After Covid lockdown, says Spokane mountain bike coach Frank Burns, “We saw that kids were withdrawn and excluded, for many good reasons, from the interactions that are so critical to the development of adolescent brains. My buddy is a pediatrician and my wife is a psychiatrist, and hearing them talk about what they were seeing with depression, anxiety, and withdrawal in adolescent populations was scary.”

But once kids were able to get back out riding together in the spring of 2021, he says, kids thrived like they had before.

After some thought, Burns says he and his fellow coaches came to the conclusion that bikes are the answer. “Armed with this new found insight, we secured the Bikesaretheanswer.org domain name and put up a website to make it easy for everyone in our region with kids to engage in youth cycling teams.”

Youth mountain biking programs in the Inland Northwest are not new, but navigating the confusing acronyms and disparate programs didn’t make it easy for families to find the right programs and races for their kids.

The Bikesaretheanswer.org site simplifies the region’s youth cross-country (XC) mountain biking team and race options and brings them all together in one easy-to-use web portal. The volunteers behind the effort went a step further and also helped fill the gap between the existing spring youth mountain bike teams under the Washington Student Cycling League (WSCL) and the fall youth cyclocross team (School of Cross); they brought a summer team under the banner of the National Interscholastic Cycling League of Montana (NICA MT) into the fold.

From the Bikesaretheanswer.org website, parents can now find all the info and registration links for Inland Northwest mountain bike team options for spring, summer, and fall, plus optional race dates throughout the year, all in one place.

Simplifying the process for parents has huge value, but the addition of the summer league that brings kids from around the region together into one team has also had a tremendous impact on the kids, coaches, and families that are now so much more connected, explains Burns.

The addition of the summer league really opened the coaches’ eyes, says Burns. “All the kids from the region were put together into one team and thrived. The kids, coaches, and families became friends, and we competed as one group against other teams in the larger multistate league.”

It gave everyone a taste of what a successful regional approach to youth cycling can deliver, says Burns. “We began to ride trails in CDA, Mount Spokane, Mica, Saltese, and Riverside together too.”

An unexpected outcome, he adds, was that kids saw themselves as part of a region, as opposed to a small friend group in a school or neighborhood.

For kids and families, Burns says youth bike teams are a great regional community-building tool, all while delivering fun, friends, health and inclusion. Kids in grades 6–12 can participate in the spring and summer XC mountain bike leagues, and ages 6–18 can take part in the fall cyclocross season.

Youth of all abilities are welcome, and Burns points out that kids typically self-sort whether they are more interested in riding for fun and being social or competing and racing. “At the start of the season, we had some kids who had not ridden much at all,” explains Burns, “and after six weeks, these kids do multi-hour rides and see themselves as part of a mountain bike team and are ready to race if they want to.”

Originally published as “For Some Pandemic-Weary Parents, Bikes Became the Answer” in the May-June 2022 issue.

Find more stories in the OTO archives about biking and Out There Kids family outdoor adventures.

The post Inland NW Youth Mountain Biking Teams appeared first on Out There Venture.

The sensation you get when you set off down that zip line is similar to riding a roller coaster. It’s speed, the risk mitigated by safety, the feeling of weightlessness, and just look at that view. It’s a reality experience that gets everyone off their electronic devices and into the outdoors to make one of the best memories of the summer.

Here’s what the three local zipline tour companies offer for adventurous families of varying ages, abilities, and group sizes.

Mica Moon Zip Tours & Aerial Park – Liberty Lake, Wash.

“This was a great experience with my mother, sister and niece. Three generations on a family trip. Once in a lifetime! Ian and Ben were wonderful guides and incredibly helpful and patient with my 87-year-old mother and a sister with a fear of heights!” —Randall, Tripadvisor

Awarded Tripadvisor’s coveted Travelers’ Choice award in 2021, Mica Moon Zip Tours & Aerial Park puts safety first without sacrificing on the fun. “Sometimes when I’m driving up the mountain to check on something, I’ll stop and turn off my motor, and I can hear laughing and singing up the mountain,” says owner Rik Stewart. “It reminds me why we do this.”

