fashions - Sun Mountain Lodge

I
Nordic
FASHIONS
StyleFile
Catamount Trail
25 Years Strong
Official publication of
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Sun MountaIn
Methow Valley Magic
Gear Test 08/09
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What you Need to Know
a.",
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Methow Valley M·agic
story by June Hawkins
photos by Don Portman
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SKITRAXANNUAL
2008
111
Picture the cross-country skier's paradise: endless groomed trails weaving o'er hill a.nd dale with breathtaking scenery greeting the eyes at every turn, dotting the trails are warming huts, rest stops and shops
with food and warm drinks, varied choices of accommodations, all amidst the serenity of a winter valley.
Picture the Methow Valley - at one end, nestled against the rock walls of the North Cascade Mountains the
town of Mazama, and 15 miles down valley the picturesque town of Winthrop. These two towns are linked
with more than 200 kilometres of ski trails.
adise.The Methow Valley is located in a high, sunny pocket
Welcome
to theCascades
Methow inValley
and a cross-country
skiers' parof the North
Washington
State. The Methow
Valley Sports Trail Association (MVSTA)operates more than 200 kilometres
of machine-groomed trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
The trail system is divided into four areas: Mazama Ski Trails to the west,
the Rendezvous Ski Trails to the north and Sun Mountain Ski Trails to
the east, with the Methow Community Trail running on the valley floor,
connecting them all.
I knew that during my short stay in the valley, it would take a herculean effort to ski all 200 kilometres, so I decided to start in the west
end of the valley at Mazama, with its 30 kilometres of trails. jack's
Trail, first to greet my skis, wound along the Methow River, the gentle
rock walls of the Cascades ringing round the upper meadow. Sunshine
beckoned a quiet moment to sit on the bench overlooking the grand
panorama of snowy meadow and mountains. jack, I don't know who
you are or why you have been honoured with jack's Trail, but thank you!
. During the exploration of these picturesque trails, I bumped into the
Mazama General Store, which served the perfect hearty lunch to keep
me going for the remainder of the day.
There is a wide variety of accommodation choices up and down the
valley, from hostels to bed and breakfasts to hotels. I am staying at the
Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop, a monument to jack Barron (could
this be my jack?), the original owner and designer of Sun Mountain. Sitting atop a 3,000-foot mountain, the lodge has a stunning 3600 view of
the valley, with the Cascade Mountains to the west. Sun Mountain
Lodge has undergone several renovations over the years, but has maintaiIled its understated, earthy and stately elegance. Blending with its
environment, the Douglas fir beams and Idaho quartz stone floor in the
main lodge create a sense of serene space. No detail has been left undone
- from the AAA Four Diamond Award-winning dining room and wine
cellar, to the deep-tub relaxation and in-room music, Sun Mountain is
a welcoming retreat after a day of skiing.
The Sun Mountain Trail system connects to the Lodge, with a short
downhill run to the Chickadee Trail Head. Trails wind up and down
the mountain side. The six-kilometre Thompson River Trail climbs 1,000
feet up to Thompson Ridge, with stunning views of the valley below and
a yahoo-making descent back to the trailhead. Lunch beckons, time for
the nine-kilometre descent to the Methow Community Trailhead in
Winthrop and another yeehaw ride down the Winthrop Trail.
The Methow Community Trail is the MVSTA's backbone. It is the
brainchild of john Hayes and john Sutherland, and its existence is what
creates this unique and varied trail system of today. They worked with
the MVSTA and government agencies to obtain easements from 82
landowners to piece together the 32-kilometre trail system, linking
Winthrop to Mazama. Signs all along the trail read "You are about to
cross Private Land. The owners graciously permit us to maintain and use
these trails on their land. Please help us assure continued access by
respecting this property. Pack out litter, leave all fences and gates as you
find them and stay on the trails. Stay safe and have fun."
The Community Trail, complete with a 230-foot suspension bridge
over the Methow River, winds along the Methow River, through aspen
groves, cradled in the gentle terrain of the valley. With many areas to
stop and enjoy the scenery, this trail system can be skied in one day and
is suitable for the entire family.
The Rendezvous Ski Trails add a uniqueness not found on most trail
systems: hut-to-hut overnight skiing. The trails can be accessed from the
Mazama Trails or from trailheads accessible by vehicle. Five huts are
linked by groomed trail on this 42-kilometre system. The huts are
modest but cozy, with all the basic set-up. Heated with wood, the huts
have sleeping pads, fuel stoves and cooking gear. There is no electricity
or plumbing. Only minutes from the valley below, the skier here feels a
ANNUAL 2008 SKITRAX
<
27
Only minutes from the valley below,
the skier here feels a million miles
from the bustle of life.
More than 200km
something
of trails with
for everyone ...
million miles from the bustle of life. An added benefit: all personal
gear can be transported in by skidoo, leaving skiers unencumbered to
enjoy skiing to their hut, and upon arrival, all essentials await them.
The MVSTAnot only oversees the trail system, but also hosts a wide
variety of events throughout the season. It all began in the early 1970s
when Sun Mountain had just opened. jack Barron decided to promote
skiing as a way to drum up business during the slow winter months. Barron scouted out game trails that would double as ski trails, and in 1974
arranged for Seattle residents to come to Sun Mountain by bus for a
weekend of skiing. The weekend of the event, there was plenty of
snow, but it had frozen, creating an unbreakable crust on the surface,
terrible conditions for skiing. Despite treacherous driving conditions
that saw the bus arrive at 3:00 a.m., the skiers were not deterred. They
raved about the ski terrain, the scenic beauty and the gracious lodge.
The whole group signed up for the next trip the following year.
The MVSTA was originally the Methow Family Sport Club. The
Sun Mountain
and Methow
Valley will keep you coming
back for more.
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SKITRAX ANNUAL 2008
organization was created in 1977 and designed to maintain ski trails in
the valley. Sun Mountain brought in Don Portman, a certified ski
instructor, to operate a ski area at the lodge. Portman cleared trails,
marked them and taught lessons in the winter months. He still runs the
ski school, but the trails are now groomed by MVSTA.
During those years, other areas in the valley were developing trail
systems, and jay Lucas was hired as the first, and so far only, executive
director of MVSTA.In 1983, MVSTAreceived its first permit from the US
Forest Service to charge fees to support cross-country trail grooming.
Skiers were willing to pay to use groomed trails. "That led to the organization thinking about expanding and refining the existing trail system,"
says Lucas. Today, MVSTA operates and maintains 200 kilometres with
five Piston Bullies, four alpine skidoos, and six full-time and six parttime groomers. The volunteer ski patrol, all in radio contact, check for
passes along the entire system.
From its humble beginnings as a ranching valley, the Methow Valley has grown to become the second-largest Nordic ski centre in North
America. But wait, back to jack. As it turns out, jack Barron, the original owner of Sun Mountain, is not my jack of jack's Trail. jack Wilson
is. Wilson helped build the North Cascade Highway, connecting the
Seattle basin to the valley and fell in love with the Methow. He started
a dude ranch after the highway was built, which is now the elegant Freestone Inn in Mazama. The Mazama Trail system is the remnants of jack's
original horse trails.
MO'INFO
WWW.mvsta.com
www.sunmountainlodge.com