Here are two stories from couples who love the outdoors so much that public lands were integral to growing their relationships, framing their wedding days, and inspiring their ongoing love stories. Their nuptials show that while identity is grounded in friends, family, heritage, and tradition, it can also be rooted in place—the geography of hills, lakes, trees, and ridges that inspire us.

An Elopement Among the Larches

Ryan Craig describes his elopement in October 2020 as “a scene out of a Nordic warrior film. Misty and stormy, windy with tall granite peaks over us and a really cold lake below.”

His wife, Alyssa Chamberlain, continues, “The big focal point was all the larches. I don’t know how we timed it so perfectly. It was all beautiful gold.”

The only person at their self-officiated private ceremony in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness was a friend and professional photographer, Brighton. Their plucky and adoring pup, Harold, also made the hike in. Harold was one of the reasons they picked that spot, since most places with larches don’t allow dogs.

Many couples experience a lot of pressure regarding where they should host their wedding. But Alyssa explains that the people who are closest to her know that “I’ve always wanted to elope. I think the ceremony is more about the person you’re with.” She feels that she’s not a strong public speaker and that saying everything in front of a lot of people would have been hard.

“COVID-19 gave us a nice cover.” She explains that they decided together, “Oh, now we really have to elope!”

The foursome hiked up together the night before the intimate ceremony. Ryan hung his suit on hanger in a garbage bag and attached it to the outside of his backpack. Alyssa folded her dress into a packing cube. She had hand dyed the bottom gold with the help of a friend to match what she hoped would be a stunning stand of fiery larches.

“When we hiked in, it was 55 degrees and beautiful and calm. We woke up to 35 degrees and rapid dropping temperatures and wind. It was pretty cold,” remembers Ryan. Alyssa wore leggings under her dress, hiking boots, and wrapped a warm blanket around her shoulders.

The words they shared that day were for each other, lifted up by the wind and carried over the hills and valleys. The symbolisms fits what their love is built on. For example, the dried flowers in their bouquet and boutonnière were plucked during hikes they had taken together on both the East and West coasts. Even her wedding ring represents their love of wild places, with a mountain skyline carved into it.

The couple just returned from a week in Vermont, where they celebrated their commitment to each other with East Coast family. It was a beautiful celebration, but after dealing with the stress of COVID-era travel, they are happy to be back hiking around local public lands with Harold.

Local Hike to a Wedding

Ella Kerner’s description of the weather on her November wedding day in 2015 is most brides’ nightmare: “It rained a little bit. It was windy.” Then, there was the tardiness of the guests. “We had to wait for 45 minutes for a couple stragglers to make it up the hill.” But, in her eyes, “It was perfect.”

She married Nathan Leach (now Nathan Kerner) “huddled behind the wind break of the boulders” at Rocks of Sharon, which is one of their favorite Spokane hikes.

“[Rocks of Sharon] is a very excellent viewpoint,” says Nathan. “It’s gorgeous and expansive.” It’s a view that both of them love in the summer and winter. Nathan continues, “On one side you can see Spokane Valley and the freeway leading to Spokane. You can also see the Palouse, and there are just a few barns and houses out there.”

About 40 people joined them for the hike and ceremony, and dozens more met them at their reception in town afterward.

The couple’s friends and families were not surprised that they chose a hike to commemorate their lifelong commitment to each other.  Ella explains, “We knew we wanted to get married on a mountain, but one that was accessible to most people. I had done the hike a dozen times before we got married. It’s such a great trail. It’s a great reward for not much work.”

One of the best parts of the day was watching guests mingle in an unconventional setting. “Everyone got to chat on the way up,” she says. “It was fun. Even [the stragglers] talked about that as a good day.”

At first, Nathan jokes about getting married in one of the bleakest months of the year. “I’d rather be cold than be hot.” But then he reflects on why it was so special to get married up there. “Buildings are temporary, but the outdoors is permanent. If we want to revisit the place we got married, it will still be there.”

Ella explains how the location has become a place of importance for their entire young family. “We took [our firstborn] Charlie (age 4) up when he was a baby. He was 6 months old, and we carried him up.”

They haven’t yet taken their newest arrival, Del (age 2), but they will soon—perhaps this November. They plan to do the hike every year on their anniversary, even though they missed it last year due to COVID-19 and child chaos.

As Nathan points out, it will always be there for them when they need a refresh and to get a perspective on what matters most.

Originally published as “Love in the Outback” in the September-October 2021 issue.

Summer Hess is the former managing editor of OTO. She still contributes content from her new home in Wenatchee.        

