VOL.5 / VOL.7 / WWW.OUTTHEREMONTHLY.COM MONTHLY FEBRUARY 20-23, 2009
THE INLAND NORTHWEST GUIDE TO OUTDOOR RECREATION
FEBRUARY 2009
P:00
COLD SMOKE IN NELSON, B.C. NORDIC SKIING AT 49 DEGREES NORTH PAGE / 00
NEW COLUMN: TRAIN LIKE A PRO PAGE / 00
BIKE RACES WE’D LIKE TO SEE PAGE / 00
The Secret History of Inland NW Outdoor Recreation
CALLING ALL LADIES FOR THE RUGBY SCRUM PAGE / 00
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OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
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Living Green Starts at Home! Enroll in the Free Homeowner Environmental Stewardship Planning course.
Develop an environmental stewardship program for your current home and property with help from local experts Kelly Lerner, an award-winning ecoarchitect/author and Ed Bryant, a certified permaculture landscape designer. Create strategies for energy efficiency, water conservation and recycling. Learn how to reduce waste and incorporate pollution-reducing habits using established green building tactics. Cost is free for this inaugural session only. Course is funded by a Department of Ecology Public Participation Grant. Course is held 6 to 9 p.m., on Tuesdays beginning February 10 and running until March 24 at CenterPlace at Mirabeau, 2426 North Discovery Place, Spokane Valley. You must preregister. Call 533-4717 or visit www.iel.spokane.edu/green
This course was funded through a grant from Washington State Department of Ecology. While this course was reviewed for grant consistency, this does not necessarily constitute endorsement by the Department. Community Colleges of Spokane provides equal opportunity in education and employment. jc
FEBRUARY 2009
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OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
InThisIssue P.6 / FROM THE EDITOR
MONTHLY
What’s Your Change? By Jon Snyder
WWW.OUTTHEREMONTHLY.COM
P.8 / OUT THERE NEWS Cold Smoke in Nelson, Green Home Speaker, Mardis Gras in Sandpoint
OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
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PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Jon Snyder jon@outtheremonthly.com ART DIRECTOR
P.12 / ROADTRIPS Nordic Skiing at 49 Degrees North By Jon Jonckers
Kaitlin Snyder kaitlin@outtheremonthly.com HEALTH & FITNESS EDITOR
Dr. Bob Lutz SENIOR WRITERS
Jon Jonckers, Derrick Knowles
P.13 / WHAT’S YOUR GEAR? Denker: Ski Race Coaching By Mira Copeland
P.14 / FEBRUARY INLAND NW OUTDOOR CALENDAR & 6 MONTH TRAINING CALENDAR P.16 / BOOK REVIEWS The Weekender Effect, The Altitude Experience
P.17 / MUSIC REPORT & UPCOMING SHOWS Two New Columns! By Ashley Graham & Dan Egan
P.18 / TRAIN LIKE A PRO New Column! By Ben Greenfield
P.19 / EVERYDAY CYCLIST
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Argule Baukol, Jordy Byrd, Mira Copeland, Dan Egan, Ben Greenfield, Ashley Graham, David Jeter, Erika Prins, Stan Miller, John Speare, Peter N. Spotts DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR
Barbara Snyder To request issues please call 509 / 534 / 3347 AD SALES
Jon Snyder: 509 / 534 / 3347 OUT THERE MONTHLY
Mailing Address: PO Box 559 Spokane, WA 99210 www.outtheremonthly.com, 509 / 534 / 3347 Out There Monthly is published once a month by Snyderco DBA/Out There Monthly. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. ©Copyright 2009 Snyderco DBA/Out There Monthly. The views expressed in this magazine reflect those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily Snyderco DBA/Out There Monthly. Disclaimer: Many of the activities depicted in this magazine carry a significant risk of personal injury or death. Rock climbing, river rafting, snow sports, kayaking, cycling, canoeing and backcountry activities are inherently dangerous. The owners and contributors to Out There Monthly do not recommend that anyone participate in these activities unless they are experts or seek qualified professional instruction and/or guidance, and are knowledgeable about the risks, and are personally willing to assume all responsibility associated with those risks.
Printed on 50% recycled paper with soy based inks in the Inland Northwest PROUD MEMBER OF
Bike Races We’d Like to See By John Speare
P.20 / THE SECRET HISTORY Of Inland NW Outdoor Recreation
Out There Monthly also supports
By Jon Snyder, Jon Jonckers & Derrick Knowles
P.23 / HEALTH & FITNESS Test For Hip & Knee Problems By David Jeter
P.24 / SUSTAINABLE LIVING U.S. Forests Feel The Heat & New Green Home Class By Peter N. Spotts & Erika Prins
P.26 / THE LAST PAGE Women’s Rugby Takes the Field and Recruits New Players By Argyle Baukol
ON THE COVER: RANDALL GREEN TACKLES “POSTER CHILD” IN IDAHO, AUGUST 1986. // PHOTO BY THE LATE JOE BENSEN. INSET PHOTO: GETTING READY FOR A CLINIC AT THE 2008 COLD SMOKE FESTIVAL IN NELSON. // PHOTO DERRICK KNOWLES.
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FromtheEditor: WHAT’S YOUR CHANGE? I’M SURE YOU’VE BEEN called to service before. Someone says “it’s time to get involved,” or “give back to the community,” or “change your lifestyle to save the planet.” The earnest beckoning can produce cynicism in the most idealistic of us. But this time it’s different. It’s not just that we have a new President who is promising change (don’t they all?), President Obama is pledging to change things with us, not for us. His deliberate use of “we” versus “I” in speeches is meant to remind us that government can only do so much. If we don’t make some hard choices in our lives this change we all seem to want is going to be dead on
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OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
arrival. Please answer the call to service, but get off to a better start than I did. Responding to Obama’s request to make the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday a national day of service I looked on the usaservice.org website for a service project in the Spokane area. Couldn’t find anything. Decided to donate blood instead. I donate often so I didn’t think much of being asked if I had travelled to Mexico in the last year. Why yes, I had. Turns out some swimming and mountain biking in the now Malaria-prone state of Nayarit cost me a blood donation. I’ll have to work a little harder for my change.
We all will. My biggest disappointment in the wake of 9/11 was that we, as US citizens, were not called upon to do anything to help the country other than shop more. I can do that. I love shopping. Damn—you should see this new touring bike I’ve been checkin’ out. But that’s not going to cut it this time. You can’t just buy that new bike. You’ve got to ride it to work too. I think most people want President Obama to be successful, even those that didn’t vote for him. That success will be elusive unless we all look hard at our lives and take difficult steps to catalyze change. It’s got to be more than a blood donation. And it won’t
be the same for everyone. Ask yourself, what are you going to do to make America more successful this year? That’s what I’m asking myself. I’m still working on the answer. // --------------------------------------------------------
JON SNYDER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF editor@outtheremonthly.com -------------------------------------------------------P.S. Two songs that should be in heavy rotation these days: Parliament’s “Chocolate City,” and Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper’s “I Hate Banks.” Can you feel me on this?
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February 5-15 AMC Theatres, River Park Square Magic Lantern Theatre Downtown Spokane
Visit our web site:
www.spokanefilmfestival.org Âť Âť Âť Âť Âť
Purchase tickets and passes online View the festival schedule Sign up for our e-mail newsletter Special event tickets and information In-depth film information
Come see what the rest of the world is watching! FEBRUARY 2009
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Community
ROOTS MARKET
All things LOCAL Celebrate with us the 2nd Sunday of each month
LOCAL
11am to 4pm 2015 Feb. 15
N. Division
FARMERS Artisans Live Music Simple living WORKSHOPS
NewsChunks (1)Transportation Advocacy Day is February 24, 2009, 9am-5pm at Trinity Lutheran Church in Olympia. Join the BICYCLE ALLIANCE and other like-minded groups as they gather in Olympia to advocate for transportation choices and healthier and safer solutions. You’ll have an opportunity to learn about current issues, meet with your legislators, and attend hearings. What will make cycling safer and more common in Washington State? The Bicycle Alliance of Washington hopes their 2009 legislative agenda will help answer that question. They will be working to make construction zones safe for all travelers; get funding to encourage kids to walk and bike to school; support smart growth in transit (and bike) oriented communities; ensure that bikes can safely trigger signals at intersections; and define safe passing to better educate drivers that 3 feet is the minimum distance. They will be supporting efforts to reduce “vehicle miles traveled” and to get a fair share of transportation funding for non-motorized projects. Learn more about their legislative agenda at www.bicyclealliance.org. (2) Mobius Kid’s newest traveling exhibit is “TEAM UP! EXPLORE SCIENCE & SPORTS”; their newest traveling exhibit opens January 31st. Visit Mobius Kids to examine the science of sports & test your own basketball, tennis, soccer, and football skills while learning about math and physics. Believe it or not, games and sports are filled with science! Physics, in particular, can be found in every game we play. Visitors to Mobius Kids will discover trajectory as they shoot miniature basketballs through a hoop, determine the amount of force needed for that perfect bounce pass, and watch themselves play volleyball, soccer, or ski in virtual reality. Young “athletes” can test their skills while having fun exploring math and physics. For more information, field trip reservations, or to schedule “TeamUp!” to come to a school near you, please visit mobiusspokane.org or call Mobius Kids at (509)624-KIDS. (3) The Quiet Communities Coalition needs your input: Ferry County issues scoping notice for OHV Ordinance alternative routes. Last month Ferry County Commissioners conceded both OHV ORDINANCES and concluded an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is necessary before implementing another OHV ordinance. They are pleased to see the Planning department and County have taken
into consideration some of the documentation Quiet Communities Coalition (QCC) provided during the SEPA comment process. However, many of the proposals are what brought them to challenge the first ordinances; with success. With your input, they can provide the County a solution we can all live with. Please review the full scoping notice at: www. quietcommunitiescoalition.com and e-mail us your ideas at: info@quietcommunitiescoalition.com. Comment deadline March 2, 2009. (4) Silver Mountain modifies schedule for remainder of snow season POWDER THURSDAYS AND MOGUL MONDAYS commence with special rates. Starting Tuesday, January 20, Silver Mountain Resort’s snow riding operation will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with two exceptions – the weeks beginning February 16 and March 30 when the mountain will be open all seven days. “This new schedule will offer a tremendous coup for powder lovers: the fabulous Silver Mountain snow that falls on Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be there untracked when mountain operations resume on Thursdays,” said John Williams, Director of Marketing. “Then during the days when the majority of our guests are enjoying our mountain, we’ll designate a trail or two and let bumps form for Mogul Mondays.” After a day on the slopes, snow riders are then invited to swim, splash and surf at Silver Rapids après-ki party. In addition, season pass holders from all Idaho ski resorts as well as Mt. Spokane and 49 Degrees North can enjoy Powder Thursdays and Mogul Mondays AND splash in SilverRapids for only $20 for a limited time. For more info please visit www.silvermt.com. (5) Theo over at Cycle Sports in Liberty Lake is putting together a cool winter event: INDOOR BIKE RACES on new hi-tech video trainers. The Computrainers are available at his shop and if the races go well he plans to have finals at a local bar. How’s that for cure for the winter blues? Here’s the details: If you’re looking for a little competition, try indoor racing right here in the shop. Season starts February 1st so sign up now. The first race will be a moderately challenging 15-mi. road course lasting about 30 minutes. The format will be double elimination tournament style with cool prizes for the podium and swag just for signing up. Call (509) 893-BIKE for more information. //
Community
ROOTS MARKET
All things LOCAL Celebrate with us the 2nd Sunday of each month
11am to 4pm
2015 3 N. Division
LOCAL
FARMERS Artisans Live Music Simple living 2 5WORKSHOPS 4
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www.freshabundance.com 8
Community OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
www.freshabundance.com
Community
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OutThereNews FILMS TACKLE WATER, NATIVE RIGHTS, OIL & M.M.A Spokane International Film Festival Starts February 5 mountaingear.com/coldsmoke
FEB 20 - 23, 2009 NELSON, BC CANADA Festival Activities: • Ski & Snowboard Clinics for a wide range of interests and skill levels • Advanced Clinics with Celebrated Athletes • Avalanche Awareness • Beacon & Self-Rescue • Navigation and Route Finding
Celebrate the culture of backcountry pursuits amongst breathtaking scenery and world-renowned snow at Whitewater Winter Resort in Nelson, British Columbia.
