Cover photo courtesy of Jean Arthur

Sunrise promises a sparkling midsummer morning at 6,644 feet elevation at the summit of Going-to-the-Sun Road at Logan Pass. A dozen vehicles snug into parking spots on an August morning as hikers lace boots for early starts on Glacier National Park’s famous Highline Trail. My family plans to hike another popular trail from the parking lot at Logan Pass, the Hidden Lake Trail to Hidden Lake Overlook, a 2.7-mile climb among wildflowers, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, ermine and the occasional grizzly bear. 

We know from experience that the parking lot—all 236 spots—fills by 8 a.m. on July and August mornings. Until about 7 p.m., drivers will troll the parking lot to find a spot, testing patience and pleasantries. Occasionally arguments break out and rangers must intervene.  

The bustle begs the question: Are we loving our national parks to death? Between resource depletion, crushing roadway overuse, damaging pollution, and resource defilement due to garbage, trampling and theft, park lovers are demanding changes. 

Rangers and park staff can barely keep pace. Since the beginning of 2025, permanent park staff positions decreased by 24% for all parks according to the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association. In Grand Teton National Park, the Trump administration’s budget cuts eliminated 16 of the park’s 17 supervisory positions. 

Glacier, which is America’s 10^th national park and spans 1.2 million acres in northwest Montana, has experienced explosive visitor numbers in the past decade, as have other public lands, challenging the resources, park staff and visitor restraint. 

I have frequented Glacier National Park for five decades. My group and I hit the park early to try to beat the new summer crowds. Tailgate coffee, locally grown fruit and prebaked muffins entice our sleepy crew out of warm vehicles to our truck where my husband cranks up the camp stove and makes a couple of bistro’s worth of coffee. To my family, this morning is reminiscent of two decades ago when there was available parking, room to hike without crowding and lots of wildlife.  

We lock up leftovers and head up the paved trail that climbs to a boardwalk, then dirt, and then a snow-covered route with just a few other humans. Brilliant pink heather hugs the ground. The higher we climb, the more glacier lilies—yellow sprites of the high country—shiver in the breeze. A sizable herd of bighorn sheep skitter across rocks then settle for naps with their lambs.  

With so few boots on turf this morning, it’s hard to imagine the significant increase in visitation that Glacier has endured. In 2024, more than 3.2 million people entered Glacier, its third-highest visitation year ever and an increase of 300,000 visitors from 2023.  

Glacier’s 40 percent increase in visitation from 2012 to 2024 is not an anomaly. According to Zion National Park Superintendent, Jeff Bradybaugh, in a letter to Congress, “There are 423 park units in the National Park System encompassing over 85 million acres across our nation, but visitation trends among the individual parks greatly vary. In 2020, overall visitation dropped to a 40-year low due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.” And then spiked. 

In his statement titled, “Lessons from the Field: Overcrowding in National Parks,” Bradybaugh notes that a third of the national parks saw record visitation during the pandemic as people sought outdoor spaces. In 2021, visitation across all NPS units reached 297 million recreation visits, a year when Utah’s Zion National Park alone saw 5 million visitors for the first time in its history and double the number from 2010. Some mitigation efforts are working. Several parks now use timed entry and ticket systems, including Glacier, which piloted vehicle reservation systems for summer months. Because my crew and I visit Glacier often, we know to use Recreation.gov to purchase a park pass and a Going-to-the-Sun Road ticket.  

On our glorious August morning, the road remained quiet at predawn; we only encountered a pair of motorcyclists who cruised the Sun Road to Logan Pass. But by the time we hiked up to the Hidden Lake Overlook, snapped a few photos and walked back, the parking lot was full and the trail overworked.  

“Pack your patience and plan ahead,” reads Glacier National Park’s webpage, “Tips for Dealing with Crowds.” We’ve also packed out other people’s candy wrappers, broken sunglasses and bad attitudes—a visitor aggressively urged us to rush so they could have our parking spot. We left feeling squeezed and a bit Grinchy about sharing our favorite park.  

For national park gateway communities, the tourism boils down to dollars. According to economists at the University of Montana in Missoula, annual nonresident spending in the state totaled $5.82 billion, a two-year average for annual spending. The Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research found that the region surrounding Glacier saw $2 billion in revenue, while the region surrounding Yellowstone averaged $1.3 billion. Yellowstone’s borders also include Idaho and Wyoming. The two Montana regions collectively saw 57% of nonresident travel spending.  

Oregon park visitor Barbara Nelson and her husband encountered long waits when they entered the park’s west gate at West Glacier this summer, even though they had booked tickets for the road and activities in advance. This was not their first park visit, and they’ve witnessed growing wait times at entrance stations, parking lots, trail heads and concession restaurants. 

