A highway to the sky

By Tricia M. Cook

The North Cascades Highway makes gems
like Diablo Lake more accessible to residents and visitors.
Photo by Paul Butler

The North Cascades Highway climbs to a hypnotic 5,477 feet above sea level at Washington Pass, joining the northern west and east sides of Washington state – two sides of the same state that are as different as distant cousins.

The west side is city and coast and volcanoes and temperate rainforest. The east side is rural, irrigated desert, rolling hills, steppes. The effect this northern crossing has had on the Methow Valley is immense, and assessments of these effects are as diametrical as the dissimilarities between the two sides of the state.

Imagine a time before the North Cascades Highway was opened. For many this is not difficult: the road was opened in September of 1972. Now travel back in time even farther – try a billion years ago when the North Cascade range was nothing more than a big rut in the midst of a desolate landscape. Centuries upon centuries passed and the channel was filled with silt and rock. A colossal earthquake hit, forming towering mountains from this geologic detritus that later were battered by storms and drowned by oceans. Volcanoes pushed to the surface, ice stretched its steely fingers over the earth’s crust, eons passed, and the North Cascade range with which we are familiar was formed.

Few traces have been found of the indigenous peoples that populated what is now the North Cascade range. Native Americans typically used the river valleys for their permanent homes, hunting, fishing and gathering grounds, with few forays into the higher altitudes of the mountains. Numerous elk, mountain goat, grizzly and black bear, gray wolf, lynx, mountain lion and bald eagle (to name a few) made their homes in the forests and slopes of the North Cascade region.

Even today despite improved accessibility, the steep, exposed slopes and relatively unattainable reaches of this wild, expansive area have been preserved with close to its original flora and fauna. Less than 2 percent of this region is developed and these far-reaching stretches of undeveloped habitat offer connectivity for ranging carnivores. A number of rare plants still exist in the North Cascades, and wetland and riparian habitat continue to give rich diversity in fish and wildlife to the area.

By foot, canoe, and horseback the first crossings of the North Cascades were made, nearby where the highway now resides. The first recorded crossing by white man was made in the early 1800s. As one can imagine, the crossing was dangerous, long and overwhelming. Looking for an easier way, in the mid-1800s surveys ensued building a railroad crossing. After the route that was to become Stevens Pass was discovered in the late-1800s, surveys for rail crossings in the North Cascades slowed, then ceased.

Mining and gold prospecting kept the concept of a northern crossing alive, from pack trails to wagon trails. While a road commission for the North Cascades was established in 1893, it was not until 79 years later that the range was opened to an uncomplicated crossing by way of the North Cascades Highway. At one point, a road connecting the northern west and east sides had even been considered through Washington’s Sawtooth Mountains. Had this road been established, perhaps Twisp would have been the Old West tourist attraction Winthrop has become.

The opening of the breathtakingly scenic North Cross-State Highway in 1972 brought folks over from the west side of the mountains who likely would not have otherwise traveled to the east side. An entire new valley-wide economy was born, driven predominantly by tourism and the real estate market for second homes.

Historically, livestock and agriculture were important building blocks to the health of the Methow Valley’s economy. "Our family ranch has contributed to the economy for 120 years, and we hope to continue," said one Twisp-area rancher, who has lived all of his years in the Methow Valley ranching as long as he can remember.

But with the coming of the highway, ranching as an economically viable way of life began to prove less and less sustainable, and extractive enterprises such as mining and logging were in rapid decrease due to new governmental restrictions and regulations and the finite properties of natural resources. 

As the few remaining ranchers work to keep their operations alive, others here have positioned themselves to take advantage of the new tourism/recreational economy.

Rita Kenny moved to the valley in 1988 after taking a position with Outward Bound, a nonprofit outdoor educational organization with a division located in Mazama. In 1997, Kenny purchased Winthrop Mountain Sports, selling sports equipment and accoutrements to locals and tourists. 

"It’s not just about money, it [the area] speaks to our souls," she affirms. The crowds that the opening of the North Cascades Highway began delivering in 1972 have become critical to the success of businesses in Winthrop, and yes, the valley has changed dramatically. The highway also offers access to incredible wilderness, hiking and skiing. "I personally think it’s awesome!" said Kenny.

    And the highway has brought the valley a little closer to the many people on the west side who have made this their second home.

    Randy Nelson, Seattle chemist and mountaineer, travels this mountain highway every other week (when it is open) to his cabin in Mazama. Nelson and his partner Kathleen plan to move to Mazama full time once they graduate from their career lives. In the meantime, the North Cascade route saves them two hours on their commute time from the city compared with Blewett or Stevens passes.

    "Decisions were made, the die was cast for how the Methow Valley would grow," said Nelson. "The North Cascade Highway set it all in motion." 

Year Opening Closing

2007 April 26 ?

2006 May 1 Nov. 9

2005 March 10 Nov. 7 

2004 April 8 Dec. 13

2003 April 14 Oct. 17 

2002 May 7 Dec. 16

2001 March 22 Nov. 19

2000 March 30 Nov. 27

1999 May 5 Dec. 6

1998 April 2 Nov. 24

1997 May 7 Dec. 22

1996 April 24 Nov. 19

1995 April 2 Nov. 6

1994 April 7 Nov. 8

1993 March 24 Dec. 10

1992 April 9 Dec.11

1991 May 2 Nov. 25

1990 April 18 Nov. 28

1989 April 21 Jan. 9, 1990

1988 April 20 Nov. 23

1987 April 15 Dec. 09

1986 April 11 Nov. 26

1985 April 12 Nov. 15

1984 April 4 Nov. 19

1983 April 20 Dec. 5

1982 May 6 Dec. 15

1981 April 24 Dec. 6

1980 April 18 Dec. 2

1979 April 10 Dec. 15

1978 April 21 Dec. 15

1977 not closed Nov. 23

1976 May 21 not closed

1975 May 16 Nov. 22

1974 June 14 Nov. 21

1973 April 27 Nov. 21

1972 Sept. 2 Nov. 21

What’s it really like here?

By Soo Ing-Moody

If we all went solely on first impressions, it would seem easy to describe the chic rustic charm of Mazama, the western allure of Winthrop, the seemingly average small town of Twisp, the quaintness of Carlton, and the simplicity of Methow. But what is life really like behind the facades and first impressions?  

Local residents provide insightful glimpses into their towns and life in the Methow Valley.

Mazama

Perhaps the town most affected by the opening of the North Cascades Highway in 1972 is the Methow Valley’s first stop coming off the pass.  Literally the end of the road for almost half the year, Mazama not surprisingly is a desirable destination.

"I think people like the upper valley because it retains its character of open fields and limited development," says Dalton DuLac, who made the move in 1990 from Alaska to Mazama.

"Most everybody in Mazama is into outdoor activities – skiing, hiking, and biking, which we like. There are book clubs too, but most everybody is active," says DuLac.

"It is a great place to raise a family, has great weather, skiing, and a small community atmosphere," adds DuLac. 

But Mazama isn’t like most other isolated rural  communities, and isn’t, of course, like it used to be.

According to Terry and Alice Rimbey, the change is noticeable. "City people live here now. Some are full time, some part time – with a lot far above middle class," says Terry, whose family homesteaded up Upper Gold Creek in 1932. 

With fond memories of childhood in the Mazama area as early as 1943, Terry Rimbey claims to understand the positive draw of the area. "The energy of the area in Mazama, from the Weeman Bridge to Lost River, was sacred land to the Native Americans," he says. "People just have a positive reaction to the area, even if it is on a subconscious level. It’s a feeling of energy." 

Whether Mazama’s attraction is attributable to conscious reasoning or, as Rimbey describes, "just a feeling," there is no doubt that Mazama is a small town in big demand. The upper valley stretching from Winthrop is comprised of an unprecedented 70 percent part- time residents. As is the case generally in the Methow Valley, real estate demand has skyrocketed in recent years.

Winthrop

The inviting gateway as one enters Winthrop from the north is illustrative of the town’s meticulously planned Western appeal, but what lies beneath the surface of the historical facades are the workings of a real live contemporary town. 

"The Western façades are mainly for the tourists, while the people here are very real," says Jack Werremeyer, who currently resides in Winthrop but has been in the Methow Valley for 20 years.

"Winthrop is unique in that there is always something going on. It attracts people from all over the world. You would be surprised how far people come from," notes Werremeyer. "You could sit here at this intersection in Winthrop and watch the world go by. The westernization makes this place very unique and well known."

Thanks to the energy of some new, and some not-so-new faces to the area, new business ventures are beginning to pop up, bringing increased services and vitality to Winthrop and the rest of the Methow Valley.

       "There are two parts to Winthrop. If you have been here for awhile, you can see beyond the tourism," says Jon Brown, who together with Joanne Uehara owns the new Arrowleaf Bistro in Winthrop.

       Though they currently reside in Winthrop proper, Brown has lived in other Methow Valley communities. "I identify myself with the greater Methow Valley," confesses Brown.

       "Each town has its own cultural identity. I think that is important to the feeling of the valley," adds Brown. "You can live in a small community, but still participate in the greater community. To get the full effect of what it is like here, you have to experience the valley – like go to the market in Twisp, shop in Winthrop, and ski in Mazama." 

"I used to work for the park service and have lived in some remote areas, and this area is different – it’s very open-minded and actually, sophisticated," says Uehara.

Together they sum up a general impression of life in Winthrop. "People in Mazama are generally more recreational, whereas Twisp is more the business center," says Brown. "So, if Mazama is one end of the spectrum and Twisp is the other, then Winthrop is precisely where it geographically is," adds Uehara. "It definitely combines a little bit of both." 

Twisp

       Only an eight-mile stretch of Highway 20 separates Winthrop from Twisp. The way along the Methow River is dotted with fields, a church and a few homes. Entering town, there are no fancy arches or gateways demarcating your whereabouts. Instead, the reduced speed limit, and an almost understated string of local businesses, indicate that you have arrived (to town, that is). 

"Twisp is the hub [of the Methow Valley]," says Leah Kominak, a resident of Twisp. "It is a solid and vital town for the area. It is a real community which services our area’s needs". 

Centrally located in the Methow Valley, Twisp has historically been known for its largely service-oriented role. Today, the town is evolving to be much more.

