Out & About

OUTPEDAL

Bikes come out of the closet

About 1,000 people in the Spokane area pledged to commute by bicycle last week in a successful revival of Bike to Work Week, and a jump-start to their summer cycling fitness foundation.

The number of participants was bittersweet for organizers, who ordered only 600 T-shirts for BTWW participants. Coming up short was a positive sign that people are willing to turn to bikes as a healthful alternative to fossil-fueled travel, they said.

More than 300 cyclists kicked off the week’s events on Monday by filling their tanks with a free breakfast whipped up from 35 pounds of blueberry pancake mix, plus pastries, coffee and juice served at Riverfront Park.

Info: www.biketoworkspokane.org.

OUTBOUND

Gas prices relative

Grand Canyon National Park and other southwest recreation areas reported a noticeable surge in European tourists during late winter and early spring. The visitors are taking advantage of the euro’s buying power over the dollar.

Answering a reporter who asked if the USA’s rising gasoline prices didn’t offset the exchange rates, a German tourist offered perspective:

“Where I come from, gas is about $8 a gallon,” he said. “American prices are a bargain.”

OUTFIELD

Scotchman hikes start

A strenuous overnight backpack up on Scotchman Peak north of Lake Pend Oreille will kick off this year’s spring-summer guided hiking series by the Friends of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness.

A range of easy-to-difficult hikes will follow to acquaint people to the proposed wilderness area.

Info: www.scotchmanpeaks.org.

OUTGOING

Learn to sail

Sailing the Inland Northwest, a new sailing organization, is offering lessons and planning sailing events based at Lake Coeur d’Alene.

The group also organizes kids events and radio-controlled sailboat regattas.

Info: Miles Moore, SAIL Marine in Coeur d’Alene, www.sailcda.com.

OUTLOOK

Best fishing times

Lunar tables from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Be fishing at least one hour before and one hour after peak times. Applies to all time zones.

(* indicates best days.)

Through May 25

* Today

– 12:25 a.m.

Monday

12:20 a.m. 12:40 p.m.

Tuesday

1:05 a.m. 1:25 p.m.

Wednesday

1:55 a.m. 2:20 p.m.

Thursday

2:45 a.m. 3:15 p.m.

* Friday

3:40 a.m. 4:05 p.m.

* Saturday

4:30 a.m. 4:55 p.m.

Next Sunday

5:15 a.m. 5:40 p.m.

See the Hunting-Fishing Report

every Friday in Sports