fall celebration has something spectacu lar for the whole family. From its well-known corn maze and pumpkin patch to hay rides, apple cannons, s’mores around a fire pit, photo ops, fall produce, and more, you’ll have a blast together and may even experience something new. Friday nights are for scary movies and the Friday Night Fright maze! Ugcornmaze.com

WORLD-CLASS BIKING, HISTORY, & ADVENTURE AWAIT IN WALLACE

BIKE WORLD-CLASS TRAILS

Crowd-free trails, cooler temps, and autumn colors mean fall is one of the best times of the year to make a weekend trip to Wallace to ride one or more of the area’s truly world class trails and gravel routes. The 73.2-mile paved Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes (open all year) and 15-mile Route of the Hiawatha gravel surface trail (open until Sept. 18) are the crown jewel trails for sure, but there are several other lesser-known rides that are also pretty awesome.

The Northern Pacific Trail, or NorPac, is best ridden on gravel or mountain bikes. The 12-mile, multi-use and multi-surface trail runs along the old Northern Pacific rail bed and goes from Mullan, Idaho, into Montana. Start your ride in Mullan for a shorter pedal, or add some miles by starting in Wallace. The Route of the Olympian along the St. Regis Rivers is technically a continuation of the Hiawatha on the old Milwaukee rail bed, but it is a completely separate and free route that isn’t maintained (some trestles unrideable). The Old Milwaukee Railroad Trail is 35 miles long between Pearson and St. Maries. This compact dirt and country gravel road route along the St. Joe River is a great gravel ride.

For shuttles for any of these or other rides, call the Wallace Inn at 208.752.1252. Check out Friendsofcdatrails.org for more info on bike trails and routes.

HIKE THE TOWN

Wallace offers some excellent urban walking with tree-shaded neighborhoods, small parks, and self-guided walking tours of the town’s 1890s-era National Register of Historic Places homes and churches. Another must-experience Wallace walking adventure is the centuryold, restored wooden stairways on the hill above town. Most of the stairways are 100 or more feet long and some have landings and decks where moose, deer, and elk are frequently spotted in the surrounding forest. One mile south of town you’ll find the four-mile round trip Pulaski Tunnel Interpretive Trail that follows Placer Creek past waterfalls and cool forest up to the Nicholson Adit mine portal, where Ranger Ed Pulaski saved his crew from America’s largest wildland fire back in 1910.

EXPLORE A RICH HISTORY

The entire town of Wallace is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, so you don’t need to travel far to step back in time here. Some Wallace history tour favorites include the Sierra Silver Mine Tour. This open-air trolley tours the storied buildings of the commercial district on the way to a Sierra Silver Mine tour through a sideways cut in the mountain to learn about the dangers and rewards of mining.

For the story of the people who worked the mines and the struggles they faced, a trip to the Wallace District Mining Museum is a must. There are also three other museums within walking distance, including a train station, brothel, and landmark church that have been transformed into museums.

Other historic attractions are a short way out of town. The Mine Heritage Exhibit and four-acre riverfront park are just off Exit #61 at I-90. Here you can explore massive mining machines. Nine Mile Cemetery lies just one mile north of Wallace on State Route 456, where 3,000 internees inhabit this other National Register of Historic Places site. For the best handson perspective on Panhandle mining history, take a drive up Burke Canyon to the now largely abandoned mining towns of Gem, Frisco, Yellow Dog, Mace, and Burke. It’s seven miles one way on the paved State Route 4, which makes for a great bike ride too. Find historic markers at the beginning, middle, and end of the roadway.

ZIPLINE AND BIKE PARK

Silver Streak Zipline is spread out on over 263 acres of forested mountainside above Wallace and includes 10 ziplines. In addition to the zip thrills, it’s also home to SVR GAS, a new mountain bike park that opened in spring of 2022 and includes two pump tracks, a moun tain bike jump line, and several miles of shuttled bike trails. Book a fall zip or bike park tour at Zipwallace.com.

