Out There Monthly September 2015

sweet September Road Trips

SEPTEMBER 2015 // FREE

THE INLAND NW GUIDE TO OUTDOOR ADVENTURE, TRAVEL AND THE OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE

FALL TRAVEL ISSUE | WHY I RUN | HIKE OF THE MONTH: GRASSY TOP

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Out there MOnthly // SepteMber 2015

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publiSherSShallan & Derrick Knowles

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SeniOr writerSJon Jonckers

Brad Naccarato Amy Silbernagel McCaffree

cOntributing writerS:S.Michal Bennett

Bradley Bleck,Katie Botkin, Chic Burge, Hank Greer,

Derrick Knowles, Bea Lackaff, Ed Merz, Janelle McCabe, Ammi Midstokke,Dennis Mossburg, Taylor Rogers,

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cOntributing phOtOgrapherS: Ken Barrett,

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MONTHLY

In This Issuep.5 / From the editor Fire on the Mountain

p.6-7 / out there News

p.8 / hike oF the moNth

p.10 / health & FitNess MoveNat

p.11 / bikiNg Bike Fitting

p.12 / out there kids Hiking Leavenworth

p.13 / everyday cyclist Dream Big-Your Bike Can Take You There

p.14 / out there spotlight Spokane Mountaineers

p.15 / hikiNg Selkirk Mountain High

p.16 / 10 spokaNe-area hills to climb

p.18 / bikiNg Coeur d’Fondo on a Two Speed

p.19/ health & FitNess Food- It’s Not That Complicated

p.20 / gear room Travel Gear to Hit the Road With this Fall

p.21 / mouNtaiN bikiNg Out of Bounds

p.22 / Fall travel

p.27 / ride & race report

p.28-29 / outdoor caleNdar

p.30 / last page Why I Run

On the cOver: ride. camp. repeat. not all fall adven-tures require a lengthy road trip. local

pro rider and photographer Skye Schillhammer and pals making Mt. Spokane their home for the night.

PHOTO: SkYE SCHILLHAMMER

ColvilleDiscover Our Good Nature

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Colville is a hub of activity for agriculture, manufacturing and timber industries. Located in a broad valley surrounded by the Colville National Forest, just minutes away from Lake Roosevelt, this four-season play-ground abounds with outdoor recreation.

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When I look at maps of the fires that are still burning as we go to print, vivid images of pre-fire places come to mind: small, tight-knit moun-tain communities; out-of-the-way trailheads and campgrounds; vast expanses of pine, sage and grassland; and green, high-country forests like those that spread for miles along the Kettle Crest. The 2015 wildfire season will go down in the books as an epic one for sure. Lives have been tragically lost, homes and property destroyed and hundreds of thousands of acres have burned so far. For those of us who had to alter outdoor adventure plans because of the smoke and flames or deal with a few smoky days in the city, we are the lucky ones.

Our house in Spokane caught on fire once, a few days before Christmas, so I kind of know what it’s like to fear that your life’s possessions, your pets, your entire home could be lost forever. My first move, after calling 911 and trying unsuccessfully to put out the growing inferno in our breaker box with baking soda (oops, no fire extinguisher), was to start chucking my skis and other outdoor gear out the back door into the snowy yard. (I guess I figured the cats could fend for themselves.) But it has to be a heck of a lot scarier to have your home, property and entire community surrounded and threatened by fire, smoke and circumstances beyond your control. Wildfire is a part of nature, and although its behavior and effects have been

altered and amplified by human activities, forests, grasslands and wildlife will come back eventually. It’s the lost lives, homes and livelihoods in rural communities that can leave lasting scars. If you have the resources to help out, make a donation to one of the affected communities or a disaster relief charity.

September is OTM’s fall travel issue, and as you consider where the road may take you as sum-mer winds down, don’t write off those places that have suffered the most from the season’s fires. Towns that to some degree rely on tourism and outdoor recreation that spent part of the summer flanked by wildfire and socked in with smoke – like Winthrop, Twisp, Republic, Colville, Kettle

Falls, the Priest Lake area and other places – will, once the fires are out and it’s safe – welcome visi-tors back. There will still be plenty of unburned places to hike, camp, bike, fish and sightsee nearby and empty barstools and tables waiting for you at the breweries, pubs, and restaurants in town. And if you meet someone who helped fight the fires or came to the aid of fire victims in need, by all means, buy them a beer. //

DerrIck knoWles, eDItor [email protected]

From The Editor: Fire on the Mountain

WWW.VISIT LINCOLNCOUNTYWASHINGTON.COM


Out ThereNews&Events

extremely loW water levels in the Spokane River are harming outdoor recreation and the river, and in early August, local citizens launched a regional “H2KNOW: Our Spokane River is Low!” campaign to increase public awareness of the criti-cal relationship between human water usage, the Spokane region’s aquifer and water flowing into the Spokane River. “While we should conserve water anyway, we have a very special reason to use water wisely,” says river advocate and former Spokane County Commissioner John Roskelley. “When we pump our aquifer, we rob our river.”

Several H2KNOW billboards appeared around Spokane August 1. One version reads, “Know the Flow – River Running Low,” with a tied-off garden hose and dry rock in the river. Another features a snake-like coiled garden hose and a great blue heron with the question, “Is Your Hose Draining

H2kNOW CAMPAIGN DRAWS ATTENTION TO LOW SPOkANE RIVER LEVELS

Her Habitat?”John Osborn, a Spokane physician and a coor-

dinator for H2KNOW, asked Spokane-area resi-dents to “think about the plight of the Spokane River every time you turn on a water faucet or pick up a hose. Do you really need to use that water? Because the Spokane River really needs that water.” As the region’s draught continues this summer and fall, the group encourages Spokane citizens to visit www.H2KNOW.info for more information and tips on how to conserve water.

Roskelley also underscores the economic and recreational loss that is tied to the Spokane River’s low flow. “The Spokane River is what our quality of life is all about,” he says. “This is not just about today or tomorrow, but about this community’s future.” (OTM)

CITY PARkS & REC OPENS NEW DOWNTOWN RIVER ACCESS – PADDLEBOARD TOURS OFFERED SEPT. 5DoWntoWn spokane has a new and unique location to enter the Spokane River in the heart of the city on the south side of the Spokane River, under the Division Street Bridge near the Spokane Convention Center. The access point was made possible through the generosity and partner-ship of the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Division, the Spokane Public Facilities District, Avista Utilities and the Spokane River Forum. To

encourage recreation and greater access to the river, the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Division will offer paddleboard tours starting at the new access point on Saturday, September 5, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. ($15 per person). All funds from rentals go toward sustaining this and other com-munity recreation programs. Visit SpokaneParks.org/register and enter these codes: 32486; 32487; 32488; 32488. (OTM)

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Out ThereNews&Events

UPDATED WTA TRAILBLAzER APP A GREAT RESOURCE FOR HIkERS

after a hIatus last year, the Spokane River Clean-Up is back for its 12th run – this time, led by the Lands Council. (It had previously fallen under the umbrella of Friends of the Falls.) This year’s clean-up will cover the University District and the Downtown River Gorge area, including High Bridge Park and People’s Park. The volunteer-fueled event counts on hundreds of community members to spend Saturday morn-ing picking up garbage and recyclable materials from public lands along the Spokane River. At the 2013 event, volunteers removed about four tons of debris from stretches of the river from High Bridge Park all the way upstream to Spokane Valley. Objects found range from fascinating to hazardous – regular volunteers are asked to leave questionable objects and alert a team leader – but the majority of the trash is, predictably, scattered food wrappers, bottles and cans. This year’s effort will include an on-the-water crew led by Spokane Riverkeeper Jerry White.

Individual volunteers and groups from high

SPOkANE RIVER CLEAN-UP IS BACk (SEPT. 19)schools, churches, and service clubs are all invited to volunteer. Groups are encouraged to sign up together and recruit friends, classmates or coworkers to participate. Special safety training is provided for team leaders of groups with at least 10 volunteers. Individuals may also sign up to serve as team leaders or to volunteer on a team. Team and individual registrants can choose between morning meeting locations at High Bridge Park and the Avista Utilities build-ing. Light breakfast, water and coffee will be provided onsite. Volunteers will receive light cloth gloves, plastic bags for trash and recycla-bles, and a River Clean-Up backpack to carry their supplies. Bring a water bottle and wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. Participants driving to the High Bridge Park location can park at Spokane Falls Community College and receive a free pass to be shuttled to the park on an STA bus. For more info and to sign up, visit Spokanerivercleanup.org. // (OTM)

in the app, it’s worth c l i c k i n g through to the WTA website to find more information in the WTA H i k i n g Guide or in trip reports b e f o r e y o u ’ r e outside of cel l ser-vice. Using G o o g l e

directions alone has led many hikers astray on Forest Service roads. Altogether, this new app continues the WTA mission to preserve, enhance, and promote hiking opportunities in Washington through col-laboration, education, advocacy and volunteer trail maintenance. (Jon Jonckers)

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an upDateD versIon of Washington Trails Association’s free Trailblazer mobile app now makes it easier for hikers to get outside and enjoy Washington’s trails. After miles and miles of helpful input and thoughtful requests, the newest version of the WTA Trailblazer app for iPhone and Android has many new features that separate this app from most generic guides. For starters, users can search for trails by name, loca-tion or relative difficulty (measured by length of trail and elevation gain), and for family-and-dog friendly hikes. Now it’s even easier to give back to the hiking community by filing your own trip reports on your mobile device. You can also link to NOAA’s website quite easily to get current weather conditions and forecasts at the trailhead. Last but not least, the My Backpack feature allows users to add and remove hikes from My Backpack, and the hikes saved in My Backpack are available even when offline.

Please note the new app doesn’t replace guide-books. Not even close. But several hikes now show text directions to augment the Google directions to the trailhead coordinates. If you don’t see directions


HikeOfTheMonth

thIs month of transItIon between summer and fall is the perfect time to plan a visit to Grassy Top in the Colville National Forest (assuming there are no wildfires burning nearby). One could potentially find lingering wildflowers or enjoy a few last huckleberries, but shorter days bring cooler temperatures and changing colors to this high-country landscape as well.

Since the Trail #533 starts high at Pass Creek Pass, hikers have less than 1,000 feet of elevation gain over the course of the 4 miles (8 miles roundtrip) leading to the summit at 6,253 feet. The first portion of the hike remains largely in the trees with few views but a strong possibility of finding hucks. At the 2.7 mile mark, pass the junction leading to Hall Mountain to the west. It’s a worthy destination for the adventurous who don’t mind the 20 mile round-trip distance, but stay left to continue towards Grassy Top, where the trail increasingly crosses through open meadows. The views along the way include Washington’s Shedroof Divide and Crowell Ridge to the northwest, and Idaho’s Selkirk Crest to the east.

Carry all water needed for the hike as this trail has few reliable sources. Bring a camera to capture the change in seasons and maybe even some of the resident wildlife. Keep kids and pets close since this mountain is home to bears who may be foraging for huckleberries, or even the occasional cougar or wolf passing through. The trail is open to hikers, horses and mountain bikers and is dog friendly (leashes highly recommended).

getting there: From newport, wash., head north on highway 31 north of tiger and turn right on Sullivan lake road. continue past Sullivan lake and turn right on Forest Service road #22. continue on Fr22, stay right at the one major road junction, following the signs toward priest lake. the trail is on the right just before topping out at pass creek pass. parking is on the right a short way beyond the trailhead.

GIve Back to our traIls! September 25-28, lend a hand with the Liberty Lake bridge project. Sign up at wta.org/volunteer/east.

// by Holly WeilerGRASSY TOP MOUNTAIN (NE WASHINGTON)

THE PLEASANT WALK TO GRASSy TOP LEADS TO ExPANSIVE VIEWS (ONCE THE SMOKE CLEARS).// HOLLy WEILER

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Health&FitnessMOVENAT The Wholehearted Approach to Fitness // By katie Botkin

the Day after completInG a MovNat teacher training workshop in Santa Monica, Sandpoint-based Collin Beggs spotted an elderly homeless man passed out on the sidewalk in the full July sunlight, the dusky red sunburn on his skin obviously getting worse by the minute. Beggs went over, woke the man enough to ask his permission, then picked him up and carried him to the shade using a comfortable carrying technique he’d just learned in the workshop: deadlift to waist carry. “Once I set him down and arranged his belongings, he thanked me, and honestly I cried in gratitude for this wondrous human body I inhabit,” says Beggs.

The term MovNat is taken from French move-ment naturale and its motto is “be strong to be helpful,” a practical, community-driven ethos that is missing from many other workout programs and sports. If its adherents are to be believed, it’s as much a message of love and purpose as it is a way of getting in shape. “All of my pushing to be strong as a way to ‘perfect’ myself fell away to become a path to humanity and kinship with creation,” says Beggs of carrying the man to the shade.

