By Holly Weiler
Cover photo courtesy of Idaho Trails Association
Free Outdoor-Themed Entertainment
Glacier National Park Conservancy hosts a bi-monthly book club via Zoom. The Sept. 9 selection is “Grizzly Bear Science and the Art of a Wilderness Life: 40 Years of Research in the Flathead Valley” (McLellan, 2023). The Nov. 4 selection is “The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt” (Lunde, 2014). Events take place at 6:30 p.m. Mountain time. These events are free, although Glacier National Park Conservancy appreciates donations.
Discover Pass parking permits for Washington state-managed recreation sites will be waived on Sept. 26 (National Public Lands Day), Oct. 10 (World Mental Health Day) and Nov. 11 (Veterans Day).
Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance is hosting Fall Fest on the Kettle Crest near Republic, Wash., Oct. 1-4. Come for as many days as you’d like, with advance registration required. Activities include trail maintenance events on Thursday through Saturday, a spaghetti feed and outdoor movie night on Friday, and group rides on Sunday.
Join Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness for a hike to Berray Mountain Lookout on Sept. 19, or on a fall mushroom foray at Big Spar Lake on Oct. 10. Advance registration required.
Fundraisers, Events and Contests
Chelan-Douglas Land Trust will host their annual celebration dinner on Nov. 13 at the Wenatchee Convention Center.
Join Kaniksu Land Trust for their annual “Get Plowed” event on Nov. 12. The tongue-in-cheek event name for this family-friendly gathering is all about fundraising to support sufficient winter plowing efforts to provide access to the popular winter sledding hill at Pine Street Woods.
Washington Trails Association’s annual Northwest Exposure photo contest is currently open through Oct. 12. Photographers may submit up to five photos under a range of categories. Photos must be taken within Washington State and follow Leave No Trace principles. See WTA’s website for the full list of submission rules and categories, along with prizes!
Stewardship, Conservation & Volunteer Opportunities (please see each organization’s website for registration information)
National Public Lands Day falls on Saturday, Sept. 26. If you only have one day to devote to a volunteer opportunity on our region’s public lands, make it this day! Many of the organizations listed below will have a project to mark the occasion. Lend a hand on your favorite local federal lands.
Friends of Palisades will host their annual fall cleanup event on Oct. 3. In addition to the wonderful feeling of helping with a cleanup effort on a beloved local conservation and recreation area, the Friends’ cleanup efforts always start off right with hot coffee and pastries at the trailhead.
Heart Lake in western Montana is among the most highly visited recreation sites within the proposed Great Burn Wilderness. To provide a clean-up sweep to close out the hiking and backpacking season, the Great Burn Conservation Alliance will be hosting an all-women backpacking weekend in coordination with Women Who Explore on Oct. 10-11. In addition to cleaning up campsites at Heart Lake (along with nearby Dalton and Pearl for those who are up for a more challenging hike), the group will be conducting some scientific surveys of the local mountain goat and pika populations. Advance registration required.
Hells Canyon Recreation Collaborative will be hosting a volunteer trail maintenance weekend on the popular Snake River National Recreation Trail near Pittsburg Landing from Oct. 9-12. Details are still being finalized, but this trip is often a jet-boat-supported camping trip to a remote spot along the Snake River Trail. If interested, please reach out via email ([email protected]).
Idaho Trails Association is hosting a weekend of maintenance work on Marie Creek outside Coeur d’Alene, Sept. 19-20, followed by a day at Fernan Lake to build a short new connector trail, Sept. 24.
Pend Oreille Pedalers is hosting Thursday evening trail work events through the first week of October. The group meets at 5:30 p.m. at the Schweitzer Shuttle parking lot.
Spokane Nordic will be hosting a series of trail maintenance events to work on getting the Nordic ski trails in tip-top condition for the upcoming winter season. The group is planning for Sept. 19 and 20, plus Oct. 10, 11, 18 and 24. Hours spent on projects within Washington State Parks count toward a Volunteer Discover Pass. If you are interested in earning a Discover Pass but those dates don’t work, reach out to the Riverside State Park office to inquire about other volunteer opportunities scheduled by the park’s volunteer coordinator.
Spokane Riverkeeper has a fantastic river cleanup event planned to mark World Cleanup Day on Sept. 19. With five trailhead locations to choose from (High Bridge Park, The Islands, Barker Road, Mirabeau and Harvard Road), participants can opt to help clean up the portion of the river that is closest to their home (or heart). Register online to indicate which location you’d like to help clean, along with signing the required waiver. Cleanup supplies will be provided to all participants.
Wallowa Mountains Hells Canyon Trails Association seeks expert/experienced backpackers for a strenuous trail work trip to conduct backlog maintenance on the Elkhorn Trail between Goat Mountain and Goat Lake from Oct. 2-5.
Washington Trails Association will be hosting both day and weekend projects throughout the fall at Mount Spokane State Park, Riverside State Park and within Spokane County Parks.
