Off-Track Ski Tours in the Methow Valley
By Don Portman

The Methow Valley is well known for it's beautiful 200km groomed ski trail system. And the North Cascades are becoming known for their superb high mountain ski touring, especially in the spring. But not many people know about some of the delightful low-elevation off-track skiing that the Methow Valley has to offer. Here is a quick look at some local favorites - tours suitable for light gear and modest skills, tours with minimal to zero avalanche hazards.

Pipestone Canyon
This is probably the most well know of the Methow Valley tours and with good reason. Pipestone Canyon can be an easy tour up a snow-covered road or a grand day of telemark skiing on the surrounding hills. Either way, the area offers expansive views of the Methow Valley and the surrounding North Cascades plus an up-close look at the tours namesake, the wind-and-water-eroded sandstone cliffs shaped like giant church organ pipes.

The canyon itself is off-limits to motor vehicles but most of the snow-covered road on the way in is shared by snowmobiles. But don't despair, this often is an advantage since the machines keep the road packed. What could be a long up-hill slog in deep snow is usually an easy cruise.

Drive south from Winthrop on the Eastside Road approximately two miles to the Upper Bear Creek Road. Follow Bear Creek Road uphill another two miles and past the golf course. Where Bear Creek road goes from pavement to dirt, look for a turn-off to the right and Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife signs for Campbell Lake. Park here.

The first four miles of the five-mile route to Pipestone Canyon are all uphill. The last mile is flat then slightly downhill. The road directions are simple. At each junction always take a right as you follow the signs to Campbell Lake.

Once you reach Pipestone Canyon, the easiest skiing is to tour right down the old roadbed that travels through the canyon. For more adventurous skiers, the hills to the west make great downhill runs. Skiing along the east rim of the canyon is fascinating but stay back from the edge. The underlying soil is unstable and snow cornices are always dangerous.

Aspen Lake/Storybook Hills
A moderate tour to a pretty little lake or a superb adventure with magnificent 360- degree views and some remarkably good downhill runs. This is another local favorite so on those great powder days expect to see other skier's tracks.

The tour to Aspen Lake is rated moderate only because the first 1/3 miles goes up a very steep road that can be challenging on the descent. The rest of the route to the lake is easy if you follow the gentle snow covered roads. Many skiers tend to ignore the roads and take a steeper, more direct route up open hillsides to Aspen Lake. Once at the lake choose the route for the rest of your tour based on the snow conditions. Slope aspects of almost every direction are available. Often the easiest climbing is to head west from the lake's outlet and ski up the obvious ramp up to the western-most of the surrounding Storybook Hill summits. The summit directly south of the lake has the best views and the slopes to the east of the lake offer the steepest skiing and often the best powder.

From Winthrop drive as if you were going to Sun Mountain. Go about a mile past Moccasin Lake Ranch then turn left on Elbow Coulee Road. In one mile pass the entrance to the Pine Forest development. Go about two more miles to where Elbow Coulee makes a big bend to the west. The road is usually plowed wide enough to park on its east edge right at the base of the steep snow-covered jeep road that heads up to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife land and Aspen Lake.

Ski up the steep road for about 1/3 mile and then climb over the fence. The hard part is over. Now follow the roadbed as it travels east through open country. The road will gradually turn south. Be sure to look over your shoulder for grand views of Moccasin Lake, Patterson Mountain, Winthrop, Goat Peak, and other big mountains. At the road's first junction, not quite a mile from the first fence crossing, turn right and ski about 1/2 mile up to Aspen Lake.

Patterson Mountain
This is almost too obvious to mention. Patterson Mountain is between Winthrop and Patterson Lake and almost totally devoid of trees. From the top enjoy grand views all up and down the Methow Valley. Look south to the Lake Chelan ñ Sawtooth Wilderness, North to the Pasayten Wilderness and West to Mt. Gardner. The increasingly popular summer trail is not the best winter way up. But the parking spot at the Patterson Lake Public Fishing area is the best place to start. Pick a line that looks attractive and go for it. Do watch out for fence-lines and stay off the south and east sides of the mountain. That is private property. The northwest and west sides are either Washington State Department of Natural Resources or Sun Mountain Lodge properties and are open to skiers.

Buck Mountain & East Ridge (Rendezvous)
Home to a popular mountain bike route, this area has a huge amount of touring options moderate to hard. Once again the moderate rating is due to a rather steep road approach. The tour described here makes a scenic loop with relatively gentle climbs and descents mostly on old logging roads. If your goal is to make turns, steeper hillsides and open bowls abound. More ambitious skiers use the same approach to ski to the summit of Buck Mountain.

