MOUNTAINEERING -- Two records were set on Mount Everest this week: On Wednesday, Nepalese veteran mountaineer Apa Sherpa broke his own record for most climbs of Mount Everest by scaling the world's tallest peak for the 21st time. The Nepalese sherpa, who lives in Utah,…
PADDLING -- The wet word from Stateline, Idaho, is that Dead Dog Hole has been paddling better than ever in the past two months, dispelling worries that Stateline bridge construction might alter the legendary kayaker play feature. It's not only better than ever but also…
OUTDOOR TRAVEL -- REI Adventures has a good reputation for leading outdoor vacations to exceptional outdoor destinations in many countries. But the Seattle-based group also offers a long list of Weekend Getaways, shorter adventures within an easy drive of Spokane. For example: North Cascades Climbing…
FISHING -- How huge are the trout at Sprague Lake? I witnessed three violent breakoffs on 10 pound leader on Wednesday, including one fish that ripped off the trailing hook on a fly rig. Here's the toll after Jim Kujala and Dave Ross finished a…
SALMON FISHING -- Spring chinook salmon fishing has been good on the Washington portion of the Snake River -- too good. The Fish and Wildlife Department has just announced the Snake spring chinook season will close this weekend because of high catch rates over the…
BOATING -- The summer schedule for recreational boaters using navigation locks to travel past U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers begins Sunday. Lockage outside the scheduled times will be considered for flotillas or other organized events sponsored by yacht…
FLY FISHING -- In a letter to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department's Ephrata office, a Spokane angler leaves the barb unclipped in his criticism of the access barrier at Lenice Lake, a Grant County selective fishery popular with fly fishermen. "On a recent trip…
INVASIVE SPECIES -- Washington state is keeping a close eye on the feral pig populations in Oregon, where the fish and wildlife department has ordered farmers to determine the size of the destructive pig populations on their land and get rid of them. An Oregon…
BIRDWATCHING -- The BBC captured some revealing footage of a captive goshawk demonstrating how the raptor can fly injury-free at high speeds through tight squeezes in the woods. Very cool.
FISHING -- Mark Bowen, Idaho Fish and Game Department conservation officer, just posted this fishing report from his recent observations on the Lower Coeur d'Alene River area: Chain Lakes - Water levels are a little high but fishable. Pike fishing seems to be picking up…
OUTDOORS TRAVEL -- Properly fitted backpacks and hiking boots are key to comfort and safety, preventing back injuries, blisters and potentially nasty falls. The National Outdoor Leadership school has a mantra: snug around the waist, loose in the toe. For more tips on selecting and…
BIG-GAME HUNTING -- Idaho's non-resident elk tags are selling like Ted Nugent posters at a PETA convention. The Dworshak Zone - B Tag is the only offering that's even half sold out of its quota. Check out the complete list.
ENDANGERED SPECIES -- The Obama administration announced today that it intends to work through a backlog of more than 250 imperiled animal and plant species over the next six years to decide if they need protection under the Endangered Species Act. Interior Department officials said…
WATERWAYS -- Two boats infested with invasive mussels were intercepted at a North Idaho checkpoint, state officials said Monday. Idaho Department of Agriculture said in a press release the boats were stopped at a station on Interstate 90 near Wallace on Thursday. The Coeur d’Alene…
BOATING -- An application to build 28 commercial boat docks on the lower St. Joe River – the second large-scale application in recent months – will be presented to the Idaho Department of Lands Wednesday, 6 p.m., at the Federal Building in St. Maries. The…
RIVER RUNNING --The mountains are groaning under the weight of near record snowpack. Now that spring finally does appear to be arriving, river rafters are expecting the runoff to be epic. The local Northwest Whitewater Association will prepare rafters for the invevitable carnage in this…
MOUNTAINEERING -- In a quest to become the oldest man to scale Mount Everest, 82-year-old Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay instead became the oldest man to die climbing the world's highest peak. According to the Associated Press, the retired Nepalese foreign minister collapsed and died on the…
BIG-GAME HUNTING – Hunting history is being served by a wave of hunters and publishers compiling information on big-game records and the stories behind them. Among the latest of the well-appointed books is An American Elk Retrospective, published by the Boone and Crockett Club. The…
CONSERVATION -- The Nature Conservancy’s Arid Lands Program will shed some light on the importance Eastern Washington shrub-steppe habitats during a slide program on Wednesday, 7 p.m., sponsored by Spokane Audubon Society. The free program will be presented at the Riverview Community Building, 2117 E.…
WILDLIFE - Two researches will present what they learned from studies on fishers and wolverines in the Cabinet and Selkirk mountains in a free program Thursday, 6 p.m., at the East Bonner County Library in Sandpoint. Idaho Fish and Game Department biologists Lacy Robinson and…
CONSERVATION -- Exploring Northwest Washington's Columbia Highlands, a multi-media program, will be presented Wednesday, 7 p.m., at the Spokane REI store by Conservation Northwest and several related groups. Explore portions of the Colville National Forest that make up some of the most wildlife rich and…
SALMON FISHING -- Creel reports are just out for Columbia River spring chinook salmon fishing over the weekend. Here are the hot spots: Wind River – Including fish released, boat anglers averaged nearly 2/3 fish per rod, an outstanding catch rate for spring chinook. Effort…
WILDLIFE REFUGES -- Volunteers are encouraged to sign up for the annual community work party Saturday at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. The event is sponsored by Spokane Audubon Society and The Friends of Turnbull in the continuing effort to restore native riparian habitat to benefit…
SALMON FISHING -- The numbers of chinook moving up the Columbia River and heading toward the Snake have roused the anticipation of Idaho anglers. "It’s hard not to get excited when you see the numbers at Bonneville Dam," said Amy Sinclair of Exodus Wilderness Adventures…
SALMON FISHING -- After netting his son's spring chinook salmon, a Portland angler was yanked into the Willamette River when a pinniped made a move to steal his catch, according to a report from The Oregonian. The sea lion yanked the 62-year-old retired pharmaceutical company…
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.