“We got stopped in the hot sun and felt crowded,” Nelson recalls. “That morning, we started about 9 or 10 a.m. from West Glacier. A busy, August day. Getting behind those red buses is annoying. We got stopped at [the] top of [the] pass and there was still snow. So we had a snowball fight as we were waiting in traffic.” 

The Red Busses offer interpretive tours on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Free shuttles between Apgar near the west entrance and St. Mary at the east entrance alleviate some vehicle traffic, but hour-long standstills still occur, and not always where snowball fights can ensue. There are just many people who want the Glacier experience—including my crew. The park is on pace for another record-breaking summer as of early August 2025, with early counts showing a sizeable increase of more than 12 percent over 2024.  

Overtourism is defined as the phenomenon whereby certain places of interest are visited by excessive numbers of tourists, causing undesirable effects for the places visited. The global nonprofit Responsible Tourism offers a platform for change, helping travelers and communities take responsibility for making tourism more sustainable.  

Locals grasp at reasons for overtourism: short-term rentals alluring and available which push out long-term renters, post-pandemic need for healthy outdoor travel, alluring Instagram images sans mega throbs of tourists, and the Yellowstone Effect, in which people watch Kevin Costner’s television drama “Yellowstone” and visit Montana, Wyoming and Idaho believing a fictional tale of the American West—and wanting a piece of it.  

The “Yellowstone Effect” brought 2.1 million visitors to Montana in 2021, according to the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. Fans spent $730 million, yet caused some locals to channel Beth Dutton and mean-mug away visitors—it didn’t work. 

The Tourons of Yellowstone Instagram page, dedicated to documenting bad behavior and egregious offenses, stir up locals’ ire too. The Tourons videos often involve humans (and sometimes their pets) getting too close to wildlife in parks or illegally traipsing near Yellowstone’s extremely hot and fragile hot spring features—and sometimes not surviving. 

Thoughtless visitors trample delicate flora, leave trash and feces, and cause congestion and environmental degradation also felt in housing and infrastructure. Instagrammers sometimes position themselves in precariously dangerous spots for the glory, monetizing the public places. My family witnessed a woman who waded through a swift stream below a waterfall for her ego-driven photo taken by an accomplice. Other visitors, who had to wait 20 minutes for an Instagrammer-free view, did not wish her well.  

The organization Responsible Tourism writes on their website that tourism has breached a tipping point: Hosts and guests are often dissatisfied. “The challenge is to make all destinations sustainable and to avoid spreading the problem. For local government and protected area managers, the key question is: Will the destination use tourism or be used by it?” 

Gateway communities are trying to help visitors find their inner angels. In Jackson, Wyoming, the tourism board adopted a “selfie control” campaign after many tourists got too close to wildlife. Jackson’s “Take care of what takes your breath away” includes signage, advertising and smiling reminders from locals. Bozeman, Montana’s “Becoming Outside Kind” campaign encourages trail etiquette by educating new and longtime residents about how to behave outside. Whitefish, Montana created the “Be a Friend of The Fish” campaign to promote visitor stewardship.  

As Responsible Tourism notes, a global backlash to overtourism and bad behavior has resulted in violence. Protestors in Barcelona, Spain attacked tourists with water guns and called for visitor-accommodation restrictions. Protests against mass tourism and gentrification in Mexico City turned violent, damaging storefronts. Venice banned cruise ships from the city center and instituted a tourist tax. Some cities and attractions now limit the number of visitors, such as Bruges, Belgium, which capped the number of cruise ship arrivals and instead encouraged daytrippers. Solutions remain elusive. 

Summer 2025 saw particularly challenging crowding in Glacier, in part because the much-loved Many Glacier Valley, with its lodge, lakes, campgrounds and trails, underwent extensive utilities reconstruction. Limited parking forced limited access.  

The reward for patience, however, includes spectacular views, cool evenings with remarkable sunsets, and incomparable trails. My crew will wait to camp and hike during the slower season, late September, to avoid the crowds and try to be good stewards of our favorite park. 

Jean Arthur hikes and bikes and boats on public lands and waterways with family, friends and dogs. This fall, she’s picking huckleberries after the early frost sweetens up the hucks and the hues of the backcountry.  

The post Loving a Place to Death: How Overcrowding is Transforming Glacier National Park appeared first on Out There Venture.

Only a short distance from Bellingham, Wash., a glaciated volcano called Mt. Baker rises from the Earth. Known as Koma Kulshan by the Lummi people, a.k.a. “Great White Watcher,” the mountain and its snow-capped peak can be spotted from various points in the city and surrounding Whatcom County, but there’s nothing quite like a trip to Mt. Baker to understand why its beauty has captured the imaginations of people since time immemorial.  