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Campbell’s Resort on Lake Chelan has been Washington state’s favorite family getaway resort since 1901 and is a great launchpad to enjoy all that the region has to offer.

The historic downtown waterfront had private beaches and many acres to roam. From here, the following lakeside activities are nearby and abundant.

1. Take an E-bike tour of Lake Chelan.

Chelan Electric Bikes offers several tours of the scenic landscapes where local grapes are grown. The electric bicycles let riders be a part of the landscape and also offer an easy assist on the hills. There are several tour options, the most classic one being the four-hour, wine-focused casual and scenic pedal. Visit three enchanting wineries, sip fabulous wine, and ride about 18 miles. There’s also a family tour option that skips the wineries and focuses on swimming holes and wildlife sightings.

2. Paddleboard tour around Lake Chelan.

There is no better way to enjoy the lake than launching into the water. Rent a paddle board from Lake Rider Sports in downtown Chelan (509-885-4767).

Choose from traditional paddleboards or get funky with the Supsquatch, a one-of-a-kind standup paddleboard that can hold up to 14 people. The Supsquatch makes for a casual, fun day on the water.

Those more interested in a workout can rent a board and cruise as far as the eye can see.

3. Hike or bike for views.

Fourteen major trailheads provide starting points for 250 miles of maintained summer trails near the town of Chelan.

One great option is the Echo Ridge trail system, which contains almost 25 miles of trails intertwined with roads. Originally designed for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, the trails are perfect for mountain biking and hiking.

There are wide, easy trails suitable for all ages, and technical singletrack for the more adventurous. Expect to see great views of Lake Chelan, the Stewart Range, Okanogan Highlands, and Columbia Plateau.

For those who want to stick close to town, the Riverwalk Park Loop Trail is a 1-mile pathway that loops between the two bridges that span the Chelan River, in historic downtown Chelan. There are shaded benches all along the trail.

4. Fly above it all.

Paraglide Chelan offers first-time flyers the freedom and the thrill of flight. Flyers are securely attached to their instructors, which makes it possible to relax and enjoy the ride. A tandem paraglide flight is a unique and immersive way to see the area.

They employ US Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association instructors, who make every flight safe, fun, and unforgettable. Pilots from all over the world also travel to Chelan every year for national and world competitions.

5. Take a wine-tasting tour.

Taking a tasting tour around the Chelan area is a great way to explore the area and enjoy some amazing wine and food.

Vin Du Lac, French for wine of the lake, offers a beautiful view, an array of award-winning wines, a farm-to-table bistro menu, and a setting ideal for relaxation, enjoyment, and events. All wine grapes at Vin Du Lac are hand harvested and fermented in small batches, and the live music scene is hard to beat.

Tunnel Hill Winery offers a stone cottage tasting room, built from the rubble of the old Knapps Hill Tunnel just up the hill. Thus their tasting room, like their wine, is sturdy, solid, and very much from the earth.

Karma Vineyard boasts 14 acres of selected varietals including Gewürztraminer, syrah, pinot noir, riesling, chardonnay, and pinot meunier. Known for its sparkling wine, Karma Vineyards was the first vineyard in Chelan to cane prune pinot noir grapes.

Each year Chelan’s One Wines offers a simpler approach to wine. Instead of creating multiple reds and whites, they make three great wines per year—one red, one white, and one rose.

Wapato Point Cellars offers a delightful evening at the winemaker’s grill with an exquisite selection of delicious menu items on their ever-changing fresh sheet. Dine in the restaurant or al fresco on the outdoor patio.

Radiance Winery Tasting Room is a family-owned winery and tasting room that specializes in balanced, radiant wines true to varietal and vineyard source.

Alta Cellars owner and winemaker Jay Pederson has been a commercial fisherman for most of his life. Today he runs Alta Cellars, which features very limited release quantities of premium red wines with special attention to Bordeaux-inspired varietals.

Obviously not a winery, but Lake Chelan Brewery is worth a stop to sample some of the five flagship beers and 11 seasonal beers. An onsite pub serves burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads.

Find more stories about Lake Chelan in the OTO archives.

Learn about other lake destinations and recreation in the 2021 Inland Northwest Lake Guide.

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At night, firework shows burst across the lake, bedazzling the sky with explosions of color. Local businesses also get into the spirit with tasting specials and bonfires. The whole experience feels like an extension of the holiday season. 

Nearby Manson is so small it doesn’t have a stoplight. But the absence of infrastructure doesn’t limit its hospitality or culinary might; in fact, the little town contributes just as much to the Winterfest vibe as its larger cousin Chelan. 

