Skip navigation

Tag Archives: Methow Trails

Doggie Dash 2026

Saturday, Methow Trails once again hosted the Doggie Dash at their headquarters in Winthrop on a glorious sunny day. The Doggie Dash is a long running event that features a six-legged race with one person and one dog per team AND it’s a costume contest. Some folks want to win the race; others want to win the costume contest and take home the coveted Golden Poodle. It’s a traveling trophy which returns each year. There are three categories – adults with small dogs, kids and adults with big dogs. There were only two small dog teams. The other categories had more teams so there were two heats to determine who would go on to the finals race. The day started with a costume parade before the races and the best costume was decided at the end. This is always a favorite winter event with lots of spectators.

Another Doggie Dash

Methow Trails hosted another Doggie Dash at their new headquarters in Winthrop on Saturday. It was a fabulous, fun event with lots of participants and many spectators. The Doggie Dash is part costume contest and part race. It’s pretty clear that some folks are there for the costumes and others for the race. Volunteers are a big part of the Doggie Dash, helping setup, take registrations, judge, emcee, photograph and clean up when it’s all over.

The event started with warm up laps and then a costume parade before the racing got underway. There were two kids’ heats with the top two in each heat going to the final. Then there were six adult heats with the winner of each heat going to the final. After both finals, there was the all important costume judging. It’s pretty clear that my favorite dog costume did not win. Oh well, there were so many choices. So many people vying for the coveted golden poodle award!

In the races, watch for the German short-haired pointers. The huskies didn’t have a chance against those strong, athletic dogs. And I think this is the first time I’ve seen a woman win the race. In fact, all three top finishers were women!

A Slow Walk in the Woods

The girls and I enjoyed a short, slow walk in the woods last week. Luna has missed her outings and was so happy to be on a trail again. She sniffed all the sniffs, saw all the sights and drank deeply from the river. Her attitude is good despite injury and old age.

Doggie Dash 2020

Once a year in Winthrop, there is a six-legged race where a dog stays attached to a person wearing skis sponsored by Methow Trails! As you might imagine, it is a fun and exciting event. And if racing isn’t enough, it’s also a costume contest! People in the Methow Valley love to play dress up. The day starts with a costume parade and then the judges confer as to who will be in the finals for best costume. The prize for best costume is the coveted golden poodle, a traveling trophy. Then there are the races. This year there was a kids’ race, a ski joring race, a little dogs race and then the big dogs. There are plenty of big dogs (must be another Methow thing) so there were three heats of big dogs and then a final. And after all the racing, the finalists for the best costume, again parade past the crowd and the winner is decided by who gets the most applause and cheering. There are three highly skilled judges for this. All in all it’s a darned good time!

How’s that for a perfect weather day with perfect skiing conditions.
Oreo
Lima
I was totally smitten with these two pups.
Hopefully no wardrobe malfunctions
The emcee introduces the skilled judging panel
The coveted golden poodle
Hazel and Harriet seem to be getting out to a head start for the costume parade
Princess
Pabst Blue R-mour
Make America Ski Again
Methow Valley Spring
Ernie, the dog, recently survived a cougar attack
Uh oh, Harriet and Hazel are asleep on the course
Little bit of a dust up
Mountain Man and Dan easily win
Family fun
Winner of the big dog race
Best costume!

Doggie Dash 2019

Methow Trails hosted the annual Doggie Dash race at the Town Trailhead in Winthrop on Sunday. It was great fun with terrific snow and good weather. There were three categories of races – Kids, Little Dogs and Big Dogs – and the ever popular costume contest. The Big Dogs category had the most entrants so there were three heats leading to an exciting final race. The prize for the costume contest is the much-coveted Golden Poodle – a traveling trophy. The winner has now won three times in a row!

Start and finish line
The ever important judges
Some dogs just come to watch
The person and dog must stay attached. The mitten doesn’t count.
We don’t see many poodles like this in the Methow
Excuse me?
Some dogs are into pulling
Some dogs just enjoy the walk
Some dogs are excited at the start line
Some dogs need reassurance
Some dogs are chill
After it’s over, dogs just want to have fun