"Methow Arts and the Confluence Gallery has a presence here," adds Kominak. "The arts is a big part of Twisp. Not only are the arts organizations based in Twisp, but that is also where a lot of the things are happening, like gallery openings, concerts in the park in the summer, professional live theater and the farmers market."  

Recent development and support of the arts by local businesses promotes the area’s rich and diverse cultural talents, enhancing its unpretentious and rural appeal.

"Twisp is a small town, with all of the small-town features. The people are friendly and everybody waves," says Carol Gaston, a Twisp resident for 18 years. 

"When I first moved here, people actually would talk to me at the grocery store and introduce themselves to me," adds Pam Von Pressentin, who has lived in both Twisp and Winthrop for the past three-and-a-half years. 

"The people that are here are down-home," adds Von Pressentin. "Not only in Winthrop, but Twisp and Carlton too. If you are broke down on the road, someone will help." 

Carlton

       Though some jest is often made of the lack of happenings in Carlton, there may just be a little more happening these days than the average person driving through might assume. 

       "It’s changing a lot," says Carlton resident Linda Faller. "There are a lot of new faces, new people and a lot of culture. There are a lot of differences in views and religions, but if there is anything that should come up, people all come together to help each other out."

       Al Lynch agrees. "This is a very unique, eclectic and stand-alone community. The personalities, the peoples – it really covers a wide spectrum of backgrounds and educations and beliefs. The residents are what make Carlton unique."

       Al and his wife, Twylla, recently moved to Carlton, but already they have been instrumental in contributing to town developments after their purchase of the Carlton General Store last December. 

       "This (he gestures around him) is Carlton. The general store, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, is the center of the community," adds Lynch, "and my wife and I felt there was an opportunity to be involved and participate – to provide resources and opportunities where the community can galvanize, congregate or utilize shelf space to display local products – a place for local farmers and artists. And, in part, provide a more rounded service to the community.

"We want to embrace the community and all its energy and incorporate that with the store for the next 100 years," says Lynch. 

Already in the works are plans for a farmers market this summer, free movies by the river, and the possibility of bringing back the "Carlton Regatta," a slow-water, late-summer event suitable for families.

"We are very much family oriented, so having activities and events that involve kids and families is good – with events somewhat reflective of the character of Carlton – something kind of silly, something kind of fun, something kind of goofy, but still something safe and sane," says Lynch.

Methow

As you navigate around the many winding bends in the remote countryside, carefully watching for erratically leaping deer, the almost abrupt appearance of Methow (and some hand-made signs), suddenly demand your attention and compliance to slow down.  

Taken literally, the message to slow down may be directed at your driving, but should you decide to actually take the advice and get out of the car, you may just find that the signs are more prophetic than they first seemed. 

"It’s nice now, because there is something here. A lot of people tell us that a lot of times they will drive by and not even see a person on the street. Now there is a reason to stop and people come back to us," says Becky Odle, operator of Methow Coffee and Gifts. 

"It is refreshing country," says Odle. "Methow is a lot smaller than the other towns in the Methow Valley, but there is a lot to do outdoors. There is skiing in the winter, and hiking and fishing in the summer. And there is the river, which is so amazing!" says Odle. "That is a real draw here. You can raft or float down the river a long ways – for hours sometimes. It is a great place to raise kids."

"As for the café, I’ve had people say that this is a destination for them. They come down here, to our business to visit, sit around the table here, and relax," says Odle.

Having just driven the full expanse of the Methow Valley for the first time, Rich Sloot, a drummer for Shawn Buck and True Country (playing in Winthrop June 1), admits, "I usually do a gig in Winthrop and have never come down valley. I’m glad I finally did. The weather is outstanding, I love the open space and it’s relaxing. I come out to unwind and get away from the busy-ness. The area has a feeling of ‘home’."

  Sloot recalls his first drive to the Methow Valley. "The first time I came over, I came over past Liberty Bell, then on entering the first valley out of the mountains, I had to pull over and say, ‘Wow!’"

The perfect summer day to me is...

"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing and the lawn mower is broken." 

– James Dent

By Patrick Hannigan

Luckily, not many people in the Methow own lawnmowers, much less working ones. Yet idleness is still a respectable summer activity in the valley, precisely because it’s such a precious rarity.

Like beauty, a single definition of the perfect summer day in the Methow Valley is elusive, because it’s the eye of the beholder that matters. So behold the variety of responses from valley residents who were asked, "What is your idea of a perfect summer day in the Methow?" 

Following are real quotes from real valley residents. To protect the innocent (and also those guilty of embarking on long tangents about summer in the Methow that had little or nothing to do with the original question), their names have been omitted.

"Well, I don’t know about this year, but last year my most perfect summer day was the day I got seat covers for my car. I was tired of melting to the vinyl seats."  

"My favorite summer day is the first day of winter." 

  "Swimming in Patterson Lake is my favorite. Pearrygin Lake can sometimes get kind of gross – you can get the itch, which is not fun."

"I look forward to fishing, but I don’t like the heat, the fires or mowing the grass."

"I think it’s going to be a good summer. I’m not sure why."

      "Summer is the busiest time of year, but it seems less stressful – maybe because I still associate summer with being a kid and not going to school."

"I like summer because I feel solar-powered."

"By the end of the summer, I’m always so ready for the day I come to work and it’s not busy."

"Romantic possibilities increase exponentially during summer."

"My favorite part of summer is sitting in the kiddie pool over at my relatives’ house. But if little kids have been playing in it beforehand, it’s a good idea to rinse it out and fill it with fresh water first."  

"I can’t wait for summer – I set my lawn chairs out on April 19th this year. Then it snowed."

"It seems like all the guys shave their scraggly winter beards in summer. I like that."

"My perfect summer day is riding my horse up high to an alpine lake and escaping the heat of the valley."

"Bring your respirator because of all the smoke. The real estate agents don’t want to hear that, but it’s true."

"All the new faces during summer make the valley feel less inbred and incestuous."

"Things are moving way too fast. Everything is just going out of control during the summer. I look forward to fall because the summer will be over."

"I love having barbecues, but I don’t have a barbecue. I always tell people to BYOB: bring your own barbecue."

"Last summer was my first summer here and I didn’t have an air conditioner. So I turned to margaritas to keep me cool. I’ve got an air conditioner this year, so I think I’ll be OK."

"I shaved my head this summer because I want to know how fruit trees feel when I prune them. I know they can feel it. Now I can relate to my trees. I like the fresh air on my head, but it’s not going to be short for long."

     "My perfect summer day is taking the dogs and a book down to the river. I like sitting in a lawn chair with my feet in the water and the sun on my back."

     "This valley doesn’t look as good in summer as it does in the spring or fall. The sun is higher and the light is not as good for taking pictures."

     "I look forward to tourist season. Hopefully it will be better than last year’s deer season."

Even though some folks in the Methow dread the busy-ness of the season, it seems they still have time to find their own version of the perfect summer day – even if that requires breaking the lawnmower.

A mixed bag forecast for summer

By Bill Biddle

Even with global warming and its accompanying wild swings of temperatures, the Methow will not ever be Death Valley or Fairbanks.

The Weatherwatch correspondent for the Methow Valley News frequently is asked to forecast how hot a summer will be or, in the fall, how cold a winter will be. Weather observers are quick to comment that "hot" and "cold" are relative terms and that hot in Death Valley and cold in Fairbanks have deservedly extreme connotations. 

Hot in the Methow is a few days, or maybe a week, with thermometers in the shade reading close to the century mark by mid-afternoon. Weatherwatch is ready to respond to questions about summer 2007.

Yes, it will be hot – between late July and mid-August. But there will be far more drama than just some days with temperatures near or at 100 degrees. Heavy downpours in thunderstorms, chilly 40-degree mornings, strong winds under towering thunderheads, and hail and graupel showers – all of these will make for a dramatic summer 2007.

Weatherwatch again has asked for assistance in foretelling the weather for this summer. Last year John Claridge, shepherd, and Robert Frost, poet, performed the task of setting the scene and writing some of the script for summer 2006. This year the English poet James Thomson (1700-1748) will be the assistant and will add his theatrics to some of the major weather events during the coming summer.

The opening lines of his long poem "Summer" will set the scene for May and June:

"From brightening fields of ether fair-disclos’d,

Child of the sun,

refulgent summer comes,

In pride of youth, and felt through nature’s depth:

He comes attended by

the sultry hours,

And ever-fanning breezes,

on his way."

Early May will be summer-like with sultry hours and ever-fanning breezes that will pull much of the spring moisture out of the soil. But late May will have a cold front sweep down from the still snow-covered North Cascades and thunderstorms with downpours, thunder, lightning, and strong winds will pelt the valley.

Again, from "Summer":

"Shook sudden from

the bosom of the sky,

A thousand shapes

glide athwart the dusk,

Or stalk majestic on.

Deep-rous’d, I feel

A sacred terror, a severe delight,

Creep through my mortal frame."

This will be the first of three or four strong thunderstorms that will sweep through the valley during the summer – keep these lines in mind as you watch the lightning flashes dance, the thunder claps boom, the winds shake the trees, the rains beat on the rooftops. Scary, but fascinating!

June and early July will have building heat with temperatures in the 90s about the time of the solstice on June 21. This heat will provide dry thunderstorms with enough energy to make the Fourth of July a spectacular event without man-made fireworks!

July will settle into a typical Methow summer with the added dividend of 100-degree heat late in the month. August will start off hot, but thunderstorms (remember Thomson’s terror and delight) will pelt the valley with hail and graupel about the middle of the month.

August will end with balmy days and cool mornings. Autumn comes early in the Methow – watch for James Thomson and Weatherwatch in the Sept. 5 Methow Valley News!

Bill Biddle writes a cutting-edge weather prognostignation column that appears in the first issue of each month in the Methow Valley News.

Go inside (and open the windows)

By Sue Misao

In summer, you wake up and close the windows. The kids are not in school so closing windows is all you really have to do in the morning besides letting the dog out. Everything else is optional. Glorious choices await you outside, but morning is the best time to wash last night’s dishes. That would be the responsible thing to do. 

You might have to drink coffee, eat breakfast, take a shower or find places for your kids or dog to hang out so you can go to work. You might have to shake the insects out of your towel. Morning is also a good time to water the lawn, but first you’d have to move the bikes, the lawn mower, the barbecue, that pair of shoes and the other 50 things. Perhaps it can wait.

