Rich Landers: Spokane left off? Perfect!

While the Zags are on the cusp of a national Top 20 ranking in college basketball, I’m pleased to announce that Spokane is nowhere near that high profile of recognition as an outdoors town.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that the national radar is getting close to sniffing us out.

Lewiston has been ranked No. 2 in Outdoor Life magazine’s just-released April issue cover story on Best Towns for Hunters and Anglers.

Missoula ranked No. 11 in Field & Stream’s recent list of Top Fishing Towns

Coeur d’Alene is No. 32 among OL’s hunting and fishing towns.

Meantime, Spokane is a lowly No. 118.

I can live happily with that.

I was invited to speak to a Lutheran men’s group meeting the other night, and, after having listened to A Prairie Home Companion for many years, I was pleased when they offered me a micro-brew beer at the door rather than a serving of Jell-O salad.

We talked about many outdoor topics, but the conversation concluded with a discussion of why we live in Spokane.

The outdoorsmen in the group were gentle with the man who mentioned golf, and he stuck out the rest of the meeting after the gagging and laughter subsided.

The gist was that few places on Earth offer the cultural, health care, transportation and educational amenities of this perfectly-sized outdoor city – with its four seasons and low humidity – and still be so centrally located for the complete outdoor enthusiast.

Within minutes from downtown Spokane, you can be:

“Paddling excellent stretches of flatwater or whitewater – and I might point out that Hangman is in its brief prime runoff condition for skilled river runners.

“Bicycling on quiet paved rural roads in virtually any direction, or simply hooking up with the Centennial Trail.

“Mountain biking single track through Riverside State Park or Beacon Hill.

“Fishing for trout, bass or panfish on several lakes or in a wonderfully underrated river.

“Shooting rifles or shotguns at two excellent gun clubs or two sporting clays ranges.

“Hiking and exploring natural areas such as the Dishman Hills and Little Spokane River, and the growing number of Conservation Futures natural areas.

“Climbing at Minnehaha Rocks or Q’emiln Riverside Park.

Spokane shines even brighter when you consider its one-day proximity to the best of the best, such as:

“Desert areas in the Columbia Basin that are particularly ripe for hiking and fishing in spring before snow vanishes from the high country, and for hunting in the fall and winter.

“British Columbia and its wealth of outdoor gems, such as the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy, Valhalla Provincial Park and the Canadian Rockies, oh my.

“Lakes by the dozens, ranging from quiet fishing waters to vast power-boating Meccas.

“Rivers by the dozens, from little trout streams and frothing whitewater to the mighty Snake and Columbia.

“Fishing options in an almost daunting diversity, including at least a half-dozen trout species and even more than that many warmwater species, plus giants such as steelhead, salmon, northern pike and sturgeon.

“Wilderness areas, including the Cabinets, Eagle Cap, Wenaha-Tucannon, Juniper Dunes and several in the North Cascades.

“Ski areas for alpine and cross-country skiers – one of which is less than an hour away – in a range to meet every budget and skill level.

“Public land galore, including easy reach of 16 million acres of national forests, 2 million acres of national parks and recreation areas such as Lake Roosevelt, 1 million acres of BLM land and at least 700,000 acres of state wildlife recreation areas.

“Trails for every desire, from hiking and equestrian paths to groomed snowmobile and ATV routes and a world-class collection of rail-trails including the Route of the Hiawatha, the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and the Fish Lake and Columbia Plateau trails.

“Major mountains, including Adams, Baker, Rainier, St. Helens and Glacier Peak.

“Bird hunting for everything from waterfowl and doves to chukars and mountain grouse, not to mention quail, pheasants and some of the best wild turkey hunting in the nation.

“Big-game hunting for cougar, deer, elk, moose, black bear, bighorn sheep and mountain goat and, next up, wolves.

Yeah, I know I haven’t covered everything that makes us love this place.

Sshhhh. Let’s keep our city off the lists as long as possible.

Monkey business: Here’s a reality check for people condemning Spokane health officials who euthanized a monkey for rabies testing after it had bitten three people.

A mountain lion that attacked a 10-year-old boy near Phoenix on Saturday tested positive for rabies, even though health officials said the incidence of rabies in cougars is extremely rare.

The cougar diagnosis was a “first” in Arizona.

No monkey bite victim wants to be “a first” in Spokane when it comes to rabies.