By Tabitha Gregory  

Big and brilliant, hot air balloons have long captivated the public’s imagination. The sight of a gentle giant floating above the landscape stops traffic and brings children and parents out of their homes to watch. The longing to be in a balloon, untethered from the earth, serenely observing the model world below, brings tens of thousands of would-be flyers to climb into wicker baskets in the wee hours of a morning each year. I am one such person. 

A balloon flight had been on my radar for a couple of years when I booked a flight with Okanagan Ballooning, a family-owned operation based in the lakeside city of Kelowna. The confirmation email from owner John Klempner told me to bring a warm layer and be prepared for a three-hour outing. I headed north, ready for an adventure. 

While ballooning occurs in the Inland Northwest and greater Pacific Northwest from May through October (and in a few instances year-round), autumn is an especially nice time to fly. Throughout the Inland Northwest, at least three companies operate out of locations near Walla Walla, the Tri-Cities, and Boise. According to Andrew Petrehn of Idaho Balloon Adventures, “Peak season for color is late September and early October. We take off just before the sun comes up and watch as it rises over the mountains and warms up the colors along the Boise River.” Walla Walla Balloon Flights pilot Devin White shares, “Fall is the perfect season for ballooning in the Inland Northwest, as we’re treated with stable weather, cooler temperatures, and stunning scenery.”  

When my flight day arrived this past May, the weather was perfect at 60 F with calm winds. Klempner called my cell at 5 a.m., reminding me to be on time for a 6 a.m. ride to the launch site. As instructed, I found John, his wife Joy, the flight crew, and six other passengers. We headed for the hills. 

We pulled into an overgrown field, thick with blooming mustard and mosquitoes. The crew, mostly Klempner family members, hauled from the trailers twin baskets, canvas bags containing the envelopes (deflated balloons), generators, fans, and propane burners. Then, with the help of passengers, they strung out the two ripstop nylon envelopes atop the spiky weeds, tipped the baskets onto their sides, and used suspension cables to connect the baskets and envelopes. 

Generator-powered fans sent ambient air into the envelopes, coaxing open the fabric, then the crew swapped in the real power: huge propane burners blowing waves of hot gas. Gradually, the balloons began to rise, first one side, then the whole structure, handlers gripping the tethers and leaning back, anchoring the eager giants to the earth. 

Klempner invited five of us into his standing room only basket. We situated ourselves around the edges, arms resting on the ledges, our gazes outward. The sun rose, and a few filmy clouds crossed the sky. Joy and the ground crew cheered as they released the tethers, and our balloon lifted off. 

Ballooning for most of us is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Some become repeat customers. A few evolve into pilots. The solo path requires experience, often on a crew such as Klempner’s, passing a Federal Aviation Administration test, and buying gear. An entry-level kit costs around $25,000.  

I peered over the woven basket’s edge as we floated upward. Using the onboard burner, Klempner blasted gas into the balloon’s gut, moving us into a higher current. We drifted toward 84-mile-long Okanagan Lake, then toward the Columbia Mountains. We meandered north, then west, then hung gracefully over orchards, the backdrop featuring the snowcapped Big White Mountain. Our basket lazily rotated, providing us each a 360-degree view. 

I learned there is no steering a balloon. Instead, pilots control altitude by releasing or adding gas, thereby reaching an air layer moving in the desired direction. Klempner deftly managed the calm but ever-changing wind patterns.  

After 45 minutes of poking about the troposphere, Klempner began seeking a landing zone. “Parks, churchyards, sports fields, and meadows all make great landing spots,” he said.  

The lower we sank, the more of a spectacle we became. Drivers pulled over and walkers paused to watch. As we coasted onto a grassy park lawn, children stopped their play to stare wide-eyed as this fantastical craft touched down.  

Tabitha Gregory enjoys exploring, hiking, and skiing in the Inland Northwest. She writes for Out There Venture and North Columbia Monthly and is the author of the historical non-fiction book “Valdez Rises: One Town’s Struggle for Survival After the Great Alaska Earthquake.” 

