When a friend asked me to take a few days off to race the Kootenay Sufferfest mountain bike race, I laughed at him. Suffering should be something you get paid to do, not something you pay for, I thought. It turns out I was dead wrong. After some convincing on his part, I found myself […]
Kootenay SufferFest — A Little Bit of Suffering & a Whole Lot of Fun (Sept. 5-7, 2015) Read More »
A well-known local hiker and trail maintenance project leader, Lynn Smith, ends his emails to other trail maintenance volunteers with these words: “Days spent on a trail are not deducted from one’s lifetime.” Another Spokane Mountaineers member and volunteer coordinator for Washington Trails Association, Holly Weiler, is famous among many U.S. Forest Service and state
Pitching in for Trails — Our Local Trails Need You Read More »
Back before the Internet, it was more difficult to break out into new outdoor sports than it is today, especially technical ones like climbing that usually require someone to show you the ropes. The local outdoors community coalesced around clubs like the Spokane Mountaineers and Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club, where people who were into
See You at Spokatopia Read More »
Let me be your concierge for a Northeast Washington hiking weekend this summer that includes hiking Thirteen Mile Trail, an overnight car-camping stay at Swan Lake and a visit to the frontier-like town of Republic, Wash. You will make lifelong memories. Swan Lake Campground From Republic, drive Route 21 south for approximately seven miles to
Northeast Washington Hiking/Camping Road Trip Read More »
The Inland Northwest is home to many fun and unique festivals. Here we’ve highlighted a few interesting festivals celebrating everything from huckleberries and community heritage to original music, beer and wine and the outdoors. While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, it’s a great sampling of the diversity of our Inland Northwest communities and
A Summer Festival for Just About Everyone Read More »
“Paddling is a wholesome sport and a good way to meet people,” says Stan Mrzygod, president of the Spokane Canoe & Kayak Club, which he’s been a member of since 1979. He and his wife taught their three children how to paddle. “They just learned by doing it with me,” he says. By the teenage
Paddling with Your Kids — What to Know Before You Go Read More »
The Inland Northwest’s arid reputation is baked into its name. While it may be on the “dry side” of the Cascades, with world-class whitewater, blue-ribbon fishing and a place at the forefront of river sports, the region has been quietly racking up river recreation accolades over the years. Meet these three Inland Northwest river people
River People: A Fly Caster, River Surfer and Whitewater Pioneer Read More »
A lackluster Northwest winter is rapidly turning to spring, which means the time to hike is now. With hundreds of trail miles waiting to be explored on our local public lands, there is no excuse to stay indoors. When checking out Spokane County’s Conservation Futures properties; state parks; or our surrounding state, BLM and National
Find New Hiking Trails and Camaraderie with Local Hiking Groups Read More »
If you haven’t ridden Simple Tools, Pop Rocks, or the Up Chuck re-route, you and your bike owe the Camp Sekani/Beacon Hill trail system a visit. And these newish xc trails are only a sampling of thoughtful, fun and flowy sections of singletrack that have been carved out of the earth by Evergreen East mountain
Recent Trail Building at Beacon Caters to Diverse Riding Abilities and Styles Read More »
Like some people, wildlife get winter-weary too. Fortunately there are plenty of opportunities for both to bask in the warming temperatures of early spring. A transition zone between the Cascades and Rocky Mountains, eastern Washington’s low-elevation wetlands, rivers and forests provide the perfect habitat for a rich array of plant and animal life, including some
Spring Wildlife Hikes Read More »
