Cover photo courtesy of Aaron Scott

After years of curiosity, this past winter I decided to start working on skills for biathlon, a sport virtually unknown in the United States but eternally popular in Northern Europe. I’ve long been intrigued by the combination of the two opposite sports—heart-thumping, lactic acid-pumping Nordic skiing and calm, focused, in-the-zone rifle marksmanship. 

Regularly combining those two skill sets in the Inland Northwest, however, is no simple task. On the U.S. side of the border, the closest biathlon areas to the Spokane region are Crosscut Mountain Sports Center in Bozeman, Mont., the Methow Valley Trails in Winthrop, Wash., and Stevens Pass Nordic Area. There are multiple opportunities to ski and shoot north of the border in Canada, but unfortunately my passport is expired.  

In September, I attended a beginner biathlon clinic hosted by the Washington Biathlon Association near Ravensdale. The clinic focused on the shooting aspect of biathlon, with instruction on safety and marksmanship. The WBA supplied biathlon rifles for the day, which are specialized .22-caliber rifles with backpack-strap-like harnesses. The event drew a small but varied group, ranging from ages 9 to over 50. Among the dozen or so of us, I was the only one who traveled from east of the Cascades, which made me wonder what it would take to build a biathlon scene and culture on our side of the state. 

Local Love for the Sport  

While fringe in the U.S., the benefits of biathlon are many. Elise Putnam, the program director for Methow Biathlon, paints a supportive picture. “Biathlon is a great way to keep kids engaged in skiing and getting outside,” she says. “It’s a cool way to keep people active and helps build mental fortitude.” 

Aaron Scott, a seasoned biathlete from Spokane, agrees. He describes the sport of biathlon as exciting and addictive for both athletes and fans. While competitions in the U.S. typically draw in friends and family members of the racers, European stadiums boom with die-hard fans and can be wild events. Biathlon ranks as the #1 most popular winter sport in some Northern European countries.  

“Biathlon is really interesting to watch. The field gets reshuffled every 3 to 5 kilometers,” Scott says. For every missed shot, athletes have to ski penalty laps, which means stronger skiers may end up behind better marksmen. “It’s an unbelievably fun sport. Most Nordic skiers are interested in trying biathlon, but the financial barriers prevent them from getting involved.” Scott specifies that quality biathlon rifles start at $3,000 and go up from there. Add the cost of ski equipment and travel, and the biathlon price tag quickly becomes out of reach for many.  

Mike Burns, a Spokane U.S. Ski & Snowboard alpine official, feels the void our missing biathlon program has created. Having three daughters involved in Spokane Nordic over the years has put him adjacent to biathlon when traveling for races. When he had the opportunity to see his girls dabble in biathlon while at Crosscut and in the Methow, he was inspired.  

“I’d like to get this going locally,” Burns says, in addition to mentioning past attempts. There was once a multimillion-dollar master plan that included purchasing Inland Empire Paper land near Mount Spokane State Park for a range, new trails, a lodge and parking. Overall, the plan proved too grandiose and fell apart. Because the current Nordic area lies within state park boundaries, the discharge of firearms is illegal, rendering the addition of a traditional range impossible.  

The Future of Lasers in Biathlon 

Where legalities and logistics pose problems, technology often offers an answer. The introduction of laser rifles and ranges to the biathlon scene significantly reduces costs, space needs and overall barriers to entry. Burns has seen them in action and believes they are just what might work at Mount Spokane. Because the rifles are specific to the range, athletes would not need to supply their own. While the price tag is similar for laser and live-fire rifles, there are grants available to help support the development of laser biathlon programs for Nordic clubs. And, of course, a local opportunity eliminates those travel costs for athletes.  

John Farra, the director of sport development for US Biathlon, has supported efforts just like those that would be needed at Mount Spokane to convert from a Nordic-only ski area to a biathlon area. “Biathlon is part of Nordic, not a separate thing,” he told me over the phone. With US Biathlon’s Laser Biathlon Training Program, Nordic coaches are taught new skills to support their skiers with equipment on loan from US Biathlon. In the three Nordic clubs that hosted the program this past winter, all three are moving forward with efforts to raise funds for a permanent program. 

For newer sports, demand generally leads to supply, such as the increase in local gravel bike rides and races over the past several years. The growth of biathlon has a different genesis, where a few dedicated, die-hard athletes provide opportunities for newbies—usually skiers—to get a taste. Just a few laps on skis with a couple rounds of ‘pew pew’ is all it takes to inspire and cultivate the next generation of biathletes. Laser biathlon is an opportunity to open up that experience in our area.  

Additionally, laser biathlon stands to bridge the gap across the political spectrum. Aaron Scott recognizes that Nordic skiing tends to attract the liberal and environmental types who generally aren’t big on guns, much like the family he grew up in. Laser rifles provide a safe entry point to the sport that’s potentially more attractive to a wider range of views.  

With so many benefits across age groups and backgrounds, laser biathlon will be on my list of up-and-coming sports to watch. And, with a few more ski lessons, compete in. To show support for laser biathlon at Mount Spokane, please reach out to Spokane Nordic at info@spokanenordic.org. 

Sara Kennedy is an elementary school librarian. She plans to take some ski lessons this winter. @saralynnekennedy 

The post A New Era of Possibility for Biathlon in the Inland Northwest  appeared first on Out There Venture.

Cover photo courtesy of WDFW

This past spring I got to accompany a wolf biologist as he was attempting to collar a wolf in a pack in Northeast Washington. This pack already had a collared pack member, but that collar was malfunctioning, so using the data already collected he set forth to capture another wolf in the pack. During our windshield time we got to swapping stories of wildlife work, backcountry trip leading, and I got to pepper the bio with questions about working with a species of wildlife that—perhaps more than any other in North America—raises the hackles of some and is elevated above all by others. I came to realize that when working with such a contentious, elusive, complex, and endearing species, one must perfect a kind of art along with knowing the science. 

Know Thy Wolf 

To be an effective wildlife biologist, you must know the habits of the animals you study. Wolves are highly social animals that are wary of people. They can range widely in a day, and, if a wolf is a disperser (not associated with a pack), they can travel miles looking for another pack or a mate. In Washington, the average pack size is 4.4 with territories of around 257.7 square miles, but pack size and territories change over time. Washington’s wolves also can and do disperse outside the state. In 2024, seven wolves made their way to British Columbia and Idaho. Biologists use a lot of this information to determine where the animals’ denning and rendezvous sites are. These are the areas where the wolves will return to frequently, and, if there are pups about, they will be bringing food back. These are also great places to set camera traps and areas to try to trap wolves to attach a tracking collar.  

To understand wolf populations, biologists look at multi-year trends and use winter pack surveys, known dispersals, tribal hunting reports, poaching reports, natural deaths (from other wolves or cougars), and add a conservative percentage to account for unknown individuals. Up until last year, there has been an average of 20 percent increase in the wolf populations. Pup survival averages just 25 percent. This is in part why population surveys are done in winter, counting pups that survived from the spring and are likely to become adults. At this time, poaching of wolves dispersing to Washington’s Southern Cascades is the main limiting factor keeping pack establishment in that recovery zone and delaying delisting of wolves from the state endangered species list. 

Tracking and Trapping 

How do you know you are looking at a wolf track? Wolves have big feet—3 ½ to 4 inches. There are some livestock guardian dogs that can have similarly-sized feet, but typically wolf tracks are much larger than your average pet dog. Wolves travel long distances, and they do it efficiently. Their tracks are straight and rarely deviate. Dogs, on the other hand, will zigzag, sniff, and mark anything and everything. Stride length is the last sign that can help determine if it is a dog or a wolf. A wolf will have a stride of 24 to 38 inches when walking. That stride can be up to 6 to 8 feet when running. Accounting for stride length, pad size, and a straight track, a seasoned tracker can be confident in identification. 

The innate behavior of wolves determines how you can trap them. They will not cross a road to investigate a scent. They will take the insides of a corner, because that is the most efficient path. Wolves try to be quiet roaming the woods, so they won’t step on sticks when investigating a scent. All of these considerations must be taken into account for success when setting traps for research and monitoring. 