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By Tabitha Gregory

Balloon Tour Options: 

• Idaho Balloon Adventures (Eagle, ID): 7 days/week in Sept. and Oct. Idahoballoonadventures.com 

• Walla Walla Balloon Flights (Walla Walla, WA): Fri.-Sun.; Year-round; Accommodates special requests. Wallawallaballoonflights.com 

• Seattle Ballooning (Walla Walla, WA): May-Oct. Up to 10 people in a party. Seattleballooning.com/walla-walla-hot-air-balloon-rides 

• Okanagan Ballooning (Kelowna, BC) May-Oct. Okballooning.com 
  
  

Great Spots to Watch Balloons from the Ground 

The 36^th annual Great Prosser Balloon Rally takes place Sept. 26-28, 2025, in Prosser, Wash. The local Chamber of Commerce executive director, Alex Steinbock, calls the Rally a fantastic spectator event, with a mass sunrise liftoff of up to 30 balloons. Steinbock says, “Watching the huge balloons take off from the ground is magical.”  

During Saturday’s main event, pilots lower their crafts to the Yakima River, attempting to touch the surface. Steinbock’s tip: “Try to grab a spot on the bridge for a close-up view.” After sunset, attendees may view the tethered balloons, burners lighting up the nylon interiors, making a vivid spectacle. Typically, public balloon rides are not offered. Enjoy the town’s Harvest Festival, happening the same weekend. Prosserballoonrally.org 

Winthrop Roundup, Mar. 6-8, 2026 

Winthropwashington.com/event/balloon-roundup 

Walla Walla Balloon Stampede, May 6-10, 2026  

Seattleballooning.com/walla-walla-hot-air-balloon-rides 

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By Tabitha Gregory 

Cover photo courtesy of Tabitha Gregory

On a hot July Saturday, I found myself atop a horse named Serenity, swaying down a broad trail in Spokane’s Riverside State Park. The breeze rustled the ponderosa limbs above, blew up a dusty wake, and charmingly mussed Serenity’s jet-black forelock and mane. Sitting high above the ground on a big animal like this put me way outside my comfort zone. 

Over the years, I’ve been minimally exposed to the horse life. As a kid, I occasionally rode with my dad on his parents’ quarter horses. Later, as an adult, I encountered horse packers and trail riders on mountain routes while hiking in wilderness areas and national forests. These brushes with the equestrian led me to appreciate the role of horses in the West and their place in the landscape. Now, as a resident of the Inland Northwest, where ranching and rodeos coexist with backpacking and mountain biking, I thought it appropriate to try out a local ride and experience a familiar park from topside. 

I talked my sister, Saree, into joining me for this two-hour outing with Pacific Trail Rides. We met our guide at the equestrian area in Riverside State Park off Government Way on the west side of the Spokane River. Here, there’s a large multi-pen log-fenced corral, a neat barn, restrooms, and a huge parking lot. 

We met our guide, a sixteen-year-old nicknamed “Q.” Even in her youth, she appeared the seasoned horsewoman—roughed up jeans, dust-covered kickers, leather belt with a big silver buckle, tanned, and sporting a thick braid that hung down her back. 

Saree and I checked out the horses. They all appeared calm and dismissive. One stuck his head through the log slats and nipped at dry blades of grass; another shook her mane, clinking the harness’s bit and hardware in a cowboy sort of way. 

Q assigned us horses, taking into consideration our stated tolerance for “feistiness.” Saree was paired with Bailey, known as a biter and for taking pleasure in brushing her passenger’s legs against trees. I claimed Serenity. 

I pushed my toe into the stirrup, grabbed the saddle horn and cantle, and swung my leg over Serenity’s back. Immediately I felt unsettled, teetering far above the ground on a living being with a mind of its own and the heft to resist any instruction I might give. 

Our group set out in single file along a double track, which eventually narrowed to single track, passing through open Ponderosa forest. For the first half hour, I watched every step Serenity took and pulled tersely on the reins when she approached the horse ahead too closely.  

Riding a horse is not entirely smooth. A horse must pick its way through rocks, stumps, and fallen trees, shifting its gait unexpectedly, stumbling at times, trotting and slowing as it ascends or descends. Each horse has its own personality, as well. Serenity did not especially like following other horses—the swishing tail of the leading animal seemed to annoy her—so she slyly worked her way to the front. I waved at my fellow trail riders as I passed, “Sorry, I guess we’re taking the lead.” 

