Hockey Tournament Recap

Here are some incredible visitor comments from folks who were here for the hockey tournament last weekend. More proof that the experience we offer in the Methow Valley cannot be matched:

"What an OUTSTANDING tournament! We've attended all the top tournaments in B.C. and Washington state and this one tops the list. Truly a unique experience that you didn't want to end. The look on the kids' faces (and parents) upon first seeing the outdoor rink was priceless and playing under the lights at night was something we won't soon forget. Accommodations were great and how cool to walk across a footbridge into town for celebratory meals! Plus things ran real smoothly, hard to believe it was a first annual event. Top notch all the way around, will definitely let any future team managers know this is NOT a tournament to miss!"

"Enjoyed it so much I'm thinking about bringing the family over for a long weekend (we also have 2 figure skaters!)"

One word WOW!!!!
Years ago, I am over 60,I was involved in a outdoor tournament in New York, we played for 3 days from dusk till dawn. At the conclusion my Father, long since deceased, carried my stick and skates with him, arm around me as he consoled the runner ups...as we headed back to our transportation he said the experience you just participated in made you better Son, no tears for tears are for sad endings only....it comforted me knowing he was proud of my team and my success, but he was wrong as I realized this past Saturday, you see as I was watching my Grandson skate under the lights at your incredible event I had a tear in my eye, my wife jokingly said are you crying because they are losing.... I said no Dear... look around... look at this game being played under the lights.....look at the children... look at the smiles on their faces... these honey are tears of Joy.

Bill
Proud Grandpa

Here's a nice write up on this past weekend's hockey tournament that will appear January 29 in the Omak Chronicle.  Click to enlarge for reading.

Paula Christen's Painting is the Cover of Cross Country Skier Magazine

Congratulations to Paula Christen, Winthrop Chamber Member and former Winthrop Chamber Board Member for landing her painting "6 Leg Classic" on the cover of Cross Country Skier Magazine!

Paula Christen Watercolors / watercolors from the road less traveled

 

Website   http://www.paulachristen.com
newsletter: http://paulachristen.com/email-newsletter

We do have skiing! And very good skiing at that!

Dear Methow Valley Businesses,

Please be aware that we do have good cross-country skiing right now. You should feel confident in inviting your guests to the Methow Valley to ski.  The MVSTA grooming report gives very accurate updates on the current conditions.  The MVSTA Facebook page and the MVSTA website Photo of the Day show images taken daily on the trails.  (including the photos from above taken this past weekend).  If you have any questions about conditions please feel free to call MVSTA at 509-996-3287.

This Friday is a free ski day on the trails as part of the Methow Valley Nordic Festival.  This includes free rentals, lessons and trailside fun at the Mazama Trailhead from 10am-3pm.  Saturday there is a skate ski race in the Rendezvous.

Here is an example of the kind of visitor feedback that MVSTA is getting from guests after they have skied with us:

Dear MVSTA,

We just returned from our second visit to the Methow this season.  The first was for several days between Christmas Eve & New Year’s.  The second trip was for just 2 days, this past weekend.  The trepidation hit as we drove up but then dissipated once we hit the trails.  We were continually amazed at how enjoyable the skiing was given the conditions.  Often, we felt like we were skiing on a white carpet.  During our first visit, we spent the majority of our days at Mazama skiing the trails between Jack’s Trail and the Suspension Bridge.  We also skied twice at Rendezvous and once up at Sun Mountain.  But, this visit, we stayed in the Sun Mountain area skiing up Thompson Ridge Road one day and then doing loop after loop on Patterson Lake the second day.  Thank you for grooming Patterson Lake!   We enjoyed the skiing and also seeing all the skiers out with smiles on their faces.  We know you have done yeoman’s work keeping the trails open and I want you to know how much it has been appreciated.  We often commented that you create better trails with lousy conditions than many areas do with perfect conditions.  We already have our reservations set for next season.

Thank you so much for all you do!

