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

Picture of the Week

Bi-polar conditions. Last weekend it was sunny and powdery at Mission Ridge (picture), and sunny and warm in the valley. We encountered people who were skiing in the morning and, after lunch, headed to the valley to bike, paddle, or even ...ahem... play golf. The forecast for the coming weekend indicates there's more bi-polar fun ahead.   

Recent Posts

 
+5 5 votes

Trail Work - Help Needed

by W.O. Staff on 03/04/2010 20:16 0 comments , 96 views
Categories: Living Here, Conditions-Article, Family Fun, Biking-Mtn & Road, Hiking-Backpack, Conservation
Tags: wenatchee, saddle rock, jacobson preserve, trail maintenance, work parties, march 2010

If you’re a trail user, help maintain the trails you enjoy. Here’s info from the Land Trust on how you can make a difference throughout March by joining one of many trail parties to the Jacobsen Preserve (north side of Saddle Rock).

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+2 2 votes

White River Ride

by W.O. Staff on 03/01/2010 14:45 0 comments , 47 views
Categories: Family Fun, Biking-Mtn & Road
Tags: lake wenatchee, guidebook, washington, road ride, trip reports, bike ride, white rive

An easy road ride near Lake Wenatchee with views of the Cascades, relatively little traffic, and little climbing. Parts of the ride feature salmon spawning in late summer (late August through September) and brilliant foliage in fall (first three weeks of October). A good ride for families.

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+7 7 votes

Hog Loppet 2010

by Andy Dappen on 02/23/2010 16:21 0 comments , 377 views
Categories: Skiing-Alpine,Nordic,BC
Tags: hog loppet, wenatchee, cross-country skiing, mission ridge, blewett pass, nordic
The 2009 Hog Loppet was a resounding success with 500 cross-country skiers in attendance. Vitek Siroky skied much of the route with his video camera glued to his eye. If you're doing the 2010 Loppet on February 27 (or simply want to know what the event is all about), take a look.
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+5 7 votes

Leavenworth to Wenatchee - Bike Ride

by Andy Dappen on 02/15/2010 18:34 0 comments , 197 views
Categories: Biking-Mtn & Road
Tags: bicycling, cycling, leavenworth to wenatchee, trip report, guidebook information

 This road ride takes you through the Wenatchee River Valley between Leavenworth and Wenatchee with only a few miles of exposure to Highway 2. The ride takes you through the orchards and below the foothills of the Wenatchee Valley, making it both a scenic training ride as well as an enjoyable outing with friends or family. The difference is simply in the speed at which you attack the route.

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+4 4 votes

Squilchuck Park

by W.O. Staff on 02/13/2010 10:11 0 comments , 102 views
Categories: Snowshoeing, Skiing-Alpine,Nordic,BC, Family Fun, Hiking-Backpack
Tags: wenatchee, cross-country skiing, nordic, snowshoeing, squilchuck state park, wa, sledding

Squilchuck State Park offers an easily accessed walk through frosty forests with fleeting vistas of nearby landscapes. It's super fast to reach from Wenatchee, it's pretty, and it's good exercise. It's a recommended place for families to sled or take easy walks, snowshoe tours, or jaunts on Nordic skis.

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+4 4 votes

Swath Traverse

by W.O. Staff on 02/12/2010 01:42 0 comments , 117 views
Categories: Stupid Fun - Article, Skiing-Alpine,Nordic,BC
Tags: swath, the lawn mower, arrowhead peak

 A traverse starting at Highway 2 east of Stevens Pass, climbing to a pass along the SW shoulder of Arrowhead Mountain, dropping to Whitepine Creek, ascending to a ridge in the Chiwaukum Range, summiting Peak 6,602 (distinguished from the highway by the massive avalanche swath on its NE face) and skiing the avalanche swath.

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+9 9 votes

Tick Season Begins -- Really

by W.O. Staff on 02/11/2010 14:38 1 comment , 321 views
Categories: Living Here, Hiking-Backpack, Nature Stories
Tags: central washington, ticks, february 2010

Chuck Largent is the site steward for Saddle Rock just sent a rather surprising message: "... tick season is here. They're early, but the little buggers are showing up on our dogs. Very small, head of pencil size, hard to find, but... "

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+3 3 votes

Jay Creek to Icicle Ridge

by W.O. Staff on 02/11/2010 12:49 1 comment , 123 views
Categories: Snowshoeing, Skiing-Alpine,Nordic,BC
Tags: backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, icicle ridge, ski touring, andy dappen, jay creek

The Jay Creek area provides snowshoers, telemark skiers, and Alpine-tourers a moderate climb out of the Icicle River Valley up to  Icicle Ridge. This broad, gladed ridge generally has lower avalanche risk than many other climbs up to the ridge crest. It also offers inspiring views across the Icicle River at Mt Cashmere and the Enchantments.

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+13 13 votes

Cannon Mountain - The Plotz Powder Face

by W.O. Staff on 02/11/2010 09:25 4 comments , 352 views
Categories: Living Here, Stupid Fun - Article, Skiing-Alpine,Nordic,BC, Climbing-Mtn,Ice,Rock
Tags: leavenworth, backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering, cannon mountain, john plotz, west face
Last spring, John Plotz looked toward Cannon Mountain from Cashmere Peak and was awestruck by a steep, serpentine route that could deliver a steep, vertical-mile-long ski descent. Last Saturday Plotz and two friends skied the route.
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+6 6 votes

Stupor Sunday - Skiing Big Slide

by Andy Dappen on 02/10/2010 18:03 4 comments , 347 views
Categories: Living Here, Stupid Fun - Article, Skiing-Alpine,Nordic,BC
Tags: leavenworth, backcountry skiing, icicle ridge, ski touring, wa, big slide mountain, cabin creek

Super Sunday – It’s a national day of overeating and overspectating. But not everyone wants to be counted among the couch potatoes. This year two locals go big on the big day, and find themselves wishing they'd stuck with the couch. 

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WenatcheeOutdoors Video

This video highlights the adventure-sport opportunities around Central Washington -- produced by Shane Wilder

Hikes - Regional Map


View Central Washington Hikes in a larger map.    Note: We're about to build a regional map to Central Washington hiking so you can quickly scan hikes in the region and link to trip details and maps. This is a small sample of what's to come. Please test drive it and let us know what you think. Good? Terrible? What would make it better?



See Peter Bauer's Photo Gallery