At last, I settled into the saddle, and while I was still not as relaxed as the confident Q, I began to enjoy the feeling of gently urging Serenity on and allowing her to fully engage with the trail, picking her way through obstacles. 

We moseyed alongside the river’s edge at Bowl and Pitcher, plodded under basalt cliffs and scree, and ascended low hills. It was quiet and the air smelled of pitch. We encountered two hikers and saw no wildlife. A little over halfway, our group stopped for water and to enjoy the scenery. 

After a languid two hours, we sauntered up to the barn, dismounted, and shook dust off our shoes. Saree and I congratulated one another for a successful outing, stroked our horses’ noses, and offered a nod to the equine heritage of the West. // 

Tabitha enjoys exploring, hiking, and skiing in the Inland Northwest. She writes for Out There Venture and North Columbia Monthly and is the author of the historical non-fiction book “Valdez Rises: One Town’s Struggle for Survival After the Great Alaska Earthquake”. 

No matter your horse-riding aptitude, you can gain a different perspective and experience a ride on the trail with one of these local guide companies.  

Pacific Trail Rides 

 $150 for a 2-hour ride; Discover Pass required for day-use parking. 

Spokane Trail Ride and Boarding  

https://spokanetrailrides.com

Lodging, camping, rides, weddings. 

Red Mountain Horse Ranch 

Dude ranch with family and kids programs, restaurant, and lodging near Harrison, Idaho. 

Mountain Horse Adventures 

https://www.schweitzer.com/to-do/horseback-riding

2.5-hour rides from Schweitzer Village via the cross-country ski trails.  

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Beginning this fall, a collaboration between Gonzaga’s Center for Climate, Society and the Environment and the university’s Center for Lifelong Learning will offer an online Climate Certificate Program. This program is among the first of its kind in the U.S. and seeks to arm community members—professionals and volunteers—with a way to build skills and effect positive change.

According to Dr. Brian Henning, the Center’s director, the certificate program was conceived as a tool to train residents (especially in small and mid-sized towns) to help their communities develop plans to reduce climate pollution and make their communities more resilient. Students will learn how to engage their communities; assess climate impact and vulnerability; measure, track, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions; and implement climate and social justice strategies.

Henning says that students will learn foundational content and skills and leave with a clear plan for how to successfully facilitate this work in their own communities and organizations. For example, participants can develop concepts and vet strategies for dealing with contemporary threats, including increased fire and smoke, longer stretches of high heat, and drought.

The program is open to potential students ranging from recent graduates to mid-career professionals. A bachelor’s degree or at least five years of any kind of work experience (may include jobs held during high school) are the only prerequisites. Because the classes will all be online, students anywhere may participate. For more information, visit Gonzaga.edu/ClimateCert.

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According to program director Chris Cindric, courses may take place close to the ground or high in the air, depending on goals. Even though participants may climb and belay, Cindric notes that no experience with these skills is necessary.

The program welcomes groups of up to 36 from Inland Northwest businesses, school districts, non-profits, and other such organizations. Participants are typically adults, but activities may be designed for students as young as third grade. The program does not accommodate activities such as birthday and bachelorette/bachelor parties.

Groups commonly come to the program seeking to practice communication and listening skills, says Cindric. They also want to develop trust, step out of their comfort zone, and improve decision making. The “Team Triangle” (which utilizes low elements) is one example of an activity that facilitates this type of growth. In this activity, groups start on a platform, move out onto pole-attached cables, then progress from pole to pole along the cables. To successfully complete the Triangle, the group must assess and plan before beginning and communicate well along the way.

Courses are led by EWU students working toward an Experiential Education and Group Facilitation minor. These students learn technical, leadership, and group management skills. Programs are typically scheduled for Fridays during EWU’s spring (April to June) and fall (September to December) quarters. Youth camps are offered during the summer. Pricing runs from $60 to $180 per hour depending on group size. Visit Ewu.edu/chsph/wellness-movement-sciences/challenge-course/ for more info.