Happy Skiing,

Karen Wolf

Big Hockey Tournament Jan. 24-26

Attention Methow Valley Businesses:

The Ice Rink is hosting a big hockey tournament this coming weekend....Jan. 24-26.  We should expect 350-400 people in town for this event.  Please note that the regular ice rink schedule is modified due to this event.

• THE ONLY PUBLIC SKATE IS SATURDAY, JANUARY 25 from 12pm-2pm and Sunday, January 26 after 12noon.   The rest of the weekend is dedicated to the tournament and to a couple of public hockey games.  
• SEE THE ICE RINK WEBSITE FOR FULL ICE RINK SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEKEND
• Encourage your guests to come down and watch!   
• Please call the Ice Rink Manager Kurt Mecham at 509-996-4199 you have any questions.  

Your Guests Can Still Do It All

UPDATE: A chance for Northern Lights this weekend too!  Encourage your guests to take a step out at night! 

• Cross-country skiing. Be assured, there is good cross-country skiing in the Rendezvous, in Mazama and up at Sun Mountain. (see the photo above taken Sunday) MVSTA is also grooming out highway 20 at Kipchuck Campground. Kilpchuck is 4 miles west of the Mazama junction up highway 20.  Passes are required everywhere.  Use the mvsta.com website and grooming report to stay in touch with current conditions, pricing and current photos. 
• Ice skate at the Winthrop Ice Rink. The ice is fantastic!  Recommend your guests use Winthropicerink.com for the schedule.  Also check out the Ice Rink's plans for refrigeration.  If this fund-raising campaign is successful it could mean much greater visitation in the winter.    
• Snowshoe - MVSTA's Snowshoe Nature Tours happen every Saturday at Sun Mountain and Mazama.   There is also great snowshoeing at Ceder Creek up Highway 20.  This trailhead is 4 miles from the Mazama junction west up highway 20.  
• Sledding- the most snow is in Mazama and beyond. Kids could sled at the Cedar Creek Trailhead which is 4 miles west of the Mazama Junction up Highway 20.  
• Fat bike- absolutely the perfect time to try fat biking!  Rental fat bikes at Methow Cycle and Sport and Sun Mountain Lodge..  The Northwest Fat Bike Club will be in town riding this weekend. Cascade Bicycle Club also just did a great article about fat biking that you can read here.  
• Snowmobiling- refer customers to the Methow Valley Snowmobile Association for current conditions. Snowmobiles are riding at Sweet Grass Butte, Highway 20 and Goat Creek.  
• Hike- some of our lower elevation trails are great for hiking including Patterson Mountain and Pipestone Canyon. 
• Ice Fish-  Patterson and Pearrygin are busy with ice fisherman right now. Even if you guests do not ice fish it is really fun to walk out onto the lakes and talk with the fisherman.  
• Arts and Events- check the Winthrop Washington event calendar. It is loaded with great arts, events and music. 
• Shopping, eating, drinking, hot tubbing!   Visitors want to spend time eating, drinking and shopping. Having your business open is key!  

Use our website at winthropwashington.com as a reference for your business and your guests.

Future events include:

Big Hockey Tournament in town Jan. 24,25,26.  Expecting over 400 hockey players and their families. Note: these will be some hungry athletes!  

Backyard Ski Day...free skiing Friday Jan. 24 

MVSTA Rendezvous Ski Race,  Saturday, Jan. 25 

Canadian Family Day Feb. 10 so expect a big weekend Feb. 8-10th 

Presidents Weekend Feb. 14-17 

Winthrop Balloon Festival March 7-9  

Reminder to remove holiday decorations and colored lighting.

Dear Winthrop Business Owners:

Just a reminder that per Westernization guidelines all holiday decorations must be removed 14 days after such holiday. Thus the date for removing all Christmas holiday decorations is January 15.

All colored holiday lights must be removed by January 10. Only the clear lights may remain and may remain lit until April 1st.

If you have any questions on these regulations please see Deputy Clerk, Cindy Pilkinton at Winthrop Town Hall.