Wolf Medicine in the Field 

A wolf biologist also needs to know the baseline vitals for these animals. Wild animals generally run hotter than their domestic counterparts, and, when humans are handling them, they can become very stressed. The wolf we worked with had a pulse oxygen monitor attached to its tongue and regular temperatures were taken. Often the tranquilizer drugs used have multiple effects, including lowering heart rate and changing blood pressure.  

There have been a variety of different medications used on wildlife to immobilize them over the years. Some of these are controlled substances and have the potential for abuse (think ketamine). States also have different laws on how these drugs are stored, administered and licensed. When I was knocking out porcupines in New Mexico early in my career, a licensed vet had to administer the drugs. A wolf biologist has to know the correct dosage, how to load the needle or dart, and where to administer it.  

Talking Wolves to People 

Finally, a wolf biologist, along with others that work with large predators, needs to be diplomatic when they work with the public. Ranchers work on thin margins and care for the well-being of their animals—more so than just their financial worth—so any additional impacts can create emotional reactions. Similarly, on the other end of the wolf love-hate spectrum, there are those who think wolves have more importance in the ecosystem than any other species. Their notion of wildness and their resemblance to our family dogs can elicit strong feelings from others. It is hard to have a nuanced conversation about wolves on the landscape, because the opposing sides are so loud, but that is precisely a wolf biologist’s job. 

There may seem to be many glamorous aspects of being a wolf biologist—handling large predators, cruising the woods looking for tracks and hanging out of helicopters for winter surveys. But there is also the building of nuanced knowledge that can take years, and the ability to navigate the political and emotional nature of working with predators and the public. 

Adam Gebauer is excited to get back on his bike as the weather cools. He also is totally, absolutely sure he will do some training for ski season this year. 

The post The Art of Being a Wolf Biologist: Science, Patience, and Empathy in Washington’s Wolf Country appeared first on Out There Venture.

By Claire Thompson  

Cover photo courtesy of Xander Demetrios

Not far from the trailhead on the Indian Creek trail in the North Cascades’ Glacier Peak Wilderness, an unnamed side stream spills from the eastern flanks of Mount David into the White River. A few summers ago, my Forest Service trail crew and I spent many weeks on Indian Creek, replacing a bridge that had buckled under winter’s heavy snows. We hiked the first two miles of that trail over and over, hauling tools into and out of the bridge site, often with the help of our string of mules.  

That side stream—steep, rock-tumbled, and log-jammed, its banks clotted with brush—proved tricky for the mules to cross, so we spent half a June day making it more passable for stock. We brushed the banks, rearranged boulders, and cut and moved waterlogged wood, our fingers growing numb from repeated plunges into water that had been snow hours before. Through July and into August, I’d pause at that stream on my way to or from the bridge, to top off my water bottle and rinse the sweat from my face. By September, the stream crossing lay dry as a bone, just a spray of cobble across the trail.  

I was first drawn to trail work out of a typical twenty-something hunger for adventure and novelty. I kept at it because I loved how it challenged me mentally and physically. I loved the people I met, every one of them with stories and experience to share, and I felt at home in the quirky community to which I now belonged. Mostly, I couldn’t imagine anything better than getting paid—however poorly—to camp, hike, and work my body to exhaustion every day in wild places. Eventually, I kept at it because I couldn’t imagine anything else.  

I loved the way trail work activated my imagination, changing the way I saw the world around me. Working on a Forest Service trail crew means covering the same routes over and over, stopping for minutes or hours to work in places a hiker would never pick for a snack break. You end up noticing things—like the seasonal fluctuations of a minor stream, or the sheer quantity of squirrel caches in a stand of fir—that might not otherwise draw your attention. Insignificant parts of the overall scenery become familiar, take on meaning. The rock halfway up Buck Creek the exact shape and size of a throne; the lone larch growing in a scree field off the switchbacks below Stuart Pass. Working on trails strengthens a connection to the wild landscape as a whole, yes, but also to certain of its individual parts, denizens you’ve grown to recognize and depend on as markers of both constancy and change. 

We build connections with the more-than-human world the same way we build any relationship: through interaction, cooperation and friction, intimacy and specificity. An admiration for the wild can come from the wonder of summit views or wildflowers on windswept ridges. But for me, the real intimacy is in the smaller things: the comfort of reaching an unassuming camp where I’ve sheltered before, of touching the skin of a cedar whose shape I remember, of tracking the recede and return of trickles not marked on maps. Of returning to places with which I have a bond built by labor, not passive appreciation. By lingering, not passing through.  

It’s only recently, as political chaos has forced me to face the end of my time as a professional trail worker, that I’ve started to understand the deeper reason I’ve stayed all these years. Every day I spend doing trail work, even the sloggy, tedious ones with wet socks or stubborn logs or silly spats with colleagues, reinforces my relationship with the land and landscape, and reminds me how that relationship has shaped my own life and understanding of the world.  

I want everyone to have the chance to experience that intimacy, to feel our innate connection to the more-than-human. To touch grass—and sage, and huckleberry, and spruce bark and snowmelt. Trails themselves are, quite literally, conduits for such connection. When I’m clearing trails, I can tell myself I’m also, in a way, clearing some of the gunk out of a clogged-up system that has tried for too long to separate us humans from the wild world we’ve always been a part of.  

Last September, my crew spent six days clearing the Indian Creek Trail. For all my time on its first few miles, I’d never made it to Indian Creek’s upper reaches. As we pushed toward Indian Pass from our base camp nine miles in, stopping along the way wherever the work demanded it, I felt the heady rush of discovery—peaks and meadows and old-growth groves I’d never seen before—begin to mingle with the warmth of familiarity. A slow burn of belonging not unlike falling in love.  

Claire Thompson worked on and led trail crews on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest for eight years. She teaches English at Wenatchee Valley College and is pursuing an MFA in Nature Writing from Western Colorado University. 

The post Love of Labor  appeared first on Out There Venture.

Looking for a weekend adventure hub that’s easy to reach and packed with outdoor options? Bellingham and Whatcom County offer some of the best mountain biking, hiking, paddling and road biking in the Northwest. Ride Galbraith Mountain’s 65+ miles of well-built singletrack, or head to Lake Whatcom’s Chanterelle Trail for a rewarding hike with great views. For another solid hiking option, try the Chain Lakes Loop near Mount Baker. It offers big mountain scenery without the need for mountaineering gear. 

Road cyclists can take part in the Tour de Whatcom, known as “the Northwest’s most beautiful ride,” on July 19. This popular ride offers gorgeous routes ranging from 22 to 100 miles. Paddlers will find easy kayak or SUP access at Wildcat Cove in Larrabee State Park or the boat launch at Lake Samish. Paddle routes around Chuckanut Bay’s rocky shoreline or explore the freshwater calm of Lake Whatcom. Back in the vibrant, hip town of Bellingham, you’ll find amazing restaurants, cool shops and plenty of in-town lodging options or endless camping possibilities in this corner of the Cascades. Plan your trip at Bellingham.org. 

The post Take an Adventure Road Trip to Bellingham, WA  appeared first on Out There Venture.

Explore these summer outdoor music festivals in the Pacific Northwest that you can bikepack to and camp at—or drive and bring your bike for day rides between music sets. For gear and route planning tips, visit Bikepacking.com, a top resource for adventure cyclists.