The popularity of MovNat has seen recent uptick with Christopher McDougall’s new book “Natural Born Heroes.” As part of his exploration of what a “hero” was and is, McDougall trained with MovNat inventor/founder Erwan Le Corre in order to improve his natural agility, strength and endurance, not with weights or “running in cir-cles,” but by, essentially, playing – throwing rocks, jumping, somersaulting, vaulting over obstacles and carrying things.

The idea is to act like a kid who’s never learned that “exercise” equates to dull, repetitive motions that build up one specific muscle group. MovNat is about movement, all the movement that humans are capable of in a multi-dimensional universe. It acknowledges the mental and social aspects of movement, as well as the physiological effects of overtraining or limiting yourself to one kind of movement. It focuses on moving efficiently and with proper alignment. The end goal: bodies that are highly functional, capable of navigating any obstacle with ease. It leaves calorie-burning ellip-

tical machines by the wayside, considering them as little better than torture devices designed to keep people crippled and weak – and dependent on expensive gym memberships.

Beggs, a 41-year-old timber framer who recent-ly decided to take on gymnastic tumbling for the first time in his life, is a big proponent of MovNat and of “human movement” in general. He also trained with Le Corre in order to get his MovNat teaching certificate, and is slated to teach his first movement workshop at the Timber Framers Guild conference in Coeur d’Alene October 30.

As sort of a MovNat baseline, Beggs goes on long barefoot hikes, literally barefoot, pointing out that your body moves in a naturally more fluid way when you’re protecting the skin on your feet. I tried it; it’s true. It’s also way more fun. Particularly in new grass or in mud warmed by the sun –you can pick your way off-trail at a surprising rate, dodging gravel and burs. It feels undignified and therefore not like exercise exactly, more like goofing off just because the weather’s nice and who says you need shoes anyway? To these barefoot hikes, Beggs adds jumping, climb-ing trees, running barefoot in the dirt, balanc-ing on logs, crawling down the trail. He trains on playgrounds, as well, practicing his tuck pop up on the monkey bars – a pull-up/elbow up/pushup sequence that builds muscle and mobility. Beggs explains that you can do MovNat anywhere, using anything, although it is scripted to be used in nat-ural environments.

Beggs says he finds MovNat inspiring because he has tried to build his whole life around the ethos it espouses. He specializes in timber fram-ing using trees taken directly from the forest and fitted together into structures that themselves resemble forests, with naturally-bent curves, bifurcated posts showing the long grain of thick trunks, and hand-planed cedar. “Be strong to be helpful,” has long been something he espoused, with helpful referring to the ability to construct and raise a frame with other people, manhandling logs and pounding them into place. The end result is structure, home – a helpful thing if ever there was one. //

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BikingBIkE FITTING What Every Cyclist Should know // By Brad Naccarato

from fIrst Day pedal pushers to those who shred singletrack every day, cycling is a sport that attracts riders of all different sizes and skill levels. Some have loved the sport since they were kids, while others may have taken it up later in life because knee issues or as a new way to get around town and commute. While the bikes and the way professionals and amateurs ride can differ considerably, there is one thing that all cyclists should be doing the same: getting a professional bike fit.

A bike fit is exactly what it sounds like – a pro-fessional service that helps personalize the fit of your bike for the way you ride. A proper bike fit-ting can improve comfort, handling and power output. Fitting also takes away the guesswork when you’re trying to determine what bike is best for your body proportions. It ensures your posi-tioning on the bike will allow you to have the most enjoyable, effective ride possible. While most bike shops offer some type of bike fitting with bike pur-chases these days, Jim Kozak of CycleMetrix in Coeur d’Alene has made it his specialty, fitting bikes professionally for the last 12 years. We asked him to share his perspective on the importance of bike fitting.

otm: Why is bike fitting so important?kozak: A professional bike fit is without a doubt the best accessory you can purchase for your bike. Comfort and efficiency will make your time in the saddle much more enjoyable so that you want to ride, rather than stashing your bike in the back of the garage. I cannot tell you how many people come to me for bike fits with bikes that are not ideally suited for them. A good fit technician can adjust a bike in many ways, but there definitely are limits before something starts to suffer, particularly, comfort, handling, and efficiency. You have to start with a frame geom-etry that is suited to your proportions, flexibility level and goals. Every bike of reasonable quality has a geometry chart. These charts contain key numbers about each frame size and model that can be confusing for consumers to make sense of. Get help from a trusted fitter before select-ing your next bike. The hot looking bike, at a bargain price from the online bike warehouse, could be your worst nightmare if it can’t be fitted to your body.

otm: Have you seen any changes or progression in the bike fitting world since you started?kozak: I’ve seen huge changes, both in the training programs involved and in the tools

used. In the early days a plum-bob and a tape measure were mainstays of a bike fitter. Today’s tools include power meters, lasers, 3D camera systems, cleat wedges, variable length pedal spin-dles, pressure sensors for rider contact points that measure heat and friction in real time, wind tunnels and much more. A good, experienced bike fitter can still do a lot without a wind tunnel. Triathlon bike fitting has evolved into its own specialty. It’s advancing at an even faster rate than road bike fitting because the sanctioning bodies of road racing have strict limitations on bike geometry, whereas triathlon bikes are not under those restrictions. Hence, triathletes can ride steeper seat tube angles on more aerodynamic frame designs, and are not limited to the tradi-tional double diamond style bike frame.

otm: How did you get into bike fitting? kozak: I’ve been involved in cycling since I was a kid, back in the day when a Schwinn Stingray was every paperboy’s ride of choice and every racer wanted to have a Schwinn Paramount. I raced a little and rode a lot. As I acquired dif-ferent bikes, I was always interested in how my own bikes felt and performed when I rode them. Eventually, I became frustrated with the minimal effort that most bike shops put towards optimiz-ing a customer’s riding position on a new or existing bike. Back then, unless you were in a true PRO shop, frame size was usually determined by having you straddle the top tube, checking your crotch clearance, making sure your leg had a “slight bend” in it when fully extended, and not much else. Fitting beyond that was generally up to the rider to figure out on their own.

In 2004, I began researching experts in the field of bike fitting and studying their different meth-ods and philosophies. I contacted a fellow by the name of Michael Sylvester, who had developed the fitting programs for Serotta and would later become head of Trek’s bike fitting division. I trav-eled to Portland to meet him and spent two days there watching him fit customers to their bikes. Later I participated in an intense training pro-gram that he offered in North Carolina. I have performed over 1,200 bike fits since opening CycleMetrix. I have attended five different cer-tification programs, as well as numerous other seminars by other schools and instructors. I am always learning new skills as bike fitting is con-stantly evolving.

For more information on bike fitting, talk to your local bike shop or visit Cyclemetrix.com. //

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HIkING LEAVENWORTH: CENTRAL CASCADES TRAILS FOR ALL AGES // BY AMY SILBERNAGEL MCCAFFREEKids

WIth a nIce mIx of both fancy and rugged activities – from wine tasting and outdoor art shows to hiking and mountain biking – I’ve never been disappointed by Leavenworth. Only a 3-hour drive from Spokane, this Bavarian village-themed town in central Washington is a great choice for a family-friendly destination or a couples-getaway. As of late August, Leavenworth had avoided the large wildfires that have plagued other areas of Eastern Washington, too.

Some of the most scenic hiking can be found in the Icicle Creek Canyon area, located south of town off Icicle Road, within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The Icicle Gorge Trail is an easy, mostly flat and popular 4-mile loop that is best enjoyed in a clockwise direction. Enjoy wildflowers, occasional wildlife and great views of Icicle Creek.

If you’re looking for more difficult hiking routes, consider Icicle Ridge (4 miles, 1,800 eleva-tion gain), Icicle Ridge Lookout (11 miles, 4,700 elevation gain), or even Enchantment Lakes (18 miles, 4,500 elevation gain) for a challenging day hike or backpack trip. These are just a few of the many hikes in the area. Evidence of the massive Hatchery Complex wildfires that occurred during the summer of 1994 – three separate wildfires that surrounded Leavenworth and burned more than

17,000 acres – can still be seen. Most of the trails require a use-permit, such as the USFS National Forest Recreation Pass. Self-validating day passes are $5 and can be purchased at the ranger station in Leavenworth and other local stores and even at some trailhead kiosks. They can also be pur-chased online or in-person locally in Spokane at REI or Big 5 Sporting Goods. Trail reports from last fall indicate that the upper section of Icicle Road, to access most trailheads, has potholes and washboard conditions. Also, be aware that this is bear country.

Closer to town is the easy Icicle River Nature Trail, near the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, which hosts the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival on September 19. And don’t miss the treed riverbank trails of Enchantment Park and Waterfront Park’s Blackbird Island, near downtown Leavenworth. (My family actually prefers to bike these easy, fun trails.) Take along swimming gear if you’re inclined to cool off in the Wenatchee River at any of the small beach inlets.

There is also great hiking on the trails within Lake Wenatchee State Park, located about 30 minutes west of Leavenworth, off State Route 207 via Highway 2. Be sure you check updates on any central Cascades wildfires before you leave home (Inciweb.nwcg.gov). Leavenworth is often

impacted when regional wildfires are burning – a smoky haze settles into town and roads and highways sometimes close due to firefighting activities.

The guidebook “Day Hiking: Central Cascades” by Craig Romano is a good resource to have on-hand for your trip. Otherwise, websites for the Washington Trails Association (Wta.org) and Leavenworth tourism office (Leavenworth.org/trails) provide detailed information to help plan your hiking adven-tures.

Before you leave town, be sure to stop by the family-and-pet-friendly München Haus Bavarian Grill and Beer Garden for some traditional brats, German potato salad, pretzels and its own Icicle Brewing Company beers. And if you want to partake in what Leavenworth does best – lively seasonal festivals that attract visitors from across the state – the annual Washington State Autumn Leaf Festival takes place Sept. 25-27. //

WANDERING THE TRAILS AND PATHS AROUND LEAVENWORTH. A FALL, FAMILy

HIKING PARADISE! PHOTO: AMy

SILBERNAGEL MCCAFFREE

The Spokane MountaineersCelebrating 100 Years in the Outdoors,

through Conservation, Education, and Recreation in the Pacific Northwest. Be part of the Legacy.

Join Us at SpokaneMountaineers.org


Everyday CyclistDREAM BIG-YOUR BIkE CAN TAkE YOU THERE // By Hank Greer

yOUR NExT BIKE ADVENTURE AWAITS yOU. PHOTO: HANK GREER

What Is normal for you when you ride a bike? How far do you go? What kind of riding do you do? Do you ever push the envelope? If so, were you sur-prised how comfortable you were at being outside your comfort zone?

Our area offers a multitude of opportunities if you want to do something epic on a bicycle. For exam-ple, and an admittedly extreme one for beginners, Spokane is the home of a unique ride known as the Midnight Century. It takes place on the first Saturday in August. It’s 96 miles long, and about half of that distance involves long, steep climbs and rough gravel roads that make it easy for people to quit. But you don’t quit the Midnight Century. It defeats you, but only if you let it.

Just last month I rode my fourth Midnight Century. The gravel roads were in the worst condi-tion I’ve seen in my four outings. Washboards jack-hammered the saddle into my backside, wreaked havoc on my wrists and almost blistered the heels of my gloved hands as they hung on to vigorously shak-ing handlebars. Deep gravel made my front wheel unexpectedly veer in directions I did not intend to go. Finding that sweet spot where it wasn’t too bumpy or too loose was a never-ending quest that warranted constant vigilance. I would have had bet-ter luck searching for the lost city of Atlantis.

The climbs were longer and steeper than I remember. My psychological immune system was probably helping me by making important details like that fuzzy. Climbing in the dark was disheart-ening because I couldn’t see the top. Climbing in the dawn was disheartening because I could see the top, and it looked so far away. Combine the miser-able road conditions with the incessant climbing, and I have to say that this was the most difficult Midnight Century I’ve done, which means it was the best Midnight Century I’ve ever done. That might be both a confusing and disturbing thought to some people, so let me explain.

It’s true that the Midnight Century is not for everyone. But it isn’t because of the difficulty, the dis-tance or that it’s mostly in the dark and the sun pops

up over the horizon when you’re pretty damn tired. It’s just that not everyone has the requisite frame of mind. If you want to do epic stuff on your bike, you have to remove the limitations holding you back.

It took me many years to gradually push my lim-its outward. When I first heard about the Midnight Century seven or eight years ago and how 12 people would start and only three would finish, I thought, “That’s crazy.” The ride did not appeal to me at all. But over the following years I expanded my cycling experiences. I explored paved and gravel roads on the West Plains. I took up cyclocross racing. I tried out new and longer routes while bike commuting to work. I rode my bike 23 miles to my medical appointments at Fairchild Air Force Base, and then 13 miles to work. I learned that I could exceed the limits I had placed on myself. And I could go beyond what other people expected of me, what they con-sidered “normal.” I don’t care for being normal any more.