Demos & Exhibitors:
Presented by
• Industry and product experts will be on hand to set you up in the latest outdoor gear for testing.
STILL FROM DOWNSTREAM. // PHOTO COURTESY SPOKANE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.
THIS YEAR’S Spokane International Film Festival, February 5-15, again has many films that may be of interest to Out There Monthly readers. Including: ONE WATER: For this hauntingly beautiful film, the filmmaker journeyed to five continents and sixteen countries to explore the crisis of our world water supply. Designed to connect with all ages, One Water teaches what we should already know, that all humanity lives in this world of finite resources together. This poetic and powerful lesson complements beautiful images with interviews with the Dalai Lama and Robert F. Kennedy, among others. OUT IN THE COLD: On a freezing night, Soft as Snow and Cold as Ice meet Thomas, a drunken young man who is dumped by police on the outskirts of town. Will Thomas join his elders or return to the city to tell his story? This oftentimes humorous and important story was inspired by the freezing deaths of several First Nations men, which put Canada on Amnesty International’s list of human rights abuses.
DOWNSTREAM: This film tells the heartbreaking, yet hopeful, story of the people of Ft. Chipewyan and their resolve to stop the strip mining of oil and pollution of their water in Canada’s Boreal forest. The story of the community’s deep inner resources and the committed doctor who comes to their aid is uplifting, even as it is set against the daunting larger tale of our oil addiction and those who conspire to feed it. FIGHTING POLITICS: The real story of Cage Fighter Matt Lindland. Cage Fighter Matt “The Law” Lindland had to earn his nickname the hard way, through perseverance and a good lawyer. Back in 2000 Matt was in one of the biggest political sports messes ever, resulting in his case on the steps of the supreme court. His success in the Sport of Mixed Martial Arts came to an abrupt halt as politics came knocking on his door again. // For festival schedule and tickets go to: www. spokanefilmfestival.org
MARDIS GRAS FESTIVAL IN SANDPOINT Gold Sponsors
Media Sponsors
Supporter Sponsors
Registration NOW OPEN
mountaingear.com/coldsmoke or 800.829.2009
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OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
SANDPOINT CELEBRATES Mardi Gras in Inland Northwest fashion this Feb. 19-24 during their annual Madcap Mardi Gras Festival. The celebration hosts outrageous events, contests, local food, drink and performances, sponsored by the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association. The week kicks off with local royalty crowing Thursday, Feb. 19, said Cathleen with the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association. Friday, Feb. 20 hosts the follies, “a raunchy and risqué show, that’s politically incorrect,” Cathleen said. The comic send-up of politics, love, life and Sandpoint’s high and mighty is a 21 and older show sponsored by The Angels Over Sandpoint, a non-profit organization. For tickets call the Panida Theater in Sandpoint at 208-263-9191 or 208-255-7801. Saturday, Feb. 21 hosts another showing of the follies, a golf scramble and rubber chicken fling. The object of the chicken fling varies from business to business, while the golf scramble is a linked course. The 18-hole course is a “crazy,
indoors, putting tournament,” she said, as each hole is located inside a downtown business. After an afternoon of crazy costumes and golfing from store to store, an awards ceremony and luncheon will follow. For more information, including registration for the tournament, visit downtownsandpoint.com. Sunday, Feb. 22 is family activity day. Activities range from cookie stacking contests, to spam carving contests and mask-making stations. Cathleen said “it’s amazing how many spam carving participants you get!” Monday, Feb. 23 is the poker run. Participants travel from business to business, performing odd tasks and doing whatever is necessary to win a card, she said. At the end of the race, prices will be given out to individuals with the hands. The celebration rounds off Tuesday, Feb. 24 with fat Tuesday, and all-day event full of food, merriment and drink. For more information visit downtownsandpoint.com or call the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association at (208) 2551876. //
OutThereNews COLD SMOKE COMING TO NELSON Backcountry Ski-Fest Now in Third Year
HAVING FUN AT LAST YEAR’S COLD SMOKE. // PHOTO DERRICK KNOWLES.
THE PREDECESSOR TO the Cold Smoke Powder Festival at Whitewater Winter Resort in Nelson was a small, intimate gathering of telemark skiers who came together to hone their skills and hang out amongst their free-heeled brethren. Today’s Cold Smoke, kicking off its third year February 20-23, has grown and evolved into a full-blown, four-day backcountry snow sports event with everything from inbounds and backcountry clinics, races, demos, and parties. A long list of clinics for all ability levels of tele, AT, and split board riders anchors the long weekend in the Kootenays. This year’s instructors include the likes of backcountry climbing phenom Greg Hill and ski superstars like Naheed Henderson, Nils Larsen, Eric Pehota, and others. If your ego or empty wallet won’t let you sign up for a skills clinic, the third annual Randonnee Rally, a ski mountaineering race with 2,000-5,000 feet of climbing the peaks around Whitewater begins
with a bagpipe ceremony at the Whitewater lodge Saturday morning at 9AM (pre-register for the class of your choice at ROAM in Nelson). There’s also a team of 2 poker run sponsored by Scarpa, and Friday and Saturday night socials with films, slideshows, music, and giveaways. Tickets for the Saturday night buffet dinner sell out fast, so get yours quick. Nelson and Whitewater Resort are about 3.5 hours north of Spokane (about 160 miles). Many of the festival clinics, socials and other events sell out early, so register quickly. Most of the hotel rooms, including the Dancing Bear, which serves as home base for the festival promoters in Nelson, also fill up so check out lodging options at the festival’s web site and make reservations soon. // You can register online at: http://www.mounta-
s .EW MEMBERS 4RIAL MONTH UNLIMITED CLASSES s $ISCOUNT FOR 3TUDENTS 3ENIORS -ILITARY s 6ARIETY OF CLASSES AND LEVELS PLUS DAY CARE s 9OGA 3CHOOL OF 3POKANE NEXT SESSION BEGINS !PRIL
spokane yoga shala EAST TH AVENUE SPOKANE WWW SPOKANEYOGASHALA COM
Feb 2, Partners in Pain 5K, West Central
March 7, 2009 Centennial Trail Run 37 miles more info at
www.runnersoul.com
ingear.com/coldsmoke/index.aspx.
Spokane's only running specialty store.
221 N. Wall St. 509.624.7654
GREEN HOME EXPERT TO SPEAK Free Event Will Take Place February 2 INLAND NORTHWEST BUILT GREEN in conjunction with The Insitute for Extended Learning is coordinating the upcoming Spokane visit of nationally recognized trainer, author and speaker Mark LaLiberte. On Monday evening, Feb. 2nd, Built Green will help host a public forum where Mark will give a talk on building durable, energy efficient and healthy homes. LaLiberte is a renown author, consultant and building scientist. He blends the technical with the practical and fun in his interactive presentation format. His training programs have provided thousands of builders, architects, manufacturers and consumers with the tools to build affordable, energy efficient, durable and healthy homes. The title of his talk is “Would You Like that in
green?� This free educational event is presented as a public service of Inland Northwest Built Green with generous support from the Institute For Extended Learning, the Department of Ecology, the Lincoln Center, OrePac Building Products, Tyvek, and the Spokane Home Builder’s Association. The talk will begin promptly at 6PM at the Lincoln Ballroom of the brand new Lincoln Events Center. //
Finish off your bottles. And feel good about it in the morning. Glass bottles & jars Rinse jars, labels okay.
The cycle starts with you.
For more information email: info@certifiedbuiltgreen.org. The Lincoln Events Center is located
Partial funding provided by a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology.
at 1316 N. Lincoln St. Just one block north of the Spokane Arena.
recycling hotline: 625.6800
www.solidwaste.org
FEBRUARY 2009
Spokane Regional Solid Waste System
/ OUT THERE MONTHLY
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RoadTrips
NORDIC SKIING IN CHEWELAH
49 Degrees North’s Nordic Center Has Great Trails / By Jon Jonckers CHEWELAH HAS ALWAYS had good crosscountry skiing. For years, many local skiers set their own tracks throughout the area, or simply followed snowmobile trails. However, Chewelah skiers have certainly found their stride in recent seasons, and now 49° North hosts some fabulous groomed cross-country skiing. Thanks to a small, dedicated team and an outstanding groomer, their Nordic Center delivers 16 kilometers of top-notch track and skate trails in beautiful old growth forest. Spokane skier Eric Barrett, previously a crosscountry ski rep and currently a cross-country ski buyer at Mountain Gear, agrees. He said, “From the yurt warming hut to the beautifully manicured skate and classic trails, this area is a great resource for the Inland Northwest’s Nordic ski community. I’ve always enjoyed my trips there.” Located about a quarter mile before you reach
HITTNG THE TRAILS ON CHEWELAH PEAK. // PHOTO JON JONCKERS.
Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe With Spokane Parks & Recreation’s Outdoor Program
“Learn to Ski Guarantee” If you do not feel you have learned to cross country ski during one of our classes you can retake any of our lessons at no cost or receive a full refund!
View a full list of classes or register at SpokaneParks.org or Call 509-625-6200
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OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
It’s easy to see why the perfectly groomed tracks are ideal for all ages and abilities thereby fulfilling the resort’s family-friendly mission. the well-known downhill ski resort, or roughly 40 miles north of Spokane, the cross-country trails nest in a sweet spot right near the Flowery Trail Road Pass. Abundant parking adjacent to a warm, inviting yurt insures that you can change into your ski boots, fiddle with your clothing system, add glide wax and top off your thermos with comfortable ease next to a warm wood burning stove. Prior to my first trip there, I had heard that it was sort of an expert’s Nordic area. I don’t fancy myself an expert by any means, but I figured this meant that it was going to be a challenging course with lots of big up and big down trails. I’m genuinely pleased to report it’s a very mellow, yet engaging area. The Hoot Owl Loop was just plain fun. The longer Cedar Trail can test timid skiers with its ups and downs, and there is one slick S-curve on Nordic Way. But, by and large, the majority of the trails offer something for everyone. Skate skiers can appreciate the clean lines and good grooming. Beginners will love the modest terrain, particularly the array of loops near the yurt so they can warm up in between laps. Everyone, greenhorn or veteran, can admire the great scenery at roughly 3,800 feet elevation. After Jim Bauer, the noted Spokane-area ski racer, had lapped me about 100 times out on the trails, we chatted outside the yurt for a little bit.
