Outdoors briefs for September 29, 2011
Free fall camping through Oct. 31
A pair of campgrounds on the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River have been reopened for free public use through Oct. 31.
"We've had requests to open the campgrounds in the fall to accommodate both hunters and people who enjoy fall camping. This year we decided to experiment with an extended season to determine how much use these sites would receive after Labor Day," said Deputy District Ranger Kimberly Johnson.
Big Hank Campground is 15 miles north of Prichard on Forest Road 208 along the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River. Bumblebee Campground is two miles west of Forest Highway 9 near the Little North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River on Forest Road 796.
During the extended trial season there will be no camping fee, since amenities including running water and trash removal are not available.
Visitors using these campgrounds this fall will be required to bring their own water and pack out their own trash. Outhouses will remain open for use.
Typically the campgrounds on the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District close shortly after Labor Day each year due to decreased demand.
Forest Service representatives will monitor the use in Big Hank and Bumblebee Campgrounds this year to determine the amount of interest in using developed campsites in the fall and to determine if campers will police their own garbage during this free use period.
If this experiment is successful other campgrounds, including Kit Price and Devils Elbow campgrounds, may be included in future extended seasons.
Information: 664-2318 or 783-2363
Outdoor trails free workshop Saturday
North Idaho College's Outdoor Pursuits is cosponsoring a free workshop Saturday to teach participants how to build and maintain outdoor trails.
The Subaru/International Mountain Biking Association Trail Care Crew will lead the workshop, which begins with an 8 a.m. to noon classroom session in NIC's McLain Hall followed by a 1-4 p.m. field session at Blue Creek Bay in Coeur d'Alene.
Participants should be dressed for a day of work in the woods and bring water and snacks. The class is free and open to anyone interested and lunch is provided.
Other sponsors include Lake City Trail Builders Association, International Mountain Biking Association, Bicycle Sales and Service, Two Wheeler Dealer and the Bureau of Land Management.
Information: (208) 769-7809 or www.imba.com
Sandpoint film festival Oct. 7-8
SANDPOINT - The Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival, the largest environmental and adventure film festival in North America, is back in Sandpoint, at 7 p.m. Oct. 7-8 at the historic Panida Theatre.
Brought to you by the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille Conservancy, with funding from Patagonia, the Festival's award-winning outdoor adventure films are sure to entertain, educate and inspire. This year's consciousness-raising films were chosen from among the favorites at the annual film festival held in the Sierra Nevada foothills each January.
Tickets are $10 each night, or purchase a $30 membership to the CFPOC and receive tickets for both nights, plus a one-year membership and entry into the new members' raffle for the ski vacation.
Information: www.cfpoconservancy.org
Group promotes Idaho's hiking trails
Idaho has a new trails group.
The mission of the Idaho Trails Association is to promote the continued enjoyment of Idaho's hiking trails.
One of ITA's core purposes is to help take care of the trails that hikers use and enjoy. Last year the group maintained two hiking trails, one on the Payette National Forest and one on the Clearwater National Forest.
"As Forest Service trail budgets decline, it is more important than ever for hikers to help maintain the trails that we use and enjoy," said Sally Ferguson, president of ITA. "Hikers now have an easy way to help make sure we have hiking opportunities available in the years ahead."
This year ITA completed trail work on six hiking trails including the Dan Ridge Trail in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, and the Beehive Lakes Trail near Sandpoint.
Fifty-eight volunteers maintained more than 22 miles of hiking trails and also built two miles of new hiking trails.
Info: http://www.idahotrailsassociation.org/membership/