I apologize if this reads to you like an extreme ego trip, but there are many other people I could present as examples too. I see them at cyclocross and mountain bike races, long distance rides and out bike commuting to work. They don’t let weight or age stop them. They ride up the Post Street hill for the first time without walking and across the desert of

Central Washington. What could be your new normal in five years? If

you can ride 10 miles, why not stretch that out to 15? If you can do 25 miles, why not double that? If you can ride once a week, why not make it two times? Try different types of cycling, and see how you like them. There are trails, roads and racecourses out there waiting for you. And when you show up, you’ll see athletes crushing it, but you’ll also see people just like you and me. Ordinary people finding adventure, pushing beyond their boundaries a little more each time and constantly redefining their normal. Most importantly, they are having fun.

You don’t have to dream big, but you should never stop dreaming. Now that you’re done reading this, your bike is waiting for you. //

I learned that I could exceed the limits I had placed on myself. And I could go beyond what other people

expected of me, what they considered “normal.” I don’t care for being normal any more.

2nd Annual

Cyclists of all ages and levels encouraged to participate!

849 Port Way

Choose from: 100-Mile “Century”50-Mile “Half-Century”25-Mile15-Mile7-Mile “Family Fun Ride”

The ride is part of RIVERFEST which willbe going on during and after the ride.Spaghetti Feed the night before.

SAT. SEPT. 26, 2015


OutThereSpotlightLOOkING BACk AT THE SPOkANE MOUNTAINEERS (1986 TO 1992) // By Chic Burge

1986 Was another BIG year for the Spokane Mountaineers and Rich Landers and Ida Rowe Dolphin. The “100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest” guidebook was com-pleted by Landers and Dolphin, with help from Spokane Mountaineers members, and printed by the Seattle Mountaineers. The Mountaineers also played a pivotal role in the protection of Minnehaha Rocks. The beloved climbing area was purchased by Spokane County Parks, with the Spokane Mountaineers’ help. Roster num-bers were 491 that year. The first Minnehaha clean up and open house was organized by the author of this article, Chic Burge.

In 1988, an “Old Timers Reunion” was held in the North Cascade’s Washington Pass area. On Mt. Spokane, the ground breaking of the cross-country Selkirk Lodge took place with the help of the Spokane Mountaineers and the Inland Northwest Nordic Club.

In 1989, member Sara Gross was chosen to be the photographer on a Cousteau Society trip. Long-time member Earl Ferrier passes away. Earl had been an active member since 1937. Membership dropped a bit that year to 447.

In 1990 the Mountaineers celebrated its 75th Anniversary at the Ridpath Hotel. The club elect-ed John Roskelley, Kim Momb, Jim States and Chris Kopczynski to Honorary Membership. Bob Loomis, author of the Inland Northwest’s original climbing guide, was elected president that year. Don Hutchings and Jane Shelley organized a climbers exchange with several Czechoslovakian

climbers they met while on a vacation in Czechoslovakia.

In 1991, Chic Burge holds the 2nd Star Party for the Spokane Mountaineers and also organized a Kootenai County Backcountry Safety presen-tation, so non-members could learn the impor-

tance of proper clothing, equipment and essentials needed for safe outings. These classes lasted for 12 years and helped introduce many new people to the joys of the great outdoors.

In 1992, Lynn Smith leads his first Wednesday Night Hike to Liberty Lake State Park. Lynn went

on to organize 26 Wednesday Night Hikes each year to date (2015 and beyond). The idea of the 10 Essentials was expanded to 13 Essentials for all members to carry on all club events. The first “mention” of a Spokane Mountaineers-led kayak-ing trip (to Lake Pend Oreille) happened thanks to Chic Burge. That year Linda Dygert (Nowak) led her first of 21 Mt. Bachelor club ski trips. Member Ken Scholz designs and builds the club’s Honorary Membership Plaque, in which all Honorary Members’ names are engraved with the year of their induction. The plaque is a work of art. Kelsey Loughlin leaves for her attempt at Ama Dablam in the Himalayas. Kelsey is the first Spokane Mountaineer woman to climb in the Himalayan Mountains. Chic Burge is elected club president and leads the first Adopt-A-Lake conservation clean up to Lone Lake, beneath Stevens Peak.

Learn more about the Spokane Mountaineers and become a member at spokanemountaineers.org. //

MOUNTAINEERS MEMBERS MARION KRAUSS AND JOHN DAyHARSH AT THE GRANDFATHER MT. HIKE TRAILHEAD. KRAUSS RECEIVED THE OUTSTANDING MOUNTAINEERS AWARD FOR SUMMITING NUMEROUS MAJOR PEAKS OVER A 15 yEAR PERIOD. PHOTO COURTESy OF SPOKANE MOUNTAINEERS

The Mountaineers also played a pivotal role in the protection

of Minnehaha Rocks.


TOP: THE UPPER REACHES OF “WHISKER RIDGE” JUST BELOW THE SUMMIT. EVIDENCE OF THE 1967 SUNDANCE FIRE ABOUND. // BOTTOM: THE SEVEN SISTERS OF THE SELKIRK CREST FROM THE SUMMIT OF ROMAN NOSE. PHOTOS: CHIC BURGE

HikingSELkIRk MOUNTAIN HIGH Roman Nose Peak via Whisker Ridge // By Chic Burge

roman nose lakes is a very nice, easy hike high in the American Selkirks west of Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The 1.5 mile hike only gains 310 feet, while visiting three lakes. The hike I’m about to describe is an alternative that still takes in the lakes, but also summits Roman Nose Peak.

From the trailhead parking lot, head south, cross country, to the high ridge above the lower lake and above the campsites. It’s a struggle to get there, but once on the ridge, the hike to the summit along “Whisker Ridge” is most scenic and photogenic. I call the ridge, Whisker Ridge, because it is like walking along an old man’s bearded chin. The ridge is covered with ancient white snags and wildflowers. As you pass above the lower lake, the “trail” wanders for about a mile to the summit. The last 1/4 mile is a bit steeper but easily doable. Once on top, the views across the Pack River include the Seven Sisters of the Selkirk Crest. Take a moment and enjoy your lunch on top. The views up and down the Selkirks, with Chimney Rock dominating the southern horizon, are some of the best.

From the top, you can head back the way you came up, or you can continue northwest down the peak to a saddle above the upper lake. It’s a short rock hop down to the upper lake, and a nice walk past the

other two lakes back to the trailhead. Once you see the lower lake below you, look for the “scenic loop trail” that heads south (right) below the massive west wall. It’s an easy return to the lower lake that offers great views and photo ops.

This hike is most spectacular in the fall. Years ago a friend and I climbed the east face above the lower lake and had lunch out of the wind in the old metal lookout tower on top. Three months later I learned that the tower blew down in strong winds. This hike is certainly a classic in our area and should not be missed. Another great feature about the Roman Nose Lakes is that the lower lake is wheelchair accessible.

getting there:

drive north on highway 95 to bonners Ferry,

idaho, and turn west onto riverside, just before

the bridge across the Kootenai river. head west

to the frontage road #417, and bear left at the

“y.” drive about 2.5 miles to Snow creek road

#402. road #402 turns sharply to the right. drive

9.5 miles up 402 and bear left onto road #1007.

drive 7.3 miles and turn right onto road #2667.

after half a mile, bear right at the “y” and drive

about a mile to the trailhead. //

[email protected]

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I am a lonG-tIme road biker, and I have an obsession for hills, which makes living in Spokane something akin to a kid in a candy store. Steep hills immediately prompt three ques-tions for me: 1) Can I make it up this son-of-a-buck without stopping? 2) What is the slope/grade of this incline? 3) What top speed can I hit cruising down this baby? (I should share my rule that I do not indulge the pleasure of a hill’s descent unless I have earned the right by first climbing the bugger.)

Last summer I ordered a $25 Sky Mounti incli-nometer from Adventure Cycling Association and launched into my “Top-Ten Hills Project.” My inclinometer obviously doesn’t have the digital accuracy of a computer, but it’s close enough for our purposes (plus or minus a percent or so). So, here is my “Top-Ten Spokane-Area Hills” list. In order to qualify as a “hill,” it had to meet three conditions: 1) It obviously had to have a signifi-cant “steepness” factor; 2) It had to be paved; and 3) The challenge part had to be close to a mile in distance. The rankings are based on one criterion only: the degree of difficulty. You hill-climbers know exactly what this means. Your computer can’t give you this reading, but your brain/heart/lungs/legs will give it to you loud and clear! The “degree of difficulty” is simply how hard you have to work to make it to the top!

# 1: WhIte roaD. No doubt about it, this is the ultimate gut-buster, and a lot of Spokane riders have never heard of it. From where Hatch Road meets Highway 195, head south just a quarter-mile and turn right and you’re there. First-timers will utter an “OMG” at first glimpse (and then another “OMG” at the end – One Monster Grade!). You are immediately greeted with a 19%, which settles down a bit to between 14 and 17 %. Even though it’s just 3/4 mile to the crest, it feels like an eternity. You’ll hear words come out of your mouth that you didn’t even know were in your vocabulary! From the crest of the hill, continue half a mile to Cedar, a good connector road. (Warning: if you are tempted to reward yourself with a descent on White Road Hill, you could end up as a large grease spot on Highway 195. Not recommended!)

#2: freya hIll. Freya is the Norse goddess of love and beauty, and this hill is definitely a beaut! Everybody has driven up the South Hill on Freya, but pumping a bicycle up it gives you a whole new appreciation. From the bottom (11th) to the crown at 25th is exactly a mile. You will be greeted with a 19% challenge in two differ-ent stretches on this mother. One rather unique feature of the brutal section (half-mile) is that your legs get a brief respite when you cross 16th and 17th. Don’t worry about the traffic. There is sufficient rider room, and drivers probably are in awe of your determination (or idiocy).

#3: charles roaD hIll. Charles Road is the main street of Nine Mile Falls. If you leave your car at Sontag Park (that’s also where the Centennial Trail begins), you’ll need to ride

about five miles northwest before you meet Charles Road Hill. This is an unrelenting mile and a half pull at 8 to 12 % most of the way. Then turn around and treat yourself to one of the best “downhillers” around. (Caution: I can tell you from a terrifying out-of-control experience I had a number of years ago, this hill is deceptively fast. Don’t even think about a no-brake coast! I almost didn’t live to tell about it.)

#4: toWer mountaIn (a dead-ender). Just a stone’s throw west from the intersections of Palouse Hwy and 57th, you’ll find the beginning of Ben Burr Road. It’s about three miles from there to the end of the climb at the KHQ gate. The last mile is the piece of work (between 11-15 %). Those hairpins will definitely warm up your brakes on the way down.

#5: carnahan hIll. Carnahan, the dividing line between the South Hill and Spokane Valley, takes you up to Glenrose Prairie from 8th Ave. via Hartson. The half-mile steep section is in the 11-14 % range; there is not much shoulder, so you just have to hold your own. For whatever it’s worth, it is pretty easy to hit 50 mph going down Carnahan.

#6: West 44th (another dead-ender). From the intersection of 37th and Glenrose, head east and follow the “dog-leg” which will become 44th. It’s 1.75 miles to the ridge (Park Lane, which rewards you with a spectacular view of the Dishman-Mica valley to the east). The last ¾ mile is the grind, and there is one fairly short “wall” that will force you up on your pedals – an 18-19 percenter! Heading down, you can hit 50 on this one, too, but that 90 degree bend comes real fast!

#7: lehman roaD. Another little-known but worthy challenge. From the intersection of Argonne and Wellesley, head east (less than half a mile) and the left bend of the road is the beginning of Lehman (and a good spot to leave your vehicle). The hill is just under a mile – my inclinometer topped out at 13% on the lower section (even though the sign at the top says 15%) and the upper portion calms down to 6-7%. (Suggestion: Turn right at the top and do the “Arbor Crest” loop back to your vehicle (4.5 miles, two of which are good gravel).

#8: GreenWooD roaD. Greenwood heads west from Government Way (the intersection is just south of the cemeteries). As you start cranking, stay to the right at the “Y.” This is a legitimate mile-long pull that moves up into the 12–14% range in a couple different places. Rimrock Drive signals the end of the climb, although Greenwood continues another half-mile to the intersection at Grove. If you prefer to coast back down, keep it slow so that you can enjoy a nice panoramic view of Spokane.