He emphasized, “I really think these guys are doing a great job up here. They’ve put a lot of work into this place, and it shows.” Uncommon at most cross-country ski areas, 49° North Nordic Center offers onsite rentals for both cross-country ski gear and snowshoes. This is a huge benefit for those who simply want to try one of these activities since it saves so much time – no pickup or drop-off at a ski shop, and you don’t have to accommodate the gear in your car. The staff at the yurt can outfit you and, for a reasonable price, provide quality introductory lessons. The Nordic Center also hosts a modest snowshoe trail system. A few notable, single-track trails thread through and around some of the ski corridors. These trails aren’t prepared like the ski trails, but you can grab a map at the yurt and follow some interesting frosty terrain. Even though it’s falling apart, the old-timer’s cabin on the eastern end of the circuit remains a popular destination. Here are a few other things to keep in mind when planning your trip. The Nordic Center’s days of operation include Friday through Sunday and Holidays. They’re open 9 AM to 4 PM. They do not require a parking sticker but they do require a trail pass available at the yurt. Dogs are allowed on the trails after 2 PM, as long as they are kept under control at all times. Snowshoers are required to stay off the groomed tracks, give skiers the right of way, and obey posted signs. All in all, the Nordic Center really enhances the 49° North Resort. With the upcoming resort village expansion, the Nordic area will certainly increase with trails to link condos, restaurants and other features. Buoyed by area interest in fitness skiing and snowshoeing, and the growing buzz about the quality terrain and great weather, it’s easy to see why the perfectly groomed tracks are ideal for all ages and abilities thereby fulfilling the resort’s family-friendly mission. Lastly, to soften the edge of your workout, I recommend you finish your cross-country session with a pint at the resort’s Boomtown Bar. Not many Nordic Centers have a bar that close to the trailhead, so definitely take advantage of it. //
WHEN YOU GO // From Spokane take Highway 395 North to Chewelah (42 miles). Turn East (or right at the stoplight) onto Main Street to Flowery Trail Road. Then travel 10 miles to the resort. OR - Take Argonne Road North to Highway 2. Follow Highway 2 Northeast toward Newport (27 miles). Then take State Route 20 West out of Newport toward Ione/Metaline Falls (20 miles). At State Route 20 turn left and travel about 3/4 mile to Flowery Trail Rd. Turn left again on Flowery Trail Road and follow to the ski area (16 miles). Learn more at www.ski49n.com. //
What’sYourGear: Lisa Denker (Ski Coaching) By Mira Copeland
DENKER AND KIDS. //
WANTED: experienced, fun-loving race coach willing to spend up to ten hours on the mountain teaching children aged 6-8 to ski. Found: Lisa Denker and her gear, willing and capable of getting up early for long, cold days on the hill. Denker has been skiing for 26 years, and she taught ski lessons for several years before joining the 49 Degrees North Alpine Ski Team (FAST) as a coach. When she moved to the Inland Northwest, she says, “I was getting an education degree at Eastern and it was kind of natural for
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me to gravitate toward instructing.” “I really like watching the kids have fun—they just get so excited when they get through the gates,” Denker says. “A lot of kids don’t have the opportunity to get outside and play, and don’t get to spend a lot of time with their families, so I think when families get together and go up to the mountain, that’s a wonderful thing to do for your family.” -----------------------------------------------------SKIS: Atomic SX9 in 178. “I’m a diehard Elan fan, but we’re a dying breed,” she says. “Elans were the first to come out with a parabolic ski, which really revolutionized my skiing, because being a woman, I tended to ski with my weight further back, and when you put yourself on a shaped ski, if you’re in the backseat, that won’t work.” The Atomics she found at a demo day at Lookout, and fell in love with them. “For me, an all-mountain ski is great to get into the powder with the kids and they have sharp edges to dig in on those icier days.” -----------------------------------------------------BINDINGS: Atomic, as well, with a riser plate, which “lifts up your foot so you get more angulation to make the turns a little easier,” she says. -----------------------------------------------------BOOTS: Nordica Beast boots. “It’s very important for the boots to fit, even for children,” Denker says, “so that you’re not fighting with the boots and learning to ski. We’re very lucky in Spokane to have at least three certified boot fitters who are very patient and willing to get you in the right boot.”
-----------------------------------------------------SOCKS: Hot Chilly. -----------------------------------------------------POLES: Slalom poles by Atomic, “but I think my daughter has commandeered those.” She uses a new pair of Goode carbon fiber poles, which are light and strong, she says. -----------------------------------------------------LONG UNDERWEAR: Hot Chilly. “I tried to ski in silk once, and I thought I was going to die because I got so hot I almost hyperventilated and keeled over, so for people who really get cold, I
“I tried to ski in silk once, and I thought I was going to die I got so hot.” always recommend silk,” she says. -----------------------------------------------------PANTS: A Marmot shell, or K2 snowboard pants for the really cold days. -----------------------------------------------------COAT: Denker wears a team jacket, by Karbon, or a personal coat, which “alternates between Helly Hansen and Karbon.” The Karbon jackets tend to be warmer because they have more insulation, “but I gravitate toward a shell because I like to layer rather than feeling like a puff-a-lump,” she
says. -----------------------------------------------------GLOVES: “I coach in Helix gloves, if I can find them. I’ll coach in gloves that are bigger because you take them off and on a lot helping the kids,” she says. For colder days or personal days on the mountain, she uses gloves by North Face or Columbia, because with those brands “my hands don’t feel wet all the time—they have that great polar fleece with wicking power.” -----------------------------------------------------HELMET: A small Protec. -----------------------------------------------------GOGGLES: “For me, Scott goggles are the best, because they fit over my glasses, and they have a double lens so they fog up a little less.” -----------------------------------------------------EXTRAS: The pockets of a race coach are never empty. In addition to Hot Hands and a pocket full of motivational gummy bears, Denker carries a goggle scraper, a wiping cloth, and Cat Crap, an anti-fog treatment that “you rub on your goggles, wipe it off, and it keeps them from icing over quite so much.” “I always carry SWIX wax, because lots of times the kids’ skis aren’t waxed. It comes in a container like a makeup compact and you just sponge it on and it dries really quick,” she says. She also carries a Motorola radio to keep in touch with her family on the hill, and she uses a Burton backpack to carry it all and stash her extra gloves, neck warmer, face guard and other layers in the lodge. //
Solar Winds is coming.
Having a party? We got space. www.pedals2people.org
Northern Lights Brewing Co. and Pub 1003 E. Trent Ave.
Spokane WA, (509) 242-2739 FEBRUARY 2009
/ OUT THERE MONTHLY
13
OutdoorCalendar CLIMBING (Ongoing, Mondays) Women’s Climb Night. When: 6PM – 8PM. Where: Wild Walls, 202 W. 2nd Ave. Please call ahead. Come climb and learn to climb with other women in the Spokane area every Monday Night. Cost is $12. Join the Fun at Wild Walls! Info: (509) 455-9596.
(Ongoing Tuesdays & Saturdays) Spider Monkey climbing Club. When: 6PM – 8PM. Where: Wild Walls, 202 W. 2nd Ave. For kids ages 4 – 10 years. Please call ahead. Come climb with friends! Cost $12 (single visit), $74 (8 punch pass). Info: (509) 455-9596.
(Ongoing Tuesdays & Thursdays) Vertical Intro. When: 6PM – 8PM. Where: Wild Walls, 202 W. 2nd Ave. Two hour class and seven days of free climbing. Please call ahead. Come climb with friends! Cost $35. Info: (509) 455-9596.
(Tuesdays February) Discover Rock Climbing. When: 6 PM – 8 PM. Where: Mountain Gear, 2002 North Division. Everything you need to harness up, tie in and belay with confidence. This class is for those who wish to get into climbing, as well as for parents wishing to get their young ones climbing safely. Cost: $20. Info: www.mgear.com.
(March 2) Women’s Climbing Night. When: 6PM-8PM. Where: REI, 1125 N Monroe St. Women’s night on the climbing wall! Join our experienced female staff as you enjoy an evening of climbing on our wall. (509) 328-9900, www.rei.com/spokane.
CYCLING (Ongoing) Spokane’s Bike Buddy Program. When: Ongoing. Where: Spokane, WA. The Bike Buddy Program matches you with a trained volunteer familiar with the commute between your neighborhood and workplace. Sponsored by the Spokane Bicycle Club and Bicycle Alliance of Washington. Info: SpokaneBikeBuddy@aol.com. (February 9) Full Moon Fiasco. When: 8pm. Where: Starts at The Swamp. A relaxed bike ride through Spokane during the full moon. Any bike. Any level of rider. Any level of beverage enjoyer. Info: http://fbcspokane.blogspot.com
(February 23) WOW Cycling. When: 6pm. Where: REI Meeting Room - 1125 N. Monroe. WOW Cycling club for women will be holding their planning meeting for the upcoming cycling season. Come and check it out! Info: www.wowcycling. com.
RUNNING/WALKING/MARATHONS (Weekly beginning in March) Moms In Motion. When: Weeknights. Where: Various locations in Spokane. Train for spring running events with Moms In Motion. All teams meet weekly with structured workouts and coaches to help you achieve your fitness goals. Info: (509) 327-9143, tkdehart@ hotmail.com, or www.momsinmotion.com.
(February 8) Partners in Pain 5 K. When: 10 AM. Where: West Central Community Center, 1603 North Belt. Late registration and number pickup at Runners Soul, 221 North Wall. No day of race registration. Info: (509) 999-5856, onice@icehouse.net. 14
OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
(March 7) Centennial Trail Run. When: TBD. Where: Centennial Trail. This is a 37 mile Ultra. Cost: Free. Info: Runners Soul (509) 624 – 7654.
SKATING (February – March) Ice Skating. When: 11 AM – 5 PM, 7PM-8:30PM (Monday – Thursday), 11 AM – 10 PM (Fridays & Saturdays), 11 AM – 5 PM (Sundays). Where: Riverfront Park Ice Palace. Recognized as one of the best outdoor skating rinks in the nation. Lessons available. Night Skating (7PM – 10 PM Fridays, Saturdays & Holidays). Cost: $4.25 Admission: Adults and Teens, $3.25 Admission. Skate Rental. Info: (509) 625-6600 or www.helloriverfrontpark@spokanecity.org.
Submit your event at www.outtheremonthly.com
SIXMONTHTRAININGCALENDAR CLIMBING (March) Red Rock Rendezvous. Las Vegas, NV. Info: www.mgear.com.
CYCLING (April) Frozen Flatlands. Cheney, WA. Info: www.baddlands.org.
(May 12) INland Empire Century. Richland,WA. Info: tricitybicycleclub.org.
SNOWSPORTS
(May) Twilight Series. Spokane, WA. Info: www.
(Ongoing, Saturdays) Terrain Park Etiquette and Safety – Safety Presentation. When: 12:30 pm.
(May) 24 Hours Round the Clock. Riverside
Where: Schweitzer Mountain Resort. A brief safety presentation is held in the Schweitzer Terrain Park. No reservations necessary just stop by, and they will fit as many people as possible. Info: www.schweitzer. com.
(February-March 6) Starlight Race Series. When: Call. Where: Schweitzer Ski Resort, Idaho. Friday night races followed by parties in Taps for 21 and over please. Info: www.schweitzer.com.
(February 1) Kan Jam Freestyle Series. When: See below. Where. Mt. Spokane Friday 30th – Rail Jam 6pm. Saturday 31st – Slopestyle 12 noon. Sunday Feb 1 – Big Air 11am/Super Bowl pregame. Info: www.mtsppokane.com.