Kettle River Music Festival – Curlew, Washington (August 1–3, 2025)
BIKE IT: Bikepack from Republic via the Golden Tiger Pathway and Ferry County Rail Trail, or ride sections of the trail system from the festival grounds. More ambitious riders can head up to the Kettle Crest for epic singletrack.
kettlerivermusicfestival.org

Yellow Pine Harmonica Festival – Yellow Pine, Idaho (July 31–August 2, 2025)
BIKE IT: Bikepack from McCall, Idaho, over a steep mountain pass and along the South Fork Salmon River to reach this remote Idaho mountain music festival. For an incredibly scenic day ride or overnighter from the festival, pedal 33 rugged miles to the community of Big Creek for an excellent meal at the Big Creek Lodge near the airstrip. Then ride back or stay at one of the nearby campsites.
yellowpinefestival.org

National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest & Festival – Weiser, Idaho (June 17–21, 2025)
BIKE IT: Bikepack from New Meadows or McCall, Idaho, incorporating the 84-mile-long Weiser River Trail, one of Idaho’s top rail trails. Or, day-ride this scenic route directly from the festival.
fiddlecontest.org

Juniper Jam – Enterprise, Oregon (August 30, 2025)
BIKE IT: Bikepackers looking for an epic challenge can start from Asotin, Washington, or farther south at Heller Bar on the Snake River and ride gravel and two-track trails climbing through the Chief Joseph Wildlife Area to the rim above Hells Canyon—a 100+ mile journey with incredible camping along the way. Less zealous riders can enjoy scenic day rides from the festival on gravel roads into the Zumwalt Prairie and surrounding Wallowa Mountains.
juniperjam.com

Festival at Sandpoint – Sandpoint, Idaho (July 24–27 and July 31–August 3, 2025)
BIKE IT: Create your own custom bikepacking route to Sandpoint, Idaho, mixing trails, gravel, and pavement from your home base. The nearby trails at Pine Street Woods are an easy ride from the festival for day trippers.
festivalatsandpoint.com

The Gorge Amphitheatre – George, Washington (Multiple 2025 Festivals)
Beyond Wonderland (June 20–22)
Watershed Festival (August 1–3)
Bass Canyon Festival (August 15–17)
BIKE IT: Bikepack from Spokane on the Palouse to Cascades Trail to the Gorge Amphitheatre, one of the most iconic outdoor music venues in Washington. Or use the trail for a day ride during your festival weekend.
gorgeamphitheatre.com

Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival – Medical Lake, Washington (August 8–10, 2025)
BIKE IT: Bikepack from Spokane via the Fish Lake Trail and scenic back roads to this lakeside bluegrass festival near Spokane. Explore miles of quiet roads and countryside around Medical Lake between music sets.
bluewatersbluegrass.org

Shambhala Music Festival – Salmo, British Columbia (July 25–28, 2025)
BIKE IT: Bikepack from Spokane and connect with the International Selkirk Loop bike route, then continue on to Salmo for this legendary BC electronic music festival in the Kootenays. Or ride from Nelson, BC, on the Nelson-Salmo Great Northern Trail for outstanding day rides from the festival. Don’t forget your passport!
shambhalamusicfestival.com

The post NW Music Festivals You Can Bikepack To (Or Day Ride From) appeared first on Out There Venture.

By Justin Short 

Cover photo courtesy of Justin Short

A few years back, a friend found an interesting bikepacking route out of Coeur d’Alene on the North Idaho Bikepacking page (Facebook? Web? Yellow? I didn’t ask). I was immediately intrigued because The Idaho Panhandle Ramble, or “PanRam” as we’ve come to call it, promised to scratch my “going places I’ve never been” itch in a big way. At 320 miles with 30,000+ feet of climbing, this ride is YUUUGE, but not so huge that we couldn’t knock it out over our three-day weekends that magically coincided in mid-July. 

Our plan was to ride two big days and one easy day. There would be no easy day. When it was all said and done, my mind was blown. This thing needs to become a showcase bikepacking event for the Inland Northwest, I thought, so I tracked down and spoke with route designer Eric Deady and told him just that.  

My first impression of PanRam was that a normal person would want to ride this route. Let me qualify that by saying that I meant a “special” kind of normal. I mean, there aren’t any cliffs to rock climb up with a loaded bike, or unrideable mountains of fist-sized boulders to stumble over for six hours, or even any river crossings teeming with alligators. However, you will be climbing 3,000 feet in the first 20 miles, mostly on rocky double track blown out by summer moto traffic.  

The gravel is comparatively nice after that, but the elevation profile is off the hook all the way through, so you’ll want to be ready for that. I’m also referring to a normality that includes laying down and splashing about in every creek, pond, lake, or occasional horse trough to cool off. It also goes without saying that our “normal” PanRam candidate will be filtering water from streams and filling every bottle, and perhaps even pockets, with ice anytime that’s available… which isn’t often.  

The inaugural PanRam grand depart was then organized and set for mid-July in 2023. Fifteen riders registered and eight actually showed up, which ain’t a bad turnout for this kind of thing when it’s blistering hot and people are having weddings and trips to “the lake” sprung on them. The weather was definitely hot for 2023, but this route is pretty forgiving with plentiful water sources, tree cover, and creek-dunking opportunities. I rode out the first 50 miles with my friends, camped for the night and rode home for work the next morning, wishing I could be out there for the whole shenanigan once again. 

PanRam is not billed as an official race, but more of a bikepacking odyssey, so it’s not governed by the usual rules of unsupported ultra-distance bikepacking races, which prohibit receiving outside support of any kind. Nonetheless, you can count on a small handful of goofballs attempting to set the Fastest Known Time, or “FKT” as it’s called in bikepacking circles. The first person to do this was none other than John Stamstad who came out for an ITT (individual time trial). That’s what we call it when a rider makes an official run on a route outside of a grand depart event. And when John rides your route, it’s like having Babe Ruth play your baseball field. It gets noticed. One could say he’s been an influential figure in the ultra-endurance mountain biking world. Among other things too numerous to mention, he was the first person to race pace the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Canada to Mexico, basically turning the 2,700-mile Tour Divide into the Tour de France of the bikepacking world that it is now. He was also the first rider to solo a 24-hour mountain bike race when he entered a four-man team under four different iterations of his own name because he was told by the race organizers that soloing was too hard. (On a side note: I’m soloing the 24 Hours of Riverside MTB race this year, soooo thanks, John!)  

I honestly don’t know if it was John’s influence that got PanRam listed as a featured route on bikepacking.com or if it was entirely Eric Deady’s efforts. Either way, the word is out and 75 riders signed up for the 2024 edition of PanRam, this time set for mid June to avoid the mid-summer heat. Of those 75 riders, 35 actually showed up for the grand depart. Once again, these are solid numbers, and there were riders from the west side of the Cascades, Montana, and British Columbia. I didn’t know everyone there, and that’s getting rare these days. Outside of the grand departs, there have been hundreds of riders who’ve experienced PanRam at this point.  

So where does PanRam go, anyway? The route begins and ends at the moose by the lake. Which moose? Well, you had to do some hunting if you showed up at a moose statue on Lake Coeur d’Alene that didn’t have a bunch of bikepackers gathered around it. From there the route heads northeast with, as previously mentioned, some serious climbing. But the grade and gravel both mellow out significantly on the way to Magee Air Strip, as a lush green valley opens with Tepee Creek snaking through the meadow below. You can stop to relax in the AC at the Starbucks outside of TSA at the air strip, or at least that’s how we refer to the little wading pool in the creek under the bridge before the 8-mile climb up Spyglass Peak. It’s a charming spot for a break and highly recommended during the heat of the day.  

Somewhere out there on a high exposed ridge, I caught a glimpse of Silver Mountain in the distance, just long enough to wonder if I had really seen it. And that’s something that really inspires me about traveling through these mountains: seeing prominent peeks from hither-to unexperienced perspectives. The route heads south over more mountains to the first resupply point in Pritchard where you can count on a huckleberry milkshake to get you over Dobson Pass into Wallace, Idaho, if you’re not stopping to camp. There’s also some excellent barbecue there, and you might not want to miss that.  

In an official race, staying with a friend on the route is a big no-no, but PanRam, as we have said, is not a race, so I was free to crash with a couple riders at my friend Emma’s house in Wallace. I had joked with Eric about making Emma’s house a mandatory stopover for all riders on PanRam without telling Emma, but only half joking. That would really take this event up a notch.  

After Wallace was Moon Pass, which had a huge landslide last year, requiring a re-route. There were a couple options, and I chose to ride over Mullan Pass, dipping into Montana to take the Route of the Hiawatha, which is always a delight. Farther down the dusty trail, there’s an opportunity to stop for ice cream at the fly-fishing shop in Avery. Say hi to owner Dan Mottern, he’s a rider and one hell of a runner, having participated in the Boston Marathon a good 10 times.  