The dog will want to come back in. She’s wet and muddy from her morning dip in the pond. You wonder if she has a tick, which reminds you that you forgot to charge your cell phone overnight, which in turn reminds you to check the dog for ticks. You try to recall what day of the week it is. You figure out that it’s either a Thursday or Wednesday and wonder if that’s supposed to mean anything significant. You decide probably yes and trust that it will come to you. You are a person of faith.

The kids wake up. They want food. You offer them oatmeal with raisins and they choose cookies instead. You quickly cut up a cantaloupe, even though it goes poorly with cookies but they confound you by eating it with chocolate milk and potato chips. And the cookies. You think maybe you will do better at lunch, but know you won’t. Timing is everything. They won’t eat if they’re not hungry and they won’t wait if they are. You try to think of food that will make a good, cool, healthy dinner and involves a minimum of work, and all you come up with is grapes. But that is much, much, much later.

Welcome to what many people believe is the 5,000,000,019th Methow Valley summer. It may not have always been called "Methow" and probably wasn’t always considered a valley, but summer is always summer. I picked that number because I read a book that said the earth was five billion years old and the book was published in 1988. I don’t know if it was written before or after the summer of that year, so there could be some leeway there.

What’s disturbing is knowing that people may have been saying the earth is five billion years old for several years now, and will likely keep on saying it for many years – maybe even decades – to come. How can something be the same age year after year after year? Science is such an inexact science.

This will only be my 11th summer in the Methow. I don’t know what it was like during the previous 5,000,00,008 summers – I can barely recall last summer. Really, I don’t even remember what I had for lunch yesterday. By the looks of my computer keyboard, I’m guessing cheese puffs and some sort of fizzy brown drink. 

Lunch is short, but summer in the Methow is much shorter. It is a quick, fantastically buzzing whirlwind that ends about a minute after it’s been declared. People continue to talk about the past winter well into the end of spring and start collecting firewood for the next winter as soon as most of the snow melts. What an obsessive culture. Summer is that weekend break we get in the middle of winter.

People take advantage of summer by moving fast. They hoe, they plant, they weed and move water around. They hike, bike, swim, float, fish, golf, climb rocks, build houses, ride horses, cut hay, run around, yell, play Frisbee, mow lawns, eat ice cream, put out fires and go to various potlucks and art and music things. It’s a mad frenzy. There’s a lot to squeeze in during your summer weekend.

At the end of a long, hot Methow Valley summer day there is plenty of light left for chores and activities. You could clear the lawn, mow it, weed the garden, sweep the patio, run the sprinklers, fill the birdfeeder, chop firewood, build a fence or add a second story to your home. Maybe the kids will wash your car or the dog or even last night’s dishes, but it’s unlikely and somewhat pointless since it will all be dirty again tomorrow. 

You avoid the house because it’s stifling hot and fruit flies are having a convention around what looks like cantaloupe rinds. Everyone enjoys the grapes you’ve prepared for dinner. The dog is passed out. It’s a good time to check her for ticks, which reminds you to plug in your cell phone. The moment will eventually arrive when you can go inside and open the windows. It won’t help much, but it will give you something to do in the morning.

Plenty of choices for kids

By Marcy Stamper

This summer the young and the young at heart can create art from concrete or recycled materials, catch fish, sing and dance, identify native plants and insects, or relive valley history. Or they can make tamales, watch bareback competitions, sculpt horses or perform Shakespeare.

Sights and sounds

Hear young guitarists, pianists and violinists from the Pipestone Music Institute in a concert at the Methow Valley Community Center on Sunday, June 3, from 2 to 6:30 p.m.

A Folk Arts Fiesta imports traditional mariachi music and dance to Pearrygin Lake State Park on Sunday, June 17, from 1 to 5 p.m. Learn to make tamales and wax and paper flowers at the free event.

Children enjoy music and a picnic and add their handiwork to a community art project at the annual Methow Arts Fest in Twisp River Park on Wednesday, July 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Performer, singer and storyteller James Hendricks entertains audiences with music, anecdotes and historical reenactments in a free concert and storytelling session at the Twisp River Park on Saturday, July 7, at 5 p.m. 

The Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival features a family concert every year. An informal talk and demonstrations of instruments in the orchestra help the audience understand and appreciate classical music. This year’s program, on Sunday, Aug. 12, at 4 p.m., features the Northwoods Wind Quintet.

The high energy of traditional Brazilian music and dance is on display when Aché Brasil bursts into the Winthrop Barn with vibrant costumes and acrobatic moves on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. 

Birds and beasts

Watch bats flutter in the twilight and learn how they get around at "Bats of the Pacific Northwest," a free Methow Conservancy presentation on Tuesday, June 5, at 7 p.m.

Catch your own rainbow on National Fishing Day when the Winthrop National Fish Hatchery teaches the rudiments of trout fishing on Saturday, June 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Discover native vegetation in "Balsamroot to Bunchgrass, Serviceberry to Saxifrage" with botanist Dana Visalli the weekend of June 9 and 10. Call 996-2870.

The Giant Insect Contest has been a highlight of the North Cascades Oldtime Fiddlers Contest for 10 years. The flexible rules encourage creativity and imagination more than strict adherence to taxonomy, so kids can bring insects, spiders, mollusks – whatever nature or their imagination conjures up. Kids earn points for bringing live insects, and even more for bugs that make a scary noise or bite a judge. Bring the critters on Saturday, Aug. 25, for judging during the noon lunch break. 

Happy campers and artists

Confluence Gallery is offering unique art experiences for youngsters ages 8 to 12 every Thursday morning throughout the summer. Weekly themes are as follows: Southwestern Kachina sand painting (July 5), bas-relief paper sculpture (July 12), petroglyph medallion necklaces (July 19), self-portraits (July 26), watercolor special effects (Aug. 2), painting rocks (Aug. 9), papier-mâché castle building (Aug. 16) and collage (Aug. 23). Call 997-2787.

Kids increase their awareness of plants and animals and hone their identification skills at the Methow River Camp, an adventure-ecology camp for children ages 10 to 13. Taught by four local naturalists who specialize in the flora and fauna of the Methow, this year’s session runs from July 9 to 13. Call 997-9011.

Little Star Montessori is offering summer camp from July 10 through Aug. 16 with a variety of themes for children ages 2 to 13. Active sessions include backpacking, archery and animal tracking, horseback riding and soccer. Arts-oriented sessions cover bead and basket making and creating art from recycled objects. Other focuses include fairies and gnomes, wizardry, rain forests and oceans. Call 996-2801.

Art Adventure offers six weeks of art camp for children 12 and under, with different weekly projects from making books and masks to working with clay, ceramics and concrete. Kids may attend individual weeks or the entire camp, from July 24 through Aug. 30.

One week of Art Adventure is devoted to a special Shakespeare intensive, where older children will produce and perform vignettes by the Bard on the theme of love. Call 997-4004 about the whole summer Art Adventure series. 

Young people between the ages of 8 and 12 can learn to draw, paint and sculpt horses in a Confluence Gallery program at the Bear Creek Equestrian Center. Classes are held Tuesday through Friday, Aug. 21 to 24. Call 997-2787.

Other activities

Experience spills and thrills watching the 36th annual Methow Valley Rodeo on Saturday, May 26, starting at 1 p.m. Highlights include calf and cow riding, bareback competitions, barrel racing and pole-bending contests.

Valley history is vivid on Monday, May 28, at the Shafer Historical Museum (opening day), where farming and mining equipment, clothing and furniture and even an old printing press are displayed in period cabins. The season kick-off features music and refreshments; the museum is open Thursday through Monday throughout the summer.

Workshops, singing and dancing, camping and organic food flavor the seventh annual Fairy & Human Relations Congress, which promotes quality human and fairy relations and welcomes participants of all ages, at Skalitude Retreat Center near Carlton Friday through Sunday, June 22 to 24. 

Children’s author and illustrator Erik Brooks signs his fanciful books on Saturday, July 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. Or stay up late for the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on July 20, starting at 11 p.m. Both events are at the Trail’s End Bookstore in Winthrop. 

No shortage of goings-on this summer

By Marcy Stamper 

Summer in the Methow may mean swimming and boating and hiking and cycling, but it also means string quintets, professional theater and variety shows, a rodeo, music and acrobatics from Brazil, wine tastings, an antique car show, belly dancing and visits to artists’ studios. Here’s this year’s line-up for spectators and participants.

Music 

Get an energetic start on the summer’s musical entertainment Memorial Day weekend with danceable numbers from Tacoma rocker Vicci Martinez at the Twisp River Pub, Friday and Saturday, May 25 and 26, at 9:30 p.m.

The following weekend students and faculty of the Pipestone Music Institute host their annual music extravaganza. On Saturday, June 2,  7 p.m., it’s the Pipestone Orchestra in a program featuring a Mozart Piano Concerto with soloist Michael Brady, selections by Fauré and a contemporary take on Renaissance dances. The Pipestone Jazz Band also performs.

Sunday, June 3, brings solo and ensemble recitals on guitar, piano and strings from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. The musicians are joined by fiddlers led by bluegrass specialist Leah Larson. Concerts are at the Methow Valley Community Center.

Eight bands perform in Refresh ’07 at the Aspen Sage Amphitheater in Winthrop on Saturday, June 9, at 3 p.m. 

Catch violinist Clare Bresnahan in a solo recital featuring selections by J.S. Bach, Jules Massenet and Joseph Haydn at the Merc Playhouse that evening, Saturday, June 9, at 7 p.m. 

Performer, singer and storyteller James Hendricks captivates audiences with music and anecdotes with a historical bent in a free concert at the Twisp River Park on Saturday, July 7, at 5 p.m. The following day Hendricks leads a songwriting workshop in the Pipestone Room at the Community Center (time to be announced). 

For its 30th anniversary, the Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival parties with the legendary blues band Eric Burdon and the Animals. Other highlights of the weekend-long music, dance and food fest (Friday, July 20 through Sunday, July 22) are the free Friday-night street dance in Winthrop featuring the soulful vocals of Nicole Fournier and Polly O’Keary.

Saturday, the Blues Ranch hosts harmonica whiz Charlie Musselwhite and Grammy nominee John Lee Hooker, Jr. On Sunday, it’s Watermelon Slim and the Workers and Northwest favorites Too Slim and the Taildraggers. Both days start with an acoustic set and build to a supercharged late-night jam in the festival beer garden.