(Tabitha Gregory)

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Gonzaga, Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, Whitworth University and Spokane Community College each offer different takes on what today’s students will need in terms of knowledge, experience, and ethics as they step into their careers during an era of climate change, increased demand for public land recreation, and acrimonious policy disputes.

While each school approaches the responsibility of preparing students for these challenges differently, they all agree that an academic education must be paired with real-world experiences and field work, and all are attempting, through evolved courses, organizations, and degree programs, to focus students’ attention on broader environmental and public service missions.

Local University and College Outdoor Ed Programs

Gonzaga University

Gonzaga, a private Spokane-based university, offers degrees in Environmental Studies & Sciences within its College of Arts & Sciences.

Brian Henning, a professor and director of the school’s new Center for Climate, Society and the Environment, describes the programs as highly interdisciplinary and says that the programs reflect the school’s Jesuit tradition—students must study philosophy, ethics, and religion as well as science.

He says, “We lean into social justice and hope students leave with a concern for the common good.”

Along with classroom studies, students engage in practicums and internships. Recently, students have taught climate change in local elementary schools and mapped heat zones for the City of Spokane.

Washington State University

At WSU, a public university headquartered in Pullman, students major in Earth Science, Environmental and Ecosystem Science, Forestry, Wildlife Ecology, and Conservation Sciences — all housed in the School of the Environment, a merger of formerly separate disciplines.

Director Allyson Beall King says the programs are more integrated than in the past. “Big ideas are discovered and conceived of when students and professors come together at the intersections of disciplines,” she says. Students at WSU also engage in hands-on field work.

For example, 2022 PhD grad, Kayla Wakulich, who now works for the land trust Utah Open Lands, spent much time planting, measuring, tracking, and monitoring local creek restoration.

Eastern Washington University

Eastern, a public university located in Cheney, offers a degree in Outdoor Recreation Leadership through the College of Health Science and Public Health.

According to director Jeremy Jostad, students learn to manage people and recreational activities occurring in outdoor spaces. He says the program is heavy on experiential education, with much of the learning taking place in the field (think backpacking, whitewater boating, and mountaineering). Classroom study is also required.

Katrin Ferraro, a 2022 graduate and the Director of Outdoor Recreation & Ski School at Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, says that along with the skills-based courses she took classes in diversity and social justice, statistics, and budgeting and was required to conduct research and write academic papers.

Whitworth University & Spokane Community College

Whitworth University and Spokane Community College, both located in Spokane, also offer environmental science, environmental studies, and natural resources management degrees.

Gen Z Leaders Impress Predecessors

Recent graduates from Inland Northwest schools have already taken their seats in agencies, non-profits, and private industry.

Many of these new professionals are members of the so-called Generation Z, and, according to their professors, they are passionate about their work and concerned for the future of the planet and humanity.

“We’re seeing students who want to solve the world’s problems,” says Gonzaga’s Henning. Beall King of WSU adds, “They are kinder, compassionate, and interested in diversity.”

Carrie Herrman, a 2017 Gonzaga graduate and current Outreach Director for Washington-based Save our Wild Salmon, says she believes that her education—especially the work she did for the campus community garden and an environmental organization—prepared her for the real world.

She says, “I learned to ask the right questions, become a better communicator, and lead others through community initiatives and projects.”

Other students agree that their practicums allowed them to develop proficiencies they’ve put to use in their first career jobs. They honed teaching and decision-making skills, collaborated, worked on teams, and managed group dynamics—all skills they say have proven critical in their environmental and outdoor workplaces.

Challenges For Natural Resource Management

Educators at the Inland Northwest universities say their graduates will be responsible for managing extraordinarily complex and intractable environmental and social challenges.

Among the toughest: navigating a growing divide between traditional land-conservationists and climate activists; leading the nation in adapting to and mitigating climate change; finding ways to change public behaviors; and creating meaningful opportunities for a growing and more diverse public in an increasingly crowded natural world.

The new professionals forecast that solutions to climate change and related issues such as water supply, habitat, and conflicting uses will be their generation’s holy grail and will be complicated by social and environmental injustice and on-going political strife.

