2022 marks the second year for the Divide Scramble Gravel Ride near Butte, Montana. This one-day, fully-supported event features three different mountain or gravel bike routes of 33, 57 and 68 miles.

All three rides are in part along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, and the 68-mile ride also includes a portion of the Continental Divide Trail. This year’s event will also include a four-mile guided history and geology walking tour on the paved trail system overlooking Butte.

The event is a fundraiser for Bike Walk Montana, a non-profit that works to make biking, walking and rolling in Montana communities safer and more accessible.

This year’s Divide Scramble ride is capped at 200 participants so register soon at RidetheDivideMontana.com.

Find more upcoming News & Events for the Northwest outdoor community.

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We asked some of our friends in the Inland NW outdoors community to share their go-to adventures in hopes that others will find some inspiration to get out there and explore someplace new this summer.

Here are 34 ideas, recommended by 15 notable outdoor enthusiasts in the Spokane region, to inspire new outdoor adventures. (OTO)

Recommended by Paul Knowles, Spokane County Parks Special Projects Manager

Cube Iron Roadless Area

Take a hike through hemlock-cloaked mountains and up to alpine pocket lakes. Located north of Thompson Falls, Mont., a few hours from the Spokane area, the trails in the Cube Iron benefit from more active trail maintenance than other areas due to the Cube Iron Cataract Coalition and its volunteers.

Hiking into Cabin Lake is great for those transitioning from day hiking to backpacking for the first time.

Recommended by Katie Wiseman, Outdoor Programs at REI

BLM Rock Creek Management (Escure Ranch)

Hike some of the lesser-travelled old roads for some solitude or stick to the popular hike or mountain bike ride to Towell Falls.

The Backcountry Horsemen and BLM have significantly improved the trailhead and parking area, which now sports toilets, water for horses, corrals, and over 13,000 acres of shrub-steppe and hiking on old, gated ranch roads.

This time of year wildflowers are in full bloom and Towell Falls is at its peak. Keep a look out for ticks and rattlesnakes, and make sure to bring water, sunscreen, and a hat as there is very little shade.

Escura Ranch (left); trail running at Antione Peak Conservation Area; Blossom Lake (lower right). // Photos: Shallan Knowles

Recommended by Lindsay Chutas, Mountaineer and Local Conservationist

Glacier Peak, Chair Peak and the Tatoosh Traverse

Accessed from the east Cascades, this backcountry route offers climbing variety and is “more adventurous than slogging up Adams or St. Helens,” adds Chutas.

Tatoosh offers beautiful views of Mt. Rainier while still being more removed from crowds of visitors. Chair Peak is an alpine climb that gives you the flavor of bigger climbs, yet it’s not too far from the road.

Because of a long hike in, Glacier Peak quickly limits the number of users to this wild and remote place.

Recommended by Alana Livingston, Wander Spokane

Mary Jane’s Farm (Moscow, Idaho)

Livingston owns Wander Spokane, a Spokane-based tour company that takes guests on food, wine, beer, and other tours covering local history, art, architecture, geology, and even medicinal plants, and when she explores, she asks the locals for their favorite hidden gems, the quirky, weird places that not everyone visits.

One of her favorites is Mary Jane’s Farm, where thoughtful, hand-made backpacking meals by the same name come from.

You can also tour the farm and starting in 2022, book a glamping site at the bed and breakfast. This destination has been featured in National Geographic and the New York Times for its whimsical, back-to-the-earth experience, and it’s right in our back yard.

Recommended by Mary Kate & Ryan Griffith, Spokane Outdoor Family

Deep Creek Canyon

A family favorite through ancient volcanic rocks and riverbed, kids can scramble over logs and rocks on a fun exploratory adventure and maybe even see a rock climber scaling the walls.

This hike is best after early spring when water in the creek has dropped, and you can explore the creek bed.

Kayaking Plese Fats to 9 Mile

Another great family adventure that’s best paddled July-September, this scenic section of flatwater on the Spokane River offers an excellent intro to paddling for kiddos.

Floating along Riverside State Park you have the possibility of seeing, osprey, deer, moose, and other forest creatures.

Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge

A hike or scenic drive around Turnbull offers a glimpse back in time to the Ice Age Floods that swept through our area and carved out this unique landscape. Take your binoculars and keep an eye out for all sorts of birds and wildlife while you tour the forests, grasslands, and wetlands.

Hiking McKenzie Conservation Area

Managed by the Spokane County Parks, Recreation and Golf Department, this forested getaway has several trails, including a short walk on an old road to Turtle Rock, with views of Newman Lake and Mount Spokane.

Camping at Mount Spokane’s Bald Knob Campground

This easy weekend getaway at Mount Spokane State Park features hiking, sunsets, and late-season huckleberry picking. The nearby trails are also popular with mountain bikers and equestrians with the cooler temperatures in the summer.

