INLAND NW ROUTES |
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FALL COLORS HIKES
As summer is coming to an end, spring is turning the mountains into a beautiful color wheel. During the last two weeks of September, and the first two weeks of Roctober, we can enjoy incredible fall colors all around our region. Below are a few of the best. Lower & Upper Stevens Lakes & Peak 6838’ https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/upper-and-lower-stevens-lake.html Undoubtedly the best in our region. Be sure to go to the Upper Lake. https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/stevens-peak-via-west-willow-ridge-6838.html. NOT FOR BEGINNERS And do this hike/scramble clockwise. Counter Clockwise is too dangerous on the descent. Leigh Lake, CMW, MT. https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/leigh-lake.html Once at the lake, there is a trail along the right (N) shore line. Across the Leigh Lakes outlet creek is a campsite with different views. Be careful crossing on the logs. Roman Nose Lakes & Peak https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/roman-nose-lakes--peak-idaho.html Great hike for the kids. Three lakes and an easy very scenic trail. If you have relatives that are disabled, there’s a board walk around the south shore line. They can fish, with an Idaho Fishing License. There is a Nature Trail above the first lake. If you are adventurous, go for Roman Nose Peak. The views of the Seven Sisters across the Pack River are well worth the effort. Gypsy Peak https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/gypsy-peak.html This is a beautiful ridge line hike in the Salmo-Priest Wilderness. There is no water source along this trail. Be prepared. Stash a few water bottles along the upper trail, for the walk out. BE SURE TO MARK WHERE YOUR STASH IS. John A. Finch Arboretum https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/finch-arboretum.html The Finch Arboretum is a great place to go year round. But in Roctober, there can be 6-8” of fallen leaves on the ground, with Garden Springs Creek running thru it. Some areas are ankle deep in yellow leave. Boundary Dam, Pewee Falls, Crawford State Park- Gardner Cave, and Hwy 31. https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/pewee-falls-pend-orielle-river.html https://www.parks.wa.gov/492/Crawford https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/sweet-creek-falls.html First, the drive up to Boundary Dam is exceptional. Hwy 31 is loaded with fall colors. Don’t miss the Sweet Water Rest Area and its waterfalls. Boundary Dam offers tours. Paddling the Pend Orielle River to Ratt Island and Pewee Falls is a must do. But do not miss the Gardner Cave. It is only open 5.15 to 9.15 InlandNWRoutes.com Chic Burge David Crawford
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In July 2023, I realized that I needed ankle surgery. I went to a sports medicine business in CDA, and was not please. So I made an appointment with CDA Foot & Ankle Clinic. I had been there decades ago for orthotics, so I thought I’d try them again. What I noticed first, was the incredible staff. They all were extremely knowledgeable and kind in the treatment of their patients. Then it came to surgery day. I was a tad bit nervous, but my anxieties were brought under control. The attending nurse was very efficient and calmed me down. Then Doctor Orlando Nunez came in ready to start the procedure. Dr. Nunez was calm, and explained what was about to happen. Unlike any other doctors office I’ve ever visited, Dr. Nunez utilizes a GE OEC ELITE MINIVIEW X-RAY machine to see what he needs to know about the area being worked on. This x-ray machine has an articulated arm (L) that my foot was in.
What’s so cool about this x-ray machine, was it was a live feed. As he moved my foot around to examine my Talus, I got to watch the the screen and see what he was seeing, live. Otherwise, it isn’t just a normal x-ray picture. It was a moving x-ray. He captured stills to be able refer to as he worked on my foot. The previous doctor said my surgery could take weeks before I could touch my foot to the ground, and months to fully recover. As my surgery wrapped up, I ask for my crutches. Dr. Nunez stopped me and said with the new stabilizing boot, I could walk out of the office without the need for crutches. I was amazed. So the take away here is simple. If you need any kind of foot or ankle work done, make an appointment with the CDA Foot & Ankle Clinic. You won’t be disappointed. https://www.cdafootankle.com/home/. 208.666.0605 InlandNWRoutes.com Chic Burge David Crafton DETERMINING AREAS ON FIRE AND SMOKE PLUME DIRECTION
We have decided to clean up our home page. There is just too much information, which made it harder to navigate thru. So, I have moved the section “DETERMINING AREAS ONFIRE, SMOKE PLUME DIRECTION, to RESOURCES……under WEATHER, THUNDERSTORMS, LIGHTNING & MORE. As you are planning your next outing, please refer to the above sections to get a better idea of what the weather and fire conditions are in the area you are planning to go to. But most of all….PLEASE CALL THE RANGER DISTRICT of the area you are planning on visiting, at least 3 days before. Their phone numbers are listed on each trip write up, and under MANAGING AGENCIES in RESOURCES. Things change and happen without our knowledge. Hence, we offer ways to determine fires, smoke plumes, and closures of all kinds. Soon, we will have only the Ranger Districts URL’s on our HOME PAGE. But if an area is closed for whatever reason, we will list them on their respective trip write ups. That way, you all will see the USFS Closure order. You will be able click on the USFS Order, to read it for yourself. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING OUR READERS InlandNWRoutes.com, Chic Burge David Crafton FIRE RESTRICTIONS ARE IN PLACENow I know, none of us go into the mountains, camping, backpacking, and celebrating, to catching the forest on fire.
