Central Reservations Blog

Overnight we had a snowfall of a couple inches. The Valley awoke to snow-flocked trees and a smooth expanse of sparkling snow — beautiful! By mid-morning the sun was out and we had sunny blue skies again.

Skiing continues to be excellent on the Rendezvous trails. The MVSTA has moved their nearly-30k ski race to the Rendezvous trails to take advantage of the great snow there. The race takes place this weekend on Saturday February 27th. You can read about the race (and get up-to-date information on ski trail conditions) on the MVSTA website.

Balloon Roundup
Photo courtesy of winthropwashington.com

As a special treat, be sure to checkout the Winthrop Balloon Roundup here in Winthrop, which will be held March 5th through 7th. In addition to all the regular hot-air balloonists, John Ninomiya will be flying his cluster balloons! You can see all the festival details on the Winthrop Chamber website. Nothing is quite as spectacular as a dozen hot air balloons taking to the skies all at once!

Cluster Balloonist John Ninomiya
clusterballoon.org

It's another sunny day in the Methow Valley, and while it looks like sunshine may give way to snow later in the week, with the Olympics right around the corner the MVSTA has planned a slew of fun events to celebrate!

If you are planning to be in the Methow Valley anytime this weekend or during next week, be sure to check out the Festival Events Calendar. There's a bunch of great stuff planned throughout the Valley, including ski parades, guided snowshoe tours, snowshoe softball tournaments, ski races, live Olympic broadcasts with commentary from in-person former Olympians, fireworks, sleigh rides, and more.

Lodging is going fast, so if you haven't made your room reservations yet, be sure to call us at 1-800-422-3048 or make your reservation online.

If you still want to celebrate the Valentine's weekend with your sweetheart but want to make it a shorter drive, we have some nice condos available in Leavenworth too!

The Central Reservations staff decided it was time we got first-hand information on the condition of the cross-country ski trails and enjoy some time in the bountiful sun. We also figured it was time we got a refresher course from a professional, including sprucing up our form and getting some great tips.

Our fabulous instructor was Melinda Oakley from Methow Valley Ski School and Rentals. In simple, clear, understandable terms, Melinda gently corrected us on everything from our posture to our timing. She went through many different ways of improving our technique as we passed others out enjoying the bright weather and great trail conditions.

Ski Instructor Melinda

We found the snow pack to be more than adequate. The trails themselves were just a bit icy, making for fun and fast ski conditions. If you are an advanced skier or even just a beginner we wholeheartedly recommend visiting the valley, hitting the trails, and enjoying the beautiful winter!

For those who aren't able to make it up to Whistler for the Winter Olympics in February, the Methow Valley is your next best choice! The MVSTA is providing a plethora of activities in conjunction with the Winter Olympics, from February 12th - 28th. Highlights include live event viewing at the Ice Rink, a torchlight parade, fireworks show, exhibition hockey games, ski races, free lessons for the kids, and live Olympic event commentary by former Olympic athletes!

Be sure to check out the MVSTA Olympic Festival page for a complete schedule of activities.

Next time you're skiing the trails in Mazama, be sure to check out the new Wesola Polana Cafe that just opened right at the Rolling Huts Trailhead Parking (map) directly off Highway 20. We popped in for soup, sandwiches, and Hot Chocolate and had a great meal! The cafe manager, Pablo, provided friendly and enthusiastic service.

This picture was taken on our camera phone and doesn't do the place justice, but it has plenty of seating and a very inviting atmosphere.

The cafe is currently open Thursday - Monday for breakfast and lunch, but has plans to eventually open for dinner as well.