For more sedate musical offerings, the Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival brings two weeks of music to its chandelier-lit festival barn outside Winthrop on Twin Lakes Road. The first weekend of the festival (Friday and Saturday, Aug. 3 and 4, at 7:30 p.m.) highlights the Finisterra Trio in music by Vivaldi, Dvorak and Saint-Saëns. 

The second weekend (Saturday and Sunday, August 10 and 11, at 7:30 p.m.) Seattle’s odeonquartet puts the accent on music by Brazilian composer Marcelo Zarvos and minimalist composer Philip Glass, as well as a Mozart flute quartet and piano and cello quintets by Brahms and Schubert. Local guest artists Molly Filer on flute, Craig Weaver on cello and Terry Hunt on guitar are featured soloists both weekends.

The festival also sponsors informal concerts including "Sassy Classics" by saxophone quartet Ensemble Klahhane on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 7:30 p.m. and a family concert with the Northwoods Wind Quintet on Sunday, Aug.12, at 4 p.m. 

A rare treat for audiences everywhere is an appearance by world-renowned mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, who performs at a Chamber Music Festival benefit recital entitled "From the Met to the Methow" on Sunday, Aug.5, at Sun Mountain Lodge at 4 p.m. 

Look for the return engagement of the phenomenal young pianist Stephen Beus on Tuesday, Aug.7. He stops by the Merc Playhouse at 7:30 p.m. between engagements in Paris and Moscow.

Cascadia helps fill out the schedule with esteemed guitarist Dusan Bogdanovic and soprano Vismaya Lhi in a classical concert of rarely heard Spanish music and original compositions by Bogdanovic in the Chamber Music Festival barn on Monday, Aug.6, at 7:30 p.m. The two will lead workshops and offer private lessons on Tuesday, Aug.7.

The Vancouver-based trio the Be Good Tanyas put their spin on American folk, country and blues (with a touch of the contemporary) on Thursday, Aug.16 (time and place to be announced).

Acoustic virtuosos on fiddle, banjo, mandolin, accordion and even tuba compete in the North Cascades Oldtime Fiddlers Contest as it celebrates its 10th year on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 25 and 26, starting at 9 a.m. at the Winthrop Park. 

The big-band ensemble Swing Fever comes to the Winthrop Barn on Friday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. Show up early for dance lessons in fancy footwork.

Music from the Renaissance through the 20th century will be at Confluence Gallery when the King Küng recorder quartet performs on Saturday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m.

Folksingers Greg Brown and Bo Ramsey, known for their idiosyncratic voices and grassroots lyrical poetry, return to the Winthrop Barn on Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m.

High-energy interpretations of traditional Brazilian music and capoeira (an acrobatic, dancelike martial art) bound through the Winthrop Barn with Aché Brasil on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. 

There are open mics and a diverse line-up of bands at local pubs and eateries all season long. The Winthrop Brewing Company hosts local musicians at open mics every Friday evening at 9 p.m. The Twisp River Pub schedules danceable music from around the Northwest, including bluegrass from Feed and Seed on Friday, June 8, at 8 p.m., and the world-funk quintet Flowmotion on Friday, July 6, at 9 p.m. 

The Methow Café in the town of Methow hosts down-home bluegrass music every Saturday night starting at 7 p.m.

Theater

The professional theater season at the Merc Playhouse in Twisp begins with Visiting Mr. Green, a poignant, comedic drama that follows the relationship between a 29-year-old businessman and an 86-year-old retired dry cleaner linked by the younger man’s sentence to perform community service. Featuring Jack Baron and Damon Abdallah and directed by Carolanne Steinebach, the play runs from June 29 through July 15, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

The Innocents, a Victorian thriller based on Henry James’s short story The Turn of the Screw, features a young governess caring for two orphaned children at a country estate and visitations by ghosts, real or imagined. Starring Kate Parker, a gifted actor seen on stages in Spokane and Seattle, and directed by William Marlowe (recently named the Spokane Arts Commission’s arts educator of the year), The Innocents runs Aug. 17 through Sept. 2, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Visual Arts 

Confluence Gallery hosts a retrospective look at local lore and customs in "Echoes of the Past," from June 9 through July 28, with an opening reception from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 9. 

Art illuminating the theme of "Light Within the West" is at the Winthrop Gallery through June 18. The gallery’s next exhibit, featuring woodworker Ardell Burgess, photographer Denny O’Callaghan and painter Don McIvor, runs from June 21 through July 23, with an opening reception for the artists on Saturday, June 23, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Next at the Winthrop Gallery it’s shoji lamp artist Laura Karcher and painters Adele Eustis and Michael Caldwell, on view from July 26 through Aug. 27, with an opening reception on Saturday, July 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. The cooperative gallery’s last featured artist exhibit begins Aug. 30, showcasing the work of photographers Pearl Cherrington and Marcy Stamper, acrylic painter Kathy Meyers and glass artist Laura Ruud. Join them at an opening reception Saturday, Sept. 1, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Our relationship with the waterways that define the valley is the refreshing theme of the late-summer show at Confluence. Beginning Saturday, Aug. 4, with an artist’s reception from 4 to 8 p.m., "Artists on the River" runs through Sept. 15.

The self-guided Artists’ Studio Tour gives those in search of inspiration an opportunity to meet artists and learn about their creative process. Artists demonstrate and discuss their current work in the informal tour on Saturday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Impressionist oils by Mary Powell and hand-crafted woodwork by Rick Swanson are the focus of Confluence’s fall exhibit from Sept. 22 through Nov. 3.

All summer long, the cooperative Winthrop Gallery highlights individual artists – painters, sculptors, glass artists, woodworkers and more – and showcases the work of local and regional artists in group shows.

Learn to turn glass into art at Stained Glass Dreams Studio in Winthrop. Try mosaics for the garden in two-session classes on Mondays, June 4 and 11 or July 11 and 18 from 6 to 9 p.m., or craft mosaic panels, tabletops and mirrors in a four-day class beginning Tuesday, June 12. Honor the solstice by crafting stained-glass suncatchers on Sunday, June 24, and again on Sunday, Aug. 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Dance

Cut a smart profile in line, swing, waltz and two-step dancing with Shawn Buck and the True Country Band at the Winthrop Barn on Friday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m.

Ease into the sinuous dance forms of the Near East with Arab music and belly dance at the Twisp River Park with Methow Moonlight Hafla, featuring the House of Tarab ensemble and belly dancer Delilah Saturday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. They lead workshops in drumming and belly dancing Sept. 1 and 2.

Other Events

The Shafer Historical Museum opens for the season on Saturday, May 26, with music and refreshments plus the unveiling Down to the Harness Section, a memoir of early life in the Methow Valley by Twisp resident Wink Byram.

Calf and cow riding, bareback competitions, barrel racing and pole bending contests are high points of the 36th-annual Methow Valley Rodeo on Saturday, May 26, starting at 1 p.m. 

"Bats of the Pacific Northwest" flutter into the valley on Tuesday, June 5, at 7 p.m. in a free Methow Conservancy presentation (location to be announced). Participants can linger and watch bats in the evening twilight.

Learn to identify native vegetation with botanist Dana Visalli in "Balsamroot to Bunchgrass, Serviceberry to Saxifrage" the weekend of June 9 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

A Folk Arts Fiesta imports traditional mariachi music and dance to Pearrygin Lake State Park on Sunday, June 17, from 1 to 5 p.m. Learn to make tamales and wax and paper flowers at the free event.

Workshops, singing and dancing, camping and organic food flavor the seventh-annual Fairy & Human Relations Congress at Skalitude Retreat Center in Carlton Friday through Sunday, June 22 to 24.

Wines from more than a dozen vintners are paired with fruits, cheeses and hors d’oeuvres at the third-annual Winthrop Wine Festival Saturday, June 23, from 1 to 5 p.m. Savor more award-winning wines at the barrel tasting at the Methow’s own Lost River Winery in Winthrop on Friday and Saturday, August 3 and 4, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Independence Day in Twisp means a parade and Arts Fest. Enjoy music and hands-on art projects at the Twisp River Park on Wednesday, July 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The line-up includes the steel-drum troupe Bakra Bata, pianist Jake Shaw and the dance band the Family Dog.

Get literary inspiration at special events at Trail’s End Bookstore. A book signing and slide show by photographers of The Methow Valley: Between Home and Heaven is on Saturday, June 16, at 7 p.m., and children’s author and illustrator Erik Brooks signs his fanciful books on Saturday, July 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. Or stay up late for the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on July 20, starting at 11 p.m. 

Gleaming antique autos cruise at the 32nd-annual Winthrop Auto Rallye on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14 and 15. Check out the cars at the Saturday parade and the show-and-shine from noon to 3 p.m. The day ends with a 16-mile loop through the valley. 

The comedy troupe of the Dollar Watch Cowboy Jamboree and ventriloquist Merlin Gene and his sidekick Arjay fill the Winthrop Barn with Western humor on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m.

Summer Calendar 2007

photo by Sue Misao

May

Saturdays: Farmers Market: Local vendors of produce and crafts in the MV Community Center parking lot, Twisp. 9am-noon

24: TAARKA: Live music at Twisp River Pub.  997-6822. 7:30pm

25 & 26: Wine Tasting: Spring wine release celebration at Lost River Winery tasting room, Winthrop. Free. 996-2888. 11am-5pm

26: Vicci  Martinez: Tacoma rocker and her band performs at the Twisp River Pub. 997-6822. $7. 9:30pm

26: Run & Eat: Mazama 5K and 10K runs and pancake breakfast at Mazama Community Center. 996-3287. 9am

26 & 27: Rodeo: Winthrop Rodeo Days at rodeo grounds, Winthrop. 996-2439.

26 & 27: Stone Age Living: "Footwear – Moccasins and Sandals" class with Lynx Vilden at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. $100. (509) 855-5335.