(February 1) Souper Bowl. When: 10AM. Where: Mt. Spokane Nordic Area. Forget the football game and come play with us. The 4th annual women’s only Souper Bowl is sure to put a smile on your face: food, skiing and snowshoeing along with some of the best camaraderie in Spokane, all at the Mt Spokane Nordic Area. Please join us for this fun family event (minus the men). More info: 325-9000. (February 5, 19) XC Ski Classes. When: 6:30PM. Where: Mountain Gear, 2002 N. Division. Learn the basics of cross-country skiing in this two-session class (on-snow session at Mt Spokane). Come learn an inexpensive way to exercise, socialize and see the great outdoors. Cost: $25/$9 rental. For registration info, go to www.spokaneparks.org or call (509) 625-6200.
(February 6) Toyota ski free days. When: All dayl.
baddlands.org.
State Park, Spokane, WA. Info: www.roundandround.com.
MARATHONS (March) Snake River Canyon Half Marathon. Pullman, WA. Info: www.palouseroadrunners. org.
(July 12) Missoula Marathon, Missoula MT. Full and half marathon, marathon relay and kids marathon. Info: (406) 626-4055, www.missoulamarathon.org.
OTHER (July 13-18) 29th National Veterans Wheelchair Games, Spokane Convention Center, Spokane Valley Gun Club, Spokane Falls Community College and Riverfront Park. A mult-event sports and rehabilitation program for military service members who use wheelchairs for sports competition due to spinal cord injuries, amputations, or certain neurological probelms. Info: (509) 434-7216, www.wheelchairgames.va.gov.
PADDLING (MAY 8-10) 6th annual Reno River Festival.
(February 8) Lookout’s 8th Annual “BIG AIR” Contest . When: Call. Where: Lookout Pass Ski &
(April) Komen Eastern Washington Race for the Cure. Downtown Spokane. Info: (509) 363-
Langlauf XC Ski Race at the Mount Spokane Nordic Center Info: www.spokanelanglauf.org.
Bloomsday Run. Info: www.
bloomsdayrun.org.
(May) Coeur d’Alene Marathon. Coeur d’Alene, ID. Info: www.cdamarathon.com.
(May) Vancouver International Marathon. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Info: (604) 872-2928 or www.adidasvanmarathon.ca/hm.
(May) Hippie Chick Half Marathon. Portland, OR. Info: (503) 691-6888 or www.allwomenshalf. com. (May) Brooks Peach City Marathon. Penticton, B.C. Info: (250) 490-3334 or www.peachcityrunners.com/marathon/main.htm. (May) Capital City Marathon and Half Marathon. Olympia, WA. Info: (360) 786-1786 or www.capitalcitymarathon.org.
SKIING/SNOWBOARDING (March) Tandem Ski Races. Lookout Pass Ski Resort, ID. Info: www.skilookout.com. //
TRIATHLONS (March) Winter Triathlon. Winthrop,WA. Info: www.mvsta.com.
(May) NIChallenge Sprint Adventure Race. Coeur d’Alene, ID. Info: www.nic.edu/activities.
(May) ONion Man Triathlon. Walla Walla, WA Info: www.multisports.com.
(May) Triathlon @ Rigby Lake. Idaho Falls State Park, ID. Info: www.triclubidaho.org. //
RUNNING eriverrun.com.
(February 8) 31st Langlauf Cross-Country Ski Race. When: See site. Where: Mt. Spokane. 10K
(May 3) Lilac
Top professional kayakers and amateur athletes from around the world compete on the Truckee River. Along with world-class whitewater competitions and free instructional clinics, the 2nd annual Run Amuck fun run. Info: www. RenoRiverFestival.com.
Where: See below. February 6: Mt. Spokane. Drive a Toyota to these resorts on the designated days and get a free lift ticket for the driver. Sponsored by Inland Empire Toyota Dealers.
Recreation Area, I-90 at the Idaho/Montana state line. The Grand Prize is a 1999 Plymouth Breeze FWD car! The event is open to riders and skiers in various age categories. Info: (208) 744-1301, www. skilookout.com.
9AM. Where: Joe Albi Stadium. 3 mile and 1 mile fun run, walk. Random Prizes, awards 10year age brackets, box of cookies with every entry. Info: (509) 327-3803, nwspokanegirlscouts.com/ events.
(April) Spokane River Run. Info: www.spokan-
8188 or www.komenspokane.org
(April 5) Girl Scout Cookie Fun Run. When:
Have an Event You Would Like to List? // Please visit www.outtheremonthly.com and click the “Submit Your Event” link. // Events MUST be sent in by the 20th of the month to be listed in the following month’s issue. Please follow the when, where format as seen in the calendar. Ongoing events need to be re-submitted each month.
OutdoorCalendar Submit your event at www.outtheremonthly.com
(February 21) Ski Diva Day. When: 9:30AM-6:30PM. Where: Brundage Mountain Resort. We invite you to embrace your inner ski or snowboard goddess here at Brundage Mountain. We’re treating women aged 18 & up to half-priced lift tickets so you can unleash that woman-warrior on the slopes. Then, join us in the lodge at 4:00 pm for a relaxing apres-ski yoga practice, followed by Her Happy Hour drink specials from 4:30 - 6:30 in Smoky’s Pub, where you can also enter a free raffle and win a fabulous spa treatment! Info: www. brundage.com.
(February 21) Family Snow Tubing. When: 2pm7:30pm. Where: Silver Moutain. Let us transport you to Silver Mountain no hiking snow tubing fun! Ride the new conveyor lift back to the top of the tubing park. Info: (208) 209-1080, www.cityofhaydenid.us.
SNIOWSHOEING (February 7) Moonlight Snowshoe Tour. When: 5pm-8:30pm. Where: Farragut State Park. Snowshoe by the light of the moon as a popular winter activity. Our tour will end with hot cocoa and cookies. Ages 14 & up. Info: (208) 209-1080, www.cityofhaydenid.us. (February 12) Snowshoe Class. When: 6:30 pm. Where: Mountain Gear, 2002 N. Division. Cost: $25/$9 rental. Learn the basics of snowshoeing - you will receive information on clothing, equipment, and snowshoe technique. Enjoy traveling through the snow-covered trees and hills around Mt Spokane. 2 sessions (ages 14 & over) For registration info, go to www.spokaneparks.org or call (509) 625-6200.
(February 28) Moonlight Snowshoe Tour. When: 9am-1pm. Where: 4th of July Pass. Join us as we explore the beautiful forests in 4th of July Pass. We provide transportation and provide rentals if necessary.Info: (208) 209-1080, www.cityofhaydenid.us.
EVENTS, MOVIES, MISC. (February 6) An Dochas performs with the Haran Dancers. When: 7:30PM. Where: Bing Crosby Theater. An Dóchas, Irish for “The Hope”, is a talented, young Irish band with cross-cultural influences, presenting traditional Irish music fused with the energy of Rock and the versatility of World Music. Info: 1-800-325SEAT, or www.ticketswest.com, www.celticmusicspokane.com.
(February 7) The Vamps of St. Valentine: A Tribal Fusion Showcase. When: 8-10PM. Where: Caterina Winery. Tickets $10.00 at the door. Featuring live music by Thomas Richardson and Jed Wagner and performances by Kendra Searls, Nicole Richardson, Arika Whiteaker, Janelle Jackson, P.J., Nefabit, Shaheena Safahri, and more! For more info-please contact Nicole @ (509)535-1107 or nocturnatribe@ yahoo.com.
(February 9-22) Burgers With A Heart®. When: All-day. Where: Inland Northwest Red Robin locations. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (Red Robin) and the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery will celebrate its ninth annual Burgers With A Heart® fundraiser. Local celebrities and high school students will assist Red Robin in raising additional funds for the Crisis Nursery by selling paper hearts to Red Robin guests during the fundraiser. Info: (509) 535-3155 or kristine@vanessabehan.org.
(February 15) Community Roots Market. When: 11-4PM. Where: 2015 N Division. Community Roots Winter Market February 15th from 11 - 4 located at 2015 North Division. We are a BUY LOCAL venue that celebrates the farmers, musicians. Info: (509) 4355210, brightspirit@freshabundance.com. (February 23) Fast Moving Water. When: 7PM. Where: Hagan Center Spokane Community College. Fast Moving Water: The Hoh River Story: A slide show lecture by acclaimed photographer Keith Lazelle showing images of the Hoh River rainforest. Info: 5337045, http://www.scc.spokane.edu/?hfch
(March 2) Fit BRIDE. When:7am-8am MWF or by appointment. Where: U-District PT & ISP. Get in shape for your wedding day. Brides and bridal parties welcome. Info: (509) 458-7686, www. udistrictpt.com. //
Share a Little Time. call to service. Make a Big Call today and Difference. mentor a child. • •Answer Football player the • BIG BROTHER
“It’s a real fun experience for me. It actually makes me feel like a kid again. Give it a try, become a Big Brother.” There are 117 boys in Spokane and Kootenai County waiting for you
OUTDOOR FEB 2009 CALENDAR
(February 20 – 23) Cold Smoke Powder Fest. When: Various times. Where: Whitewater Ski Resort, Nelson, B.C. Celebrate the culture of backcountry pursuits amongst breathtaking scenery and worldrenowned snow at Whitewater Winter Resort in Nelson, British Columbia. Festivities include telemark, AT and snowboard clinics, demos, races and some of the best skiing in the northwest. Don’t let the night get you down, as the festivities rage with ski videos, photo competitions and music. Find out more at mountaingear.com/coldsmoke.
❄
❄ WILD WALLS Climbing Gym
❄
this year. . . make a
FUN New Year’s
Resolution
CLIMB ❄ Birthday Parties & Groups -1 HOUR BLOCK-
❄
1-5 Climbers $69 6-10 Climbers $129 each additional $12 Package includes: all gear 1 hour climb time 1 belayer per five climbers 1 hour @ our party table
Calendar Women’s Night - Monday Super discounts for women.
Spider Monkeys Tues & Sat • 6pm - 8pm Vertical Intro - $35 Tues & Thurs • 6pm - 8pm Sat • 4pm - 6pm
2 hour class & 7 days of FREE climbing included.
College Night - Friday
✷ Check us out on Facebook ✷
Be A Mentor…call today!