#9: hatch roaD. Hangman Valley Loop riders know this one well – the connector of Highway

195 and 57th. It’s 1.3 miles from the Hangman turnoff to the top (7-8% on the lower end and down to 5% further up). Unfortunately, the real challenge isn’t the incline; it’s the frustration of no-shoulder. This is absolutely the most “unsafe” hill to climb. (City and County, please do some-thing about this dangerous situation!)

#10: four mounDs. Take Seven-Mile Road off of Highway 291 several miles west to the Four Mounds/Coulee Hite “Y.” If you are still driving, you need to park there, head out on the right fork and you will soon encounter this mile-long hill (middle half is the work at 9-10 %). This is a fun down-hiller, but another option is to skip the thrill and keep going on a 20-mile loop (part of a Spokefest route). Continue to Wood, turn left, left again at Coulee Hite, and back down to your starting point at the “Y.”

10 Spokane-Area Hills to ClimbBefore You Die!

LA BICICLETTASupporting area cycling since 2000

domacoffee.com

By Ed Merz


runners up: By the way, to all the runners-up – Greenbluff, Southeast Blvd, Five-Mile North, Big Sandy, Forker Road, Maple/Walnut/Cedar/High Drive, Eagleridge, Madison (off Dishman Mica), Valley Chapel grade, Bella Vista hills –sorry you didn’t quite “make-the-grade,” but you definitely contribute to the wonderful variety of riding experiences that our Spokane-area offers to cyclists. Please do not feel slighted; you should be proud that your inclines are more frequently ridden and actually enjoyed without “taxing to the max.”

Do I hear, “What the heck happened to Mt. Spokane?” Well, good question – and here is the simple answer. Mt. Spokane is more than a hill; it’s a mountain, so it has to be in a different category. By all means, it needs to be recognized (and chal-lenged). I had not ridden Mt. Spokane in years, so I included it on my “to-climb” list last sum-

mer. Here is the scoop: From Bear Creek Lodge (just outside the Mt. Spokane State Park entrance at elevation 3,110), it is about eight miles to the almost 6,000 foot top of the mountain. Unlike some of the killer hills in my “Top Ten,” there are no stretches in the “brutal” category. The steep-est range is 10 – 12%. Mt. Spokane’s challenge is, simply put, a steady grind. (Stay hydrated!) And on the way down, you are in jeopardy if you don’t use your feather-braking skills!

So, fellow cyclists, head for the hills. Maybe we should design a patch that one can only earn after having “conquered”** all 10 of these super grades. It could read, “I CLIMBED THE BIG 10; NOW I CAN DIE.” (If that doesn’t make any sense, re-read the title above.)

**Defined as “without stopping.” Sorry, but getting off the bike to catch one’s breath is a DQ! //

10 Spokane-Area Hills to Climb

THE INLAND NORTHWEST IS FULL OF PLEASANT ROAD BIKING SURPRISES, INCLUDING THE 10 BURLy HILL CLIMBS IN ED’S TOP 10 LIST.

PHOTOS: SKyE SCHILLHAMMER

Important Dates!August 20th - October 7th

Online Registration Open!October 9th - 16th

Vouchers are mailed to registrantsOctober 17th - 24th

Pick up trees from Home Fires Nursery 2919 S. Geiger Blvd, Spokane, WA 99224 ONLY

October 24thPick up trees at Spokane County Conservation District

210 N. Havana St., Spokane, WA 99202 ONLY

FREE TREE EVENTRESIDENTIAL TREE PROGRAM

October 2015

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1,000 free trees for Spokane City residents12 tree species to choose from

1 tree per propertyRegister for your free tree online

TICKET HOLDERS RECIEVE RESORT AND RETAIL OFFERS FROM:

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COEUR D’FONDO ON A TWO SPEED // By Dennis Mossburg

Biking

I roDe 108 mIles on a two speed bike. According to Strava, the ride was 7,222 feet of elevation with only two gears to choose from. It was not something I set out to do, but once fate stepped in, I decided to press on.

The Coeur d’Fondo is a bike ride around Lake Coeur d’Alene that offers several distances to choose from: 37, 47, 84, and 108 miles. There’s also a 15-mile family version. I chose to ride the whole 108 miles. On the climb from Beauty Bay, my rear derailleur stopped working. At the aid station at the top of the hill, I took a look at the problem. While I was pushing on the gear lever, it slid out of its housing. When I tried to put the lever back, it broke off.

I had been looking forward to this ride for a year. All of the miles of training, all of the atten-tion paid to nutrition and diet, and then 18 miles into the ride and my gear lever is sitting in the palm of my hand. In my pre-ride planning, the worst mechanical failure I had anticipated was a flat tire. Losing my ability to shift was out of the realm of possibility, until it happened.

The chain was on the fourth smallest gear, not a great gear for climbing and not a great gear for the flats. It was a horrible gear for the downhills. I looked at the gear lever in my hand. I put the lever in my pocket and went off to find a banana or two. I was going to need a lot of potassium and simple sugars.

I don’t take myself too seriously as a cyclist. I don’t wear spandex or a jersey. I don’t belong to a club. I use a Camelback rather than water

bottles. I do not have anything against other more serious cyclists, it’s just not something I am inter-ested in. I do, however, take cycling seriously. I have worked hard on my pedal stroke, focusing on making circles with my feet. I have practiced one-legged pedaling to ensure I am using all of my leg muscles and that I have a smooth stroke. I challenge myself on hills, using the large crank gear as much as possible, only switching to the

small crank gear when my cadence is too low, then switching back to the large crank gear as soon as possible. My favorite Strava segments are the hill climbs, though at 43 years old, I am not likely to win king of the mountain bragging rights.

My goal going into the ride had been to com-plete the ride in six to six-and-a-half hours. I quickly realized that my goal was now unachiev-able. So I focused on my second goal: to have fun

and enjoy the beauty of the ride. The beauty prob-ably kept me in the saddle more than anything else. If this ride had been through the channeled scablands of Central Washington, I may well have thrown in the towel.

My usual tactic in organized rides is to pass more people than I let pass me. This time, the pattern became one of passing people going up the hills. Then getting passed by those people going down the other side. My plan to skip some of the aid stations and rely on gels also went out the win-dow. My stays at the aid stations grew longer as I talked myself into the challenge ahead. Despite that, I noticed fewer and fewer familiar faces at the aid stations, as I somehow managed to pass more people than had passed me.

I found the fingers of my right feeling for the missing gear lever at odd points throughout the ride. Sometimes when I looked ahead at the next climb. Sometimes just to see if someone had fixed it when I was not looking. I couldn’t build up speed on the downhills to help with the next climb, so I used the downhills as a chance to rest and watch the scenery. If the lever had not broken, I would have been more focused on racing than on the beauty around me. A beauty which made me forget about the pain in my legs.

I finished in eight hours and three minutes. Not the time I had hoped for, but it is a time I am not ashamed of. I’m glad I finished, and I hope to do it again this year with a few more gears. Besides, finishing the ride on a two-speed is a better story than finishing in six hours anyway. //

AM I THERE yET? PHOTO COURTESy OF DENNIS MOSSBURG

Spokane’s full-service non-profit bicycle shop

refurbishing used bicycles and offering hope to

youth who are homeless.

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www.coolwaterbikes.org [email protected]

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Artwork by Pat Marvenko Smith, ©1982/1992 www.revelationillustrated.com

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Health&FitnessFOOD: IT’S NOT THAT COMPLICATED // By Ammi Midstokkeanyone Who trIes to tell you that Whole Foods is a health food store is obviously misled, and we can be sure of this because I’m standing in their vegetable aisle and there is only one vari-ety of kale. And since Mumford & Sons and Otis Redding have been listened to by the same crowd of jazz-appreciating, mustache-sporting people on bikes, we’ve known that kale is the epitome of healthy food.

My brother hands me a bag of organic pota-to chips, “Sour Cream & Onion,” he says. “And they’re organic!” Which is great because when my arteries need to be roto-rooted, I’d like to know that my heart attack was at least organically inspired. He is pushing around a $600 cart of faux health food. There are Kind Bars, Thai-flavored cashews and plain cashews so expensive I can only assume the label was hand painted by a Santa Cruz artist as a signed original. There are also about five bags of chip sort of things. Bean and rice chips, non-GMO corn chips, plain old bean chips (the latter just seems desperate to me).

“I need carriers,” he says. He is not alone. All summer long, during the season of chips, my practice is full of people asking for-the-love-of-god, “What will I use as a carrier?” Because it is not only important that we get guacamole, salsa, artichoke dip, brie, and pate into our pie holes, it is important that it be transported on an appropriate vessel. Veggie spiralizers have hit the market with great success, turning our zucchini into “pasta” (generations of Italian grandmothers are turning in the grave). Where’s the device that turns our cucumbers and celery into chips?

I eat a handful of Thai cashews and my brain salivates. I am certain that my brain literally ejacu-lated saliva in some orgasmic sensation of flavor overload. “Aren’t those good?” says the brother as he tilts the bag into his face. I’m busy processing the rapid firing of my flavor neurons, while my blissed-out brain floats in drool and dopamine.

Food does not taste like this. Real food does not turn your brain into a potato-chip binging mani-ac willing to rob small children of their Doritos and Halloween candy. Chemically manufactured ingredients, however, do.

It’s not an accident. The R&D departments of the food industries have been beautifully designing foods to be what is known as “highly-rewarding” for decades. It is a great inspiration for over-eaters. If you’re already full, you need to have another reason to eat. Organic Sour Cream

& Onion chips are a damn fine reason, according to your brain, whose pleasure centers are tem-porarily more stimulated than a teenager with the new Victoria’s Secret catalogue. The idea that healthy food should taste like soggy cardboard is false (except for gluten-free bread, in which case you can save yourself eight bucks and just spread your jam on cardboard). Generally, though, food made from food tastes kind of like food. If your brain can remember.

Here are some guidelines to eating real food like a real person:

1. If it doesn’t break down on the shelf, it probably won’t break down in your body real well.

2. If your carrier isn’t carrying its own supply of vitamins and minerals, you’re wasting space. (See: toast, chips, crackers, rice, cake. Just eat the frosting with a spoon.)

3. Butter, salt, and garlic make anything epic. If you’re trying to impress the ladies, add sage or fresh thyme.

4. Carry Cholula sauce in your pockets. It redeems any meal.

5. Buy foods you recognize, like broccoli, let-tuce, nuts, seeds, dead animals, spices, etc.

6. Also, buy some things you don’t recognize like kohlrabi and celery root, and learn how to cook them so you’re not living on a diet of carrots and chicken breast.

The more you avoid foods that are chemically enhanced with ingredients like maltodextrin, fructose, sorbitol, malt extract, MSG, and dextrin, the more your brain will appreciate the flavors of real food. Also, if you want to get through your grocery shopping without reading the equiva-lent in “War and Peace” in labels, just avoid the packaged foods. Reducing your trash impact is the only way to approach the karmic genius of veganism anyway.

Why would we even want to avoid all those food additives if they don’t seem to be bothering us as individuals? Oh, but they probably are: brain fog, food allergies, auto-immunity, rising cancer rates, obesity statis-tics, diabetes, inflammation, and those really funky bowel movements are all pandemics of a culture of eating engineered food. If you are what you eat, then eat what you want to be. //

Ammi Midstokke is currently trying to figure out how to improve her karma without giving up barbecue ribs.

[email protected] 509.926.0043


C A L L

FA C E T I M E W I T H T H E FA R M E RR O S A O V A L L E M O N T

GearRoomTRAVEL GEAR TO HIT THE ROAD WITH THIS FALL

Retro Ski Pass Contest

We’ll publish the best in the October/November and March issues of Out There Monthly. Winners score a local resort lift ticket and endless fame. Send a high-resolution (1MB or larger) photo or digital scan of your retro ski pass, along with the owner’s name, email address, phone number and a supportive caption to: [email protected].

Got a classic ski pass pic from a bygone era

that’s worthy of sharing?

C O F F E E B R E W E R S C O M P E T I T I O N

O C T 1 S T A T 6 P M A T R O A S T H O U S E C O F F E E 5 0 9 - 9 9 5 - 6 5 0 0

travel chaIr (Joey chaIr)I had the chance to sit in several different mod-els of TravelChair’s light, comfortable chairs at several events and festivals this year, and they changed the way I look at packable “camp” type chairs. I resisted investing in a modern camp chair for years after watching friends and fam-ily throw their money away on cheap, bulky chairs that seemed to struggle to make it through a season of tail gating. Then there were the lighter, less-clunky brethren of the aforementioned piece of crap behemoths that felt more like a tiny chair torture device than a piece of outdoor furni-ture intended for relax-ing. Instead, I opted for old-school, garage sale lawn chair variety camp chairs from the 70s and 80s that had somehow survived long enough to endure a few years of robust abuse by me before succumbing to a somewhat rapid death by rust, fire, dirt, friction and mildew.

