Great Skiing and Great Food

Tons of snow out there makes for some super skiing this week, as well as excellent snowshoeing and sledding. (Sorry, no ice skating up here yet, it hasn't been cold enough. The rink in Winthrop is open, weather permitting). And a great menu for New Year's Eve in the Dining Room featuring locally farmed entrees from Crown S Ranch and the Big Valley Ranch. There are still a few rooms available for New Year's Eve, so make your reservations today.

Winter is Here (And so is Santa)

Back from our annual fall closure. Two feet of snow on the ground and snowing! The Methow Valley Nordic Team was up at Sun Mountain Lodge yesterday for Christmas cookie decorating and to meet with Santa Claus. 80 whirling deverishes created quite a blur around here. Santa will make a few more appearances over the next few days, lots of holiday music and great food. Still some rooms left for the week after Christmas, so call today. Merry Christmas to all.

Fall Closedown Oct. 24 - Dec. 16, 2010

The Lodge will be closing on Sunday, October 24th for our annual fall closedown for maintenance and remodelling. We will re-open on Thursday, December 16 for the annual Methow Valley Nordic Club's Ski Camp. Summer is over, it's time to THINK SNOW. See you in December.

Spanish Wine Dinner

This Saturday, October 2, we will be having a Spanish themed wine dinner in the Dining Room. The first course is a salad of Serrano ham, Manchego pasamontes cheese and arugula with a roasted onion vinaigrette. The entree is roasted Cornish hen with Valencia rice, mushrooms, foie gras and cinnamon jus. Finish the dinner off with a plum tart Frangipane and Serena cheese. Each course is accompanied by specially paired Spanish wine. Cost is $65 per person plus gratuity and tax. Please call the Dining Room at 509 996 4707 to make reservations.

Fall Colors and Bike Fun

The fall colors are in full swing right now. Larches in the high mountains, aspens in the foothills and cottonwoods down by the river. Also, this weekend is the MVSTA Fall Bike Festival. Lots of great events for the whole family. Check out their program at http://www.mvsta.com/summer/bikefest.html Come on over, enjoy the fall colors, and have a great time!

Big Fish at Moccasin Lake

The fall fishing season has opened at Moccasin Lake. Bret Alumbaugh, our Activities Director and Fly Fishing Guide, says the first few days of fishing have been great. The lake is stocked with a Kamloops trout/Steelhead hybrid and a small population of German Brown trout. Fish average 3.5 to 7 pounds, with some even larger. Cost is $195 per person per day and guided trips can be booked through our Activites Center at 509 996 4735.

Cutthroat Classic

This weekend is also the annual running of MVSTA's Cutthroat Classic. This is one of the great mountain running events anywhere. Along the Pacific Crest Trail from Rainy Pass to Cutthroat Lake. 11.1 miles with 2,000 feet of elevation gain on the way up to Cutthroat Pass. Stunning views at every turn. If you are a runner, it is an event you have to make. Unfortunately, this year's race (as it is every year) is sold out. So get ready for next year's race and start training today. For more information visit mvsta.com.

Fiddle Dee Dee

This weekend the town of Winthrop is hosting the 12th Annual North Cascades Oldtime Fiddlers Contest. The contest will take place on Saturday, August 28th in the Winthrop Park by the Big Red Barn. Over the years the contest has hosted top notch fiddlers from all over the Northwest and as far away as Texas, North Carolina, Georgia and Colorado. Brad Pinkerton, contest chair, says "we have changed some of the standard fiddle contest rules to loosen our contest up and make it more fun for both the fiddlers and the audience." Fiddling starts at 9am. Admission is $12 for adults, $6 for seniors and kids 12 and under are free. And once again, the Giant Insect Contest will take place at the noon lunch break. For more information click here.

August Food Freshies

This just in from Chef Bradshaw: "As we approach mid-August we are still reminded of the late spring. Tomatoes are still trying to ripen. Because of the rains, we have an abundance of braising greens as well as baby beets which we are serving roasted; beans; baby cipollini onions and baby leeks served grilled. Sweet peas are out, so we have changed our seared sea scallop dish to include mascarpone mashed potatoes with a sweet pea sauce, a melange of local organic roasted bell peppers and foraged mushrooms. We are also featuring local Crown S Ranch natural chicken prepared as seen on KING5 TV's NW Backroads show with Sunny Pine Farms goat cheese, spinach, Bluebird Grain Farms emmer "risotto", apple cider sauce and local organic vegetables. Peaches are perfect right now so be on the look out for some nice fresh peach dessert specials."

