Driver Kills Pedestrian In Cheney Months After Hitting Cyclist
1:30 pm
This is a very sad story. Begs the question: was the driver prosecuted after hitting the cyclist? Thanks to KHQ for the video.
News |
June 2010
Taking A Dunk With The Helmet Cam
12:35 pm
This video came from Penny courtesy of the Northwest Whitewater Association email list. I think it’s a piece of abstract art. The director has this to say:
June 20, Castle, Lochsa River: Penny demonstrates what happens when you don’t hold on with both hands. Safety note; I was underwater for about two seconds, the camera was for quite a bit longer.
Out There Writer Reads At Spokane Borders Saturday
9:10 am
Out There Contributor Estar Holmes will be at Borders at the N. Division Y in Spokane with other Gray Dog Press authors June 19, noon to 2 p.m. for a book signing and to answer questions about a pedal powered getaway on the Trail of the CdA. If you haven’t gotten a copy of her book Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes Unofficial Guidebook this is a great time to get it. I used this book the last time I went on the trail with my family and it was an essential resource. Estar is a great writer and we’ve been lucky to have her contributions to OTM.
News |
Victoria Russel Can’t Be Stopped
11:34 am
Photo by Mark Russell.
Victoria Russell was the women’s 1st place at 1:04:20 this weekend in the Justin C. Haeger 10-miler.
Short Bio for Victoria Russell:
38 year-old, Spokane native (Born & raised here).
2-weeks ago, she won the Coeur D’ Alene 1/2 Marathon for women.
Last year she won the Spokane Windermere Marathon and qualified for Boston marathon
Took 2nd at 2009 Missoula Marathon, in 2:59 and she is much faster this year.
Congratulations Victoria.
Re-enact The Big Burn Hike
5:18 am
This item about a call for volunteers to march Ed Pulaski’s fire escape route from the 1910 Big Burn forest fire in Idaho appeared in the Spokesman Review today:
Hikers sought for 1910 fire commemoration
Applications are being accepted for an Aug. 14 hike that retraces the route that assistant Forest Service ranger Ed Pulaski and his crew took to find shelter in a mine shaft during the 1910 fires.
Forty-five volunteers are needed for the hike, which will be videotaped. The strenuous, seven-mile hike traverses terrain from above Lake Elsie down the Pulaski Tunnel Trail to Wallace.
The hike is sponsored by the 1910 Fire Commemoration Committee.
Applications are available online at www.firecoop.org.
Coal Energy in WA State?
12:38 pm
We actually do have a coal-fired power plant in Washington state. The Faith ad Environment Network is leading a discussion about it Wednesday evening:
Faith, Climate and Coal
The Faith and Environment Network invites you to join the discussion in person tomorrow Wednesday June, 9th at 6:30pm. Earth Ministry and the Faith and Environment Network are hosting a gathering that will include:
-Clergy reflections on the oil spill in the Gulf
-An overview of coal pollution in Washington State
-The American Power Act, an important climate and energy bill now in the U.S. Senate.
-Action items will include an opportunity to weigh in with Spokane-area state senator Lisa Brown on coal issues and how to speak up for clean energy at the federal level. (more…)
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Artists: Want To Design A Bike Rack?
9:17 am
Several specially designed bike racks were recently installed on North Idaho College’s campus in honor of national bike month. The racks were designed and built by NIC students through the WeCycle program on campus. Pictured are NIC Resort/Recreation management Instructor Paul Chivvis and students Sara Plummer, Frank Cordova, Robert Peluso and Jamie Neptune.
This just in from North Idaho College:
Bicycle racks installed on NIC campus during national bike month
As part of the WeCycle program instituted by North Idaho College students, several artistically designed bike racks are being installed on campus in honor of national bike month in May.
As part of the curriculum in the NIC Resort/Recreation Management program, students are tasked with planning and coordinating various events as they learn principles of recreation programs. This year’s students took a very direct approach in applying the fundamentals learned their Natural Resource Conservation Management class to a real-world application that would leave an imprint on the college campus forever. (more…)
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Everyday Cyclist: Centennial Trail Etiquette
11:11 am
Spokane is very fortunate to have a great multi-use trail like Centennial Trail running through our city. Probably the busiest section of the Centennial Trail is the piece that runs from Riverfront Park to Mission Park. This section passes by downtown, the University District, multiple hotel sites, the convention center, two parks, multi-family housing, and multiple businesses. In short, this is a very urban section of trail used by many people every day as part of their exercise or commuting routine. Add to this user base many out-of-town visitors, drawn by Riverfront Park, or conventioneers on a stroll in between sessions.
