Trail Improvements Underway

Trail projects continue into winter at several Spokane County Parks. The work may not be fully polished until next spring, but these in-progress trails may be at least partially ready for winter visitors.

New Trail at Mica Peak

Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance – Eastern Washington Chapter has been taking the lead on the new Green Diamond Trail as a lower-elevation loop route on Mica Peak.

Snowshoe Route Markers at Hauser Conservation Area

Washington Trails Association has been working on improvements to the Hauser Conservation Area trails and will be placing snowshoe route markers on several Conservation Area trails to help with navigation once the trails are snow-covered.

Some general trail maintenance will also be completed throughout the system over the winter months.

Volunteer

Be sure to check the Out There Stewardship and Trail Maintenance calendar to learn about upcoming project dates and get involved with volunteer opportunities: Outthereoutdoors.com/volunteer-scheduling.

Conservation Futures Acquisitions

Spokane County Parks’ 2021 Prioritized Conservation Futures Acquisition List has been unanimously approved by the County Commissioners. The nominated Trolley Trail is expected to be acquired via an administrative acquisition.

Other top-ranked Conservation Futures nominations include a 118-acre addition to Palisades Park, a 54-acre addition to Saltese Uplands, and a 188-acre addition to Antoine Peak.

It will take some time for these acquisitions to be finalized, but updates will be posted at Spokane County’s Conservation Futures website.

Self-Guided Eagle Tours & Count This Year

The Bureau of Land Management is unable to host eagle viewing hikes near Coeur d’Alene this winter season due to ongoing Covid-19 concerns.

Instead, BLM encourages the public to take self-guided hikes and participate in the annual eagle count via the free iNaturalist app under the North Idaho Eagle Watch 2021-2022 project (open through the end of January). Mineral Ridge is a popular trail to try for prime eagle viewing.

Regional Outdoor Events Return

Several events that were cancelled in 2021 are scheduled to return in 2022. Mark the calendar for these fun regional outdoor opportunities, although stay tuned for potential cancelations due to the Omicron variant.

January 2022

• Republic Winterfest (Jan. 15). Not your typical fun run: three-person teams participate in outhouse races down Main Street in this event.
• Winterfest at Mount Spokane (Jan. 16), hosted by Spokane Nordic Ski Association with ski events for both adults and kids.
• Ferry County Rail Trail Ski Day (Jan. 22), a community ski event as snow conditions allow.
• Schweitzer’s Winter Trails Day (January 29), trail fees waived for both Nordic skiing and snowshoeing on 32K of trails at Schweitzer in Sandpoint, Idaho.

February 2022

• Loup Loup Randonee Race (Feb. 5), part of the Snowgoat SkiMo series. The competitive event will have one and four hour divisions.
• Langlauf Nordic ski race at Mount Spokane State Park (February 6).
• Souper Bowl for Women (Feb. 13) at Mount Spokane State Park. A fundraiser for the Women’s and Children’s Free Kitchen with both ski and snowshoe events.
• Spokane Great Outdoors & Bike Expo (Feb. 19-20), including local bike and gear shops, travel destinations, and more at the Spokane Convention Center.

Free Park Days

Washington State Parks: Discover Pass fee-free days this winter are January 1 and January 17, and the more upcoming free days are in March. Note that Mount Spokane State Park is a SnoPark during the winter months, so fee-free days do not apply.

Idaho’s Park N’ Ski: January 8 free day–no parking permits required. Priest Lake Nordic Club will be sponsoring a free ski and snowshoe event at Priest Lake State Park that day.

Methow Valley’s Backyard Ski Day: On January 21, fees are waived for the entire Methow trail system, including Nordic ski trails, snowshoe trails, fat bike trails, and free dog passes for the dog-friendly trails. Some local business will have free ski and snowshoe rentals on a first-come, first-served basis (make reservations ahead of time).

Schweitzer’s Winter Trails Day: On January 29, trail fees waived for both Nordic skiing and snowshoeing on 32K of trails.

Published in the January-February 2022 print issue.

The post Trailhead News: Improvements & Upcoming Events – Winter 2022 appeared first on Out There Venture.

Participants can choose from a variety of activities—a birding hike with local author and historian Jack Nisbet, stewardship projects like removing trash and barbed wire to make the area safer for humans and wildlife, or a guided bike ride.

Wrap up your afternoon of adventure with a status update on INLC efforts to raise $500,000 to purchase additional recreation and conservation lands in the area and to learn about plans for the future of this important land.

Register for the event at Inlandnwland.org and share your images from the Saltese area using #MoreSaltesePlease to help us tell this story.

Visit the OTO archives to learn more and read stories about the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy or recreation and stewardship efforts at Saltese Uplands Conservation Area.

The post Celebrate Public Lands Day at Saltese Uplands (Sept. 25) appeared first on Out There Venture.

When your boots crunch through the dirt, or your tires race over a technical section of trail, or you catch a glimpse of an eagle in the trees, do you wonder how that land is available for your enjoyment? As recreationists, it’s all too common that we take land for granted—thinking it has always been, and always will be, available for our use. 

Think of areas like the Little Spokane River, Beacon Hill, Liberty Lake Regional Park, Palisades Park, Iller Creek, and Saltese Uplands. What do these local areas have in common?

Besides providing beautiful destinations for enjoyment of the outdoors, they are all home to pieces of land that experienced widespread use before they were open to the public. In recent years, securing public access in commonly used but privately owned areas has gotten a lot of attention with projects like “Make Beacon Public.” 

Organizations like Evergreen East, Spokane County, Washington State Parks, and other entities work hard to protect places that have become meaningful to our recreation community. One of the unsung heroes of this work is Inland Northwest Land Conservancy. INLC has worked to bring about land deals that protect things like the cedar forest on the Liberty Lake Loop, the kiosk area at the head of the Iller Creek Trail, access to Avista-owned property on Beacon Hill, and most recently, Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve on the Little Spokane River. 

INLC needs your help to raise $500,000 to protect more land that is currently (illegally) being trafficked by well-meaning but likely oblivious recreational users. These fifty-five acres (about 42 football fields) are adjacent to the Saltese Uplands Conservation Area, where usage has increased 48% over the past two years, reflecting rapid residential growth in Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake.

Located on Henry Road, the Uplands are home to dozens of species of birds and native plants. Across the street, Spokane County Environmental Services is restoring the historic wetlands of the Saltese Flats and working on a proposed nature education center nearby. The land to be purchased by INLC and retained for public enjoyment is prime for residential development.

If you’ve ever watched the sunset from the water tower at the top of the hill, or gazed down into the valley at Liberty Lake or at Mica Peak in the distance, you know how that view would change with houses butted up against the hillside. 

Protecting land and water for the health and future of our community, the natural world, and the climate is at the center of INLC’s work. Ensuring that the Inland Northwest remains a beautiful, adventurous, and easily accessible place should be at the center for all of us who love to play outside. 

The post Funds Needed to Protect Saltese Uplands appeared first on Out There Venture.