Need proof that Canadians not only love dressing up in wacky costumes more than most Americans but also come up with wickedly fun and creative contests and festival events? Put Fernie’s Griz Days Winter Festival or the Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle on your winter trip calendar. Griz Days Winter Festival (February 27-March 1) Plan […]
Looking for Winter Fun in the Canadian Rockies? Fernie’s Got You Covered Read More »
When I found a shriveled up piece of last year’s fruit in my backcountry ski pack that had petrified and attached itself to my climbing skins, I could have taken that sign as a bad omen for the ski season ahead. That early December night, the snow we had been counting on turned to rain
Winter Adventure is All Around Us Read More »
The Methow Valley’s skiing, scenery, and extensive trail system has been getting attention in recent years well beyond the Pacific Northwest for being the nation’s largest cross-country ski area. For good reason too. 120 miles of well-groomed, peaceful Nordic trails with a growing network of fat bike and snowshoe trails nestled in the majestic North
Winthrop Winter Wonderland: Ski, Bike, Snowshoe Read More »
We get a lot of requests to review or test a lot of outdoor gear from around the world, and we only follow up on a handful of requests each season to highlight cool, unique, and quality items that we think are worthy of sharing with our readers. Here are a few worth of sharing.
Editor’s Holiday Gear Picks Read More »
On those grey winter days in Spokane, find a dose of vitamin D by heading for Mount Spokane State Park. When everything is obscured by cloud and fog below, the park’s summits are generally bathed in light. Print a copy of the snowshoe trail map, pack your thirteen essentials, and head for the hill to
Hike of the Month: Mount Kit Carson (Mount Spokane State Park) Read More »
Cool, creative outdoor oriented gifts are sure to make certain people on your holiday shopping list smile (tip: you can also leave these pages open with items circled for your significant other or send a copy home to your parents). These gift ideas from local retailers and local outdoor gear companies right here in the
Play Local, Shop Local: Inland NW Outdoor Gift Guide Read More »
In recent years, a growing contingent of people in the Inland Northwest have embraced snow sports besides downhill skiing – particularly snowshoeing and Nordic (cross-country) skiing. And while we live within easy reach of one of the premier Nordic ski areas in the Northwest, the Mt. Spokane Cross-Country Ski Park, it can be challenging to
Getting Into Cross-country Skiing in Four Easy Steps Read More »
This is the first in a series featuring wild edible fungi and plants from the Inland Empire. Frolicking outdoors can and, IMHO, should include a relationship with and knowledge of the world that surrounds you. Biking, hiking and snowshoeing are half the equation. The other half is becoming acquainted with our co-inhabitants in the woods,
Leaf, Root, Fungi, Fruit: Velvet Top Mushroom Read More »
“Running snowshoes?” I asked, baffled by the idea of snowshoeing as a “sport” to begin with, I couldn’t imagine running in them. Then a woman pulled out a picture of herself running through my favorite forested trails – trails I hadn’t been able to run in weeks and sorely missed. I was sold before I
The Atlas Running Snowshoe Read More »
In the midst of advancing snowshoe technology, Francois Sylvain and Nils Larsen (who calls northeast Washington home) conceived of Altai Skis and the Hok, a product that melds the qualities of a snowshoe and a ski. The Hok combines the maneuverability and ease of use found in snowshoes with a ski’s efficiency of sliding forward
It’s a Snowshoe, It’s a Ski: Actually, It’s a Hok from Altai Skis Read More »
