For all its bona fides as a mountain town, Rossland, British Columbia, rolls up its sidewalks early. So it came to be that, following a hallucinatory yet kid-crowded parade during the Rossland Winter Carnival two years ago, I found myself searching for nightlife. So I got in my car and—like so many other trips to […]
The Northwest Avalanche Center is a collaboration between the U.S. Forest Service Northwest Avalanche Center and the non-profit Northwest Avalanche Center. It provides mountain weather and avalanche forecasting along with free intro to avalanche awareness classes. (Nwac.us) The Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center, which works with Idaho Parks and Recreation, provides current advisories. It offers free
Avalanche Education Resources Read More »
I rolled into the foyer of an outfitter that had inundated Facebook with advertisements about a $5 Avalanche Awareness event. The atmosphere was that of distant relatives conversing at an annual reunion rather than the cinematic and sonic overload and the packed-in crowds at the mountain film festivals. The event facilitator started by showing slides
Explore the Winter Wilds Safely—Be Avalanche Aware Read More »
For the 2nd year in a row, the Sitzmark Ski Area near the small community of Havillah in northeast Okanogan County will host a day of instruction and demos of Altai Skis ski/snowshoe hybrid Hoks and other Altai snow-sliding gear. Dubbed the Hok Festival, the free event on Saturday, January 28 includes activities from 10
The yurt, an often portable, round tent that has been used as a home in Central Asia for at least 3,000 years, is slowly becoming not only a more common dwelling structure in North America, but also a unique and diverse place to stay while on the road or vacationing in a scenic spot. Yurt
Four Northwest Yurts for Winter Adventuring Read More »
Northwest Fat Bike Meetup, Methow Valley (January 14-15) A weekend of informal group rides (Pearrygin Lake State Park Saturday and the Methow Trails system Sunday), fat bike demos and social opportunities that attracted over 100 fat bike riders last year. Reserve a rental bike early if you need one (try Methow Cycle & Sport), and
Northwest Snow/Fat Bike Events Read More »
Last March I walked up to the counter at Mountain Gear with a few pieces of backpacking gear and chatted briefly with the store’s assistant manager Mark Beattie about our outdoor plans for the weekend. Since a warm front had moved through and nuked the powder I had originally hoped to be skiing, I explained
Mountain Mugs: Mountain Gear’s Mark Beattie Explains Why There is No Bad Ski Day Read More »
As we head into winter in the Inland Northwest, many of us are gearing up for winter activities, and for many seasoned and aspiring backcountry skiers and snowboarders, that means getting in shape and practicing with their gear. For those in the Spokane area, we have a great, sanctioned resource at our local ski hill
Skiing Uphill: Rules to Follow if You Plan to Ski or Snowshoe up Mt. Spokane this Winter Read More »
In some corners of the modern snow sports world, the hype, unfortunately, seems to outweigh the powder on the ground. This thought crossed my mind as we drove in darkness on slick winter roads from Kelowna, B.C., north towards the widely acclaimed Mecca of North American resort powder skiing. Once a community ski hill tucked
Stoked on Revelstoke: Head North Now for Early-Season Powder Read More »
The first time I clicked in to skis, I didn’t know how to turn, how to weight my legs, where to put my hands. A guy with snow in his beard pointed me straight down the hill and I took off, letting my natural balance and my inability to know any better keep me afloat
Learning to Ski as an Adult Read More »
