Feb. 23rd-28th, 2023
by Johanna Lovell
On Thursday morning, Feb. 23, our group of 14 braved the snow covered roads to our destination of Methow Valley. It took some of us 2 hours just to get out of the Portland area while picking up their carpool companions. But once we made it to the Washington border, it was a pleasant drive.
We all gathered in the evening at one of the three condos we rented in Winthrop where we talked about conditions and ski options for the upcoming days. None of the snow in the Portland area made it up north to Winthrop, but there was a great base and the expert grooming of the Methow Valley trail system did not disappoint! Our participants split up into smaller groups, depending on their skiing desires for the day, and for over the next three days.
The first day we all started off at the Chickadee trailhead where we split into groups to play on the beautifully groomed trails with the sun shining upon us. Each group eventually made their way up to Sun Mountain Lodge for a beverage and to soak up the spectacular views! As we made our way down the hill, a brilliant Sun Dog was spotted in the skies above us. We ended the day with smiles all around. Our potluck was more like a buffet mixer with wonderful delights to fill our bellies.
Jim Spencer brought his guitar, and we had a sing along as well as a few solo’s from his wife Libby. This was Jim and Libby’s first trip with the Nordic Club. Jim is a man of many talents it seems. He also brought his photograph gear and captured images of the Northern Lights from out the back door of our condos!
The second day, most of the group went to the Mazama Trailhead. Again we made our way through the vast trail system, splitting into smaller groups that met up at a Cow Beach Shelter for lunch and a warm up. After skiing, some of us stopped off at The Old Schoolhouse Brewery for a beverage and snacks while we shared stories and photos of the day’s adventures.
The third day, we had finally gotten some much appreciated new snow and we all started the day off at the Cub Creek Trailhead. All together, we headed up the Cougar Bait Trail! Berkeley and Michele were on a mission to get to the Heifer Hut, so off they went! The rest of the group continued on Upper Cougar Bait then back to Cub Creek down to the trailhead. This day’s after ski cocktail hour was at Three Fingered Jack’s Saloon in Winthrop.
On the fourth and final day of skiing we all went back to Chickadee Trailhead. On this day our main group was led by Dianne DenOtter. Dianne warmed us up on the Raven trail, then up the Chickadee loop to Thompson Ridge to Meadowlark to Blue jay. This brought us back to Meadowlark where we retraced our tracks back to the trailhead. For our final potluck, the leftovers were ample to fill our bellies. A great evening socializing with old and new friends. Sharing pictures and enjoying each other’s company.
On Tuesday morning, we all headed out early for our long drive home, enjoying the scenic views and thinking about our next visit to the Methow Valley. Once is never enough!
Skiers enjoying this trip were Cathy Meade, Phil Vincent, Peggy Samolinski, Michele and Berkeley Barnett, Penny Mock, Patty Caldwell, Sophie Chong, Tere Enburg, Diane Hall, Dianne DenOtter, Bill and Nancy Neuman and our first timers Jim and Libby Spencer.