The route rolls out of Avery farther south, climbing through Fishhook Creek Canyon where tall craggy rock formations reach for the sky out of the densely green cedar groves that cover the steep canyon walls, offering a bit of comforting shade. The next segment over the Grandmother Mountain Wilderness Study Area is where I ran out of water in mid-July. There was a big surprise waiting for all of us in mid-June, though, in the form of a 12-mile snow traverse that took six hours to clear. My friend George and I dragged it at night, witnessing a moonrise that left us in rapturous spasms of awe that I will carry for the rest of my days. It’s a long way from there back to the moose with many more mountain vistas, and spectacular jaw-dropping moments, as well as the obligatory bushwhacking section called The Maze that always leaves folks wondering if they’ve lost their way. It got me thoroughly confused both times I’ve “ridden” it, and it definitely will again this year.  

Eric Deady’s inspiration behind PanRam was to give riders the flavor of the remoteness of North Idaho with small town charm and easy resupply: “It’s a way to connect with friends and build memories, and discover yourself and the Idaho Panhandle along the route.”  

PanRam is not an easy ride by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s definitely worth the effort, and there’s no reason not to con a friend into driving a sag wagon out to some of the prime camping spots along the way to lighten your load. The 2025 grand depart will begin on June 20. For more information go to lifeonbikes.com/panram-bikepacking-route-1 and we’ll see you Out There! 

Out There Venture contributor Justin Short has ridden PanRam twice, if the article didn’t make that abundantly clear . . . but that’s not nearly as many times as he’s planning to ride it.  

The post The Idaho Panhandle Ramble   appeared first on Out There Venture.

By Bri Loveall 

Cover photo courtesy of The Great Burn Conservation Alliance

Last spring, my family and I made our first camping trip of the season to the Lolo National Forest. At our campsite, bearberry grew in thick, low-growing clumps. A well-worn deer trail led us to the bank of the Clark Fork River, where thoracic bones, bleached white, lay half-buried and hidden in the sand. In the mornings, before my children could begin their early chants for pancakes and cereal and muffins, I’d find a rock or some other semi-leveled area, and, coffee in hand, just sit. Ice floes the size of hubcaps made the occasional crack, or pop, proof that they were warming, splitting, becoming accustomed to the idea of spring. Although I was only two and a half hours from the city, I felt as far away as I’d ever been.  

The Lolo National Forest made up a sizable portion of the two-day, three-million-acre wildfire known as The Great Fire of 1910 or the Big Burn. (For size comparison, the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire in the northeast Cascades burned 256,108 acres over the course of two months.) The combination of severe drought in 1910 and a series of lightning storms created hundreds of small fires that, when met with hurricane-like winds, turned into the most destructive wildfire the U.S. has ever seen.  

For decades, the fire-ravaged land sat relatively unused. No longer a viable market for timber, it gave the landscape an opportunity to heal on its own without interference from resource extraction or other commercial development. Drawn to that forgotten wilderness, in the summer of 1971 a University of Montana student named Dale Harris bought a school bus and, with friends in tow, completed a three-week backpacking trip into the Great Burn landscape to document and research the place. Harris fell in love with the crystal-clear lakes and open ridgelines of the vast wild area. From his work, The Great Burn Conservation Alliance (GBCA) was born.   

Giving Wildlife the Room to Roam 

If you’ve spent any time recreating around the Lolo, Idaho Panhandle, Clearwater and other Inland Northwest national forests, you may have spent time inside or near the edges of the Big Burn and its 1.9 million acres of largely roadless wildlands. The area is home to a complex ecological network of plant and animal life. Rare and sensitive species like black-beaked woodpeckers, gray wolf, bull trout, Canada Lynx, wolverine, and grizzly bears all make use of the landscape’s alpine lakes and streams, dense high-mountain forests, and open meadows for daily living and movement between habitats.  

Joelle Gallaugher, stewardship coordinator for the GBCA, patrols upward of 700 miles a year (on foot) throughout the vast Great Burn landscape, monitoring trail conditions, campsites, coordinating with the forest service, and leading stewardship trips where crews work together to complete restoration projects. This job, Gallaugher says, requires an ongoing and intimate knowledge of the land. Animals like the Clearwater elk herds require land connectivity for their seasonal movements between different habitats, seeking out the higher mountain regions during summer and lower open meadows in winter. Even plants like the stark-white trilliums and bold, wild hyacinth require pollination and seed dispersal over large undisturbed areas in order to thrive.   

All forms of recreation have impacts on the land, but some have more than others, requiring more diligent management. “I do see a difference in how wildlife moves through the area,” Gallaugher tells me. For instance, mechanized use like snowmobiles, ATVs, and other ORVs can disrupt wildlife movement and native plant communities more than human-powered activities. A perfect example is the Mallard Larkins Pioneer Area, she says. Gallaugher recently surveyed the area, which is not open to motorized use. She and her team found a healthy and diverse ecosystem with no noxious weeds. Across the road, however, a spot open to vehicular use was inundated with spotted knapweed, St. John’s Wort, and other invasive plants.  

The take-home message is that when animal and plant communities have enough room and resources, without too many human-caused impacts, native plants and animals and natural processes can more easily flourish, making those roadless wild areas and the lands that connect them all the more valuable.  

The Connection Between People and Place 

U.S. public lands have seen a huge uptick in the number of recreational visitors since the pandemic, and according to Gallagher, here in the Inland Northwest, the I-90 corridor is especially susceptible to heavy use. Add to that a decrease in forest service staff dedicated to trail and facility maintenance, impact monitoring and law enforcement, and some of the surrounding lands have begun to suffer. 

Melanie Vining, executive director of Idaho Trails Association, echoed these sentiments, saying that in areas as remote and undeveloped as the Great Burn, it doesn’t take very many people to have an impact on the land. “Even when people love the land, they still have an impact on it, whether that’s positive or negative,” Vining says.  

Gallaugher and I discussed how recreating responsibly might look different depending on where you are and what you’re doing, as well as the importance of always doing your best to limit your impacts on the land when out enjoying it, whether you’re backpacking, riding a dirt bike, or driving to a trailhead. With the advocacy and stewardship work that the GBCA provides, as well as several highly recommended hikes the area has to offer, there are many ways to explore and learn to love the proposed Great Burn Wilderness Area.  

Getting Out in the Great Burn  

Gallaugher hopes to see more volunteers getting out into the Great Burn via trail work crews and stewardship trips to prepare the land and trails to handle the ever-increasing number of visitors.  

“Our stewardship trips are a great way to get involved. Activities on these volunteer trips range from trail maintenance, trail clearing, campsite impact monitoring, weed pulling, vegetation monitoring, and wildlife surveys,” she says. Throughout the trip, members of the GBCA act as guides to the land, teaching history, stewardship practices, educating about invasive plants and animals, and talking about responsible recreation.  

“Ecosystems are complex,” Vining says, “but you don’t have to be a scientist in order to learn about them.” Sometimes, it’s about doing good old-fashioned research, or learning about the interconnectedness of the land to fully appreciate and want to protect it. 

There is an important sense of ownership that comes from volunteering out in the wilds. Whether that’s through trail work or restoration projects, take the opportunity to draw a connection between yourself and the wild world around you. It is in knowing and attempting to understand a place that we begin to care for it. 

Bri Loveall is eager to go spring camping in the woods again. She is also planning to attend a GBCA stewardship project this summer.  

Check out the latest news from GBCA here.

The post After the Burn  appeared first on Out There Venture.

Cover photo courtesy of Priest Lake Watersports

If this list doesn’t send you into a race-registering frenzy, I don’t know what will. Our region is packed with incredible options for running, riding, triathlon-ing, and getting outside from March through October. The only problem, my friends: you can’t be in two places at once.  

ROAD RUNNING Note that USATF-sanctioned events do not allow strollers.  

