Ski Rodeo Photos

Photos from the Ski Rodeo can be found here and high resolution photos are available from Steve Mitchell at mitchellimage.com

Enjoy!

Fat Bike Demo Day

Methow Cycle and Sport hosted their first fat bike demo of the winter today. We went down and asked some of the participants what it was like to ride a bike in the snow. Here is what some had to say....

Methow Skiing Images Nov. 30-Dec 14

Pictures are worth a thousand words...here are some images from the first 2 weeks of our ski season.  Hope you are enjoying this good snow!

Snowy, December 8 morning 

Free Lunch along the trail

Snow Loading

View out the Mazama Ranch House Wax Room 

Big Trees hold lots of snow

So amazing when the creek is partially frozen 

Ski to the Light!  

Mazama Suspension Bridge, December 8 

Driving to Cub Creek Trailhead December 12

A Doc and dogs have the trail to themselves

Snowy Christmas trees line all our trails - December 12 

Don't let these people have all the fun!  

Absolutely perfect tracks and corduroy! 

MVSTA Staff Fat Bike Outing

The MVSTA office headed up to Washington Pass for a fat bike outing.  First stop was Methow Cycle and Sport to pick up our rental Salsa Mukluks.

Conditions were fabulous with 8-10 inches of new snow at Rainy Pass. 

M

For some of this it was the first time we have been on a fat bike. It was all smiles from the start.  

For all of us it was the first time we have ridden in the snow!  It is surprisingly easy.  

We laughed, we worked up a big sweat and we had a fantastic day.  

We highly recommend that people give it a try. Again, Salsa Mukluks are available for rent at Methow Cycle and Sport. Two free snow bike demos are planned for December 16 and January 13 on the MVSTA ski trails.

 For more information about this year's snow bike program please see our website "Where to Snow Bike" page.

Pacific Northwest Regional Ski Races

Here is a list of the ski races around the Pacific Northwest for the 2012-2013 season. 

Ski Rodeo – December 29, 2012

MVSTA

Skate and kids lollipop races.

10k, 5k, 2.5k and 1k

10:30am start time

Mazama Trailhead

 

Holiday Tour – December 30, 2012

MVSTA

Untimed ski tour

20k and 11k

10:45am start time

Mazama Trailhead

 

Skirennen – January 19, 2013

LWSC

Skate races and kid race

10k, 5k and 2k

9:00am start time

Golf Course

 

Gunnar Hagen - January 20^th, 2013

Kongsberger Club

Classic race
30k or 7.5k
10 am start time

 

Methow Valley Pursuit/Nordic Festival – January 26/27, 2013

MVSTA

15k Classic/30k Skate 2-Day “Pursuit” race, Citizen races, 30k Team Relay Skate, Kids Obstacle Course, Women’s costume party/ski tour.

15k classic, 30k skate, 10k (per team member) skate relay.

Chickadee, Mazama and Town Trailheads

 

Bakke Cup - February 2, 2013

LWSC

Ski Jumping, Nordic Races and Alpine Events

8:15am start time

Ski Hill

 

Methow Ski Derby – February 9, 2013

MVSTA/Methow Nordic Club

Classic Race

30k, 15k

Chickadee Trailhead

 

Spokane Langlauf - February 10, 2013

SNSA

Race/tour

10k

Mt. Spokane Cross Country Ski Park

 

Methow Valley Tour – February 16, 2013

MVSTA/Methow Nordic Club

Non-competitive ski tour of Methow trails

80k, 50k 30k, 20k options

Cub Creek, Mazama and Town Trailheads

 

Bavarian Cup - February 16, 2013

LWSC

Freestyle and 1-day pursuit races for all ages and abilities.

