Cover photo courtesy Jon Jonckers
I remember the first time I met Out There founder Jon Snyder. I worked at Mountain Gear, Spokane’s long-time local outdoor gear shop, and I noticed that Jon scheduled an appointment with Mountain Gear owner Paul Fish. Soon after, Mountain Gear purchased the back cover ad spot, which they filled for years until the shop closed in 2020. I was enamored with the magazine, and I created many of those back cover ads back in the day too.
Out There Monthly grew out of a rich regional outdoor recreation climate. At one time, Spokane featured several local outdoor stores, including Mountain Gear, Mountain Goat Outfitters, Fitness Fanatics and REI as well as several ski and bike shops. During that era, Rich Landers completed 2nd editions of his classic guidebooks to the Inland Northwest’s gems, and he would soon release 3rd edition guidebooks for hiking, backpacking and paddling. Around that same time, highly effective and motivated non-profits formed to advocate for our treasured parks and trails, including groups like the Friends of the Centennial Trail and Riverside State Park Foundation. It turned out that Out There Monthly had launched at the perfect time to be a voice for this golden era of local outdoor recreation culture and advocacy.
Looking back, I recall two articles I wrote that ended up getting attention around the world. The first one featured all the airplane crashes on Mt. Spokane that included not just one or two, but five aircraft, including two bombers from Fairchild AFB. The second noteworthy article featured Spokane ultramarathoner Lisa Bliss. She traveled unsupported from Death Valley to the summit of Mt. Whitney in a single push. She is the queen of pain, and I now consider her a good friend.