Chef Bradshaw on Northwest Backroads

Executive Chef J. Russell Bradshaw and the Sun Mountain Lodge culinary program were featured on KING 5's Northwest Backroads television program last Saturday night. The segment focussed on the local food produced here in the Methow Valley and how it is presented at Sun Mountain. Click here for the link: http://www.king5.com/on-tv/northwest-backroads/Methow-has-reputation-for-delicious-local-food-98757019.html

Bookwalter Wine Dinner!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

A delectable three-course dinner
featuring award-winning wines from Bookwalter Winery.
$60 per person + gratuity & tax. Limited seating!
Special room rates of just $150 + tax per room
for wine dinner participants!
Reservations Required! Secure yours by calling
the Dining Room direct at (509) 996-4707

Sunny Spring Weather is Here

Our usual May weather has returned. Sunny and 72 degrees today with a light breeze. The balsamroot are out in full bloom. Lupine is starting to show up. Trails are in great shape. Definitely the time to be here. The Fielding Hills Wine Dinner is this weekend, it should be excellent. Hope to see you here.

All melted

It's now 2 o'clock in the afternoon of May 5 and all the snow has melted.

feliz cinco de mayo...

...and a Merry Christmas, too! :)

North Cascade Highway re-opens!

Highway 20, the North Cascade Highway, will re-open today at 3 PM. Yay!

Highway 20 Update

As of this morning, the North Cascade Highway, aka Highway 20, is temporarily closed due to the snow yesterday. They will be assessing the snowpack stability today. They are also looking at some rockslide issues on the west side. Check the highway status at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ before heading over that way.

Spring Activities

This just in from the Activities Department: Hour and a half horseback rides have started. Enjoy the beautiful spring flowers from atop your mount as you traverse the Sun Mountain Lodge trails. $35 for adults, $30 for kids. Mountain bikes are available in the Activity Shop. All the lower trails are open. $15 for two hours, includes helmet. Fishing is open down at Patterson Lake and there are rowboats, canoes and paddleboats for rent. $10 per hour. Whitewater rafting on the Methow River starts Saturday, May 1. $90 for adults, $80 for kids. Includes wetsuit, booties and lunch. Introduction to Fly Casting classes are avalaible from Kevin and Bret in the Activities Shop, $40. Tennis courts, 2 hot tubs, volleyball and horseshoes are all open and ready to go. So come up and get active.

Spring Flowers

The spring flowers are coming out! Lots of yellowbells, bluebells and spring beauties. The arrowleaf balsamroot (aka sunflowers) are starting to show up as well. The big white serviceberry bushes are in full bloom too. The early season, lime green aspen leaves are leafing out. It all makes for a wonderful profusion of color. Come up and enjoy.

Springtime Openings!

The Lodge officially re-opens today, as does the North Cascades Highway. Come on up and see us - it's going to be a great spring!

Sun Mountain Lodge Wins "Washington Wine Restaurant of the Year!"

The Washington Wine Commission handed out its awards this weekend to some of the top restaurants that demonstrate a high level of support for Washington Wines. Topping the list for its "tremendous enthusiasm and support" for more than two decades, Sun Mountain Lodge (Winthrop, WA) took home this year's top honor as Washington Wine Restaurant of the Year.

Read the rest of the article from the Seattle Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/x-24238-Seattle-Art-Industry-Examiner~y2010m3d26-Fridays-food-file-Washington-wine-restaurant-of-the-year

Washington State DOT to begin clearing the Pass Monday!

On Monday, March 22, the Washington State Dept. of Transportation will begin clearing the North Cascades Highway (20). Due to lower snow levels this year, they are estimating that the clearing will only take about 3 weeks. Check their progress by visiting the DOT website here: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/northcascades

Junior Nationals

Eight members of the Methow Valley Junior Nordic Ski Team will be travelling to Presque Isle, Maine next week to compete in the Junior Olympics. Racers must qualify over the course of the season to be able to participate. Qualifying races were held here in the Methow, Bend, OR, Soldier Hollow, UT and Mt Spokane. Representing the Methow Valley on the Pacific Northwest Region Team will be Marc LeDuc, Evan Turner, Matty Coleman, Casey Smith, Jacqueline O'Keefe, Sage Abate, Kelsey Dickinson and Nina Ekblad. Congratulations!

Spring Closure

Sun Mountain Lodge will be closing for six weeks this spring for cleaning and renovation. We close at noon on Sunday, March 7 and reopen on Friday, April 16. Our reservations lines will be open during the closure from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM every day. See you again in April.

2009/2010 Jr. Nordic Team coaches. Thanks so much!

Who needs a napkin when you have ski gloves!?!

Hardworking Chefs at the Methow Valley Jr. Nordic Team's hotdog and photo day!

2009/2010 Methow Valley

Jr. Nordic Team and Coaches

Sun Mountain Lodge was happy to host the Methow Valley Jr. Nordic Team's annual Hot Dog & Photo day last Thursday, February 25.

New Snow

Received an inch of new snow last night. That should freshen up the ski trails very nicely. And now the sun is shining.

Wonderful Washington Wines

Did you know that 95 percent of all Washington State wines submitted to Wine Spectator in 2009 were rated 85 points or higher? It's true. In addition, 44 percent of all Washington wines submitted last year received a rating of 90 points or above. That compares to French wines at 38 percent, Oregon at 37 percent and California at only 30 percent. And at Sun Mountain we have a great selection of Washington wines. 92 different Washington wineries are on our wine list showcasing 382 different wines. So come try some of the best wine in the world, found right here in Washington State and at Sun Mountain Lodge.

