Skiing and snowboarding are the most popular way to enjoy the snow, but the Northwest offers plenty of other ways to play.
Here are 11 ideas:
Get fat
Fat bikes are essentially mountain bikes with massive, low-pressure tires that allow riders to pedal over compact snow. They also work well on the beach. The Methow Valley positioned itself as the Northwest’s front-runner for this sport in 2013 and continues to promote the Nordic skiing mecca as a fat biking wonderland. It offers riding in four areas. Bicycle Centres of Everett and Greggs Cycles in Lynnwood sell fat bikes. They’re also available for rent at Winthrop’s Methow Cycle and Sport starting at $40 for a half day. Leavenworth Winter Sports Club also plans to add fat biking.
More info: bicyclecentreseverett.com, mvsta.com, methowcyclesport.com, www.greggscycles.com
Try curling
It looks like a 42-pound rock with a handle, but it’s “a repository of human possibility, and if it’s handled just right it will exact the kind of poetry.” At least that’s what we learned from the 2002 film “Men with Brooms,” arguably one of the 10 funniest curling movies ever made. Check out the movie then head to Seattle’s Granite Curling Club to try the game for yourself. Open houses are $25 per person or $60 per family and are scheduled for Jan. 3, Feb. 21 and March 7. Make a reservation online because the events often sell out.
More info: curlingseattle.org.
Bobsled
You can live out your Olympic and/or James Bond dreams for $169 at the Whistler Sliding Centre starting in December. Tour the sliding track used for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics then hop in a bobsled with a professional pilot and take a run where you could reach speeds of 75 mph.
More info: whistlerslidingcentre.com.
Overnight snow fun
The Mount Tahoma Trails Association has about 50 miles of trails (20 groomed) ideal for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. You’ll need a Sno-Park pass ($20 per vehicle per day or $40 for the season). Spending the night in one of the trail system’s huts or its yurt costs $15 per person per night. The facilities are maintained by volunteers and are funded by donations.
More info: www.heraldnet.com/tahomaski, skimtta.org.
Snowshoe tour
National park rangers at Paradise and Hurricane Ridge offer free snowshoe tours each winter. The tours include snowshoe rental and typically move at a leisurely pace ideal for families. Want to head out on your own? Snowshoe rentals are available at Hurricane Ridge and Longmire. A stay at the National Park Inn in Longmire includes use of snowshoes. Check the national park websites for schedules. Park entry is $15 per vehicle for a 7-day pass. You can also take trips with Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest rangers in a number of locations. Check their website for details.
More info: nps.gov/mora, nps.gov/olym, http://www.fs.usda.gov/mbs.
Go tubing
Grab an inner tube or a soft sled and head to Paradise (the only place sledding is allowed in Mount Rainier National Park) or a Washington Sno-Park. Don’t have a sled? Tubes are included at the Summit at Snoqualmie tubing hill.
More info: parks.wa.gov/winter, nps.gov/mora, summitatsnoqualmie.com.
Snowmobile
Evergreen Sno-Park (formerly Woods and Steele) new this year, gives snowmobilers access to more than 100 miles of trails in Kittitas County. The Sno-Park, is located near Cle Elum. The park doesn’t have enough snow yet, but will be open once it does. There are about 80 snowmobile Sno-Parks in Washington. A map of location is on the state Parks Department website. Check the state parks website for information on what parks are open.
More info: Parks.wa.gov/winter.
Visit Leavenworth
From its famous December lights and its fudge samples to the miles of snowy playgrounds surrounding the town, Leavenworth is a winter wonderland. The Play All Day Pass at the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club costs $28 and is good for access to cross-country skiing at three locations, mellow rope-tow alpine skiing and tubing at the Leavenworth Ski Hill. You can also use the Nordic ski jump. It’s much smaller than what you see in the Olympics, but it’s the only one in Washington.
More info: skileavenworth.com.
Festivals
Eastern Washington’s most famous winter celebration might be Leavenworth’s tree-lighting festival but Chelan’s 30-year-old Winterfest has its own following. In recent years the event expanded to two weekends of ice sculptures, snowshoe and snowmobile races, dog fashion shows, chili cook-offs and the traditional Polar Bear Splash. This year’s festival is scheduled for Jan. 16-25.
More info: Lakechelan.com.
Polar Bear Plunge
Want to ring in 2015 by flirting with hypothermia? Consider a polar bear plunge on New Year’s Day. There’s a new one this year in Monroe. It starts with a 5k Fun Run followed by a plunge into the water at Sky River Park. It’s a brisk way to kick off 2015.
More info: www.choose monroe.com.
Nordic skiing
OK, OK, we know we said this was about ways other than skiing to enjoy the winter, but cross-country skiing is an entirely different beast than downhill skiing. It’s fun, relatively easy to pick up and a great workout. Give the ski area at Stevens Pass a try. It’s just a bit past the downhill ski area. You can even rent skis and take lessons there. They haven’t opened for the season yet, so cross your fingers for snow. Or head farther east for skiing around Leavenworth.
More info: www.stevenspass.com.
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