Regardless of the season, Mt. Baker offers astounding views, world-class recreation, and an escape from the daily hustle and bustle. The mountain makes for a great road trip destination in part because of its proximity to Bellingham, a lively college town offering incredible dining, entertainment, and its own selection of world-class recreation. Begin in Bellingham and make your way east toward the mountain on Mount Baker Highway—one of Washington’s designated scenic byways—a stunning adventure in and of itself. 

If you’re planning a visit during the colder months, the Mount Baker Ski Area gets some of the most snowfall in the world and consistently ranks among the most affordable resorts in the country. Rugged mountains, incredible 360-degree views, and challenging terrain make it a snowsports paradise for skiers and snowboarders alike.  

For a gentler winter vacation, the area is also great for sledding, snowshoeing, or just building a snowman with the family. When you’re ready to feel cozy and sip a cup of cocoa, book a cabin or mountain chalet with Luxury Getaways. Many of their rentals come with hot tubs and fireplaces, perfect for warming up on a chilly winter evening. If you visit on a clear night, you’ll also likely catch an incredible view of the night sky.  

You can also find other lodging options near the mountain, including hotels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, and RV sites. Mt. Baker RV Park & Campground is a great option for those travelling with a camper. They offer RV sites as well as tent camping, hot showers, laundry, and wi-fi at every site. They’re open for year-round adventures and even offer monthly stays, a great option for dedicated skiers planning to spend a solid slice of winter on the mountain.  

In the summer, the mountain sheds its lower-elevation snow and becomes a haven for hikers of all skill levels. At the end of Mount Baker Highway, you’ll find Artist Point, a stunning area that serves as a nexus of alpine trailheads as well as an ideal place for families to snap photos, eat lunch, and stretch their legs. Choose from multi-night backcountry trips, steep and rugged treks into the alpine, or flat, mellow trails perfect for all ability levels. Don’t forget to visit Picture Lake, one of the most photographed scenes in the world.  

In warmer months, the highway also attracts road cyclists in search of a thigh-busting ride and unforgettable views. Each year, the Mount Baker Hill Climb takes place in September and challenges participants to scale 4,000 feet of elevation as they race toward Artist Point.  

When it comes to amenities, the closest town to the mountain is Glacier, located right on the highway and offering a modest selection of restaurants, services, and lodging options. For breakfast or lunch, try Wake ‘n’ Bakery in Deming. They offer certified organic and fair-trade coffee as well as handmade baked goods and meal items to help sustain your energy during adventures. 

Be sure to visit the Glacier Public Service Center for essential trail information, maps, permits, Northwest Forest Passes (needed for parking at Forest Service trailheads), and a bathroom break before you enter the wilderness.  

Before you get to Glacier, on the way out from Bellingham, you’ll pass North Fork Brewery & Pizzeria in Deming, a great place to refuel after a long day of fun on the mountain. Enjoy barrel-aged Belgian style sours and lagers, a selection of steaming hot pizzas, or a bowl of stout French onion soup.  

If you’re staying the night in Bellingham—or beginning or ending your mountain adventure with a couple of nights in town—be sure to check out the area’s cultural attractions. Prioritize visiting the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention, featuring one of the largest Tesla coils in the world and one of three remaining incandescent lamps created by Thomas Edison. The Whatcom Museum is another must-visit cultural destination featuring contemporary and Coast Salish art, history, and more.  

For accommodations, Bellingham and Whatcom County are home to a variety of lodging options, from waterside resorts to historic B&Bs to budget-friendly hotels. There are even hotels within walking distance of the Bellingham International Airport or the Amtrak station, allowing for a seamless mountain vacation no matter where you’re coming from.  

Learn more about Bellingham and Whatcom County at Bellingham.org.   

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The post Adventure—or Relax—on a Road Trip to Stunning Mt. Baker   appeared first on Out There Venture.

Many have lost their heart to the peacefulness and beauty of autumn in Montana. Dark greens and rustic browns transform into a rich palette of gold, orange, and red. The air becomes crisper, and sounds become richer. Experience fall in Whitefish, Mont., and be swept off your feet.  

Glacier National Park 

During fall, Glacier National Park offers visitors the opportunity to drive, hike, or bike amid majestic peaks, pristine waters, and magnificent wildlife without the hurried flow of summer tourists. Additionally, while you still need a park pass to enter, vehicle reservations are no longer required after Sept. 28, 2025.  

The Whitefish Trail 

Over 47 miles of natural-surface trail and 15 trailheads offer a variety of easy-to-locate and easy-to-navigate recreation opportunities on public and private lands. The trail is perfect for surrounding yourself in color while you bike, hike, or explore by horseback.  

Fish Trails 

Hop on a cruiser bike and explore Whitefish on two wheels. Paved bike and pedestrian trails meander throughout town. A segment of the trail runs along the river between various parks and to City Beach, making it an ideal route to enjoy the fall foliage. 