Sunshine and ski racing

A beautiful Methow Valley day out there. Our sales manager, Geof Childs, went out skate skiing before work this morning and said it was excellent. Kikkan Randall of the US is racing today in the 1.5KM classic sprint up at Whistler. She qualified in 10th position and moves on to heats. Go Kikkan!

Super Sunday

Are you ready for some football? Sunday, Feb. 7, we will be hosting a Super Bowl party in the Pasayten Room. 5 big screen tvs, couches, comfy chairs and tables will be set up. Or, BYOR. (bring your own recliner). Gates open at 3 pm. Party with gamelong snacks and halftime buffet is $15 per person plus tax. Bar service will be available. And if you want to spend the night, rooms are only $44 plus tax. Lots of other super deals as well. 20% off all sportswear in the ski shop. $10 ski pass and $6 ski package rental after 2pm. 20% off all sportswear in the gift shop, including red tag items. And four super specials in the spa. So come on up and enjoy the day. There is something for eveyone on Super Sunday!

Weather

Got an email from Jay Lucas, executive director of MVSTA, regarding our January weather. Comments from Jim on the Cliff Mass Weather Blog indicate that January was the warmest on record for Winthrop. It averaged 29.6 degrees and beat older records by nearly a degree. Only 7 days in January had high temperatures that remained below freezing. Snowfall was near normal at 20.8 inches. Precip was 1.11 inches above normal at 3.11. So if you thought it was warm last month, you were right.

World Championships

Today in Hinterzarten, Germany, Methow Valley native Sadie Bjornson finished 13th in the 1Km freestyle sprint at the U23 World Championships. Yesterday her brother Erik finished 23rd in the same event at the World Junior Championships, also in Hinterzarten. Congratulations to Sadie and Erik! In more race news, local Brian Gregg won both races at this weekends USSA Super Tour event in Minnesota. Way to go Brian!

Super Tour Race Recap

Saturday's sprint races were an absolute gem. Beautiful sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. North Central Washington racers were dominate. Torin Koos (Leavenworth) and Laura Valaas (Wenatchee) were the winners. On Sunday up at Loop Loop, they again took home the top honors on a very difficult waxing day. Brian Gregg of Winthrop had a great race and finished 2nd. If you ever get a chance to attend a Super Tour race, do it. These skiers are awesome!

It's Twuu, It's Twuu

I know that if you look at the webcam you will say to yourself, yuck. But the skiing is really excellent. Don Portman, Laura McCabe, Annie B, and my wife were all out skating yesterday and said that it was really fast and really fun. So pay no attention to the weather report, come out and ski.

Looks Gross, Skis Good

Fog, light rain, dark, gloomy. The weather is not the most beautiful in the world. But, yesterday I classic skied on no-wax skis up Thompson Ridge. The glide was good, the grip was good. It was very quiet and peaceful. I didn't see a soul in an hour of skiing. And, even better, it was a very pleasant temperature. I didn't even wear a coat. So, looks can be deceiving, get out and go for a ski.

More Ski Racing

This weekend is the USSA Super Tour races in Winthrop. Two members of the US Olympic team will be on hand: Torin Koos from Leavenworth and Laura Valaas from Wenatchee. In addition, two members of the Canadian National Team, Shayla Swanson and Drew Goldsack, will be racing. Philip Boit, the sole member of the Kenyan National Cross Country Ski Team (who trained in the Methow last winter) will also be in attendance. And last but not least, our own Brian Gregg, off an outstanding showing at US Senior Nationals last week in Anchorage, will be here defending his home turf. So come on out and watch some of the best skiers that we have ever had the opportunity to see.

More Senior Nationals

Yesterday Brian Gregg placed 5th in the 30K classic mass start race at the U.S. Senior National Cross Country Ski Championships in Anchorage, AK. Way to go Brian, that is awesome! A little known fact: Brian is an accomplished artist. You can view his work entitled "A Person Having Big Feet" in the restroom foyer of Sun Mountain Lodge. It was painted during his days at the Little Star Montessori School in Winthrop. Don't miss it!

More new snow and now: SUN

We received about seven inches of new snow on Monday. All the trails have been groomed and the skiing and snowshoeing are great. Now the sun is out and all is well in the world. Speaking of the world, four of our Methow Valley nordic skiers are at the U.S. Senior National Cross Country Ski Championships in Anchorage, AK as we speak. Sadie Bjornsen, Eric Bjornsen, Sam Naney and Brian Gregg all were members of the Methow Valley Junior Nordic Team and honed their skills on all the trails in the Valley. All four of them qualified for the heats in the freestyle sprint on Saturday, with Brian finishing 8th and Eric 10th. Monday was the freestyle race, 10K for women, 15K for men. Sadie finished 19th, Brian 9th, Eric 37th and Sam 55th. Congratulations to this great group of young skiers.