Racing meant a lot to my identity as a high schooler. I was on the track and cross-country teams at my rural high school, and I was never more nervous than the day of a meet. During that teenage time of figuring out who I was, being a runner was an identifier I held onto when other things in my social world shifted. Which was why I took it especially hard the season I sustained a fascia injury in my left calf muscle that left me limping. Nothing seemed worse than being unable to run.  

I think of that injury nearly 20 years later for a few reasons. My cross-country coach asked me to compete in the districts race at the end of the season, hoping I’d score some points for the team, even though I could barely walk. I lined up at the start because I was a high school girl used to doing what I was told. I finished almost dead last, was in a lot of pain when I did, and never told off my coach for treating me like an asset instead of a person.  

By the following season, I had healed and I had a new coach, one who ran marathons as a hobby. “Listen to your body,” she said to our team, which I heard as “you’re the authority on what you can and should do on the course.” It was the first time I’d considered it. The fact that I can still see her on the front lawn of the high school saying this to a circle of runners doing pre-practice stretches is proof of how perspective-shifting it was for me.  

“Listen to your body” reframed my idea of working with my body rather than against it while running, of entering into a partnership with it rather than seeing it as something to tamp into submission. I never ran a race when it didn’t feel right again. 

Since high school, I’ve continued running and racing for pleasure. I enjoy a challenge and I’m competitive. I’m able to run sustainably by respecting my knees when they say I haven’t done enough base training, not hitting the trail if I haven’t adequately fueled and hydrated, and saying no to races that don’t feel right, even if I’ve already paid for them.  

Establishing a good relationship with racing has allowed me to connect with all the other beautiful things that the sport can provide. I love the running community in Spokane, the gear shops and run clubs, and I still love picking up a few races each year. I’ve run through loneliness, frustration, anxiety, sadness and joy. I’ve run alone and with a stroller, on roads and on trails, near rivers and up mountains. Running has been a companion that has helped me through life, more partnership than punishment, and one good coach helped me see it that way long ago. 

In this issue of Out There Venture, we’ve rounded up our Race, Ride and Event Guide, a collection of the races in our region from March through October for runners, cyclists, walkers, triathletes, swimmers and paddlers. It’s an exciting list. I hope it sparks some inspiration to explore our region and the community that comes with racing and outdoor activities. And I hope you race for you. 

• Lisa Laughlin, managing editor  

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Finishers get a bag of leftover gear from past Negative Split races—shirts, hoodies and other swag—plus raffle tickets for additional prizes or future race entries. On top of that, registration includes a free wristband for entry to the Spokane Great Outdoors Expo right at the finish line, where there are over 70 outdoor recreation exhibitors, live music and entertainment, a full bar and more. For anyone craving a bit of outdoor community during the late-winter lull, the Swag Run hits the spot. Lace up your shoes, bring a few friends and enjoy an easygoing morning run that rewards you with fitness, fun and a pile of quality swag. 

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A steep, sketchy gully on Spokane’s South Hill just became a gateway to adventure. The new Rocket Gulch Stairs now connect neighborhood streets to the High Drive Bluff trail system, turning what was once a loose, hazardous slope into a sturdy, city-approved access point. Built by Washington Trails Association crews over the summer, the 82-step staircase (complete with retaining walls and handrails) links the end of the public right-of-way just south of 43rd Street and Hatch Road directly into the Bluff. The project was spearheaded by Friends of the Bluff, a volunteer-led nonprofit that’s spent years improving access to the 500-acre natural area above Latah Creek. 

The $65,000 project drew support from city parks, the Spokane Parks Foundation, Bartlett Tree Experts and dozens of community donors but also required about $30,000 from the group’s reserves to finish. High Drive Bluff’s 20-plus miles of trails have long been a magnet for hikers, runners and mountain bikers, yet safe neighborhood access points were limited. The new stairs change that, offering a direct, walk-in route for locals who’d rather skip the car and head straight into the pines. Friends of the Bluff plans to continue improving trail connections as funding allows. Learn more or support their work at Friendsofthebluff.org. 

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When Schweitzer snowcat operator Sabrina started at Ski Santa Fe almost 30 years ago, she had no idea she was stepping into what would become her lifelong career. After working at the New Mexico resort in the rental shop and later as a lift-operator, Sabrina remembers seeing the big snowcats moving around the mountain and thinking, “Yeah, that’s what I want to do.”  

Now, after 28 years working at multiple mountains across the country, Sabrina has spent the last nine years running a winch cat at Schweitzer. Her favorite part of the job? Watching the trails change throughout the course of the season. “You’re creating a product for people to ski on,” Sabrina said. Each day is a fresh opportunity to continue to shape the mountain. And even though snowcat operators work behind the scenes, Sabrina said she loves looking at trails from the top of a chair lift and thinking, “I did that.”  