Paddle 

There’s no better way to take in the brilliant fall colors than from the water. Glide across the calm surface of Whitefish Lake in a canoe, where golden aspens reflect in the glassy surface, or paddleboard with the gentle flow of the Whitefish River surrounded by vibrant foliage. 

Fishing  

Autumn fly fishing yields some of the best action of the year. Sparse fishing pressure, cooler temps, and a slew of fall hatches make for happy fish and happier anglers! Guides are available on Whitefish Lake as well as surrounding lakes and rivers.  

Sky Tours 

Take to the skies with Backcountry Flying Experience. An autumn floatplane tour over Northwest Montana offers once-in-a-lifetime views! Tours run through mid-October and depart from the docks at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake.  

Downtown Whitefish 

Fall’s cooler temps mean fewer crowds—the perfect time to enjoy Whitefish’s mountain town scene. Downtown offers boutique shops, art galleries, restaurants, bars, and more.  

Fall Events 

Fall events enhance the season with fun and festivities. Check out the Whitefish Songwriter Festival, Sept. 19-21, two weekends of the Great Northwest Oktoberfest, Oct. 2-4 and Oct. 9-11, or Halloween and the return of the Whitefish costume contest, Oct. 31.  

There’s no shortage of ways to savor autumn’s beauty—whether from the trails, the water, or the sky. After a day of exploration, retreat to the comfort of the Whitefish Riverfront Hotel, where cozy riverside accommodations place you amid the colors and charm of fall. Here, relaxation meets Montana’s natural beauty, making it the perfect place to fall in love with the season all over again. 

Sponsored

The post Fall in Love with Montana  appeared first on Out There Venture.

Cover photo courtesy of Susan McBurney

As the closing day of ski season at Mount Bachelor neared in May of 2024, ski friends Rebecca Hurlen Patano and Susan McBurney booked their rooms for Ski Portillo, an iconic resort in Chile. The goal: get on skis during summer and experience legendary terrain in the Andes Mountains. The two packed their gear and left Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and Spokane, Wash., in mid-August.  

Both women are passionate, lifelong skiers in their early 60s who have hit many of the usual ski bum milestones, including 100+ day ski seasons. But neither had skied the Andes. When I spoke with them at my dining room table after their trip, there was one word they both used to describe the experience: the scale. The scale of the mountains was incomparable.  

McBurney and Hurlen Patano spent a week at Ski Portillo, a bright yellow lodge with wooden accents perched at 9,500 feet among some of the most dramatic mountains on earth. Highly sought by international skiers and World Cup athletes in training, Portillo is unique in its old-world style that makes the ski experience the main focus. There are zero televisions, and not much else to do other than ski and chat with others who booked some time in the middle of snowy nowhere. Which is precisely the point.  

“Portillo is magic. It’s skiers’ magic,” says Hurlen Patano, who brought a mini snow globe adorned with the Chilean flag and bottles of wine to her interview with me. She thinks of Ski Portillo as a magic snow globe of its own. 

McBurney, who had wanted to travel to Chile ever since learning our seasons were reversed as a grade-schooler, says she bawled when she first saw the mountains on the drive up from Santiago. The van driver pulled over while the women tried to explain they were happy tears. Despite a language barrier, he nodded; he understood how the impact of the mountains could hit the first time.  

The women soon found themselves skiing above treeline looking at glaciers in one of the most stunning mountain ranges in the ski world. They had fog on day one, but clear weather after that, and even caught a powder day. They skied into Tio Bob’s, a ski-in bar at the top of the world. They rode the unique and unnerving slingshot-style Roca Jack surface lift. They skied off-piste. They chewed cacao leaves to mitigate headaches from high altitude.  

In addition to Portillo, the friends skied at the Valle Nevado resort out of Santiago. They soaked in hot springs in the chilly Atacama Desert at 8,000 feet. They enjoyed pisco sours, the national drink. They listened to the music of many languages in the hot tub after a day on skis. They were surprised by a flock of Andean condors during a hike in Patagonia. They found generous people, excellent food, and a community connected by a love of skiing. Both women said they woke up this summer thinking again about Ski Portillo. 

“Looking at the Andes, being in the Andes, is a great experience that seeps into our body and mind,” says Hurlen Patano. “Just looking at the rock formations, colors, and glaciers and the extreme steepness. It was life changing and mesmerizing. And we got to ski it!”  

McBurney continued on solo after Chile for six days of skiing in the Argentine Patagonia near Bariloche. There she found more tree skiing, lower elevations, and smaller resorts. She gelled with a group of seven strangers and two local guides for a highlight experience. “It felt more culturally connected to me, as a ski destination,” she says. Her group visited three lift-served resorts and their guides showed them their favorite backcountry ski spots. 