509.455.9596
Call (509) 328 -8310
www.bbbsspokane.org
202 W 2nd Ave Spokane, WA 99201 in the historic Armory Building FEBRUARY 2009 OT_0108_WW.indd 1
15 / OUT THERE MONTHLY 12/22/08 5:48:46 PM
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BookReviews
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THE ALTITUDE EXPERIENCE Mike Farris, Falcon Guides, 2008, 310 pages
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THE WEEKENDER E F F E C T: HYPERDEVELOPMENT IN MOUNTAIN TOWNS Robert W. Sandford, Rocky Mountain Books, 2008, 115 pages
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16
OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
FROM THE OPENING PARAGRAPHS to the closing sentence, The Weekender Effect focuses on the sense of place as a critical component of human communities. Through Sandford’s trained eye we see how maintaining the elements of “place” common to a community is important for maintaining that community in the face of growth. As change occurs, communities that remain anchored in their historic roots will be the most dynamic. As Sandford notes: “Increasingly in our time, however, we are seeing that technology and development cannot improve a place in the absence of a deeply felt sense of the natural order.” Residing in a mountain town for almost 30 years, Sandford watched his community grow from a mining town of 3,000 people to a bustling small city of over 15,000. Homes occupied for a few weeks or weekends a year and timeshare condos account for much of that growth. The “weekenders” occupying those dwellings rarely have time to become part of the “culture” of the community. While Sandford is writing mainly for people in the future Aspens and Canmores of the Rocky Mountain West, his observations reflect my own experiences in Spokane. Though more critical to growing mountain resort towns with their limited financial and infrastructure resources but having valuable environmental resources, his observations are important for any community trying to plan a sustainable future. For too many decades the “locals” in small communities have chosen to move on to a new best place when their own communities changed beyond their tolerance. Sandford notes that now, with few “best places” left, “We have to learn to stop running away. We have to stay and stand up for where we live.” The Weekender Effect provides a roadmap to this end. For our own sakes we must follow this road as, “True and enduring wealth still ultimately resides, in the mountain West at least, in making peace with the place, for only in doing so can we make peace with ourselves.” - Stan Miller
Mike Farris successfully proves, beyond any doubt, that he knows a lot about human behavior and physiology at altitude. The depth and width of his research, clinical reports and firsthand knowledge casts a long shadow across other books dealing with the topic of altitude. Halfway through, I truly grew to appreciate the work he invested in this book. However, before I reached the halfway mark, I knew that finishing this book was going to be a burden. The Altitude Experience focuses on delivering a primary understanding about altitude biology, understanding acclimatization, the mechanics of behavior at altitude, as well as specifics on HAPE
For some, this book could become their go-to resource on all high altitude forays. and HACE. It’s all well written and generally presented like a textbook. But too often Farris added dull tangents that didn’t contribute and slowed the reading. For example, he wrote, “Other types of critters have different compounds that carry oxygen. For example, mollusks (e.g., snails) and arthropods (e.g., lobsters) contain hemocyanin, which contains copper instead of iron and is blue when oxygenated.” I suspect the majority of mountaineers and high-altitude trekkers don’t care much about that. On the other hand, the majority of mountaineers and high-altitude trekkers will appreciate the details on training, summit-day performance, avoiding accidents and dealing with altitude stress or illness. Not only is Farris a Professor of Biology at Hamline University, he boasts a notable highaltitude resume including ascents of Acongagua and Gasherbrum II (26,362 ft). Best of all, his tips on third world travel and expedition team dynamics are good lessons any mountaineer can apply. For some, this book could become their go-to resource on all high altitude forays. If you’re invested in an upcoming expedition or Himalayan trek, it can’t hurt to study the major chapters that might apply to you and your trip. For everyone else, you can probably find better books that pinpoint components of the altitude experience. - Jon Jonckers //
Crushing Rocks: The Music Report
// OTM SUGGESTS //
UPCOMING SHOWS!
THE SOMMYS ARE BACK / By Ashley Graham OOOH AAAH, CHECK OUT my new digs! After two years of slaying you with my astute musical taste, I feel I’ve arrived! Here begins our new journey together… If you don’t know me already (which, mostly, why would you?), the name’s Ashley and on top of my responsibilities at dear Out There, I a) am a Seattle-based music publicist, b) promote concerts up and down the west coast, c) was born and raised in (and still have my hands all over) Spokane and d) have become synonymous with the word “Wig” (Google it). I know what you’re thinking. What nerve, I have!, you say, to write about music in Spokane while not living here! Fair, but though separated now by a 300 mile distance from my hometown, I maintain a near-constant awareness of it and its inhabitants. For one, I’ve been writing your reviews for you. (Ha!) And two, I’ve represented and/or booked a handful of your local musicians (won’t say who, none of the relationships were long-lasting—snicker, snicker). In my, let’s say safely, three years of working within Spokane’s music scene, I’ve learned a lot, and should be totally qualified to comment, as I’ll prove to you in the coming months. Stick with me. One thing I’ve learned about Spokane is that its climate—both literally and figuratively—is always changing (I spent two weeks in that snow, athankyou.). The music scene is no exception to that trend. Just ask ISAMU “SOM” JORDAN, formerly of the Spokesman-Review, now a freelancer for the Inlander, host on KYRS, and curator of his new pet project, TheSomShow.com. “I’m doing my best to hold the megaphone for local music,” he said recently of his continuing dedication. “If I have an opportunity to make a positive impact in
that regard—whether through posting a MySpace bulletin, writing in the local press, or volunteering at KYRS—I’ll take it.” For four years, Jordan has been giving out awards to the leaders of Spokane’s musical pack (dubbed “Sommys”), and this year, though the change in his own personal climate, he’ll maintain tradition, with a twist. “I’ve always been able to build on the energy of [past] Sommys by getting passionate people involved—more judges, presenters, artists, etc,” Jordan said. “The natural progression is putting it to an online vote, so the event really does belong to the public.” The Sommys will be handed out February 13 at the Blvd with surprise musical guests. The Sommys are a nice barometer for what’s happening in Spokane, and, fittingly, the nominees reflect those most active in the scene. Cyrus Fell Down (up for Band of the Year and Best Live Performance, and my brand new PR client—full disclosure) venture to Seattle this month for the annual EMP Sound Off! competition on February 28 (former participants include Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, The Globes). Birds of a feather Karli Fairbanks and Kaylee Cole (both up for Singer/ Songwriter) share a brief tour about the Northwest at the beginning of the month, and Fairbanks will follow it with a performance at Empyrean on Valentine’s Day. Space Age Fur (Best New Artist, whose frontman at a recent show reminded us of gone-but-not-forgotten Seaweed Jack) play Caterina on February 15 along with Godbear (Best Rock). And since we’re on the subject of notables, it’s worth sending a hearty congrats to HOCKEY (featuring Spokanite Brian White and his fellow Gonzaga grad Anthony Stassi), who this month
FEBRUARY 7 (ALT-ROCK)
will head out on their first European tour, with support from labels Virgin (in the UK) and Capitol (US). There’s more to come, dear reader, so please be in touch. Bands/artists, keep me in the loop. Readers, let me know your thoughts. We’re in this together. Talk to you soon. //
CD OF THE MONTH // PAST LIVES
Strange Symmetry (Suicide Squeeze) What’s better, having your favorite band together still, or gaining the two bands that come from its split? If you were a Stone Temple Pilots fan (as I was/am), then, sure, you’d favor the original (Army of Anyone, are you kidding me? Velvet Revolver, omg!). But after careful consideration, I’m inclined, in the case of Blood Brothers, to give up the oldie in favor of its new counterparts: Whitney/Votolato’s Jaguar Love, and Henderson/Gajadhar/ Blilie’s Past Lives. By all accounts, Morgan’s wail is nasally as always (which I actually always sort of dug over Johnny, if we’re bein’ honest), and the music that accompanies is frantic, yet melodic, dancey, perhaps more easily digestible than the back-catalog. //
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RoadtripDJ: February DAN EGAN
Five Songs Everyone Should Hear I PICKED ONE SONG from each of the five decades I have lived—excluding the obvious and great songs by bands you’ve heard a million times: The Stones, Beatles, Dylan, Elvis, Kickaxe etc.
1 / VELVET UNDERGROUND / “ The Black Angel’s Death Song” Released in 1967. Reportedly got the band fired from their first gig as the Velvet Underground when, after playing the song, the club owner said, “You play that song one more time and you’re fired.” “So we opened with it next set,” said guitarist Sterling Morrison. John Cale’s viola still gives me chills.
2 / MODERN LOVERS / “Roadrunner” Jonathon Richman proclaims his love for AM radio, modern girls and modern rock and roll. Radio on!
Are your finances null and void? Sell us your Pink Floyd.
3 / VERLAINES / “Death and the Maiden” New Zealand band named after 19th century poet with a great song and title from a Munch painting of the same name. Give me the mid-eighties New Zealand underground music scene over Seattle’s 90’s scene any day.
4 / GUIDED BY VOICES / “Motor Away” Off the best album (Alien Lanes) from one of the best bands of the 90’s. “Why don’t you just drive away? C’mon.”
5 / FLAMING LIPS / “Race for the Prize” Though technically released in 1999, I wasn’t aware of it until well into the 2000’s. Initially gave this album away to my friend Mike for some reason. Probably like most great art, I didn’t get it straight away. I’ve since bought another copy. Amazing song and album. //
Always buying vinyl: rock, jazz, soul.
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/ OUT THERE MONTHLY
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THE NEW YEAR IS finally here, and with nervous anticipation you realize that your 2009 fitness resolution is already overdue. That 10K, triathlon, or basketball league looms in just several weeks. So what is the fastest way to gain cardiovascular fitness? Should you just hop on the treadmill and run till you drop? First, consider what happens to your body when you become fit. You utilize oxygen more efficiently. You burn more fat as a fuel. Your body stores more carbohydrate energy in the muscles. Consequently, your goal should be to engage in the type of cardio that causes these adaptations to occur most quickly. Fortunately, exercise research has identified the key: HIT. HIT stands for “High Intensity Interval Training�, and studies have observed HIT to achieve the same results as long endurance training with as little as 90% less training time! Here are two HIT intervals that will guarantee gains in
cardio fitness: r &JHIU UP UXFMWF IBSE TFDPOE FGGPSUT XJUI minutes rest after each. r 'PVS UP TJY NJOVUF FGGPSUT XJUI NJOVUFT rest after each. Just remember, gains in cardiovascular fitness with HIT require that your hard efforts be performed at an 8-9 on a 1-10 difficulty scale, so be ready to work hard and recover well! // BEN GREENFIELD MS, CPT, CSCS, CISSN President, Pacific Elite Fitness Director of Sports Performance, Champions Sports Medicine www.pacificfit.net www.champsportsmed.com 509-487-4467
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BIKE RACES WE’D LIKE TO SEE
Five Fantasy Rides That Could Become Reality / By John Speare JUST OVER A MONTH AGO, representatives from the USA Cycling organization flew into Spokane to evaluate our fair city as a potential site for the 2009 and 2010 Cyclocross National Championships. The day they came, our city was buried under about two feet of snow, the temperature was hovering around zero, and downtown was dead. Needless to say, we didn’t land the cyclocross event. Rumor was that if the races were to end up here, Riverfront Park was on the short list of race venues. Imagine that. I can picture a cold November day, with some wispy snow falling on a pack of nervous and jittery racers as they await their names in the pre-race roll call. Maybe start
requires a wee bit of technical chops to ride fast. Having a fixed gear class for this run would be especially exciting. THE HANGMAN LOOP ROAD RACE This race pretty much happens a few times a week at 6 AM during the summer months. But it would be fun to make it official. Who are the king and queen of the Hangman Loop? This race would be in early Fall after the Early Morning Riders pushed all summer long. Putting the finish line at 57th and Hatch would make for a great spectator experience, as any space along Hatch hill would be a great place to watch. Afterwards,
Riverfront Park, with its bridges, long sections of paved path, and grassy fields would provide a perfect pallet for a world-class cyclocross course. and finish the race at the clock tower. A huge, cowbell-laden, rosy-cheeked crowd would line the course, 3 or 4 people deep. Riverfront Park, with its bridges, long sections of paved path, and grassy fields would provide a perfect pallet for a world-class cyclocross course. All the usual food and beer garden vendors would set up shop, and cyclist spectators would come in from all over the region to hang out and celebrate and watch. There’s no reason such an event couldn’t garner the same kind of recognition and economic impact to Spokane that the Ice Skating Championships provide. Chatting about the potential for such an event with friends brought out a few other races we’d like to see in Spokane. MALL RAT CRITERIUM My buddy Jon told me about an idea that Dave Rier and the late Dave Moffit had: criterium races at the Northtown Mall parking garage. You set this up for a night time race, after all the cars and shoppers are gone. With all the lights on and super smooth long expanses of concrete, you would have a fast race. The ramps and sharp corners that connect the floors would be great spectator spots. And if you kept the races on the bottom floors, you have a covered, year-round track. HIGH DRIVE TRAILS TIME TRIALS The trails off High Drive are a blast to ride. I especially like riding the long swoopy trails that run parallel to High Drive. Since these are narrow single track with basically zero opportunity to pass, you can’t really race head-to-head on these trails. But you could set up a course for time trails and see who can complete them the quickest. I think taking the top trail from 37th Ave. to where it pops out on 22nd Ave. would be a great route. It’s a slight downhill grade and
maybe have an Oktoberfest/Fall Harvest Dinner type celebration in the church parking lot at the top of the hill. PLAYFAIR RUMBLE Ride what you got. The Playfair race track is a mess. There are big divots and washouts. There are soft sandy spots and hard rocky stretches. Running drag-style races on that track would be great: short and fast once around the track. This would be a technical ride. A strong rider on a mountain bike might do OK, but my money would be on the nimble and skillful cyclocross types that are good at bunny hopping and riding lightly. These would be shirt-sleeve races that would run weekly on summer nights: maybe Wednesday, start racing at 8 pm, after the Checkerboard closes. SPOKANE SCAVENGER SPRINT My favorite idea is from my buddy Ken. I like this idea because it requires a practical bike to win. In this race, you are given a list of locations. At each location, you must pick up an item and carry it with you. By the end of the race, you’ll be carrying a heavy and awkward load of stuff. So, maybe you start from Riverfront Park, and then you ride to Corbin Park, where you pick up a cinder block. Then you race to Audubon Park, where you pick up a bicycle wheel. From there, you ride to Bowl and Pitcher and pick up a rake. On the way back into town, you stop at Dutch Jake’s Park in West Central and pick up a 15-pound stack of newspapers. This race would run quarterly: to test the mettle of the riders and their bikes in all seasons. // John Speare grew up and lives in Spokane. He rides his bike everywhere. Check out his blog at http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com.