The snowcat operators at Schweitzer (many of whom have been there as long or longer than Sabrina) are committed to keeping each other safe as they maintain and groom trails. While each groomer operates their own machine, they work together when conditions are tough, often bailing each other out if their cats get stuck or break down. Even though the job itself requires the operators to work independently, there’s a camaraderie amongst the crew.  

“You have to have a passion for this job,” Sabrina told me. With the late hours, seasonal work, and the amount of time spent alone in a snowcat, operators who stick around the longest are those who love the lifestyle. “You can’t make a good product if you don’t have a passion for skiing or boarding,” she explained. Many of the teams she’s worked with over her career were all avid or former skiers or snowboarders. That love of the lifestyle is part of what unites them and helps them excel in their work.  

At the end of a shift, Sabrina feels most successful when she knows she’s maintained a trail so others can go and safely ride. Even though she’s been at this for almost 30 years, she admits that every season she learns something new. There’s something about the job—the moose plowing their own trails through deep snow or the fresh tracks of mountain lions, the friendly banter over their two-way radios throughout a long shift, being the first person to watch the sun kiss the mountaintop, going where few people ever get to go, or that freshly laid corduroy—that keeps the operators coming back season after season. (Bri Loveall)  

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Cover photo courtesy of Bri Loveall

One cold, snowy morning last winter, I woke hours before the mountains would transform into a kaleidoscope of pinks and blues, more commonly known as alpenglow, and made my way to the base of Lookout Pass to join the snowcat operators for a morning of work.  

That early morning, the lights from the snowcats were like beacons in a vast ocean of night. Brian Rosser, general manager of Lookout Pass, ushered me into one of the five cats Lookout Pass normally operates, a spacious, well-heated cab with plenty of leg room and a whole dashboard of complicated-looking switches, levers, knobs and controls. 

At its core, snowcat operators, or groomers, have the incredible task of mechanically manipulating snow to maintain ski slopes for efficiency, safety and fun. They are the unsung heroes of the mountain, and, as Rosser informed me, snow grooming is a lot like housework; you only notice it when it isn’t done.  

Recreational skiing in the U.S. has only been around for the last 150 years, with the earliest ski resort opening in Colorado in 1915. As resorts opened and recreational skiing took off, resort owners quickly realized they needed some way to shape and maintain the slopes. Some of the earliest grooming was the responsibility of ski patrollers who would either boot or shovel pack the snow to form smoother runs. But it wasn’t until the 1950s that an invention would change the way ski resorts handled slope maintenance. 

The Bradley Packer-Grader was the creation of the executive director of Utah’s Winter Park Resort, Steve Bradley. An adjustable blade at the top of the contraption sliced the tops off moguls while a slat roller followed closely behind, turning and flattening the snow. The only catch? The device weighed several hundred pounds (some sources say as many as 700) and was operated by skiers in the front. Bradley’s fleet of groomers became the evolutionary step in the automation of the modern-day snowcat.  

Military and expeditionary units had been in the process of designing over-snow vehicles for decades. By the 1960s, early snowcats were pulling Packer-Graders, rollers and other DIY contraptions to manage and maintain the snowy slopes. Today’s snowcats are precision instruments that can cut through ice, reshape trails, create those beautiful corduroy lines we all love, and handle the steep inclines of the mountain thanks to their low center of gravity.  

By the time the first lifts start running, the snowcat operators’ work is done for the day. Operators like Rosser and his team ensure that each skier’s experience is safe, consistent and exciting. The next time you glide down a perfectly groomed run, give a shout-out to the groomers who are doing the night work to make sure the memories happen.  

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Cover photo courtesy of Jean Arthur

Rattlesnakes, scorpions, dagger-sharp yucca and plenty of prickly cacti: What’s not to love about the American Southwest? In March, my daughter and I took a girls’ trip to Joshua Tree National Park in California’s Mojave and Sonoran deserts, where early spring brings warm days around 70 degrees and cool nights in the low 40s. I didn’t have high expectations, assuming there would be few visitors to such an arid and barren region, forsaken of life—a wasteland of the American West that curiously only became a national park in 1994.  

Expectations dashed, I encountered spectacular and lush “gardens,” oases and well-maintained trails and campgrounds. I followed a trail to a giant heart-shaped rock just north of White Tank Campground. At Heart Rock, a dozen families and couples patiently waited their turn for a snapshot and generously offered to take a photo for the visitors in front of them—something about nature brings out generosity, curiosity and kindness in humans despite, or perhaps because of, the sharpness of the flora.  