On a sunny afternoon, this urban section of trail is as busy as any multi-use trail in much bigger cities. And like all multi-use trails, there are no rules.
Well, strictly speaking, there are rules, but practically speaking, very few people know them, and even fewer people follow them. When it comes to bikes and pedestrians sharing space, the rules are always the same: cyclists yield to pedestrians. Always.
A tragic reminder of this simple rule was illustrated last month on the Cedar River Trail in Renton. An 83-year-old woman was killed when she was struck and knocked down by a cyclist. This is an awful way to make a point, but if you ride through congested sections of multi-use trails often, then you can see how this sort of accident could happen.
So the always yield to pedestriansî rule is the law of the land, but for all multi-use trail users it’s really best to focus on common sense, etiquette, and courtesy.
Let’s start with the cyclists:
The multi-use trail speed limit is officially 15 miles an hour. Fifteen miles an hour works great on the long stretches of the Centennial Trail outside the city. But for the urban section, I’m guessing 7 miles an hour should be tops.
Which brings up the commuting point: If you are looking to make fast time through the city core, the Centennial Trail is not the place to do it. Streets with stop lights are timed to optimize traffic flow. In addition, unlike the multi-use trails, the rules of the road are well understood. And tri trainers: the downtown section of the Centennial Trail is not the place to perfect your aero tuck for time trailing.
When passing, use a bell, or use your voice: don’t be a Ninja. This is a really hard one if you don’t want to be screaming at everyone, but if you are going to pass, be sure to provide a warning. In my experience, saying on your left,î results in the person you are passing to immediately drift left, so I like to say, Passing,î or better, Good morning!î The best solution: a bell.
Watch that blind 90 degree corner by the tall Balazs piece at the northwest of the Opera House. If you’re heading into the park at that corner, hug the wall and come to a near stop before taking the turn. If you’re going away from the park on that corner, take it really wide and really slow. If we have a Cedar Riverî incident on the Centennial Trail, I think this will be the place.
General etiquette reminder: People are strolling and enjoying being on the river and taking a walk outside. They are often chatting with friends or looking at views. They will walk in the middle of the trail and they will not expect any sort of traffic. Be patient.
For the pedestrians:
If you are walking with friends, try to remember to keep a laneî free as you walk down the trail abreast. The trail is a minimum of 10 feet wide. In many sections it’s wider. If you can remember to leave a lane open, then you’ll get smiles from cyclists and things will move nicely.
Dogs are great. Your dog is the greatest. And those 30-feet, mostly-invisible leashes are sweet when you are in the middle of a park. But on trail, please keep the dog closer to your side. As I approach you walking on the right side of the trail, but see a dog 20 feet away on the left side of the trail, it’s not intuitive that the dog is hooked to you, especially since I can’t see that tiny thread of a leash.
And people with a dog trotting around not on a leash? Are you serious?
If you are a pedestrian hooked into roller blades and an iPod, I understand that swinging your arms from side-to-side helps with the momentum, but if you could just move over a bit, I could squeeze by when you swing right.
You shouldn’t have to really think about being in traffic when you take a walk on the trail along the river. But a lot of cyclists and runners use the trail as their daily route. Please take a quick over-the-shoulder glance before changing direction suddenly. Bikes are mostly silent, so you’re not likely to hear them coming up behind you. But they often are coming up and they are expecting you to hold your line,î so a quick change of direction can be surprising.
John Speare grew up and lives in Spokane. He rides his bike everywhere. Check out his blog at http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com.
Memorial Day Weekend In Ferry County
10:06 am
The Golden Tiger Portion of the Ferry County Rail Trail near Republic, WA.
