2014 Outdoors: spotlight

Local teacher a survivor

Former Ferris High School science teacher, survival instructor, naturalist and artist Hazen Audel is spotlighting the skills of indigenous people in remote niches of the world for the National Geographic Channel TV series “Survive the Tribe.” Audel’s childhood fascination with snakes and spiders put the Spokane native on the path to hunt with bald eagles in Mongolia, dodge stampeding elephants in Kenya, hunt with blowguns in the jungle of Ecuador and learn to spear seals from a kayak in the icy Canadian waters of Nunavik. Audel may be filming more episodes in 2015 to continue what he calls “a rich cultural stew of outdoor adventure.”

Gun craze boosts wildlife

Barack Obama’s presidency, and gun-culture propaganda about his anti-gun agenda, turns out to be the best thing that’s happened to hunting since Teddy Roosevelt. Record-breaking sales of guns and ammunition resulted in another windfall for wildlife conservation. Corresponding federal excise taxes on guns and ammo soared to a record $761 million distributed back to the states for wildlife and hunting programs, exceeding the record of $523 million in 2013.

Diving into photography

Although based in Spokane, marine photographer Brandon Cole has traveled the globe, logging millions of air miles and enduring 16,000 hours underwater to publish images of dolphins, killer whales, sharks and other marine life. National Wildlife honored Cole as its Ranger Rick Magazine Photographer of the Year. “The possibility for danger, for chaos, is always there,” he said of his 20 years working in marine environments. “I’ve never become complacent, even after 9,000 scuba dives.” Cole said he’s been attacked by a shark “just once.”

Camp hosts stand out

In the field of RV camping, Susan and Larry Dach are pros. Since retiring in 2008, the Dachs have made a fifth wheel their full-time home in campgrounds across the USA, mostly as campground hosts. This year they enjoyed a free site in exchange for helping campers north of Spokane at Dragoon Creek Campground.

“This has been our lifestyle, and a way to stay retired,” Larry said.

“When you’re traveling, you see areas superficially,” Susan said. “When you stay put, you have time to explore the area more thoroughly, meet people, get tips from locals, discover trails – and restaurants.”