EasternWashingtonOutdoor

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Outdoor Goals for 2011

Did you all make a list of goals for 2011? Here are the things I am going to try and complete this year in no particular order. Working full time and raising a four year old as a single dad severely limits my free time, although it makes completing all or part of my list that much better. I encourage you all to do the same and GO PLAY OUTSIDE!!

Catch a golden trout in the Cascades
Long weekend at Lake Chopaka for the infamous baetis hatch
Float the Couer D'Alene from its headwaters to I-90
Buy or build a trailer to tow a raft and camping gear
Cut and stack a cord of firewood
Teach my daughter how to cast a fly rod
Do an overnight backpacking trip with my daughter
Learn how to kayak
Write gear reviews for BackpackGearTest.org
Complete the poker paddle
Canoe into Pee Wee Falls

Friday, November 19, 2010

Spokane Skiing/Snowboarding Opportunities

As I'm typing this our area ski resorts are getting pounded and all of them should be open any day. It's always a good sign when we are hitting the slopes by Thanksgiving here in the Inland Empire. This year is an exciting one for me because I purchased a season pass for the first time in years, partly due to the fact that my four year old can ski with me this year, and partly due to La Nina setting up off the west coast promising powder days all winter long. This is just another reason that Spokane is the perfect base camp for outdoor enthusiasts. There are a myriad of skiing and snowboarding opportunities in our backyard:

Mt. Spokane - This is the mountain that I grew up on and where I learned how to ski and snowboard. When I was a kid a season pass was $49 and because it is so close to town we could always talk a parent to drive and pick up a car load of kids. When you factor in that the mountain has night skiing until 10p.m. there were days that we would ride for over 12 hours. The lodge ("fingers crossed, the paperwork is in place to build a brand new facility") offers food and a bar as well as all other amenities you would expect at a ski lodge. I have ridden just about every ski area on the west coast and Mt. Spokane is always a good time. Season Pass-$469. Weekend $45 - Weekday $32. Opens at 9, night skiing until 10. 30 miles from downtown Spokane.

49degrees North - 49 is fast becoming one of the best hills in the region. It seems every time they petition the Forest Service for more acreage, they get it. There are big enough drops to scare even an advanced skier and long rolling runs to those who just like to cruise. The town of Chewelah is located at the bottom of the hill and has many lodging, dining and drinking options. Season Pass $675. Weekend $51, Weekday $45. Opens at 9 and offers limited night skiing. Located 50 miles north of Spokane,WA.

Silver Mt.- The old Spokies will remember this hill as JackAss. It rises out of the famous mining town of Kellogg, ID. This was one of the most poisoned superfund locations on the planet, now - it is a destination resort. It has one of the longest gondolas in the world that whisks from I-90 to the lodge at the top of the mountain. It is so nice to skip the sketchy driving on snowy mountain roads and the gondola ride is the perfect amount of time to get dressed and enjoy the views. The one thing that bothers me about this hill is the amount of cat tracks, it tends to cut up the free flowing feeling that we all love about skiing. You can hike Wardner Peak on the back side if you like gnarly backcountry conditions. Season Pass $599. Weekend $53, Weekday $50. Located 75 miles east of Spokane on Interstate 90.

Schweitzer - The best mountain in our region!!! If I could afford to get a season pass and ski here a few days a week I would do it. I have always said this is next Aspen and it looks like my prediction years ago is coming true. The mountain sits above the town of Sandpoint,ID - a four season destination. The town sits on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille and is the gateway to the Canadian Rockies. Downtown you can find fine dining or a pickled egg from behind the bar of some run down tavern. For me it is to hard to make it up for the opening, then ride powder all day and try to safely drive all the way back to Spokane. It is hard to justify spending the money to stay the night so Schweitzer trips are few and far between. If I was specifically coming to the region to ski I would happily spend the money because it is an experience that rivals the greats like; Jackson Hole, Big Sky or Mt.Bachelor. Season Pass $1000. Day Pass $65. Located 1.5 hours from Spokane, this drive can be nerve racking under winter conditions. You head east from Spokane to Couer D' Alene,ID and then head north another 45 minutes to Sandpoint, I have had this drive take well over two hours before.