Mica Moon’s ziplines accommodate children 6 years old and up, although lighter kids might be challenged at the bottom, he says. Still, Mica Moon guides make sure every person has the best, safest experience. Steward and his staff, he says, enjoy watching families laughing together, being challenged, and cheering each other on.

In addition to nine zip lines, Mica Moon has an aerial adventure park with over 30 obstacles that are 30–70 feet up in the tree canopy. The variety of levels and heights allows guests of all ages and abilities to customize their experience to their individual comfort level.

Timberline Adventures – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

“Beautiful and exciting experience above Coeur d’Alene. Everything was first class, from the retail shop where the adventure launches, to the seven lines of increasing speed, distance, height and excitement, to the two footbridges, to the excellent guides. Really enjoyed this with my two teenagers.” —John, Timberline Adventures website

Timberline offers four unique zip tours appropriate for kids ages 7 and older and individuals up to 260 pounds. One of their tours includes a treehouse, which was featured on DIY Channel’s “Treehouse Guys” show (Season 2, Episode 2). On the Treehouse Lunch & Zip, guests get to enjoy Timberline’s award-winning zipline tour alongside a delicious lunch from The Local Deli in Hayden, Idaho.

The views of Lake Coeur d’Alene from Timberline’s seven zip lines above Beauty Bay are absolutely breathtaking. Two sky bridges and two auto-belays add additional thrilling elements.

After finishing the tour, you shuttle back to Timberline’s office where you can grab a drink, shop for a keepsake, and savor the awesome memory you and your family created.

(Timberline’s treehouse was featured in Adventure Park Insider, Summer 2019 issue.)

Silver Streak Ziplines – Wallace, Idaho

“Safe, fun, great memory! I would definitely do it again. My family loved it and being outdoors together in a beautiful area was really special.” —JCV, Tripadvisor

Silver Streak is spread out on over 263 acres of mountain above Wallace, Idaho, with 10 zip lines and a downhill mountain bike park. There’s also a pump track, a mountain bike jump line, and about 2.5 miles of bike trails (from beginner to advanced), with more to come.

Silver Streak can accommodate kids age 10 and up that weigh over 85 pounds on their ziplines, as well as grandparents up to 92 years old. “For a lot of people,” says owner Scott Haney, “it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thrill, so we send them on the Bucket List zip tour.” But they also have guests who zipline around the world and then come back to Silver Streak every year.            

Located a short drive up in the mountains from historic Wallace, Idaho, there’s a little something for everyone at this mountain adventure park.

Originally published as “Local Ziplining for Families” in the May-June 2022 issue.

Find stories about kid-friendly activities, travel destinations, and recreation ideas in the Out There Kids archives and Summer Adventure Guide.

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No matter a child’s age, just one week of camp will improve their well-being and create lifelong memories. Northwest mountains, forests, and lakes provide a setting primed for adventure.

Here is a list of summer camps for 2022 that offer high adventure and intensive outdoor experiences, from backcountry expeditions and survival skills to mountain biking and ziplining. In addition to day and resident camps based in the Inland Northwest, multi-day travel expeditions take place throughout the Pacific Northwest region and mountain West destinations, including national parks.

Breakwater Expeditions: Teen Wilderness Trips

Specializing in backcountry trips (7-14 days) and high-adventure recreation, including canoeing, canyoneering, backpacking, whitewater rafting, and sea kayaking. Though Breakwater Expeditions is headquartered in Sandpoint, Idaho, their summer 2022 adventure travel destinations include Moab, Utah; Yellowstone and the Missouri River; and Puget Sound’s San Juan Islands.

Breakwater Expeditions also provides specialized travel retreats and experiences for families, couples, women-only, and private groups. (Learn more in this OTO story.)