Even when going up against those beloved, salvaged lawn chairs (RIP), all of the TravelChair models I tried are so comfy, light and pack down so small that there will never again be an excuse not to bring a quality chair along on any camp-ing trip, beach outing, picnic, summer concert or festival. While other TravelChair models – like

oztent 30 seconD tentsNo joke, these totally water-and-bug proof tents with plenty of room only take 30 seconds or less to set up. Of course, if you add on upgrades to the standard tent, like awning walls (for extra wind and rain protection) and awning mesh netting to make an added bug-free addition to the tent, you might be talking another 30 seconds or so. Each standard OzTent comes with a huge back window and large side windows, a massive front door with mesh netting to keep out bugs and improve ventilation, guaranteed waterproof canvass walls and roof and a heat-sealed PVC tub-type floor, a power chord flap,

raD DoG pocket BoWl If you’ve ever tried to quench your panting dog’s thirst with your hydration belt bot-tle, you’ve experienced well-hydrated guilt while your dog goes dry. Enter Rad Dog, a Bellingham-based company that designs and builds dog products. Their Pocket Bowl is smaller and lighter than an energy gel and more use-ful than a multi-tool when your pup pants up at you in

the Wallaby, which we tried out and loved – come with welcome features like a beverage holder and arm rests, the Joey Chair stands out as the super lightweight yet incredibly comfortable choice because you can really justify taking it just about anywhere: strap it to your bike, stash it in your pack, check it in your south-bound luggage, or

shove it under your arm for a walk to the park. We left ours in the car pretty much all summer long just in case. A Joey Chair weights less than two pounds yet can sup-port up to 300 pounds of tuckered traveler. Set up and break-down is intuitive and takes sec-onds, even, as I proved through rigorous field testing, after a long night of campfire revelry.

Based out of Gig H a r b o r , Wa s h . , TravelChair is a pioneer

in the industry and has been building quality camp and travel seats, tables and stools for over three decades. They use quality materials (like the stuff seatbelts are made of, molded grom-mets, burly rivets, and high-grade aluminum and steel frames) and design to make products that will stand the test of time. Meaning, your TravelChair won’t be making a one-way trip to the Dumpster anytime soon. Find the Joey Chair and other models at REI or online at Travelchair.com. MSRP: $78.99. (Derrick Knowles)

built in guy lines (for more secure anchor-ing in stormy weather), and a 2.2 meter long/2.2 meter tall awning that comes with guy lines and twist-lock poles for easy, free-standing set-up that you can back your car or truck up to. The stan-dard OzTent RV-1 sleeps two, with larger models built to accommodate additional campers. All packed up, the tents strap easily to roof racks and fit in most cars and trucks.

OzTent prices start at $749. Look at all the different options and watch their promo video to see all of the features yourself at Oztent.us. (Derrick Knowles)

dehydrated desperation. The folded Pocket Bowl fits into the key pocket of your run-ning shorts, and the unfolded bowl holds 16 ounces of food or water. It’s even made in the U.S. by a company that lists not one but two dogs on its “About Us” webpage before it gets around to men-tioning humans. Order one for $11.95 at Myraddog.com. (Janelle McCabe)


MountainBikingOUT OF BOUNDS What Happens When Some Dirt-Loving People with Shovels Find Untapped Terrain // By Ammi Midstokke

ken rolls across the parking lot in full armor. He looks like some kind of garage sale version of a super hero, covered in dust and grit. He pulls his helmet off to reveal a childlike grin and accompanying excitement. “Which trails did you ride?” he asks as we look over the newly released maps of the Selkirk Recreation District Trails.

Sandpoint has always been an incredible place to live and visit. Unless you’re a kite surfer, this place is pretty much heaven on earth. That being said, the potential of Schweitzer Mountain has been rather undiscovered with the exception of the exploration of a few determined mountain bikers. Until now. “If you take the shuttle from the barn to the lodge, you’ve got something like 2,500 feet of vertical to roll down,” says Ken, his smile getting even wider. And we haven’t even mentioned catching any of the resort’s lifts to the summit.

The new weekend shuttle, also a service of Selkirk Recreation District, is $5 per ride and leaves at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. from the base of the mountain to the resort parking lot. The ride takes just long enough to eat a snack, catch your breath and plan your next descent.

Ken describes every trail, their details and corners with the enthusiasm of a creator, probably because he helped make so many of them. Also, I’m pretty sure he spends all summer riding them. Every day. Several times. Which would explain why he’s so damn happy.

With the cooperation of several different groups, a community of switch-back aficionados, and some heavy equipment, a network of trails have been defined. They wind down from the resort in a variety of smooth, flowing descents (each has been designed to be climbable as well) that convene at what is known as The Roundabout.

The Roundabout offers a diverging trail to the base (also an out-and-back ride to a waterfall). Here you choose your own adventure: a downhill course with gaps for guts and glory, or a super flow xc trail that winds its way down the mountain in five miles of tree-lined bliss. The trail drops you back onto the road for a cool down before you load back onto the bus. Chances are, just one lap won’t be enough.

To find out more about the trails, visit www.selkirkrecreationdistrict.com or find them on www.mtbproject.com and look for trails in Ponderay, Idaho. //

spokane area mountaIn BIkers rally

for spoketemBer at camp sekanI

September 1 9

Evergreen East Mountain Bike Alliance is organizing a day of group rides, giv-ing back to our trails and park lands, and bike-and-beer inspired fun at Camp Sekani September 19. Meet at Sekani at 9 a.m. to help out with the Spokane River Cleanup in the general Sekani area, followed by group rides (check Evergreen East’s Facebook page for evolving details), a tailgate BBQ and beer garden at the dirt jumps starting at 2 p.m., and a “state of the trails” update at 5 p.m. where you will learn what new trail construction and maintenance Evergreen has in the works and how you can lend a helping hand. Come on out to support your local mountain bike club that gives so much back to the sport you love and to build a stronger Inland NW mountain bike community. More info: Evergreeneast.org.

SOME OF THE NEW TRAILS ARE FOR RIP-PERS, OTHERS CAN BE RIDDEN By JUST ABOUT ANyONE. PHOTO COURTESy OF KEN BARRETT


take a WeekenD to “re-Boot” your life on a road trip through western Montana and the towns of Hot Springs and Arlee, both on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Discover art, nature, and hot springs across glorious land-scapes and different cultures and enjoy some serious, world-class soaks. Hot Springs and Arlee are accessible from Montana State Route 200, fol-lowing the Flathead River Valley, about 30 miles north of, and roughly parallel to, I-90.

hot sprInGs, montanaFirst stop: the friendly, time-warped little town of Hot Springs, Montana. Off the beaten path, Hot Springs boasts world-class, mineral-rich waters on a par with Europe’s famous Baden-Baden. “Limp in, leap out,” is the town’s motto. Symes Resort hostess Trudy Berge says the “magic” is the concentration and variety of minerals in the water. “People who come here like to go back in time,” she explains, “and then they get blissed out.” Symes Resort is an informal, rambling and quirky 1930s mission-style resort with outdoor pools, private tubs, shops, a dining room, and a lot going on. Rooms range from $55 to $145 a night. Access to outdoor pools, from 95 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit, is $7 for non-guests.

Alamedas Resort, two blocks away, is a little quieter and has thoughtful 1940s charm, with access to Symes outdoor pools for $5. The host provides good morning coffee and a fresh baked treat on the sun porch. On my last visit, I stayed at Camas Big Medicine Hot Springs, on the north-east corner of town, and rented a tiny cabin for $25 that came with my own outdoor tub. There

is also a group pool for $8 a day. After removing the startled spider from the private tub, I soaked and watched the fading twi-light, with the entire sky, wide valley, distant moun-tains, tall grasses, song birds and “whuffing” deer around me.

Main Street Hot Springs offers art galleries, shops, the vibrant Camas Organic Market and Bakery, interesting storefronts, and Fergie’s, a well-stocked Montana bar.

arlee, montanaArlee is a tiny town that packs a lot in; like the Hangin Art Gallery and coffee shop and the nation’s oldest Pow Wow and Rodeo on July 4. From Hot Springs, drive south on Highway 28, then take Highway 382 to connect back to Highway 200 – drive east and turn south on Highway 93, following the Jocko River 10 miles to Arlee.

As you cross the Camas Prairie on Highway 382, be aware that those gentle hills are giant rip-ple marks! 40 feet high and a 1,000 feet long, they are the lake bottom tracks of the Great Missoula

Floods. Be ready for a moment of whimsy, just south of the abandoned Indian School. I first went to Arlee to see Ewam, the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas, just north of town. Wander the unlikely array of a 1,000 identical shining white Buddha’s, arrayed as a Dharma Wheel, with prayer banners flapping in the wind, and large statues of teachers, the Mother Goddess, and Buddhas, all amidst native and garden flow-ers and lavender and embraced by the Mission Mountain foothills.

Drive 15 miles north on Highway 93 to enjoy the historic Mission at St. Ignatius. Here, in the 1800s, the cook painted the Mission walls and ceilings with saints and deities. Another 20 miles north will take you to The Peoples Center Museum, in Pablo, which celebrates and displays

Salish-Kootenai-Pend Oreille art, culture, history and traditions.

Need more adrenaline? Stop at the Ronan Sporting Goods Store and get a Confederated

People who come here like to go back in time… and then they get blissed out.

Western Montana road trip

Art, Nature, Hot Springs

and Adventure By Bea Lackaff

Salish-Kootenai Tribal Conservation Pass, a map of the Mission Mountains and a hefty can of bear spray and hike the Mission Mountains. (You can get just the pass at the Cenex station in St. Ignatius, or online too.) I missed Lower Mission Falls – but the more intrepid might find them, and even Upper Mission and Elizabeth Falls. Next time, I am going to approach the Missions more humbly, on well-marked Forest Service trails, from Seeley Lake, on the east side of the Mission Mountains.

If crawling through grizzly bear tunnels isn’t for you, take a short detour north on Highway 212 to Moise and the National Bison Range. Take the two hour, 19-mile one-way loop through the rolling hills and up to a high viewpoint. The views of the Mission Mountains and surrounding landscape, dotted here and there with grazing buffalo, are well worth the trip. There are two opportunities to walk around near the very top. As you literally plunge from the highest hilltop down toward the Flathead Valley far below, you see a sign saying that THIS is the height of the water in Glacial Lake Missoula!

Take time to read the interpretive signs along Highway 93, especially at the Ravalli intersection. If you are short of time, you can always drive south on Highway 93 (take note of the many wild animal safe passageways over and under the highway) to I-90 and be in Spokane in about three hours.

If you can, spend another night in Hot Springs, and, if Highway 471 is open, drive home the back way through Thompson Falls and up and over Thompson Pass (there are several trailheads worth exploring at the pass) and down into Idaho to rejoin I-90 at Enaville. Maybe this journey is really the “Hot Springs – Arlee Spiral,” because you return a little farther along than you left, and you are sure to make the loop again. //

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE: JUST ANOTHER

DREAMy MONTANA LANDSCAPE. HOME

SWEET HOME AT CAMAS BIG MEDICINE HOT

SPRINGS. GARDEN OF ONE THOUSAND

BUDDHAS, ARLEE, MONTANA PHOTOS:

BEA LACKAFF.


for years, friends have been telling us, “You should go to Nelson for your next vacation!” and “You would LOVE Nelson! It’s so like you guys.” Instead, my husband Young and I visited Missoula (easier), Portland (foodier) and Seattle (for friends, family and work) and a lot of other places in between. But when the opportunity came to join a paddling trip on Kootenay Lake out of Kaslo, B.C., north of Nelson, I knew that the time had come.

Many visitors to the Kootenays stay in Nelson and explore the area from there. We followed the trend and stayed both nights at the Dancing Bear Inn Hostel on the main Nelson strip. It was economical, homey, clean, quiet and profes-sional. Perfect for our budget and sensibilities. However, as we pulled into Kaslo at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, I almost wished we had packed our camping gear and pitched a tent at the Kaslo Municipal Campground.

The quiet beauty of Kootenay Lake on the edge of town greeted us as we pulled into one of the gravel parking spaces at Kaslo Kayaking – a small but comprehensive kayak, paddleboard and wind surf rental and tour business located in the

front yard of owners’ Dean Thornton and Daphne Hunter’s house. Just a couple short blocks from the lakefront, they were a gem in unknown terri-tory. Thornton outfitted us with a double kayak and all the equipment we needed for the day, and helped us get on the water.

The seven-day free paddle event we were join-ing for the day had begun three days earlier at Davis Creek Provincial Park at the northern tip of the nearly 65-mile, fjord-like lake. The trip, orga-nized by Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism, would end the next week with a total of 150 paddlers at Nelson’s Lakeside Park. We joined the others for the Kaslo to Woodbury leg, and I have to say that I have never experienced anything like it.