Look Out Pass - Lookout has flown under the radar for years, recent improvements and future plans will put this hill on the map. It is always the first to open and the last to close, because of its location it is never that crowded. If you want a sure bet after a storm head to Lookout for face shots. It is located 90 miles east of Spokane and straddles the Idaho/Montana border. Season Pass $309. Weekend $35, Weekday $32.

Heli/Cat - Peak Adventures - This is somewhat new to the region, I believe it is because we are surrounded by great ski hills. I know they have been trying in the Selkirks for years and it has never quite taken hold. Peak Adventures runs a great operation but may get hosed due to some permitting problems and might have to skip this season. You will have to check their website frequently if this is something you want to do. $325 a day for cat skiing with Peak Adventures

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Tom's Picks : Downtown Spokane - Breakfast and Lunch

In Spokane for a few days? Make sure you try out a few of my favorite restaurants located downtown. Hopefully the following list serves as a resource to help you get the most out of your visit to our beautiful city.

Breakfast

Satellite Diner - 425 W Sprague 509.624.3952 The Satellite is Awesome!!! They serve breakfast until 4a.m. and it is tradition to hit the Satellite after the bars close for some grease. Don't let this scare you, the food could compete for some of the best breakfast in all of Spokane and the staff is very good at what they do.

Franks Diner - Breakfast in a train car! Franks is so popular that you should expect a wait Saturday and Sunday mornings. I always get the Eggs Benidict and it is perfect every time. Although a little on the spendy side don't let the cost and the wait keep you from trying this Spokane landmark.

Dolly's - 1825 N Washington 509.326.0386 I have to admit, I have not ate at Dolly's since the remodel. It is always my go to for biscuits and gravy. Dolly's is known for their exceptional service and the quality of the food. This is a hidden gem located just a few miles north of the Spokane River.

Lunch

The Globe - I have been eating lunch at the Globe for years. Chef Howard Batemen might just be one of the most talented chefs in our city. The atmosphere of the Globe reminds me of Cheers and the wait staff actually cares about the food they serve and that the guests are happy. I am reuben connoisseur and still haven't found one better than Howard's. The Globe also offers a happy hour as well as an excellent dinner menu. p.s. They serve drinks until 2 a.m.

Madeleine's - This is a fairly new restaurant but has earned rave reviews. I have been here once and was quite impressed. I think this restaurant is best experienced during the hot days of summer when you can sit out on there patio and do some people watching. Think deli with a lot of eclectic menu items. Definitely a good place to take a date.

The Elk - Plain and simple - The Elk is the fricking bomb!!! Located just west of downtown in Spokane's historic Browne's Addition neighborhood. Sometimes I dream about the lamb sandwich that The Elk has become famous for. They also have a full bar with an impressive selection of beers from around the world. The Elk is one of the most popular places in town. I do have to say, sometimes the service is questionable, don't be thinking that you can swing in for a quick lunch because it's probably not going to happen.

Rocky Rococo - This is my hangover cure. Rococo's has one of the best salad bars I have ever seen and is very affordable. Rococo's is a chain, which I normally don't promote, but they have done such a good job over the years that they deserve to have business sent their way. Did I mention they have some of the best pizza in town.

Tacos El Sol - 401 W Sprague Downtown's taco truck, it is also open late for the bar crowd. Not much to say here, it is what it is. Not all taco trucks are equal, but this one is above par. At least once a week you will catch me standing on the sidewalk with guacamole on my face ;)

Domini's - 703 W Sprague 509.747.2324 Domini's is an institution. I have been eating here for special occasions ever since I was a youngster. Domini's is hands down the best deli sandwich you will ever eat. When you walk in to the place it is like stepping back in time. I have never finished a whole sandwich, they make great late night snacks. Want to impress a client, this is the place to do it.