Camping at Swan Lake

Activities close to camp at the three campgrounds around the lake on Northeast Washington’s Colville National Forest include fishing, paddling, swimming, road and mountain biking, and hiking.

(Left-Right) Bridge at confluence of Deep Creek and the Spokane River; Kayaking the Spokane River. // Photo: Aaron Theisen; Bird watching at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. // Photo: Crystal Atamian.

Recommended by Ken Carmichael, Ponderosa Back Country Horsemen

Riverside State Park

While Carmichael is an avid equestrian, his local recommendations for summer adventure have trails for hikers and mountain bikers as well as horses and their riders. With over 9,000 acres of public land only five minutes from downtown Spokane, Riverside State Park is top on his list.

For horses, it features an equestrian campground, arena, round pen, obstacle course and 80 miles of trails. There are seven trailheads to accommodate trailers and even more for those hoping to hike, mountain bike, or just catch beautiful views of the Spokane River.

Fishtrap Recreation Area

This Bureau of Land Management-managed slice of sagebrush, grasses, and ponderosa pine provides easy access for day outings west of Spokane at I-90 exit 154.  Multiple trails and lakeshore access make this place popular for hiking, fishing, mountain biking, kayaking, and horseback riding.

Riverside State Park // Photos: Shallan Knowles

Recommended by Dave Dutro, Trail Maniacs Race Director

Post Falls Community Forest

Explore this well-developed system of signed trails for human-powered recreation, including several crags for beginning to intermediate climbers as well. This is also a great spot for a short or long trail run, a family hike, or just enjoying nature and relaxing.

Independence Creek/Coeur d’Alene River Trail

For a fun multi-day, multi-sport adventure, Dutro suggests packing your trail shoes and mountain bike and heading to Independence Creek in the Coeur d’Alene River area. The Independence Trail is a perfect summertime run, with multiple creek crossings for the chance to cool down, and several options for loops that combine trails and road running.

The next day, pedal your heart out on the Coeur d’Alene River Trail. There are excellent fishing holes and beautiful views so plan ahead to maximize this adventure.

Blossom Lakes

Near the Idaho Centennial Trail and Thompson Pass, the trail to the lake is a beautiful trail run by day and beginner backpacking adventure by night. The subalpine lakes are a beautiful summertime treat for those who make the trek.

Palouse Divide Trail System

These multi-use trails are great for mountain biking and running but are also open to ATVs on the double-track. While trail use is varied, it is also low. There is good camping nearby so you can make a weekend of it.

Clark Fork River Trail

A great trail tip for anyone headed to Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort, include a run, hike, or mountain bike ride on the Clark Fork River Trail near St. Regis. What better way to earn that end of the day soak then by breaking a sweat on the trail? The trail provides beautiful views and makes a great day outing any time of year.

Recommended by Niki Sibley, Ultramarathon Runner and Outdoor Lifestyle Advocate

Front Door Forays

“Leave the car in the driveway for this adventure. It’s easy to forget that some of the best running to be had is out your very own front door,” says Niki Sibley. “So turn your abode into an aid station and start cranking out those miles! And who knows, you just might inspire the whole neighborhood to get moving.”

Bike downtown, with your kids (Photo: Derrick Knowles, middle), and anywhere near where you live (Photo, right: Jon Jonckers).

Chris Conley, Evergreen East Mountain Bike Alliance President

Trail #257 Coeur d’ Alene Mountain

A short drive from Spokane near Beauty Bay with an easy, mostly paved 3.5-mile road climb, this mountain bike trail is easily accessible to most intermediate riders.

Drop in for a fast, fun, and flowy 3-mile descent through old growth forest on well-maintained single-track trail. There is some exposure towards the bottom, but the trail is wide and could easily be walked if necessary.

Abercrombie Mountain

Near Metaline Falls two hours north of Spokane, this epic out-and-back backcountry ride can’t be beat (it’s also an excellent hike). The 7.6-mile, 4,300′ climb can be intense, but the view from the top makes it all worth it. Pack plenty of food, water, and a jacket for the summit, even in the summer.

After taking in the views, enjoy the full descent back to the car. “With loose, technical rocks at the top to fast and flowy loam at the bottom, it’s one of my all-time favorite rides,” Conley says.

Jungle Hill Loop

Three hours from Spokane with lots of awesome camping spots, the Kettle Crest offers miles of rugged single-track trails, and this loop is a favorite of many riders. “I prefer to camp at the Jungle Hill campground and ride clockwise to Sherman Pass and finish with the Jungle Hill descent,” says Conley.

This is a big ride with plenty of punchy climbs and long, flowy descents with some of the best views around.

Recommended by Melinda DuPree, Evergreen East Board Member

Mount Hope Cemetery Road Ride

Twenty miles south of Spokane on the corner of Valley Chapel Rd. and North Kentuck Trails Rd., this picturesque country cemetery in the small community of Mt. Hope makes for a scenic road ride destination. The ride out Valley Chapel Road includes a few crossings and views along Latah Creek. The north end of the road is a stretched-out climb/descent from the valley while the southern climb/descent is steeper and includes broad views in the Palouse.

