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Category Archives: Winthrop

Methow Valley Pridefest

 

Methow Valley Pridefest celebrated LGBT Pride Month in Winthrop yesterday with a parade and fun afternoon in the park. The parade went through downtown, across the Chewuch River and ended up in Mac Lloyd Park next to the Barn on highway 20. Methow Valley Pride is creating a place where the LGBT community and allies come together to honor the history of the movement and celebrate diversity! With the recent Supreme Court ruling, this was an especially celebratory day! It was a colorful day with smiles and laughter all around.

 

Gathering in the shade before the parade started
You’re walking in those?
nice bike look
Some arrived by pogo stick
some arrived on skates
Lots of photographers
Rainbow at the beginning
Happy Day
Spectators lining the sidewalks
The Winthrop Marshall’s office directed traffic and took pictures too
Laura Love performed in the park.
great tattoos!
Luna enjoyed getting in the river
L Bow the clown brought his trunks full of fun
L Bow the clown
L Bow the clown
Everyone enjoyed L Bow’s show

 

A Fine Day for a Foot Race and a Parade

Today there were at least two noteworthy events in the Methow; well I’m quite sure there were more – I only got to these two!

MVSTA had its 32nd annual Sunflower Relay – a marathon lenth race that can be run by iron men and women OR teams of two to seven runners. I helped with bibs and at one of the aid stations. It was a fine morning to run from Mazama to Twisp through the forest and over the balsamroot covered hills! All the participants seemed happy and full of energy.

Later I stopped in Winthrop and took in the 49ers Days Parade. This parade features more horses than any other parade in Washington State. I think the numbers were a little down this year however there were MORE Roller Girls and I think maybe more bikes than usual.

It was a beautiful day to enjoy the Methow whatever activity a person was doing!

 

 The runners go through lots of dixie cups full of water and power aid.

 

This team dressed the part for the Sunflower Relay!

 

The Candy Man is a fixture in this parade. I’ve heard that his coat weighs over 30 pounds!

 

Here’s Julie leading a gang of young Methow bikers.

 

And the Methow Roller Girls gave demos of the sport of Roller Derby!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Day at the Town Trailhead

Seems like there are always interesting things to see around here.

 

Mojo’s person was playing hockey. Mojo thought everyone else who came by wanted to throw his slobbery pine cone.

 

One of the hockey players gets ready to go home. His bike tires have screws for studs.

 

Mojo was disappointed every time someone skied away from him.

 

The shuttle took lots of folks up to Mazama to ski the 30k back to town.

 

Mojo thinks that by the force of his will, he can make me pick up the icky pine cone and throw it for him.

 

 Ken and Luna wanted their picture made in the sign. Well, Ken wanted it – not so sure that Luna did.

 

Scenes from the Town Trailhead

One of my volunteer ‘jobs’ is to be an ambassador for the Methow Valley Sports Trails Association (MVSTA). Today I was at Town Trailhead in Winthrop. It’s always interesting to visit with the skiers and give them a hand as needed and find out where they are from. During the holiday season, it is especially busy.

Last night we had a nice snowfall but then rain fell on top of it. The groomers did a pretty good job, turning the new snow into the famed corduroy surface that everyone loves to ski on. The sun came out and it was nearly like spring skiing! Too early. More snow is in the forecast this week.

There were lots of Bald Eagles and Pygmy Nuthatches for avian entertainment, two birds on opposite ends of the size spectrum.

But first, before I left the house, there was a valley-spanning rainbow (snowbow?)

The parking lot was a little bit sloppy

Early skate tracks in the corduroy

And the classic tracks ready for skiers

Skiers of all ages in their colorful outfits

And the new pedestrian bridge so you can ski to downtown, the rental shops, the pub, the art gallery and various other establishments

Bridging the Gap

Today was the first day I’ve seen the new pedestrian bridge at Winthrop open and it was a glorious day to try it out! After spending most of the morning at the MVSTA ski swap it was nice to get outside and be reminded about some of the things we like about living here. The clear blue skies, the cottonwoods, the fish in the rivers, the birds flying in the trees and over the rivers, the camraderie of the friendly people who live here.

This new suspension bridge joins the old part of Winthrop with the newer developments to the south. Also it makes it incredibly easier to WALK from downtown to the Town Trailhead and the Ice Rink and other destinations on the west side of the river. Not only walk, but bike or ski. It’s a great place to watch wildlife – birds, fish, deer, rubber ducks…….. I saw and heard American Dippers flying up and downstream. It’s a great place to see Bald Eagles.

The most amazing thing to me is that many people have been and continue to be opposed to it! It is the first and needed step to continuing the trail system down river. Congratulations Winthrop on a job well done.

The new bridge is located slightly downstream from the confluence of the Chewuch and the Methow Rivers

Mount Gardner

Ken enjoyed watching the fish and talking about them. He identified at least four different species – whitefish, steelhead, bull trout and coho salmon!

Coho returning to Spring Creek to spawn. We were able to see numerous redds, the places where the fish lay their eggs.

 

Looking up Spring Creek on the left