Although snowflakes may be falling tonight, folks still will gather at dusk in the streets of Leavenworth for the magic of the Christmas Lightning Festival, a great way to complete a day of outdoors activities.
Expect Father Christmas to wander the streets, the smell of roasting chestnuts to fill the air, and thousands of bulbs to create a warm glow on the snow.
The weekend ritual is repeated for two more weekends. Once daylight washes out the magic, more vigorous activities begin.
| Be sure to check first to see if the snow level is adequate for your activity:
Leavenworth Chamber (509-548-5807), www.leavenworth.org (activity, lodging, restaurant information); Leavenworth Sports Club, (509-548-5477), info@skileavenworth.com, www.skileavenworth.com. |
Winter recreation in the area owes much to the Leavenworth Sports Club, which started in 1928. The club grooms 26 kilometers of classic and skating cross-country trails at three locations. Every night, five kilometers are lit for night skating.
At the Leavenworth Ski Hill, snow-riders can ski downhill, snowboard, and ride their tubes. Or test their mettle on the ski jump, a tradition in Leavenworth. Its first ski-jump tournament was held in 1929.
Kjell Bakke’s Norwegian father and uncle worked with the jump back then, and helped keep it going until its closure in the late 1970s. Now reopened, Bakke has been pushing for improvements and helping to raise money for improvements and maintenance.
The big hills, once used by record-setting jumpers and world and Olympic champions, aren’t used anymore, Bakke said.
“The landing’s too steep for today’s style.”
Still, the jump is the only one of its kind in the Northwest.
For those who like to keep their feet on the ground, two Sno-Parks in the Lake Wenatchee Ranger District (509-763-3103) lead to miles of groomed trails: Fish Lake and the Lake Wenatchee Airstrip.
In some cases, visitors can package together skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and sleeping.
Don and Chris Hanson’s Scottish Lakes High Camp, 17 miles from Leavenworth, offers 35 miles of trails and room to roam for other snowriding pursuits.
There’s quality snow on the east side of the Cascades, particularly at the 5,000-foot elevation of High Camp.
“We have lots of powder, even in April,” said Don Hanson.
For a free tracking adventure, join a naturalist at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery (reservations: 509-548-7641) for a two-hour one-mile loop on snowshoes at 10 a.m. weekends Jan. 2-Feb. 27.
“It’s great for families,” said Corky Broaddus, manager of the hatchery’s education department.
“Icicle Creek is a beautiful setting. There are a lot of animal tracks, snowshoe hares, deer, and sometimes fish in the river, too.”
And don’t forget sleigh rides and dog sled races, offered by several operators.
Marianne and Ross Frank operate the 120-acre Belgian draft-horse ranch Red-Tail Canyon Farm, three miles northeast of downtown Leavenworth.
“We go over the meadow and through the woods,” said Marianne Frank of the 45-minute rides, complete with sleigh bells.
Or go through the woods on a dog sled.
“Our team has been in the Iditarod,” said Lois Solmonson of the Alaska Dreamin’ Sled Dog Company (509-763-8017), located north of Leavenworth.
“People look at them and say, ‘They’re so small!’ But they’re like marathon runners, not big and beefy. People love the energy they have and the enthusiasm,” she said.
“The dogs are yelping to get on the gang line but once they’re running, it’s so quiet … and the children love it.”
Leavenworth outdoors: A lot to love.
On the bookshelf
Better get working if you want your body to stand up well against winter activities’ challenges. Plunge in with a copy of the second edition of “Condition for Outdoor Fitness” ($24.95, Mountaineers Books) by a doctor (David Musnick) and an athletic trainer (Mark Pierce).
The book is 416 pages of illustrations, motivations and exercises. Once past the basic principles, chapters focus on body regions or conditioning for specific activities.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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