28: Shafer Museum: Grand opening at Shafer Historical Museum, Winthrop. 996-2712. 1 pm

June

Saturdays: Farmers Market: Local vendors of produce and crafts in the MV Community Center parking lot, Twisp. 9am-noon

1: Country Dance: Line, swing, waltz and two-step dancing with Shawn Buck and the True Country Band at the Winthrop Barn. $15. (509) 429-3219. 7:30pm 

1: Family Dog: Local-bred rock’n’roll at Twisp River Pub. Free. 997-6822. 9pm 

2: Bicycle Rodeo: Road and Trail safety rodeo at Pearrygin Lake State Park, Winthrop. Free. 997-4013. 10am-noon

2: Chickens: Learn chicken husbandry at the Peach House. Register by 5/30 at 997-1050. 10am-2pm

2: Pipestone: Orchestra concert and Pipestone Jazz Band at MV Community Center, Twisp. 997-9344. 7pm

2: Blues Trio: Nicole Fournier and her 3 lb. Universe perform at Twisp River Pub. $5. 997-6822. 9pm

2 & 3: Stone Age Living: "Containers 1 – Pottery and Gourd Canteens" class with Lynx Vilden up Twisp River. $100. (509) 855-5335.

3: Pipestone: Student recitals, fiddling and youth orchestra in Twisp. 997-9344. 1:30-6pm

4 & 11: Mosaic Class: Garden rock mosaic class at Stained Glass Dreams Studio, Winthrop. $75. 997-0056. 6-9pm

5: First Tuesday: Learn about bats in the Pacific Northwest with Roger Christopherson, location TBA. 996-2870. 7-8:30pm

8: Bluegrass: Feed and Seed performs at Twisp River Pub. Free. 997-6822. 8pm

9: Refresh ’07: Eight bands perform at the Aspen Sage Amphitheater, Winthrop. $8-$10. (509) 429-3219. 3pm

9: Artists’ Reception: Opening reception for "Echoes of the Past" exhibition at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. Free. 997-2787. 4-8pm

9: Senior Recital: Violinist Clare Bresnahan performs at the Merc Playhouse, Twisp. 997-0222. 7pm

9 & 10: Stone Age Living: "Containers 2 – Baskets, Pot Firing, Burn Bowls" class with Lynx Vilden up Twisp River. $100. (509) 855-5335.

9 & 10: Serviceberries to Sedges: How to identify the Methow’s native vegetation with Dana Visalli, location TBA. 996-2870. $30/day. 10am-4pm

9-13: Methow River Camp: Adventure-ecology camp on the Chewuch River for kids ages 10-13, taught by four local naturalists. $300. 997-9011.

9 & 16: Stepping Stones: Decorative concrete stepping stones class with Judy Swank at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. $60. 997-2787. 12:30-3pm

12: Native Plants: Workshop and social with local botanists at Methow Natives, Winthrop. Free/donations. 996-2870. Time TBA 

12: Mosaic Class: Four-day mosaic panels, tabletop or mirror class begins at Stained Glass Dreams Studio, Winthrop. $200. 997-0056. 6-9pm

16: Book Release: Book signing and slide show by photographers of The Methow Valley: Between Home and Heaven at Trail’s End Bookstore, Winthrop. 996-2345. 7pm

16: Roots Rock: Massy Ferguson performs at Twisp River Pub. Free. 997-6822. 9pm

16 & 17: Stone Age Living: "Containers 3 – Rawhide and Netting" class with Lynx Vilden up Twisp River. $100. (509) 855-5335.

16 & 17: Bike Races: MV Tour Bicycle Stage Races in Mazama and Twisp. 996-3287.

17: Folk Arts Fiesta: Mariachi music and dance at Pearrygin Lake State Park. 997-4805. 1-5pm

19-21: Horse Riding Camp: Horsemanship for  ages 5-8 with Annie Budiselich at Moccasin Lake. $150. 996-2801. 9am-1pm

22-24: Fairy Congress: 7th annual Fairy & Human Relations Congress at Skalitude Retreat Center, Carlton. Workshops, circles, camping, singing, dancing and organic food for all ages. Info: www.fairycongress.com.

23: Bike Race: Methow Cycle and Sport Mountain Challenge Bike Race. 996-3645. 9am

23: Methow Butterfly Count: Meet in the Winthrop Park. 997-9011. 9am

23: Winthrop Wine Festival: Wines, cheeses and fruits in the Winthrop Park. 1-5pm

23: Artists’ Reception: Artwork by Don McIvor, Dennis O’Callaghan and Ardell Burgess at Winthrop Gallery. Free. 996-3925. 6-8pm

23: World Funk: Sister Monk Harem performs at Twisp River Pub. $5. 997-6822. 9pm

23: Artists’ Reception: Opening reception for photography, painting and woodworking exhibit at Winthrop Gallery. 996-3925. 6-8pm

24: Suncatcher: Make a stained glass suncatcher at Stained Glass Dreams Studio, Winthrop. $75. 997-0056. 9am-5pm

29 & 30: Acoustic Rock & Soul: The Fiasco performs at Twisp River Pub. 997-6822. 9 pm

29-7/15: Summer Theatre: Performances of Visiting Mr. Green at  Merc Playhouse, Twisp. $10-$18. 997-PLAY. 8pm (Sundays at 2pm)

30-7/31: Stone Age Living: "Clothes Making – Sewing Buckskins" class with Lynx Vilden up Twisp River. $100. (509) 855-5335.

July

Saturdays: Farmers Market: Local vendors of produce and crafts in the MV Community Center parking lot, Twisp. 9am-noon

4: Independence Day: Parade down Glover Street in Twisp. 997-5693.

4: Arts Festival: Lots of fun and entertainment all day in the Twisp City Park. $5. 997-4004. Noon-5pm

5: Kids’ Art Activities: Southwestern kachina sandpainting for ages 8-12 at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 997-2787. $12. 10-11:30am 

6: World Funk Quintet: Flowmotion performs at Twisp River Pub. $5. 997-6822. 9pm

7: Concert: James Hendricks in concert at the Twisp City Park. Free. 997-0222. 5pm

7: Music: Campbell Road performs traditional Scottish and Irish songs at Twisp River Pub. Free. 997-6822. 7:30pm

7 & 8: Stone Age Living: "Bows and Arrows 1 – Stave Preparation and Arrows" class with Lynx Vilden up Twisp River. $100. (509) 855-5335.

8: Songwriting: Workshop with James Hendricks at MV Community Center, Twisp. $15. Register 997-4601.

10-12: Girl Power Backpack: Packing trip for  ages 8-10 with Amy Jones and Ina Clark. $165. 996-2801.

10-12: Archery& Animal Tracking: Archery and animal tracking for ages 6-7 with Kim Claussen and Sandy Welfelt. $125+bow. 996-2801.

11 & 18: Mosaic Class: Garden rock mosaic class at Stained Glass Dreams Studio, Winthrop. $75. 997-0056. 6-9pm

12: Kids’ Art Activities: Bas relief paper sculpture for ages 8-12 at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 997-2787. $12. 10-11:30am

13: J. Wail Kru: Booty shakin’ live instrument electronica funk at Twisp River Pub. Free. 997-6822. 8:30pm

14: Run: Run the Sun Trail Race at Chickadee Trailhead, Sun Mountain Lodge. 996-3278. 9am

14: Slate Relief Carving: Class with Dan Brown at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. $65. 997-2787. 9am-4pm

14: Book Signing: Local children’s author and illustrator Erik Brooks will sign all of his books at Trail’s End Bookstore, Winthrop. 996-2345. 2-4pm 

14: Classic Rock: Sons of the Widow James perform at Twisp River Pub. Free. 997-6822. 9pm

17: Portrait Drawing: Four sessions begin with Sean McCabe class with Dan Brown at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. $65. 997-2787. 4:15-6:15pm

17-19: Archery Camp: Three days of archery, camping and river fun with Kim Claussen and Sandy Welfelt. $235. 996-2801.

19: Kids’ Art Activities: Petroglyph medallion necklaces for ages 8-12 at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 997-2787. $12. 10-11:30am

20: Harry Potter: Party for midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at Trail’s End Bookstore, Winthrop. 996-2345. 11pm

20-22: Winthrop Rhythm & Blues: Nicole Fournier, Polly O’Keary, Charlie Musselwhite, John Lee Hooker, Jr., Watermelon Slim and the Workers, Too Slim and the Taildraggers and more at the Winthrop Blues Ranch.

21: Stained Glass: Three-day stained glass panel class  begins at Stained Glass Dreams Studio, Winthrop. $150. 997-0056.

21 & 22: Stone Age Living: "Bows and Arrows 2 – Bow Making and Strings" class with Lynx Vilden up Twisp River. $100. (509) 855-5335.

24-26: Bead & Basket Making: Felting and jewelry for ages 7-8 with Emily Post and Kim Odell. $95. 996-2801.

24-26: Art Adventure: Bookmaking with Sula Willson for ages 7-12 at Kate’s Barn, 211 Twin Lakes Road, Winthrop. $75. 996-3887. 9:30am-2:30pm

24-26: Archery Camp: Archery and camping for ages 11-13 at Big Valley Ranch with Kim Claussen and Sandy Welfelt. $235. 996-2801.

26: Kids’ Art Activities: Self portraits for ages 8-12 at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 997-2787. $12. 10-11:30am

27: Water of Life: Yoga and river rafting on the Methow. Skalitude Retreat. $65. 997-1032. 9am-4pm

27: Trombone Blues: The Randy Oxford Band performs at Twisp River Pub. $5. 997-6822. 9pm

28: Artists’ Reception: Artwork by Laura Aspenwall, Michael Caldwell, Adele Eustis and Laura Karcher at Winthrop Gallery. Free. 996-3925. 6-8pm

28: Acoustic Trio: The Senate performs soaring melodies and metal-inspired guitar solos at Twisp River Pub. Free. 997-6822. 8pm

31-8/2: Soccer Camp: Soccer games and skills for ages 7-9 with Baylie Peplow and Casey Peplow at Little Star Montessori School. $95. 996-2801. 9am-2pm

31-8/2: Art Adventure: Maskmaking with Deirdre Cassidy for ages 7-12 at Kate’s Barn, 211 Twin Lakes Road, Winthrop. $75. 996-3887. 9:30am-2:30pm

August

Saturdays: Farmers Market: Local vendors of produce and crafts in the MV Community Center parking lot, Twisp. 9am-noon

2: Kids’ Art Activities: Watercolor special effects for ages 8-12 at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 997-2787. $12. 10-11:30am

3-5 & 7-12: MV Chamber Music Festival: Chamber music concerts and open rehearsals at various venues throughout the valley. 996-6000.

