Misinformation caused me to miss out on years of exploration on the Kettle Crest. Well-intentioned people told me the trails were too dry, had too little shade, and were not that interesting. After I finally went to check it out, I felt I had to make up for lost time. I started small, and at […]
Footloose in the Kettle Range Read More »
When camping and hiking alone in the backcountry, be fully prepared and ready to experience a uniquely wonderful solo adventure.
Going Alone: Backcountry Safety & Solitude Read More »
In 2015, the Colville National Forest (CNF) signed the Whitebark Pine Enhancement Project decision that uses vegetation management, prescribed burning, and other methods to help improve growing conditions for whitebark pine on the Colville National Forest. Beginning in July, 2017, the CNF has partnered with the Kettle Range Conservation Group (KRCG) to help implement the
Conservationists Work to Protect Whitebark Pine on Kettle Crest Read More »
It is tempting to spend your stay at Island Lake Lodge in Fernie, B.C. staring up at the dramatic mountains that tower above the lodge from the comfort of the sunny patio. But there’s so much to do in this backcountry paradise that it would be a shame not to see those peaks up close.
Island Lake Lodge – Explore Your Happy Place Read More »
I first encountered Deep Creek the way I suspect most people do: in a car. As Highway 2 makes a beeline west out of Spokane, it passes the main gate to Fairchild Air Force Base. Then, in about the time it takes to peel an orange, the highway dips abruptly into a ravine, crosses a
Deep Creek Ravine: Tracking a Jailbreak Flood Read More »
Experience the great outdoors on the edge of the city while enjoying live music, educational presentations, and entertaining programs at Riverside State Park. REI and the Riverside State Park Foundation are sponsoring another season of “Wednesdays in the Woods,” a series of free programs at the Bowl & Pitcher in Riverside State Park. The series
Riverside State Park—Wednesdays in the Woods Read More »
Home to the University of Montana in the whole-foods-and-hiking-boots heart of the state, Missoula is a community of fit free spirits—consider it a cross between Bend and Bellingham. In recent years, the city’s running and river surfing communities have put it on the adventure-sports map, but hiking remains king here. But full parking lots belie
5 Classic Missoula, Montana Hikes Read More »
People need experiences in nature, and runners truly value new scenery to beat-feet. Early summer is the best time to run in Montana’s Glacier Country; foliage blooms, trails dry out, waterfalls surge, and tall, snowy peaks offer a grand show. An adventurer’s paradise, Glacier is sure to earn first-place in a runners’ heart. So many
Trail Running on the Eastside of Glacier National Park Read More »
Fresh-Air Parenting, coined by outdoor writer Katie Arnold in a May 2015 “Outside Magazine” article, asserts that “Letting [children] embrace freedom involves a fair amount of hovering,” and lies along the spectrum between helicopter parenting and free-range parenting. Fresh-air parenting wavers in the middle of these two extremes – somewhat free-range but hovering as needed
Fresh Air Parenting Read More »
Unlike the deliciously exaggerated sugar-and starch-filled produce of today, wild foods are often tough, bitter, astringent, or intensely vegetal, including many prized plants in older cultures. Modern palates aren’t adapted to these flavors. Which brings us to inner bark. Phloem, the inner bark of trees, is the living layer below the outer bark where photosynthates
Inner Bark: A Sweet Treat Read More »
