RIVERS -- Leave it to photographer Brian Jamieson of Spokane to capture Palouse Falls today with an image so telling you can almost hear the thunder of the river running at flood stage. Big! See more of Jamieson's photography in his photo album. See another…
STATE PARKS -- The Palouse River is running flood-stage big this week, prompting prime time for a visit to Palouse Falls State Park. The park is between Washtucna, Wash., and the Snake River at Lyons Ferry The falls are chocolate brown and thundering about 185…
HUNTING -- On March 20, I devoted my weekly Outdoors column to the case of Oregon hunter Bob Beck, a TV hunting show host, who pleaded guilty to shooting two deer in Idaho even though he had only one non-resident tag. The case was made…
PUBLIC LANDS -- A popular U.S. Bureau of Land Management recreation area about 20 miles south of Sprague has been reopened after the agency repaired about $5,000 in damages caused by vandals. The Rock Creek/Escure Ranch suffered damage to fences and other facilities in a…
PUBLIC LANDS -- A Washington Discover Pass -- required for parking in state parks and most other state lands -- is valid for two vehicles starting today, according to legislation signed this afternoon by Gov. Chris Gregoire. The change took effect immediately. Holders of previously…
FISHING -- Washington regulations prohibit fishing March 1-May 25 in two stretches of the upper Columbia River (listed under Lake Roosevelt rules) near Northport. Today's Fishing-Hunting report in the Sports section said anglers have been catching big spawnng rainbows near gravel bars in the Northport…
COLUMBIA RIVER -- The level of Lake Roosevelt was 1259.10 this morning, as it continues to drop about a foot a day, a trend likely to continue for the next week at least. "With an increase in precipitation, the water supply forecast is increasing. As…
WINTER SPORTS -- Winter has ended on a high note in terms of snow in the mountains, with a better than average snowpack that is still accumulating. Skiers, boarders and snowmobilers should find great spring riding well into June this year, said Kevin Davis of…
WILDLIFE WATCHING -- Tundra swans are flocking to the region, enjoying the fields and sloughs flooded with our record March wetness. But while the swans will continue north in their spring migration, other birds are moving in to say all summer and raise broods in…
PADDLING -- Spokane paddler and guidebook author Dan Hansen couldn't find a scouting report for a stretch of Hangman Creek at high water, so he set out by foot to find out for himself. Hansen hiked the 10-mile stretch from the Qualchan Historical Monument site…
STATE PARKS -- The Palouse River is running big this week, prompting prime time for a visit to Palouse Falls State Park. The park is between Washtucna, Wash., and the Snake River at Lyons Ferry The falls are chocolate brown and thundering about 185 feet…
STREAMS -- The Washington Department of Ecology has issued a permit that allows the Pend Oreille County PUD to remove Mill Pond Dam, which is downstream from Sullivan Lake. This long-planned project would improve miles of fisheries habitat. Another two years of planning will be…
CYCLING -- The 200-mile Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic -- which can be done in one or two days -- shows no signs of declining in popularity. STP, the Northwest's largest multi-day cycling event, capped at 10,000 riders, filled it's quota on Feb. 21 this…
WINTER SPORTS -- Spokane photographer Brian Jamieson caught the flavor of the fun and action at Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park's Pond Skim event last weekend.
WILDLIFE -- A major elk herd that migrates between Yellowstone National Park and Montana suffered another steep decline last year due to a hard winter, predator attacks and hunting, state and federal scientists said Tuesday. An Associated Press report says new data from wildlife agencies…
Two bills of interest to outdoor recreationists have died in the Idaho Legislature. Legislation that would have taken away the authority of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to regulate hunting with ATVs died in the state Senate on a 20-15 vote. See the…
BICYCLING -- RAW -- the popular Ride Around Washington organized by the Cascade Bicycle Club -- is focusing its 2012 on the region from Chewelah south through Spokane and around the Palouse. The seven-day, 400-mile supported bike tour isn't until Aug. 4-10, but it's already…
HUNTING -- Birding and wildlfie groups are focusing the spotlight on hunters and shooters who use lead shot and bullets claiming that 20 million birds die each year of lead poisoning. Read the story here.
WILDLIFE RESEARCH -- Although they're trying to document the presence of wolverines, getting good snapshots of a Canada lynx still made the day for volunteers monitoring bait stations for the wolverine research project trail cams in North Idaho last week. The photo comes from a…
PUBLIC LANDS -- A popular U.S. Bureau of Land Management recreation area about 20 miles south of Sprague has been closed as the agency repairs about $5,000 in damages caused by vandals. The Rock Creek/Escure Ranch suffered damage to fences and other facilities in a…
CYCLING -- RAMROD, the grueling Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day, isn't until July 26, but Saturday (March 31) is the deadline to register for the lottery drawing to get in to one of the region's premier thigh-busting bicycling events. Sponsored by the Redmond…
HUNTING -- Saturday, March 31st is the last day to purchase a Washington multiple season permit application for 2012. This permit allows a sportsman to hunt in the archery, muzzleloader and modern rifle seasons rather than having to choose just one weapon type. The number…
WINTER SPORTS -- Photo shows a group of snowshoers enjoying a fine March 24 during the 6th annual Goat Mountain trek above Lake Pend Oreille. Almost daily snowfall in the previous five days has left fresh layers on a deep snowpack. The hike is one…
PUBLIC LANDS -- Passenger cars, ATVs, dirt bikes and four-wheel-drive rigs will be prohibited on on nearly 4,000 miles of roads in northeastern Oregon's Wallowa-Whitman National Forest starting in June. The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest management plan, entered last week into the Federal Register -- prohibits…
CLIMBING – Karl Dietrich, an accomplished North Idaho mountaineer, will be presenting a slide show of his alpine adventures at 6 p.m., March 29 at the Laughing Dog Brewery in Ponderay, sponsored by the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center.
Rich Landers writes and photographs stories and columns for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including Outdoors feature sections on Sunday and Thursday.