Happy New Year

Best wishes to everyone for a happy new year. Talk to you again in 2010.

New Year's Eve Party

It's party time at Sun Mountain Lodge. Back to supply the music is the outstanding 12 string guitarist David Lee Howard. He has played numerous times at Sun Mountain and is always a crowd pleaser. Also on tap is a four course dinner in the Dining Room from Executive Chef J. Russell Bradshaw and his team. And for the kids there is a sleigh ride and dinner followed by a Carnival Party. So come on up and get the new year off to a great start at Sun Mountain Lodge.

ACF Apprenticeship Program Approval

Sun Mountain Lodge has been approved by the American Culinary Federation as a culinary apprenticeship site. Congratulations to Executive Chef J. Russell Bradshaw for achieving this distinction and setting up the program. In addition to our current program of hosting culinary school externs, we will now also offer a full-blown culinary apprenticeship program.

SNOW! (but not much)

Received a trace of new snow today. Helps to whiten things up. Skiing is still good on Little Wolf, Thompson Ridge, the Rendezvous (Cub Creek side) and Mazama. I skied Couger Bait today on classic no-wax and it was very fun. More snow is in the immediate forecast, so let's keep our fingers crossed.

Local's ski day

I personally went out and checked on the ski trails yesterday and ran into most of the Valley. I skated out Little Wolf to the Homestead. The coverage was excellent, the surface was fast but not icy, and the classic tracks looked good. On the way I ran into Dr. Joe Jensen, our local family practice doc. Then around the corner I bumped into Ann Henry, wife of Joe's predecessor at Methow Valley Family Practice, Doc Henry. (Ann, I haven't seen knickers like that in ages!). Then Mike Kutz and Steve Devin skied by. Their daughters, Casey and Jamie, both race for Montana State University. Then I met Scott Johnston, coach of the Methow Olympic Development Team, teaching a classic clinic for the Methow Vally Nordic Club. And finally Dick Ewing and Brett Alumbaugh, two of our instructors for Don Portman's Methow Valley Ski School, were out honing their skills. (Brett was doing that most difficult of tasks, teaching his own kids!). So don't let the local's have all the fun, come out and ski.

Santa, Cookies and Songs

Yesterday's MV Nordic Team ski-with-santa and cookie decorating session at the Lodge was a big success. Tonight the Cascadia choir sings in the main lobby at 5:00 pm.

Christmas Week

Christmas week is upon us. Mother Nature has not been overly generous with snow, but where the trails are groomed the skiing is good. Most of the trails around Sun Mountain Lodge, in Mazama and on the Cub Creek side of the Rendezvous are open. We received a dusting of new snow last night, the clouds are moving out and the sun is coming. Check the web cam and the mvsta grooming report for updates. Lots of holiday happenings over the next 2 weeks at Sun Mountain. We are hosting the Methow Valley Nordic Ski Team's annual ski-with-santa outing this afternoon. Tomorrow evening the Cascadia Choir sings in the lobby at 5pm. Check out our home page on the website for further details. Happy Holidays.

Grand Re-Opening

Today is the seasonal grand re-opening of Sun Mountain Lodge. We have sunshine and powder snow and the Lodge is all decorated for the holidays. A list of all our holiday activities is on the home page of our website.

More New Snow

We received about 2 more inches of new snow last night. And it is snowing lightly now. Looking very White Christmas-like out there. Don Portman, our Director of Skiing, was out classic skiing on Little Wolf yesterday afternoon and said it was good. No classic tracks set yet, but hopefully soon. He ran into Laura McCabe, ex-U.S. Olympic skier, who was teaching a clinic for the Methow Nordic Club.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Hooray! Six inches of new snow last night. The Methow Valley Nordic Club's Annual Ski Camp kicks off the winter season at Sun Mountain Lodge on Thursday.

Nordic Man Video

Check out this fun video on You Tube about Nordic Man and his interest in Sun Mountain Lodge. Send it on to your friends!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLlUr6Ev8FQ

Welcome Back

I have just returned from my seven week layoff. We received an inch of new snow last night and are hoping for a bunch more tonight and tomorrow. The Lodge is still re-opening this Thursday, December 17. Hope to see you up here soon for some winter fun.