St. Paddy’s Five Miler (March 9): This family-friendly road run starts and finishes at Spokane Community College and is an official Bloomsday second-seed qualifier race. “Lucky Leprechaun Jig” (free) hosted for kids 6 and under. 

Shamrock Shuffle (March 16): An early spring half marathon, 10k and 5k, with Kids’ Fun Run, organized by Negative Split. All distances wind through Riverfront Park in Spokane.  

Rapid Rabbit Run (March 23): 3-mile & 5-mile runs (virtual options). Proceeds benefit East Valley High School’s senior class (Spokane Valley). The 5-miler is a Bloomsday second-seed qualifier race.  

Yakima River Canyon Marathon & Half Marathon (March 29): USATF-certified course with views of the Yakima River Canyon make this a scenic, early-season Boston Qualifier marathon with half marathon option. 

Only Fools Run at Midnight 5k (March 29): Run the streets of downtown Medical Lake starting at 11:30 p.m. and finish at the Pizza Factory in this 47^th Annual Run. Organized by Medical Lake Lions Club. Virtual Options. 

The Split Half Marathon, 10k & 5k (April 13): This Negative Split event is a flat, scenic course through Riverfront Park and along the Spokane River. Kids’ fun run also offered. 

Jr. Bloomsday (April 13): A 1-mile race for kids grades 3-7 aimed to foster a love for fitness and fun. Located at Spokane Falls Community College campus with an awesome prize pack for participants. Supports Active4Youth nonprofit. 

Hauser Lake Icebreaker Run (April 19): 5k and 10k runs around the lake in Hauser, Idaho, are a fundraiser for the special-needs rescue dogs at Double J Dog Ranch. 10k course is a Bloomsday second-seed qualifier. Walkers and friendly dogs welcome. Finish medals for humans and finish bandanas for canines. 

Wenatchee Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k & 5k (April 19): Paved activity trails follow the Columbia River and offer beautiful spring views of the Cascades. USATF-certified with a Boston-qualifier marathon, this TedDriven race supports cancer research.   

Run the River (April 19): Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay, 5k and Kids’ Marathon courses run on paved paths along the Columbia River through all three cities of the Tri-Cities. Flat and fast with a Boston-qualifier marathon. 

Spring Dash (April 26): Take on a Half Marathon, 10k, 5k or Tot Trot (10 and under) from Coeur d’Alene’s McEuen Park on out-and-back paved routes with views of Lake Coeur d’Alene. USATF certified; 10k is a Bloomsday second-seed qualifier.  

Apple Blossom Run (May 3): 10k, 5k, and kids’ 2k are a part of the Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival.  

Lilac Bloomsday Run (May 4): The iconic Spokane 12k race. Challenging, fun course for runners, walkers and wheelchair participants to celebrate the spirit of the Lilac City. 

Long Bridge Half Marathon, 10k, & 5k (May 10): This Sandpoint, Idaho, race  includes over 3 miles of running over beautiful Lake Pend Oreille with a start at Sandpoint City Beach Park. Run this race and do the Long Bridge Swim (Aug. 2) to earn the Long Bridge Duathlon medal. Organized by Priest Lake Multisports.  

Leavenworth Mai BlumenLauf (May 11): The Mai BlumenLauf (May Flower Run) is a new event by TedDriven with half marathon, 10k and 5k courses through the Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth and on its river-front trails. USATF certified.   

The Ta Ta Dash (May 17): Run through beautiful Manito Park in this run put on by Beyond Pink to help prevent and screen for breast cancer. 10k, 5k, and kids’ ⅓ mile distances available. 

Windermere Marathon (May 18): Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k, 5k and kids’ fun run options take runners along the scenic Centennial Trail and Spokane River in this point-to-point certified Boston Qualifier that ends at Riverfront Park.  

Race to Remember 5k (May 24): This fun run through Fairmount Memorial Park pays tribute to fallen officers on Memorial Day with a course decorated with American Flags and benefitting the Beyond the Call of Duty program. 

Coeur d’Alene Marathon (May 25): Scenic race with a start/finish at McEuen Park in downtown Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Hosted by Negative Split. Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k, 5k, and kids’ fun run available. USATF certified Boston qualifier.  

Priest Lake Spring Fun Run (May 25): Run along the lakeshore at beautiful Priest Lake with a 10k, 5k, or kids’ dash. Lines up with Priest Lake Spring Festival.  

T9 Mermaid Run (May 31): Hosted by Title 9, the Mermaid Series is a celebration of women’s movement. New Half Marathon distance this year in addition to 10k, 5k and mermaid dash (ages 6-12). Start/finish at Riverfront Park. 

Metaline Falls Bigfoot 5K (June 14): Takes place in the historic town of Metaline Falls in Pend Oreille County in conjunction with the town’s unique Bigfoot Festival. Additional kids’ color run option on June 13.  

Missoula Marathon (June 27-29): The “Last Best Race” offers Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5k distances over the weekend with a Friday night beer run and 1-mile kids’ marathon. A scenic race named Best Marathon in the US several times. 

Spokenya Run/Walk 7k (July 2025): A race designed to raise money for clean water acts in rural Kenya. 

Wallace Huckleberry Festival 5k (Aug. 18): This 5k in North Idaho is part of the 40^th annual Wallace Huckleberry Festival, a weekend with vendors, music, and huckleberry pancake breakfast. Strollers and leashed dogs welcome. 

Run the Night (Aug. 23): An evening glow run offering distances of Half Marathon, 10k, 5k, and Kids’ Fun run. Start/Finish at Spokane Fairgrounds.  

Deutschesfest Fun Run (Sept. 18-21): German community festival in Odessa, Wash., includes a parade, fun run, brats, brews and more. 

Run the Dam Half Marathon, 10k & 5k (Sept. 20): Run across Grand Coulee Dam and along Banks Lake as part of the Run the Dam Festival in Grand Coulee, Wash. 

Boulevard Race (Sept. 21): A fun and fast 4-mile race benefitting the Community Cancer Fund beginning at the McCarthey Athletic Center and running downtown. Includes wheelchair division. 

Valleyfest River Run (Sept. 21): 10k and 5k distances start/finish at Plante’s Ferry in Spokane Valley, running mostly on the Centennial Trail. Bloomsday qualifier.  

Leavenworth Marathon & Half Marathon (Oct. 4): A mix of paved roads, wooded trails, and dirt paths take runners through the stunning fall terrain of Leavenworth’s Icicle Canyon and downtown. A USATF-certified Boston Qualifier race by TedDriven, supporting cancer research.  

Jackass Half Marathon & 5k (Oct. 4): This point-to-point race along the paved Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes will run through the beautiful fall scapes of the Silver Valley from Wallace to Kellogg, Idaho.   

Hayden Lake Marathon (Oct. 11): Marathon, Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon, 5k and kids’ fun run starts and finishes at Honeysuckle Beach, running along beautiful Hayden Lake.  

Spokane Marathon, Half Marathon & 10k (Oct. 12): Proceeds from this Boston Marathon qualifier race benefit local high school cross-country programs. The 10k is a Bloomsday second-seed qualifier. 

Halloween Hustle (Oct. 26): Spooky Half Marathon, 10k and 5k event in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, organized by Negative Split.  

Race to Feed Our Vets (Nov. 9): A 5k run through Riverside Memorial Park to benefit Meals on Wheels of Spokane, with free beer and chili at the end of the race.  

TRAIL RUNNING 

Badger Mountain Challenge (March 21-22): Ultra distances of 100 miles, 100k, 50 miles, and 55k with a 15k option offer expansive views of the Columbia Basin. Proceeds support WTA, Friends of Badger Mountain, and Girls on the Run. USATF sanctioned event. Register by March 16.  

Ancient Lakes 50-mile, 50k, 25k & 10k (April 5-6): Experience the unique desert landscape of the Ancient Lakes area near Quincy, Wash., with this single-track race that includes a scenic waterfall. 

Yakima Skyline 25k (April 13): An out-and-back course in the high desert of the Yakima River Canyon outside Ellensburg, Wash., with open views and 4,700 feet of elevation gain. 