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Great Grooming Looming

MVSTA's great trail grooming promises to get even better this winter with the acquisition of the latest model trail groomer. The new $125,000 machine purchased by MVSTA last summer is a faster, quieter, and more efficient groomer than the one it replaces. MVSTA was able to demo the machine during the past two winters, and found that it was able to groom about 20 percent more territory than older groomers in the same amount of time. Grooming the trails in the Rendezvous area, for example, will take about 6 hours with the new machine, compared to the 8-9 hours required with the older equipment. From a business standpoint, that means cost savings in operation. From a skier's standpoint, it means great skiing even sooner. The new groomer will also create a wider skating platform -- 10 feet rather than 8 1/2 feet -- on trails set with a single track. Plans call for the new groomer to be based at Brown's Farm, grooming the Community Trail to Mazama and the up into the Rendezvous.

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Great skiing and sunshine will be part of a classic Methow winter--we hope!
By Bill Biddle

Early fall in the Methow Valley is almost always late summer-languorous days, cool nights, and glorious sunshine. The aspens are just beginning to turn yellow; the lakes and streams sparkle in the noonday sun. But mid-fall can see an abrupt change. Snow in October, shore ice on the ponds, and Gardner Mountain sheathed in white! Mountain biking is COLD; motorists throw snowballs while pausing at Rainy Pass. This is winter in the Methow--it comes early and lasts late in the high country.

This coming winter will be a classic "normal" winter: good snow for skiing, occasional sub-zero temperatures, and frequent days with brilliant sunshine. El Nino and La Nina are temporarily out of the picture giving the Northwest wet and chilly weather throughout the winter. Good snowstorms in the Methow Valley will occur in early December, then again in mid-January, then two more in early and late February. Snow lovers will rejoice!

The earliest easily reachable snow for cross-country skiing is almost always at Rainy Pass on the North Cascades Highway. The one-mile trail through a beautiful old growth forest of silver fir and other conifers is black topped for easy wheel chair access during the summer. The first six or eight inches of snow at Rainy Pass give enough cover so that an industrious skier can reach Rainy Lake with ease in a half hour. The best news is that this early snow frequently falls about the time of Election Day in early November. Vote first, then ski-- nice combination! And November 2000 will have this snow from two or three light snowstorms around Halloween. It will be cold up there, too, which will give skiers a chance to test parkas and mittens. But get up there by the 10th because rain and warm temperatures will wash away all the snow about that time.

But don't despair--a real snowstorm of a foot or so at Washington Pass during the week of Thanksgiving will start winter in earnest in the high country. This snow will whet the appetites of the snow lovers at Sun Mountain, but good skiable snow on the Sun Mountain trails won't happen until after Thanksgiving. Mazama will get some marginal skiing over Thanksgiving thanks to this snowstorm, but the Rendezvous will have enough snow if you are willing to walk a bit carrying your skis.

Then the heavens will descend and it will snow, snow, snow in early December. This will provide the ever-important good base. Good skiing up and down the Valley will start the week before Christmas. By early January the skiing will be as good as it gets in the Methow. More snow in the middle of the month will be icing on the cake. February will continue snowy and cold--sub-zero days early in the month will add to Winter in the Methow. Skiing will last into March when a classic "normal" Methow winter will draw to a close. Enjoy!

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Big Valley trail is bigger and better

The Big Valley trail will be groomed this winter to create a slightly longer, loop trail that meanders in and out of the meadows and forests on the valley floor. No trail pass is required to ski the Big Valley trail, and unlike other MVSTA trails, dogs, walkers and snowshoes are allowed on this trail. The Big Valley trail is located off of Highway 20 between Winthrop and Mazama, just north of milepost 186.

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Ouch, My Body Hurts!
6 easy steps to overcome injury
By Pete Dickinson

It has happened to many of you -- after a longer or more intense workout your knee begins to hurt. You may not notice it until the next day or, it may keep you up that night. A sense of panic hits you, as the fear of missing out on the next event becomes real. Or, you may be exercising for fitness/stress management and see frustration quickly rearing its ugly head after all your hard-fought gains go down the tube.

Most people faced with this scenario do the things that actually make their pain worse -- they ignore it. The pain gets steadily more severe and they have to stop all activity. When our goals are blocked it ís a common response to try and push through the pain in the hopes it will just go away. Unfortunately, this can lead to long-term injury. There is a BETTER WAY! The following six steps can keep you from missing out on the fun this winter.

Take a deep breath. Luckily, many injuries can be managed quickly if caught in the early stages. The initial stages of inflammation are much easier to manage than the tissue degeneration that accompanies long-term injuries. A positive outlook goes a long way to helping you go through the following steps toward better health.