3 & 4: Wine Tasting: Barrel tasting and wine release at Lost River Winery tasting room, Winthrop. Free. 996-2888. 11am-5pm

4: Artists’ Reception: Opening reception for "Artists on the River" at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 997-2787. 4-8pm

4 & 5: Stone Age Living: "Felting 2 – Sleeping Blankets" class with Lynx Vilden up Twisp River. $100. (509) 855-5335.

6: Music: Classical guitarist Dusan Bogdanovic and soprano Vismaya Lhi at chamber music venue on Twin Lakes Road, Winthrop. $15. 997-0222. 7:30pm

7: Music Workshop: Lessons with classical guitarist Dusan Bogdanovic and soprano Vismaya Lhi Register 997-0222.

7-9: Soccer Camp: Improving soccer skills for ages 10-12 with Jamie O’Neill, Josh Wojcik and Fran Kaul at Winthrop ball field. $80. 996-2801. 9am-noon

7-9: Art Adventure: Mosaics with Laura Ruud for ages 7-12 at Kate’s Barn, 211 Twin Lakes Road, Winthrop. $75. 996-3887. 9:30am-2:30pm

9: Kids’ Art Activities: Painting rocks for ages 8-12 at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 997-2787. $12. 10-11:30am

11 & 12: Stone Age Living: "Shelters 1 – Building Primitive Shelter" class with Lynx Vilden up Twisp River. $100. (509) 855-5335.

12: Suncatcher: Stained glass suncatcher class at Stained Glass Dreams Studio, Winthrop. $75. 997-0056. 9am-5pm

14-16: Art Adventure: Clay with Jim Neupert for ages 7-12 at Kate’s Barn, 211 Twin Lakes Road, Winthrop. $75. 996-3887. 9:30am-2:30pm

16: Kids’ Art Activities: Castle building with papier mâché for ages 8-12 at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 997-2787. $12. 10-11:30am

16: Be Good Tanyas: Concert presented by Methow Arts. $25. Time and location TBA. 997-4004.

16-18: Watercolor: Painting class with Paula Christen at her studio in Winthrop. $75. 10am-2pm

17-9/2: Summer Theatre: Performances of The Innocents at  Merc Playhouse, Twisp. $10-$18. 997-PLAY. 7:30pm (Sundays at 2pm)

18 & 19: Stone Age Living: "Shelters 2 – Building Primitive Shelter" class with Lynx Vilden up Twisp River. $100. (509) 855-5335.

18 & 19: Mosaics: Free garden rock mosaic class for kids (grades 7-12) at Stained Glass Dreams Studio, Winthrop. 997-0056. 2-5pm

19-25: Art Adventure: Shakespeare intensive  with Rod Molzahn for ages 12-18 at Kate’s Barn, 211 Twin Lakes Road, Winthrop. $135. 996-3887.

21-24: Children’s Art class: Horse drawing, painting and sculpting at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 997-2787. (Ages 8-12). $45.10-11:30am

23: Kids’ Art Activities: Collage for ages 8-12 at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. 997-2787. $12. 10-11:30am

24-9/6: Stone Age Living: "Living Wild in the North Cascades" with Lynx Vilden and Rico Meleski. Two weeks of life in the wilderness using only stone age technologies. (509) 855-5335.

25: Run: Cutthroat Classic Mountain Run at Rainy Pass, Highway 20. 996-3287. 8am

25: North Cascades Oldtime Fiddlers Contest: Competitions and jams in the Winthrop Park. 996-2111. 9am-all day

28-30: Art Adventure: Cement Critters for ages 9 and up at Kate’s Barn, 211 Twin Lakes Road, Winthrop. $75+materials. 996-3887.

September

Saturdays: Farmers Market: Local vendors of produce and crafts in the MV Community Center parking lot, Twisp. 9am-noon

1: Artists’ Reception: Artwork by Pearl Cherrington, Kathy Meyers and Laura Ruud at Winthrop Gallery. Free. 996-3925. 6-8pm

1: Arab Music & Belly dance: Methow Moonlight Hafla featuring House of Tarab ensemble and belly dancer Delilah at Twisp City Park. $15. (509) 429-0185. 7-10pm

1: Western Dance  Lessons: All varieties at Twisp Valley Grange. $8. 997-2787. 7-10:30pm

1 & 2: Belly dance Workshops: Drumming, ensemble group and belly dance workshops. (509) 429-0185.

8: Artists’ Studio Tours: Meet artists at work in their studios. 997-2787. 10am-4pm 

14: Swing Fever: Dance and music at the Winthrop Barn. 997-4004. 8pm

14 & 15: Winthrop Auto Rallye: Tricked-out cars and show-n-shine in downtown Winthrop.

15: Dollar Watch cowboy Jamboree: Ventriloquist Merlin Gene and Arjay, cowboy poetry, music, comedy and much more at the Winthrop Barn. 996-2404. 7pm

October

5-7: Bike Festival: Various activities and sites around the Methow Valley. 996-3287. 

6: Recorder Concert: King Küng Low Recorder Ensemble at Confluence Gallery, Twisp. Donation. 997-0222. 7pm

10: Greg Brown: In concert with Bo Ramsey at the Winthrop Barn. (509) 923-2391. 7:30pm

13: Artists’ Reception: "Autumn Wanderings" at Winthrop Gallery. Free. 996-3925. 6-8pm

20: Ache Brasil: Dance and music at the Winthrop Barn. 997-4004. 7:30pm

Where have all the cowboys gone?

By Tricia M. Cook

You hear the catch of trail grit in their voices, reflected in their eyes the searing memories of long dusty days on horseback with a dog running up ahead.

Deep lines crease their faces, personal maps of trails ridden and paths taken. You will swear you also hear the murmur of hot summer winds and the deep low of cattle replaying in their ears. They smell of sage and horse and tobacco.

"Everybody don’t have it. You can’t breed for it, it just happens – horse crazy," says Claude Miller, a third-generation Methow Valley cowboy who has made his livelihood on a horse, packing and chasing cows almost as soon as he could crawl. 

While being a real cowboy means a lot of hard work, it is not a means for becoming rich, not in the monetary sense. It is, however, a unique way of life that fosters no regrets. It is a passion. Cowboy as a moniker came from the North American westward movement in the cattle industry during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The original North American cowboys were boys and young men. They were specialized ranch hands working on horseback pushing cattle long distances to greener pastures, and later, rounding them up for the stockyard.

Their celebrated dress, with which they are frequently most fastidious, distinctly reflects their work: A vest helps keep the core warm while freeing up arms for throwing lariats. A tall hat with a generous brim offers both air-conditioning and shade that travels with the traveler. Thick leather, shin-high boots are protective and the elevated heels keep the cowboy in the stirrups. And both the cowboy and the horse appreciate a comfortable saddle…for the days are as long as the nights are short.

Back in the bygone days of the Methow Valley, there appeared to be endless fields and steppes of wild, available grasses, and so many early homesteaders were ranchers and ranch hands. They were great and talented horsemen and as the season warmed, a good cowboy could drive his cattle from low to high elevations without too many of his wards going astray. He treated his horse, his dog and his cattle well. He loved being his own boss with freewheeling nature as his backdrop. He even rode off into a sunset or two. A good cowboy had good common sense with a generous serving of patience. He took his time, traveling at a pace with which his cattle were comfortable. He took care of the animals.

"The new cowboys seem to be in one helluva hurry," says Bernard Thurlow, who has lived in the valley all of his life. Thurlow’s family began ranching in the Methow in 1887. "They always have to get home for some meeting or another," he continued. 

Even in their off hours, which are scarce, cowboys move with the rhythm of animals and nature, with a particular denomination of independence, confidence and strength. They are comfortable in their own skins and are not afraid of hard work and dirt. "There’s nothing else I’d rather done. Everybody loves a cowboy!" enthused Miller.

In 1972, the North Cascades Highway opened, bringing tourists and their related economy to the valley, and life here began to change. With this new valley view, came awareness for blossoming real estate values and eventually land just became too darn valuable to ranch. Numerous ranches were sold. With more land transferring ownership, there were fewer folks remaining who were amenable to open grazing. Modern-day ranchers also were faced with the dilemma of selling more cattle to buy the machinery and tools necessary to raise more cattle, while cattle prices were not inflating at the same rate as equipment prices. It became less and less economically viable to ranch, and eventually the Okanogan County livestock market closed. A way of life was in fast retreat and continues to be today.

The population in the Methow Valley has been dramatically on the rise. "Now there is something interesting happening every day [in the valley]. It used to be just Saturday pinochle at Beaver Creek," said Carl Miller – brother to Claude Miller – who also grew up chasing cows in the valley. "I’m sad to see it change, of course," he concluded.

Are ranching and the cowboy lifestyle sustainable? That’s the $64,000 question. Steve Darwood hopes so. Darwood’s great grandparents, the Fenders, homesteaded in the Texas Creek area in 1889, running the stage stop at the head of the creek. The family remains there today. Darwood’s uncle was an outfitter, starting a packing business in 1934, and Steve has packed his entire life. His son Jess has now also joined the business, training horses and working as a packer and farrier in the warmer months and welding and saddle building in the winter.

Darwood will tell you, "Horses and mules are good for the soul. They can fix people." He has seen these noble animals help emotionally troubled and physically challenged children along in their healing process.

Local cowboy poet John Doran writes within his work entitled, Cry the Home Ranch:

"As ranches die, the cattle herds moved off,

the cowboy and his horse

left in the past, 

Are we a richer land

for the loss of this way,

will anything we build

now last?

But run the soil through your hands, look at the sage and bunch grass growing free,

The ranch will outlive

all of time,

true wealth

for generations yet to be." 

          While traveling through-out the valley in our mechanical horses made of hard metal, running on fossil fuel instead of sweet, wild grasses, from time to time we will need to slow or stop for the cowboy (indeed the cowgirl as well!) moving his cattle along Highway 20, up the Rendezvous Road, or down myriad Forest Service and side roads. 

Feel fortunate, for few opportunities remain to witness the ways of the Old West, a way of life that is struggling to remain a part of the New West right here in our beautiful valley.

Shafer Historical Museum:

From private collection to community icon

By Carol Stull

The Shafer Museum, an often-overlooked Winthrop gem, watches over the town with a commanding view while preserving and sharing the true old western history of the Methow Valley.

