Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• Landers: Over-snow vehicle rule seeks backcountry balance

  Jan. 29, 2015 in Outdoors, Sports on Page O1 Snowmobiles and other over-snow vehicles eventually will be allowed to ride only on roads, trails and areas specifically designated for their use, according to a rule being adopted by the …

• U.S. Forest Service honors Joel Sather of Cabinet Ranger District

  Dec. 25, 2014 in Outdoors on Page O4 A Western Montana man and former wilderness ranger recently received a national award for tending to the recreation programs in the Cabinet Mountains and wilderness area. Joel Sather, recreation technician …

• Scotchmans’ student ranger grooms public on ways of the wilderness

  Oct. 12, 2014 in Outdoors on Page C12 The Scotchman Peaks roadless area northeast of Lake Pend Oreille isn’t an official wilderness, but it was served by a “wilderness ranger” this summer and gained a standout new trail … 1

• Huckleberry Haiku celebrates year’s bumper crop

  Sept. 7, 2014 in Outdoors on Page C14 The best huckleberry picking season in years has inspired hikers, campers, pie makers, teachers, scientists, a TV weather reporter and an internationally acclaimed 2

• Peaking in Wallowas

  Aug. 31, 2014 in Outdoors on Page C10 As we stood on the top of Oregon’s largest wilderness area, looking down upon mountains that spread across the horizon like rows of jagged teeth, we made a plan to …

• In brief: Recreation areas reopen to public after wildfires

  Aug. 21, 2014 in Outdoors, Sports on Page O2 As crews continue to harness wildfires in the Methow Valley region of northcentral Washington, the U.S. Forest Service has been able to reopen more recreation areas this week. Most backcountry …

• Rich Landers: Berry-picking readers enjoy penning purple prose

  Aug. 14, 2014 in Outdoors, Sports on Page O1 One of the best huckleberry crops in memory is leaving stains on fingers and smiles on faces throughout the region. Berries are so thick in some mountain areas, a serious … 6

• Resolute ‘String Bean’: Seattle man sets new Pacific Coast Trail record

  Aug. 14, 2014 in Outdoors on Page O3 A 23-year-old Seattle man has set speed record for running the length of the Pacific Crest Trail supported by a team of helpers. Joe McConaughy crossed into Canada on Sunday, …

• State’s new road access law confuses ATV riders

  July 13, 2014 in Outdoors on Page C12 A law enacted last year by the Washington Legislature to amend guidelines on all-terrain vehicles was hailed by ATV enthusiasts as a way to increase access to rural lanes and …

• Proposed Travel Management bill ignores the collective opinion

  June 19, 2014 in Outdoors, Sports on Page O1 Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is co-sponsoring a bill in Congress that would give county commissioners and small communities near national forests a commanding role in deciding where off-highway motor vehicles … 1

• Snow blocks some mountain roads

  June 8, 2014 in Outdoors on Page C9 Snow is still plugging mountain roads and Forest Service crews are just working their way through projects left by the ravages of winter. The basic rule: Check websites or call …

• 2,700 miles later: Speed-hiking queen of the PCT

  May 25, 2014 in Outdoors on Page C12 “I ’m not a particularly fast walker,” Heather Anderson said – much to the relief of her interviewer – as she hiked a North Idaho trail last week. “The difference …

• April hikes: Go low for wildflowers or snowshoe high for solitude

  April 13, 2014 in Outdoors on Page C14 April may be the most delicious month of the year for taking a hike. Ski resorts are closing because even skiers are losing their appetite for snow. It’s time to …

• Field reports: Umatilla Forest starts management plan revision with meetings

  March 30, 2014 in Outdoors on Page C13 FORESTS – The Blue Mountains National Forests have begun revising the plans and policies for managing everything from logging, grazing and firefighting to recreation and wilderness for the next 15 …

• Avalanche threat not apparent to victim

  Jan. 12, 2014 in Outdoors on Page C11 The avalanche that killed a Bozeman snowmobiler riding in the Gallatin Mountains on New Year’s Day – the first Montana avalanche death in more than a year – was somewhat …

