The efforts of two elected officials from Washington’s 9th Legislative District to quietly close a major part of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail last year ironically may have given the trail a publicity and funding boost. With public attention directed towards the trail like never before, the state legislature recently allocated $100,000 for weed control, […]
Progress for the John Wayne Trail Read More »
Take a Wild Walk and Learn About the Inland Northwest’s Winged Wonders When my friend Howard called and told me that he had signed my family and his up for a butterfly hike, I wasn’t sure what to think. I’d read Robert Michael Pyle books, and I’d been on my share of birding trips, so
Hiking with Butterflies Read More »
“Pronunciation question: Does ‘Iller’ Creek rhyme with ‘miller’ or ‘miler’?” That’s the unassuming question I posted on Facebook last fall, and it was the moment I learned where my active outdoor friends and my grammar geek friends overlap – and sharply disagree. Confession: Until adulthood, I thought “awry” was pronounced “AW-ree.” I thought “frigate” was
The R in Washington is Silent Read More »
For long-time Silver Valley residents like Chase Sanborn, owner of Wallace Brewing Company, Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area is the perfect place to leave the crowds behind and immerse yourself in the winter wonderland of the Bitterroot Mountains. “I learned to snowboard up there in 1991,” says Sanborn. “It’s always been a fun mountain.
Sledding – the ancient activity of sitting on your butt and getting over the snow far more efficiently than most wheeled vehicles. Today, unless you live in an arctic landscape, sledding or tobogganing is primarily a recreational sport enjoyed by all ages. After a fresh snowfall, who doesn’t relish pulling out their sled and running
Mountain Sledding: Finding Places to Slide on Snow Read More »
During the summer, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area’s 600 miles of shoreline attract droves of boaters to the otherwise-dry coulee country of Eastern Washington. But when the houseboats and Jet Skis have long been dry docked, the lake and its neighbors make an attractive backdrop for snow-free winter exploration, the stark, serene landscape attracting the
Cool-Weather Coulee: Winter Hikes Near Lake Roosevelt Read More »
Snow Making, Yurts, Killer Deals, New Terrain, & On-Mountain Living Every year, you can expect news about improvements, expansions and creative innovations to come out of resorts around the greater Inland Pacific Northwest. Here are some of the highlights for the coming season. 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort Big changes are in the works at
What’s New at Area Ski Resorts? Read More »
We were working late on this October/November double issue of Out There from our home office when an after-dark knock on the front door rattled us away from our computers with some bad news. In our always exciting corner of the city, just across the river from downtown Spokane, late night visits are rarely a
Stand up paddleboarding – also known as SUP – is a pretty beginner-friendly sport, but there are still plenty of tricks that can help you paddle more efficiently and have more fun. I rented a paddleboard for the first time in Hawaii a few years back, and with years of surfing experience, I figured the
Learn to Stand Up Paddleboard with a Lesson or Tour Read More »
Although Lake Pend Oreille (“Pond Oray”) is Idaho’s largest and deepest lake, with 200 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 1,200 feet, it doesn’t seem to get the attention it deserves. Lake Coeur d’Alene and Priest Lake are both more accessible, while Lake Pend Oreille is surrounded mostly by national forest land, with
Family Fun at Lake Pend Oreille – Farragut State Park Read More »