Local citizens take pride in the compound’s ever-expanding wealth of knowledge about the area’s colorful past, but visitors might miss the marvel because it sits just one uphill block away from the old Western theme town’s busy main street.

The museum grounds house at least a couple of the town’s original buildings. Around them, dedicated volunteers have built up authentic-looking structures over the past decade to create a pioneer village complex. Tall trees and a grassy yard help make the Shafer a pleasant summer experience.

Thanks for making this experience possible goes to Winthrop founder Guy Waring, businessman and collector Simon Shafer and today’s museum board – a branch of the Okanogan County Historical Society.

The story begins with Waring, a Harvard-educated New Englander who came to the Northwest for adventure and profit. He brought his family, established a trading post at the "forks" of the Methow and Chewuch rivers and plotted what would become the town of Winthrop in 1891.

But times were tough in the Old West. And in 1893 Waring’s store and home – both crude cabins – burned to the ground. The family returned East to regroup, but returned to the new Winthrop in 1896 to resume business in the Methow Trading Company. This time Guy promised his wife a nicer home.

He chose the view site above town and hired log cutters and fitters and other workmen to construct a log house, which had to meet his strict specifications. The result was the low-slung, multi-room hilltop dwelling which regular folks came to call "The Castle." Later this structure would house the beginnings of a museum.

Waring moved back East again after business interests faltered, and stepson Harry Greene’s family occupied the Castle until 1921. The building was sold and used as an Episcopal Church until 1943, when Winthrop businessman Simon Shafer bought it. After World War II, Shafer began using the cabin to store his "growing collection of relics and antiques."

        His daughter, Barbara Shafer Duffy, wrote that Simon and her mother Joyce collected artifacts from early days in the West and their later travels. The Shafer collection grew considerably during the Great Depression as he bartered with customers at his general merchandise store. At his request, family members began giving him "things suitable for a museum" as birthday or Christmas gifts.

      These items were stored in one room of the Castle while caretakers stayed in the larger quarters. Soon that situation was reversed. Shafer added a shed to house large items in the early 1950s, and moved in a settlers cabin to show how most pioneers had lived.

       When Simon passed away in 1954, Barbara and brothers Bill Shafer and Alan W. Shafer inherited the museum property. As they found it increasingly difficult, financially and physically, to keep the collection in good order and available to the public, in 1976 the family presented the museum to the Okanogan County Historical Society.

      Local "Shafer Museum volunteers" began operating and improving the facility for the historical society. The shed was enlarged. Another log building was moved onto the grounds and developed into an old-time print shop, featuring equipment donated by Methow Valley News.

         At a recent museum board meeting, treasurer Roxie Miller noted that beginning in the 1970s, historical society membership spurred "huge growth" in the Winthrop compound. She also noted that improvements have "really been a community effort" as groups from the Forest Service, Winthrop Kiwanis and the electric co-op as well as numerous individuals got involved to help out.

A major project on the "wish list," which became reality under the hands-on museum directorship of Dale Tonseth, was adding the impressive historic mining exhibit to the Shafer collection. The effort involved rescuing gigantic derelict equipment from high-mountain mines and transporting them many miles into town. The effort stretched from the late 1980s to early 1990s, with Tonseth devoting about 1,000 volunteer hours each year.

Now retired, Tonseth credits his job as district manager for facilities and minerals with the Forest Service for making him a good candidate to get the job done. He worked with the miners in the mountains.

"I knew where all the good stuff was," said Tonseth.

From the Azurite Mine, 15 miles beyond Harts Pass, came a Model A truck, ore buckets, slag carts. And along the road in, Tonseth found a huge air compressor all in parts and pieces; he hauled them down and put the puzzle back together.

At least one trip down from the Azurite could have ended badly for Tonseth. While single-handedly bringing out a heavy iron door from a big boiler once used to steam-power a sawmill, the load shifted on his all-terrain vehicle. He’d failed to tie things down properly, making for an exciting ride down the mountain. But today that door decorates the front of the museum’s assay office. 

"I could have been killed. But all I could think about was getting that door out," recalled Tonseth.

Another big achievement was retrieving a stamp mill from the top of Palmer Mountain, near Loomis. A daylong effort with much community involvement brought it down. The next step was to assemble a roofed shed over the Shafer’s hillside to show how the operation would have looked in the field.

Tonseth knows more mining artifacts remain in the hills but believes he got most of the important things out.

The Palm family, Whistle Bynum and Scott Edson, who provided heavy equipment for clearing roads and hauling loads, were major contributors to the mining project.

Today’s museum board, directed by historian Richard Hart, plans to continue the major effort of the past three years to improve signage at the Shafer.

"People love to read about the history," noted Roxie Miller.

Another current Shafer focus is publishing books to benefit both the museum and history buffs. Best sellers already on museum store shelves are Sally Portman’s The Smiling Country and Jim Pigott’s A View of the Methow from Moccasin Lake Ranch. Coming soon: Diana Hottell’s The Whole Damn Valley and Wink Byram’s Down to the Harness Section. Apparently, the latter title has something to do with the outhouse catalog.

The Shafer Museum opened for ‘49er Days on Mother’s Day weekend. Then for the season, a grand opening is set for Memorial Day, Monday, May 28. Health permitting, Byram, age 94, will be on hand to sign his memoirs of early life in the Methow.

Refurbishing the museum’s 1914 Model "T" has been another project of the past couple of years. The engine has been rebuilt, the top is being redone and new upholstery is in the works. With Pete Peters behind the wheel, the "T" traditionally appears in local parades as well as being displayed at the museum.

"I am certain my father would be very proud of the Shafer Museum as it exists today," wrote Barbara Shafer Duffy in 1983. Barbara now lives in Colville near her daughter. But she likely could write the same line today.

Life is just more fun in the water

By Lillian Tucker

The Methow Valley can render up some long sultry summer days and, thankfully, lots of refreshing mountain water as well.

Speckled throughout the area are lakes that have lost their winter ice shell to reveal placid getaways. Weaving through the valley are rivers that swell from the snowmelt in the spring and shrink back down, warming their waters under the summer sun in pockets of pools all the way down to the Columbia.

No matter where the water has taken up residence it can be enjoyed, but when it comes to wet summer recreation, there are some key spots to consider. 

The 696 acres of foliage and campsites of Pearrygin Lake State Park lead to its 11,000 feet of waterfront access to the park’s main attraction – the lake itself.

The Methow River dishes up good
whitewater in the spring and early summer.

photo courtesy of Osprey River Adventures

And why shouldn’t it be the star of the show? About two-miles long Pearrygin Lake offers a wide variety of accommodations for people of many different sizes and interests. From small children learning to swim in the shallows just off the shores of its sandy beach, to those who wish to be dragged across the surface behind a speed boat and those who just want to cast a line. 

Enjoying the lake can be the simplest of pleasures. Camping gear, boats and large toys are not required at the park’s public picnic area. The expanse of manicured lawn is speckled with 30 picnic tables, four barbecues and numerous shade trees. When the time is right you can change in the bathhouse before heading down hill to the beach, which runs into the lake’s roped-off swimming area.

Once you’ve found the enclosed swimming area, all you need is a little buoyancy. With the sun penetrating and reflecting off the ripples of the lake, the water can provide an instant escape. Once the toes, followed by the rest of the body, have been submerged, your cares – along with your rising body temperature and sun block – stand a high likelihood of being rinsed away. Even the sounds from the beach are dimmed as you float along. All the while you are protected from the boats and water skiers.

But if the thrill of speed calls out and floating around on your back aimlessly just doesn’t provide the same adrenalin rush as wake boarding, you can do that too.

There are two boat ramps for motorized and non-motorized watercraft. Once launched the lake is yours to explore. With a speed boat at hand the imagination can run wild – from inflated banana boats to a solo water ski – you can ride it. Just remember to adhere to the park’s boating hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Monday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

There is no allocated time of the day to fish. The lake is open to anglers the last weekend of April through Sept. 30. Fishers can take advantage of the quiet, the rising sun and the morning appetite of the lake’s trout. And there are a lot of hungry mouths to fool. This year, more than 30,000 fry and adult rainbows have been stocked in the lake. Whether floating along in a boat or taking advantage of the 60-foot dock, chances of catching a fish – or at least catching a tan – are good.

Pearrygin is the not the only lake with lots to offer. Patterson Lake is somewhat smaller, a bit cooler and generally less crowded. Those who like their afternoons on the tranquil side can appreciate the absence of high-speed boats. However, those quiet hours are not guaranteed – the sound of children at play is usually nearby as the Patterson Lake Cabins are a popular vacation destination for families. As far as boating goes, there are canoe, kayak and paddleboat rentals available at the cabin office.

A cousin resort to the mountaintop fortress, Sun Mountain Lodge, the cabins lie at the north end of the lake along the largest and most easily accessible beach. 

If you feel as if you are going nowhere paddling along a lake (and you are) you can always take a ride down the river.

The Methow River and its tributaries offer anything from lazy floats atop inexpensive rubber rafts to Class 4 whitewater rafting.

In the summer, many people float sections of the relatively quiet stretches of river between Winthrop and Carlton. Above Winthrop, watch for logjams and sweepers; below Carlton, watch for technical whitewater suitable only for experienced boaters and folks going with professional guides. Not to worry – there are several river rafting companies waiting to take you for a ride through the Hurricane Rapids, Cinder Block Drop and the infamous Black Canyon

When it's hot outside, head to the water.
Patterson Lake offers peaceful paddling.

photo by John Hanron

.

It seems the possibilities for water fun are endless. Next time you find yourself roasting in the valley sun, take a great opportunity to spend the day wet.

Putting one foot in front of the other

By Paul Butler

If you like to amble along through woods, across meadows, along streams and rivers, and over alpine ridges, then the Methow Valley is your kind of place. In fact, you would be hard pressed to come up with a place that has more variety and better quality hiking options on the entire planet. Really!

Ah, but where to go? Some many places, so little time. The amount of hiking terrain in the Methow that is accessible in less than one hour’s drive – including that where you head straight out the back door – is staggering. What follows are some recommendations. Only you will know what is a doable outing for you and your companions so go informed and prepared.

Short jaunts

(good for youngsters)

Rainy Lake: A paved, two-mile roundtrip stroll with interpretative signs that departs from Rainy Pass on Highway 20. An option that doubles the mileage would be a trip to nearby Lake Ann, a very pleasant place.

