Moscow in the summer can feel like a class you showed up too early for. Once-filled dorms are empty, busy walkways are now quiet and the midnight population of Main Street has decreased significantly. As the weeks wear on without the regulated monotony of classes to occupy the hours, the Palouse can seem to shrink into a cage, locked within the gilded bars of amber waves of wheat. Fear not, there are plenty of adventures at hand to occupy your hours.
Cy Whitling | Argonaut
The Palouse offers great opportunities to explore the outdoors. Jed Whitling and James Engerbretson enjoy a campfire on Moscow Mountain.
Only ten minutes from campus, visible above flowing wheat, lies Moscow Mountain. For those who have not yet explored this local landmark, the possibilities can seem daunting. The mountain is large and sprawling, crisscrossed with trails and logging roads.
The easiest way to get acquainted with the mountain is to make your way up Moscow Mountain Road, northeast of town. This road takes you all the way to the top of the mountain, where views of the entire Palouse await.
Most of the mountain is open to hiking. A few afternoons of exploring should be enough to get a handle on the layout of the main roads and trails. There are many streams and several ponds as well as lookout points that offer views of the Palouse reaching out past the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.
The mountain also has many mountain bike trails ranging in difficulty from “never ridden on dirt before” to “highly dangerous, experts only.” Local bike shops are a great resource for information and advice on riding Moscow Mountain.
For those looking for a more aquatic adventure to slack the heat of summer, there are several bodies of water near Moscow. For example, about half an hour east of town lies Spring Valley Reservoir. The water can be murky and too warm, the “beach” may be covered in goose droppings and gravel and the docks may harbor rusty nails, but Spring Valley is still a great place to relax and do a little fishing. The reservoir is full of trout, bass, and panfish. Most people practice catch and release at Spring Valley since the water is not particularly clean.
South of Moscow, on the river, opportunities for recreation abound. About 45 minutes southwest of Moscow lies Granite point, otherwise known as “the rock.” On weekends the rock fills up with students tanning and swimming. The river is slow, perfect for floating away a lazy afternoon.
Also on the river, across the Lower Granite Dam, are the dunes. Home to the only sandy beaches near Moscow, the dunes are a perfect place to relax and cool down. The sand gets painfully hot for bare feet but the nearby river offers a respite. Just make sure to find out when the dam closes because the alternate route back to town is long and out of the way. Just like anywhere else, make sure to pack out your trash.
But wait, all of the locations I mentioned above require some form of transportation. What about those individuals less thoroughly equipped?
Moscow offers several opportunities for human powered recreation. The eight-mile-long Bill Chipman Trail connects Moscow and Pullman and is open to bikers, boarders and runners. East of Moscow is the Latah Trail which leads to Troy. This trail is a little longer at 11 miles and contains some hills, but the varied scenery through wheat fields and forests makes the journey worth it.
In short, don’t give up on Moscow for the summer. Expand your horizons past campus and downtown and open your eyes to a multitude of adventures. From long mountain hikes to sandy beaches, the Palouse has something for everyone. It’s just up to you to do a little exploring.
Cy Whitling can be reached at [email protected]