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BY: Jon Snyder, Jon Jonckers, & Derrick Knowles
The Secret History OF INLAND NW OUTDOOR RECREATION
----------------------------------------------------------------------Please take a moment while charging your GPS and IPhone to consider the hallowed tradition of the regional outdoor guidebook. / It’s no secret that outdoor knowledge has exploded on the internet. / Sites with user submitted data and comments are proliferating and enhancing what we know of the outdoors. / But long before we housed such wisdom on electronic devices there was a dedicated and stoic tribe of outdoor scribes who toiled for years in obscurity, for little or no reward, to create guidebooks that spread the love of the outdoor pursuits that gave them sustenance. -------------------------------------------N JO E B E N S E . // P H OTO 6 8 9 1 S B R E E N C LI M R A N D A LL G
IN PREPPING THIS PIECE I spoke with climber Randall Green, who created the landmark Idaho Rock book in the eighties. Green’s creative process not only included converting decades of oral history into climbing routes and first ascents, but it also meant documenting and researching scores of summit journals residing in tin cylinders at the tops of mountains. Four chapters into his manuscript Green lost everything with an errant keystroke on an old Macintosh computer and had to retype. “We tried to educate people about using natural areas as a privilege, not a right,” says Green. “We can’t love these areas to death.” Which is a delicate balance for guidebooks that is often missing from online info. When looking at old guidebooks we chose only ones that were out-of-print and at least 15-yearsold. Without exception, all the outdoor activities depicted in these publications have grown over the years, due in part their pioneering efforts. So what secrets do they reveal? Read on—no batteries required.
--------------------------SPOKANE’S FAVORITE RUNS
AUTHOR: Jan Pappas and Will Aslin YEAR: 1979 PUBLISHER: Self-published HIGHEST PRICE: $8.00 on alibris.com
---------------------------
THIS BOOK WAS PUBLISHED at the crest of the first big wave of popularity for running, or “jogging,” in the United States. It also corresponds
20
OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
with the golden age of Spokane running in the late 70s, when the city’s reputation as a major running community was cemented. It’s delightful to read the route descriptions that are peppered with historical facts and nods to the influential runners of the day such as Don Kardong, Gerry Lindgren, Len Long, Bill Johns, Terry Kennedy, Ed Rockwell, and Rick Riley. The book is heavy on 15-20-mile “training runs” and even includes a 50-mile gut-buster from Rogers High School to the top of Mt. Spokane and back. Enthusiasm for the sport just spills off the page. And what pages they are. This is one of the most beautiful guidebooks I have ever seen. Hand-lettered and
hand-drawn from start to finish by Jan Pappas, Favorite Runs has an exquisite old-world feel—as if Bilbo Baggins had authored a running guide. It’s interesting to see routes like “Hike, Bike and Jog Trail” and “Old Railroad Grade” have evolved into The Centennial Trail and the Ben Burr Trail respectively. The book even includes an anecdote about Carl Ellingsen’s push for the creation of the Centennial Trail. Maybe we are headed in the right direction after all? ------------------------------------------------------SECRET HISTORY: The back of the book has a section that reads like an obituary for failed local fun runs: The Diet Pepsi 10K, Women’s Spring Thing, The Hog Jog, Wild Goose Chase, Steptoe’s Retreat, Liberty Lake Biathlon, and the Mogulpecker Memorial Mini-Marathon. It’s also the only place I’ve ever seen the term “Wandermere-Land” in print. J.S.
top of Mt. Spokane? The section on avoiding dog hazards might not fly today either; “A well-placed kick is effective, although it’s surprisingly easy to fall off your bike while trying to kick a dog. A
--------------------------17 SPOKANE BIKE TRIPS
AUTHOR: Bob and Laurienne Newell YEAR: 1973 PUBLISHER: C. W. Hill Printers HIGHEST PRICE: $15.00 on abebooks.com
---------------------------
THIS BOOK IS A great catalog of rides that are
still mainstays of local cyclists: “Riverside State Park,” “Mount Spokane,” and “Indian Canyon.” It also has some great anachronisms. Did you know they used to call it “Mount Saint Michael’s Scholasticate?” How about the recommendation that “you’ll need at least five gears” to get to the
squirt bottle with household ammonia is equally effective. As much as you’d like to, try not to seriously injure a dog, this may tend to irritate his owner.” Perhaps more surprisingly the rest of the introductory road advice has aged quite well. And some of the rides here, like Deep Creek Canyon and Newman Lake, deserve a second look if you’ve never done them. Overall the book is well done for
the time and gives you great feeling for the spirit of cycling in the early seventies. ------------------------------------------------------SECRET HISTORY: Did you know that in fall 1972 a 21-mile loop was set up for an event called “Bicycle Sunday?� For one day “all the streets along the route were closed to automobile traffic.� According the authors this was supposed to be an annual event coordinated by the “Department of Traffic Engineering.� What happened to this great idea? J.S.
--------------------------HIKING THE INLAND EMPIRE AUTHOR: John Dean YEAR: 1976 PUBLISHER: Signpost Publications HIGHEST PRICE FOUND ONLINE:
$9.49 on abebooks.com
---------------------------
YOU WOULDN’T PICK UP a thirty-year-old hiking
guide expecting to find that the woods and trails
Paradise Ridge,� or the “logging [that] is insidiously threatening the esthetic beauty and necessity of this Creator-managed wilderness.� This book is a natural treasure in itself. ------------------------------------------------------SECRET HISTORY: Hiking the Inland Empire serves better as a history text than a practical hiking guide. Did you know there was a mining village off the backside of Mt. Spokane? That part of the Centennial Trail through the Spokane Valley was an old logging rail line? Or that there was once a nearly unbroken pack trail from the outskirts of Newport all the way north to the Canadian border? Neither did I. D.K.
--------------------------A GUIDE TO ROCK CLIMBING IN THE SPOKANE AREA AUTHOR: Bob Loomis YEAR: 1983 DISTRIBUTED BY: Mountain Gear HIGHEST PRICE FOUND ONLINE:
$24.50 at abebooks.com. Might still be available from Mountain Gear.
---------------------------
I FIRMLY BELIEVE PIONEERS should receive more
credit than those who followed close behind. In that vein of thinking, every Inland Northwest rock climbing guidebook owes an enormous debt to Bob Loomis.
guides thanks to the delicate drawings, the attention paid to naming the routes, and the details about Spokane area climbing. Loomis rightly acknowledges Roskelley, Momb, Peterman, Burns and Shannon for their bold climbing and great vision. The first eight pages draw from interviews and other resources. Pay special attention to the quotes from John Roskelley and his early attempts on what would later become Spokane’s greatest test-pieces. Also note that this guide was published long before Minnehaha morphed into John Shields Park. For that matter, this guide was published before the Gri-Gri and at the very dawn of Gore-Tex clothing. ------------------------------------------------------SECRET HISTORY: Add this guide to your bookshelf if only to have a record of the first ascent information. Loomis took great care to note every crack and groove on the local Spokane rocks, and he rightly attributed every first ascent at the back of this guide. This is still the best slice of Spokane climbing history. J.J.
--------------------------HIKING THE TRAILS IN THE BITTERROOT MOUNTAINS AUTHOR: Morton L. Arkava YEAR: 1983 PUBLISHER: Pruett Publishing Company HIGHEST PRICE FOUND ONLINE:
$10 on abebooks.com
---------------------------
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dome tents made of “space age� materials, a grill for campfire cooking, and warnings against hiking in blue jeans and burning yourself from hot liquids with old school Sierra Club metal mugs. Ahhh, the good old days. D.K.
--------------------------THE WASHINGTON DESERT: A CLIMBER’S GUIDE
AUTHOR: John Eminger & John Kittel YEAR: 1991 PUBLISHER: Serac International Press HIGHEST PRICE FOUND ONLINE:
$28.99at www.abebooks.com.
---------------------------
JOHN EMINGER, FAR and away, wins the award for the funniest unintentional line in all of the guidebooks featured here. The introductory sentence reads, “The Desert will, in all likelihood, not change to any great extent due to the writing of a guide.� Barely 15 years later, more than 5 guidebooks have focused on or featured the climbing at Frenchman Coulee. Consequently, every seasoned climber in Washington has made at least
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Though the information is dated, the Loomis guide stands out among other local climbing
challenging times judged the quality of things by their ability to persevere over the years. Measured by that standard, the Bitterroot Mountains south of Lolo Pass and Highway 12 have held up pretty damn well. By no accident, most of the trails described by Arkava have changed little since he wrote about them a quarter of a century ago. There are no ski resorts or gondolas, ORV thrill parks, or pay-to-play backcountry lodges along the wild spine of the Bitterroot divide today— only the quiet serenity and primitive challenge of wilderness pack trails and untrammeled nature. Most of these trails were protected as part of the vast and largely ecologically intact SelwayBitterroot Wilderness Area twenty years before the book was published, ensuring their longevity. Nevertheless, there has been a tendency for forest service trails to fall off the map as maintenance funds decline. In Arkava’s book, with its hand-
described within had weathered the years without change, but Dean’s book is a startling reminder just how much has changed in our backyard, a region once known as the Inland Empire. Many of the places have been transformed for the worse from the quiet nature and primitive historical landscapes Dean describes by rampant road building, heavy-handed development, and dirt bike and ATV abuses. From the Channeled Scablands, to the foothills around Spokane and the high mountains of Pend Oreille County, Dean gives us a glimpse of familiar and forgotten places from a very different perspective. He writes from a time when there was no cultural contradiction in a home-grown Spokane logger, hunter and Air Force serviceman bemoaning the “pandemonium� of the city, the “trail cycles� that “violate the sanctity of beautiful
drawn map work, you might find a few such disappearing, unmaintained trails, in addition to the classic hikes that fill the pages of more current guides, at a bargain out-of-print price. ------------------------------------------------------SECRET HISTORY: Retro equipment recommendations include external frame packs, eight pound
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/ OUT THERE MONTHLY
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Devil’s Tower and the desert Southwest. But we kept coming back to these scruffy crags and ridge top spires to live on the edge among a little slice of paradise.”
one pilgrimage to the basalt column mecca. Many years later, Eminger swapped his climbing shoes for ski boots, purchased 49° North Ski Resort, and founded the Inland Northwest Ski Association. At least two Internet sites quote him saying, “The long and short of it is you never do just one thing.” Jim Yoder, a noted Frenchman Coulee climber and guidebook author, wrote the following: “This well received guidebook [The Washington Desert] with incredible hand-drawn, detailed topos opened the climbing area to the masses and there was no looking back. “ ------------------------------------------------------SECRET HISTORY: While other Frenchman Coulee guidebooks feature new climbs, new trails, current access requirements and additional route information, none of them include the appendix of Columbia Basin ice climbs. “Very special thanks go to Glen Frese and Mark Shipman for their extensive notes on the ice climbing in the Columbia Basin. It was their years of exploration and documentation that made it possible to add such a complete ice climbing appendix.” J.J.