In addition to outdoor adventures in Idaho and Washington, I have also lived and played in the midst of the Colorado Rockies. Still, the majesty, serenity and imagery of Kootenay Lake blew me away and distracted me to the point that Young had to remind me to focus on my paddle rhythm! The morning start brought a few choppy waves, but by the time we reached Fletcher Falls for lunch, the water was glassy.

“These falls, like the many of the areas around here, are not very highly trafficked,” Thornton had informed us earlier in the day. “You can walk in or boat in, and they’re all great spots.” Kootenay Lake is situated between the Selkirk and Purcell moun-tain ranges, and surrounded by great hikes, pris-tine waterfalls, ancient pictographs and fabulous

views. The simple grace of Fletcher Falls made me long for more adventures along this majestic lake.

At the falls, the support crew pulled up to the shore on the MV Candide, a 42-foot houseboat that was reminiscent of the steamers that used to run the lake. Throughout the day, they offered

support: cooling water gun sprays, food, drinks, and guidance. I also discovered that the Candide, which sleeps six, can be rented through the Kaslo Shipyard Co. for cruising the lake in style.

After a smooth couple of hours following our refreshments, we arrived at the Woodbury Resort and Marina, an unassuming beach with a campground, trailer park and pub. We made excellent time, having paddled 10 miles in four hours (including our stop at Fletcher), despite my inconsistent rowing. From the shore, I could see the village of Ainsworth, the next day’s destination and home of the Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort.

Back in Kaslo after our shuttle ride, we hung out in the shade of the Kaslo Kayaking yard and chatted with Dean and Daphne. “If you continue up the lake a bit,” she mentioned, “there are a couple of beautiful provincial parks.” She talked of excellent facilities at Davis Creek, Schroeder Creek and Lost Ledge, and suggested we check out the butcher, baker and candle maker and other unique shops in Kaslo (the exchange rate right now is around 25% in favor of the U.S. dol-lar). She also sang the praises of Cornucopia, the local natural food store, as well as the surrounding organic farms and the S.S. Moyie Sternwheeler, the only remaining Kootenay steamboat that has been restored into a unique museum.

As we headed back to the more well-known festivities of Nelson, I was loathe to leave the peaceful, yet adventurous scene we had just expe-rienced. On our next trip to B.C., we may just have to make Nelson a stop on our way to grand undertakings farther north.

To plan your Kootenay Lake paddling trip, check out Kaslo Kayaking (Kaslokayaking.com) and find other travel resources at Nelsonkootenaylake.com. //

Kaslo, B.c. &

Kootenay laKe paddling

By S. Michal Bennett

The majesty, serenity and imagery of kootenay Lake blew me away….

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: WHEN IN

KASLO, GO PAD-DLING. THE FINAL

DROP AT FLETCHER FALLS. KOOTENAy LAKE PICNIC TIME.

PHOTOS: S. MICHAL BENNETT


surf cityMontana Give River Surfing

a Try in Downtown Missoula

By Taylor Rogers

2,000 cuBIc feet of Water rushed and roiled past Drae Howell every second as he stood, poised with surfboard in hand, ready to jump into the fast current of the Clark Fork River. He leaps as he throws down his surfboard, planing across the wave in a graceful arc over the chaos of the wave. He fights to stay on, but eventually his edge catches on a seam and the board is torn out from under him, and he falls, face first into the hydraulic, appearing seconds later downstream, grinning as he swims toward shore to give it another go. Friends and strangers alike congratu-late him as he gets back in line, and they all watch the next surfer jump in. Just one decade ago, the wave they are surfing now didn’t exist, but was instead a dangerous diversion weir.

Missoula, Montana, is becoming a surf town. It has no ocean, in fact, the entire state is landlocked, but the community now seems to almost revolve around surfing. And it was all made possible in memory of one whitewater kayaker who inspired others with a life well-lived.

Brennan Guth was a Missoulian kayaker and river lover who died kayaking in Chile in 2001. In memory of Guth, the ugly and hazardous mess of concrete and rebar down river of the Higgins Avenue Bridge was converted into a place where people now gather to swim and surf.

Located in the middle of downtown Missoula alongside Caras Park, this man-made wave was built to be a good surf wave at almost every water level. Finished in 2006, Brennan’s Wave transformed an unsafe water diversion weir into a friendly, surfable wave, on which you can see kayakers and river surfers taking their turn most days throughout the summer and fall, and even throughout the rest of the year.

Brennan’s Wave has spawned a surfing sub-cul-ture in Missoula. And the surfing community is a dedicated one. Even on weekdays, 10 people may be in line to take a turn on the wave. Everyone from teenagers to Baby Boomers can be seen on

the wave, and there isn’t a competitive or antago-nistic attitude in Missoula like those that pervade many other ocean surf communities.

This healthy, outdoor-based culture has eco-nomic benefits as well. Not only does it con-sistently bring Missoulians downtown, but it brings in visitors. In 2010, Missoula hosted the U.S. Freestyle Kayaking Championships, which brought 2,000 out-of-town supporters and 5,000 spectators to town.

While the wave was originally designed and built for kayakers, the culture around the wave has changed dramatically in the past couple years. Where you used to see only kayakers, river surfers are becoming the dominant user group. In fact,

Missoula is now a hot bed for pioneers of the fledgling sport of river surfing.

“Oh yeah,” says Kevin Benhart “KB” Brown, co-owner of Strongwater Mountain Surf Company, when asked about the changing culture of Brennan’s Wave. “It’s, like, 90 percent surfers ... It’s been transitioning for, like, four years now,” says Brown.

The transition from kayaking to surfing has made Brennan’s Wave accessible to a far wider range of people, and has made it a natural tourist attraction. As opposed to whitewater kayaking, surfing is fun right off the bat for a beginner.

“This is more, like, instant fun,” says Brown. “So with kayaking, if people do a lesson, they come

back and they have an ok time. But people rent a surfboard and they cannot even come close to catching a wave and come back and be like ‘That was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life!’”

Not only that, but river surfing is cheap com-pared to whitewater kayaking. All you need is the surfboard and maybe a wetsuit. Strongwater, Missoula’s only surf shop, located just across the Clark Fork River from Brennan’s Wave, has boards that they’ll rent you for $10 and a wetsuit for $10. If you don’t care about the wetsuit, you can be totally equipped to have a good time surfing for a couple of hours for $10. If you’re looking to buy – which you probably will be after giving it a try – expect to spend anywhere from $300 to $800 for different qualities of boards. Starting late this year, Strongwater expects to have a less expensive, specially designed and produced river surfboard available for purchase. A wetsuit can cost around $300, but is not necessary for summertime surf-ing. If you’re looking for surf lessons, Strongwater offers those for $40 for two hours.

Brennan’s Wave has been such a benefit to the community that a second wave is in the process of being built just downstream. The Max Wave, in memory of Missoulian kayaker Max Lentz, was just submitted for permitting and could be ready as early as next spring. The Max Wave will have three separate waves, one for beginners, one specifically for kayakers, and one specifically for river surfers, reducing congestion and solidifying Missoula’s reputation as a surf town and pioneer of this exciting new sport.

The culture, the sport, the wave and downtown Missoula itself are more than worth the couple hour drive from Spokane and North Idaho to experience. Spend $10 and try a river surf ses-sion. You may just never stop.

For more info on planning a trip to Missoula, head to Destinationmissoula.org. The site also has plenty of info on where to stay, including hotels and campgrounds. //

If you need more reasons than surfing to make the trek to Missoula, plan your adventure to Montana’s surf city around one of these events.

Downtown ToNight (September 3 & 10)A free weekly music and food festival held in downtown Missoula.

Dirty Dash 5k Mud Obstacle Run (September 12)A muddy obstacle course race. $62 race registration.

Germanfest (September 13)A free annual celebration of Missoula’s sister city Neckargemund, Germany.

Third Annual Brains and Brawn (September 19)A unique team-based event that tests both athleticism and intelligence. Think treasure hunt combined with a triathlon. $100 per team of 5.

Last Wednesday Beer Run (September 30)A fun run with beer at the end. What more do you want?

September EventsroaD trIp mIssoula

DRAE HOWELL GOING DEEP ON BRENNAN’S WAVE. PHOTO: TAyLOR ROGERS


VISIT NELSON KOOTENAY LAKE.COMPLACES 2 STAY • TRAVEL DEALS • ARTS & CULTURE • SHOPPING • ACTIVITIES

UnlimitedCULTURE AND ADVENTURE

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Nelson • Balfour • Ainsworth Hot Springs • Kaslo • Lardeau • Meadow Creek

BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA


Wild tiMesin

yelloWstone By Bradley Bleck

In hIs essay “Nature,” Ralph Waldo Emerson writes “Nature never wears a mean appearance.” Nowhere is this truer than in Yellowstone National Park, which is why it attracts more than 3 million visitors annually. Those who visit in the fall will find September crowds roughly half those of July, with October crowds one-eighth of July’s peak. The diminished crowds, the mild days and cool nights, the changing colors, and the more active wildlife all make fall a great time to visit.

According to Wendy Swenson of the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce, “Fall is one of the best times of year to take advantage of Yellowstone.” She says smaller crowds are a plus, but the wildlife watching is spectacular, and hear-ing the bull elk bugle is unforgettable. The bears are also preparing for hibernation, which means they spend up to 20 hours a day foraging for food.

When locals seek the park’s most popular wild-life – grizzly and black bears and wolves – they head to the Lamar Valley. This stretch between Mammoth Hot Springs and the Northeast Entrance is often called the American Serengeti thanks to its abundance of wildlife. Richard Jehle, a park ranger, suggests the Mammoth area for watching the elk rut. He says that while there may be some occasional head butting, the males generally secure their harem through the display of their freshly polished antlers.

For some who make their livelihood in the park, it’s the scenery that comes first. Brian Farrell, owner of Trail Guides Yellowstone, says “visitors should come for the scenery and the wildlife is extra, due to its unpredictability.” When it comes to wildlife viewing, Farrell says it is better to do so from the safety and comfort of one’s car or RV while driving the various loops. That way, he says, just watch for the hard-core spotters and clusters of spotting scopes, then pull over. As is true year round, wildlife tend to be more active in the morning and evening. Park rules require visitors to stay at least 100 yards from wolves and bears and 25 yards from all other wildlife. This year bison have put several people in hospitals after they came too close.

The milder fall temperatures also make the park’s over 2 million acres and 900-plus miles of trails all the more attractive for hiking. Some front-country hikes are short and easy (a mile round trip to Harlequin Lake for instance) while others present a greater challenge (Mt. Washburn, an area frequented by grizzlies, is a six-mile loop with 1,400-feet of vertical). Then there is the back-country. Farrell says “if you get into the backcoun-try, you’ll feel like you have it to yourself. It may be the only other person you see is a park rang-er.” Permits costing $3 per person per night are required for all backcountry trips. Evidenced by the recent death of a hiker, bear spray, and know-ing how to use it, are essential in the backcountry.

For many, come fall around Yellowstone, it’s all about the fishing. Jehle says that fall brings runs of brown trout to many of the rivers and streams. Fly fishers on the Gibbon, Gardiner, Firehole, Madison and other rivers in the park are in for a scenic treat with the changing colors in the aspens, cottonwoods and underbrush, even if they don’t land any fish.

It’s not just the park that that makes a visit to Yellowstone worthwhile. Additional attractions include the Grand Teton National Park (cov-ered by the entrance fee to Yellowstone) and the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center chronicling the quake of 1959. The Yellowstone Historic Center features transportation history, while at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center visitors are guaranteed to see grizzly bears, wolves and rap-tors year-round.

Where to stayIf you don’t already have reservations, lodg-ing in the park will be a challenge, but there are plenty of lodging options in the towns at the various park entrances. Campsites are gen-erally available through mid-October when the park begins winding down for the winter. Only the Mammoth Campground is open year-round. Plan your trip and lodging options at Visityellowstonepark.com. //

• Old Faithful Cycle Tour (September 19). 60-mile round trip, with a one-way option. Features two feed stations, three sag wagons, on-course bike mechanics and a group meal. Limited to 350 riders. Registration opens September 15.

• Yellowstone Rendezvous TrailRun (September 26). 2K kids run, 5K walk/run, 10K or half-mara-thon (with relay option) through the Gallatin National Forest with views of Yellowstone.

• Yellowstone Park Fee Free Day (September 26)

• Beer Fest in West (October 17-18). Home brew competition plus regional and national brew-ers providing samples at the West Yellowstone Holiday Inn.

fall events

Around the Park

TOP: CALL OF THE WILD. MIDDLE: THE BATTLE.

PHOTOS COURTESy OF CHARLIE LANSCHE, C. M.

