Northwest Recreation

With spring around the corner, it is definitely time to start considering a cool place to hangout once warm weather comes around. One of the best places I had the chance to visit last year was Palouse Falls, a towering waterfall that tumbles H20 56 meters into large circular pool below. Although the spring waters are not especially clean for swimming, the top of the falls offer good swimming and beautiful scenic views, especially at dusk.

When you get to the falls, you can take two trails to the top of the falls.  The first is to the right of the parking area, down a narrow ravine, and then across a narrow trail on the edge of the canyon.  You will end coming to the falls by way of the ledge visible to the upper left of the falls.  The other way is to the left of the parking lot, down by the railroad tracks, down the side of the cliff, and then to the right of the canyon wall.  You end up coming out behind the waterfalls, where you can swim.

Some facts:

-Height: 56 meters
-Depth of Canyon: 115 meters
-River: Palouse River
-Connects With: Snake River 4 miles downstream

Overall, the trails are fairly challenging, but excellent spring or fall hiking.  It might be a little hot in the summer, so be careful to take water and maybe a swimsuit (hint hint).

Trail Stats:

• Terrain: Dirt and rock
• Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
• Elevation Gain/Loss:Less than 600 ft.
• Overall Rating: 9/10

Winter has set in, and with it the woes of boring days spent inside. For many, the indoors just mark another inactive day. But there are solutions to staying indoors. As winter continues, it is important to keep up on your exercise and maintain fitness and stamina for spring hiking. There are many different ways to so this, but here are some especially good one.

For starters, treadmills are a perfect way to stay indoors and maintain stamina, but they are often boring. One great way to stay fit without having to run on a treadmill is to run at a track. You can also try to jog on fair days on good trails. Finally, try to keep your exercise routines unique. This will keep exercising fun and easy. Also try to get outside to exercise at least once a week to get some fresh air. Even recreating in the winter can be fun. Happy hiking!

Back country hiking is a phenomenal way to see nature.  Going “off the beaten path” lets you search out the few wonders that many people don’t get to see.  It also lets you hike in quieter, more serene places.   With a tendency to have more wildlife, back country areas are known for their undisturbed beauty and difficulty to get to in many cases.  It can be an amazing experience, but here are some things to keep in mind:

• Get stuck, and you’re stuck: It is much harder to get around with no trail, so remember to tell people where you are going and when you will be back.  No cell phones and few people mean that it can be more dangerous.
• For the love of animals:  They’re great critters, but they also abound out there.  Hang your food high between two trees at least 15 feet off the ground.  More certainly can’t hurt, because I wouldn’t want to be hungry out there.
• Nature calls: There aren’t facilities out there, so plan on using proper means to dispose of human waste.
• Manhunt:  Search and rescue doesn’t need more calls to find lost people.  Know where you are going and hike with someone to avoid getting lost or stuck alone.
• Respect your mom:  Mother nature has its own balance of ecosystems, etc.  Be respectful.  Pack it in, pack it out.  Don’t feed critters, and make sure you stay off of known delicate environments.

Back country hiking is incredible, and definitely my favorite type of hiking.  Just remember to be safe out there and be respectful.    Happy hiking!