------------------------------------------------------SECRET HISTORY: Schweitzer Rocks (a little known crag located off Granite Ridge Road) will soon be a memory due to recent Sandpoint growth. Sadly, other ‘practice’ rocks and cliffs too close to railroad tracks are off limits also. J.J.
--------------------------IDAHO: A GUIDE IN WORD AND PICTURE AUTHOR: W.P.A. Federal Writer’s Project YEAR: 2nd edition 1961 PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press HIGHEST PRICE FOUND ONLINE:
$75.00 on alibris.com
--------------------------- --------------------------IDAHO ROCK
AUTHOR: Randall Green YEAR: 1987 PUBLISHED BY: The Mountaineers HIGHEST PRICE FOUND ONLINE:
THIS BOOK HAS EVERYTHING you could hope to
find in an old guidebook: great writing, historic photos, lots of secret history, and many names and locations that are now all but lost to us
$77.75 at abebooks.com
---------------------------
22
OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
make great reading; Elk Hair Humpy, Big Horn Scud, Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear, Spokane Spook, Skagit Coachman, and Dave’s Two-Egg Sperm Fly. But none can beat the Bitch Creek Nymph. J.S.
--------------------------WALK ABOUT SPOKANE AUTHOR: Barbara Snyder YEAR: 1993 PUBLISHER: Asundry Publishing HIGHEST PRICE FOUND ONLINE: n/a
---------------------------
THERE’S BEEN SOME TALK about forming a pedestrian advocacy group for Spokane that would function in a similar manner as the Bicycle Advisory Board. It’s a great idea. Advocates looking for evidence of the town’s long, proud walking tradition can look to Walk About Spokane as exhibit ‘A.’ The concise pamphlet written by—full disclosure—my mom, features 8 urban walks—
--------------------------IDAHO: FLIES OF THE NORTHWEST AUTHOR: Inland Empire Fly Fishing Club/ Fenton Roskelley YEAR: 1986 PUBLISHER: Frank Amato Publications HIGHEST PRICE FOUND ONLINE:
$25.00 at abebooks.com
TODAY, THE COVER PHOTO featuring Randall
Green in tight, bright spandex pants usually sends climbers running. However, at the time of his publication, Green stood near the top of bold climbing and ingenious route development – not only in Idaho but also across the Northwest. Green and Joe Benson would later go on to write the primary climbing guidebook for the Bugaboos in the Canadian Rockies, as well as Montana’s rock climbing guide. In most cases, the popular section on Chimney Rock shows the most wear and tear. By now, thousands of people have trekked to the granite icon with this book in hand in order to climb it. But it doesn’t appear as if many people have taken the book to the seldom-climbed southeastern shores of Pend Oreille and worked the routes at Granite Point. If you’re willing to start climbing right out of a boat, there’s some fantastic climbing there. Twenty years later, Randall Green appears in Thad Laird’s Idaho climbing guide, and this is what he says: “We went to Yosemite, the North Cascades, the Bugaboos, Squamish, Leavenworth,
the likes of Jess Walter and Sherman Alexie writing a guidebook to the Inland Northwest? That’s basically what the Idaho: A Guide in Word and Picture is. The writing is stunning. Dig this description of Moyie River falls; “It comes down then black leisurely to the power dam and pours over it like pale green ice. But for a few feet only: after bursting white violence and losing its direction, the water rolls downward again, green in its body but covered over in backwashing ridges that look as crisp as celery.” The book is divided up into sections about flora, fauna, history and 11 tours through the state. Even though the second edition text has been updated from the original 1937 you get a strong sense of early 20th century Idaho, a land still on the verge of being completely wild and filled with mystery. Can you imagine images of Lake Coeur d’Alene without a single manmade structure in sight? Or Kamloops trout that were the “largest in the world?” Unfortunately the fascinating Native American history here is also coupled with language that is clearly patronizing and condescending even though it was surely not considered such at the time. For anyone interested in reading primary material on what the state used to be like it’s hard to recommend this book highly enough. A WPA guide was made for each state in 1937, including one for Washington called Washington: A Guide To The Evergreen State. ------------------------------------------------------SECRET HISTORY: Every page seems to bring up tidbits worthy of further investigation. Was “Coeur d’Alene” originally “a derisive term applied to greedy traders from Canada?” Did the Indians use the islands in Lake Pend Oreille as cemeteries where they hung the dead in trees? Did an 80-year-old blind Indian named Klait-too locate the remains of David Thompson’s first trading house in 1923? There are fun anachronisms too: “[Chimney] rock itself cannot be scaled without elaborate mechanical apparatus.” J.S.
---------------------------
NOTABLE FOR MANY REASONS, including being
today. The book is a direct result of the Works Progress Administration Federal Writers Project of the great depression, which makes it all the more interesting today as the country is again in the midst of economic turmoil. Will President Obama with his well-documented support for the arts launch a similar initiative? Can you imagine
the first color guide put out by the Inland Empire Fly Fishing and being edited by Out There Monthly contributor Fenton Roskelley, this guide offers an interesting perspective on the evolution of flies in our area. Fly patterns have “changed radically” since the release of this volume according to Fenton Roskelley. “Different types of patterns are in use today, particularly midges,” says Roskelley. Is that because the fish have changed? “Fish don’t change,” says Roskelley. People just get better at catching them. He also reports that the Inland Empire Fly Fishing Club is still thriving, with almost every member still tying flies and many young devotees becoming involved. The most recent update of Flies of the Northwest was in 1998. It might be time for a new one. ------------------------------------------------------SECRET HISTORY: Some of the fly titles of the past
all 3 miles or less. Walking locales such as Browne’s Edition, Corbin Park, Peaceful Valley and Garland may seem obvious now, but appreciation of these pedestrian friendly neighborhoods has been a long time in coming. If you can find one, this publication is a great introduction to the best spots to stroll in town. It would be great to see new version updated and expanded with more walks. ------------------------------------------------------SECRET HISTORY: There’s a reference to the Cheney Cowles Museum, which is the earlier incarnation of the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. The Hillyard walk mentions the 5404 N. Market location that was used as the set for “Benny’s Car Clinic” in the film Benny and Joon. J.S. //
GoGreen: SustainableLiving
US FORESTS HOLD NEW EVIDENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING Trend Seen in longer dry spells and earlier melting than in the past. / By Peter N. Spotts
GLOBAL WARMING EFFECTS ARE HITTING WESTERN FORESTS. // PHOTO DERRICK KNOWLES.
SUSTAINABLELIVINGCALENDAR (Ongoing Wednesdays) Group Acupuncture. www.spokanefilmfestival.org.
When: 5:00-7:00 PM. Where: Lavender Sage Wellness Center, 3418 S Grand Blvd. Group acupuncture offered at a sliding scale of $15-25. Soothe aches and pains and emotional strains with acupuncture. Info: (509) 747 2669, newmoonacupuncture@earthlink.net.
(February 1, 15) Prick and Shtick. When: 1:00 PM -3:30. Where: Lavender Sage Wellness Center, 3418 S Grand Blvd. Group acupuncture, followed by self-care information session. February topics are gua sha and moxa. Ongoing clinic, offered 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. Info: (509) 747 2669, newmoonacupuncture@earthlink.net.
(February 8) Open House @ Lavender & Sage Wellness Center. When: 2-5pm. Where: 3418 S. Grand. Come meet our staff while enjoying refreshments and complimentary mini-sessions of Massage, Acutonics, Sound Healing and More!!! Info: 747-2669, lavendersagewellnesscenter@ yahoo.com.
(February 9) The American Diet & Our Environment. When: 11:30AM-1:30PM. Where: SFCC Sub A&B. Local panelists discuss the sociology of the American diet and eating local, living global. Info: elodiep@spokanefalls.edu.
(February 2nd) Would You Like That in Green? (February 15) Community Roots Market. When: When: 6PM. Where: The Lincoln Center, 1316 N. Lincoln St. Free Public Event Forum featuring national speaker, Mark LaLiberte. Are you interested in green building and learning the tools to build a sustainable home? Info: (509) 532-4990, info@certifiedbuiltgreen.org.
11-4PM. Where: 2015 N Division. Community Roots Winter Market February 15th from 11 - 4 located at 2015 North Division. We are a BUY LOCAL venue that celebrates the farmers, musicians. Info: (509) 435-5210, brightspirit@freshabundance.com.
(February 3) ENERGY OPTIONS FOR YOUR (February 22) HOME. When: 6-9pm. Where: CCS, 3939 North Freya, Spokane.Learn how to achieve energy efficiency in your home. This program discusses the basic dynamics of energy as well as home energy options. including the costs, incentives, merits and the potential applications of various energy systems. Cost: $49. Info: (509) 533-4717.
(February 7,14) Sustainable films at SpiFF. When: See below. Where: River Park Square AMC Theatres. One Water: A masterful documentary that places image and beauty above wall-to-wall talking heads. Director Ali Habashi will attend. Shows 2/7, 12 noon. Downstream: Heartbreaking, yet hopeful, story of pollution in Canada’s Boreal Forest. Shows: 2/14, 12 noon. Info: (509) 624-2615, 24
OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
Local ‘Visioning’ for U.S.A. Economic Recovery. When: 1PM-4:30PM. Where: Community Bldg. lobby, 35 W. Main, Spokane. What’s Our Stake in Federal $$$ Billions? Prospects for Government, Nonprofit, Business & Citizen Collaboration. A free ‘live’ public event, presented by P.E.A.C.H. Info: (509) 624-4712, rzeller@cet. com.