LANSCHE IMAGES. WWW.CHARLIELANSCHE.COM

BOTTOM: yELLOWSTONE’S MORE SURREAL SIGHTS

TRANSCEND THE SEASONS. PHOTO: BRADLEy BLECK


Ride&RaceReport

Hot spring Hopping

Around Idaho and Oregon By Janelle McCabe

there are tWo kInDs of people: those who enjoy soaking in their own and others’ grime in hot tubs, and those who don’t. I love a hot shower, but baths – chlorinated or bubbled or otherwise – just aren’t my thing. But give me a hike, a set of hand-scrawled instructions, and an outdoor puddle that smells faintly of sulfur, and I’ll happily soak for hours.

The Northwest is loaded with beautiful, non-commercial hot springs. Jerry Johnson Hot Springs, right off Highway 12 in North Central Idaho, spoils first-time soakers with its easy acces-sibility and plethora of variable-temperature pools. Across the highway and just down the road, Weir Creek Hot Springs offers a more inti-mate setting for those willing to hike the ¾ mile of mildly rugged trail.

Searching for hot springs in farther locations, we traveled both southeast and southwest and found a few hot springs in Central Idaho and Central Oregon that met most of our require-ments: secluded soaks at the end of a nice walk in a natural environment. Several or all of these could be turned into stops along your own hot springs road trip.

McCredie Hot Springs was the least remote of our discoveries, right off Highway 58 in the Willamette National Forest, closer to Eugene than Bend. There are soaking pools on both sides of the roadside creek, but the south-side springs are big-ger and hotter. The fellow soaker who was appar-ently in the midst of a vision quest (you encounter a lot of this sort of thing at natural hot springs) added a lot of interest and information about the area. There are two large main pools, one hot and the other hotter, each about three feet deep and 15 feet in diameter. The hotter pool also features mud that is rumored to be a deep cleanser. At the very least, it brings out the primal in some visitors.

Wall Creek Meditation Pool is about 10 miles north of Oakridge, Oregon, off a couple of log-

ging roads. Everything about the area is soft: the packed dirt and needle path, the ferns and giant trees on the walk in, the gurgle of Wall Creek all along the 1/3-mile trail. The fun of natural hot springs is largely the anticipation of what you’ll find around the bend: Will it be a knee-deep pud-dle of stagnant slime? Or will it be a lush Garden of Eden? The faint sulfur smell alerted us that we were close, and we came around the bend to a large pool and series of smaller ones that were the perfect temperature – we guessed upper 90s. The slightly silty largest pool is about three feet at its deepest, and about 12 feet in diameter.

But it was farther east at Goldbug Hot Springs where we found our Garden of Eden, 20 miles south of Salmon, Idaho. It’s also where the hike made us earn the soak: The trail is 1.85 miles up a high-desert canyon, with a steady incline and 1,000-foot elevation gain. You know you’re get-ting close to the pools, not because of any sul-fur smell, but because of the rising steam that becomes more visible as you approach, especially if you visit in the fall or winter. After the steep-est and rockiest pitch, you round the bend and suddenly encounter a whole series of pools and waterfalls of various temperatures, heights and depths. Elsewhere, natural hot springs can feature their share of slime, but the hot-tub-sized pools at Goldbug have smooth or clean gravel bottoms. Once you’ve settled down into one of them, there’s nothing to look at but the sweeping canyon below.

natural hot sprInGs cautIonsNon-commercial hot springs tend to attract col-orful types who never met a “clothing optional” sign they didn’t take to heart. (Our motel host in Salmon warned us about “those dirty hippies,” and we knew we were in the right place.) So go prepared to encounter and celebrate nature (flora, fauna, and anthro) as you soak in its hot tubs. //

the feW, the prouD, the muDDy! (sept. 12)If you missed the Dirty Dash and are looking for another opportunity to run, have fun and get dirty for a good cause (this mud run benefits Northwest wounded veterans), Webb’s Slough in St. John south of Spokane has you covered. The Few, The Proud, The Muddy can be experienced as a one-day 5k fun run, 10k competitive run, or as a whole weekend of festivities that includes camping, a beer garden, food vendors, live music and even a three person volleyball tournament. The mud run course includes over 25 obstacles, from logs, pits, slides, hay bales, wood structures, rope swings and, of course, plenty of mud.

Marines of the Palouse, a non-profit group run by Marine vets in the Palouse area, puts on the event to raise funds to help out veterans in need. With an increasing number of returning vet PTSD and TBI cases, Marines of the Palouse provides these veterans with opportunities to experience outdoor therapy in the form of rafting, fishing, mountain biking and hunting trips around the region.

The race/run starts at 10 a.m., although the course is open all day, so you can experience it more than once if you don’t get dirty enough the first time. Kids 10 and under get in free and can run the course with adult supervision. Sign up as an individual or team. Registration is $35 and up. For more info and to register, visit Marinesofthepalouse.com/#!mud-run/chsn.

BIke ms 20-150 mIle sIlver valley rIDe (sept. 19-20)Bike MS Cycle the Silver Valley is a two-day fundraising ride to help people living with MS. The ride includes multiple different routes that cover the length of the scenic Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. As many as 200 riders choose from 20-100 mile rides that come with fully stocked rest stops, full meals, and spirited festivities, with the start and finish each day happening at the Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg. Saturday’s rides head southwest toward Harrison and Plummer along Lake Coeur d’Alene, while Sunday’s rides head the opposite direction up the historic Silver Valley toward Montana and the towns of Wallace and Mullan. Many riders choose to ride in teams, but plenty of individual riders also participate. The ride offers up the chance to challenge yourself on the longest legs or to take it easy with shorter distances that allow more time to soak up the high-energy social scene and incred-ible scenery. What unites all riders is the goal of raising funds that go toward creating a world free of multiple sclerosis on one of the premier fundraising cycling events in the nation. Lodging in Kellogg is available, and free camping is also provided. Registration is $75 with a minimum fundraising target of $250. Visit www.Bikems.org for more info and to register (enter code GETOUTTHERE to save $10 on registration).

rathDrum aDventure race: BIke, kayak, run (sept. 12)The Rathdrum Adventure Race is a three-sport event that includes mountain biking, kayaking, and running, with intermediate and beginner courses. It can be completed by individuals or teams, which makes it the perfect active event for groups of family and friends to do together in the scenic Rathdrum, Rathdrum Mountain and Twin Lakes area. Full course participants mountain bike 20 miles up and over beautiful Rathdrum Mountain to Twin Lakes, where the 5.5 kayak leg kayak leg across the lake ensues. A final 5.5 mile “trail” run leads back to Rathdrum’s city park and the finish. The short course includes a 5.5 mile bike ride and a 2-mile kayak paddle before the 5.5 mile run to the finish. Find more info and register at: Active.com/rathdrum-id/triathlon/races/rathdrum-adventure-race-2015. //

GOLDBUG IS PURE GOLD.

LET’S KEEP IT THAT WAy.

PHOTO: JANELLE MCCABE

GET MUDDy; SUPPORT WOUNDED VETS. PHOTO COURTESy OF DALE P. NUNN

MULTISPORT ADVENTURE IN RATHDRUM, IDAHO. PHOTO COURTESy OF THE RATHDRUM ADVENTURE RACE


OutdoorCalendar Full calendar at www.outtheremonthly.com

RUNNING

(September 5) kootenay Sufferfest Trail Run Races. Where: Kaslo Logger Sports Area, Kaslo, B.C. Races for beginners to true-blue marathon athletes, including 6K, 12K, 25K and 50K Trail Runs; and a Duathlon (Adult and Junior categories). Kids Races include a 2.5K Run and 2.5K Bike!. Info: kaslosufferfest.com

(September 12) Riggins Salmon Run. Where: Riggins, ID. A beautiful foot race along the Salmon River, including a half marathon, 10k, 5k, and kids’ fun run. Info: Rigginsidaho.com

(September 12) March for the Fallen 10k or 5k. Where: Centennial Trail, Spokane. A memorial event to honor all of Washington’s fallen military. Marchforthefallen.com

(September 12) The Few, The Proud, The Muddy 5k/10k. Where: Webb’s Slough, St. John, WA. A 5K fun run or 10K competitive course with 25 obstacles. Camping, live music, food vendors, beer garden and 3-person volleyball tournament. Info: Marinesofthepalouse.com/#!mud-run/c7oc

(September 12) Lake Chelan Shore to Shore Half Marathon, 10k. Where: Manson Bay Park, Manson, WA. Info: LakeChelanMarathon.com

(September 13) Sundae Sunday 10 Miler. Where: Dwight Merkel Sports Complex, Spokane. BRRC’s Sundae Sunday is an RRCA regional champion-ship event. All finishers receive a medal. Ice cream sundaes will be provided by Ben and Jerry’s. Info: 509-624-4297.

(September 19) Newport Autumn Bloom 5k/10k Fun Run. Where: TJ Kelly Park, Newport, WA. When: 9 a.m. Serious runners, novice runners, and walkers will enjoy the picturesque race route and small town charm. The 10K is a certified Bloomsday Second Seed Qualifying Race. Info: NewportHospitalAndHealth.org

(September 19) Fiesta Spokane Run. Where: Riverfront Park, Spokane. When: 9 a.m. Scenic run through the park, on the Centennial Trail and through Gonzaga University’s campus, finishing at the Heritage Festival. Info: Runsignup.com/Race/WA/Spokane/FiestaSpokaneRun

(September 20) Round About 5k. Where: Deer Park, WA. When: 9 a.m. A run to benefit The Leukemia& Lymphoma Society. 5K through two Roundabouts. Info: roundabout5k.com

(September 26) Happy Girls Run. Where: Mukugawa Institute Parade Grounds/Riverside State Park. When: 7 a.m. The scenic route will include a mix of challenging trails, groomed paths and paved surfaces. Info: Happygirlshalf.com

(September 26) ValleyFest 5k/10k Fun Run. Where: Mirabeau Point Park, Spokane Valley. When: 8 a.m. Run east along the beautiful Centennial Trail. There is a timed 5K and 10K run, as well as a dash for kids and a walk that travels west, so runners and walkers do not cross paths. Info: Valleyfest.org/5k10krun

Please visit www.outtheremonthly.com and click “Add Event” under the “Outdoor Calendar” tab to get your events listed online and considered for the monthly print magazine calendar. To be considered for the print calendar, events MUST be entered by the 20th of the month to be listed in the following month’s issue. Please follow the instructions for submitting an event using the web form.

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RUNNING

(October 3) State Park Series #5 (5 & 13,1 mile). Where: Riverside State Park. Part of the Trail Maniacs State Park Series. Info: Trailmaniacs.com.

(October 3) Colbert Autumn Classic Half Marathon. Where: Colbert Elementary, Colbert, WA. Hilly course on pavement and gravel. Info: Active.com.

(October 3) Leavenworth Oktoberfest Marathon and Half-Marathon. Where: Leavenworth, WA. When: 7 a.m. The course begins deep in the Cascades alongside legendary Icicle Creek and travels downhill toward the city of Leavenworth. At about the half-way point, the course emerges on the valley floor and then follows a loop through the Bavarian Village and along wooded river-front trails, before ending at the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery. Info: Adventurewenatchee.com

(October 10) Walk Like MADD/MADD Dash 5k. Where: Green Lake, Seattle. When: 8 a.m. Join hun-dreds of participants as they walk or run 5K to raise awareness and funds to end drunk driving. All proceeds go to MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving – to accomplish their mission to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the vic-tims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking. Info: Madd.org

(October 10) East Bank Ross Lake 30M. Where: North Cascades National Park. This 30-mile shoreline course follows the east bank of Ross Lake Reservoir. The trail winds in and out of creek drainages offering up sweeping views of the North Cascades dusted with early season snow fall. At Lightening Creek the trail turns east and climbs up towards Hozomeen, the jagged North Cascade peak shadowing the north end of Ross Lake, the Canadian border, and the finish line. Info: AspireAdventureRunning.com

(October 11) Spokane Marathon. Where: Downtown Spokane. An Inland NW classic, it sports a dreamy course that meanders its way through Spokane’s historic neighborhoods and sce-nic haunts while never straying too far from the Spokane River. Info: Spokanemarathon.us.

(October 17) Hayden Lake Marathon. Where: Hayden Lake, ID. Marathon, half and 10k options. Experience the wondrous beauty of this unique marathon which allows athletes to fly counter-clockwise around the lake on odd years, and clock-wise on even years. Info: Haydenlakemarathon.org.

(October 18) Sekani Trail Run. Where: Camp Sekani Park, Spokane. When: 9:40 a.m. 5k/10k event (plus a free kids’ 1k). The run is an adventure run/hike/walk race with 100% dirt trails and fabu-lous course challenges with 700 feet of elevation gain for the 10k run. Info: Sekanitrailrun.com.

