{"id":3502,"date":"2015-02-24T09:16:58","date_gmt":"2015-02-24T17:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=3502"},"modified":"2018-11-11T22:28:04","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T06:28:04","slug":"experience-winter-cross-country-skiing-methow-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/experience-winter-cross-country-skiing-methow-valley","title":{"rendered":"Experience Winter – Cross-Country Skiing in the Methow Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been a mild winter in the Northwest.\u00a0Downhill ski areas are only partially open, flowers are blooming and Seattle is on pace for one of the warmest winters on record.<\/p>\n

So where can you go for snow when Mother Nature doesn\u2019t deliver as hoped? Six friends and I turned to the cross-country trails of the Methow Valley in north central Washington.<\/p>\n

For two nights in January we made the Rendezvous Hut our home. It\u2019s one of five huts that make up the Rendezvous Hut system in Winthrop, Washington. Accessible only by skis, the huts are in the heart of hundreds of kilometers of world-class cross-country skiing.<\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

Photo by James Harnois<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

Each hut sleeps eight people and is stocked with a woodstove, propane stove and oven, propane lights, fuel, pots, pans, utensils and sleeping pads for rustic comfort in the mountains.<\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

You can carry in your own food and gear, but it\u2019s well worth it to pay a bit extra for a freight haul and enjoy a leisurely ski in with only the weight of a daypack. The freight haul lets you load your food, drinks, sleeping bags, extra ski gear, games and more (up to 300 lbs.) on a sled that\u2019s pulled behind a snowmobile. When you arrive at your hut on skis a few hours later, your food and gear will be ready and waiting.<\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

The Methow Valley features an extensive trail system that provides 120 miles (200+ kilometers) of skiing on freshly groomed trails through beautiful terrain with astounding views. The trails are maintained by the Methow Trails nonprofit organization.<\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

Certain trails allow dogs and three of the huts are dog friendly, so bring along your four-legged friend. Check the Methow Trails website<\/a> to see where dogs are permitted.<\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

After a full day of skiing, you can refuel with a feast prepared with the propane-powered stove and oven.<\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

The off-grid huts give you a chance to unplug and unwind.<\/p>\n

\"Methow<\/p>\n

Holiday and full-moon weekends fill up fast, so it\u2019s never too early to make a reservation for next year. For more information, visit the Rendezvous Huts website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

All photographs credited to\u00a0REI Employee James Harnois<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been a mild winter in the Northwest.\u00a0Downhill ski areas are only partially open, flowers are blooming and Seattle is on pace for one of the warmest winters on record. So where can you go for snow when Mother Nature doesn\u2019t deliver as hoped? Six friends and I turned to the cross-country trails of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[274,361,53,293,364,138,143],"internal-tag":[1683],"class_list":["post-3502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-snowsports","tag-cross-country-ski","tag-joe-pasteris","tag-photography","tag-rei-employee","tag-snowsports","tag-united-states","tag-washington","internal-tag-pre-redirect-snowsports"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/experience-winter-cross-country-skiing-methow-valley","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Experience Winter – Cross-Country Skiing in the Methow Valley","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/experience-winter-cross-country-skiing-methow-valley","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/experience-winter-cross-country-skiing-methow-valley"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/Harnois-24-e1448306103341.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/02\/Harnois-24-e1448306103341.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Snowsports","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Crampton"}],"creator":["Angela Crampton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["cross-country ski","joe pasteris","photography","rei employee","snowsports","united states","washington"],"dateCreated":"2015-02-24T17:16:58Z","datePublished":"2015-02-24T17:16:58Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T06:28:04Z"},"rendered":"