Hayden Lake Loop Ride

This 27-mile road ride departs from Honeysuckle Beach on North Idaho’s Hayden Lake for a loop around the lake on Hayden Lake Rd., English Point Rd., and Lakeview Dr. The road rolls up and down for 2,000’ of overall climbing with views of North Idaho that will give you lake-cabin envy.

Recommended by Jim O’Hare, Spokane Bicycle Club

Spokane Area Road & Paved Path Rides

Check out the SpokeFest loops choosing from the 9, 21, or 47-mile distances on the Spokane Bicycle Club’s website (Popular Rides tab).

The Fish Lake, Centennial, Children of the Sun, and Appleway trails are other great Spokane-area rides that are paved with low-to-moderate elevation gain and are mostly free of motorized traffic.

Greats views while biking along Spokane’s Centennial Trail. // Photos: Jon Jonckers

Recommended by Jane Patten, Local Artist and Mountain Biking Influencer

Glenrose to Phillips Creek Trail

This great out-and-back adventure offers views of Spokane to the west and east, including Mica Peak. This trail system offers fun, flowy single-track through meadows and pine groves and just enough elevation to get the heart pumping. An added bonus—Winescape Winery is a few blocks from the Thierman Trailhead for après ride hydration.

Recommended by Wayne Jordan, Fly Fishing & Fly-Tying Instructor

St. Joe River

Test your fly-fishing skills in this blue-ribbon cutthroat stream that flows through the scenic Idaho Panhandle National Forest. If you are looking for a little extra adventure, take the back road route via St. Regis, Mont.

Lower Grande Ronde River

Located near the tiny community of Rogersburg south of Asotin, Wash., anglers of all ages and skill levels can expect to catch smallmouth bass on the Grande Ronde River while enjoying the scenic beauty of Hells Canyon.

South Skookum Lake

This lake located in the Colville National Forest near Usk, Wash., is perfect for families looking to catch a few trout while escaping the commotion of the city for the day.

Columbia National Wildlife Refuge

Dozens of lakes and multiple species of fish are waiting for you in this Eastern Washington high desert oasis. Located just north of Othello, these waters provide a great angling day trip or multi-day adventure for the whole family.

Recommended by Dan Webber, Spokane REI Bike Technician

Themed Rides

Webber recommends making your ride more interesting with a theme. “Morning coffee crawls are a great way to support local businesses and experience new neighborhoods,” he says. “My favorite stops include Atticus, Rockwood, Rocket, and The Shop.” All of these have patio seating for sunny chats and an ability to keep an eye on your precious steed.

Some other themes could include ice cream (The Scoop, Doyle’s, and Sweet Peaks), bridges (13 of them in Spokane that cross the River), public art (murals, electrical boxes, sculptures), or, for the truly hardcore, the Spokane Stairs Ride, where you get to carry your bike up all the outdoor urban staircases!

Recommended by Mark Schneider, Rambleraven Gear Trader

Northrup Canyon

An awesome early-season hiking trip near Banks Lake, this 1.5 mile trail leads to an old homestead and another few miles takes you to Northrup Lake, a great overnight backpacking trip to shake the cobwebs off your gear for the year.

Harrison Peak Climbing

This Selkirk Mountain peak is well known for technical climbing, but you can also scramble up the east face without gear for an amazing view.

Lion’s Head

This prominent set of two Selkirk Mountain summits above Priest Lake is known for its rock-climbing routes, and Priest Lake is also beautiful.

[Feature photo by Aaron Theisen – Cube Iron Roadless Area.]

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Gold Hill

This trail, on Bottle Bay, just south of Sandpoint, is one of the area’s venerable close-to-town rides. The trail climbs steadily for three miles through a hardwood forest that wouldn’t look out of place in the Northeast. The descent is quick, with plentiful side hits and root drops. Gold Hill is popular with hikers, dog-walkers, and trail runners; time your ride for off-peak hours.

Brush Lake

Built with bikes in mind and traversing beautiful hardwood forest and open meadows around its namesake lake, the 6-mile Brush Lake loop, north of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, makes for an excellent shoulder season ride. The free campground and a lake perfect for paddling make it an inviting destination for a summer weekend with tent and bikes in tow.

Mineral Point

Situated on a bluff overlooking Green Bay on Lake Pend Oreille, south of Sandpoint, Idaho, the Mineral Point trail network consists of six miles of cross-country riding amidst a dramatic lakeside landscape. Like Brush Lake the location makes for prime shoulder-season riding. Also like Brush Lake, Mineral Point doubles as a foundation for a bike-centric camping weekend, in this case from a base at Green Bay campground.