Heart Rock is less than a mile from White Tank Campground, where campers enjoy near silence despite the busy trail thanks to the Flintstones-looking rocks that tuck away campsites. Neighbors for the night include great horned owls hoot-hooting, tortoises and 15 camper vehicles. White Tank, named for white quartz monzonite, is a first-come, first-served site. Campsite reservations are hard to come by at Recreation.gov even though the park has nearly 500 sites. Only two campgrounds have running water, Black Rock and Cottonwood.  

Stargazing at 3,800 feet elevation and among billion-year-old rocks reminds me that the heavens look the same to me as they did to the earliest human inhabitants, minus the occasional satellite and airplane. The people of the Pinto Culture who arrived at the end of the Pleistocene era, some 11,700 years ago, saw this generous sky. They resided in what’s now called the Pinto Basin in the southern half of the park, near where the amazing Cholla Cactus Garden sustains thousands of teddy bear cholla.  

When I was there, shooting stars outlined Sirius, the brightest star in March’s night sky. Orion’s Belt makes an appearance that time of year, as does the Milky Way, which undoubtedly showered the Uto-Aztecan language tribes with light. They are the Serrano and Cahuilla peoples who arrived after the Pinto peoples and resided in small villages, surviving on acorns, pine nuts and mesquite beans as well as jackrabbits and other small game.  

Among the Joshua Tree surprises are the numerous oases tucked among the granite Pinto gneiss, monzogranite that extruded from deep within the earth, forming stained-glass-looking blocks and cracks in heaps around the land. Plants eke out a living by rooting between fissures to find the meagerest of soil. 

The native culture was one that thrived in the Oasis of Mara, where desert fan palms shaded them and their pottery and basketry elegantly held water and food. With my cooler of meals and 5-gallon jugs of water, it’s hard to fathom how humans survived. Ingenuity, curiosity and kindness, I imagine.  

But the plants. Just why is it that many desert plants have spines instead of leaves? Some obvious reasons, of course, include plants’ protection against predators, but I learned from park literature that cacti evolved to conserve water. During a ranger talk, I also learned that many desert plants have leaves with a hazy or dusty-looking appearance, white hairs protecting them from the sun. The spines collect dew when fog occludes the area, allowing droplets to drip to roots. The spines cloak plants with a humid air layer, reducing moisture evaporation. The spines break wind flow, also reducing evaporation.  

I conserve water too on a walk through the Hall of Horrors near the Ryan Campground. Aptly named, the rock formations hide lizards and scorpions and even kids. One family played hide-and-seek, allowing their grade-school-aged children to squeeze between boulders. The rock formations also attracted a youth group on a climbing trip, international visitors waddling through duff and me wondering at the wonderful trees named for the biblical figure, Joshua. Apparently Mormon settlers thought the Yucca brevifolia trees reached toward the sky like Joshua stretched in prayer. 

I look up synonyms for “desert” and find the words incongruent with my experience: barren, desolate, forsaken, abandoned, jilted. Instead, Joshua Tree, the Sonoran, the Mojave, bloom with imagination, fortitude and friendliness. Rattlesnakes, scorpions, dagger-sharp yucca and plenty of cacti: There’s lots to love about Joshua Tree National Park.  

Jean Arthur’s winter pursuits include xc ski touring with her Labrador retrievers, looking for Yellowstone’s wolves and dreaming of spiny desert landscapes. 

Joshua Tree National Park Passes and Services 

Joshua Tree National Park has no gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores or hotels and has very limited cell service. Resupplies are available in the gateway communities of Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. Park passes are available at entrance gates and at visitor centers.  

The post Winter Escape: Joshua Tree National Park   appeared first on Out There Venture.

Cover photo courtesy of Alistair Sedgwick 

Fifty years ago, a small group of dreamers carved out a little ski hill in the Selkirk Mountains. There were no grand plans, no corporate blueprints and no intention of becoming anything other than a place where powder seekers felt at home. Half a century later, Whitewater Mountain Resort has evolved and expanded, yet the heart of the experience remains unchanged. It is still the place where deep snow, great food and an unbeatably friendly community set the tone for your entire trip. 

Located less than an hour north of the Canadian border, Whitewater sits in the snowy heart of the West Kootenays, where reliable storm cycles keep the snow deep all winter long. The terrain is playful, the atmosphere relaxed and the American dollar stretches even further. While the industry around it has shifted toward corporate models and major developments, Whitewater has stayed true to its roots. The resort remains independently and locally owned, with a focus on exceptional snow, memorable meals and a genuine connection to the people who visit. 

A Place to Stay That Feels Like Yours 

For slope-side seclusion, the Hummingbird Lodge boutique suite sleeps six and is one of the most peaceful stays in BC. Quietly tucked near the resort’s Nordic trails, the suite offers a level of privacy that is rare in ski country. Mornings start slowly as light rises over Ymir Peak and evenings settle into a calm that encourages you to linger by the fire. Whether you are here for a long stay or a quick getaway, the suite feels like your own mountain retreat. 