Future Outlook for Outdoor Rec & Natural Resource Workforce

Many graduates from the Inland Northwest’s colleges and university natural resource and outdoor recreation programs go on to graduate and law school.

Others join consulting and engineering firms, non-profits, legislative offices, government agencies, recreation companies and leisure businesses.

Ryan Griffith, a supervisor with the City of Spokane’s Parks and Recreation Department, says his agency has hired many outdoor students from both Eastern and Gonzaga into both temporary and full-time positions and applauds the programs.

Even so, the speed with which newly minted professionals are finding work and the level of job security and compensation varies greatly and does not appear to be commensurate with current demands and the level of influence they’ll have on critical global resources and issues.

Gonzaga’s Herrman observes, “There are jobs in my field, and the Environmental Studies Department at Gonzaga was constantly sharing our job postings.” She shares that it can be hard to find a job without the university’s assistance.

Other graduates indicated that it took advanced degrees, acquisition of additional certifications, several years of seasonal, nomadic, or part-time work, relocating, and/or a lucky break to land full-time jobs with salaries and benefits sufficient to support themselves and their families.

With current cost of living trends and the time it takes to land a secure, full-time position, some young graduates—like their peers in other fields—are delaying starting families and buying houses. If compensation doesn’t grow along with the challenges and demands, the field risks losing out on highly educated, skilled, and driven people.

Even faced with daunting professional challenges and personal economic realities, Inland Northwest alumni are enthusiastic, optimistic, and expect to remain in their chosen fields for the long term.

Wakulich of WSU says emphatically, “I know I’m in the right field, and I know I will work in it for the rest of my life.” Eastern’s Ferraro says, “Yes! Absolutely,” that she expects to stay in this field for her career.

As Baby Boomers and Generation X leaders exit the workforce, Generation Z professionals will increasingly take the drivers’ seats. Brian Henning suggests that senior professionals usher in the next generation by making space for them and transferring knowledge.

“This and future generations will be solving problems you’ve laid groundwork for. You won’t complete these things—they will,” he sats.

Allyson Beall King, at WSU, is hopeful for the future of the natural environment and public lands because of advances in science, knowledge, and technology, and also because of this generation’s attributes. “I want to see the world when they’re in charge.”

Tabitha Gregory is the author of the non-fiction book “Valdez Rises: One Town’s Struggle for Survival After the Great Alaska Earthquake.” She wrote about small town museums in July-August 2022 issue.

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A surprising number of intriguing and entertaining small-town museums stand along the routes to the Inland Northwest’s hiking, biking and boating destinations. These museums offer the outdoor enthusiast a new perspective on the natural areas to which they travel.

The region’s human history dates back thousands of years and is inextricably tied to the natural world. Our forests, waterways, fish and wildlife have supported indigenous communities, settlers, adventurers, towns, and industries.

As a matter of fact, it would be surprising to visit anywhere in the region that does not already have a human story attached to it. Those stories, when known, add depth, meaning, and greater connection to our favorite places.

The museums listed below are all worth a stop. Displays are arranged chronologically and in categories (think arrow heads, baskets, typewriters, household implements, and farm tools). Dioramas are packed with artifacts – sometimes to overflowing.

In addition, on the grounds of the museums below you’ll find cabins, a one-room schoolhouse, fire lookouts, sawmills, a chapel, and a full-sized 1910 house filled with original furnishings and décor.

Keep in mind that these facilities are largely operated on a shoestring budget and managed by volunteers. Small town museums typically begin with family collections and grow largely by happenstance and generosity. Exhibits and labels are crafted over decades, often by local old timers or volunteers, and reflect their own unique perspectives, interests, outlooks, and sensitivities.

Visitors may choose to view exhibits as a starting point for understanding timelines, themes, and historical figures of our region’s history, then take a deeper dive by reading some of the many well-written and researched articles and books out there.

Pend Oreille County Museum Historical Society (Newport, Wash.)

On the way from Spokane to Schweitzer, Sandpoint, Priest Lake, and Lake Pend Oreille, this museum is operated by the Pend Oreille County Historical Society.