Caveman Roar & Pour (April 26): Run through the Cave B Winery estate in Quincy, Wash., overlooking the stunning Columbia River Gorge. Caveman/cavewoman costumes encouraged. Wine tasting and live music afterward. 

Spokane River Run (April 27): This race through Riverside State Park’s trails offers many distances: 5k, 10k, 25k, 25k Challenge, 50k, 50k team relay, and a new 25k Tag Team (2-person relay). New finish line amenity: Garland Brew Werks Beer Garden. Fundraiser for Garfield Elementary A.P.P.L.E. program and others. 

Run Like the Wind Running Festival (April 27): 5k, 10k and kids’ dash along the trails, paths and roads at the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility in Ellensburg, Wash.; benefits Kittitas County Search and Rescue. 

Sun Mountain Trail Races (May 17 & 18): Run in the wildflower-carpeted Methow Valley in a 50-miler, 50k, 20-miler or 25k with stunning views of the Cascades at the edge of the Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness.  

Hiawatha Trail Run (June 8): An epic run down Idaho’s Hiawatha Trail, cruising on crushed-rock rail trail and through old railroad tunnels that require headlights. 50k, 25k, 15k, or 10k available. Organized by Negative Split.  

Kaniksu Trail Runs (June 14): Multiple lengths available: Long Walk 100k, Kaniksu 50-mile, Blister Club (Solo Ruck), Emory Corwine Memorial Ruck Race, Sweet 50k, Tall Trees 29k, Herman’s Half, and SERE Beer Mile. Events take place in the Lower Selkirk Mountain Range of Colville National Forest. 

“The Kan” Mountain Ultra Trail Race (June 14): 50k, 25k, and 10k options at Mount Spokane State Park traverse alpine meadows and old pine forests.  

Trail Rail Run 50-mile, 50-mile relay, 50k, 30k, 12k and 5k (June 21): A run from Mullan, Idaho, to St. Regis, Mont., along the old Milwaukee and Northern Pacific Railroad grades. 

Race the Wolf (June 21-22): Enjoy the flowy and challenging trails on Schweitzer Mountain in Sandpoint, Idaho, with a Marathon, Half Marathon or 5-mile race. A straight uphill 1-mile “sky climb” also offered, with a ride down the mountain via ski lift. Part of the GRIT North Idaho Trail series.   

Mountain Magic Trail Run (June 29): 25k, 10k, and 5k options, with a new 35k Grand Tour distance. Experience the summer trails of Mount Spokane State Park.  

The “Original” Bare Buns Fun Run (July 27): Clothing-optional 5k trail run/walk at the Kaniksu Ranch Family Nudist Park near Loon Lake, Wash. 

Rams Twilight Trail Run 5k (July; TBA): A 5k run along the trails near Riverside High School in Chattaroy that starts at 7:30 p.m. (headlamps highly encouraged); trail marked by glowsticks. Organized by Riverside’s Cross Country Team. 

Tartarus Backyard Ultra (Sept. 6): A “Last Person Standing” ultra race for runners and ruckers through Riverside State Park.  

Jump off Joe Marathon (Sept. 6): Gravel roads on and around Jump off Joe Mountain near Kennewick, Wash., provide great views from the top of the hill; half marathon and marathon course make the summit. Also a 10k option.  

Mt. Spokane Trail Run (Sept. 7): This Negative Split trail run has three scenic course options that start and finish at Selkirk Lodge on Mount Spokane. 25k, 10k and 5k distances. 

Priest Lake Marathon, Half Marathon & 50k (Sept. 13): Wilderness trail run through cedar groves and along lakeshore in the Panhandle National Forest. Part of The GRIT North Idaho trail run series organized by Priest Lake Multisports. 

Moscow Mountain Madness Half Marathon, 50k & 5-Mile (Oct. 5): Challenging course along technical single-track and logging roads. Hosted by Palouse Road Runners in Moscow, Idaho. 
Wild Moose Chase Trail Run (Oct; TBA) 25k, 10k and 5k trail runs at Riverside State Park hosted by Eastern Washington University’s PT department students. Larch Madness Trail Races (Oct. 12): A challenging run on the eastern edge of the Cascades in the Loup Loup Ski Bowl, alight with golden larch trees this time of year. 50k, 25k, 15k and 5k options. 
Sekani Trail Run 10k, 5k and 1k Kids’ Run (Oct; TBA): Adventure run/hike/walk on trails typically held at Camp Sekani Park in Spokane; this annual fall trail run is a fundraiser for Franklin Elementary School’s A.P.P.L.E. program. 

Fall Flash 10k Race & 5k Fun Run (Nov; TBA): Course is a combination of paved and gravel roads and rolling hills of the Palouse countryside. Hosted by Palouse Road Runners, based in Moscow, Idaho. 

ROAD CYCLING 

Bike Everywhere Month Spokane (May): Events and activities typically include a Bloomsday bike corral, a pancake breakfast in Riverfront Park, and energizer stations for morning commuters. Organized by the Spokane Bicycle Club. 

Lilac Century Ride (May 18): Fun, scenic and challenging road tours (25-mile, 50-mile, 66-mile, and 100-mile). Start/finish at Big Barn Brewing Company in Green Bluff. 32-mile gravel option.  

CHAFE 150 Gran Fondo (June 14): Gran fondo scenic ride—not a race—starting from City Beach in Sandpoint, Idaho, and riding along Lake Pend Oreille into Montana. Route options include road rides of 150, 80, 40 or 25 miles, a 55- or 75-mile gravel ride, and a family fun ride. Organized by Sandpoint Rotary; proceeds support a literacy program benefitting Pend Oreille School District students. 

Spokane Summer Parkways (June 17): A free route for bikes, pedestrians, and other human-powered transportation in the South Hill Manito/Comstock neighborhoods. Family-friendly event with fun, snacks and entertainment along the way. 

Cycle Chelan (June 21): This event is celebrating its 20^th anniversary ride this year with the Metric Century Challenge (100 km, with 4,000 feet of elevation gain), Lake Loop (45 miles), and Cycle di Vino (30 miles) around stunning Lake Chelan. E-bikes welcome. 

Northwest Tandem Rally (July 4-6): Hosted in Spokane Valley, Wash., this year by Valleyfest, tandem bike riders enjoy scenic rides and tandem bike community.  

Tour de Whatcom (July 19): Ride distance options include Century (100 miles), Metric Century (62 miles), 44 miles, or 22 miles. Scenic course, with start/finish in downtown Bellingham, Wash. 

Spokane Valley Cycle Celebration (July 27): Organized by Valleyfest, ride options include a 10-mile “Family-Friendly” route, 25-mile “Adventure Ride,” and the 50-mile “Hills Around the Valley.” 

RIM Ride (Sept. 6-7): “Rotary in Motion” routes offer both flat and elevation rides 5-mile family bike ride on Saturday, followed by 15-, 25-, 50-, and 100-mile rides on Sunday; hosted by the Rotary Club of Liberty Lake, Wash. 

WaCanId Selkirk Loop Ride (Sept. 8-13): A six-day ride over 395 miles making a supported scenic route around the Selkirk Mountains. Route includes two international border crossings (between U.S. and Canada), check WaCanId.org for event updates. 

Mt. Baker Hill Climb (Sept. 14): A 22-mile race with over 4,000 feet in elevation gain takes riders up a winding, rugged highway into the alpine. There are three categories—social, recreational and competitive. Benefits the Shifting Gears program. 

Coeur d’Fondo (Sept. 20): Ride along beautiful Coeur d’Alene lake and choose from five distances—Gran Fondo (116 mi.), Medio Fondo (86 mi.), Centro Fondo (47 mi.), Piccolo Fondo (36 mi.), and Family Fondo (14 mi.). Centro and Piccolo courses include a boat cruise.  

MOUNTAIN BIKING/GRAVEL RIDES 

Echo Red to Red XC MTB Race (March 15): Cross-country mountain bike race begins in the historic town of Echo, Oregon, with most of it on trails at Echo West Ranch & Vineyard. 