McBurney thought that maybe once she went on her dream trip, she’d be satiated. But she found the opposite to be true.  “There’s something about that country and its stunning diversity and the styles of food from north to south,” she says. “I will go back.”   

While Japan is also on Hurlen Patano’s ski list, the pair loved the opportunity the Andes presented to ski in an incredible place while the Inland Northwest sweated through a heat wave. What skier wouldn’t?  

Lisa Laughlin is the managing editor of Out There Venture. This fall, she will be running the trails in Riverside State Park, looking forward to the changing brush and calling geese.  

The post Portillo and Beyond: Finding Skiers’ Magic in the Andes  appeared first on Out There Venture.

Photo by John Roskelley / Nameless Tower on the left and the ski route the team took off the top of Great Trango on the right.

Mountainfilm on Tour returns to Spokane on Sept. 11 with a selection of inspiring films from the flagship Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colo. This year’s film tour screening, brought to town by the Jess Roskelley Foundation, will take place at Gonzaga University’s Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center.

Canadian ski mountaineer and professional skier Christina “Lusti” Lustenberger, whose team of three alpinists claimed the first ski descent off the 20,623-foot summit of Pakistan’s Great Trango Tower in 2024, will make a special in-person appearance. The feat, documented in the film “Trango,” promises to be an inspiring highlight of the Mountainfilm tour stop in Spokane. The event includes a selection of other festival films featuring a range of adventure, activism and social justice themes.

Lustenberger will be joined on stage for a Q&A following the film with legendary Spokane mountaineer John Roskelley, who was part of the team of five climbers who pulled off the first ascent of the same Karakoram-region peak back in 1977. As a prelude to the film, Roskelley will also share stories, images and reflections from climbing the peak with Galen Rowell, Dennis Hennek, Kim Schmitz, and Jim Morrissey.

The film “Trango” follows the dramatic and at times emotional two-year attempt at making the first ski descent off the Great Trango Tower by Lustenberger and fellow ski mountaineer Jim Morrison. It’s an exceptional piece of visual ski-mountaineering storytelling with dramatic drone footage that gives viewers unique perspectives on the vast, extreme terrain and the mountaineering and skiing challenges posed by the otherworldly peaks. From avalanches and crevasse crossings in thin air to unpredictable snow conditions and weather, the filmmakers capture the big mountain hazards and raw risk that the climbers turned skiers endured.

The first attempt by Lustenberger and Morrison with Nick McNutt in 2023 was thwarted by poor conditions and altitude sickness. Lustenberger and Morrison returned in 2024 with Chantel Astorga to finally reach the top on May 9, where the team unfurled a Protect Our Winters banner before transitioning for the top-of-the-world ski descent of Great Trango Tower’s West Face, a route that’s been described as some of the most challenging ski terrain on the planet.   

The team’s journey to the top of Trango, which included weeks of living out of tents while waiting for the right weather window, was also a deeply emotional one, heightened by the near-constant physical challenges and risk and the extreme and harsh nature of the place. The film crew eloquently captured the expedition members’ personal reflections on grief, loss, and moving forward in pursuit of dreams, which followed the team into the mountains.

Most notably, in 2022, Morrison lost his ski mountaineering and life partner Hilaree Nelson (after experiencing the crushing loss of his wife and two children in a plane crash in 2011). Nelson was swept away by an avalanche and killed while the pair were skiing together from the summit of Manaslu, and the shadow of that recent tragedy can be felt throughout the film. Lustenberger, at times, also grapples with nagging unease stemming from the enormity of the undertaking and even shame at exposing so many people to so much risk. The 45-minute film is a showcase of the strength and skill necessary to pull off such expeditions, but also the essential role of trust and support among teammates to keep moving forward in the face of suffering, both physical and of the heart.  

That indispensable act of putting trust in your fellow climbers or skiers is one thing that hasn’t changed much in the mountaineering world in the nearly 50 years since Roskelley’s team first scaled Trango. “I can’t say that in 1977 any of us even dreamed of skiing off the top of Great Trango Tower,” Roskelley reflects. Extreme athletes who take on ski-mountaineering projects on remote, difficult, high-altitude peaks like Great Trango Tower prepare physically and mentally for years, he notes, yet the inherent risk is still immense even with advancements in equipment design and weather-forecasting technology. “If you cross a tip, choose the wrong line, hit a small rock sticking out of the ice, death is imminent. All of them understood the consequences of a mistake,” adds Roskelley.

Photo by Galen Rowell / The 1977 first-ascent route up the southeast face with Nameless Tower on the right.

In the final moments of the film, Lustenberger confronts the question that many of us who watch films like “Trango” wind up asking: What drives athletes to risk their lives on such big mountain challenges? “I thought about this a lot,” Lustenberger says. “And it’s the only place where you’re so alive but also the closest to death. To be found is to be in these places.” Those last words in the film, she says, sum up what drives her to continue to take on such truly wild challenges in the face of so much peril. “When you completely find your place—it can be a moment or anything—and yet not feel lost and to feel like you’re just in the right place, the right time in the universe. That is just like those pinch-me moments.”  

