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Photos by Marcy Stamper
A week of volatile and sometimes turbulent weather created havoc in some parts of the county, including flash floods and mudslides, but also provided its share of more-striking effects. Although several areas received torrential rains on Monday night, the sun shone throughout most of the deluge, creating dramatic rainbows above the Twisp River.
A week of volatile and sometimes turbulent weather created havoc in some parts of the county, including flash floods and mudslides, but also provided its share of more-striking effects. Although several areas received torrential rains on Monday night, the sun shone throughout most of the deluge, creating dramatic rainbows above the Twisp River.

Photo by Marcy Stamper
This photo was taken from the Gunn Ranch ski trail–fairly near the trailhead — looking towards the North Cascades.
This photo was taken from the Gunn Ranch ski trail–fairly near the trailhead — looking towards the North Cascades.

Photo by Marcy Stamper
Methow Valley Elementary School fourth-graders practiced balance, graceful moves and spins — and just had fun— on the ice last week as part of the Winthrop Ice & Sports Rink’s “4th Graders Skate Free” program. The kids can skate for free during any open-skate session this season. The program is also being offered to other schools in the county.
Methow Valley Elementary School fourth-graders practiced balance, graceful moves and spins — and just had fun— on the ice last week as part of the Winthrop Ice & Sports Rink’s “4th Graders Skate Free” program. The kids can skate for free during any open-skate session this season. The program is also being offered to other schools in the county.

Photo by Don Nelson
This photo was taken of sunset near Twisp on August 19, the day the Twisp River Fire started.
This photo was taken of sunset near Twisp on August 19, the day the Twisp River Fire started.

Wake up call.
Solo backpacker Frank Vander Wall poked his head outside his tent Saturday morning and found mama and baby mountain goat investigating his campsite at a remote alpine lake in North Cascades National Park. “I woke up at first light Saturday morning to the sound of someone stomping around outside my tent,” Vander Wall said. The furry pair hung around Vander Wall’s campsite “posing for photos” until he packed up and left, he said.
Photo by Frank Vander Wall
Photo by Frank Vander Wall

On the air. Don Ashford — “Deputy Don” to his listeners — recorded an interview with Confluence Gallery Executive Director Salyna Gracie in the brand-new KTRT studio at TwispWorks last week. Ashford is still settling in to the radio station’s new home on the top floor of the Bernie Hosey Founders Building, but says he’s primarily broadcasting from there now. The new space is “way better than I thought it was going to be,” said Ashford, who finished moving the station equipment from KRoot’s former basement space in the Gateway Building just days ago. Ashford appreciates not only the look and feel of the new studio, but also its bird’s-eye view of the comings and goings on campus, he said.
Photo by Laurelle Walsh
Photo by Laurelle Walsh

Working like a dog. Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Gene Davis and K-9 Gunner were special guests at the Winthrop library program — “K-9 Heroes” — last Wednesday at Mack Lloyd Park. The 30-or-so kids and adults at the presentation applauded when Gunner, Davis’s 3-year-old German shepherd, demonstrated one of his best skills — finding drugs — when he easily sniffed-out a heroin-scented cotton ball that Sgt. Davis had hidden near the picnic shelter. Gunner, a dual-trained narcotics/patrol dog, is also trained to apprehend and hold on to a fleeing suspect during a police chase, although “usually when a suspect hears a dog coming they tend to give up,” Davis said. One of three K-9 deputies in the county, Gunner goes on patrol with Davis every night. “Lately we’ve been very busy with drug investigations,” Davis said. More information and photos of Okanogan County’s K-9 deputies can be found on Facebook at “Okanogan County Sheriff K9 Unit.”
Photos by Laurelle Walsh

Preschoolers Jennifer Rodrigues, Luke
Gatlin, Bailey Gatlin, Violet Darwood, Finnbarr Humling and Forest Ashford from Little Star Montessori School sampled hot cocoa provided free from Rocking Horse Bakery at Methow Trails’ Backyard Ski Day last Friday. Photo by Laurelle Walsh

TIght squeeze.
The Carlton Hole was one of 19 teams — and the only one from the Methow Valley — to compete in the 32nd annual Conconully Outhouse Races on Saturday (Jan. 17). Competitors came from as far away as Minnesota and Texas for the event, in which ski-mounted wooden privies, complete with toilet seat and t.p., are raced down Conconully’s snow-covered main street by teams consisting of two “pushers” and one “rider.”
Here, things got a bit jammed up during the bucket race heat between Carlton Hole and Big Buck. The Carlton Hole ran hard in five divisions, but won none, despite an enthusiastic entourage of cheering Methow Valley fans.
First-time team captain Jeff Lyman said, “We’ve gotten the lay of the land this year, and we’re going to come back next year even stronger.” Photo by Laurelle Walsh

This one-earred deer showed up on Castle Avenue in Winthrop last weekend looking for food. As it was able to stand on its hind legs to reach for tree branches above, the loss of an ear seemed to be its only noteworthy injury. Photo by Don Nelson

