CYRUS FELL DOWN “Son of the Sun” from Damn Dude, Damn (LOCAL, self-released) This album escaped the radar upon its release last year, for reasons unknown. Now, months later, not a day passes at work that this track isn’t heard emanating from my office (much to some coworkers’ chagrin). No band in Spokane is as innovatively-minded […]
Music Reviews: May 2008 Read More »
PIONEER VOICES OF PRIEST LAKE Kris Runberg Smith, Editor Kehoe Press, 2007, 208 pages DRAWING ON CHILDHOOD memories of the Priest Lake region, Ms. Runberg Smith weaves oral histories from a dozen or so Priest Lake pioneers into a refreshing view of the region’s history. Unlike some of the prior histories of the region, which
Book Reviews: April 2008 Read More »
“SO WHAT’S THIS COLD SMOKE POWDER FESTIVAL ANYWAY?” A dreadlocked, lip-ringed snowboarder chick blurted this question at me half way up the Summit Chair on day three of last year’s debut of the Cold Smoke Festival at Whitewater Resort. She had noticed my laminated media pass flapping in the wind, and I admitted that I
Cold Smoke Powder Fest Is Hot Read More »
The Inlander emailed a couple weeks ago asking me to contribute “some big, stupid, revolutionary ideas that the Spokane area can — and should — implement in 2008.” Here’s what I sent back: At the risk of being too policy oriented: 1. Adopt a comprehensive plan to reestablish the salmon run in the Spokane River–all
Big Ideas for Spokane Read More »
The Mugs Stump awards are given each year to handful of climbers to support ambitious new routes or first ascent around the globe. One of the awards major Sponsor’s is Spokane’s own Mountain Gear, who, along with Patagonia, Black Diamond, Climbing Magazine, and Gore-Tex work to promote the spirit adventure in mountaineering embodied in famed
2008 Mugs Stump Award Winners Announced Read More »
The Alpine Club of Canada is looking for a few good skiers. Volunteers are needed to help baby-sit the one of North America’s best backcountry skiing destinations, the Bill Putnam (Fairy Meadows) Hut in Northern British Columbia. What? You’ve never heard of the Bill Putnam Hut? It’s about 400 miles directly north of Spokane and
The Coolest Backcountry Ski Gig Read More »
Chances are, if you are drawn to the wild, you might, someday, have to survive in the wild. Whether you’re a hiker, biker, floater, fisher, hunter or gatherer, there is always the inherent possibility that, at any moment, mother nature is capable of reminding you and your iPhone just who is in charge. Any number
Survive in the Wild Read More »
It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of a long road trip: the open highway, the sense of freedom and adventure, and the anticipation of exploring new and unfamiliar places. But there is a downside, too: the road-rage-inducing traffic on those highways, the sense of claustrophobia and numbness from hours in the cramped
Quick-Fix Car Camping: Overnighters that Won’t Burn a Bunch of Gas Read More »
Some people climb for glory. Some people climb for gold. Some people climb for a living, and some people climb to live. Sylvia Oliver is one of the latter, for whom in the last eighteen years climbing has not just been a hobby, but a way of life. She fell in love with it after
What’s Your Gear? Rock Climbing with Sylvia Oliver Read More »
The North Cedar, the last drive-in theater in Spokane closed in 1993. At one point, Spokane was home to seven drive-ins-more than any other city in Washington State (Seattle can boast only having had two). Now, movie watchers itching to recreate the drive-in movie experience of their youth must travel north of Spokane to the
Colville’s Auto Vue Drive-In Read More »