Had a great time this weekend visiting a friend and staying in his cabin near the Colville National Forest just north of Republic. This area is nt given enough credit for its lush beauty. We had a chance to ride bikes of the Ferry County Rail Trail, which starts out as the Golden Tiger Trail and goes on into Canada. You may have heard about this trail as we have covered it often in OTM. Bought some great granola at the Republic Co-op and drive Highway 21 to the Keller Ferry. Here are some pics: (more…)
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What’s Your Gear? Mike Klover: Adventure Racing
12:01 am
Every sport has a hero—that one person who continually challenges, beats and changes the very face of the game. For adventure racing, that person is Mike Kloser.
In the early 1980s Kloser dabbled in the pro mogul skiing circuit, won a few national titles and switched gears to mountain biking. Throughout his 12 year career he won the World Mountain Bike Championship title, was a World Downhill medalist and two-time World Cup Overall medalist.
He picked up adventure racing in 1997, and almost single handedly helped define the sport that is sweeping the nation’s most rugged racers. “Mountain bike racing is one dimensional,” he says. “Adventure racing is so diverse and that’s what I love about it. Pretty much anything I do in the outdoors is training.”
These days, Kloser is team captain of Team Nike, the world’s most successful adventure racing team. The team has won five Adventure Racing World Championship Titles, Three Eco-Challenge titles, Five Primal Quest Championships and too many National Championship Titles to count. At 47, there’s nothing slowing down this avid racer.
Kloser and Team Nike even brought their racing skills to Farragut and competed in the 2009 Crux and the Crucible Adventure Race (see this month’s Cover Story). “I thought they did a fantastic job with the race,” he says. “I’ve gotta commend David Adlard on a great event.” Kloser won’t be attending Adventure Sports Week this year because he’s gearing up for a June race in France, an August race in China and then in September looking toward World Championships in Spain.
“I’m scaling back a little more,” he said. “I’m doing some individual racing to keep up on my conditioning and trying to spend more time at home with the family before my kids go off to college.” Despite “slowing down” Kloser has taken on the new adventure of designing outdoor equipment. Over the course of 20 years he’s worked closely with gear companies to test and perfect state-of-the-art equipment.
“Finally, I’m taking my ideas and venturing out on my own,” he said. Coincidentally, Kloser’s company is called Out There. “I’m trying to really focus on not just making another backpack,” he said. “It’s more about designing products that are functional.” Here’s a list of racing gear that has brought this adventure racing hero to the ends of the world and back.
RUNNING SHOES: “My favorite shoe is the Nike Air Zoom Trail S,” Kloser says. “Unfortunately, I’m not sure that they make them anymore.” On expedition races Kloser brings three to four pairs of shoes. “You can count on at least one pair being thrashed at the end of a race,” he said. Team Nike also uses Sportslick silvion antibacterial gel for their feet.
SOCKS: “I love Wool Eater socks,” he says.
SHORTS: “I’ve been into Nike stuff for so many years now with Team Nike,” he says. “I typically go for a cargo short for long treks and for shorter races I’ll use a running short with a long inseam and side pockets. Anything with Dri-Fit material.” When on his bike Kloser wears thin chamois bicycling shorts.
SHIRTS: Team Nike generally races in their cycling tops. “We try to go minimalistic, but if it’s cool out we’ll have a base layer, dry fit top and maybe a fleece or SilLite fabric for an ultra light rain jacket.”
BIKE: Kosler has been on a giant anthem full suspension bicycle for about six years now. “The geometry and full suspension design is very functional especially for long hours in the saddle with heavy packs,” he says.
SADDLE: Fizik Saddle or Aliante saddles.
CYCLING SHOES: Nike YVR cycling shoes.
HELMENT: Kloser usually wears a Giro Pneumo cycling helmet.
GLOVES: Team Nike uses SixSixOne gloves for all their bicycling, climbing and trekking.
HEADLAMP: Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp.
KAYAKING SHOES: Kloser said he bounces around a bit but primarily sticks with the Nike Air River Spike Water Shoe or the Nike Toketee Mid Water Shoe.
WETSUITE: XTERRA.
GOGGLES: “I like anything with a mini scuba goggle shape,” he says. “No tiny little racing goggles.”
PADDLES: Epic Wing Paddles are the lightest most durable paddles.
BACKPACK: “We typically used a Nike Pack we have specially designed but on shorter races a Nike ACG bag will do.”
SUNGLASSES: Kloser said he prefers Oakley Flak Jacet XLJ Sunglasses because of the extra large lenses.