But it happens. Every year, someone walks away from a campfire, thinking it will go out on its own, or they don’t have the equipment to extinguish their fires. There’s an easy fix for drowning your fire. We all should be carrying several plastic grocery bags to pick up trash, in your pack. Find the one that has some small holes in the bag. Dip the grocery bag into the water and pinch off the leaks to conserve water. Check which direction the wind is blowing, and stand up wind, so as not to get streamed and ashed. Release the pinches and douse your fire DEAD OUT. SERIOUSLY, after drowning your fire, feel for hot spots. YOUR FIRE MUST BE 100% DEAD OUT. You can use the grocery bags by filling the with dirt, and smothering your fire. Put your fire out early, so as you pack up to leave, you can check for hot spots. If by chance you cause a wildfire, you could be legally charged and fined and/or jailed, to recuperate the costs of fighting the fire. Airplanes and helicopters, not to mention firefighters are not cheap to operate. Those expenses could become your expenses. If none of that stirs you, think about how you will feel after a families home is destroyed. Or a whole town. When there are FIRE RESTRICTIONS posted at Ranger Stations or on Highway info signs, pay attention. None of us are immune to prosecution. So simply use your head. PLEASE, PUT YOUR FIRES “DEAD OUT.” InlandNWRoutes.COM Chic Burge David Crafton If you hike long enough, you will come across a scenario that requires you to call for help.
If you have cell coverage call 911 first. Or activate a personal location devise, or other emergency alert system. By doing this, you will get rescue crews on their way. When you call 911, they automatically get you coordinance. But please keep in mind…it may take hours for rescue personnel to reach you. Make your victim comfortable and listen to every word they say. AND DO NO HARM! I carry a pad of paper and a pen in my 13 ESSENTIALS just for this reason, and for the below vitals. Monitor your victims vitals….heart beat, breathing, temperature, any injuries, and write the time checked and the results. If your victim is bleeding, do what it takes to stop the bleeding. A tourniquet is a great tool, but they MUST BE ADMINISTERED CORRECTLY. Get instructions from a license professional. An improperly applied Tourniquet can cause more harm than help, and is rarely used in emergency care. What you want to do, is restrict the blood flow. Not cut it off. It would be a very good idea to take a CPR & FIRST AID CLASS. This way, you have the knowledge to help a victim, hopefully without doing any more harm. How to treat for shock. Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly, unless you think this may cause pain or further injury. Keep the person still and don't move the person unless necessary. (Mayo Clinic) BUT THERE IS SOMETHING I MUST SPELL OUT Having blisters, and other minor injuries, may not constitute as an emergency. Emergencies that are life threatening, and require immediate attention. If you call for help, and it isn’t life threatening, you may be charged for the rescue. It is all of our responsibilities to have the items needed to treat injuries. Items you need to have are as follows, but there may be more 13 ESSENTIALS….restock as needed. See our drop-down menu. First Aid Kit….restock as needed. Gorilla Tap….put about 3 yards on each of your hiking poles. Airway Mask….if mouth to mouth resuscitation during CPR or other circumstances are needed, this mask will protect you both from potential contamination. DO NOT GIVE ANYONE YOUR PERCEPTION PAIN KILLERS. Knowledge…..this is the most important item you can take into the mountains. DO NOT GO UNTIL YOU HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE. As a member of the Spokane Mountaineers, they offer Wilderness First Aid Classes. The more you know, the more likely you can help others and maybe even yourself. Benjamin Franklin once said… “If you fail to plan…you are planning to fail.” InlandNWRoutes.com Chic Burge David Crafton DAVID AND I WOULD LIKE YOUR HELP