Watching the stunning production of the film “Trango” on a big screen will be a treat for any skier, snowboarder, or climber of mountains of any size. “The film has spectacular videography from the DJI drones, as well as GoPro footage from the skiers,” notes Roskelley. “You’ll be at the edge of your seat and wondering, like I did, what were they thinking standing on the very summit of Great Trango Tower just prior to turning their skis and beginning a journey that might not end well. Fortunately, Christina will be there to answer this question.”

The crossing paths of Roskelley and Lustenberger in person at the showing of this film to share stories from their incredible adventures is a unique alignment of the mountaineering world stars. Anyone in the Inland Northwest who has ever dared or dreamed of hiking, climbing, skiing or snowboarding big mountains won’t want to miss it. The Spokane Mountainfilm on Tour event starts at 6:30 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction. This event is a fundraiser for the Jess Roskelley Foundation, which provides artificial climbing features in public parks around the Spokane region. The foundation works to promote public projects and outdoor activities that were a defining force in the life of Jess Roskelley, while preserving his legacy as a lifelong Spokane native and elite international alpinist. Tickets are available at Jessroskelleyfoundation.com.

The post First Ski Descent of Pakistan’s Great Trango Tower on Film in Spokane Sept. 11 appeared first on Out There Venture.

Cover photo courtesy of Amy McCaffree

By Amy McCaffree  

Nothing against carrots, but spending two hours outside every day is a better way to protect children’s eyesight. With screentime at record highs, the rate of children in the U.S. developing myopia, more commonly known as nearsightedness, has increased by 25% since the 1970s, according to a Sept. 2024 NPR news story by Maria Godoy, published by NPR.  

Optometrists and myopia researchers, backed by studies, conclude that spending one to two hours outside every day significantly decreases the risk of children developing myopia. Bright outdoor light stimulates healthy eye development, and activities that don’t require close-up focus allow eyes to relax. Although myopia can be inherited, lifestyle habits like too much screentime and not enough outdoor time increase the risk. The earlier someone develops myopia, the greater the lifetime risk of macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal detachment and other conditions.  

Outdoor recreation provides breaks from near-focus tasks and helps young, developing eyes practice distance viewing—whether it’s looking far across a lake or at a horizon view. The natural light combined with focusing on faraway distances slows down eye elongation, thereby preventing the rapid eye growth that leads to myopia. 

So, take your kids hiking this summer to destinations with horizon vistas. Because not only is it good for their eyes, but the views also reveal how big and beautiful our Inland Northwest landscape is. Here are 12 destinations, hiking trails and summits to choose from. A few are easy, but many are best suited for ages 10 and up, depending on fitness level and tolerance for hiking. 

SPOKANE COUNTY 

Dishman Hills Conservation Area 

• The Cliffs Trail (Glenrose Unit): Hike Glenrose Trail to The Cliffs Trail and continue on for overlook views of Spokane Valley, Mica Peak and Mount Spokane. 

• Blue Bunch Loop (Glenrose): 0.9-mile trail (doable for preschoolers) with overlook of Moran Prairie and downtown Spokane to the northwest.  

• Nimbus Knob Loop (Camp Caro): Ascends to rocky overlook of Spokane Valley; 3 miles roundtrip. 

• Rocks of Sharon (Iller Creek Unit): 3.3 miles roundtrip from Stevens Creek Trailhead; view of Palouse farmland and faraway Steptoe Butte. 

Antoine Peak Conservation Area: Emerald Necklace Trail is for older youth and strong hikers; 5.7 miles, 780 feet of elevation gain for views of Spokane Valley and surrounding landmarks. 

Mount Spokane State Park: During summer and fall, you can drive the North Summit Road to the historic Vista House, which is the true summit (5,853’).  

THE PALOUSE 

Steptoe Butte: At Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site, drive to the 3,612-foot summit and hike around.  

Kamiak Butte: Pine Ridge Trail at Kamiak Butte County Park ascends 900 feet to the 3,641-foot summit; 3.5-miles roundtrip. 

EASTERN WASHINGTON 

Steamboat Rock: Panoramic views from the butte’s 2,250-foot summit via a steep, 6-mile round-trip hike; located at Steamboat Rock State Park. 

NORTH IDAHO 

Schweitzer Mountain Resort: Ride the Great Escape quad-chairlift to the summit ridge for 360-degree views. Return to the village via a round-trip chairlift ride (or you can hike down).  

Mineral Ridge National Recreation Trail: Trailhead at Beauty Bay on Lake Coeur d’Alene’s east side; 3.3 miles roundtrip, 700 feet of elevation gain. 