It includes artifacts and antiques representing the region’s lifestyles and industry including needlework, household implements, typewriters, cash registers, musical instruments, tools, machinery, and vehicles. There is also an impressive and comprehensive collection of tools used for cutting and managing ice.

Don’t miss the mockups of a sawmill, cabin, fire lookout tower, schoolhouse, and chapel, all of which are walk-in and hands-on.

The museum is located in the historic I. & W.N. Depot Building at 402 S. Washington Ave. in Newport, Wash. Admission is $5 per adult (children free), and hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday 1-4 p.m., and it’s open May 28 through September 5. More info at Pochsmuseum.org.

Wallace District Mining Museum (Wallace, Idaho)

This is a great stop on trips to Lookout Pass, the Route of the Hiawatha, Silver Mountain Bike Park, Fourth of July Pass, or adventures in Montana. The museum at 509 Bank Street is operated by the Wallace District Mining Museum.

Learn about mining history of the Coeur d’Alene Mining District (particularly the large silver mines), geology, methods used for mining over the past century, women and Black miners’ contributions, and the 1910 Big Burn. Cool artifacts include a mine “bicycle.”

Admission is $5 adults with discounts for families, and the museum is open daily from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. More info at Wallaceminingmuseum.com.

Spokane Valley Heritage Museum (Spokane Valley, Wash.)

Visit this museum in the Opportunity Township Hall building at E. 12114 Sprague Ave. as part of a day-trip to the Dishman Hills, Iller Creek, Saltese Uplands, or Antoine Peak trailheads.

Learn about namesakes of some of the area’s popular hiking destinations and natural areas; Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe; the pioneer towns of Opportunity and Spokane Bridge that were razed to make way for I-90; military, and telecommunications, railroads, and early-1900’s school- and home-life.

Don’t miss the 1899 mud shoes fabricated by Peter Morrison for his horses to wear to keep them from sinking into the mud while dredging canals that drained Saltese Lake.

Admission is $6 for adults (discounts for military, seniors, and children), and hours run Wednesday-Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. year-round. More info: Spokanevalleymuseum.com.

Keller Heritage Center (Colville, Wash.)

Take a tour of this museum operated by the Stevens County Historical Society on your next trip to the Colville National Forest, upper Columbia River, or Canada.

Highlights include pre-inundation Kettle Falls and the first bridge crossing the falls; clothing, tools, and implements crafted and used by early indigenous people including regalia, baskets, and arrow heads; the Hudson’s Bay Company and its trapping history; military history including the early U.S. Army installation of Fort Colville; U.S. Border Patrol; regional agricultural, mining, and timber development; Colville’s early 1900’s civic, home, and town life.

Especially cool artifacts include a photo of eels hauled out on rocks of the pre-inundation Kettle Falls, a sturgeon-nosed canoe, and a Nez Perce woven corn husk bottle.

Located at 700 N. Wynne St. in Colville, Wash., admission is $5 for adults with discounts for seniors, people with disabilities, children, and groups. Hours run daily May and September from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and June through August from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday–Thursday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday–Sunday. More info at Stevenscountyhistoricalsociety.org.

Lincoln County Historical Museum (Davenport, Wash.)

On the way to Lake Roosevelt and the Channeled Scablands trailheads, Davenport’s small-town museum is operated by the Lincoln County Historical Society.

It includes early Native tools and implements, mammoth fossils, Pioneer Bottling Works, the story of outlaw Harry Tracy, grain farming then and now, Fort Spokane history and early 1900’s domestic life history, and railroad and bridge building. An especially cool artifact is the humongous horse-drawn thresher used to harvest crops.

Located at 600 7^th Street in Davenport, Wash., suggested admission is $4 for adults and hours run June 7 for the summer from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and Sundays by appointment. More info: Lincolncountymuseums.org.

Originally published as “Exploring the History of the Places Where We Play” in the July-August 2022 print issue.

Tabitha Gregory is a former director of a local history museum and has written about local history topics for Out There. She’s the author of the non-fiction book “Valdez Rises: One Town’s Struggle for Survival After the Great Alaska Earthquake.”