LODGING, DINING, AND SHOPPING

A wave of new businesses have taken root in Wallace, Idaho, in recent years, from brewpubs to craft eateries, a wine bar, coffee shops and cafes, a book store, a quality outdoor apparel shop, and restored historic lodging. Bring your bike, walking shoes, and curiosity about the past and spend a few days exploring this ever-evolving mountain town. Find a great listing of Wallace lodging, dining, and drinking options at Wallaceid.fun. (OTO)

Fall Events in Wallace

SEPT. 3-5: Under the Freeway Flea Market 80 vendors with unique items, food, and beverages along a 1-mile covered flea market space beneath I-90.

SEPT. 17: Center of the Universe Raffle & Rededication

A pure Wallace-style event celebrat ing the anniversary of the 2004 Mayor’s Proclamation with toasts, Drum & Bugle Corps Salute, reading of the Proclamation, and raffle to win scores of prizes.

SEPT. 30-OCTOBER 2: Fall for History Festival

Learn about the Wallace-area’s checkered past with speaker presentations, mining history tours, live theater, museum visits, guided walking tours, and plenty of qual ity food and drink.

DEC. 2-11: Wallace Hometown Holidays Festival

Make your holiday plans in historic Wallace. Photos and breakfast with Santa, pet and lighted parades, craft fairs, live theater, kids’ pageants, hay rides, and more!

PHOTOS

WEEKEND IN WENATCHEE

BY HANNAH JOSS

SUMMER MAY BE AT ITS END, but the Wenatchee Valley has something to offer every adventurer 365 days of the year. When fall comes to this central Washington city, it brings gorgeous foliage on hikes and bike rides, homemade apple cider, an abundance of orchard produce, spooky tricks, tasty treats and much more.

ROCKY REACH DISCOVERY CENTER

The Rocky Reach Dam provides power for 7 million people around the Pacific Northwest. As you drive into town, you can make your first stop at the newly renovated Rocky Reach Discovery Center. Guests of all ages will enjoy the center, which boasts large underwater windows to view the dam’s fish ladder system and interactive exhibits explaining how clean, carbon-free hydropower is produced.

BREWS, EATS AND LIVE MUSIC

Make your way downtown to check out Saddlerock Brewery for craft beer and cider, local wines and hand-tossed pizza. Not too far along Wenatchee’s main drag, you'll find familyfriendly McGlinn’s Public House, El Agave Authentic Mexican Restaurant, and Sweetwood BBQ.

Want to take in a show after dinner? The Numerica Performing Arts Center, also found on Wenatchee Ave, is a great place to round off your night. Enjoy musical acts like a Prince tribute band, the Marshall Charloff & Purple Xperience, and the N.Y.C. house/funk band Argonaut & Wasp.

HIKES AROUND WENATCHEE

With a whole weekend in Wenatchee, it will be easy to start each morning on the

trails. The Clara and Marion lakes area (pictured) feature Ponderosa pines and beautifully changing shades of yellow and orange as fall approaches. The hike is a 3.2-mile roundtrip loop 25 minutes from downtown; it’s an easygoing trail with lots of wildlife. Closer to downtown, Saddlerock Trail is a 2-mile loop 10 minutes from the city center that offers a stunning view of the valley and its colorful landscape. Have your camera ready as you reach the summit dotted with craggy, pointed rocks.

CIDER AND WINE

After you’ve broken a sweat, reward yourself with a visit to Wenatchee's renowned cideries and wineries. Nationally-recognized Snowdrift Cider Co. has an intimate tasting room in the orchards in East Wenatchee. You’ll understand why Wenatchee is dubbed the Apple Capital of the World! Or, try Malaga Springs Winery located on the steep rocky slopes above the Columbia River, a short drive from downtown. You’ll feel like you’re in the heart of Napa in the gorgeous courtyard, enjoying delicately crafted wines and views.

FALL HARVEST AND HALLOWEEN FAMILY FUN

Families, don’t fear—there is plenty of pumpkin patch action in the Wenatchee Valley. Annie’s Fun Farm offers spooky season games, a corn maze, and homemade apple cider. Admission also gets you access to hayrides, apple sling shots, corn hole toss, and a youpick pumpkin patch. Later in the afternoon, get your fix of frights at the Wenatchee Valley Haunted Museum. You’ll find creepy underground hallways, intricate mazes, and secret passageways sure to keep your heart racing.