Ruby Ridge

One of the classic backcountry rides of the Idaho Panhandle, Ruby Ridge, north of Moyie Springs, boasts more than 4,000 vertical feet of brake-burning descending over the Moyie River valley. And with a mostly paved forest road—a rarity in a region of rough backcountry roadbeds—providing access to the trailhead at Keno Pass, it’s ideal for shuttling.

Sheldon Mountain

Built entirely by locals, the Sheldon Mountain trail, just outside Libby, Montana, offers the town’s only frontcountry riding opportunity. An at-times-grueling five-mile dirt-road climb deposits riders at the communication towers near the top of Sheldon Mountain. From here, two miles and 1,400 vertical feet of descending follow, first on fast sidehill singletrack and then on old roadbed-turned-trail. 

Originally published as “Mountain Bike Rides On The Way To The Yaak” sidebar in the May-June 2021 print edition for the feature story “Twenty Miles of Boondoggling: Backcountry Mountain Biking in the Yaak Valley.”

Aaron Theisen is an outdoor writer and photographer based in Spokane and longtime freelance contributor to Out There Venture magazine.

For more biking stories, visit the OTO archives.

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The short answer: more than was realistic. We’d intended to bike up over Bunker Hill, in northwest Montana’s Yaak Valley, and then continue along the Pacific Northwest Trail to Mount Henry and beyond, through some of the region’s most remote country. But after talking to the Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT) thru-hiker, and listening to our screaming calves, it became clear our ambition was losing a race against daylight. The even shorter answer: “let’s keep boondoggling.”

A few years ago, I was sitting in the Yaak River Tavern—one of two competing watering holes that make up this town in the far northwest corner of Montana—when I struck up a conversation about the area’s lakes with one of the patrons. “Oh, it’s just about 20 miles of boondoggling to get there,” he helpfully replied.

It was the first time I’d heard “boondoggle” used as a verb, but it wouldn’t be the last time I’d hear that term, or a variation of it, to describe adventures around the Yaak. Perhaps it’s the thick, trackless timber—the old-growth inland rainforests of the Yaak Valley were one of the flashpoints of the infamous Timbers Wars of the 1980s. Bushwhacking and misadventure are baked into the language.

As Erin and I discovered on our exploratory biking and fishing trip to the Yaak, the riding is legit, with miles of rough, seldom-used trails accessing larch-ringed alpine lakes and loam-filled forests. I’d hiked many of the trails in the region in years past and thought they’d make excellent bike trails, thanks to dreamy soil and long, open ridgelines. Of course, holding imaginary handlebars is a lot different than the real thing.

From a base camp on a bend in the Yaak River, which was quiet even on a long holiday weekend, we’d started our exploration in the Northwest Peak Scenic Area, just south of the Canadian border—as close as us Americans were going to get to BC for the foreseeable future. Hike-a-biking across talus slopes and negotiating narrow, root-strewn sidehills, we connected old roads with short stretches of singletrack that accessed high-elevation lakes. At the first of these lakes, we encountered a couple of chatty locals hiking out with the day’s catch.

“There’s so much boondocking to be done up in these mountains,” claimed the husband. Reminded of that years-ago bar-stool conversation, I instituted it as a mantra for the weekend: do you even boondoggle?

The mantra served us well the next day on the PNT. Faint even by the standards of backcountry Montana, the trail here was more of a suggestion than singletrack, like a thumbnail pressed into an orange peel. After several hours of granny-gear grinding interspersed with hiking, we topped out on Bunker Hill. Acres of gray snags greeted us, as did the tiny lookout tower on Mount Henry well beyond our reach.

Realizing we’d never make it there and back before dark, we settled on a backup plan, shortening our loop with an exit out Fish Lakes Canyon. But we forgot all thoughts of an aborted mission on the descent, where the only thing checking our speed was the need to keep an eye out for grizzlies.

After negotiating the bramble-choked talus slopes of Fish Lakes Canyon, we arrived back in Yaak, desperate for post-ride beverages. Seeing the activity at the Dirty Shame Saloon spilling into the street, and preferring to keep our misadventures to the trail, we didn’t stick around.

The next day, rain awakened us—quite literally, as we had to jump out of the tent to unfurl the rain fly. Things had been uncommonly crispy for a region that’s essentially inland rainforest. Along with much-needed moisture came a wind storm that, as we came to find out, stacked matchsticks of timber on the trails.

That day’s ride, the last of the trip, was otherwise unusually straightforward for the area. A dozen miles west of town, an hour-long gravel grind accesses Redtop, which drops 2,000 feet in two miles and has clearly seen some bike-friendly trail maintenance. After several days of bushwhacking and bike-carrying, we relaxed into an easier riding rhythm, surfing loose duff and shouting “tree!” when the lead rider encountered a downed log.

