Last snow post of the (already-long-gone) season! We had such a good time in Leavenworth that I couldn’t resist booking us a February weekend near Winthrop. Our cabin was in the small town of Brewster and overlooked the snow-covered vineyards at Lone Point Cellars. I’d love to see this view in the summertime, preferably with a crisp Sauv Blanc in hand.
We awoke to cloudy skies on Friday, but when Juliette and I wrapped ourselves in blankets to step out and take in the view from the porch, we saw blue skies in the distance.
Juliette and Shane have become a couple of downhill junkies this winter, so we agreed we’d do one ski day on the slopes and one ski day on the flats. We spent Friday at Loup Loup, a little gem of a resort tucked into the mountains between Okanagan and Twisp. I suited up with my rental skis and hopped on the mini-lift right behind Juliette, inspired by her confidence.
“You can do it, Mama!”
We got in a few good family runs on the lower slopes and then Shane and Juliette hopped on the big-kids lift for a looooong run down the mountain. I was feeling good on my skis but not that good, so I stayed behind and sipped my thermos of tea.
20 minutes later, Juliette came barreling down the mountain with her arms raised in victory, Shane on her heels. Such a little champ.
We did a few more family runs, checked out a couple of detours, and then Shane and Juliette were back on the lift while I happily unbuckled my heavy boots and called it day.
I decidedly can’t keep up with these two, but trying was awfully fun.
We ate dinner back at our cabin, played a couple of rounds of Rummy, and then piled into the king-sized bed for a movie. We slept hard that night.
Saturday was cross-country day, so after carrot cake and cinnamon rolls from our beloved Rocking Horse bakery, we hit the Methow Community Trail for a few hours of skiing in the slow lane.
THIS PLACE. Gets me every time. Get ready to scroll…
The downhills on this stretch of the MCT were just right – fast enough for a minor rush, but not so steep that I crashed and burned.
We covered quite a bit of ground before trudging through knee-deep powder to take a snack break under a tree.
And, back to it!
Cross-country skiing with Juliette certainly takes more coaxing than a day at the lifts, but still, this girl’s got stamina. Plus, I keep a pocket full of gummy worms.
Rallying for the final stretch back to the car – get it, Jules!
We made it back to the car and then Juliette asked if we could do just a little of the downhill run the other direction. But of course!
We did ten minutes of an uphill shuffle and then turned around for the payoff. It was a long and steady run back down, but this girl kept knees bent, head up, body in control. Another skier watched her fly past and then said to me, “Looks like she’s a little Olympian!”
Her freckles sure shine on a bluebird day!
We had late lunch reservations at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery, which offered “private heated domes” on their back patio, each with their own HEPA filter. We were intrigued.
It was a pretty sweet little setup, though I can tell you that a layer of plastic and a tiny space heater hardly keep you toasty in the midst freezing temps. BUT, hot fries and a burger are so freaking good after a full day of skiing.
Back at the cabin, after some icicle shenanigans, we cozied in for the night with more cards and the rest of our movie.
Sunday morning was lazy as we milked our 11am checkout time…
And then put another idyllic snow-cation in the books. Now bring on Spring!
