Outdoors

Schelly details trek in Black Sea region, Eastern Europe

Flash flood ordeal recounted by paddlers

Snooze and you lose in the quest to bunk in a Forest Service cabin along the St. Joe River, float a prized Idaho wilderness river or backpack through wildly popular parks and wilderness areas. Winter is the season for thinking ahead to summer adventures that require a special permit or reservations.

OUTLIVE – Four Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club members who survived a close call with a freak flash flood event while kayaking the Green River of Utah will present a free slide and video program on the trip Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Mountain Gear corporate headquarters, 6021 E. Mansfield Ave. in Spokane Valley (go north on Fancher Road from Trent and turn right just before the tracks). Debbie Pierce, Lisa Helmbrecht, Marlene Landis and Susan Luchesi were trapped on a quickly disappearing sand bar out of reach of rescue- attempting park rangers until the flood formed a temporary dam that gave them a short window for escape.

Winter offers a peaceful opportunity for bird watchers to take stock of their yards. With fewer chores to tend, we can look over the landscape like a farmer and see what’s working and what’s not. This is the time to build nest boxes and make a plan for spring landscaping to make the yard more friendly to wildlife year around.

BOISE – A federal judge has rejected a request by conservation groups to stop Idaho from killing wolves from two packs in central Idaho as part of the state’s efforts to bolster elk numbers in the area. U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge on Friday denied the temporary restraining order sought by the groups who contend the large-scale removal of wolves contravenes the 1964 Wilderness Act and other federal acts.

LighterBro LLC is a small company in Santa Barbara, Calif. Its namesake product costs just $9.99 and offered surprising functionality in my test. It has a small “Japanese Katana”-inspired blade with a squared-off tip. I shaved off some arm hairs to test its sharpness out of the box.

An annual event that encourages women to take an enjoyable step into winter is set for Feb. 2. The Women’s Souper Bowl IX – which includes cross-country skiing and snowshoeing activities, treats, prizes and lunch – is set for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. based out of Selkirk Lodge at Mount Spokane. The fundraiser supports the Women’s and Children’s Free Restaurant.

Spring chinook will double the pleasure at Drano Lake

Dead hawk owl to live on in WSU collection

Tribes angling to get authority to middle of Lake Roosevelt

Northern hawk owl visiting Moscow reported dead

Wife carrying race a hit at Lookout Pass Winter Carnival

Minor fluctuations in Roosevelt levels expected