Brrrrr, it's cold. Cold therapy has been used since the Greeks for treatment of injury. There is an increase in circulation that promotes healing and a decrease in swelling with the use of cold therapy. A bag of frozen peas makes an excellent cold pack that can be used for 15 minutes over the injured area. For tendons I recommend an ice cup (a Dixie cup filled with water and frozen in the freezer) that is moved in a circular fashion about the tendon until the skin is numb, about 2-3 minutes. Olympian Nordic skier Laura McCabe uses this treatment for her occasional knee pain. I immediately ice my knee tendon when I begin to feel discomfort after a long run or new activity," says Laura. This quick attention helps Laura maintain an incredible activity level that includes running, mountain climbing, and marathon skiing.

Keep PAIN FREE in your activity. One of the biggest mistakes made is to push through the pain. This only serves to create more tissue damage. Pain is there for a reason. It ís your early warning system that "something is wrong in River City." Masters athlete Karla Segale uses the pain free rule to reduce her time lost to injury. I used to have to take 2-3 months off due to tendonitis that I would try to run through Now I immediately decrease my mileage or intensity to keep in a pain free zone. I find that cross-training on my bike will also give the running injury time to heal Karla has discovered that there are ways to work around a painful activity by decreasing intensity of the activity or doing a different sport that moves her body in a different way that is not painful.

Stretching is a powerful tool in taking stress off a muscle or joint. As we age we lose flexibility, and this loss contributes to an increase in injury. It ís a lot easier to strain a muscle if our tendons and joints are tight. There is a way to reverse this chronological impairment it's called microstretching. Sport Stretch founder Nikos Apostolopolos has developed a stretching method that gets results in increasing flexibility and speeding the recovery process. He promotes gentle stretching of one minute and repeating it three times. One of the keys to success is in the order of the stretch. To increase flexibility in the hamstring you would stretch in the following order: calf, hip, and hamstring. This method recognizes that all the muscles have connections to each other and to increase flexibility, you must include multiple muscles in your stretching. Look at your equipment. Rita Kenny of Winthrop Mountain Sports recommends getting expert advice on pole and ski selection. A pole that is too long, or a ski camber that is not matched to the individual can exacerbate an injury. The ski boot is also an important choice for proper interface with the ski and the lower leg.

Checking to make sure your equipment is properly fitted can help in recovering from injury. Many people continue to run during the winter. Are your shoes right for your bone structure? Fifteen percent of the population has rigid feet that require maximum cushioning in a shoe. Most athletes with foot difficulties have conditions that cause over-pronation, or rolling in of the foot. This condition requires a shoe that controls and slows this pronation. Picking the right shoe is important in a healthy foot and leg. Seek help. There are many resources for getting help with injuries. Many health professionals offer free injury assessments to assist in getting an injury looked at quickly. Physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture can all be of assistance in treating activity injuries. Many professions also have special certifications in Sports Therapy that insures you get a qualified caregiver for your sports injury. If you are unable to overcome your injury with the above steps you should seek out professional medical care.

This winter season promises to be an exciting one in the Methow Valley. The above tips should keep you on the trails and off the couch. Keeping focused on healthy and pain-free activity will ensure a long and fun-filled season.

Peter Dickinson MS, PT, SCS is the owner of Winthrop Physical Therapy. He welcomes any questions about your training or injury. 509.996.8234 or email: winthroppt@methow.com.

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MVSTA gets easements for ski trails on Arrowleaf property

MVSTA has received easements to continue operating its ski trails on the Arrowleaf resort property in Mazama. The easements for winter use have been granted under agreements between MVSTA and the Trust for Public Lands (TPL) and private property owners. TPL is working to arrange a conservation purchase of approximately 1,2000 acres included in the former Arrowleaf resort.

The easements apply to about 30 kilometers of ski trails on the Arrowleaf site. The property is being marketed in five 200-acre parcels, which include building sites. As Trails went to press, access to ski trails in the area from Jack's Hut, Highway 20 and the North Cascades Basecamp remains the same as in past years. Details as to long-term access are being worked out.

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Forest Service issues 20-year permit to MVSTA

The Methow Valley Sport Trails Association has received permission to continue operating its trail system on Forest Service land for the next 20 years. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has issued a 20-year use permit to MVSTA under regulations governing ski area operations on forest service lands.

The permit allows MVSTA to continue to use and maintain its trail system for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking and mountain biking in the Sun Mountain, Mazama and Rendezvous areas. "It's a big step for us to have a 20-year permit," said Jay Lucas, MVSTA executive director. For the past 15 years, he said, MVSTA has operated under special use permits that required renewal every five years.

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