James T. Slavin Conservation Area, Spokane, Washington
Winter is often pretty lame in the Inland Northwest. Although the lack of snow makes life easier in many ways, it also makes the gray days seem more gray and the cold seem colder. So, when the clouds part for a day, it feels like you might have died and surprisingly landed in heaven.
Even when the snow is lacking in the prairie region, it does not mean any of our trails at higher elevations are accessible. So, we end up in places we might not otherwise end up, like the James T. Slavin Conservation Area. To keep the lead in our date competition, I reserved us a unique stay at the Authentic Barn Bnb, right beside the conservation area.
The barn was really cool, but I am not sure Barbarian Scientist would ever do it again. The rooms are actual barns stalls that are barely converted for humans – furniture and a heater were added, but everything else is…barn stall.
The stalls that were not converted for lodging remain homes for farm animals – the stall that we were sharing the long wall with was the home to a very uncomfortable pregnant horse that was due to deliver any minute.
There were chickens and goats wandering around the barn, as well as a cat that really wanted love. One of the goats had a baby who had no fucks to give while exploring, but their mom kept a close on eye on us as we tried to be friendly. Outside there were talkative horses and donkeys and spaces for people to put up tents or park camping trailers – the owners here really hustle!
Right down the road is the conservation area and, although it was not something I chose to do, the barn offers horseback riding from their location to the trails.
James T. Slavin was the owner of the land, but as he aged, he became anxious to leave a legacy for the community of Spokane. He sold his land to the county, and since then habitat work and research, wetlands restoration, and trail building have been completed by various community groups, including Ducks Unlimited, Spokane Mountaineers, and Backcountry Horsemen.
Today it is a beautiful wetlands area with a tangle of trails wrapping around the pond. I do believe winter is the best time to explore because then the wetlands are frozen and it is easier to hike and has far less bugs. Traveling the Quail Loop and the Goldeneye Loop brings you around the pond twice, but in slightly different ways – even if the views are pretty similar, it is a nice way to get some miles under your feet, especially when it is sunny.
Maybe making the trek out here won’t be your first choice when the sun is finally shining, but if you do get out here for one reason or another, I do not think you would regret it. Wide open skies and practically flat trails make the miles easy and fast, if you want them to be. I wish it was that simple for me to be easy and fast, but unfortunately I am complicated and tired and dehydrated and…slow. Anyway, go hike or something.