Interesting article about "some town" in the USA

Here's a story that will get you thinking.  From the Patagonia blog. Story can be found on-line here.

Hick-onomy

A small community lies high in the mountains in a state we’ll leave unnamed. Until last year, it had an economy based on the all-too familiar story: Tourism in the high winter and summer months and second-home owners. Healthy hay farms and orchards completed the mix with the farms, in particular, setting a high standard: geometric fields, freshly painted houses and well-maintained tools. More than anything, the valley had beauty and wildness. These were almost sold in the mid ’70s to the highest bidder – a ski company had bought a large tract of forest and then attempted to duplicate Aspen, Colorado. The community was split but finally nixed this future – a lot of the problem was water – and, instead of downhill slopes, chose to develop extensive cross-country ski trails.

Still, the economy wasn’t solid: Tourism is uneven and delicate with more people on the low end of the pay scale than on the top, and too many of them laid off during shoulder seasons. It leaves a place vulnerable to chain stores and boom-andbust cycles, real estate tycoons and wealthy landowners who don’t have enough personal stake in the community.

Then recently, something changed.

One summer evening, a bunch of 30-somethings were spotted outside the local outdoor store complete with band, pizza and lots of kids. They did not look like tourists, and mention of “pizza night” was not advertised. They looked like they did this every Wednesday night; a local gathering, a place to talk and dance and get to know each other. (And, it turns out, this had been going for years; it suddenly was visible.)

The Saturday farmer’s market, which used to be all cabbage and turnips and hand-crocheted hats, was suddenly bursting the seams of the local community-center parking lot with fresh lettuces, sweet mountain strawberries, local honey and free-range eggs. A local butcher appeared who sold sausage (think merlot and garlic), jerkies and unique cuts of meat. A local chef who has survived 35 years in the valley plans his menus around that week’s vegetables from the market and meats from the butcher. White wool blankets from local sheep as light as clouds; a coffee roasting company near the recycling center; a mill that sells organic hard red bread flour and emmer farro; and faultless handmade soap.

Something was humming. It was summed up by the bumper sticker on a dusty truck outside a grocery store: “Support your local ‘hick-onomy.’”

Localism. Ignited by the local food movement and then, as in many communities, spreading like wildfire.

Here, old ranger-station buildings are becoming a set of artist studios, and those artists have designed a special “Made in … ” logo to brand locally produced stuff. The valley now has three local Wi-Fi providers making it easier for men and women to work from home.

The local conservation group, founded by veterans of the former downhill ski battle, works with private land owners including farmers and ranchers to protect land and riparian habitat along the banks of the main river that feeds the valley (7,000 acres and counting). They publish an excellent Good Neighbor Handbook – a guide to living on the land that is neither preachy nor vague. While mega-mansions still exist on some slopes, a vernacular architecture is growing: small, low-profile houses with earth-berms on the north side and interesting combinations of wood, stucco and state-of-the-art insulation.

In the online newspaper, combinations of old and new: a Jamboree Apple Pie Fest to celebrate a town’s 100th birthday right next to a tai chi class and a group that calls itself “Asylum for Writers.”

The wild is still wild. A wolf pack has moved back and several lynx were spotted over the winter. Snow-packed trails in July. Three free-flowing rivers and a healthy steelhead population. And it’s still tenuous: only one large chain away from a mass-market nightmare and bored tourists shuffling among places they’ve already been. But for now, this valley is on the cusp of a local, responsible economy. Latest talk is of small-scale forestry and local biodiesel. A recent blog post discussed connecting retired business leaders with folks just starting out. It isn’t happening by accident. Years of dedication by its citizens, keeping the wild, working with each other, taking risks and being politically awake is paying off. Said a local, “You have to stay creative and nimble.”

We can’t tell you where this one place is any more than you’ll want to tell us the location of your secret valley, but we know many others are out there. This is happening all over the United States. Let us know what kind of economies you see that point us in a new direction.