Gran Fondo Ephrata (March 23): A spring classic on remote back roads of Central Washington. Grand (85 mi.) and Medio (45 mi.) options with plenty of climbing. Register by March 20.  

Hilly Nilly Gravel Series (Monthly, March 17-June 16): Self-supported free group rides monthly (usually the 3^rd Sunday) in the months of March, April, May, and June. Course and starting point out of the Coeur d’Alene area posted a week ahead on Facebook. 

Washington Student Cycling League—Spring League (Spring): Co-ed mountain biking development program and spring race series for riders in grades 6-12, beginners through advanced, organized by the nonprofit Washington Student Cycling League. School-based and composite teams, with high school and middle divisions. Individuals can also participate and compete as an independent rider. Volunteer coaches are encouraged to start new teams. 

Hub-a-Palooza (April 11-13): A three-day mountain bike festival with downhill and enduro races at Beacon Hill/Camp Sekani in Spokane, hosted by Velo Northwest. 

Evergreen East—Classes & Clinics (April-Oct.): Mountain Bike Foundations classes start in April, with sessions offered both weekends and weeknights. Options include beginner, intermediate, freeride, technical descending, jumps classes, women-only classes, and private lessons. Classes are located at Camp Sekani unless otherwise noted. Scholarships available. 

Wednesday MTB Race Series at Riverside State Park (May 1-June 26): For nine consecutive Wednesday evenings, this popular annual event features a different race course each week. Free entry for age 18 and younger. 

3/4 Minus Cykeltur (May 3): The ¾ Minus Cykeltur is a gravel gran fondo with a 52-mile route and 75-mile route starting out of Sandpoint, Idaho. Concludes with party and award ceremony at Matchwood Brewing with food, drink and live music. This is the first stage of the Idaho Panhandle Gravel Series. 

Idaho Interscholastic Cycling League (May-October): Race series for youth in grades 6-12. 

Gran Fondo Leavenworth (May 18): A tough race with lots of climbing, Grande (82 mi.) and Medio (40 mi.) distances traverse mountain passes and forest service roads with updated 2025 routes.  

The Lilac Gravel Flamdangle (May 18): A 32-mile gravel ride, with half the course on unpaved/gravel surfaces. Start and Finish at Green Bluff’s Big Barn Brewery. Part of the Lilac Century event.  

24 Hours of Riverside (May 24-25): The ultimate 24-hour MTB team relay at Riverside State Park with racing and camping. Can also compete as a solo rider. Race is Saturday to Sunday, with a kids’ bike parade Saturday night. 

Climb for the Cure (June 21): A gravel and mountain bike race that starts/ends at Big Barn Brewery and summits Mount Spokane in the middle. New route options include a 22-miler and 50-miler. It’s a race to end cancer. Win up to $12,000 in prices, gear, and discounts when you participate. New pedal assist category open.  

Monarch Grind (June 28): This 70-mile gravel gran fondo starts and ends just outside of Clark Fork, Idaho, and loops in the iconic peaks above Lake Pend Oreille. Event number two in the Idaho Panhandle Gravel Series. 

Northwest Cup (July 25-27) Silver Mountain Bike Park hosts one of the stops for this seven-race series across the Northwest. 

The Last Best Ride (July 27): Ride the gravel backroads of Whitefish, Mont., with challenging terrain and stunning views in the state known as “The Last Best Place.” You’ll have to get on the waitlist for “The Big Horn Sheep” 95-miler, and there are a few spots in “The Mountain Goat” 51-miler open.  
Aether’s Traverse (Aug. 16): A 35-mile gravel ride that departs Sandpoint and climbs up and over the Selkirks into the Priest River drainage basin before a return climb of 6,300 feet up to Schweitzer’s Sky House for a final chairlift ride down for the post-ride party. 

TRIATHLON/WATERSPORTS/MULTISPORTS 

Leadman Triathlon (April 19): Participants ski or snowboard a mile down Silver Mountain, then bike 7 miles down into Kellogg, Idaho, for a final 4-mile run. BBQ lunch and live music in the Gondola Village after the race. 

Rage in the Sage Duathlon (May 3): A 2.5-mile cross country run and 10 mile mountain or gravel bike section beginning at Kiona Vineyards in Benton City. Relay options. 

Onion Man Triathlon (May 18): Olympic distance race at the base of the Blue Mountains, USA Triathlon Sanctioned. Relay and Aquabike options.  

Ski to Sea (May 25): A multi-sport relay adventure race with teams of 3-8 people. Starts at Mt. Baker Ski Area and finishes in Bellingham Bay. The seven different sport legs include: cross-country ski, downhill ski/snowboard, running, road bike, canoe, cyclocross bike and sea kayak. 

Medical Lake Trailblazer Tri/Du/5k (June 21): Sprint distance triathlon with 350-meter swim, 12.2-mile bike, and 2.9-mile run; Duathlon with 1-mile run, 12.2-mile bike, and 2.9-mile run; and 5k run. Starts and ends at Coney Island Park in Medical Lake, Wash. 

Ironman 70.3 Coeur d’Alene (June 22): Half Ironman race based at City Park in downtown Coeur d’Alene includes 1.2-mile lake swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run. 

Righteous Richland Sprint Triathlon (July 12): A swim in the Columbia River kicks off this sprint tri with relay options. Mountain bike leg goes from Howard Amon Park to the Chamna Nature preserve with a final 3-mile foot path run.  

Hayden Sprint Triathlon (July 12): Swim, run and bike solo in this sprint triathlon, or register with a team to compete in the relay. Starts/ends at transition area at Honeysuckle Beach on Lake Hayden.  

Long Bridge Swim (Aug. 2): A 1.76-mile swim race across Lake Pend Oreille, aside the Sandpoint, Idaho, iconic Long Bridge. 30^th Annual event. 

Coeur d’Alene Triathlon/Duathlon (Aug. 9): Three registration options for this Coeur d’Alene event: Olympic triathlon (swim 1.5k, bike 40k, run 10k), scenic sprint triathlon (swim 0.5k, bike 20k, run 5k), or duathlon (run 5k, bike 40k, run 10k). 

Tri-Town Float Down Poker Paddle (TBA): Paddle the Pend Oreille River from the town of Ione to Metaline Falls, Wash. Event tentative; check Facebook for details. Raises funds for cancer patients and veterans.  

Swim the Snake (Aug. 9): An open water swim, kayak or stand-up paddle across the Snake River channel between Lyons Ferry State Park and Lyons Ferry Marina near the town of Starbuck, Wash. Fundraiser for Blue Mountain Resource Conservation and Development Council and local youth summer swim teams. 

Priest Lake Triathlon (Aug. 23): Choose between a sprint off-road triathlon or the sprint road bike course in the beautiful area around Priest Lake. Compete individually or as a team; start/finish near Hill’s Resort. 

Jen McKenna Paddle and Run (Sept. 6): Get the best of both worlds and kayak or SUP 1.6 miles from Higgens Point (CDA, Idaho) before running 4 miles along the Centennial Trail. New this year: a new long course with 3-person team option (two runners, one paddler). Event honors Jen McKenna, who died of complications from cystic fibrosis. Proceeds benefit Companions Animal Shelter. Post-race food and beer, plus great race swag. 

Diamond Tri Your Best Triathlon (Sept. 6): Event takes place at the Cowles Scout Reservation in Diamond Lake, Wash., and includes a SuperSprint (200-yard swim, 6-mile bike, 1.5-mile trail run; ages 11+); Sprint Tri (400-yard swim, 12-mile bike, 3-mile trail run; ages 18+); and Olympic Tri (1,600-yard swim, 23-mile bike, 6-mile trail run; ages 18+). Registration includes lunch from David’s Pizza. 

 

OUTDOORSY EVENTS 

Ask a Mechanic Anything (March 14): Learn bike maintenance tips and win prizes at Two Wheeler Dealer bike shop in Hayden, Idaho.  

OutLive Film Festival (March 20): Second annual festival of films that tell true cancer survivor stories of courage and healing lived outdoors. 7 p.m. at the Washington Cracker Co. building downtown Spokane. 

Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show (March 20-23): Gear and resources for fishing and boating, hunting, backpacking, and shooting sports. Hosted by Inland Northwest Wildlife Council at the Spokane Fair and Expo Center. 

Reel Rock 19 (March 23): A fundraiser for the Bower Climbing Coalition at the Washington Cracker Building in downtown Spokane (4-8 p.m.). Climbing films, food and drinks, silent auction, and gear raffle. 

Wild & Scenic Film Festival (March 28): Films to inspire activism and a love for nature at the Panida Theater in Sandpoint. A benefit for Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. 

The Lands Council 40^th Anniversary Auction (April 5): Help protect the Inland Northwest’s forests, waters, and wildlife while bidding on outdoor packages and other cool items including a canoe formerly owned by Eddie Vedder of the band Pearl Jam. 

Ice Age Floods Presentation Series (April 15, 28, & May 14): Spokane County Library District hosts these three presentations from the local chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute (pre-registration is required).  
Spokane Bike Swap (April 19): The biggest bike sale event of the year. Buy or sell used bikes and check out biking and outdoor recreation booths at the Spokane Fairgrounds. All proceeds benefit local cycling-related non-profit projects. 
Spokane Riverkeeper Earth Day River Cleanup (April 19): Be a part of the community effort to keep our river clean at this family-friendly Earth Day cleanup from 10 a.m. – 1p.m. at High Bridge Park near downtown Spokane.   

Stonerose Fossil Site Members’ Weekend (April 25-27): A members’ only fossil digging weekend at Stonerose Interpretive Center & Eocene Fossil Site near Republic, Wash., (8 a.m.-4 p.m. each day). 

Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge Restoration Project (April 26): Help with wildlife habitat restoration work at the refuge near Cheney, Wash., including tree potting, tree planting, fence removal, and tending to a pollinator garden. Light refreshments will be provided by the Friends of Turnbull NWR. 
Range to Ranch Overlanding Gathering (June 19-22): Nestled between Idaho’s rugged Sawtooth Mountains and the Lost River Range, this event at Swenson Butte Ranch offers a blend of off-road exploration, community connection, outdoor adventure, and camping in one of Idaho’s most scenic landscapes.  

Editor’s Note: Did we miss your favorite race, ride or outdoors event? Email lisa@outthereventure.com, and we will do our best to include it next year. 

The post Race, Ride, & Event Guide 2025  appeared first on Out There Venture.

By Justin Short  

I lived on the west side for 13 years—and by “west side,” I mean the green and rainy side of the Cascades—and was well accustomed to a long, dreary, rainy season that could almost outlast my rosy disposition. When I moved to the Inland Northwest 12 years ago, I was assured that winter here would be socked in with clouds and fog blotting out the sun at least as long as the most depressing Portland winter. “But,” I would always retort, “if there’s snow on the ground and falling from the sky, it’s a winter wonderland.” I know I’m preaching to the choir here with the OTO readership, but seasonal affective disorder has a hard time doing its thing when there’s snow to play in.  

The first snow is always the best for any kind of fat biking, but especially urban fat biking. Snow hasn’t been plowed into the bike lanes yet (because that’s where they plow the snow here. I mean, who would ride bikes in the winter here, anyway? Fill that bike lane with snow!) Given the inconsistency of our climatic weather patterns these days, we might get several first snows during the course of the winter. It’s snow that doesn’t have ice underneath it waiting to take you out. If you don’t own a fat bike, this is the time to hit the streets on your mountain bike, or pretty much any bike if the snow is only two or three inches deep. Beyond that, you kind of need a fat bike. The colder the snow, the better the traction you’ll find underneath.  

When the snow is right, where should you go? It might take a day or two for Frank Benish to groom the miles and miles of trails in Riverside State Park, and that really is some of the finest urban winter fat biking to be found, but there’s something infective and charming about seeing cross country skiers hit the snowy streets that always makes me want to follow suit. For me, it’s the allure of the high alpine region of that which we call the South Hill.  

One of my first urban fat bike excursions that I fondly recall involved stopping for coffee at one of our fine local roasters on Monroe with former EDC columnist Justin Skay. Afterward, we climbed up from the lowlands of downtown Spokane to . . . I don’t know exactly where we were, because everything looked different in the snow. We turned left and right at random, eventually finding ourselves on a corner where every porch, sidewalk, and yard had a multitude of snow bunnies. They ranged in size from a couple of feet tall to darn near the size of a full-grown snowman. The snow was deeper up there (it always is) and the porches were very charming—the turkeys definitely thought so, because every porch had a turkey or three, none of them made of snow.  

Last winter, a snow storm was coming in one evening, with rain in forecast the next morning. I think its the bane of every snow sports enthusiast here that a good snowfall is so frequently followed by rain the next morning that ruins everything. In such circumstances, there is no time to drive anywhere, all you can do is hop on the bike and go for a good urban slog. Good fortune is smiling upon you if you happen to have a partner in crime close by who is typically ready to roll at the drop of a wool cycling cap. I texted Anthony, or maybe he texted me, and a last-minute plan was hatched to go see some Christmas lights.  

We met at Uprise Brewing for a quick pre-ride snack. By the time we left, our beloved snow was tapering into rain. I don’t have fenders on my fat bike, so my tactic was to ride slowly so as to avoid the “wet diaper effect.” When riding in the rain, the average fat bike tire is instantly transformed into a Mississippi Queen riverboat paddle wheel, propelling unfathomable amounts of water from the street onto your back, which then seeps down into your nether regions. I don’t care how much Gore-Tex you’re wearing, that is your fate when riding in the rain without fenders. It wasn’t hard to stay dry, because we were soon climbing the South Hill to our first destination, the light display at Cowley Park below Providence Sacred Heart hospital. It’s quite magical to ride around through their holiday light show.  

The hill gets rather steep from there, and the secondary tactic to stay dry is to unzip jackets and pedal gently so as not to arrive at the top of a climb wearing 80 pounds of sweat-soaked clothes. The rain turned back into snow before we reached the top of the climb, and we meandered our way towards our second destination, the light show at Manito Park. I think every city has that drive-or-walk-through holiday light show that draws carloads of families by the thousands. This year there is no Manito light show car option due to traffic issues in the past, just a walking route. BUT, you can ride your bike around much of the park and right through another stunning light show. Such is the life of an urban fat biker.  

Justin Short will be out there turning pedals in the rain, hail, sleet, and snow all winter long, hopeful that he will once again dodge the invite to go winter bikepacking with the Idaho Bikepacking crew. This, however, may be the year his luck runs out. 

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Rise of Telemark Events (Various resorts in the Cascades): All season long. A few hours east of the greater Spokane area, tele skiers can participate in a variety of telemark events, including clinics, demos, and social gatherings sponsored by Rise of Telemark. Details at Riseoftele.com/pages/events 

Wenatchee Telemark Festival (aka WTF) (Mission Ridge, Wenatchee, WA): Jan 11-12, 2025. Wenatchee Telemark Festival is a two-day gathering of the tele tribe from the greater Pacific Northwest, where free heelers and the tele-curious come together to celebrate the art of tele turn with clinics, demos, raffles, night skiing and community. Info at Wtfest.info. 

Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Fest (Whitewater Ski Area / Nelson, BC.): Feb 21-23. A celebration of ski culture in the Kootenays, this annual event features several tele meet-ups, backcountry safety and other alpine ski and AT clinics, competitions, demos, and plenty of social gatherings.  

Altai Skis Backcountry Ski and Hok Festival (Boulder Pass near Curlew, Wash.): Date TBD. An annual gathering in the Kettle Range Mountains north of Sherman Pass near the Canadian border, attendees are treated to Altai Ski gear demos, group ski outings, and good company. Details to come at Altaiskis.com 

Telebration at 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort (Chewelah, Wash.): March 16, 2025. This annual tele event features NTN tele gear rentals, group and private lessons for a range of abilities from beginner to expert, and a chance to meet other local tele skiers. After-party details to come may include a showing of the new Tele Colo film “This Ol’ Mill” and good times in the Boomtown Bar. (OTO) 

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