Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• Long-distance relationship: Sandpoint couple scores backpacking Triple Crown

  May 13, 2012 in Outdoors on Page C10 After enduring six months backpacking the Appalachian Trail, Phil Hough and Deb Hunsicker were pretty sure their relationship was good for the long haul. They confirmed they could go the …

• North Idaho hikers find peak place close to home

  May 13, 2012 in Outdoors on Page C9 The Scotchman Peaks area northeast of Lake Pend Oreille is a roadless area the Sandpoint couple prizes. For seven years, Hough and Hunsicker have been leaders in Friends of the … 3

• Backpackers gear down for long distance hikes

  May 13, 2012 in Outdoors on Page C9 Phil Hough and Deb Hunsicker have winnowed their long-distance hiking gear to a base weight (sans food and water) of 15-19 pounds, depending on how many luxuries they bring, such … 1

• Expert details benefits of bear spray in trailer at Big Horn Show

    March 18, 2012 in Outdoors on Page C14 Hike in groups in bear country. Keep food and trash away from bears.

• Out & About: Clubs teach classes in backpacking, fly fishing

  February 19, 2012 in Outdoors on Page C12 Backpacking and fly-fishing schools conducted each year in Spokane have a common advantage: Both schools are organized by active clubs that continue to nurture their students long after they “graduate.” …

• New gear stands out at Outdoor Retailer

  February 5, 2012 in Outdoors on Page C12 More than 1,000 brands and 20,000 attendees: The twice-annual Outdoor Retailer trade show, held last week in Salt Lake City, offered a peek at the future of gear. The Gear …

• Baby carriers packed with features for outdoors

  December 18, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C12 Being a parent doesn’t mean giving up long hikes in the woods. Modern backpack baby carriers allow children to be brought along in unparalleled comfort for both the packer and … 1

• Gear Junkie: Bright idea for survival knife has its limits

  November 20, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C12 A blade, a light, and a whistle – that’s the formula for the Core Lite, a hybrid “survival tool” made by Adventure Medical Kits of Oakland, Calif. The company, known …

• Bramante hikes Glacier Park’s 734 miles of trails

  October 23, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C12 Three pairs of shoes and hundreds of miles later, Jake Bramante emerged from Lincoln Lake trailhead as the first person in recent history to have hiked all of Glacier National …

• Limited access to Lake O’Hara has preserved scenery for hikers

    September 25, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C12 V isiting Lake O’Hara isn’t exactly a wilderness experience. Many Yoho National Park hikers say it’s even better. Access to the most coveted hiking destination in the Canadian Rockies is … 1

• Freeze-dried meal nixes boiling

  September 4, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C11 The quest for camping food that is simple to make just moved a notch. With its new chicken salad product, Mountain House offers campers and backpackers a freeze-dried meal that …

• Fall road closures seek to protect grizzlies near Sullivan Lake

  August 21, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C10 Gypsy Peak, the highest mountain in Eastern Washington, is a little lonelier than usual this week. The annual late-summer closure has begun on two roads leading to prime recreation areas …

• Hiker picks challenging year to bag all 734 miles of Glacier Park trails

  August 14, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C12 This spring, Jake Bramante sat in the back corner of a coffee shop, a jumble of topographic maps fanned out on the table before him, waiting for the trails to …

• Shoes with independent toes gain popularity

  August 7, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C9 The phenomenon of shoes with articulated toes is one of the strangest product trends in the outdoors and running worlds. But the funny footwear is popular and indeed becoming almost …

• Field reports: Rare pygmy rabbits breeding in basin

  July 24, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C9 WILDLIFE – For the first time in a decade, the endangered Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit appears to have successfully bred in its historic range. A litter of kits has been …

• Out & About: Here’s a chance for life on the rocks

  July 10, 2011 in Sports, Outdoors on Page C10 OUTDO – A fun-oriented, weekend introduction to rock climbing is set for July 23-24 at Q’emiln Park in Post Falls. The annual UClimb sponsored by Mountain Gear enlists pro climbers …

• Buck knife flicks open to fit most outdoor needs

  July 3, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C9 With the subtle pull of a single finger, the FlashPoint knife flicks open to reveal its stout and serrated three-inch blade. Unlike pocketknives of yore, which could sometimes bend a …

• Landers: Snowpacks make holiday planning necessary

  June 30, 2011 in Sports, Outdoors on Page B1 Conditions are ripe for heading outdoors during the holiday weekend, but the field isn’t wide open for recreation. “I’ve worked out of Sandpoint since 1978,” said Mary Ann Hamilton, Forest … 1

• Author Romano’s hiking book wealth of knowledge

  June 19, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C9 Author Craig Romano worked up to his latest hiking guidebook by logging 12,500 miles over more than 20 years, and writing 10 books devoted primarily to dayhikes or regional hot …

• Field reports: Local geese herded for population study

  June 19, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C9 WILDLIFE – Biologists and volunteers herd Canada geese into pens and clamped leg bands on about 1,000 young birds in Eastern Washington in the past week for a Washington Fish …

• Lake Chelan Shoreline a classic early hike

  May 29, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C12 The Chelan Lakeshore Trail is a classic Northwest early- season backpacking trip, brightened by wildflowers before many ski areas are closed for the season. Many hikers revel in the unusual …

• Inland Northwest offers early backpacking options

  May 29, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C11 Here are three more top picks for early-season Inland Northwest backpacking trips: Kirkwood Ranch: Hells Canyon National Recreation Area:

• The Gear Junkie surveys 5 options for purifying water

  May 1, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C9 Clean drinking water in the wilderness is never guaranteed. No matter how pristine the lake or stream, giardia and cryptosporidium and other microbes can inhabit the waters, threatening illness that …

• Spokane’s new hiking club gathers online before hitting trail

    April 17, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C10 Winter weary and itching to get on the trail on the first weekend of April, a group of 22 hikers from Eastern Washington and North Idaho connected in cyberspace. Then … 1

• Field reports: Antoine Peak on House list for state funding

  April 10, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C9 PUBLIC LANDS – A prized Spokane Valley wild area north of I-90 and near Forker Road is back in the running for state funding to boost the last of three …

• Raw Crunch bars give health nuts an option

  March 20, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C13 The bars look and taste somewhat like compressed blocks of birdseed. Ingredients such as sea salt, goji berries, macadamia nuts, raw honey, and, of course, many types of seeds – …

• Summer internship a dream for outdoor enthusiasts

  March 6, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C13 A student summer-job position has perks sure to get an outdoor enthusiast’s attention, including $2,000 worth of top-quality outdoor gear, a $2,500 stipend and expenses-paid backcountry trips in multiple states. …

• Old road now trail on Mount Rainier

  February 13, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C11 National Park Service officials have given approval to convert Mount Rainier’s Carbon River Road into a 9-mile trail for hiking and biking. The road has been closed to vehicles since …

• Floaters, hikers, more need to think ahead for summer permits

  January 30, 2011 in Outdoors on Page C14 It’s the season to think ahead to summer adventures that require a special permit or reservations. Campers seeking a stay at popular national park or national forest cabins, lookouts and …

• Backpackers vie for shot at gnarly route on Vancouver Island

    September 26, 2010 in Outdoors on Page C14 Serious backpackers nod knowingly when you mention the West Coast Trail. Either they’ve done the rugged 45-mile hike along the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, or it’s on their must-do …

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