• Idaho Panhandle National Forests plan panned by environmentalists

  Dec. 1, 2013 in Idaho, Outdoors on Page B3 Majestic old stands of pines, cedars and firs don’t have enough protections under the Idaho Panhandle National Forests’ draft management plan, according to environmental groups, who say the big trees … 1

• Forest Service plans peg potential wilderness in North Idaho

  Nov. 17, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C12 A newly revised Forest Service management plan outlines 161,400 acres suitable for official wilderness designation in North Idaho. That’s 22,000 acres more than were recommended in the draft plan put … 6

• Scotchman Peaks group finds common ground for wilderness

  Nov. 17, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C12 In the often-divisive arena of wilderness policy, the Scotchman Peaks straddle many boundaries. The scenic mountain range between the Clark Fork and Bull rivers has more geopolitical lines dotting its … 2

• Between-season outdoor adventures ripe with rewards, risks

  Sept. 29, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C14 No mosquitoes, no crowds – that’s just the start of what attracts savvy outdoors enthusiasts to schedule trips during the post-Labor Day “shoulder season.” Families and inner tubers vacated trout … 2

• Field reports: Popular Forest Service trailheads blocked for road repairs

  Sept. 29, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C13 FORESTS – Road work will restrict access starting this week to popular fall destinations in the region’s national forests. The Roman Nose trailhead in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests will …

• Landers: Great outdoors needs refs, custodians

  Sept. 26, 2013 in Outdoors, Sports on Page B1 The great outdoors is the sports stadium of the people. It’s the arena that invites all of us, regardless of age or gender, to take our best shot.

• Seven Devils: Hikers approve of God’s work above Hells Canyon

    Sept. 8, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C12 Three seasons of major forest fires have remodeled the scenery for backpackers who might be revisiting Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountains for the first time in a decade. But the Devils … 1

• Should Image Lake be reopened to crowds of hikers?

  Aug. 18, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C9 The iconic view of Glacier Peak reflected on Image Lake last Saturday was especially remarkable because three Spokane Mountaineers were the only people camping at the prized destination in the … 1

• Glacier Peak Wilderness hikers find nature untamed near hidden volcano

  Aug. 18, 2013 in Outdoors Holly Weiler was blunt in the Spokane Mountaineers calendar item about the August trip she was leading through the Glacier Peak Wilderness: “We’re hiking a loop –Trinity Trailhead (near Lake …

• Glacier Peak Wilderness hikers find nature untamed near hidden volcano

  Aug. 18, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C10 Holly Weiler was blunt in the Spokane Mountaineers calendar item about the August trip she was leading through the Glacier Peak Wilderness: “We’re hiking a loop –Trinity Trailhead (near Lake …

• Field reports: Pink salmon flood into Puget Sound

  Aug. 4, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C9 FISHING – More than 6.2 million pink salmon are surging into Puget Sound this month in their return that occurs on odd-numbered years, according to the Washington Department of Fish … 3

• Differing regulations creating confusion for trail riders

  July 28, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C10 Slimmed-down versions of utility-terrain vehicles cannot be used on any trails on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. But they are legal on all-terrain vehicle trails on forests to the north, …

• Officials see need to restrict exploding targets on public lands

  July 14, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C9 Careless shooters blamed for starting wildfires have prompted federal land managers and most state agencies to restrict or ban the use of exploding targets on public lands in Idaho, Washington …

• Budget cuts leave recreation areas relying on outside help

  June 30, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C10 Recreation budgets are shrinking so fast, federal agencies are struggling to provide basic services such as garbage removal, road maintenance and trail clearing on popular public lands in the Inland … 5

• Local Trail Angel: Lynn Smith

  June 30, 2013 in Outdoors on Page C10 Lynn Smith, 64, takes as much pride in the region’s public lands as he does in his Hayden-area backyard. During the Spokane Mountaineers’ Wednesday evening hikes he’s led for 15 …

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