A stay at Manson’s Mountain View Lodge and Resort positions you in the middle of the Winterfest magic. This year’s offerings will be of a different nature and will be COVID compliant.

Check Lakechelan.com for more event details.  

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Badger Mt. is operated by the local Lion’s Club out of Waterville. It was founded in 1938 and runs with a 100 percent volunteer staff. It’s open January-March and days of operation are condition dependent.  

Loup Loup Ski Bowl 

Located between Twisp and Omak on Little Buck Mountain, Loup Loup is open Wednesdays, Fridays, and weekends from December through March or April. Families will enjoy the tubing hill, outdoor firepit, and luge sledding. 

Sitzmark Ski Hill 

Sitzmark Ski Hill near Oroville has 80 acres of skiing and riding and a terrain park. Call for operation hours and to inquire about conditions.   

Leavenworth Ski Hill 

Less than 2 miles from downtown, the Leavenworth Ski Hill offers many activities at an affordable price. Alpine races, Nordic races, and ski jumping tournaments are also part of the fun.  

See a story about Echo Valley Ski Hill, from our January-February 2021 issue.

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As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw a young father clutching his squirming toddler. Mom slid a few feet down a gentle slope to demonstrate the art of skiing while the child surveyed the situation with a stern and confused look. A hot chocolate was almost certainly in the child’s future. Good thing a kid’s size one only costs $1 at Terri’s Treats, Echo Valley’s lodge and eatery with a roaring fireplace and ski-hill classics like homemade chili smothered with a generous helping of melted cheese.  

As I clicked into my skis, I chatted with another parent who sipped a steaming cup of coffee outside the lodge. From his stance he could see most of the hill and watched one of his elementary-aged kids pizza furiously down the slope. This father and Echo Valley regular says, “It works out good. We stay here in the morning then head to basketball practice later. This is only 10 minutes from the house.” 

Its motto, “Where Chelan learns to ski,” is modest compared to modern resort marketing standards, and Echo Valley clearly accomplishes its goal. I was surrounded by squeaky little voices chirping, giggling, and occasionally crying after plunging face first into the snow during a failed rope tow dismount.  

One of three rope tows dragged me a few hundred feet upward too. I could have descended here or traversed over to the poma, which ascends to the ski hill’s highpoint. After choosing to traverse and ascend, I watched a group of college-age students cruise down the hill, playfully hooting and hollering like it was a powder day in the North Cascades rather than a slushy day on the modest slopes of Echo. The snowboarder’s parents live in Chelan, and he brought his friends along to escape the West-side rain. They take photos, catch tiny airs, and lounge at the top to gaze over the quiet, snow-capped wilderness.  

Echo Valley feels like one of the best parts of America’s past magically transported into the present, like vintage merry-go-rounds in public parks or restored Wonder Bread ads painted on 19th century brick buildings. It evokes an era when people said hello to strangers as they passed on the sidewalk, and when volunteerism was deeply integrated into civic life. 

Keith Carpenter, a former and long-time ski club president at Echo Valley and a still-active board member would a agree that it’s a special place, but he knows the secret behind the magic: an all-hands-on-deck level of community collaboration and stubborn faith in what’s good for the town. He’s seen dozens of ski hills shut down over the years and was around to make sure Echo Valley wasn’t one of them. 

“A lot of them [community ski hills] were lost to a big insurance run up in the 70s. It came about because of free style or hotdog skiing and people were doing things like inverted aerials, back flips, and those kinds of things. A lot of spinal injuries resulted in really high settlements against insurance companies.” 

Carpenter estimates that half the ski areas in America went under in the 70s and 80s. Today, there’s fewer than 20 ski hills and resorts in the state of Washington.  A glance at a Wiki called “Lost Ski Areas of WASHINGTON” shows that, at one time, there were at least 48. In fact, Echo Valley’s equipment was sourced from other defunct ski hills. The poma came from Squilchuck, which used to operate just down the road from Mission Ridge near Wenatchee.  

The same spirit of volunteerism that gives us Girl Scouts and Rotary Clubs is what launched and helps preserve Echo Valley. The hill was born in the early 1950s when the Peterson family created a rope tow out of their tractor and pulled kids and friends up a hill in their orchard.  

A few years later, the founders migrated to a better hill and formed the Lake Chelan Ski Club in 1955. In 2004 the ski hill became an official Lion’s Club activity, providing access to a deep well of volunteers and an affordable insurance policy. The Lion’s Club also benefited as new community members joined the club out of a desire to be involved in the ski hill. 