That is, until one downed log turned into three, then four, then an entire stretch of trail buried. In the Yaak, trees define everything, from the sounds—the ghostly sigh of snags, the disconcerting creaking of leaning trees—to the soft duff of the trail and the glorious shade. They define the economy and the way neighbors, next door but miles apart geographically and maybe politically, interact.

They force you under, over, around, and sometimes well off track. They always have the final say, and sometimes what they say is: how much were you planning on riding, anyway?

Originally published as “Twenty Miles Of Boondoggling—Backcountry Mountain Biking In The Yaak Valley” in the May-June 2021 print edition.

To complement a roadtrip to Montana’s Yaak Valley, Aaron Theisen’s recommends these 5 trails on the way.

Aaron Theisen has contributed to a number of mountain bike magazines, including “Freehub,” “Mountain Flyer,” and “Dirt Rag.” He wrote about biking at Beezley Hill for the November-December 2020 issue.

For more biking stories, visit the OTO archives.

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On April 13, 2021, the federal district court in Montana invalidated the federal government’s approval of the first phase of the Rock Creek Mine, a major copper and silver mine proposed beneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness in northwest Montana. The court ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service violated the Endangered Species Act by unlawfully ignoring the impacts of the full mine proposal on federally-protected grizzly bears and bull trout.

The ruling, say conservation and wildlife advocates, safeguards the most vulnerable grizzly bear population in the lower 48 states, threatened bull trout, and sacred and aboriginal lands of the Ktunaxa Nation from the mine’s impacts.

“We are thrilled with this decision as it represents an important and timely reprieve for grizzly bears, bull trout, and clean water that would be irrevocably harmed by the Rock Creek mine,” says Mary Costello, executive director of the Rock Creek Alliance.

Hecla Mining Company is pressing to develop two massive mines—the Montanore and Rock Creek projects—beneath and adjacent to the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness in northwest Montana. The wilderness and adjacent National Forest lands are braided by high-elevation streams that are among the purest waters in the lower 48 United States and home to several native fish species.

The proposed mines are also upstream from Lake Pend Oreille and have raised concerns from communities that depend on a clean lake and recreation tourism for their livelihood.

Learn more about the Cabinet Mountains of Montana with stories from the OTO archives, including this Hike of the Month column from the September 2019 issue.

Find stories about regional mining in the OTO archives.

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Cowboys and cowgirls gallop their horses out of the start, snow clods flying, chaps flapping as skiers hang tight to ropes attached to saddles. Skiers and snowboarders, towed behind the steeds, hit snow jumps built into the 700-foot loop course.  

This is skijoring, an old sport rejuvenated. Here in Red Lodge, Mont., near Yellowstone National Park, the National Skijoring Finals kick and snort each March. 

Skijoring teams compete for cash prizes and national titles. Cheers and laughs increase as a horse picks up speed and the alpinist is flung even faster around the loop and over the 5-foot, snow-covered jump. 

Despite the chaos, the horses stay focused, ranch animals with vibe. Some skiers and boarders don’t make it past the first jump, sometimes landing in the muck, much to the pleasure of the hundreds of spectators. 

Kids who have been cheering their favorite teams now trot themselves to the fire pits and S’mores station for warm-ups and sweets. There’s a chili cook-off, wagon rides, a climbing wall, and live music on Saturday night at the Snag Bar. 

Downtown Red Lodge, all six blocks of it, lines with skiers in puffy coats and cowfolk in Wranglers. They find soft pillows at the historic Pollard Hotel, where cattle rustlers, gunslingers, and mogul mashers have snoozed. Famously, the Pollard hosted Calamity Jane, frontierswoman and professional scout. Liver-Eatin’ Johnson, who claimed to eat the liver of any man he killed, also resided at the three-story red-brick hotel, established in 1893, as did Pony Express Rider and grand showman Buffalo Bill Cody. 

Back then, Red Lodge, which was established in 1884 when Montana was still a territory, flourished thanks to coal mining—and 20 saloons. Reportedly, the town’s name was derived from the Crow Indians’ red clay painted council tepee, used here when the Native Americans stayed to worship and hunt.  

Today, Main Street merchants shovel snow from sidewalks of brick storefronts where the Swanky Fork sells high-end kitchen wares and Roscoe Outdoor offers gear and active ware for skiing, hiking, climbing, and relaxing. It’s tough to walk past City Bakery without stopping for coffee and croissants or the Red Lodge Books & Tea for good reads and hot sips. There’s the Carbon County Arts Guild and Depot Gallery with regional artists’ works. Lively bars host music and good eats such as Sam’s Tap Room & Kitchen, famous for its Red Lodge Ales like Bent Nail IPA and Rocking Horse Black IPA. 

During the anchor event, The Red Lodge Winter Fest when the town hosts the National Skijoring Finals—which it’s done since 1980—family events include moonlight cross-country ski trips, the Backcountry Film Festival, a Monster Dog Pull, and dance contests. There’s pint night at Red Lodge Ales craft brewery, where Winter Fest royalty is crowned. This year’s skijoring finals will be hosted on March 14-15, but the Red Lodge Winter Fest starts on March 6 and carries on for 10 days. For a full schedule of events, visit redlodge.com. 