15k, 5k, 3k, 2k, lollipop

9:00am start time

Ski Hill

 

Stampede - February 17th, 2013

Kongsberger Club

15k skiathlon 7.5k classic, 7.5k skate or 7.5k freestyle
11 am start time

 

Hog Loppet - February 23, 2013 

LWSC

Non-competitive Ski Trek

30k

7:30am start time

Mission Ridge

 

Selkir Series and JNQ - February 23/24, 2013 

SNSA

Adult and junior racing

Mt Spokane Cross Country Ski Park

 

Ozbaldy - March 10th, 2013

Kongsberger Club

Freestyle

50k
9 am start time

 

 

October Skiing

The Methow Valley is rejoicing over some early season snow.  Really early season!  Here are some skiers up  on Washington Pass on October 25th! 
A reminder that MVSTA early season discount rates are in effect until November 10th.  You only need to ski 12 days all season to make a season pass worthwhile.  At this rate 12 days might be sometime in November!  Get your ski pass on-line or stop into the MVSTA office...our new office in downtown Winthrop!  

MVSTA receives $50,000 Endowment Grant

The Methow Valley Sport Trails Association (MVSTA) is honored to be the recipient of a $50,000 endowment grant from the Community Foundation of Northcentral Washington.(CFNCW)

MVSTA was one of 31 applicants that initially applied for the grant. Later the grant was narrowed down to 5 finalists. MVSTA was chosen based upon its exemplary qualities of a well-established nonprofit that has impacted the community and shows great potential for further growth.

The $50,000 endowment grant will be managed by CFNCW and the award recipient will receive an annual income which is currently at 5%. CFNCW anticipated the award recipient to grow the endowment, not only to increase their annual income but allow for sustainability of the organization and resources to further their mission in perpetuity.  “The Community Foundation builds permanent charitable endowments for our region’s needs in the future - that’s what we do.” said Beth Stipe, the CFNCW's Executive Director. 

MVSTA Executive Director James DeSalvo shared, “we would not have been positioned to attempt this grant if we were not already 'standing on the shoulders of giants'. Throughout the history or our organization we have been propelled by the creativity and the leadership of those who had the initial vision to start the Methow Family Sports Club 35 years ago and build MVSTA into what it has become. This endowment is obviously a tip of the hat to everyone who has believed in what we do and the benefits of  'trails for life'.”

The significance of the endowment award is tremendous.  This is the first time MVSTA has significantly committed to the future of our trails, the local economy, and the overall health and well being of the community. To launch an endowment with a solid partner like the CFNCW creates substantial momentum. The endowment will eventually build a reliable source of income that would relieve pressure on our annual budget, allow us to invest more in summer/winter trail infrastructure, and invest further in the endowment when we have a solid year. This endowment award enhances our fiscal stability and sends a message to our community partners that we plan to be around for generations. 

Cutthroat Classic Photos

Congratulations Runners on another fantastic Cutthroat Classic Trail Run.

Here is a link to a few photos from mitchellimage.com.  Look for many more incredible shots to be added to the Mitchell Image website by Monday where you may purchase images from the race.

Thanks again for coming out and we look forward to hosting this inspirational race again next year!

Let's Create Something Great

The Methow Valley Sport Trails Association is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the design and construction of a new trailhead kiosk/shelter at the Mazama Corral Trailhead and the Town Trailhead in Winthrop.  

Striking architecture and scenic vistas are two of the hallmarks of the Methow Valley ski trail system.  This is a unique opportunity to combine the beauty of local architecture with the scenic beauty of the Methow Valley trail system. A visitor's first and last experience on the MVSTA trails would be a newly designed and built trailhead/kiosk shelter that showcases the best the Methow Valley has to offer.  

All questions and proposals should be submitted to James DeSalvo by August 24th, 2012 to james@mvsta.com.

1. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE

The Methow Valley Sport Trails Association manages the largest and finest network of winter trails in the U.S. and provides a cornerstone amenity that upholds a thriving local economy year-round, yet our traihead kiosks are antiquated and in some cases, non-existent. Our hope is to tap into local creativity, enthusiasm, and resources in order to provide a "trailhead experience" that matches the quality and care that we invest in our truly unique trail system. 

The kiosk/shelter will meet the following objectives.

a. Provide a functional design that gives users a space to comfortably view trail

information.

b. Provide a unique destination that begins or concludes a trail users experience and in and of itself is something worth experiencing. 

c. Assists in establishing a “gateway” to our trail system so it feels like you are passing through or by something.  

