WILDLIFE RESEARCH -- Although they're trying to document the presence of wolverines, getting good snapshots of a Canada lynx still made the day for volunteers monitoring bait stations for the wolverine research project trail cams in North Idaho last week. The photo comes from a…
PUBLIC LANDS -- A popular U.S. Bureau of Land Management recreation area about 20 miles south of Sprague has been closed as the agency repairs about $5,000 in damages caused by vandals. The Rock Creek/Escure Ranch suffered damage to fences and other facilities in a…
CYCLING -- RAMROD, the grueling Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day, isn't until July 26, but Saturday (March 31) is the deadline to register for the lottery drawing to get in to one of the region's premier thigh-busting bicycling events. Sponsored by the Redmond…
HUNTING -- Saturday, March 31st is the last day to purchase a Washington multiple season permit application for 2012. This permit allows a sportsman to hunt in the archery, muzzleloader and modern rifle seasons rather than having to choose just one weapon type. The number…
WINTER SPORTS -- Photo shows a group of snowshoers enjoying a fine March 24 during the 6th annual Goat Mountain trek above Lake Pend Oreille. Almost daily snowfall in the previous five days has left fresh layers on a deep snowpack. The hike is one…
PUBLIC LANDS -- Passenger cars, ATVs, dirt bikes and four-wheel-drive rigs will be prohibited on on nearly 4,000 miles of roads in northeastern Oregon's Wallowa-Whitman National Forest starting in June. The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest management plan, entered last week into the Federal Register -- prohibits…
CLIMBING – Karl Dietrich, an accomplished North Idaho mountaineer, will be presenting a slide show of his alpine adventures at 6 p.m., March 29 at the Laughing Dog Brewery in Ponderay, sponsored by the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center.
Chilly good-bye: Diary, days 18-21
SNOWMOBILING -- The last leg of their adventure following the Iditarod Sled Dog Race started smoothly as Bob Jones of Kettle Falls and Josh Rindal of Spokane left Nome, Alaska, to run back 250 miles to return a borrowed snowmobile at Unalakleet. But the biggest…
PADDLING – Dwight McCain of the Coeur d’Alene Canoe and Kayak Club will present a free program on paddling the 72-mile Bowron Lakes circuit in the Cariboo Mountains of British Columbia on Monday (March 26), 7 p.m., at Corbin Community Center, 827 W. Cleveland Ave.,…
OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY -- The annual photographic seminar and field trips sponsored by the Inland Empire Chapter of the Photographic Society of America will be held March 31-April 2 at Spokane Community College. Professional photographer Nevada Wier is the featured presenter for the event, which also…
TRAILS -- In the photo above, volunteers pose with the metal-recyclable garbage they picked up today from the South Hill Bluff below High Drive. Bravo, and a special tip of the hat to the teenagers. If this looks like a crew you'd like to join…
STEELHEAD FISHING -- The Washington Fish and Wildlife Department has issued an emergency closure of fishing for steelhead and whitefish in the Uppler columbia river tributaries effective a half hour after sunset Sunday. Actions: Close the Methow, Wenatchee, and Icicle Rivers on March 25 to…
BICYCLING -- Here’s another sign of springtime in Yellowstone National Park: Portions of the park have opened to bicycling. The park has closed to snowmobiles for the winter but has yet to open to motorized vehicles for the summer. In the meantime, bicyclists can travel…
BICYCLING -- The Spokane Bike Swap is taking shape at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center. Bike vendors are setting up and sellers can bring bikes in until 8 p.m. Shop for bikes Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.-noon. Admission: $5 per…
RESERVOIRS -- The level of Lake Roosevelt was 1265.10 at 11 a.m. The reservoir's elevation is expected to continue to decline over the next week. With an increase in precipitation, the water supply forecast appears to be increasing. As a result, the lake level is…
WINTER SPORTS -- "Snowfall continues in the mountains and the riding conditions Thursday were superb," reports Kevin Davis of the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center after his North Idaho mountains snow survey. " It was easy to figure out where not to go yesterday with the…
HIKING -- The 46th annual Buttercup Hike led by the Dishman Hills Natural Area society is set to for Saturday, starting at noon at the Camp Caro lower parking lot. The hike moves at a gentle pace for all to enjoy.
TRAILS -- Join the fun as the 'Friends of the Bluff' are having a trash cleanup day Saturday (March 24), 9am - Noon. Meet at the main trail head just south of the Bernard and High intersection. Be prepared for the weather and to hike…
HUNTING -- The Washington Fish and Wildlife commission will vote on about a dozen proposals involving significant changes in hunting regulations for the 2012-2014 seasons when it meets April 13-14 in Olympia. Fish and Wildlife Department game managers gave the panel detailed presentations on the…
“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. "When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” ― Aldo Leopold
HUNTING -- Idaho's 2012 big-game hunting seasons for deer, elk, pronghorn, black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion hunts were set today by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. The commissioners adopted Fish and Game staff recommendations and added a few changes of their own.…
SALMON FISHING -- Anglers will be able to start fishing for a big run of chinook salmon in Idaho waters on April 22 under a fishing seasons and rules package adopted today by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. Chinook fishing will open in the…
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- Up to 10 wolf packs could be roaming in Washington, according to a new wolf recovery map (above) posted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. If the evidence leads to confirmation, that would be 100 percent increase in the state's…
WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS -- A Brigham Young University study has supported previous research indicating that bear spray is a more effective deterrant to a grizzly bear attack than a gun. See the story about the research in the Billings Gazette. See my story package on the…
PUBLIC LANDS -- The Colville National Forest has released a proposal to thin trees and decommission some roads in the Calispell Creek drainage southeast of 49 Degrees North Ski Area. The public has until mid-April to comment on the environmental assessment for the proposed Power…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
