Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
A free, ranger-led hike will be available Monday, Jan. 1, at Palouse Falls State Park as part of the First Day Hike state program.
“It’s kind of a hopeful start to the new year,” said Virginia Painter, communications director for Washington State Parks and Recreation.
The hike will be led by Kevin Davis, ranger for the Blue Mountain area which includes Palouse Falls. This is the fourth year of the First Day Hike program in the state, but Davis has only been at the Palouse Falls hike for two years.
“It’s unique because it’s a ranger-led tour,” he said. Last year, Davis had 10 people come out for the event.
Hikers will meet at 10 a.m. at the park parking lot where Davis will be at his truck, tailgate down with hot chocolate for all. He will lead the group around the maintained portion of the park, talking about geological structures, the significance of the park, its animals and plants and safety. There will also be brochures and special buttons for attendees.
“It’s also a Discover Pass free day,” he added, which means there is absolutely no cost for attending any state park that day that normally requires a Discover Pass.
Snow is expected and people should dress accordingly, with good traction shoes, Davis said. The only reason the event would be cancelled is if the roads are too icy and unsafe to make it to the park.
One topic Davis will likely talk about is heat-related issues, although those probably will not be a concern during the First Day hike. Davis noted that last year the most common call for emergency help to the Palouse Falls Park was for heat-related problems, sometimes requiring Life Flight to remove the victim.
Jana Mathia is a reporter at the Whitman County Gazette.
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