Scotchman Peak Trail: For teens and adults who can endure a physical challenge, this strenuous 8-mile round-trip hike ascends 3,700 feet of elevation to the highest point in Bonner County.  

(Note: This article isn’t meant to replace medical advice from a certified optometrist or ophthalmologist. Annual pediatric eye exams are recommended to promote lifelong eye health.) 

Amy McCaffree recommends enticing kids and teens to go hiking by bringing along “fun” snacks. For young kids, this could mean motivating with candy, like Skittles or M&Ms, at each switchback—which is how she got her son, then three years old, to hike the trail to Avalanche Lake at Glacier National Park. 

The post Viewpoint Hikes for Kids  appeared first on Out There Venture.

When you pick up a guidebook, you’re probably on a mission for information (starting point, elevation gain, toilets). Secondary concerns might include the views, wildlife, and plants along the way. I, for one, do not expect a guidebook to also be beautiful and interjected with science and history. This second edition of recommended hikes in Glacier National Park written by Jean Arthur achieves it all.  

Packed with trail info, as you’d expect, what I enjoyed about this book with “42 must-do hikes for everyone” was its organization. Icons to the side of the main text on each hike highlight info on flora, geology, campgrounds and more. At the end of each hike, there is a list of milestones, a useful cheat-sheet for someone like me to confirm my direction while on the hike. In addition to colored trail maps and elevation maps for each hike, there are stunning photos throughout—taken by Arthur—that make you want to drop the book and start scanning your calendar to plan your trip. Organized by region, recommended hikes extend into Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. 

 

Standard features aside, what makes this book sing are the love notes from the author. From concise deep-dives into local wildlife habits, like the noise a pika makes when it detects an intruder, to historical tidbits about both the national park and native Blackfeet heritage, it is clear this is a place Arthur knows intimately. She includes insider tips like the best time to go on each hike, whether it is to spot wildflowers or hike early to beat the heat on an exposed trail.  

Arthur shares her joys of the place throughout, making this book feel more like an email from an informed friend. If Glacier National Park is on your bucket list, this book is a must-have.  

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According to the Outdoor Alliance, the new administration has implemented thousands of staffing cuts across land management agencies that are expected to hurt outdoor recreation access. In mid-February, at the direction of the new administration, the Forest Service, BLM, and National Park Service (NPS) laid off over 5,000 people, including several park rangers. These reductions will make it harder for agencies to care for public lands and ensure safe, enjoyable outdoor experiences.  

Over the last 10 years, staffing at land management agencies has steadily declined even as visitation has increased. Since 2010, the NPS has seen a 20% reduction in full-time staff, despite a 16% increase in visitation during the same period. The Forest Service has been facing ongoing budget shortfalls as well, which include a recent hiring freeze for seasonal workers, further straining its ability to maintain trails, campgrounds, and recreation sites. 

These additional cuts will have significant consequences for outdoor recreation that could include long lines or closures of popular trails, parks, forests, and other recreation infrastructure. Contracts for trash removal, toilets, and campgrounds have also been stalled and could prevent Americans from getting out and enjoying their public lands safely this summer. Outdoor recreation advocacy groups also worry that these cuts could hamper emergency response efforts and wildfire prevention, as seasonal employees play an essential role in wildfire preparedness by clearing hazardous fuels and assisting with initial wildfire attack efforts. Reducing their ranks could increase the risk of uncontrolled wildfires on public lands and in nearby communities this summer.  

Louis Geltman, vice president for policy and government relations at Outdoor Alliance says, “We are deeply sorry to hear about the staffing cuts rolling in across federal land management agencies. Land managers do incredibly important work, often for long hours at modest pay. They are at the front line for stewarding the resources we all care so much about, and the loss of these workers will have real, tangible impacts on our public lands and waters, outdoor recreation, and community safety as we start to move into fire season.”   

Without adequate staffing and resources, our experiences outside, the health of public lands, and the outdoor recreation economy will suffer. Outdoor Alliance has established a quick-action form to help the public send personalized letters to their lawmakers. You can ask your members of Congress to take urgent action to protect the workforce that keeps America’s public lands safe, accessible, and well cared for. Visit www.outdooralliance.org for more info and to submit your letter. 

Outdoor Alliance is the only organization in the U.S. that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to conserve public lands. A nonprofit coalition comprised of 10 national advocacy organizations, Outdoor Alliance’s members include American Whitewater, American Canoe Association, Access Fund, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the Mazamas, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the Surfrider Foundation.

The post Public Lands Workforce Cuts to Impact Outdoor Recreation   appeared first on Out There Venture.