At the Red Lodge Mountain ski area just above town, costume contests, rail jams, a torchlight parade, and fantastic snow greet skiers and riders during Winter Fest. It offers 1,635 acres of terrain among the Beartooth Mountains, fluffed with light and dry snow. Lift tickets at $69/day for adults seems underpriced considering the seven lifts, mountain lodges, and 70 runs that look out over the Great Plains to the east. Steep runs, deep snow, and spring sunshine entice sliding folks to the Grizzly Peak summit at 9,416 feet where views deep into the wilderness to the south compete with sparkling double black diamond runs like Durango. 

Après ski spectators line the rodeo grounds on Red Lodge’s western edge, cheering on their favorite buckskins and paints, and skiers and snowboarders, too. High Plains Brewing and The Snag Bar serve beverages at the event. Entry is $10 per person for one day or $15 for both. Free shuttles from downtown allow more room for horse trailers and hay bales.

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Day 1: Fat Bike and Stay at Whitefish Bike Retreat

Enjoy the spacious seats on the Amtrak train overnight and arrive at the historic downtown Whitefish train station early on day one. If you book with Dollar Rental, a representative will have the car warmed and ready. Drive to Whitefish Bike Retreat (WBR), where owner Cricket Butler can set you up with beautiful lodging and perfectly fit fat-tire bike. Although on-site groomed trails are limited this winter due to timber harvesting, Butler’s knowledge of all things bike and trails make the lodge worth a visit. “I don’t believe bigger is better. I believe in quality,” she says. In all of her roles, from shuttle driver to owner to bike technician, this commitment stands out—so much so that guests who aren’t bike enthusiasts will also love the WBR experience. 

At the heart of WBR is its lodge; its simplicity shows off the rugged Montana style. With access to a beautiful and generously allocated kitchen, cozy living area, luxurious bathroom for hot showers, and long tables for spreading out maps or sharing a meal, it’s the perfect home base for couples or groups of friends. Winter season includes reduced rates and a wood-fired sauna. For people who prefer not to dirty their hands in the kitchen, drive back to town to Pescado Blanco and enjoy a mountain-town twist on Mexican favorites.  

Day 2: Cross-county Ski at Glacier National Park and Stay at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake

Head back into town for breakfast at Swift Creek Café before picking up ski rentals. Glacier Cyclery & Nordic will have you fully kitted out for a day of cross-country skiing in Glacier National Park. The knowledgeable staff can also recommend an itinerary. With the Going to the Sun Road closed for winter, the winding, scenic pavement turns into a human-powered dreamscape. A good introduction to cross-country skiing in the park is a leisurely glide to Lake McDonald. 

From Whitefish, drive 25 miles to the west entrance of Glacier National Park. Follow signs for Apgar, but be sure to stop at the foot of Lake McDonald to take in the view. Continue to the parking area at Lake McDonald Lodge and ski out and back on the Going to the Sun road. Be sure to pack plenty of snacks, water, layers in case the weather changes, and binoculars for wildlife sightings. 

Drive back to town and check-in at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, which is an approved drop-off location for Dollar Rental. Take the S.N.O.W Bus into town for dinner at Wasabi Sushi Bar & Ginger Grill. Ask your server to recommend sake pairings for every course, and start with the Hamachi carpaccio— a thin veil of fresh yellowtail with hot curry oil, avocado, tobiko, chives and tare sauce. From there, take your meal in any direction, from Nigiri to Sashimi to inspired fusion roles. 

Day 3-4: Ski, Snowboard, Snowshoe, and Relax at Whitefish Mountain Resort

After watching the sunrise from the lake-side hot tub at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, catch a free ride up to Whitefish Mountain Resort on the S.N.O.W. bus, which runs approximately on the half hour from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Great deals on winter ski and stay packages, consistently epic snow, and 11 speedy chairs that cover 3,000 acres of groomed runs and playful terrain—those are just a few of the reason why Whitefish is a must-visit resort this winter. Kate Atha, the assistant ski patrol manager, offers a behind the scenes glimpse of what else makes the resort special. 

In an industry where male patrollers are still the industry standard, Whitefish stands out in that close to half of its patrollers are women—and, coincidentally, fully half of the dogs in the patrol’s K-9 unit are female. Atha has co-led challenging rescue scenarios, like extracting a skier with a broken femur from the trees and safely lowering 140 guests from a chairlift with mechanical issues. “Anything that could happen in day to day life could happen here,” Atha notes. Anything and then some. 

It’s liberating to know you’re in such good hands when exploring epic terrain. Skiers looking for a challenge should try Atha’s favorite linkup: Elephants Graveyard to lower No Name to Haskill Chute. As for a favorite, all-level option? “If I have to pick one run, it’s definitely Inspiration. It’s a 2,000-foot vertical run with the best views of the area,” she notes.

