TRAILS -- By now, everyone in the area should know that the Spokane River is above flood stage and that portions of the Centennial Trail are inundated in the Spokane Valley. Valley resident Russ Naber points out that erosion is occurring and portions of the...
PUBLIC LANDS -- Legislative Republicans in Montana are seeking to retake control of the narrative on the issue of access to public lands, the Associated Press reports today. Apparently public opinion and protests at the state Capitol have finally caught their attention. Republicans highlighted a…
OUTDOOR TRAVEL -- The Colville Tribe's Business Council announced Wednesday a temporary closure of most roads that are not state or county highways withing the 1.4-million acre Colville Indian Reservation. In a period of extremely wet conditions, the closures are intended to "protect natural resources,…
HUNTING/FISHING -- It's up to Gov. Butch Otter whether he'll sign a bill that raises Idaho’s hunting and fishing fees and also boosts funding for programs that compensate farmers for wildlife crop damage, and helps hunters and anglers gain access to private land. The Idaho…
WATERSPORTS -- Expert kayakers relished the high Spokane River flows last week to play in Dead Dog Hole at the state line. However, because of concerns about flood-stage flows and large amounts of debris in the river, the cities of Spokane and Spokane Valley and...
WILDLIFE -- Elk hunter on the Washington side of the Blue Mountains have had minor disturbance from wolves in recent years, but a new pair of wolves could increase the pressure on big game. Washington’s wolf population grew by 28 percent last year and added...
HIKING -- News about this spring's huge runoff and flooding got personal to hikers this week with news that silt has filled pools at Jerry Johnson Hot Springs in the Lochsa River drainage of Idaho. "The upper (largest) hot spring pool at Jerry Johnson recreation...
PUBLIC ACCESS -- Access easements will allow public access to the 13,169-acre Clagstone Meadows private timblerlands in Bonner County, starting Aug. 1, the Idaho Fish and Game Department says. Under the terms of a new Forest Legacy conservation easement, the forested area will continue produce…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Letting wildlife do their thing is easier from a distance. But what do you do when an injured deer shows up on your doorstep? "This deer (photo above) with an apparent broken leg has been hanging out around our yard for a...
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Sandhill cranes -- on their spring migration route from Lodi, California to Alaska -- are flocking into the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding area as though they welcome the spotlight of the 20th annual Othello Sandhill Crane Festival, which runs Friday...
INVASIVE SPECIES -- It's only the first week of spring and Idaho highway check stations already have intercepted three boats fouled with invasive species. The latest was an especially serious potential threat to the region's waterways. The mussel-fouled watercraft was intercepted Monday at the US...
FISHING -- It's been a tough week for young spring chinook salmon and steelhead in Idaho's Clearwater River region. "Fisheries officials are hopeful they can mitigate the loss of 600,000 spring chinook fry at the Kooskia National Fish Hatchery but are anxious over the fate...
OUTDOOR TRAVEL -- Hikers, anglers, mushroomers, hunters and other visitors to public lands this spring should be extra wary of the possibility of roads blocked by landslides, downfall, rockfall, washouts and flooding. The BLM and national forests in Idaho and Washington are posting advisories to…
FISHING --Idaho’s chinook fishing season will open on some rivers April 22. Anglers will enjoy four-day-a-week chinook fishing on the Clearwater River and daily fishing on the Snake River in Hells Canyon and the lower Salmon and Little Salmon rivers, according to action taken Thursday...
RIVERS -- Anyone affected by the Columbia River and what goes on around it -- that's virtually everyone in this region -- should take note of a 13-episode TV documentary that will begin at 5 p.m., April 1, on PBS. “Way of the Columbia,” produced...
TRAILS -- On Sunday, a slick trap was waiting for unsuspecting backcountry snowshoers headed into the Sno-Park lot at the top of Sherman Pass. "We thought we were in trouble as soon as we turned off Highway 20 and headed onto the access road," said...
TRAILS -- With several area steams above flood stage, portions of the Spokane River Centennial Trail are under water. Examples are the inundated section west of Barker Road Bridge (above), with the Spokane River flowing over the trail near Flora Road (second photo above). The…
FISHING -- Managers of Dworshak and Clearwater hatcheries at Ahsahka hope they are choosing the better of two poor choices by releasing spring chinook smolts today to take advantage of reduced flows from Dworshak Dam and lower levels of harmful dissolved gas. But officials at…
FISHING -- Oregon's curious departure from agreeing with Washington on restricting Columbia River gillnetting appears to be retreating from a hard line. This is brighter news for salmon and sport fishermen. Details are in this report by By Andrew Theen of The Oregonian/Oregon Live: PORTLAND,...
HIKING -- Only a few snow patches persist. The scablands are soggy after a record winter for precipitation. Potholes and seasonal wetlands are brimming with water, inviting waterfowl by the thousands. Wildflowers are sprouting by the millions. Happy spring.
FISHING -- The cap of winter ice has disappeared from Hog Canyon Lake in the past 10 days, opening the winter trout lake to the casts of ... hardly anyone. Since the access road washed out in mid-February, the gate to the lake's public access…
WATERSPORTS -- The mood of the Spokane River changes dramatically through the seasons, and no one knows that more intimately than a kayaker. In this short video, Spokane paddler Brian Jamieson starts with a clip of paddling through the Bowl and Pitcher rapids at fall...
TRAILS -- Washington Trails Association, the voice for hikers in Washington state, is looking to add to its Board of Directors with representation from the Spokane area. This is an honor for our region to be welcomed under the wing of a group that has...
SPORTSMEN SHOWS -- Kids were having a blast at the Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show today at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center. They were catching fish, seeing live bears, punching the bullseyes out of targets with air rifles at the Sportsman's Shooting Gallery,…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Gray wolves continued their steady increase in population and range in Washington last year despite the deaths of at least 14 animals, according to a 25-page annual report on the endangered species’ recovery. The state’s minimum estimated wolf population increased by about...
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
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