Cover photo courtesy Bradley Bleck

Before my wife Rachel and I bought a travel trailer, we had everything necessary for camping, but rarely used it. With our travel trailer, we regularly explore the Inland Northwest and beyond, visiting new and favorite places to ride bikes, hike, swim, and stargaze. We’re now on our third trailer, each one bigger and more attuned to our needs than its predecessor.  

Before buying each trailer, we read countless reviews and RV websites, talked to friends with trailers, and visited RV shows. The first two set the stage for the third. One thing we learned visiting RV shows is the “show price” is available months later if you’re willing to shop beyond Spokane. Also, while prices are not always hugely flexible, bargaining for additional features can get you more value.  

Having decided to buy a travel trailer, consider where you want to go and what comforts you want. To camp in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, the trailer must have a hard shell. Our required comforts included a bed, indoor toilet and shower, a dining table, the ability to cook indoors, heat and AC. 

Our first trailer, a 17-foot Jayco Hummingbird, had all of this. But as much as we liked it, we soon found it cramped, especially on rainy days. Another drawback was the wet shower, where the toilet was inside the shower and one sits on the toilet to shower. Additionally, the bed spanned the width of the trailer, too short for me at 6’2”. Traveling the Inland Northwest, plus Banff and Tofino, we learned it was too small.  

For our second trailer, we wanted a bed that runs lengthwise in the trailer and a separate toilet and shower. We got this in a Winnebago Micro Minnie. We no longer had to climb over one another to get in and out of bed, nor did I have to sleep on the diagonal. The separate toilet and shower meant both could be used simultaneously. The Minnie was about seven feet longer, providing more space. Two things, though, didn’t work for us. One was the loveseat beneath the murphy bed. We rarely used it due to having to raise the bed. Additionally, the door opened to the foot of the bed, which, despite a privacy curtain, was not private. A few years of this had us searching for more usable space and privacy.  

That search resulted in a Flagstaff Super Lite. It’s only slightly longer but significantly heavier than the Winnebago. We now have a private bedroom, two recliners and a dinette, plus plenty of counter space (another point to consider). It also has 400 watts of solar power to charge batteries off-grid and a hot water recirculation system to conserve fresh water.  

We initially towed the Jayco behind a Toyota Highlander. After a year, we upgraded to a Ford F-150. Focus on Gross Vehicle Weight Rating when determining what you can tow. GVWR is a combination of the weight the trailer exerts on the hitch and the weight of the loaded tow vehicle. Between a fully loaded trailer and truck—meaning people, dogs, food, bedding, bikes, and more—we tip the scales at 6,600 pounds. The GVWR for our F-150 is 7,000 pounds, putting us at 96 percent of capacity. 

Some sources suggest limiting overall weight to 90 percent of GVWR. Towing capacity cannot be enhanced. What the sticker on the door frame says about GVWR is inalterable. With most trailers, a weight distribution hitch, sway bars and electric brake assist are essential.  

Quite literally, your mileage will vary both in what you need and how much gas you burn. Having gone the travel trailer route, we’ve forfeited complaining about the price of gas. Just know you’ll be spending more and loving it. 

Bradley understands that some might not see the RV experience as camping. In the Sept/Oct 2024 issue he shared some observations drawn from being a longtime contributor to OTM. Bradley teaches English at Spokane Falls CC and continues to love nearly everything Spokane. 

The post Choosing the Right RV   appeared first on Out There Venture.

As animals, our human bodies are attuned to the amount of light we detect throughout the day (and night), and our bodies respond to it. When extra light disturbs us, it messes with things like the production of melatonin. Animals who are guided by moonlight for migration patterns are also disrupted by light pollution, often getting directionally confused and ultimately dying.

Decreasing light pollution may not only give you a better view of the stars, but a health reset as well. You can help lessen light pollution by closing the blinds on your home in the evening, so indoor light does not track outside, and by positioning outdoor lights to point away from the sky.

So, where should you go to find some truly dark skies? First, check out the World Atlas of Night Sky Brightness, an online map showing light pollution levels around the world (Lightpollutionmap.info). There’s a fair amount of low-light-pollution territory in north-central Washington state, and much in Idaho.

The International Dark Sky Association is working to preserve the natural night sky around the world, and they keep a compendium of dark sky places at Darksky.org, which includes natural reserves, national parks, sanctuaries, and communities who have regulations on night lighting. Luckily, in the Western United States, we have a handful of Dark Sky-certified reserves and parks within road-trip distance: the Craters of the Moon National Monument (Idaho), Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park (Canada), and the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, which includes the city of Ketchum, Idaho, who updated their city lighting code to meet Dark Sky Community standards.

After checking the evening forecast for cloud cover, finding a place with low light pollution is your best bet at a spectacular summer display of the night sky.

Lisa Laughlin is the managing editor of Out There and grew up on a wheat farm with low light pollution. She lives in the suburbs of Spokane, where the stars, unfortunately, are lesser.

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