LEAVENWORTH OKTOBERFEST MOVES TO WENATCHEE

Before you start planning your trip, note that Wenatchee is hosting the Leavenworth Oktoberfest in the Town Toyota Center the first three weekends of October. Don’t miss beer imported directly from Germany, brats, polka music, Bavarian dancing groups, and “Kinderplatz” (German for “playground”) for kids with a bouncy house.

APPLE CAPITAL LOOP TRAIL AND PYBUS PUBLIC MARKET

Before you head home, top off your weekend at Pybus Public Market. Located right along the paved Apple Capital Loop Trail, head in after a morning walk or bike ride along the Columbia River and treat yourself to a pastry and coffee from The Huck @ Pybus. You can pick up a souvenir from the region, from local produce to jams, cured meats, handcrafted jewelry, or wines. //

PHOTO: STEVEN GNAM

KALISPELL, MT WEEKEND GETAWAY

NOW IS THE TIME to plan your next road trip to soak up the pleasant days of September in Kalispell, Montana. Montana is made for road trips. Everywhere you look there are moun tains soaring to the sky, the clearest of water in the lakes and rivers, and pastoral farm land in the valleys between. Plan for stops along the way to enjoy a river or lakeside beach, a state park, take a walk on a trail, or take home a bit of Montana from a local gallery or shop. There are plenty of options for refreshments along the route from Spokane to Kalispell at local restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and distilleries.

Fall is the season that gives even locals heart eyes for Montana. It’s the time of year when you’ll find them playing in Glacier National Park, diving into Flathead Lake, and soaking up as much sunshine as possible. Plus, Kalispell has the perfect combination of pleasant temperature and gorgeous fall foliage, making it one of the best places to visit, travel, and adventure this season.

Visitors this fall have a special incentive when they book a two-night consecutive stay at a participating Kalispell, Montana, hotel: a $75 gas card (valid on stays through September 30, 2022). So, don’t wait—plan your visit and explore wide-open spaces, breathtaking mountains, and plenty of water to play in. Then fill up the tank for free! Plan your trip at DiscoverKalispell.com/road-trip-to-montana. //

Book a two-night stay in Kalispell and receive a $75 gas card.

Hit the Road to Montana discoverkalispell.com/road-trip-to-montana

AWAITS

COLVILLE SCENIC DRIVING LOOPS

BY DERRICK KNOWLES WITH HIKES

SPEND A DAY OR THE WHOLE WEEKEND exploring these two scenic driving tours with hikes out of the northeast Washington community of Colville. Both loops start and end in Colville and offer stellar scenery, mountain passes with fall color viewing, riverside backroad driving, and hiking and small town exploring options. Colville has several restaurants, bars, a brewery, lodging options, and a walkable, historic downtown.

HUCKLEBERRY RANGE // GIFFORD FERRY // LAKE ROOSEVELT SCENIC DRIVE LOOP

This approximately 75-mile driving tour loop that starts and ends in Colville includes a climb up and over the scenic Huckleberry Range, a trip for you and your vehicle across Lake Roosevelt on the free Inchelium-Gifford Ferry, a drive along the lake and through the Colville Reservation, and two short hike options.

You’ll find the Sherman Creek Point Loop Trail about three quarters of the way through your drive along Lake Roosevelt near Highway 20. This hike is 3 miles roundtrip with a gentle grade that tours hikers through the Sherman Creek Wildlife Area. Find more trail info for this hike at Wta.org.

The second hike, the 2.25-mile roundtrip Dominion Meadows Rotary Trail near Colville, can be completed at the start or finish of your scenic drive. This is an easy

walking trail near the golf course with views of Dominion and Colville mountains, ponds, and wetlands. You can also connect with the Graham Hill Loop trail for more climbing and an additional 1.8 miles of hiking. Find more info for this trail at Newashingtontrails.com.

