Selkirk Striders Volkssport Club

Past Walks

Since its inception, the Selkirk Striders Volkssport Club has sponsored a number of events throughout North Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana.

The Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge is located near Bonners Ferry in North Idaho. Established in 1965, it encompasses a wide variety of habitats and provides an important resting area for migrating waterfowl. The Selkirk Striders sponsored walks at the Refuge in 1992, 1995 and 2000. The scenic events attracted well over 100 participants, despite some miserable weather in 2000. Even one of the local moose decided to join in the fun!

Samowen Park was donated to the public by local pioneers Sam and Nina Owen. Located on the Hope Peninsula near Hope, Idaho, and operated by the U.S. Forest Service, the Park offers many recreational opportunities, including swimming, boating, hiking and camping. The Selkirk Striders took advantage of the numerous trails and sponsored well-attended walks in 1992 (when it snowed!), 1993 and 1997. Dozens of half-tame deer wander the Park looking for a soft touch with a handout and a section of the graffiti-covered Berlin Wall stands along the road.

Over 100 walkers were attracted to the Round Lake State Park event in 1994. The Park is 15 miles southwest of Sandpoint and boasts a nice beach, campground and hiking trail which encircles the 58-acre lake.

In 1998, the Selkirk Striders sponsored the Fat Man Mountain walk to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the first walk (originally put on by a Montana group). Fat Man Mountain is located near Heron, Montana, and 56 hardy souls from Idaho, Washington and Montana braved the windy weather to complete the hike. Perhaps the highlight of the day was lunch served by the Noxon Community Club: moose stew, biscuits and fruit cobbler.

That same year, the club walk followed the year-round (now seasonal) City Walk through Sandpoint. The members stopped at the Power House halfway through the walk for a well-deserved lunch and business meeting.

Farragut State Park is a favorite venue for spring and autumn walks. Besides a year-round walk which ended in 2008, the Selkirk Striders have sponsored several events, including the Farragut Fall Meander in 2000, the Farragut North Trails and Farragut Fall Colors in 2003, and the Farragut Frolic in 2005. The autumn walks have proven especially popular with walkers.

The Long Bridge walk in 1993 attracted 150 walkers. The Long Bridge crosses the Pend Oreille River and connects Sandpoint with points south. The first bridge to cross the river was built in 1908-1911. This bridge was replaced during the Great Depression with a new wooden bridge and was advertised as "the longest wooden bridge in the world" (two miles long!). A third bridge, no longer wooden, was built in 1956 and the current structure, which sits alongside its predecessor, was completed in 1981. Another Long Bridge walk was held in 2001, this time in conjunction with the Long Bridge Swim event.

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