(February 23) Fast Moving Water. When: 7PM. Where: Hagan Center Spokane Community College. Fast Moving Water: The Hoh River Story: A slide show lecture by acclaimed photographer Keith Lazelle showing images of the Hoh River rainforest. Info: 533-7045, http://www.scc.spokane.edu/?hfch. //
OLD-GROWTH FORESTS IN THE Western United States appear to be losing ground to the regional effects of global warming. That’s the conclusion a team of federal and university-based forest ecologists have reached after looking at long-term trends in patches of relatively pristine old-growth forests. The study sites range from northern Arizona and north central Colorado to the Olympic Peninsula and southern British Columbia. Over the past 50 years, trees large and small in these tracts – largely untouched by wildfires or beetle infestations – have been dying at an increasing rate. And the rate at which they are being replaced has not changed. If the trend continues, researchers say, forest age, average tree size, and carbon-storing capacity of these areas will gradually fall. After examining a range of possible causes for the region-wide pattern, the last ones standing are the West’s warming trend and warming’s effect on the amount of water these areas receive. Summer dry spells are longer. Snows melt earlier. More winter precipitation falls as rain, rather than snow, and the snow that falls has a lower water content than it once did. “Tree death rates have more than doubled in old-growth forests across the western United States” during the study period, says Phillip van Mantgem, an ecologist with the US Geological Survey’s Western Ecological Research Center in Three Rivers, Calif. The rising mortality rates spanned a range of elevations, species, and tree sizes, he continues. “If these trends continue, forests will grow sparser over time,” says Dr. van Mantgem. And while he acknowledges that the results come from a relatively limited number of one- to two-acre plots, “our results imply that these trends could be occurring on a much broader scale.” The team looked at data from 76 undisturbed patches of forest averaging some 450 years old. Some tracts were more than 1,000 years old. The study represents the most exhaustive yet for this geographic range of temperate forests, notes Andrew Sugden, a botanist and international managing editor for the journal Science, which published the results in Friday’s issue. Until now, many forest studies have looked at the role wildfires and beetle infestations have had on western forests. Others have looked at the way species are beginning to move to higher elevations. Each of these is related to warming. But as devastating as they are, beetle infestations and wildfires are episodic catastrophic events. Despite the high profile they get, most forests appear for now to be relatively healthy, the team notes. And species migration would appear to allow for the species’ continued survival, as long as they don’t run out of higher elevations to reach. The long-term trends in this study, however, suggest that warming is affecting the underlying demographics of the tracts the research team studied. The results run counter to trends seen in the tropics. In undisturbed tracts there, tree mortality and replacement both are increasing. The study adds to a growing body of research that suggests any country with extensive forests – whether tropical, temperate, or boreal – may
deserve a place at the table when global climate talks discuss “avoided deforestation” as a tool for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. So far, the approach has been seen largely as a way to encourage developing countries with extensive tropical forests to take part in a new global climate treaty. But last September, an international team of scientists led by Sebastiaan Luyssaert at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, published a study showing that globally, oldgrowth forests outside the tropics actively soak up and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere far longer than previous estimates had indicated. Indeed, for many of the tree species in the latest study, the likelihood that a tree will survive for another year increases, rather than decreases,
The changes are making wildlife conservation efforts more difficult to plan. with time, notes Jerry Franklin, a forest ecologist at the University of Washington in Seattle. “One of the things that absolutely should be on the table in any global carbon agreement is the notion of avoided carbon releases,” Dr. Franklin says. “Old forests have very large accumulations of carbon in them.” If these forests are felled, it will lead to significant carbon emissions over the short and medium terms – emissions that can’t be recouped by turning the wood into lumber or by planting replacement trees, he says. Housing development could be affected. If the trends continue, they have implications for the region’s efforts to adapt to climate change, adds Thomas Veblen, a biogeographer at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Particularly when the underlying die-off is accelerated by insect infestations, wildfire managers will have to rethink their strategies for reducing wildfire risks, including current policies that encourage people to build large housing developments in wildfireprone areas. In addition, the changes are making wildlife conservation efforts more difficult to plan. Often, conservationists set a target by learning what an area was like in the distant past, then they try to re-create that, says Nathan Stephenson, also with the USGS research center in Three Rivers, Calif. “As climate changes and other environmental changes happen, the past may no longer be the best model for the future. We may switch from trying to keep a snapshot of the past to efforts to help guide things into the future while sustaining old forests.” For Franklin, even that may be too gentle. “So much of conservation is focused on going back or keeping it as it is,” he says. Faced with a warming climate, “you can’t go home.” // This story originally appeared in The Christian Science Monitor and is reprinted here by permission. Article copyright 2009 The Christian Science Monitor.
GoGreen: SustainableLiving
CCS GREEN HOME CLASS
Lerner and Bryant to Teach New Course / By Erika Prins A PILOT COURSE IN HOME Environmental Stewardship Planning begins Tuesday, February 10, at Mirabeau Place Park in Spokane Valley. The class emphasizes increasing the energy efficiency of a home and yard and reducing waste. Participants will work with program facilitators to create five-year environmental stewardship plans reflecting their individual goals and living situations. This quarter only, the class fee is waived due to a $40,000 Washington State Department of Ecology Public Participation Grant proposed by the Inland Northwest Ecobuilding Guild. The course is part of the Home Owners Series, a set of non-credit green living courses offered by the Community Colleges of Spokane. Some participants enroll in the program because they are tired of paying high energy bills, says Theresa Mangrum, Sustainable Building Training Program specialist at the Community Colleges of Spokane. Others are passionate about environmental issues—“They want to be on the cutting edge of the new renewable technology.� This hard winter will encourage homeowners to be proactive about taking care of their homes, says course instructor Kelly Lerner. The investments they make in waste reduction will save money through efficiency over time. Recognizing that cost motivates many to go green, Lerner says the class will include discussion on budgeting for repair and improvement projects. “We will be talking quite a bit about what are the lower cost options, what are the middle cost options, and what are the most expensive options,� says Lerner. Lerner and certified permaculture designer Ed Bryant will teach the class. Lerner is an awardwinning Spokane architect and owner of One World Design and Architecture. She has taught classes at the Community Colleges of Spokane’s Institute for Extended Learning. Lerner will teach students to assess their homes— building materials, insulation, air quality, energy use and water consumption will be evaluated—and identify improvement goals. Bryant will help students evaluate their property and plan for self-sustaining, low maintenance yards. Bryant is an expert in permaculture— landscaping that supports itself and the home it surrounds—and has taught private classes on the
subject. His portion of the coursework includes information on native plants requiring less upkeep, food crops, and raising small animals. Combining Lerner’s home expertise with Bryant’s knowledge of agriculture, the course allows participants to examine the big picture— how the outdoor area and the house on a property can collectively be environmentally sustainable. For example, carefully placing trees outside the house can reduce heating and cooling costs for the home. “We’re really focused on energy efficiency, water efficiency, health and comfort,� says Lerner. Materials for the class, including Lerner’s book Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature and a workbook, are provided by grant funding. “The success [of the course] will be measured by everybody enrolled completing the class and developing home stewardship plans,� says Kingfisher. Lerner and Bryant will request feedback from students after each of the seven classes. Followed by a successful run this quarter, says Kingfisher, the team will work out any kinks in the program so the class can be replicated elsewhere. // The 21-hour Home Environmental Stewardship Planning course will hold classes Tuesday evenings from 6:00-9:00 p.m. from February 10 to March 24. Pre-registration is required and the class is limited to 25 participants. For more information, contact Theresa Mangrum at tmangrum@iel.spokane.edu.
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/ OUT THERE MONTHLY
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WOMEN’S RUGBY TAKES THE FIELD Marmots Recruiting For Fast-Growing Sport / By Argyle Baukol SPOKANE WOMEN’S RUGBY. These three words evoke a raised eye or a second glance, but are at least a good conversation starter. The phrase is sure to get at least one of three follow up questions. 1) That’s a contact/tough sport, isn’t it? 2) What kind of padding do they use? 3) Are there a lot of injuries? Each question stemming from one thought. As though to ask if rugby is as brutal as its reputation. Today rugby is the fastest growing collegiate sport in the US for men and women. Locally, rugby has had a dedicated force of players, fans, and veterans for decades. For years, the men’s team, the Spokane Razorbacks, have been making headlines as one of the most well established club teams in the area. Even though they are a Division 1 team and members of the Montana Rugby Union, the sport hasn’t been as stable for female players. Spokane Women’s Rugby has risen and fallen, seeing its fair share of turnover. There have been various incarnations over the years as new generations step in to lead the club. They have gone
“After playing a game and seeing how everyone else moves on the field, it just clicked.” by different names and played on many different fields. Team Captain Kelly Warner recalls some summer practices at local parks when neighborhood children tried to keep up in drills and begged to learn the game. But, they have also played in secret when the nightfall comes early, poaching fields at local universities to take advantage of streetlights. “We didn’t have anywhere to play,” explains Warner. “With as small as we were at the time, the organization was spontaneous but we just couldn’t not practice.” Meet the Spokane Marmots. This group of women has been around for five years, rebuilding their team after a lull in membership. In 2004 the team, then known as the Vixens, had their best season ever. Winning against rivals in Pullman, Moscow, and Missoula. They also won Kootenai
THE MARMOTS BATTLE BACK. // PHOTO BY RICH NAY.
Cup in Coeur d’Alene and Fool’s Fest, the regional tournament hosted by the Razorbacks. Later that year many players moved, graduated, and otherwise experienced major changes. The remaining four members went underground, not to hibernate, but to strategize their way back to winning. Over the next two years they maintained practice by soliciting positions as substitutes in games and tournaments throughout the northwest. They spent painstaking summers recruiting and rerecruiting for newcomers, raising money, and practicing everything they had learned. Rugby as a sport has gone through similar challenges. It was created from the same informal school games in the early 1800’s as soccer. Different schools had their own versions of games; some of them played carrying sports and others kicking sports. In the end rugby wound up the inevitable step sibling of soccer and its enthusiasts were the permanent friendly foes of soccer fans. Rugby is not as pretty as soccer, and not as popular. But the game requires skill and at least as much strategy as its kicking counterpart. A game of rugby has thirty players; each team
needs fifteen women to stand on the field. It’s a tough sport, and substitutes have to be ready on the sidelines at any moment. Every position has a special purpose and players are chosen based on individual skills. A contact sport from start to finish, there are many things that make rugby standout from more common American sports. Certain practices that look funny might also sound funny to the unexposed. But no player knows how to play if they can’t give a good ruck, and only designated players can be in the scrum. A noticeable difference from other sports is the ball isn’t thrown forward; it goes to the players behind the passer. Players will often gush about camaraderie, spirit and sisterhood of playing rugby. It’s often called the gentleman’s or gentlewoman’s sport, since good manners are a basic code of play, but the hits are hard and injuries can result. Mika Maloney, a forward for the Marmots, points out that injuries are not more common than they are in other sports. “Mostly, you just see scrapes and bruises,” says Maloney. “But I sprained my ankle this fall and had to rest up and recover. I was still going
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OUT THERE MONTHLY / FEBRUARY 2009
to practice though, and I was really eager to get back out there.” Crystal Morgan is a newcomer to the sport, playing her first game last season. “I loved it. I think I’m addicted. I can’t wait to play again.” She plays the outside center position and says that before playing it was difficult to understand how rugby worked. “After playing a game and seeing how everyone else moves on the field, it just clicked,” she says. The Marmot roster includes all levels, the most experienced players having 10 years on the pitch and the newest having joined during the most recent season. In February the spring season will begin for the Marmots and the Razorbacks. The 19th annual Fool’s Fest is held in early April in the Polo Fields in Airway Heights. // For more information on the Marmots, email spokanewomensrugby@yahoo.com, or call Argyle at 838-7095. Also visit www.myspace. com/spokanewomensrugby, for updates and game schedule. For information on the Razorbacks and Fool’s Fest, visit www.spokanerugby.com.
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The Go Green Directory is the way to find sustainable businesses. Go to www.gogreendirectory.com for a list of distribution locations or to view the directory online. Want to list your green business? Go to our website to submit your free listing. FEBRUARY 2009
/ OUT THERE MONTHLY
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