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- Free, guided late-winter snowshoe hikes and Nordic ski outings with Friends of Scotchman Peak Wilderness wrap up in early March. Check their website for events that range from strenuous, all-day tours to locations of Star Peak Lookout and Spar Lake to a moderate wildlife tracking outing to Blue Creek Watershed.
- Join Methow Conservancy for upcoming presentations featuring Washington wildlife. The March 7 offering will be online and focuses on predator and prey relationships. March 14 will be an in-person presentation (Twisp River Tap House) on how wildlife and recreation interact. On April 4, they will be joined by WDFW for an in-person presentation (Winthrop Barn) on the Karelian bear dog program as a tool for wildlife management.
- Celebrate the anniversary of Washington State Parks (since 1913!) with a fee-free day on March 19th. In April, Earth Day falls on a Saturday for 2023 and is a fee-free day for all Washington State-managed public lands.
- April 22nd is a fee-free day for National Parks, as well as the start of National Park Week. Both virtual and in-person events will be held at parks across the nation between April 22-April 30, so be sure to check nps.gov for opportunities.
Fundraisers & Events
- Spokane Nordic will close out the ski season with a Loppet event (long distance ski) on March 5 and the fantastic BarkerBeiner skijor events for humans and their canine partners on March 12.
- Bower Climbing Coalition is bringing Reel Rock 17 to Spokane on March 5 with all proceeds going to support the nonprofit.
- Okanogan Land Trust will be holding their Spring Forward! fundraiser on March 11 at the Community Cultural Center in Tonasket.
Conservation & Stewardship News and Opportunities
- The Spokane Conservation District is bringing back its Backyard Conservation Stewardship Program in March! The program cost is $45 and meets every Monday evening. Registration information is available at SCCD.org.
- Hells Canyon Recreation Collaborative will resume spring projects in early March, with opportunities ranging from front-country facilities improvements to trail maintenance projects with jetboat shuttles to work sites on both the Idaho and Oregon sides of the Snake River. Email hellscanyonrecreation@gmail.com to learn more!
- Join Inland Northwest Land Conservancy for a chipping and mulching day at Waikiki Springs on March 15, or for a birding hike at Saltese Flats on March 19. In April, help the Conservancy construct a new native plant nursery on April 5, followed by a native plant potting party at their new site on April 22.
- Washington Trails Association Back Country Response Team trips for summer are open for registration! One early season opportunity will be held at Indian Creek Community Forest April 28-30, with private camping for the volunteer crew. Eastern Washington day trips are also open for volunteers.
- Idaho Trails Association trips will be live and ready for registrations beginning March 1st. Trips will be scheduled throughout Idaho and include both day projects and backcountry trips.
- Pacific Northwest Trail Association volunteer trail projects will be available to potential volunteers beginning in March. Or, for those who enjoy hiking trails within the Colville National Forest, PNTA is always seeking early season conditions reports which can be submitted at any time! See https://newashingtontrails.com/volunteer/ to learn more.
- Weekly Thursday evening trail-work parties with the Pend Oreille Pedalers in Sandpoint resume April 13. Email POPpedalers@gmail.com to sign up.
- Backcountry Horsemen of Washington have secured an important grant to help fund efforts to restore trails impacted by multiple fires in the Pasayten Wilderness! Watch their website for opportunities to get involved.
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 recommendations at Outthereoutdoors.com.
