Winter Buzz: Outdoors News Shorts

Methow Valley open for fat biking

The fat bike craze has definitely hit the Northwest. The super fat tire bikes are showing up everywhere there’s snow. The Methow Valley Sport Trails Association (MVSTA) is one of the first areas to officially open (some) trails to the snow bikers. It’s a pilot program, with selected trails being opened at selected times to the bikes, depending on snow conditions. Don’t have your own fatty? Rent one at Methow Cycle and Sport in Winthrop, Wash., and pedal the powder.

Jeanne Higgins, left, is starting a women’s 5K training group. Photo by Rachel Barker

Zero to 5K

Jeanne Higgins wants women to run. So much so, that she first brought Girls on the Run, the nonprofit that encourages girls from third to fifth grades to finish a 5k, to Seattle in 2001. Since then, she’s founded her own personal training business for women. She gets women who might have been intimidated by running to train in small-group sessions, several times a week, in preparation for a 5k.

Higgins’ next women’s 5k group starts in early March. She’s hosting an open house from 5:45 – 6:30 p.m., Feb. 28 at the Green Lake Title Nine store where women can come enjoy wine, cheese and cupcakes and find out more about the running program. The culmination of the 12-week session will be the Spring Girls on the Run race at Seward Park in May. www.precisionrunning.com/zero-to-5k

Hot New Gear

Baby it’s cold outside! Winter is in full swing, and you didn’t get what you wanted for the holidays. Cold weather outdoor recreationalists should treat themselves to the Incandescent Hoody from Outdoor Research. This great super warm down-filled jacket is extremely light (just 17.9 ounces) and unbelievably compressible. Plus, it just looks cool. Retail price: $325.

Dark Persuasion

The Icicle Creek Brewing Company in Leavenworth won accolades in December for its Dark Persuasion German Chocolate Ale. The seasonal brew, which is inspired by the flavors found in German chocolate cake, won the coveted People’s Choice Category at the Winter Beer Fest in Seattle. Chocolate? Cake? Beer? Yes, please.

Ski Hill Memorial Project

Avalanches have claimed the lives of too many skiers and boarders in the Northwest in recent memory. Friends of the trio that died on Feb. 20, 2012 at Stevens Pass, Chris Rudolph, Jim Jack and Johnny Brenan, and of Daniel Zimmerman, who died in 2011 on Mount Cashmere, have set up the Ski Hill Memorial Project. The Project’s goal is to “forever immortalize (the victims) in the ski culture.”

The community group launched a 24-month campaign and a funding goal of $500,000 to add a 2,000- square foot patio, outdoor restrooms, ski slope upgrades, outdoor amenities and year-round event accommodations to the Ski Hill in Leavenworth. As of December, the group had already raised more than $134,000. It’s a wonderful tribute to those four men, who loved to ski. Donate at: www.razoo.com/story/Skihillproject

Green Pride

Stevens Pass has bragging rights all over the place this winter. They were the first Washington state ski area to open for the season, and had the most snowfall (14 feet!) in the U.S. in early December. But their real coup might be for being named to Seattle Business magazine’s Green 50, an exclusive list of 50 outstanding sustainable, green organizations in the state of Washington. They are the first ski resort in the state to achieve this status.

Stevens Pass offsets 100 percent of its energy use with renewable (wind power) energy credits from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. They also have the first EV (electric car) charging stations at a western mountain ski resort. And although their biggest green impacts are on energy and transportation, they are making green choices in everything from food service to lightbulbs. So now you can have a blast ripping it up at Stevens, but also feel good about supporting a green pioneer in the industry.

Doe Bay Café, Doe Bay, Orcas Island. Photo by monicabennett.com

San Juan Islands named top destination by Lonely Planet

We knew it couldn’t be a (poorly kept) secret much longer. The word is officially out. The San Juan Islands have been named one of Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Destinations for 2013. In winning this coveted spot, Lonely Planet editors singled out the Island’s excellent local food. They dubbed the Islands “The Gourmet Archipelago” as they discovered what Northwesterners already know: the idyllic islands boast great farmers’ markets, fabulous organic farms, bountiful seafood and stellar restaurants. The locally-sourced food movement in the Northwest might just have started here. Lonely Planet’s exhortation to the masses: “Hop on a bike, explore the beaches and enjoy the scenery, but be sure to eat!”  www.visitsanjuans.com/

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