When a friend asked me to take a few days off to race the Kootenay Sufferfest mountain bike race, I laughed at him. Suffering should be something you get paid to do, not something you pay for, I thought. It turns out I was dead wrong. After some convincing on his part, I found myself […]
Kootenay SufferFest — A Little Bit of Suffering & a Whole Lot of Fun (Sept. 5-7, 2015) Read More »
The Northwest has hundreds of lakes ranging from tiny alpine tarns to giant pools that sprawl for miles through the mountains. The region’s many diverse lakes each have their own unique feel and personality. While public land and access is limited at some, others like Priest Lake, nestled in the Selkirk Mountains, are a near
The Best of Priest Lake: Hikes, Resorts, Paddling, Fishing, and More Read More »
Back before the Internet, it was more difficult to break out into new outdoor sports than it is today, especially technical ones like climbing that usually require someone to show you the ropes. The local outdoors community coalesced around clubs like the Spokane Mountaineers and Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club, where people who were into
See You at Spokatopia Read More »
May is for morels, mycophiles say. But at “Out There Monthly,” May is for corals! No scuba gear required because the forest corals are terrestrial fungi in the genus ramaria. Corals are more prolific in the Northwest than anywhere in North America and possibly on Earth. Showing up a couple weeks after morels start and
Leaf Root Fungi Fruit: Coral Mushrooms Read More »
One time, and one time only, I ate one of those Mountain House dehydrated meals. I had been misled into believing that real outdoors people must not only have nerves of steel, but guts of steel, and thus such food was a mandatory accessory to proving expedition toughness. As camping and mountaineering season approaches, it
Eating Well in the Woods: Healthy Camp Food Tips Read More »
If you hike or ride a bike or horse on the many miles of trails in the Inland Northwest, then you are the perfect candidate for a Washington Trails Association volunteer trail project. Trail building and maintenance is fun and rewarding, and most volunteers leave with a new appreciation for the effort that goes into
Washington Trails Association: From Hiking Journal to Trail Heroes Read More »
There’s no shortage of options when it comes to planning out a summer full of adventure here in the Inland Northwest. With recommendations for families, casual adventurers, and those in search of more hardcore challenges to push their limits, there’s a trip and a place in here for anyone who loves the outdoors. Visit someplace
There are only ten weeks between the summer solstice and Labor Day this year – what is your kid’s bucket list of fun? Here are some ideas. Scholarships and special discounts are available for many of these camps, so be sure to ask. Spokane Parks & Recreation Outdoor recreation-based experiences, especially those in a wilderness
Summer Adventure Camps For Kids Read More »
Your Guide to Indoor Fun and Fitness for the Fall Shoulder Season Resist the urge to hibernate during the colder, grayer “shoulder season.” Perhaps easier said than done. After all, it’s often too ______ (fill-in-the-blank with current nasty weather condition) for ________ (whatever you most like to do outside). And there’s not enough snow in
Amy McCaffree Amy (Silbernagel) McCaffree enjoys paddling, camping, biking, hiking, alpine skiing, and gardening. She is the Out There Kids columnist and has been writing for OTO since 2006. Amy has a MFA in Creative Writing from Eastern Washington University and lives in Spokane with her husband and their two children. View Articles Connect Carol