Camp Spalding

Overnight camps for grades 1–12 (plus a family session) with waterfront and adventure recreation that includes paddling, water trampoline, and “The Blob”; horseback riding; archery; rock climbing; high ropes course and zipline; and mountain boards. Camp Spalding is located on 500 wooded acres at Davis Lake, near Newport, Wash.

Camp Spalding has a variety of recreation, including watersports and horseback riding (photos courtesy of Camp Spalding), as well as group games (photo: Amy McCaffree).

Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance: Dirt Camps

Kids learn technical mountain bike skills—including balance, obstacles, drops and jumps, and uphill and downhill riding—and gain confidence on their mountain bikes. Evergreen East, the Eastern Washington Chapter of Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, hosts its camps at Beacon Hill/Camp Sekani in Spokane for ages 8–13 (girls-only session available).

Other statewide chapters host Dirt Camps for kids as young as 6 years old.

Evergreen East Dirt Camp in Spokane at Beacon Hill Bike Park. // Photo courtesy Evergreen East..

Mt. Spokane Mountain Adventure & Mountain Bike Skills Day Camps

Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park expanded its summer day camps program for 2022, based on popularity and high-demand that led to sold-out camp sessions last summer.

Mountain Adventure Day Camps (three days, ages 5–14) feature outdoor games and activities such as hiking, climbing, and crafts, while teaching environmental stewardship within Mount Spokane State Park.

Mountain Bike Skills Camps (four days) teach technical riding skills, flat-tire fixing, and trail maintenance. Sessions tailored for beginners and all levels (ages 7–15) as well as advanced riders (ages 10–17). Includes daily bike games and trail-riding.

Peak 7 Adventures: Backpacking

Peak 7, based in Spokane, provides Introductory backpacking courses for high-school and middle-school age youth with multiday expeditions in either Olympic or North Cascades national parks. Backcountry and technical outdoor skills include compass navigation, map reading, gear management, food prep, risk assessment, and basic first aid. High-school course includes alpine snow travel with an ice axe.

Peak 7 also have offices in Seattle and Portland, offering a range of programs for youth and families throughout the Northwest.

Schweitzer Adventure Day Camp

Atop Schweitzer Mountain, Adventure Camp for ages 6–10 includes hiking, chairlift rides, swimming, village games, climbing wall, and trampoline jumper. Transportation is provided from the Schweitzer parking lot at the mountain base.

SOLE—Selkirk Outdoor Leadership & Education

SOLE designs and facilitates experiential outdoor education programs. Programs include Junior Naturalist day camp for ages 4–9; Outdoor Leadership day camp for ages 10–12, with adventure and service-learning activities; and Backcountry Expeditions for ages 13–17.

Spokane Parks & Recreation Day Camps

The City of Spokane’s Parks & Recreation department provides a fully-summer schedule of camps for kids as young as 6 years old.

Adventures day camps are based at Riverside State Park with sessions for ages 8–11 and 12–15. Three recreation-focused options are available: 1) All Adventures: hiking, kayaking, rafting, rock climbing, and other recreation; 2) Climbing Adventures: rock climbing instruction at indoor climbing gyms, followed by outdoor rock climbing with instructors from Peak 7 Adventures; 3) Wild and Wacky Water Adventures: survival skill-building plus the “All Adventures” activities.

Wilderness Survival Camps, based at Camp Sekani Park, feature hands-on scenarios requiring teamwork and problem-solving during introductory (ages 6–9) and advanced sessions (ages 9–14). Skills include fire and shelter-building, navigation, rope and knots, tool use, and knife safety.

Twin Eagles Wilderness School.

Twin Eagles day and overnight camps connect youth with nature while teaching survival skills, including foraging, making fire with friction, wildlife tracking, and natural shelter building, and much more. Due to high demand this summer, a waitlist is available.