Chicken-N-More - 414 1/2 W Sprague 509.838.5071 Every time I eat here I get mad at myself for not doing so more often. This is genuine soul food from the south. Ribs, chicken and catfish with the best sauces on the planet. This is another one of those places to impress a client because the food is so good. It is one of those restaurants that you go home and tell your family about.

Dick's - 10 E 3rd 509.747.2481 Another Spokane landmark, although those in the know refer to it as Richard's on 3rd. I'm sure you have heard of the famous hamburger stands in Seattle with the same name, oddly they are not the same company, yet they are pretty much identical. It would be hard to find a Spokanite who hasn't had a Whammy from Dick's.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Lake Chopaka, Okanogen County, Washington

Lake Chopaka

This is one of my all time favorite trips every spring and I try to make it every year. Lake Chopaka is where my love for fishing with good friends was born. This is one of those trips that you start planning while hunched over a fly tying vise during the dark days of winter. Like a little kid you pull out your fishing gear to start preparing two or three months in advance. You will need dozens of chronomids, buy every color of v-rib that you can find and scud hooks in four different sizes. Also stock your fly boxes with ‘Chopaka Mayflies’, a version of a grey parachute adams that replaces the tail and wing with dark deer hair as well as using brown hackle to wrap around the post. I have had epic days sight casting to huge rainbows who gobble these flies readily, we’re talking 20-30 fish days, with some of them over 28”. Chopaka also boasts a damsel fly migration that has every fish in the lake pouncing on anything green and stripped on a medium sink line. I have also landed some large fish by fishing leeches at night. The campground is one of the coolest I have ever spent time in, it flanks one side of the lake and has restrooms, and a few sites that have a structure with a picnic table underneath.

This was taken from the road above the campground looking up the lake. The whole left side is available for camping.

Once you are here, there really is no reason to drive out of the mountains to go get forgotten supplies. Basically, if you forget something you are screwed. My friends and I have also lost plenty of tires to the rocky road up to the lake, check your spare and make sure you have a working jack. We have also had a few friends that were not smart enough to get to the lake, bring a map, or you might end up spending the night stuck in snow or mud on the top of the mountain.

How to get here: From Spokane you have three options, your final destination is Tonasket, WA. Tonasket is pretty much the middle of the state a few miles south of the Canadian border. You can head out Highway 2 and either cut down at Wilbur to the FREE Keller Ferry to cross the Columbia and continue north to Republic, WA. Or you can stay on Highway 2 passing Grand Coulee and then pointing it north to Omak, WA. Finally you have the third option, and my favorite. You can take 395 north out of Spokane to Kettle Falls, WA, and go over Sherman Pass to Republic. Sherman Pass is awesome!!!! I always try to take the Keller Ferry on the way to Chopaka and then come back over Sherman Pass. The history of these two areas is what Washington was founded upon.

From Tonasket you head north to the town of Loomis, there is nothing here, a few houses and an unreliable gas station. Top off your tank in Tonasket and head up the road. Just out of Loomis this is what you will see:

Heading north from Loomis, the Chopaka grade reveals itself

If you look to the lower right of the hill in front of you, the road up is barely visible. This area is known as Tote’s Cooley or the Chopaka Grade. You will turn left on Chopaka Lake Road and drive through some farm land before you come to the fork in the road where you will start your climb to the top. Use your head, I don’t think anyone would survive going over the side – there is no guard rail!

You can see the road in this photo

When you arrive at the top of the hill, stop, get out of your car and crack a beer. The sunrise was chasing me up the hill due to the fact that I left Spokane the night before. I was a happy camper at the top.

This is a photo from the top of the Chopaka Grade, looking back at Loomis.

I cannot tell you where exactly to turn to go down to the lake, it’s one of those things you just never forget. You will travel almost an hour on a windy dirt road before you break off down to the lake, use your outdoor skills to figure it out. Up the mountain, into a valley, follow the most warn path – simple.

We take a shortcut to gather wood on the way in: