All about muscle-powered outdoor sports within an hour's drive of the Wenatchee Valley. 

Choice of the day

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Wedge Mountain Tour

by W.O. Staff on 01/06/2009 17:59   0 comments , 30 views
Categories: Living Here, Skiing-Alpine,Nordic,BC
Tags: wedge mountain, backcountry, ski

John Plotz and Kyle Flick are tough.  They aren't scared away by a few open blisters or an unruly bacon quiche.  Last weekend they skinned up Wedge Mountain, which is becoming an annual first-of-the-season tour for John.  The view and the skiing were worth the logging road death march.

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"Red Beckey" Review

by Molly Steere on 01/03/2009 19:09   0 comments , 51 views
Categories: Books, Climbing-Mtn,Ice,Rock
Tags: john plotz, cascade alpine guide, beckey
John Plotz reviews the third edition of Fred Beckey's The Cascade Alpine Guide: Rainy Pass to Fraser River, also known as the "Red Beckey."  These days climbers can get buried in beta from the internet via user-updated blogs.  How does this classic guide hold up against all of the climbing blogs out there?  Read John's review and weigh in. 
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Ed Farrar - Condition, Rally, and Slideshow

by Andy Dappen on 01/02/2009 07:00   10 comments , 7002 views
Categories: Living Here, Biking-Mtn & Road
Tags: wenatchee, bicycling, cycling, accident, ed farrar
Dr. Ed Farrar -- the cycling enthusiast and orthopedic surgeon -- was nearly fatally injured when struck by a car on October 22. Miraculously he has survived severe trauma but is paralyzed below T5. The 'Rally for Ed' saw 600 cyclists in attendance. See our slideshow and get updates about Ed's condition. Last updated: January 2 (Ed is back in Wenatchee!)
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Stemilt Nordic Ski Area

by W.O. Staff on 01/01/2009 18:33   2 comments , 124 views
Categories: Living Here, Skiing-Alpine,Nordic,BC
Tags: nordic skiing, stemilt, ski area

Peter Valaas tells us about Stemilt Nordic, a nascent Nordic center that is emerging in the Stemilt basin.  The site is located at the Lily Lake Snowpark at milepost three on the Stemilt Loop Road and boasts a beginner/intermediate loop and a more advanced loop totalling 2.5 kilometers.

 

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Picture of the Week

Shane Wilder took this shot of Zach Getsinger on the backside of Stevens Pass on December 30th.  It makes you want to shut off the computer and get out and play, doesn't it?

Recent Posts

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The Bartholomew Cubbins Bag

by W.O. Staff on 01/02/2009 13:47   0 comments , 54 views
Categories: Living Here, Features
Tags: matt dahlgreen, cubbins, hats
Matt Dahlgreen tells us about his 'Cubbins Bag' named after the Dr. Seuss character Bartholomew Cubbins.  This bag of his continually sprouts the appropriate hat for his current stage of an outdoor endeavor.  In fact, Matt goes so far as to say this humble little yellow stuff sack is his favorite piece of outdoor gear. 
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Skins - Backcountry Skiing

by W.O. Staff on 12/30/2008 16:03   0 comments , 84 views
Categories: Books, Skiing-Alpine,Nordic,BC, Gear
Tags: backcountry skiing, ski touring, skins
By most accounts, skis and skins have been used together for several thousand years. In fact, for the longest time skiing was called skilaufen (ski walking) in German-speaking countries. The term skifahren (ski riding) was not born until the 1920s and ‘30s. This excerpt from Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering by Volken, Schell and Wheeler gives you the basics of skins from past to present.  
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Saddle Rock Snow Boogie

by ghelsel on 12/27/2008 20:13   1 comment , 180 views
Categories: Living Here, Hiking-Backpack
Tags: saddle rock, winter

Check out these pictures from a winter hike up Saddle Rock, December 27, 2008.  Frequent pictures presented in chronologic order show you what you see on the hike up, and from the top. Enjoy.

 

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MicroSpikes - Studded Tires for the Feet

by W.O. Staff on 12/27/2008 11:45   0 comments , 106 views
Categories: Trail Running, Hiking-Backpack, Gear
Tags: gear review, microspikes, kahtoola

It’s a transitional time of year. There’s not the usual snow pack for Nordic skiing, backcountry skiing, or snowshoeing, but enough ice on trails to make the slip-factor ripe for body slams. Andy Dappen reviews Microspikes from Kahtoola to see if they're the ticket for getting your requisite fresh air and exercise without the sprains, breaks and whiplash that regular trail runners may provide in these conditions.

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Squilchuck Closed Indefinitely

by W.O. Staff on 12/24/2008 12:43   0 comments , 127 views
Categories: Living Here, Features
Tags: squilchuck, park closure
As many of you have already heard, Squilchuck State Park was closed indefinitely as of December 18th as a result of state budget cuts and the current economic downturn.  The Washington State Parks Agency will close 15 parks, 13 of which will be closed permanently and possibly sold.  Squilchuck is one of two properties the Agency does not plan to release.  Here's what you can do to help open Squilchuck sooner.
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BC Film Fest Recap

by Molly Steere on 12/23/2008 13:21   0 comments , 74 views
Categories: Snowshoeing, Skiing-Alpine,Nordic,BC, Family Fun
Tags: backcountry, el sendero, winter wildlands, film festival
The 2nd annual Backcountry Film Festival took place on December 12th at the Cashmere Riverside Center.  It was a great turnout with about 50 people in attendance.  A guest appearance was made by the first major snowfall of the season.  The film festival is a fundraiser/social event for El Sendero-NCW, a backcountry ski and snowshoe club formed in 2003.
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CTLC Trail Report - Part 2

by Molly Steere on 12/22/2008 12:07   0 comments , 113 views
Categories: Living Here, Where-To, Biking-Mtn & Road
Tags: loop trail, douglas creek, ctlt, apple commission
A continuation of  Chairman Bob Parlette's status report on the various trail projects the Complete the Loop Coalition is involved in, including the Apple Commision Loop Trail Connector, the Odabashian Bridge/Cascade Avenue Connector and the Douglas Creek Rail Trail. 
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Solitude in the Enchantments: Late October

by Lisa Roberts on 12/22/2008 09:50   0 comments , 81 views
Categories: Living Here, Hiking-Backpack, Nature Stories
Tags: hiking, leavenworth, enchantments, aasgard, fall, october, colchuck, mt stuart trailhead

Granite and Glacé

The long awaited day finally arrived. After trying, unsuccessfully to obtain a pass in the mid summer to hike into the Enchantments, we resigned ourselves to waiting until after October 15th, when a pass is not required. My husband, Randy, spent weeks preparing, making sure we had the right clothing and gear to climb late in the season. Now we were ready to ascend into the enchanted lands that were so close to our beautiful h...

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Podcast - Local Outdoor Report

by Andy Dappen on 12/20/2008 17:35   2 comments , 131 views
Categories: Living Here, Where-To
Tags: wenatchee, leavenworth, andy dappen, north central washington, outdoor report, koho radio

KOHO Radio has been running a local Outdoor Report on the radio on Wednesday mornings (and sometimes on Saturdays) over the past year. These are relevant to what's happening in the outdoor world around the region...so we're experimenting with running these podcasts. Tell us what your think.

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'Tis the Avalanche Season

by W.O. Staff on 12/20/2008 16:37   0 comments , 119 views
Categories: Conditions-Article, Snowshoeing, Skiing-Alpine,Nordic,BC, Climbing-Mtn,Ice,Rock
Tags: safety, avalanche, danger scale

This is just a friendly reminder that the risk of avalanches is high right now.  NWAC is currently reporting a Considerable avalanche danger for the east slopes of the Washington Cascades on Saturday, bumping it up to High on Sunday. 

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