Margaret and Dan Birdsey, of Preston, Washington, stopped by the Winthrop Gallery last Saturday (Dec. 13), and joined songstress Lauralee Northcott and gallery host Katie Swanson for some good old-fashioned Christmas carols. The Birdseys were on a “weekend getaway,” celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary in the Methow with a stay at Sun Mountain Lodge. Northcott will be at the gallery for more caroling on Saturday (Dec. 20) from 1-2 p.m. Photo by Laurelle Walsh

The Thirtymile Fire memorial, which reads “They will not be forgotten,” sits at the Chewuch River site where four young firefighters — Tom Craven, Jessica Johnson, Devin Weaver and Karen Fitzpatrick — lost their lives in 2001. The memorial has attracted the offerings of countless individuals over the years, but especially last summer when wildland firefighters from across the country came again to the valley to fight the Carlton Complex Fire. Recent visitors to the site have left written messages, signed T-shirts, caps, bottles of Gatorade and tins of chewing tobacco on the rock wall above engraved portraits of the fallen.Photo by Laurelle Walsh

Clubs for the Booster Club. Firefighters from Okanogan County Fire District 6 held off the other five teams that competed in the Liberty Bell Booster Club’s third annual Mountain Lion Mini Golf Tournament held at Sherri’s Sweet Shoppe on Sunday (Sept. 14) to successfully defend their 2013 title. The fire district team of Brian McAuliffe (above), Bill McAdow, Mark Crum and Zach Gurney had a score of 98, enough the claim the 2014 trophy along with a half-pound of fudge for each team member. Second place went to Winthrop Kiwanis, third to Team Divot from Aero Methow Rescue, fourth to Team Haley, and fifth to the Aero Methow Odd Balls. The tournament is a fundraiser for the Liberty Bell Booster Club to assist with, and support, school activities programs at the high school. Equipment, facilities, uniforms and pay-to-play assistance are just some of the things the club supports. Photo by Ashley Lodato

Liberty Bell High School senior Riley Calvert applied a new coat of paint to the water tower behind the high school, which each year’s graduating class traditionally decorates in its own way. By early this week, a dark coat of paint covered about half of the tower. Emily Alexander, like Calvert a member of the class of 2015, said the final design will be a surprise, and class members hope to complete it before classes begin Tuesday (Sept. 2). The tower has been a highly visible, bright pink landmark since it was painted that color as the class prank by the class of 2013. The class of 2014 left the tower pink but added its own embellishments. Photo by Mike Maltais

And the orchestra played on… Zane Hickman, left, on viola, and Lena Nelson, on violin, were among some 20 musicians—youths and adults—who sharpened their musical skills during Pipestone Music Camp last week. The orchestra and chamber ensembles gave their final concert in the midst of the anxiety surrounding the Rising Eagle Road Fire on Friday afternoon.
Photo by Marcy Stamper

Standing Guard. Corporal Harris, left, and Private Henhert of the National Guard checked IDs this week on Gold Creek Loop Road, part of the Guard’s program of “wellness checks” on homes throughout the fire area to provide information and assistance. Only residents and other authorized persons were being allowed to proceed up Gold Creek. Photo by Joanna Bastian

A hike near Falls Creek last Saturday (June 21) found these wildflowers enjoying the first few days of summer. Yellow goatsbeard and tiger lily, top row left to right, were easy enough to identify, but dainty pink and white Pyrola asarifolia (pink wintergreen) proved a bit more puzzling. Photos by Darla Hussey

June 18, 2014:
Just dropping in. In preparation for fire season, smoke jumpers have begun to practice jumping out of perfectly good airplanes. Yesterday (June 17), jump masters Matt Woosley and J.T. Sawyer were on the ground spotting for John Spencer, Jason Fernandes, Matt Desimone, Justin Johansen, Adam Pino, Robert Krapfel, Christopher Libecap, Blake Stokes and Jeremy Zemke as they jumped from the Jump 09 airplane flown by Kevin McBride and Mark Fritz. The CASA-212 plane is the same type that will deliver them to hot spots later in the season. Photo by Dana Sphar

This lucky male bee indulged in nectar from a yellow bell, one of the earliest flowers to bloom in the valley. Yellow bells (Fritillaria pudica) are in the lily family and can grow in dry, nearly bare soils. Male bees tend to hover around nectar or pollen sources but don’t actually gather pollen—they just drink a bit of nectar now and then while flying around searching for females. Thanks to George Wooten and Steve Dupey for sharing their encyclopedic knowledge of flowers and insects. Photo by Marcy Stamper

Multi-purpose surface. Frozen-over Patterson Lake was busy on New Year’s Day with dozens of people skating, skiing, hiking, riding fat bikes, walking the dog, sledding or just hanging out. Forecasts call for some relief from the snow drought over the next several days and into the weekend. Photo by Don Nelson
A hiker on the Blue Lake Trail narrowly escaped the jaws of a giant, man-eating mushroom on Saturday. Fungi of all sizes, shapes and colors have burst out of the forest duff as a result of recent heavy rains, all contributing to a distinctive “fusty odor” in the forest, another hiker remarked. Photo by Laurelle Walsh