If you are interested in teaching your kids how to ski, then you should really consider Lookout Pass.  They  have an awesome Free Ski School program that runs from January through March.  It really is free - you just have to register and make it to one of the first three sessions, and then after that you can get a free lesson every Saturday during the program.

Rentals and lift tickets are not included (if you want to keep skiing after the lesson, you need to buy a ticket), but they are some of the cheapest in the region at only $37 for a full day for youths aged 7-17.  If your kids are under 7, then they are free!

skilookout.com/famous-free-ski-school

Lookout also has a really nice beginner hill that has an appropriate slope and is contoured to keep beginner skiers from going off into the trees.  It's also off to the side, which is safer because you don't have more advanced skiers coming through at faster speeds.  And while it is a little further than some other hills, the fact that it is just off I-90 means that the road there is always well maintained. 

It's a great ski hill for families, so go give them a visit!  Here is a link to their Facebook page as well.

www.facebook.com/SkiLookoutPass/

Late fall can be a tough time to find outdoor activities for kids - it's getting cold for many things, but there isn't enough snow yet for traditional winter activities.  But here is a fun idea - drive north of Spokane to Sullivan Lake and view the Kokanee as they spawn in Harvey Creek.

A Kokanee is actually a Sockeye Salmon that no longer has a outlet to the ocean - they are "landlocked".  Like their anadromous ancestors, these fish travel upstream and turn red as they spawn and die.  This makes them very visible and very beautiful to see, and there are a few local areas where you can partake in this natural wonder.

In Idaho you might consider Trestle Creek on the north side of lake Pend Oreille, and from Spokane you can head north to Sullivan Lake.  Harvey Creek enters this lake from the south end near Noisy Creek Campground.  From the bridge across this creek you can can often see plenty of fish, or walk a short ways upstream to find the pool of fish pictured to the right.

This is a fun fall excursion, because you are going to see lots of fall colors in the trees, and nearby there is another very short hike to Sweet Creek Falls at the rest stop of the same name on Hwy 31.  If you want to stretch your legs more, there are quite a few hiking options along the shores of Sullivan Lake and surrounding area.  A day trip to the NE corner of WA has plenty to offer.

#kokanee #sullivan lake #noisy creek #harvey creek #spawn

Winter seems to have come a bit early to the Inland Northwest, but this may have you thinking about skiing!  Skiing is fun, but expensive.  One great way to save a little money is to go the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol Ski swap.  This event has been going strong for 50+ years and has over 22,000 items for sale.  It is happening this Saturday from 9a-5p and Sunday from 9a-noon at the Spokane Fair & Expo Center.  Admission is $5, but kids 12 and under are free.  If you need some gear for this coming season, be sure to check it out.  You can get more details at skipatrolskiswap.com/

#skiswap #mtspokane #skiing #skiseason

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!