Travelers on a budget should check out the resort’s Hibernation House, which includes hot, home-cooked breakfast and a hot tub. The Bierstube on the mountain offers pub fare and sightings of your favorite resort staff and patrollers.After two full days of charging, take the S.N.O.W. bus back to town and be ready to snooze in the spacious Amtrak seats the whole way home. Grab one last bite at Craggy Range, a Whitefish classic, while you wait for your train to roll in. Keep an eye on the online train tracker. If an act of god delays your train on its way from Chicago, consider it a sign from the heavens that you should order another round and raise a glass to your epic long-weekend adventure. 

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Not to dwell too much on that butt flap, but it’s pretty special. She had it embroidered with her vertical totals since she started skiing in earnest about four years ago. Last year’s tally stretches across the black, waterproof fabric in a bright purple stitch: 4,059,637 feet, which was enough to earn her the informal title of the first-ever “vertical queen” of Whitefish. Every year prior the honor has been bestowed upon a “king.”

This year the vertical queen is in third place, and I ask if she’s trying to win bragging rights again. “No, I’m not. I’m just trying to enjoy my season,” she says. Which just so happened to be her approach when she won the title last year.

A lot of people don’t accrue as much vertical in a killer snow year, like 2017/18, since it takes longer to search out stashes of powder than it does to bomb groomers. This was the case for Armstrong, who was just trying to ski her butt flap off.

Armstrong frames her accomplishment as circumstantial. “I really wasn’t trying to win last year until I guess I went for it after there were a lot of deaths in tree wells in different places throughout the whole Northwest, and my husband asked me to stay out of the trees. When he did that I thought well, since I gotta ski groomers, I might as well go for it.” So partway through last season she set her sights on upping her vertical game and started adding a few more laps each day.

About her impressive feat, this winter sports athlete is humble. “Part of the reason I won last year is because both Frank and Fred had to go out of town for their mothers’ birthday parties,” says Armstrong, referring to the top contenders for the title last year and again this year. Frank’s mom was turning 90 and Fred’s 100. Armstrong, who still has around six years to go before she qualifies for the senior discount, had the home-court advantage, so to speak, since, “My mother lives here.”

Riley Polumbus, who manages PR for Whitefish Mountain Resort, explains how easy the mountain makes it for skiers and riders to keep tabs on themselves and each other using the vertical tracker function on the resort’s website. “It’s a cool metric that shows people’s dedication in terms of hours…. It shows how much this community loves winter, loves to ski, and loves this mountain.”

As a result, vertical has become part of the Whitefish culture. People can compete with friends and family or compare how much they’ve skied year to year. Polumbus says, “Even if you’re not in the competition, it’s fun to track yourself. I can see my vertical over the last eight years and follow my buddies, the mayor of Whitefish, or the CEO of Whitefish [Resort].”

She adds, “Our total pass-holder vertical shows we have a diehard skiing community, and these retired folks are helping up that amount.”

Armstrong is among them. She served four years in the Air Force before continuing her career as a civil servant while continuing in the reserves. Now she lives in Whitefish and skis her way through retirement.

On the day I try to keep up with Armstrong, she laps the mountain with a dedicated crew of ski bums. Some could be her kids, and others are seniors or super seniors who are over 70 and ski for free. They don’t always wait for each other, but they’re usually good for a wave or a heckle.

When asked what she’ll do when the snow melts and the lifts start hauling mountain bikers instead of skiers, she says, “I’ll probably run a couple of marathons.” Last year she ran five.

I turn her loose after our third run and watch her disappear into a white spray of creamy turns. She seems at once exceptional and totally badass to me, while also representing just one of many scrappy and hard-charging characters who cruise the flanks of Whitefish Mountain Resort for 120+ days each winter season. //

Summer Hess is the managing editor of Out There Venture. She wrote about backcountry touring in the Wallowas last issue.

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Home to the University of Montana in the whole-foods-and-hiking-boots heart of the state, Missoula is a community of fit free spirits—consider it a cross between Bend and Bellingham. In recent years, the city’s running and river surfing communities have put it on the adventure-sports map, but hiking remains king here.

But full parking lots belie quiet footpaths, with dozens of miles of trails around the city dispersing trail runners and toddler-toting strollers. And its location in a miniature banana belt means that Missoula’s hiking season gets into full swing in spring, when the region’s high-country hiking opportunities still lie encased in snow. These five classic Missoula treks will introduce hikers to Missoula’s many charms.

