ANYWAY YOU LOOK at it, mosquitoes suck. During fall, however, hikers can lighten their loads and their frustrations by leaving the insect repellent at home. Skeeters are history. Most of the wildflowers are history, too, and the huckleberry crops are on their last legs. But there's no shortage of color in the region as the shrubs come ablaze with reds and yellows. The larch needles are transforming to a feathery gold, and the birch and aspen leaves soon will be shimmering so bright they'll stave off the darkness that sneaks up on us in the waning days of summer. Shifting gears from summer to autumn hiking is as natural as adjusting your taste-buds from Corona to dark beer. Stuff an extra insulating layer in your pack and start truckin'. Virtually any trail that was good during spring or summer will be good or better during fall — until it snows. The most notable change might be the lack of people. If it's a crowd you crave, go to a tailgate party. If you want solitude, try a trail. Here's a start with a baker's half dozen choices within a whim and a half-day's drive from Spokane. Little Spokane River/ Painted Rocks