2. BACKGROUND

MVSTA serves Methow Valley residents, as well as visiting cross-country skiers and summer recreational trail users from metropolitan areas around the Pacific Northwest, North America, and beyond. We support 40-50,000 skier days in the winter months, and an equal number of hikers, bikers, equestrians and runners in the spring, summer and fall. More specifically both the Mazama Coral Tralhead and the Winthrop Town Trailhead server as the primary "gateway" to our 200km trail system. The majority of our trail users pass by these two highly visible kiosks. The trails are responsible for generating 8.6 million in annual revenue to the Valley (from trail-use related expenditures) and are responsible for creating 128.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) local jobs. (Resource Dimensions, 2005)

The current project will replace our 2 most popular trailhead kiosks. However we would eventually like to replace 7 more within a 5 year period. The majority of our trail-users are visitors who need good information and a welcoming atmosphere in order to feel comfortable using our trail system. Currently, the new Town Trailhead entrance consists of only random signs and structures, as opposed to a central information and welcome center. With the addition of the new Spring Creek Bridge and Rink, the Town Trailhead is one of our most popular trailheads. The Mazama Corral Trailhead is our most popular trailhead due to its significant year round use and the concentration of trails that depart from the location. 

We've received comments directly and via survey results from locals and visitors alike that indicate that easily accessed information and trailhead amenities are the weakest link in the overall trail experience. A 2010 MVSTA trails survey assessed the top priorities of trail-users. When asked: What would you suggest as the most important trailside amenity proposed additions, the top two answers were:

1) Improved trailhead info

2) Addition of warming huts

3. BUDGET & COST ESTIMATES

We have recently received a $2,000 grant from the Methow Valley Community Fund that will aid the material cost to replace our traihead kiosk at the Corral Trailhead in Mazama. We have also received a matching $2,000 from another organization that will aid in the material cost to replace the kiosk at the Winthrop Town Trailhead. 

These very generous gifts are sufficient to only cover the cost of materials for a simple kiosk and represent the funds that we have available for the project. Proposals are encouraged to meet the project objectives above with these funds and provide additional funding to cover any additional costs. Proposals should also include building costs that would be covered by your own building team with potentially some help from our service program members depending on the designs complexity/difficulty. 

We believer the kiosks have the opportunity to be fantastic showcases for design and build firms. 

4. DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS:

To allow for as unique and creative design as possible we have minimized the specifications of the design to the following list:

· The kiosk/shelter structure needs to be movable in the unlikely event that the trailhead location changes.

· The design will include at a minimum a small covered area and bench.

· The construction of the kiosk/shelter will meet the budget parameters above.

· Approval for the project has been given by the land owners but final designs must be approved by landowners.

· We currently don’t have utilities at any of our trailheads and don’t plan to bring any to the structures unless additional funding would allow. 

5. PROPOSED TIMELINE:

· Proposal submittal deadline, August 24th, 2012

· Top 2 proposals awarded, September 4th, 2012

· Construction of kiosks begins, September 17th, 2012

· Construction completed, October 19th, 2012

6. BASIS FOR AWARD OF CONTRACT:

Contracts will be awarded to the proposals that best meet the objectives, budget, and design specifications above as determined by the MVSTA Board of Directors with input from trail users. A final vote by the MVSTA Board will be made at the September 3rd board meeting. The design of our future kiosks/shelters will be taken from the pool of proposals we receive and our intention is to have a diverse range of designs represented across the valley. 

A full, printable copy of the RFP can be found here.  

Summer Singletrack Celebration July 5-9

The International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) is rolling into Winthrop July 5-9 to help us celebrate Methow Valley mountain biking! MVSTA, Methow Cycle and Sport, Okanogan National Forest, The Chewuch Inn, and IMBA invite you to join us for 5 days of events and activities aimed at making the Methow Valley an even better place to ride! See the schedule of events below and to register visit the event page at IMBA or stop into Methow Cycle and Sport to register. Let's ride!


Singletrack Celebration


Thursday July, 5 7-9pm
Mountain Bike Party @ Winthrop Ice Rink
To kick the party off, the mountain biking community is invited to join IMBA, MVSTA, Methow Cycle and Sport, and the Okanogan National Forest for an evening of socializing, storytelling and celebrating great riding. The award-winning movie Pedal Driven will shown and great food and drinks will be available. Everyone welcome!