Twin Eagles’ summer campers connect with nature with hands-on survival skills, including foraging, making fire with friction, wildlife tracking, and natural shelter building. // Photos courtesy of Twin Eagles Wilderness School.

Washington Trails Association: Youth Volunteer Programs

WTA offers community service projects focus on building and maintaining hiking trails in Washington State. Choose between Day Work Parties for ages 10+ and week-long Summer Volunteer Vacations for ages 14–18, which includes camping. Three teen trip options: Frontcountry, Backcountry (prior experience required), and Shared Identity (all girls crew and LGBTQ+ crew).

Wild Walls Climbing Gym: Indoor Climbing Camp

Located in downtown Spokane, Wild Walls offers week-long camps for ages 7–14. Although indoor, it’s no less adventurous to learn top-roping, bouldering, belaying, climbing technique, slacklining, and much more. No experience necessary.

Recreation at Camp Spalding includes ziplining, “The Blob” and other lakefront activities and watersports, and archery. // Photos courtesy Camp Spalding.

Not sure if your child is ready for an overnight camp? Here are some helpful stories and resources from past Family Outdoors Guides: “When Are Kids Ready for Summer Camp?” and “Choosing the Right Summer Camp for Your Kid.”

The post Inland NW Summer Adventure Camp Guide appeared first on Out There Venture.

As a mom and a public school teacher (and former camp counselor), I know firsthand how important it is for young people to be encouraged and emotionally supported by positive adult role models. 

Today’s Pandemic Generation—as they are referred to by researchers, teachers, and mental health professionals—continue to struggle with gaps in emotional-social development, increased media consumption, and less time spent outdoors being physically active. 

Kids need summer camp! At Evergreen East Dirt Camps, kids enjoy maximize time on their mountain bikes. // Photos courtesy Evergreen East

Current mental health statistics are daunting. According to “Five-Year Trends in US Children’s Health and Well-being, 2016–2020,” a research study recently published in JAMA Pediatrics, there have been significant increases in diagnosed mental health conditions—27% for anxiety and 24% for depression. Survey data also revealed an 18% decrease in children’s physical activity. 

This makes summer camps for kids more important than ever. Camps provide a welcoming, safe, and supportive community. Time spent away from home forces children and teens to unplug from media, and it teaches independence, responsibility, and resilience. Camps can also help develop their communication, participation, and leadership skills. 

Strengthening personal competencies, like self-identity, self-worth, and self-respect, also builds confidence and courage. This, in turn, breeds hope and motivates goal-setting—all qualities important to positive mental health. 

Adrenaline-pumping thrills and age-appropriate risk-taking can be pivotal during childhood, especially for adolescents.

How so? Imagine the euphoria and pride after ziplining, making it to the top of a climbing wall, winning a canoe race with cabinmates, or landing a mountain-bike jump. 

Northwest mountains, forests, and lakes provide a setting primed for adventure, and our summer 2022 list of youth camps in Washington and Idaho will provide outdoor adventure opportunities while teaching specialized recreation and/or environmental stewardship and nature-based skills.

No matter a child’s age, just one week of camp will improve their well-being and create lifelong memories. And don’t be surprised if you hear that it was the best week of their summer. 

Summer camp high adventure at Camp Spalding: The Blob (top left), ziplining (upper right), archery (mid-right), and rappelling. // Photos courtesy Camp Spalding.

Wondering which camp program would be best for your child? Here’s some help: “Choosing the Right Summer Camp For Your Kid.”

Find more stories about recreation, activities, and outdoor lifestyle topics in the Outdoor Family archives.

The post Why Kids Need Summer Camp More Than Ever appeared first on Out There Venture.

Spin (bait) fishing is simple and inexpensive recreation, making it a high-reward, low-barrier activity for the whole family, including anyone with limited mobility or neuro-diverse or sensory needs. Time spent at a lake as well as repetitive, predictable fishing tasks are calming.