Cutthroat Lake: A relatively flat four-mile roundtrip hike is a local favorite. Quick to access off Highway 20, one can continue hiking four more miles up to Cutthroat Pass and the Pacific Crest Trail. 

Lone Fir: A fun two-mile loop around Early Winters Creek at the Lone Fir Campground on Highway 20 has an optional detour to idyllic Cutthroat Creek. 

Cedar Falls: An easy two miles up the Cedar Creek Trail near Mazama puts you near the roaring falls and a great spot to picnic. If you want to continue hiking, there is plenty left to this trail that stretches onward deep into the Sawtooth Wilderness.

Trout Creek: Four miles roundtrip along the West Fork of the Methow Trail on relatively flat ground through forest burned by the 2003 Needle Creek Fire.

Harts Pass: The Pacific Crest Trail, heading south or north, is a great place to stroll while admiring the views and wildflowers. These are the highest trailheads one can access by car in the state and make the exciting drive around Deadhorse Point all the more worth it. (If you can even drive up there this season. Check with the Forest Service as at press time, a huge rockslide is blocking the road.) 

Sun Mountain Lodge: Numerous, well-marked trails offer a variety of terrain to explore, including the refreshing water of nearby Patterson Lake.

Other options: Many of the MVSTA trails throughout the valley have short hiking possibilities. One favorite for the family is a stroll out to the suspension bridge in Mazama. Also, the upper Twisp River area has some nice trails, particularly by the old mining camp of Gilbert near Road’s End.

Moderate jaunts

Maple Pass Loop: A popular six-mile loop accessed at Rainy Pass with spectacular views. It is easier on the knees to hike the loop clockwise.

Blue Lake: A four-and-a-half-mile roundtrip hike to an alpine lake near Washington Pass. Well-known to climbers who use the trail to reach a slew of climbing routes on the nearby granite spires.

Goat Peak: It’s only two miles to the top from the trailhead, but hiking to the Goat Peak Lookout has some steep sections. Unparalleled views await those plucky enough, as does an encounter with lookout "Lighting" Bill Austin, who may regale you with enthusiasm and some mountaintop poetry.

Copper Glance Lake: A strenuous uphill push starting from the Eightmile Road off the Chewuch River brings one into the alpine realm of Isabella Ridge and the lovely Copper Glance Lake. 

Black Lake: In addition to other fine hikes found on the upper Chewuch River, the eight mile-plus roundtrip excursion to the mile-long Black Lake in the Pasayten Wilderness is an excellent choice, especially if you enjoying washing off that trail dust with a dip in the water.

North Lake: Another eight-mile roundtrip hike with a rewarding alpine lake shimmering below the massive Gilbert Mountain is located near the end of the Twisp River Road. Catch a hidden trail heading uphill right before the lake to view an old mining camp.

Advanced jaunts

photo by Paul Butler

Rainy Pass to  Cutthroat Creek: One can start on either side and hike the 11-mile route used for the MVSTA’s August mountain run, the Cutthroat Classic. You’ll need to shuttle a rig or try your luck hitchhiking back to the trailhead where you started. (Or stash a bike at where you plan to end and ride Hwy. 20 back to your car.)

Driveway Butte: Seven miles of south-facing trail from 3,000 feet to the summit of Driveway Butte at 6,000 feet that overlooks Mazama is yours to enjoy on a cool day. A recent wildfire scorched the upper part of the mountain and provides much visual interest as well as a bit of widow-maker wariness.

Harts Pass to the West Fork of the Methow: Start on the PCT heading south from Harts Pass (unless you really like hiking uphill) and enjoy a 21-mile day that takes one through a potpourri of beautiful terrain. A long shuttle is required for this hike, unless you are able to find a ride up to Harts Pass.

Scatter Lake: Four miles of up (3,900 feet of elevation gain) puts your weary feet on the shores of Scatter Lake, perched above the Twisp River Valley. Take a relaxing dip while you ignore the fact that you still have to hike back down.

Twisp Pass/Copper Pass Loop: Head out from Road’s End on the Twisp River and make for Twisp Pass four miles away. Two-miles of cross-country travel north, with an optional detour to Stiletto Lake, will put you at Copper Pass and a return downhill hike to your car of five miles.

Plenty of hiking information is available throughout the valley, be it a friendly local, the neighborhood  sports shop or the Forest Service headquarters in Winthrop.

Have fun out there, be safe and leave no trace behind.

Two-wheeled nirvana

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live.  

– Mark Twain,

Taming the Bicycle

By Paul Butler

Once considered an extreme and odd recreational pursuit, mountain biking, while still abounding with the potential for being "rad," is now another pastime of the populace.

And no place better bears this testament to the popularity and commonplaceness of fat tire riding than the Methow Valley, a now well-known destination for mountain biking.

Mountain biking in the valley has become almost as conventional as the Methow’s primary iconic recreation, cross country skiing. In fact, the two sports have much in common and it is rare to find the biker who doesn’t ski, and vice versa.

Over the years, whether it is the local bike festivals, the familiar scene of mountain bikes on cars, bikes leaning against racks outside a pub or flashing by on a stretch of single-track, it is obvious that mountain biking is here to stay. 

Clearly, the Methow has two seasons (not four): skiing and biking.

So, the riding here is popular. How good does it get? To quote the valley’s godfather of the fat tire, Steve Barnett, from his guidebook to mountain biking in the area: "Just as notable as the amount of trail is the variety of trail. There are rough high trails going through some of the finest alpine scenery you will ever see. There are smooth trails that your mother, and maybe your grandmother, would love."

And don’t be surprised if Ma or Grandma comes riding hard on you deep in the woods. Don’t worry – just get out of the way.

Barnett isn’t blowing air up your bike shorts just because you bought his book. Around here, the cup runneth over for riding options. Take your pick from signed, well-designed single-track trails such as those around Sun Mountain (no surprise that some are Nordic trails as well) to more committing wilderness rides in the nearby mountains. Overnight rides with comfortable hut lodging can be found in the Rendezvous. Or jump on a trail from where you’re staying and head for a cold brew in town. 

As they say, it’s all good.

And let’s not forget the resurgence of road riding here. Despite blood doping scandals and the sport’s precipitous drop from grace (and corporate sponsorships) in its post-Lance world, the skinny tire revolution continues on the limited paved options of the Methow. Informal club rides, pannier-laden touring bikes pulling over the North Cascades, mini-pelotons hogging the shoulder and Lycra-clad loners hauling asphalt down the Chewuch – these are all becoming more familiar sights around our fair valley.

Fat or skinny – it’s a two-wheeled, self-propulsion nirvana in the Methow. Get out of your car and join the fun!

Look up in the sky!

It’s a bird! It’s a plane!

It’s a paraglider!

By Patrick Hannigan

This summer, look up and you may catch a glimpse of one of the small crew of Methow paragliding enthusiasts flying among the birds in the skies above the valley.

"We talk about being as free as a bird, and it’s really true – when paragliding you are no longer constrained to two dimensions," said David Harris, who has been paragliding in the Methow for six years. "There’s something about looking down on the earth and being able to see the big picture that is really thrilling."

There is a lot of confusion and misconceptions about paragliding, said Harris. Paragliding doesn’t involve motors, and its different from parachuting in that the goal is to stay up in the air. As a sport, it’s most closely related to hang-gliding.   

Paragliders hike up to the top of a mountain or ridgetop, and then run or use the existing wind to inflate a "wing" made of fabric. Once they become airborne, paragliders use air currents to keep them aloft. A good flight might last several hours and carry the paragliders more than 10,000 feet above the valley floor.

"A lot of people think paragliding is just an adrenalin junkie sport based just on faith – but actually it’s almost the opposite," said Harris. "It requires a lot of calmness and patience. If you’ve got a lot of adrenalin, you are probably flying unsafely. Its safer than driving, safer than backcountry skiing, safer than a lot of things." 

The biggest decision is whether or not to fly on any given day, which requires intimate knowledge of local weather and wind patterns.

"We’re all amateur meteorologists," said Kurt Oakley, a local paraglider. "It takes time to learn the nuances of local wind and weather." As the owner of a hot air balloon company, Oakley has more experience than most understanding wind and weather patterns in the Methow. 

Oakley said summer is the best time for paragliding, as the winds tend to be more predictable. To stay aloft, paragliders require rising air, which can come from two sources: when the sun hits the ground, columns of rising air known as "thermals" are generated. Paragliders can also gain altitude by flying above ridgetops, where the prevailing winds are forced upwards into the atmosphere.  

If the winds aren’t right, sometimes paragliders will hike all the way to the top of a mountain and end up with nothing more than a "sled ride," said Oakley. A sled ride is a short flight back to the valley floor that occurs when flyers are unable to generate enough lift to stay airborne for very long.

With ideal conditions, an experienced paraglider can travel long distances, which is known as "cross-country" flying. For example, Harris said his most memorable flight involved taking off from Goat Peak, flying up Delancy Ridge to nearly Ross Lake, then angling back over Tower Mountain, the Early Winters Spires, Silver Star Mountain, Gardner Mountain and landing between Winthrop and Mazama. For most of the four-hour tour, he was at altitudes of between 10,000 and 12,000 feet above sea level.

"No matter what is going on in your life, when you are flying you forget about everything else. You are totally engaged," said David Verbois, a paragliding instructor in the Methow. "It’s the most peaceful and exhilarating activity I know."

Verbois, who has been flying since 1992, said that back in the early days before he became a more careful pilot – and instructor – he had a couple exciting experiences. On one occasion, Verbois and a couple friends hiked up War Creek with the intention of flying down to Stehekin. During their flight, conditions changed, preventing the three from making it all the way to the landing area.

"I ended up making a landing in a heavily treed area. I was fortunate to be able to be able to pick some deciduous growth," said Verbois. One of Verbois’ buddies landed in Lake Chelan, and the other in a nearby swamp. "Everything came out fine."

Still Verbois said that with the right equipment and good judgment born of proper training, paragliding is a safe activity. Today, paragliders carry reserve parachutes, GPS systems, two-way radios and "varios," which indicate the rate of ascent or descent. The huge range of weather information available on the Internet also helps pilots determine when, where and if to fly. 

Indeed, paragliders in the Methow say they are not attracted to the perceived dangers but rather to the s