(December 5) Jingle Bell Walk/Run. Where: Riverfront Park, Spokane. This fundraising event is a fun and festive 5K run or walk that benefits arthritis research. Info: Arthritis.org/get-involved/jingle-bell-run-walk.

BIKING

(October 3) Tour De Rock. Where: 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort. Proceeds go to support the 49° North Winter Sports Foundation (a nonprofit organization). The mountain course will be a climb up through Sunrise Basin on unpaved roads, then a traverse across the face of the mountain, and finally a fun downhill run back to the lodge. The bike ride will have many great view points, clean mountain air, refreshments, and support services along the way. There will also be an extended and more advanced course, to the summit, for those who are up for a greater challenge, and a new family fun course. Info: Ski49n.com

(October 10) Inland NW Cyclocross Series kickoff. Where: Pullman. Check out the tentative series schedule online, and get ready for fast, fun cyclocross racing at locations around the Inland Northwest. Info: Inlandnwcyclocross.com

WATERSPORTS

(October 3) Free the Snake & River Recreation Day. Where: Wawawai County Park, Colton, WA. Join Northwest fishermen, tribal members, boaters, orca lovers and other river advocates for a rally and paddle on the Snake River in support of removing the 4 lower Snake River dams. Be seen, be heard and show the Snake River some love! Kayaks, drift boats and motorized boats welcome. Speakers, music and food afterward. Info: Freethesnake.com

WINTERSPORTS

(October 30-November 1) Mt Spokane Ski Patrol Ski Swap. Where: Spokane Fair & Expo Center. Buy or sell quality used ski and snowboard gear and shop for new equipment and clothing from local ski/board shops. This is the largest ski swap in the region. Info: Skipatrolskiswap.com

(November 7) Winter Swap. Where: Kootenai County Fairgrounds. When: 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. The largest selection of quality used winter ski and snowboard equipment and clothing in North Idaho. Don’t miss this annual ski swap tradition. Info: Winterswap.org

(November 20-21) Snowlander Expo & Powder keg Brew Festival. Where: Spokane Convention Center. The region’s only ski/snowboard expo featuring resorts and retailers from around the region, winter sports films and entertainment, and a regional craft beer and cider festival all under one roof for one weekend. Info: Snowlanderexpo.com


OutdoorCalendar

SEPTEMBER 2015

(September 26) Priest Lake Marathon. Where: Priest Lake, ID. Run on dirt forest roads along the lakeshore of pristine Priest Lake, through groves of lush forest and old-growth cedars, and enjoy big views of the Selkirk Mountains. Choose from marathon, half-marathon, 25K or 50K courses. Info: Priestlakerace.com

(September 26) Wild Moose Chase Trail Run. Where: Selkirk Lodge at Mt. Spokane State Park. 5km, 10km and 25km courses. Info:TheWildMooseChase.weebly.com

(September 26) Harvest Hustle. Where: Rockford, WA. When: 8:30 a.m. Runners, walkers and wheel-chairs are welcome. Info: sespokanecountyfair.org/hhfunrun.htm

BIKING

(September 6) kootenay Sufferfest- XC Mountain Bike Races. Where: Centennial Park, New Denver, B.C. 15K, 40K and 100K Mountain Bike Races; 20K and 40K Cyclocross Races. Info: kaslosufferfest.com

(September 12) Mountain Bike Classes. Where: Camp Sekani, Spokane. Improve skills and con-fidence on a mountain bike. Fundamental skills, women’s only, intermediate and intro to freeride classes available. $60 per class. Info: Evergreeneast.org

(September 12) Glow in the Park. Where: Riverfront Park. When: 6-11 p.m. Pre-party equipped with booths, activities, dancing and prizes, followed by a glow run through different themes on the 5k course. Revel in the after party where partici-pants dodge glow in the dark bubbles and cheer for prizes. Info: Nsplit.com

(September 13) SpokeFest. Celebrate the joy of cycling, the beauty of Spokane, healthy lifestyles and the environment. SpokeFest has something for rid-ers of every age and ability, including everyone from racers to the folks dusting off bikes for the first time this year. Info: Spokefest.org

(September 19-20) Bike MS Cycle the Silver Valley. Where: Silver Valley, ID. Enjoy a “rails to trails” ride almost entirely off roadways as you cruise through the ancestral lands of the Coeur d’Alene nation on the ride of your life raising funds for programs that help people affected by MS. Info: 800-344-4867, OPT 2

(September 19) Odessa Deutschesfest Fun Run/Walk. Where: Odessa, WA. When: 8-11 a.m. Mostly flat 5 and 10k out and back course that ends at the Deutschesfest festivities that include a beer garden, German food, parade, flea market, craft fair and other activities and camping all weekend long. Info: Deutschesfest.com/faq.php

(September 19) Blazing Saddles & Spoons. Where: Colville, WA. Bike rides and chili cook-off. Four dif-ferent fully supported courses (100, 60, 40 & 20 mile) through the beautiful scenery of northeast Washington. Info: Blazingsaddles9.wix.com/blazing100

(September 19-20) Liberty Lake RIM Ride. Rides for all ages and abilities that explores the beautiful areas of Liberty Lake, Post Falls, Green Bluff and Spokane Valley. Info: Rotaryinmotion.com

(September 26) Coeur d’Fondo. Where: Coeur d’Alene. Ride with views of beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene and the forest, roads and scenery along Idaho’s Scenic Byway, before finishing back at the fall Oktoberfest in downtown Coeur d’Alene. Info: Cdagranfondo.com

(September 26) Rotary Rivers & Ridges Ride. Where: Clarkston, WA. Explore the beautiful land-scapes in this incredible corner of Washington on a road bike. Ride routes will take you over major rivers, through the famous Palouse and back. Info: Riversandridgesride.org

(September 27) ValleyFest Family Ride. Where: Mirabeau Point Park, Spokane Valley. When: 12 p.m. Start at Mirabeau Point Park North Centennial Trailhead for a wonderful family bike ride on the Centennial Trail. Info: Valleyfest.org

TRIATHLONS/MULTISPORT

(September 5-7) kootenay Sufferfest. Where: Kaslo/New Denver/Nakusp, B.C. Trail run, xc mountain bike, cyclocross and duathlon races. Races for beginners to true-blue marathon ath-letes, mountain bike races, cyclocross races, and a duathlon (adult and junior categories). Info: Kaslosufferfest.com

(September 12) Rathdrum Adventure Race. Where: Rathdrum, ID. The premier “alternative” triathlon in North Idaho. Experience a mountain bike ride on magnificent Rathdrum Mountain or along a beautiful treed path, paddle the beauty of Twin Lakes in a kayak, and then run the trails back to Rathdrum’s charming City Park. Long and short course options. Info: Rathdrumadventurerace.org.

(September 12) Newport Biayakathon. Where: Oldtown, ID/Newport, WA. When: 10 a.m. A 2-mile kayak, canoe or paddle board along the beautiful Pend Oreille River followed by a 6-mile up and back bike ride next to the river. Info: 509-447-5651

(September 27) ValleyFest Boat, Bike, Run Sprint Triathlon. Where: Mirabeau Point Park, Spokane Valley. When: 8 a.m. 1.5 mile kayak/canoe down the Spokane River, 11-mile road ride and a 3-mile loop run including a portion of the Centennial Trail. Info: Valleyfest.org/boatbikerun-triathlon

HIKING/NATURE

(September 20) Appetite for Conservation. Where: Spokane. When: 4-9 p.m. Inland Northwest Land Conservancy’s second annual fundraising extravaganza supports local land conservation with dinner by Santé, wine from Vino!, beer from Orlison, live music with Big Red Barn, games, a silent and live auction and dancing. Tickets are $75 each. Info: Inlandnwland.org

(September 10-13) Inland NW Permaculture Convergence. Where: Heartsong, Tumtum, WA. Learn tricks to maintain production while conserv-ing resources in drought years, including water harvesting, water conservation, wicking beds, deep rooted perennials, swales, broad-based terraces, mulch, sunken hugelkulturs, drought tolerant crops, and more. Info: Inlandnorthwestpermaculture.com

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Last PageWHY I RUN // By Brad Thiessenten years aGo, my wife and I brought our two boys up north from California’s Central Valley to Spokane. We bought a house that hap-pened to be only a mile from the Dishman Hills Conservancy. Over the next few years, I slowly built up my distance by running in that amazing urban wilderness. Running became a big part of my life as I moved up from 10K runs to half marathons and longer.

In February 2015, there resurfaced an idea that had come to me several years earlier while train-ing for a marathon: it was time to run a 50K (31 miles). I couldn’t quite pin down why it felt so nec-essary, but before long I was looking for options, eventually settling on the Rattlesnake Ridge trail run on June 20.

My biggest goal was to not get injured. To do that, I would have to become more committed. I had never run more than three or four times a week, but as that increased to six, running started to become more a part of the fabric of my life.

At the same time, I re-read Annerino’s “Running Wild” and Christopher McDougall’s “Born to Run,” and got into the writings of George Sheehan. As I compared their mystical running experiences to my own story, I started to under-stand why it is so important to me.

Thirteen years ago, a grand mal seizure prompt-ed the discovery of a tumor in my brain. There were no precursors, no warnings – and there would never be any “cause” or reason that could be pinned down. Five days later, as they wheeled me into the operating room to cut into my skull, I was surprisingly calm, probably from a mixture

of naiveté and shock. For a few days after surgery, I was at peace with the possibility of death, filled with a deep awareness of the huge wide universe, of being part of the family of humans across cul-tures, reaching back thousands of years and into an unknown future. And everything was all okay. If I lived or died, it didn’t matter.

That feeling, that understanding, didn’t last. Within a few weeks, in fact, it was mostly a memo-ry. The fear of death – I was told the tumor would definitely come back worse the next time – and the purgatory of hospital waiting rooms conspired to put me in a kind of existential limbo, driving home both the fleeting preciousness of life and the amount of empty “wasted” time we have to wade through in hopes of some eventual good stuff.

Running, especially on trails, brings back a

small piece of the clarity I experienced in that hospital bed 13 years ago. Being out on the trail roots me in the immediacy of the present while at the same time connecting me to the earth and the wide expanse of time. Running a new trail reminds me how big and varied and outside of our scope the whole world is.

In one of his many writings, John Muir, the 19th-century naturalist and mountain explorer,

points out the folly of hikers who speed through the landscape, so intent on reaching the peak that they miss out on the chance to absorb and con-nect with the natural beauty around them. He preferred to “wander” and could spend hours con-templating a scene. So what would Muir think of a guy like me, who feels most connected with nature when he’s running along a trail? Attempting a slow hike filled with quiet contemplation of flowers and rocks feels like an artificial attempt to make the experience “significant.” In contrast, while lop-ing through the landscape, I’m not just seeking out the wonder of nature – I’m actually absorb-ing it, out of no contemplation or inquiry on my part. That sense of connectedness and well-being is doubtless tied to some extent to the endorphins pumping through my brain as during the work-

out. I have to believe that it’s more than a chemical reaction, though.

Cross-country skiing comes to mind. There’s nothing more pure and beautiful than a trail of clean white snow winding among pine trees on a crisp, blue-sky day. The same endorphins accompany a long ski as a long run. But somehow, running produces a greater sense of meaning. It’s taken a few years, but I’ve figured out the differ-

ence: while skiing is dependent on a one-inch thick stick of composite material that mediates my body’s connection with the snow, running involves the visceral contact of foot to earth. It is perhaps the most primal way that our bodies can engage with the physical world.

Not every run is transcendent, or even plea-surable. Aside from the physical realities of low blood sugar, fatigue, injury and crappy weather, a long run can also become a time for obsessive mulling over of mistakes, grudges, and worries. Usually, though, running is more than simply an athletic endeavor. It doesn’t necessarily bring back the immediate knowledge of my place in the universe that I experienced 13 years ago in the hospital recovery room, but it does ground me in the reality that I’m part of something bigger than the small chunk of time and space that I occupy.

Ironically, I didn’t get to run the 50k Rattlesnake Ridge Run that had been my goal for four months. On June 17, three days before the event, I was wheeled into the sparkling bright operating room at Sacred Heart Medical Center so a surgical team could go in through the previous hole in my skull and remove the small tumor that had returned. Now it all starts again: recovery, probably chemotherapy and the uncertainty of that evil creature cancer lurk-ing in the shadows. But this time, running is there as one more tool to help me cope. And the surgeon says I can start back up in six weeks. Editor’s Note: When we went to print, Brad was recovering from surgery, chemo and radiation and planned to be back running before too long. Hope to see you out on the trail soon Brad! //

For a few days after surgery, I was at peace with the possibility of death, filled with a deep awareness of

the huge wide universe...



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Out There Monthly September 2015