I only needed a few runs that morning to get my fix of cold and speed for the day, and I left about the same time dad drove his kids to basketball practice. I dropped elevation and carefully cruised down Cooper Gulch Road toward Manson for Winterfest. The dose of comradery and sunshine put me in the spirit to eat, drink, and be merry.

Learn about “Lost Ski Hills of North Central Idaho.“

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Here are some ways to start rounding out your backcountry skills:

• Ski seasonal roads. If you’re new to the sport or don’t have any snow-science education, seek out low-angle slopes away from avalanche danger and side-country options. The Summit Road at Mount Spokane State Park is a good place to start.
• Buy a beacon and practice. Even if you’re not heading into avalanche-prone terrain, it’s a good idea to build good habits.
• Read safety information and watch avy education videos online. The Northwest Avalanche Center has online education modules. The Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center also has tutorials on topics like how to read an avalanche forecast.

Find more Out There Venture’ mountain safety stories.

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She has attended fancier clinics with après and yoga, but she loves Rippin’ Chix because of the small group numbers and no frills.  “It draws more people who are serious about skiing. That’s all they are there to do. They’re not there to be wined and dined. They are there to learn to ski better.”

Last year Klein attended with her daughter-in-law, who is an intermediate skier. “She had a great time, and it gave her a lot of confidence.”

And Klein also found what she was looking for: a challenge. “In the group I was in, I was just barely hanging on for my life. All the women in my group were all from Canada, all 50-ish, all really good skiers.”

Kristin Wenzel from Spokane was also up from the U.S. When asked what she wants to learn from the weekend, Wenzel isn’t sure. Like all of us, she wants to get better, and like a lot of us, she isn’t sure precisely what that means. It’s hard to know how you want to improve if you don’t know what you’re doing wrong.

That’s the magical element of these camps. A good instructor can tell you want you’re doing wrong, but a great instructor can suggest incremental changes that allow you to feel what it’s like to do it right. She gives you mantras to remember in a context that will make the small corrections stick.

Wenzel started the day skiing, in her words, like an “action figure.” Her legs were rigid, and she was stiff through the shoulders. As she traveled down the slope, her skis and body pointed to one side of the slope. When she initiated a turn, her head, hips, and shoulders, and skis all pointed to the opposite slope.

At the end of the first day, Wenzel and I debriefed in the sauna at the Adventure Hotel, which was lit up by the world’s smallest disco ball. She was starting to feel looser and found it easier to keep her chest pointed downhill.

“I was impressed,” she says. I liked it a lot. Going into it I was worried about how you could actually get $500 worth of information in 2 days.” But the download of information and opportunity for practice and correction was so helpful that “even if I had to go home right, now I wouldn’t be mad,” she says.

The full endorsement for the camp came after day two. “At the end of the day, even though skiing much harder terrain, I felt equipped to just go with it…Lines that I normally wouldn’t have picked to ski, I was choosing them and feeling good about how they went.”

On the calendar right now are Alta, Utah on Feb. 11-12 and March 20-21. The dates for the British Columbia-based camps are Jan. 16-17 at Whitewater, Feb. 8-10 for Backcountry Snowcats, and Feb. 21-23 for a ski touring camp at Journeyman Lodge. It’s hard to say if the border will be open by then, but if it’s not, consider saving for next year’s camp.

Summer Hess plans to attend an avalanche rescue course with the Selkirk Powder Guides this winter.

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In the collective mind’s eye of America, public lands were born the day Yosemite became a public park in 1864, when president Lincoln deeded it to the State of California, or when president Woodrow Wilson established the National Parks Service in 1916. In reality, protected lands in the United States are managed by a broad swath of federal, state, county, city, and tribal authorities. Here is a quick primer in land designations to help make better sense out of which agency or municipality manages our favorite public lands. 

Federal Lands 

Department of the Interior—The DOI manages the country’s most famous land designation, the National Parks. There are many other DOI designations, including National Parks, National Monuments, National Recreation Areas, and National Preserves. Some of the largest DOI lands in the Pacific Northwest include Olympic National Park in Washington and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho.  

Bureau of Land Management—The BLM is part of the DOI and manages one eighth of the country’s land mass, including areas like the beloved Owyhee River Wilderness. The BLM was formed in 1905 as a combination of the General Land Office and the Grazing Service.  

United States Forest Service—The USFS is an agency of the Department of Agriculture that was founded under the Roosevelt administration. It manages vast swaths of public forests like the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, the Colville and Idaho Panhandle national forests, and much of the Cascade Mountains, including wild areas like the Glacier Peak Wildness.    