Directions: From Colville, drive south on Highway 395 for 14 miles to the town of Addy and head west on the Addy-Gifford Road up and over the Huckleberry Range. After about 20 miles, turn left onto Highway 25 and drive a couple miles to the Inchelium-Gifford dock. After cross ing Lake Roosevelt via ferry, check out the town of Inchelium before heading north on the Inchelium/Kettle Falls Road for 23 miles to the Sherman Creek Point Loop Trail. After your scenic hike, continue north to Highway 20 and head back east and then south on Highway 395 through Kettle Falls and back to Colville for a total of around 16 miles for this final scenic drive leg with an option to hike the Dominion Meadow Rotary Trail.

COLVILLE VALLEY // FLOWERY TRAIL // PEND OREILLE RIVER // TIGER PASS SCENIC DRIVE LOOP

From Colville, this approximately 118-mile scenic drive loop starts out in the Colville Valley before climbing up and over the Selkirk Mountains on Flowery Trail Road near Chewelah and 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort. From there, the drive heads along the Pend Oreille River, climbing back up and over the Selkirks and Tiger Pass with two hike options along the way.

The first hike on the 3-mile roundtrip Quartzite Mountain Trail traverses to the top of the iconic peak that looms above the town of Chewelah. This short but steep trail may be difficult for children and some less-experienced hikers.

The second hike on the north end of the drive over Tiger Pass, the Lake Leo Trail, is a 2.8mile roundtrip loop hike with mostly flat trail that leads to a beautiful mountain lake. Find more info and directions for both hikes at Newashingtontrails.com.

Directions: From Colville, drive south on Highway 395 for 23 miles to the town of Chewelah. From there it’s around 5 miles to the Quartzite Mountain Trailhead. After your hike, continue on up and over Flowery Trail Road for approximately 25 miles to Highway 20 near the town of Usk. Head north on Highway 20 along the Pend Oreille River for 31 miles with stops at the Kalispel Tribe Visitor’s Center and for bird watching along the river. After a stop at the Tiger rest area, continue on Highway 20 west over the Selkirk Mountains and Tiger Pass to your second hike on the Lake Leo Trail from the Frater Lake Trailhead. After your hike, continue west for 36 miles back to Colville. //

EXPLORE NORTHEAST OREGON

THE STUNNING NATURAL LANDSCAPES of northeast Oregon’s Wallowa County that range from alpine peaks to desert canyons are a major draw, but the towns of Joseph and Enterprise have also become a hub of regional culture, art, and history that make this area well worth checking out.

There are plenty of hikes to explore in the rugged and beautiful Wallowa Mountains, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, and Zumwalt Prairie bunchgrass prairie reserve, all a short drive from town. In addition to endless hiking and wildlife and bird viewing opportunities, there’s a new discovery center called Wallowology in Joseph that’s focused on the natural history and science of the Wallowas, Zumwalt Prairie, and the Hells Canyon and includes activities for kids.

Another unique way to explore the area’s pioneer history is by taking the self-guided Wallowa Barn Tour. Each of the 31 beautiful barns has a story about the struggles and tri umphs of farming and ranching in Eastern Oregon with stunning mountain backdrops. Into the arts? Don’t miss the 40th Annual Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts, September 16-18 in Joseph. Explore contemporary art from Northwest artists and beyond, plus live music, a gallery walk, and other art events. For a one-of-a-kind Bavarian cultural experience, plan your visit around Oregon’s Alpenfest September 29-October 2. Come for the bratwurst, beer, live music, yodeling, dancing, and arts and crafts fair. Plan your Wallowa County road trip at Wallowacountychamber.com. (OTO)

worth it

Art & galleries

Natural history

Scenic drives

Local food & farms Hells Canyon,

Zumwalt Prairie & Eagle Cap fall hikes

THE STONEROSE INTERPRETIVE CENTER AND FOSSIL SITE is located in the northeast Washington mountain town of Republic, Wash., and is a great place to visit and become a paleontologist for a day or weekend. The fossil site was first discovered in 1977, and the Eocene Epoch fossils you will find while working the fossil site with small hammer and chisel tools you can bring yourself or rent from the center include insects, fish, leaves, twigs, and bird feathers. Each person can keep up to three of the fossils they find, but Stonerose maintains the right to keep any especially significant discoveries. There’s a mod est fee to dig for fossils, but the interpretive center and gift shop are free to attend. Fall hours of operation are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Wednesdays-Sundays, Sept. 7-Oct. 30.