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The road winds through a countryside blonde with wheat, then dips into a brush-choked gorge. Three of us—me, my husband, and my 82-year-old mother—let out a harmony of “ahs” at the sight of the lovely creek and decide this is the place to stop for a tailgate coffee break. We park in a gravel pullout, situate mom in a folding chair under a poplar tree, and pour coffee. While we sit, five species of songbirds sound off, accompanied by frogs and buzzing insects. It’s a beautiful moment in an afternoon outing.

Over the past several years, my husband and I have formed a habit of taking mom on outings such as this. The challenges of aging—pain, dementia—are wearing on her and nature seems to give her a measure of relief and pleasure.

Experts agree that time outdoors is an important part of overall healthfulness for elders. That’s exactly why Ryan Griffith, Spokane Parks & Recreation’s assistant recreation director, partners with local senior centers to take groups of elderly patrons kayaking and snow shoeing. He says that seniors benefit from being outdoors in myriad ways including exercise, mental stimulation, getting away from the television, and social interaction.

Griffith observes that even seemingly simple occurrences like a bird singing or snow falling on a jacket sleeve help relax the mind. Griffith suggests taking along snacks, water, and trekking poles, and recommends approaching the activity with a flexible mindset.

Fortunately, the Inland Northwest provides a wealth of opportunities for older residents to get outdoors safely. Together, my husband, mother, and I have been to the summit of a mountain, explored a cave, lolled in green orchards, and wandered through wetlands.

Here are four outings around the Spokane area—field tested by mom—to consider planning with your elders.

Mukogawa Institute Stroll or Roll

Drive Government Way to Fremont Road and turn into the Mukogawa Institute (officially called Mukogawa U.S. Campus, an extension of Mukogawa Women’s University in Japan). Park along Offut Road in front of McNally Recital Hall. Walk west 0.25 mile along Custer Drive under graceful Douglas firs. A row of beautifully maintained red brick officers’ quarters line the way and placards note the year each building was built.

Rest on the benches at the roundabout, then either stroll back to your car on the opposite side of the sunshine-dappled parade grounds (along Randolph Road) or wander another 0.2 mile into the forest along paved paths to discover the tiny hidden chapel near Takaoka Hall.

• Comforts: Shade trees, wheelchair accessible (advise keeping to the low-traffic road instead of the uneven sidewalks), benches at the roundabout and near the Nellie Garry Guest House, covered gazebo with picnic table at corner of Fremont and North Wright Drive.
• Walking or rolling distance: 0.5 mile along quiet paved roadway with options to extend.
• Sensory: Birdsong, busy squirrels, historic buildings and interesting architecture, towering pine and fir trees.
• Cautions: No public restrooms along this route.

Mount Spokane Summit and Vista House

Drive north from Spokane to Mount Spokane State Park. At the entrance, stay on Mount Spokane Park Drive and continue uphill to North Summit Road. Follow the narrow strip of blacktop to the parking area. Walk up to Vista House.

• Comforts: Wheelchair accessible outhouses along the road and at waysides and picnic tables at Bald Knob Campground.
• Walking distance: 0.25 mile out-and-back gravel pathway to Vista House.
• Sensory: Dense forest and undergrowth, broad views, sunshine, and an interesting stone house.
• Cautions: Sections of narrow winding road with steep no-guardrail drop-offs, and it can be windy up top.

Valley Chapel Road Trip

From Spokane’s South Hill, take Palouse Highway south to the intersection with South Valley Chapel Road. Travel along Stevens and Latah creeks and take a break at one of the pull-offs to enjoy the babbling water.

Stop at Mt. Hope Chapel (corner of East Valley Chapel Road and South North Kentuck Trails Road) to stretch legs and enjoy the quiet wheat fields.

Take a 4-mile out-and-back side trip drive south on North Kentuck Trails Road to Hanging Tree Historical Monument (watch for the marker pointing the way) and pause for a moment of silence to consider the gravity of events that occurred here. Then continue to the Highway 27 intersection.

Return directly to Spokane via Highway 27 or take a few more twists and turns through farm, field, and forest on rural gravel roads.

• Comforts: Outhouse (not wheelchair accessible) and shade trees at Mount Hope Chapel.
• Walking distance: As desired at chosen rest stops.
• Sensory: Birdsong, frog song, rippling creeks, pastoral views.
• Cautions: Limited restrooms, winding roads.

