Ralph Walter: With help from an expert, even a knothead can learn to love hiking

Over the years, I’ve given my girlfriend some real duds as gifts. The birthday tickets to see Pink located directly behind the stage. The highly forgettable Christmas two-pack of an ice scraper and “Love, Actually” DVD that I accidentally gave in successive years. The Valentine’s Day flowers that arrived a week late and completely dead (not my fault!) That’s why I was so excited a year ago when I gave Jeanne the gift of the great outdoors.

Section:Gallery

Wed., May 15, 2019

Even for non-hikers, there’s a wonderful payoff at the Knothead summit in Riverside State Park.
With three overlooks, the Knothead Trail in Riverside State Park supplies endless views of the Little Spokane River.
With three overlooks, the Knothead Trail in Riverside State Park supplies endless views of the Little Spokane River.
The Knothead Trail in Riverside State Park is a fairly gradual climb.
The Knothead Loop Trail along the Little Spokane River Natural Area combines a triangle of trail segments for an 8.2-mile loop with a spur that leads to three successively higher viewpoints directly over the Little Spokane River.
Rich Landers, left, and Ralph Walter are ready to embark on the hike to Trailhead summit.
A round-trip hike to Knothead summit at Riverside State Park takes about two hours. The entire Knothead loop, at more than 8 miles, takes considerably longer.
The Little Spokane River snakes below a granite outcropping in Riverside State Park in June 2017. The state Department of Ecology has warned water users in the Little Spokane River Basin they may have to curb their consumption if water levels in the river dip much lower this summer.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
Rich Landers unveils birthday cupcakes at the summit of Knothead.