Our newest book in our series on taking kids to the National Parks will be released tomorrow, June 1st!  Adventuring With Kids: Glacier National Park will be available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Mountaineers Books, and at many local book sellers that you can find at IndieBound.com.

Also, if you'd like to hear a 30 minute presentation on our best tips for taking kids to the parks, together with some specific recommendations for the parks that we've written about, come by the Barnes & Noble in Spokane Valley, WA this Saturday June 2nd.  See you there!

By all accounts I am the most average of endurance athlete.  The longest I’ve run is a mere 10 miles, and the longest I’ve hiked is less than a week.  So, when I saw that Jennifer Pharr Davis, a world class athlete, had written a book titled “Endurance”, I wondered if much that she had written would apply to me or hold my interest.  However, once I started reading, I found it hard to put this book down.

The author once hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, over 2,100 miles, in just 46 days.  That amounts to 47 miles per day on average, and she held the record for the Fastest Known Time for 4 years.  The record has been beaten now a few times, but not by much, and in this book she sets out to provide the backstory of the various record holders in an attempt to find commonality and glean some lessons learned about what it is in the human soul that makes such accomplishments, such feats of endurance, possible.  The results are fascinating, and not a little bit surprising.

After meeting many of the luminaries in the world of “Fastest Known Times” for the nation’s longest trails, what is striking about them is not their similarities but rather their dramatic differences.  Each is an individual with a unique story to tell, and the author tells these stories in a way that is introspective at times and insightful always.  I sort of expected the book to be a summary of what the latest science has to say about nutrition, training, preparation, etc., and how it could be applied to weekend warrior athletes like myself.  What I found instead is that endurance has much more to do with the human spirit, and that its lessons and applications can be applied not just to my fleeting athletic endeavors, but much more to the inevitable ups and downs that life will throw our way.  Each of the athletes in this book has had their own life struggles to deal with and found answers on these long trails that helped them overcome and lead better lives.  In reading about them you will come to see not how different from them you are, but how similar.  And in reading about their lives, challenges, and accomplishments, you are sure to find something in there that inspires you and encourages you to endure on your own long journey of life.

One of our favorite ways to get outside during the winter is to head over to the Wolf Lodge area of eastern lake Coeur d'Alene to watch the eagles.  What's exciting is that this year is already a record breaking year, with over 300 eagles already counted at the start of December - still a couple weeks from the normal peak time period.

Every year from Thanksgiving to the end of the year, dozens of Bald Eagles congregate in the area to feed on the dying salmon that have finished spawning in the lake.  These salmon, called Kokanee, are red salmon that became trapped in the lake when the dam was put in.  They survived the entrapment but no longer make their journey to the ocean, which accounts for their much smaller size compared to their oceanic brethren.

If you are looking to get outside the day after Thanksgiving instead of face the hordes of shoppers, then think of heading to a local State Park.  We have a number of great ones in the Spokane area - from Riverside State Park to Mt. Spokane State Park.  Both have great trails for mountain biking, hiking, or cross country skiing depending on the conditions.

Normally access would cost you $10 per day or $30 per year, but on Friday the Parks are offering free admission to help you #optoutside.  So go out and take advantage of this opportunity!

To celebrate the 150th birthday of its confederation, Canada is giving everyone the gift of free admission to its National Parks!

One of the most scenic places that we have ever been in Banff National Park, which straddles the border of British Columbia and Alberta just a couple hours north of the international border.

This area of granite peaks, carved by glaciers and spotted by multiple emerald blue streams and lakes is simply breathtaking in any direction you look.

If you are looking for a Canadian park near you, here is a map to help in your search;
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/cnpn-cnnp/carte-map

And if you are ready to order your free pass, click here;
http://www.commandesparcs-parksorders.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/parksb2c

Have fun exploring Canada!

It's that time of year again - time to start thinking about skiing!  So far it looks like we are getting the La Nina weather patterns that some had predicted, because we have had one wet storm after another so far this fall.  There is already snow starting to pile up in the mountains, and chances are there will be much more to come.

Skiing is a great outdoor winter activity, but it does not come cheap.  Every fall we share some of the best ways we have found to save money, and the first one on the list is the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol Ski Swap. 

The Yellowstone Park Foundation is holding its second annual photo contest, and the deadline for entering has  been extended an additional month.  This is a fundraiser, so there is a $25 fee to enter up to 20 photos, but it goes to a good cause and there are several categories with prizes up to $5000.  So if you are a shutterbug who loves the National Parks, you might want to check it out on their website here.

And for a little inspiration, here are a few of our favorite Yellowstone photos.