HIKING -- Believe it or not, hikers participating in this can cross 17 bridges over portions of the Spokane River in an enjoyable -- especially during spring runnoff -- stroll in downtown Spokane. An annual event sponsored by Spokane City Parks celebrates this unique Spokane…
NATURE -- A colorful day is in store for people who sign up for the Butterfly Talk and Walk on Saturday, 9 a.m., at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. John Baumann of the Washington Butterfly Association made 19 visits into the refuge backcountry over the course…
PREDATORS -- Why would a mountain lion want to mess with a wolf? That's what a Montana wildlife researcher is wondering as mountain lions take a toll on the radio-collared wolves she's trying to follow through the Bitterroot Mountains. The risk of injury doesn't seem…
STATE PARKS -- Washington's Discover Pass, a vehicle permit required in state parks and other public lands, is getting help from a public relations firm to boost lagging sales. The pass was created by the Washington Legislature to fund the State Parks System. A public…
FISHING -- Stocked with fishing tackle, Idaho Fish and Game's Take Me Fishing Trailer is scheduled through out North Idaho in the next few weeks. The next event is Thursday at Hauser Lake. Fishing equipment and bait can be checked out for free during the…
NATIVE AMERICANS -- Enrollment is underway for the Kalispel Encampment, an educator's workshop June 28-30 with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and the David Thompson Bicentennials Partnership. Educators will bask in the Native American history and culture as it meshed with the fur-trade era in…
BACKPACKING -- With the snow still a few weeks from clearing off mountain trails, early season backpackers don't have to wait to hit the trail for multi-day trips. The Inland Northwest has a good assortment of trails that some hikers have been enjoying since March.…
BICYCLING -- A few slots remain open in the June 2 CHaFE 150 bicycle event ride out of Sandpoint. The 5th annual catered event includes 150- and 80-mile ride options in a Gran Fondo format. Sign up online. Read on for details.
PUBLIC LANDS -- Road damage has forced the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District to restrict access on Forest Service Road 209 (Little River Road) between milepost 21 and 22, near Picnic Creek (about 2 miles north of Honeysuckle Campground). The road has sustained excessive water…
RESERVOIRS -- The level of Lake Roosevelt was 1248.90 at 9 a.m. today as the lake continues to fill. The Bureau of Reclamation predicts the levels will continue to rise up to 1 foot a day over the next week. Through the Memorial Day weekend…
SHOOTING -- Girls will rule Saturday, June 9, at a Take Your Daughter to the Range Day sponsored by the Bonner County Sportsmen’s Association. The event is set of 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Sandpoint Outdoor Range off of Baldy Mountain Road with a heavy…
SALMON FISHING -- Up to six hatchery origin spring chinook salmon may be retained on the Wind River from the railroad bridge upstream starting Saturday, the Washington Fish and Wildlife has just announced. Up to four of the fish can be adult chinook. Similar limit…
FISHING -- More than 5,200 northern pike have been gillnetted out of the Box Canyon portion of the Pend Oreille River downstream from Newport this spring. But anglers still are likely to catch them, says Jason Connor, the Kalispel Tribe's pike management project leader. Here's…
FISHING -- The Richland Rod and Gun Club is sponsoring a Moon Light Catfish Tournament starting at 7:30 p.m. on June 1 and ending at the 2 p.m. weigh-in on June 2. Apparently the tourney organizers are catfishermen, who know that night isn't the most…
KID FISHING -- The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is signing up kids, ages 5 to 16, for two special bluegill fishing clinics on June 16 at Hauser Lake south of Rathdrum. The limited number of participants will have the opportunity to spend a…
WILDLIFE -- The summer camping season is kicking into high gear, putting more people out among wildlife, including bears. The Grizzly Bear Outreach Project offers basic tips to help campers avoid attracting bears, which can be dangerous to people and destructive to their camping gear.…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- A Methow Valley rancher may get the distinction of receiving Washington's first compensation for livestock killed by wolves. State and federal wildlife managers have determined that wolves likely caused injuries that resulted in a death of a calf on a Methow Valley…
PUBLIC LANDS -- A years-old effort to expand lift-assisted skiing to the “back side” of Mount Spokane State Park will enter its final stage with Tuesday’s deadline for public comment on environmental impacts. Details are on the Washington State Parks planning website. Mt. Spokane Ski…
BICYCLING -- The Route of the Hiawatha rail trail near Lookout Pass will be open for the season starting Saturday, says Phil Edholm at Lookout Pass Ski Area. That's great news for folks planning bicycling outings over the Memorial Day weekend. Heck, people were skinning…
CYCLING -- A 20-mile bike path has just been completed offering cyclists a motor-vehicle-free route for safe passage between Jackson, Wyo., and Grand Teton National Park. Finally, bicyclists can breath easy among the tourists and enjoy the Grand Tetons as they pedal through this popular…
NATIVE PLANTS -- Late May is prime time for some of the loveliest wildflowers at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. Join Northeastern Washington Native Plant Society veteran Sylvia Eberspecher for a leisurely 2-hour walk to learn about some of the wildflowers, trees and shrubs. She will…
SALMON FISHING -- Although forecasts for the 2012 spring chinook salmon run turned out to be overly optimistic, Northwest fish managers are projecting a large return of summer chinook to the Columbia River and a record-breaking run of sockeyes. And the forecast for the fall…
POACHING -- Maybe somebody feels proud about killing a sow grizzly and her cub in North Idaho. But it appears to be among the most gutless wildlife crimes that's come to light in a long time. There's a $10,000 reward for information leading to revealing,…
WILDLIFE RESEARCH -- After six years of effort, Methow Valley-based researchers have documented that wolverines have produced kits this spring in the North Cascades south of Highway 20. A remote camera had photographed a GPD-collared female carrying a kit from one den to another. That's…
TOURNAMENT FISHING -- Dakota Jones of Spokane will be representing Washington in a national bass fishing competition after winning the 15-18 age-group title in the 2012 Washington’s Junior State Bass Fishing Championship at Lake Washington. Jones, a member of the Inland Empire Junior Bass Club,…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
