Published February 2003

Methow Valley: scenic cross-country skiing

Photo courtesy of Sun Mountain Lodge Sun Mountain Lodge, located high above the Methow Valley in north-central Washington, provides a 360-degree panoramic view of some of the Northwest’s most impressive mountain scenery.

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

WINTHROP — North Central Washington’s Methow Valley, one of the top-ranked cross-country ski areas in the world, is so close to Snohomish County that area residents often overlook it.

Only a few hours away — via highways 2, 97 and 20 during the winter months when the North Cascades pass is closed — is the recreation wonderland that Cross Country Skier magazine has rated one of the top six choices for great Nordic holidays in Europe, Canada and the United States.

Jagged North Cascade mountain peaks and snowy foothills loom over the Methow Valley, where enthusiasts of “the silent sport” skim along remote trails that curve through Ponderosa pine forests and across snow-powdered acres of summer grazing land.

The 100-mile-wide North Cascades mountain range wrings most of the moisture from the Pacific Coast’s snow clouds as they head East, leaving the Methow Valley with the kind of prime, powdery snowpack that skiers love most. Sunshine is a frequent companion in this region, offering mostly bright days for outdoor recreation.

Word is spreading about the powdery snow, scenic vistas and quiet isolation of the Methow Valley. Yet, despite its growing popularity, the valley’s 200-kilometer network of groomed ski trails is so extensive that skiers find it’s easy to avoid crowds. For newcomers who have never tried Nordic skiing, the Methow Valley is a comfortable environment for discovering the excitement of aerobic, muscle-toning, backcountry sightseeing on skis.

Equipment rentals and lessons are available in the valley at Sun Mountain Lodge, Winthrop Mountain Sports, the Mazama Country Inn, Freestone Inn, North Cascades Basecamp and other winter sports venues. Trail passes, which pay for maintaining and expanding the Nordic trail system in the valley, are required for all groomed trails.

Because the Methow Valley Sports Trails Association has created such an intertwined network of routes, skiers can glide into town for meals or ski between accommodations. The trail network links, among others, Sun Mountain Lodge high above the valley, Mazama Country Inn, North Cascades Basecamp and the new Freestone Inn at Mazama and Wolfridge Resort on the edge of Winthrop.

Winthrop is an “Old West” theme-town, with wooden sidewalks and false-front wooden buildings along the main street that house restaurants, a general store and clothing shops, but it’s also a true Old West town, dating to the late 1800s. Many who live there are working cowboys and ranchers who also provide high-country trail rides for out-of-town “dudes.”

Accommodations in the valley are varied, ranging from the spacious four-star-rated Sun Mountain Lodge and the Freestone Inn to the rustic atmosphere of the Mazama Country Inn and Wolfridge Resort’s cabins on the edge of town.

Sun Mountain Lodge, which provides a 360-degree panoramic view of some of the Northwest’s most impressive mountain scenery, easily captures the luxury resort destination title for the valley. Expanded and modernized in a $17 million renovation in 1991, the revitalized lodge features six stone fireplaces, a heated pool, restaurant and lounge, hot tubs and an exercise room.

The lodge’s pro shop, which offers ski lessons, equipment rentals and sales, is run by ski pro Don Portman, a member of the U.S. Ski Instructors Association’s Nordic Demonstration Team. Portman; his wife, Sally; and three other instructors offer instruction on practice slopes just outside the lodge.

There are sleigh rides available at the lodge, which provide relaxing, spectacular views of the Methow Valley and nearby Mount Gardner. Guests also enjoy the “rink on the brink,” the lodge’s ice skating rink on the edge of Sun Mountain’s peak, backdropped by North Cascade peaks.

For more information about winter activities in the Methow Valley, visit Internet sites at www. winthropwashington.com and www.mvsta.com.

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