Friday, July 6
9-12noon
Land Manager Training
Local land managers will meet to discuss the practice of building and maintaining sustainable mountain bike trails and how to partner with local mountain biking organizations to achieve great trails.

Saturday, July 7 9-4pm
Trail Building School
9-noon at Winthrop Ice Rink, 1-4pm Sun Mountain
This 1-day school teaches mountain biking advocates how to build sustainable singletrack. We hope many people in the local community will join us for the fun day of learning and building. Learn how to build and maintain the best trails! Lunch for the participants is graciously provided by Methow Cycle and Sport. Register for this event on IMBA's website or by stopping into Methow Cycle and Sport.

Sunday, July 8th
Mountain Bike Ride
9am meet at the Winthrop Barn to carpool to location TBD
Let's ride together and show IMBA why mountain biking in the Methow is so great! We are hoping to ride either Buck Mountain or Cutthroat Pass but will make this decision closer to the event when we can assess snow levels. We hope you will join us for this no-drop ride.

Monday, July 9th
Better Living Through Trails
8:30-10am Winthrop Barn
Join IMBA and the Winthrop and Twisp Chamber of Commerces for a presentation on the positive relationship between communities and trails. How great trails improve the overall quality of life for a community, how they enhance the economics of a community and how to turn a quality trail system into a destination trail system. The public is invited!

The Summer Singletrack Celebration is a grant MVSTA received from IMBA. Thanks to IMBA for the opportunity to enhance our trails. Also huge thanks to these community businesses who didn't hesitate to help host this event: The Chewuch Inn, Methow Cycle and Sport, Methow Valley Ciderhouse, Rocking Horse Bakery, NOCA, the Okanogan National Forest, The Winthrop Ice Rink, and the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce.

Mazama 10k Photos

Fantastic Day as always for the Mazama 10k. Thanks to all the runners who came out and enjoyed sun, conversation and pancakes!  Here are some great photos from Mitchell Images.  Full resolution images will be for sale on Monday at www.mitchellimage.com

Mazama 5k & 10k Trail Run Memorial Weekend

Our ultra popular Mazama 5k&10k Trail Run happens this Memorial Weekend, May 26th. This is a really fun family and friend tradition which includes a free 1K run for the kids and a 5k or a 10k run for anyone. And one of the best perks is the finish line is a all-you-can eat pancake breakfast. Register in advance or the morning of the event.

2012 Sunflower Marathon Photos-

Here are some great photos from Mitchell Images. The high resolution versions will be available for sale via Steve's website at www.mitchellimages.com on Monday.

Here are a few other photos from today's Sunflower Marathon!   Thanks to everyone who joined in the fun, sunshine and sunflowers!  It was a great day.

Summer Singletrack Celebration July 5-9

The International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) is rolling into Winthrop July 5-9 to help us celebrate Methow Valley mountain biking! MVSTA, Methow Cycle and Sport, Okanogan National Forest, The Chewuch Inn, and IMBA invite you to join us for 5 days of events and activities aimed at making the Methow Valley an even better place to ride! See the schedule of events below and to register visit the event page at IMBA or stop into Methow Cycle and Sport to register. Let's ride!

Summer Singletrack Celebration

Thursday July, 5 7-9pm
Mountain Bike Party @ Winthrop Ice Rink
To kick the party off, the mountain biking community is invited to join IMBA, MVSTA, Methow Cycle and Sport, and the Okanogan National Forest for an evening of socializing, storytelling and celebrating great riding. The award-winning movie Pedal Driven will shown and great food and drinks will be available.

Friday, July 6
9-12noon
Land Manager Training
Local land managers will meet to discuss the practice of building and maintaining sustainable mountain bike trails and how to partner with local mountain biking organizations to achieve great trails.

Saturday, July 7 9-4pm
Trail Building School
9-noon at Winthrop Ice Rink, 1-4pm Sun Mountain
This 1-day school teaches mountain biking advocates how to build sustainable singletrack. We hope many people in the local community will join us for the fun day of learning and building. Lunch for the participants is graciously provided by Methow Cycle and Sport. Register for this event on IMBA's website or by stopping into Methow Cycle and Sport.

