Shedroof Divide — Saturday, Sep. 13, 2008

Eastern Washington > Selkirk Range

Volunteers from a number of organizations including the WTA, Conservation Northwest and the Spokane Mountaineers have been working all summer to clear trails in the Salmo-Priest Wilderness. This is the only Wilderness in Northeast Washington and is home to a number of rare and endangered species including Mountain Caribou,lynx,wolverines and Grizzly Bears. The Salmo Loop and Crowell Ridge trails are 100% logged out and the Shedroof Divide is 95% clear. Fall is a great time to enjoy hiking in Eastern Washington. The mosquitoes are gone and the Huckleberries are ripe. Also, you won't find the crowds that are common in the Cascades and Olympics. Descriptions of these hikes can be found in Rich Lander's book "100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest". The Colville National Forest is undergoing it's Forest Plan Revision. The Colville contains 1.1 million acres and only 3% is presently protected as Wilderness. This is the least amount of any National Forest in Washington. There is a broad based effort among local recreational and environmental groups to protect additional inventoried roadless areas within the Colville NF under the Wilderness Act. The Salmo-Priest Wilderness was designated 25 years ago and with the population growth in Eastern Washington we feel that the time is ripe for a Wilderness proposal on our side of the state. We invite everyone to come enjoy the Columbia Highlands and support our effort to bring additional Wilderness to Eastern Washington.