If you prefer to base yourself in Nelson, the vibrant and eclectic city just 13 miles away, you will find excellent dining, live music, boutique hotels and the creative spirit the Kootenays are known for. The area is also a gateway to natural hot springs, Nordic skiing, and world-class backcountry, cat and heli adventures. 

A Smooth Trip to Deep Snow 

Travelers from Spokane and beyond can book a direct shuttle from Spokane International Airport to Nelson at Kootenaycharters.com. Operating five days a week throughout the winter, this convenient service allows you to relax and focus on the adventure ahead. From Nelson, it is a simple connection on the Whitewater shuttle for a stress-free, car-free trip to the mountain. 

Honoring the Past While Looking to the Future 

As Whitewater celebrates its 50th winter, the resort continues to write the next chapter of its mountain story. The recent expansion into Ymir Bowl, accessed from the Raven Chair, introduced new runs, new glades and the resort’s first south-facing alpine terrain. The result is a larger playground that still feels uncrowded and true to the Whitewater way. 

As the resort grows into a four-season destination, the core values remain unchanged. Whitewater is still independently and locally owned, community-focused and dedicated to preserving the character that has defined it for 50 years. If you’re looking for an authentic and unforgettable ski getaway, you’ll find it at Whitewater this winter. Learn more at Whitewatermountainresort.com and stay up to date on the latest and greatest resort updates at @whitewatermountainresort. 

Sponsored

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A trip up to soak in the mineral-rich thermal pools at Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort—north of Nelson, BC, along Kootenay Lake—is a routine pilgrimage for many Out There readers, and winter is an exceptionally magical time to visit. Sitting in the main 96-degree pool, wrapped in steam and gazing out at the snow-covered Purcell Mountains rising up from the lake is pure rejuvenation. A quick overnight trip up from Spokane for Ainsworth’s hot-springs cave and soaking pool is worth the drive all on its own, but the resort has much more to offer.  

The lake-view Ktunaxa Grill—named after the Ktunaxa First Nations whose traditional lands include a vast expanse of territory surrounding the resort—features an indigenous-inspired menu built around local ingredients. It’s a culinary experience that typically inspires repeat visits. Stay a night or two in one of the resort’s spacious, modern rooms or suites—each with hot springs access and guest-only hours—and you have yourself a full-on restorative getaway. But Ainsworth has one more surprise that elevates the whole experience.  

After a day on the slopes at nearby Whitewater or snowshoeing the river trails around Kaslo, few things beat a hot springs soak—except following it with a massage at Ainsworth’s on-site Spirit Water Spa. The spa offers Swedish, deep tissue and targeted massage work. Let skilled hands unwind tight quads or a worked-over back, giving your nervous system a full reset. The Spirit Water Spa also offers energy therapies, detoxifying clay applications and indulgent body wraps. Treatments are designed to complement time in the pools, pairing heat and minerals with whole-body relaxation.  

Ainsworth blends natural thermal relaxation, striking scenery and unpretentious resort comforts that will make any winter adventure in the Kootenays more memorable. Learn more or book your trip at Ainsworthhotsprings.com.

Sponsored

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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 

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Northeast Washington-based Altai Skis puts on this annual gathering of backcountry ski touring enthusiasts, including those interested in Altai Skis’ Hok ski that some have described as a “ski-shoe” that combines elements of a backcountry ski and snowshoe. This year’s weekend event was originally planned for Feb. 7-8, but winter didn’t exactly cooperate. The new later-season date, Feb 28 – March 1, will hopefully bring snowier trails. Festivities both days run from 10 AM to 3 PM and include clinics, group ski tours and Altai Skis demo gear for all ages and abilities. The Altai crew also gives away some pretty sweet prizes and there will be a fire pit and hot beverages in the parking lot. Altai Skis sells backcountry skis that are inspired by the origins of skiing in the Altai Mountains of China, where they’ve been used as a tool for backcountry travel and hunting for millennia.  

The festival takes place at Boulder Pass at the Deer Creek Nordic Sno-Park in the Kettle Range mountains west of Curlew. The gathering is a chance to try some of Altai’s gear, including Hoks, on some moderate backcountry slopes near the pass. Hoks, which have a climbing skin built into the base of a short yet wide ski, have slowly been building a cult-like following of snowshoers and skiers looking for a simple and efficient backcountry tool that can be skied just about anywhere. Hoks excel on backcountry tours with short runs and rolling terrain, as they don’t require frequent climbing skin transitions to get back up the next hill. Check for details and any schedule changes due to snow or weather conditions at Altaiskis.com.  

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