Sunday, July 8th
Mountain Bike Ride
9am meet at the Winthrop Barn to carpool to location TBD
Let's ride together and show IMBA why mountain biking in the Methow is so great! We are hoping to ride either Buck Mountain or Cutthroat Pass but will make this decision closer to the event when we can assess snow levels. We hope you will join us for this no-drop ride.

Monday, July 9th
Better Living Through Trails
8:30-10am Winthrop Barn
Join IMBA and the Winthrop and Twisp Chamber of Commerces for a presentation on the positive relationship between communities and trails. How great trails improve the overall quality of life for a community, how they enhance the economics of a community and how to turn a quality trail system into a destination trail system. The public is invited! 

The Summer Singletrack Celebration is a grant MVSTA received from IMBA. Thanks to IMBA for the opportunity to enhance our trails. Also huge thanks to these community businesses who didn't hesitate to help host this event: The Chewuch Inn, Methow Cycle and Sport, Methow Valley Ciderhouse, NOCA Coffeehouse, Rocking Horse Bakery, the Okanogan National Forest, The Winthrop Ice Rink, and the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce.

One Final Hurrah!

Our fabulous videographer, Steve Foreman just finished putting together this great ski video as a tribute to our fantastic Methow Valley ski season.  Enjoy!

Link to video

Thanks for another fantastic ski season

The 2011-2012 Winter Ski Season was fantastic. Thanks to everyone who helped us enjoy the snow! 

Some final stats:
Officially the MVSTA ski trails opened on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2011
Our last official day of skiing was April 1, 2012
130 days of skiing this season of which we groomed 127 of those days dipping into 6 months!

We can't wait until next ski season. Until then stay in touch with us via this blog, Facebook, our website and come visit the Methow Valley this summer and mountain bike, trail run and hike the trails!

MVSTA Grooming Schedule for our final season days

Sniff, Sob, Sniff......here is our grooming schedule for the final days of March. Please be sure to check the grooming report each day as this could change due to weather, mechanical issues, etc. 
Our grooming schedule to April 1st:
Saturday March 24  Rendezvous and Mazama
Sunday March 25  Sun Mountain and Mazama
Monday March 26 Rendezvous
Tuesday March 27 no grooming scheduled
Wednesday March 28 Mazama
Saturday March 31 Location TBA
Sunday April 1 Location TBA

By our final grooming day on Sunday, April 1 we will have groomed 129 days this season!  129 days!  Of course we could not do this without our groomers and we certainly would not have as good of product without the talents of Adam, Steve, Jake, Lance, Ed, Liam, Casey, Mike and Rob.  These nine gentleman have made our season nothing short of magical.  Here is a video tribute to our groomers!

New MVSTA Program Manager is Danica Kaufman

MVSTA is excited to announce that Danica Ready Kaufman has been hired as the Program Manager. Danica brings 8 years of experience serving MVSTA directly in a variety of roles as well as a great deal of motivation and inspiration to take MVSTA to the next level in program delivery. Most of her professional experience has been in teaching and non-profit development and she has worked for other local non-profits, most notably the Methow Conservancy. Her educational background is in biology, and geology, and Danica moved to the Valley in 2001, where she has raised her two kids (Payten and Ben) on the trails. As Program Manager Danica’s primary focus will be to develop and deliver high quality and sustainable winter programs as well as our traditional signature events. You are sure to see her in the coming months on race day, event day, and in the day to day operations at MVSTA.

Photo: Danica skiing with her son Ben.

Spring ahead....with more SKIING

SKIER ALERT! We will be grooming through all of March! We will keep grooming the areas that will allow the best skiing through the month! Don't miss out. You are going to miss it when it's gone so maximize your spring by skiing! As always our daily grooming report will provide the latest information! What a fantastic year!

2012 Winter Triathlon Photos

Never a bad day in Mazama!
Here are the photos from the Winter Triathlon.



Open the web album And even more photos can be found here.

Biathlon in Mazama

Saturday, February 25th is the last opportunity this winter to try the sport of Biathlon.

