New hiking trail links Northwest’s most popular trails

Spokane native and avid hiker Derrick Knowles fell in love long ago with all of the hikes that the Pacific Northwest offers. So much so that he wanted to create a new trail that links all of the most popular trails back to Spokane. Hence the Inland Northwest Trail, a 1,500 mile-long loop through the Inland Northwest, that Knowles, also a Down to Earth NW Correspondent, has been walking and thinking of since 2007. “In the off-trail season, I bought maps, read through guidebooks, and searched online for info on the lesser known routes and trails that would connect the bigger, more popular and well documented places and trails,” he said. “I became convinced that this dream of a trail that would start and end in my hometown of Spokane was not only possible, but something I had to at least try to make a reality.” He came up with the idea while on a 75-mile hike in the Frank Church Wilderness. He’s been hiking new sections of the route every year since and formed the non-profit Friends of the Inland Northwest Trail group in 2012 to rally support for the INT. Knowles spent the last several years exploring route possibilities with friends, filling in the blank spots on his mental map of the region. In 2011 he began to work with an Eastern Washington University student on a map of the proposed route. A draft map was completed later that year. He formed the non-profit group Friends of the Inland Northwest Trail to help make his “idealistic idea a reality.” “I’m continuing to ground-truth sections of the trail and doing what I can to organize local support in my spare time. I don’t get a lot of vacation, so sometimes it’s hard to find as much time as I’d like,” he said. Knowles is currently working on a guidebook and planning a thru-hike of the INT in the near future. The proposed route for the INT also shares a section of trail with the Pacific Northwest Trail, a recently designated National Scenic Trail that stretches between Glacier National Park in Montana and the Olympic National Park on the coast of Washington, connecting the PCT and the Continental Divide Trail along the way. The section of trail the INT route shares with the PNT crosses the Selkirk Mountains and up into the Purcell Mountains, from the Salmo-Priest Wilderness to just east of the Idaho/Montana states line. Knowles said most of the proposed INT route is on existing U.S. Forest Service trails. The route also includes some forest and rural roads to link up the longer, more wild and scenic portions of the trail. His passion for the project is based on his love of long-distance hiking. “I always have a desire to be out there longer and in tune to nature as long as possible,” Knowles said. “It’s a great way to shed all of your worries.” He recommends to people who want to hike something like this to begin with shorter day hikes and build up to the longer ones. “Just make sure however long you go, to bring lots of water and snacks to have along the way.” Knowles also suggests that interested hikers look up the Spokane Mountaineers for great tips on hiking and essentials to bring. The Spokane Mountaineers is an organization devoted to the conservation and enjoyment of the out-of-doors. Founded in 1915 by a group of librarians who loved to hike, the club has grown to incorporate a range of activities for members of all ages (15 and up) and abilities. The Mountaineers offer activities of all varieties, including backpacking, day hiking, bicycling, and skiing of all varieties.