Methow Valley, Washington State

 Again, we picked our destination because we had heard rumours of epic mountain biking and trail running. We opted for the scenic route to Winthrop, and crossed into the States at the Sumas border. In this way we were able to drive the entire distance without touching the 1-5… It was a very serene drive, and nothing could have prepared us for the views we would find along Highway 20 before descending towards the Methow Valley. The mountains lining the highway at Washington Pass seemed more likely to belong in the Dolomites, than in a mountain range within a few hours of our place! As we drove through we made the decision to visit the mountain pass again on our road bikes during our stay in Winthrop. We were also surprised as we entered the town – it has a western theme, that seems a little over-done and touristy, but as we came to learn more about Winthrop, we were somewhat relieved to learn that the roots are authentic, and many of the buildings hold heritage status. We got into town late, checked into our motel, and were dismayed to quickly learn that midweek most restaurants in Winthrop, including the brewery, were closed by 9:00. Luckily we found a Mexican restaurant, Carlos1800 http://www.carlos1800.com/, that did not disappoint, and in fact we chose to have three of our four dinners at Carlos’ during our stay! (They actually have trademarked the saying “Once You Try Us, You Will Be Back”)
Mountain Biking
Buck Mountain Trail

After becoming lost looking for Starvation Mountain – more on this later – we decided to ride the shorter, and easier to find, Buck Mountain trail. This trail is heralded as beautiful singletrack with views of the Methow Valley and Sawtooth mountain range. The trail begins as forest service road that climbs fairly steeply for about 3 miles. Single track then branches off, and is easy to follow. The views of the valley were stunning with many layers of hills and mountains in the distance. The single track rolled through varied terrain and quickly changed numerous times from pine trees and wild flowers, to desert and sage brush, and the occasional meadow. The fragrances were hard to miss, and added to the experience. We were lucky to have some clouds that kept it from getting too hot, as well as added to the already spectacular views. Instead of doing the suggested loop which involves ending with over 6 miles of double track and fire-road, we chose to do this trail as a out-and- back, to take advantage of the beautiful singletrack. The ride back was slightly downhill, which was a pleasant surprise, as it did not feel that we had been climbing that much after the initial ascent.

Also on the way back towards the end of the singletrack, rather than following the same route to the fire-road, we took a fork to the right that traversed up the hill. This was a good choice as it ended with some fun flowy single track that brought us into the valley and to the fire road we had started on (turn left here). We saw one other rider the whole time we were on the trail, despite it being lauded as one of Methow Valley’s favourites. It is not a long ride, 13 miles, but the bang-for-buck value is high – and we look forward to doing this ride again!
To find this trail from Methow Cycle and Sport http://www.methowcyclesport.com/ drive north on West Chewuch Road for about 6 miles, and turn left on Cub Creek Road. Park in the turnout before the pavement ends. From here you can start riding up the Forest Service Road to begin your ride.

Starvation Mountain.

Our first attempt to find Starvation Mountain, going strictly by the local (not-to-scale) map, had us hopelessly lost on Fire Service Roads. While searching for the trail head, we ran into hikers who suggested that we instead ride the easier to find Buck Mountain (resulting in the ride reviewed above).  Armed with more knowledge and directions, gleaned from the guys in the bike shop, we managed to find the trail on our second attempt. In our defense it is not that easy to find, and we likely would not have found it without chatting with locals. While there appear to be routes that require driving fewer miles, the one provided to us was foolproof and we’ll therefore recommend it. A map is also essential for this ride (the Methow East map http://www.amazingmaps.us/prodRight.html ), as although it is a highly recommended loop, it is not well marked and it is easy to go the wrong way. The ride is long enough without adding extra distance in error!

Lightning Creek trail steadily climbs along the creek, with a few stream crossings, in mainly pine forest that eventually gives way to burnt trees, fireweed and other wildflowers. The singletrack is very rideable, though in one section (Sandman), the trail became loose, sandy and steep unfortunately requiring dismounting and pushing. It is a fun singletrack trail to climb, and is very picturesque.
When the trail ended, we initially made a wrong turn (go right), but eventually figured this out (when the road we were on ended!). After correcting our error, we continued the climb along the main fire-road up Starvation Mountain. It is a long climb, but the views are stunning. The forest fire has created some spectacular and unique scenery and the wildflowers are abundant. It is truly surreal. Just before the summit of Starvation Mountain, the route forks to the left and becomes doubletrack. This section is strewn with loose rocks, and descends initially but soon started to climb again. Thankfully the views were still worth the grunt and frustration as we pushed up some loose rocky sections. We eventually found the fork with signs indicating Blue Buck Trail. This was reassuring, and we were happy to be back on singletrack. Though it starts with some boggy sections interspersed with sandtraps, this soon gave way to flowy singletrack through the burnt forest. This is without a doubt the best part of the ride. The last half of this section is carved into a steep hill such that there are significant drops continuously to the left.

There is a bail out trail (up to a fireroad), but we opted for the single track for the duration and are glad that we did. It is for this section that we would return to ride this loop again. This trail ends on Lightening Creek Trail, so the last fast mile took us directly back to where we had started. It was a fantastic day, with tough climbing, epic views, and fun flowy descents. We look forward to riding it again, and know that we will enjoy it even more the second time around, as we will have complete confidence in our directions and decisions at every fork. We will also make our peace with pushing our bikes for a few hundred feet in the 25mile loop.
To get to this trail: From Winthrop, travel on Hwy 20 through Twisp. When there is a fork, stay on this Hwy towards Okanogan. Turn left onto Beaver Creek Road; after 6 miles on this road, you will pass the Beaver Creek Campground. Just past the campground there will be another road entering from the right, continue straight. Turn right onto a small dirt road just before the "Cattle Guard Ahead" sign. You will be in a make-shift campground and the Lightening Creek trailhead starts at the back of this campground.

Road Cycling
Winthrop to Washington Pass return
While there is no shortage of road riding possibilities in the Methow Valley, we were certain we wanted to ride to Washington Pass after having driven through it a few days prior. We opted for going on a weekday to avoid the rec vehicle traffic, and got a fairly early start. We were greeted with a strong headwind for the first 15 miles into Mazama. Thankfully the wind died down as we started climbing. The climb is very gradual and undulating and gets slightly steeper before the hairpin switchback that leads to the summit of the pass.

As we climbed, the views became more and more spectacular, and the clouds that were speared on the mountain tops started to clear. Though we took many pictures, the mountains are far too grand to capture adequately. Again, the Dolomites or Bugaboos come to mind as the jagged peaks became visible. After enjoying the warmth of the sun and the sweeping vistas at the pass’ high point, we turned back and were pleasantly surprised by how fast and easy the ride back was. What seemed like an undulating climb on the way up, gave way to a steady descent on the way back. Even the last 15 miles breezed by, as we came to realize that we’d ridden a “false flat” on the way out. This ride goes down as one of the more epic metric centuries, and is one we will definitely do again, though now that we know how much easier the way back is, we will likely ride for longer before turning around.

Winthrop and the surrounding Methow Valley surprised and delighted us, and we will head back the next time we have a long weekend with no plans. We look forward to returning when the alpine is open so we can explore Angel’s Staircase as well as repeat the rides we have already done.