Basic gear and lake access is all that’s needed. Here are three ideas for your family to get started with this lifetime sport.

How to Get Started

1. Learn the Basics

Casting from the bank or a dock is easier than wrangling kids into a boat. Fundamental skills include learning how to cast a spinning-reel rod, set the drag, and set the hook. (Fly fishing requires different gear and skills, so it’s best to take a class and do lots of casting practice before heading to a lake or river.)

Recommended resources: Idaho Fish & Game “Learn To Fish”; Trout Unlimited; and The International Game Fish Association (free online course for youth/beginners).

2. Visit a Family-Friendly, Fish-Stocked Lake

In Spokane County, good choices include Fish Lake, West Medical Lake, and Lake Spokane. In north Idaho, visit Round or Cocolalla Lakes. (Find more recommendations in the OTO story archives.)

Check online for your region’s fish and game schedule for stocking local lakes with hatchery-raised fish. Thousands of rainbow trout are stocked in lakes every spring and summer in Washington and Idaho.

Fishing with Kids: Chatcolet Lake – dock at Hawley’s Landing in Heyburn State Park, near Plummer, Idaho (left). // Photo: Amy McCaffree; Fishing derby at Klink’s Resort on Williams Lake, near Cheney, WA (right). // Photo courtesy Klink’s Resort.

3. Attend a Youth Fishing Event

Idaho Department of Fish and Game has a traveling “Take Me Fishing” Trailer that visits various lakes throughout spring and summer. All equipment, bait, and instruction is provided, and no fishing license is required while the trailer is on-site. Upcoming visits at Panhandle locations during May and June include Post Falls Park Pond, Hauser Lake, Round Lake, Cocolalla Lake, and Rose Lake. More information at Idfg.idaho.gov/fish/trailers.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife also hosts fishing events for kids including an annual event in May at Clear Lake, 16 miles west of Spokane. The registration fee includes a rod and reel for kids to take home too and a t-shirt.

Gear & Events

Where to Buy Fishing Supplies

Support locally-owned Inland Northwest businesses that sell fishing supplies, including The General Store in Spokane, General Store Outpost (Spokane Valley), and Silver Bow Fly Shop and Swede’s Fly Shop (all in Spokane); North 40 Outfitters (multiple locations); and Orvis Northwest Outfitters and Fins & Feathers Tackle Shop (both in Coeur d’Alene).

Free Fishing Days

In most states, children under age 14-15 don’t need a fishing license. For Washington State, those age 15 and older must purchase a fishing license, and younger children can fish regardless of if a parent has a state license. Idaho, meanwhile, requires a non-resident parent to buy a state license in order for a non-resident child, age 13 and younger, to fish. (Idaho requires fishing licenses for ages 14 and older.)

Take advantage of free fishing days, when all ages can fish without purchasing a license. Here are the dates for 2022:

• Montana: Mother’s Day and Father’s Day holiday weekends (May 7-8 and June 18-19).
• Oregon: First weekend in June (June 4–5).
• Idaho: Second Saturday in June (June 11).
• Washington: Free fishing weekend, always the second full weekend in June (June 11-12)—also a Discover Pass fee-free day, including DNR boat launches.

Find events for other states at Takemefishing.org.

More Tips for Fishing with Kids

Wear life jackets. It’s best practice for children to wear a correct-fitting life jacket for dock fishing, even if not planning to get on a boat or other watercraft. Northwest waters are chilly even on hot summer days.Life jacket laws vary by state. In Idaho, children age 14 and younger are required to wear one at all times while on a watercraft. In Washington state, the age requirement is 12 and younger. Many recreation areas have a life jacket loaner station, including popular lakes in north Idaho and eastern Washington.

Practice environmental stewardship. Teach kids how (and why) to minimize their impact on aquatic habitat and the plants and animals that live there.

The post Fishing with Kids: 3 Ways to Get Started appeared first on Out There Venture.