Since 2018, when David and I came up with the idea of building this website, we have worked diligently to add as much information as possible. But we are human, and have made mistakes along the way. We strive to…. a.) give you the most up to date information on the trails and topics we offer our readers. b.)and of course, to show our readers the fantastic places to play in our region. If you see a mistake, or information that is incorrect, please let us know. We will research your comment(s) and make the necessary corrections and/or additions. We are experiencing user numbers that blow me away. On average we are getting 1285 hits per week. And on 6.25-26 we had 498 visits in one day. These numbers simply humble us. As we were building and adding the data you see, I was excited on our first 100 hits per week. To see 1200+ hits a week is simply outstanding. We Thank You, our readers, for using our website. But we still need to be diligent in making sure our information is correct and up to date. If you have any suggestions that will make our site better, more useful, or easier, please let me know. Because I’m retired, I have the time to be our voice. I would like to ask you all to contact me directly with any questions, criticisms, comments, etc. This way, we can make sure the information you read, is as accurate as possible. THANK YOU ALL, Chic Burge. David Crafton chicski@icloud.com 208.659.8183 Ps….while I’m working on our site daily, I have come across a new cable channel that is real exciting. Search EARTHXTV. This channel basically is about conservation, re-purposing, and ecological education. Check it out and let me know what you think. c. Hi Hikers,
I recently came across an article on a GIGANTIC AVALANCHE that occurred in the Willow Creek area below Stevens Peak in 1903. Scroll down past the colored images in it’s PHOTO GALLERY, and see what happened. https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/upper-and-lower-stevens-lake.html You will be amazed Chic Burge David Crafton iNaturalist Have you ever seen a wildflower on a hike that you didn’t know what it was? THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT. iNaturalist is a free app that will identify any living plant, animal, etc. While you hike, and see a flower or whatever, all you do is take several images, log onto the app and download your image(s). In a few days, they will have their world wide identifiers, tell you what it is. Then they plot where it was photographed. All this data is plotted on a world map, that shows everywhere in the world they grows. After creating an account, all of your observations are in your account, and can be accessed for your future reference. To date, they have over 151,000,000 observations, of 431,785 species, by 6,692,461 people around the world. This whole app is sponsored by National Geographic and a few other organizations. It’s fun to be able to learn what you wonder about on your hikes. I take screenshots of 12 or so observation at a time, which makes it easier to access and use them to identify them when I need to. Keep in mind, they can identify any living organism. Log onto…. https://www.inaturalist.org InlandNWRoutes.com Chic Burge David Crafton Why would anyone carry an EMERGENCY INFORMATION CARD? Let’s say you are miles away from your car, and you fall and get hurt. You discuss with your hiking partners, if you can, what the best plan is to get you help, and out of the mountains. At the hospital, you are groggy or unconscious. The nurses and doctors have to determine what your ailments are, but need to spend precious time to figure out what pertinent information they need to know, before they treat you. Now imagine you can’t tell them about any of your medical info. They will, of course check your belongings, and if you are carrying the MIC, they can move faster to get you the help you need. Vital information on this card will tell them what they need to know, instantly. Things like blood type, allergies, medications, who to contact in case of an emergency, are vital, and can help save your life. Please check out the form at… https://www.inlandnwroutes.com/medical-information.html There is a printable version of the MIC on the above url. Print it out and fill in the blanks. Make sure the details are accurate, and thorough. I carry one in my wallet every day, two in each backpack, and have used it on several occasions. I carry two, so one can stay with my hiking partners, if needed. The attending nurses have praised me for being able to cut my examination time to seconds, instead of hours or days. It’s your choice to carry the MIC card. But I’m pretty sure your relatives will be pleased that you, even unconsciously, could help in your own treatment. Recently, I had my ankle CT Scanned, and when asked all these questions, I just handed the nurse my MIC. That wise, I know she is getting the correct info. She said this card could easily save time and possibly my life, if it was a life threatening situation. PLEASE don’t take any chances on getting the information incorrect. Just hand them your MIC. InlandNWRoutes.com Chic Burge David Crafton |
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