St. Aloysius Walk or Roll

Park on Astor Street in front of St. Aloysius church on Gonzaga campus. Stroll or roll along wheelchair accessible sidewalk to the church, then head east along the smooth brick and stone promenade to Rosauer Center.

Walk south between buildings, then follow the walkways, this time west, back to St. Aloysius. To extend the outing, continue on to the performing arts center, visit the Jundt Art Museum or cross the grass to the river’s edge.

• Comforts: Wheelchair accessible sidewalks and paths, numerous benches, shade trees.
• Walking or rolling distance: 0.75-mile loop (expand or shorten as desired).
• Sensory: Prayer Grotto (located east of the the church) and Gonzaga University campus’s impressive rhododendrons, basalt-blocks, pocket gardens, statuary, rockwork and architecture, shoreline, birdsong.
• Cautions: No public restrooms along the route.

Tabitha Gregory enjoys exploring, hiking, and skiing in the Inland Northwest. She’s written for Out There Venture and North Columbia Monthly and is the author of the historical nonfiction book “Valdez Rises: One Town’s Struggle for Survival After the Great Alaska Earthquake.”

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Abercrombie Mountain stands amid the mountains just shy of the Canadian border in northeast Washington. A popular trail to the summit switchbacks through dense forest and ascends through fields of wildflowers punctuated by silver snags. The mountain’s trail, natural beauty, and high elevation make it an appealing destination for hikers and mountain bikers, and its namesake’s history creates an intriguing web of connection with other Northwest landmarks.

William Abercrombie, for whom the mountain is named, was raised in New York. In 1877, at the age of 19, he joined the Army and was assigned to Fort Colville, located near the present town of Colville, Wash. While there, he surveyed and mapped swaths of wildlands surrounding the Pend Oreille River, Priest River, Columbia River, Montana, and north to the 49th parallel—including the Abercrombie Mountain area.

Abercrombie’s experience exploring the Inland Northwest made him a strong candidate for more distant expeditions. So, in 1884, as Lieutenant Colonel, Abercrombie began leading missions to Alaska. He explored the massive Copper River three times, crossed the rugged Valdez Glacier, and established order in the chaotic gold rush-tent-city of Valdez.

One of his most notable Alaska projects was to locate, engineer, and construct an overland route to the interior gold fields through the Chugach Range. Today, this route is known as the Richardson Highway. In Alaska, there is an Abercrombie Peak, an Abercrombie Creek, and an Abercrombie State Park—all named for him.

Abercrombie returned intermittently to eastern Washington while serving in Alaska and eventually was promoted to Commander of Spokane’s Fort George Wright, which still stands today on the grounds of Spokane Falls Community College. Towering ponderosa pines rise along the grassy parade grounds, and pristine red brick buildings line the lanes. The Fort’s construction began in 1898, well after the so-called “Indian Wars,” but the namesake—George Wright—has become a modern-day symbol of the atrocities committed by the U.S. military against indigenous people. As a matter of fact, in the spring of 2021, Wright’s name was removed from the bordering roadway.

In 1910, Abercrombie retired and moved from the stately Post Commander’s House to a mansion on Spokane’s South Hill. His retirement house still stands today on a quiet street in the Cannon Addition, a plaque identifying it as the “Abercrombie House.” The home is grand with west-facing windows and a green lawn and landscaping. The original basalt rockwork of the foundation is still visible.

Each place that today bears Abercrombie’s name, in Alaska and in Washington, is beautiful and interesting in its own right. And the Abercrombie connection allows visitors to see some of the ways in which the region’s geography, geology, and history are drawn together.

Matt Kinney and Tabitha Gregory live in Spokane where they explore the Inland Northwest’s trails by foot, bike, and ski. Matt is author of “Alaska Backcountry Skiing: Valdez and Thompson Pass” and Tabitha is former director of the Valdez Museum and author of “Valdez Rises: One Town’s Struggle for Survival After the Great Alaska Earthquake.”

For more Flashback stories about places, people, and recreation in the Northwest, visit the OTO archives.

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