The Methow Valley Biathlon Team will share details on the equipment, history, training and safety of the sport before inviting participants to take turns shooting at targets and skiing the biathlon course. Open to everyone ages 9 and older. No previous experience in biathlon required and no advance registration required. First come, first shoot. This is a fundraiser for the Methow Valley Biathlon Team.

Location: Mazama Biathlon Range- must ski out to the range from the Mazama Corral parking lot
Start Times: 11-1pm
Cost: $20 Donation appreciated which covers the cost of ammo and assists MVB's mission
DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!

Doggy Dash Photos

The 57th annual Doggy Dash was another huge success!  Can't wait until next year!  Here are photo highlights....



For viewing on iPads,tablets, etc check out the Non-flash browser: open web album And more great photos from Lidija Kamansky here

MVSTA Job Opportunity! Program Manager

MVSTA is the premier Nordic ski area and one of the greatest models of a community supported trail network in the country. We are seeking a versatile individual who will works with a team of 3 core staff members to deliver the mission, goals and values of the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association in a clear and inspiring manner to all trail users and program participants.  This position will start this spring but annually runs from August 1-May 15th.  Full job description and details can be found here. Deadline for applying is February 20th. 

Inspired while skiing

A few days ago I took the MVSTA office dogs out for a ski to Big Valley. It was a beautiful, blue bird day however the wind was blowing like a desert storm. Drifts covered the trail and the visibility at times was nil. After skiing a few minutes, I encountered a skier headed back to her car and she told me, "There is only one other skier crazy enough to be out there in this wind and she is sketching!"  I had to go check it out.

 Skiing up to Susan Gallagher.  Sure enough, she is sketching!

Bundled against the elements and getting inspiration from the mountains! 

 Susan showed me some of her amazing sketches.

The drawing from that afternoon. 

Groundhog Day

Another fantastic Groundhog Day celebration in the Methow.  Wilbur saw his shadow ensuring us of 6 more weeks of winter.  Enjoy the photos!

Backyard Ski Day Photos

We hope everyone had a great time at Backyard Ski Day.

Here are the photos from the Winthrop Town Trailhead
https://picasaweb.google.com/111658637686700033032/BackyardSkiDay

And from the Mazama Traihead
https://picasaweb.google.com/108979084085666578568/20120127BackyardSkiMVSTA?authkey=Gv1sRgCICOpI2C2vHCYg#

And a few more from Mazama
https://picasaweb.google.com/111658637686700033032/BackyardMikePhotos

Photos of Day #2 Methow Valley Pursuit

Another incredible day of racing and lots of new snow! Congratulations to all the racers. Thanks for coming and enjoy the photos.

Photos of Day #1 Methow Valley Pursuit

It was a fun day of racing today with lots of new snow! Here are the photos of the classic skiing action!
Enjoy!


View Web Album

Skiing related iPhone Apps

We have been so blown-away by the excitement around our free MVSTA Grooming Report iPhone app that we thought it would be fun to share some other apps that might appeal to fans of the Methow Valley and avid Nordic skiers. We would love to hear what apps you use and enjoy for your recreational pursuits. Please leave a comment and we will include it on this list. Disclaimer: some of these apps we use often, others we just found while researching this topic. Most importantly, don't spend all your time with your phone, get out and ski!




The List:
MVSTA Grooming Report App Free and available for Android phones too
Nordic Glide Wax Which wax to use: lists Swix, Toko and Solda
Ski the Loup  Free Loup Loup ski area report
Methow Valley News The Methow Valley's weekly newspaper
Racesplitter: time your intervals, time a full Nordic ski race
Ski Tracks: created for alpine but measures some of what we want to know in Nordic
Ski-o-Meter: how fast are you skiing
Hangtimer: how much time have you spent in mid-air on your skis (or bike)
Sportstracker: in the Methow Valley working out 3 times/day is the norm
Cyclemeter: track,track, track what you've done
Yoga Stretch: a class is better and the Methow has a lot of great Yoga classes, but it is a tool
Skyview: point phone to the sky for all the info on stars and planets
Weather Channel : we haven't found the perfect Methow Valley weather app, have you?