While you’re there, explore the unique, western-themed town of Republic, which has several restaurants, bars, hotels, shops, bakeries and cafes. For nearby hiking and biking opportunities, check out the Golden Tiger Pathway that leads from the edge of town to the Ferry County Rail Trail, which extends all the way to the Canadian border. Find out more and plan your trip at Stonerosefossil. org and Republicwa.org. (OTO)

40th Annual Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts Sept 15-18

Fine art exhibition featuring representational realism & contemporary art from the PNW and beyond.

Oregon’s Alpenfest Sept 29 - Oct 2

Bratwurst, beer and a rousing good time!

WallowaCountyChamber.com

Hiking Into Blessings

WE HEARD GEESE HONKING before we even saw the lake. As my friend Courtney and I emerged from the upland forest of Ponderosas down to the marsh, we felt as if we entered a Mary Oliver poem:

… wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting–over and over announcing your place in the family of things.

—excerpt from “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver

It was early March 2021, nearly a year after the pandemic began, and for our hike that day we chose Slavin Conservation Area in southwest Spokane County. We were still shaking off cobwebs from COVID-lockdown and coming up for air now that our children had returned to in-person school. We came to reconnect and ease our loneliness from months of isolation. Since both our husbands work at hospitals, our families strictly followed Covid safety precautions. Being together felt safe, both physically and emotionally.

By Amy McCaffree

Courtney and I met over 10 years ago, through a moms’ group, when our children were babies and toddlers. We each had two kids and were not originally from Spokane (instant bond!). Our children were also preschool classmates.

Conversation and laughter are always easy with Courtney. We can make fun of ourselves, be real with each other, and discuss fascinating, intellectual topics, with nothing off-limits—philosophy, literature, spirituality, politics.

Through the years we have met up at parks, playgrounds, and ski mountains. Our friendship has that synergy where no matter how much time has passed, we always pick up where we left off.

So that late-winter March day, stepping

ensuing months through the end of that Covid school year. We hiked at High Drive Bluff, Palisades Park, and Dishman Hills. With so many parks and conservation areas to choose from in Spokane County, the only limit was time.

One day, she gave me a book: Life Prayers

From Around the World: 365 Prayers, Blessings, and Affirmations to Celebrate the Human Journey. This became a guidebook of encouragement, especially because I feel uncomfortable with the popular meaning of “blessed.” Because when someone says they are “blessed” it’s usually related to wealth, good health, or special opportunities.

As a verb in this context, it implies that God doles out exclusive blessings based on merit or worthiness; but really, it’s luck

is how a situation, relationship, or circumstance—often unexpected, sometimes even challenging—enriches our lives. Rich in meaning, not dollars.

Therefore, I am blessed by public lands because of their beauty, trails, and space to play; blessed by lakes and rivers for paddling and fishing. We are all blessed!

I’m also blessed by Courtney’s puppy and hiking buddy, Nora, a sweet Goldendoodle that joined their family in September 2020. My own dog, a Siberian husky named Kenai, is now 14 years old and no longer able to hike far or fast. Hiking with Nora blesses me, enriches my soul—as does Courtney’s friendship.

There was a hike last fall when Kenai came along, because Nora could not. Courtney

we our public lands

We are proud to be a certified B-Corp and member of 1% for the Planet !

We at Townshend Cellar are committed to giving back to both people and our planet as we believe the health of both are intrinsically linked. We partner directly with local environmental organizations such as Evergreen East , The Lands Council and Spokane Riverkeeper . We encourage our community to get outside and support, advocate for and experience the magic of these lands we love.