Mount Sentinel

The large white “M” on above the University of Montana campus is the most immediately visible of the city’s landmarks, the short trail leading up to it a favorite destination for students showing visiting relatives around. But it’s merely the public face of a sprawling trail system that connects forested Pattee Canyon on the east side of town with the letter-stamped Mount Sentinel. Named after an early Bitterroot Valley settler, the Pattee Canyon trail system crisscrosses gently sloping meadows and old-growth ponderosa and larch groves. From the Crazy Canyon trailhead—one of the primary portals into Pattee Canyon–the 3.5-mile hike to Sentinel’s summit stitches together a crazy-quilt collection of spur trails and skid roads through old-growth ponderosa forest. Snags surround a wind-swept summit; bluebirds can often be spotted flitting among these gray perches. Views abound, of the forested lower reaches of Rattlesnake Recreation Area to the north and the broad granite defiles of the Bitterroot Valley to the south.

Stuart Peak

A century ago, travelers up the Rattlesnake Creek drainage north of Missoula would have found a bustling community, complete with a school, post office and hundreds of homesteaders. Today the Rattlesnake bustles with the sound of running shoes slapping gravel and mountain bikes clattering down high-speed trails.

Protected because it was the municipal water supply, the Rattlesnake drainage remained in private hands until the early 1980s, when Congress set aside 61,000 acres in the Rattlesnake drainage to foster watershed, recreation, wildlife, and education: 28,000 acres were designated a National Recreation Area; the remaining 33,000 acres were designated wilderness. Today the Rattlesnake is one of the closest Wilderness areas to a major metropolitan area in the United States.

The origin of the Rattlesnake appellation is unclear: some historical sources claim it’s in honor of a homesteader who succumbed to a rattlesnake bite in the drainage; other sources states it’s in echo of the Salish word for “rattlesnake.” Either way, hikers need not worry about snakes, which don’t live this far up the creek valley. But black bears and cougars should be top of mind; sightings of both are common.

The granddaddy of Rattlesnake hikes is the 18-mile roundtrip trek to Stuart Peak. Don’t be put off by the mileage: outside of Glacier National Park, few trails in Montana match the Rattlesnake’s penchant for pleasantly graded and buffed tread. Determined hikers and trail runners can easily do Stuart Peak as a day hike. A procession of shallow-grade switchbacks gain elevation in lazy loops like a fledgling bird; in late spring, lupine garland larch in the open, fire-prone forest. Wind-stunted whitebark pine surround the summit, a gray and granite dome that overlooks no fewer than a half-dozen lakes in the interior of the Rattlesnake Wilderness. Worthy based solely on its scenic merits, Stuart has added appeal as an exemplar of urban wilderness: where else can you find a nearly 20-mile subalpine summit hike with a trailhead accessible by city bus?

Sawmill-Curry Loop

Before the Forest Service acquired the land that now comprises the Sawmill-Curry portion of the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area in a land exchange with a private landowner in 1986, a century of ranchers and ax-swingers made their homes and livelihoods here. Connecting old timber skid roads and livestock driveways, the 6-mile Sawmill / Curry loop visits moldering homesteads and ancient orchard trees, which mingle with old-growth ponderosa pines spared the saw. It’s a hike rife with history, but there’s lots of life here, thanks to a profusion of open-forest blooms—lupine, balsamroot, buckwheat and more. Be sure to pick up a brochure at the trailhead; the seventy or so miles of trail in the Rattlesnake can bewilder newcomers, nowhere more so than this portion of the recreation area.

Mount Jumbo

A myriad of user-created paths wind toward the Loyola High School “L” on broad, grassy Mount Jumbo, which, with the “M” on University Mountain, bookends Hellgate Canyon. Balsamroot and bunchgrass blanket the broad, south-facing slope that overlooks the confluence of Rattlesnake Creek and the Clark Fork River. Speaking of rattlesnakes: although they don’t dwell in the eponymous recreation area farther up the creek, the snakes do inhabit Mount Jumbo; it’s not uncommon to encounter a rattler sunning itself in the middle of the trail come late spring. Beyond the L, hikers can continue up to copses of firs surrounding Jumbo’s flat summit, from which the views down the Bitterroot Valley are unmatched.

South O’Brien Creek

Ask an avid Missoula hiker about South O’Brien Creek, and—assuming they don’t respond with a blank stare—their reply will likely be “Is that the one with all the ceramic angels?” Yes, it is—courtesy of a homeowner with a whimsical sense of style along the gated gravel right-of-way that constitutes the first part of this 7-mile hike. But there’s no shortage of earthly delights in this drainage that abuts Blue Mountain Recreation Area on the southwest edge of Missoula. From the usually-empty trailhead, the South O’Brien Creek loop passes private property on the lush O’Brien Creek drainage before ascending sunbaked, south-facing slopes of ponderosa and wildflowers. The grassy ridges afford unobstructed views of Blue Mountain and its lookout tower to the south and Missoula and Mount Sentinel to the east. With only modest elevation gain and the option of tacking on nearly 3 miles in figure-eight fashion on the adjoining North O’Brien Creek loop, South O’Brien Creek makes for a pleasant early-season conditioner. //

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