United States Fish and Wildlife Service—The USFW was created in 1956 to manage lands reserved for fish, wildlife, and their habitats. Inland Northwest lands managed by USFW include the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge and the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. 

Wilderness Areas—A designated wilderness area is the highest level of protection that Congress can apply to any federally-managed land. Wilderness areas can be on Forest Service land like the Salmo-Priest Wilderness or on BLM lands, like the Juniper Dunes Wilderness. 

U.S. Army Corp of Engineers—The USACE is responsible for federal engineering projects, military construction, and civil works. It also provides plenty of outdoor recreation at more than 400 lake and river projects in 43 states, like camping areas and water sports access at places like the Chief Joseph Dam (Columbia River) and Lake Pend Oreille (Albeni Falls Dam).  

State Lands 

Each state in the Northwest has agencies tasked with managing state lands, wildlife and habitat. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Idaho Fish & Game protect their states’ fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable recreational and commercial opportunities. The Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area and Amber Lake are examples of WDFW land in Spokane County. Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Idaho Department of Lands generate revenue through logging while preserving forests, natural areas, and aquatic habitat.  

State Parks 

Washington State Parks (WSP) and Idaho State Parks provide opportunities to explore diverse natural and cultural heritage and recreational and educational experiences. The Spokane region is home to the two largest state parks in the system: Riverside State Park and Mount Spokane State Park. In Idaho Panhandle, Farragut State Park and the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes offer a wide range of recreational opportunities. 

Local Lands 

Many county and city governments throughout the Northwest protect and conserve parks, trail systems, open space, and wildlife habitat. Spokane County manages some of the region’s most beloved recreation destinations, including Liberty Lake Regional Park, Dishman Hills Natural Area, and Fish Lake Regional Park. Spokane County’s Conservation Futures program leverages property tax levies to acquire and preserve open space. Areas secured by this program include Antoine Peak, Micah Peak, and hopefully more of Beacon Hill/Camp Sekani.  

The City of Spokane manages dozens of neighborhood parks and is also responsible for managing recreation hotspots like the High Bridge Disc Golf Course, Camp Sekani, High Drive Bluff Park, and the John A. Finch Arboretum.  

Tribal Lands 

Several Native American Tribes continue to caretake portions of their traditional homelands, fish, and wildlife. Examples of recreation opportunities provided by regional Tribes include camping and fishing opportunities as part of the Spokane Tribe of Indian’s Shoreline Campgrounds system along the Spokane River; the Kalispel RV Resort in Cusick, Wash., run by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians; and the Parks and Recreation Department of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation that offers camping areas like the Lake Roosevelt Rogers Bar Campgrounds and Bridge Creek Campground. Please note that some tribal recreation areas are closed to the general public through the end of 2020 and many require permits.

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As we drove east over multiple mountain ranges and the danger of running out of gas became real, we also traversed several important wildlife corridors, including the Cabinet-Purcell Mountain Corridor that delineates a zone of largely connected wildlife habitat between southeastern British Columbia and North Idaho and northwestern Montana. It’s one of the few places in the U.S. where a wide range of species from grizzly bears to elk can move across the international border through relatively intact habitat.  

Even though many of the wildlands we drove through have limited protection, the recent passage of the Great American Outdoors Act is proof that a majority of Americans care deeply about our public lands. While building on conservation successes of that scale are more important than ever, how we talk about the history of public lands and engage the indigenous people who called those lands home in future conservation initiatives is also crucial. 

Long before there were national forests or state parks, much of these lands were the traditional homelands of Native Americans, many of whom were violently removed. It’s an essential reality that needs to be acknowledged and addressed in public lands conservation efforts. Fittingly, many conservation successes in recent years have been initiated by tribes, restoring first nations people as critical stakeholders and public lands caretakers. Across the Northwest, tribes are designing, funding, and implementing programs that bring back wildlife and conserve their traditional lands and cultural heritage. 

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation are working to bring lynx back to their land and are leading efforts to reintroduce salmon into the Columbia River above Grand Coulee Dam. As discussed in this issue’s Nature column, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians are experimenting with innovative approaches to keeping cougars from harming pets and livestock. And many species of wildlife in eastern Oregon have more room to roam thanks to the Nez Perce Tribe’s purchase of thousands of acres of prime habitat.  

Other tribes are taking innovative legal approaches to protecting land and wildlife. One example that has gathered international attention is the Yurok Tribe’s declaration of the rights of personhood for the Klamath River. By assigning rights to a natural feature, the tribe hopes to create more opportunities for environmental protections and legal advocacy.  

By conserving habitat, tribes are ensuring their own cultural survival and the future of our public lands and the human communities that depend on them.

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