Methow Valley News

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Staff pics of the week

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Photo by Ann McCreary
Two little girls enjoy the new splash pad feature at TwispWorks’ grand opening of the new plaza.
Photo by Mandi Donohue
Ski for Women took place in Mazama on Feb. 5, 2017.
Photo by Mandi Donohue
Santa stopped by the Freestone Inn and heard a few requests for the upcoming holiday.
Photo by Darla Hussey
Photo by Marcy Stamper
A Methow moose at leisure.
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.
Photo by Mandi Donohue
The face of the Fourth. A contestant in the pie-eating contest at the Methow Arts Festival demonstrated both patriotism and an effective — if messy — crust-attacking technique.
Photo by Darla Hussey Cheep Thrills. A weekend walk on the Sun Mountain trail system found these little birds waiting for their parents to come back with dinner in a nest located perilously close to foot traffic.
Photo by Marcy Stamper
Springing from the Ashes. Charred hillsides are taking on color as spring wildflowers emerge.
Photo by Marcy Stamper
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.
Photo by Marcy Stamper
Dogged pursuit. The bountiful snows over the holiday season afforded not only human fun and recreation, but all manner of buried treasures for canines.
Photo by Don Nelson
Last week’s snowstorm lent itself nicely to picturesque photos.
Photo by Darla Hussey
Winthrop on a winter night.
Photo by Darla Hussey
The Chewuch River near the Thirtymile Trailhead on Nov. 11, 2015 was a contrast between the brilliant colors of fall and the stark light and shadow of looming winter.
Photo by Marcy Stamper
At more than a mile above sea level, Lookout Mountain is high enough to have gotten a welcome dusting of snow from the wet weather over the past few days.
Photo by Darla Hussey
Morning Glory Balloon Tours was taking full advantage of the beautiful fall sunrise on Saturday with this early flight that launched from behind the Winthrop Inn.
Photo by Ashley Lodato
Gro Buer peers into the Pasayten Wilderness Area from a ridge above Early Winters Spires and Liberty Bell Mountain last weekend.
Photo by Laurelle Walsh
Senior pride. Members of the Liberty Bell High School class of 2016 — Danny Rodriguez, Claire Waichler, Skyler Fitzmaurice and Ella Hall — add their class year to the stylized mountain lion face they painted on the school’s water tower.
Photo by Laurelle Walsh
Photo by Don Nelson
A solitary sailboarder took advantage of brisk breezes at Patterson Lake on Sunday.
Photo by Don Nelson
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
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
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
Photo by Marcy Stamper
Photo by Don Nelson
Early Winters Spires and Liberty Bell Mountain were sharply etched into bright blue skies as viewed from the Washington Pass overlook.
The wild blue yonder.Photo by Darla Hussey Due to our mild winter, many trails in the North Cascades are open earlier than usual. Although it normally opens in July, the Blue Lake Trail was nearly free of snow this past weekend.
Photo by Darla Hussey
Photo by Darla Hussey
A hike along Patterson Lake found this tiger swallowtail butterfly enjoying a lunch of tiger lily nectar.
Photo by Don Nelson
Photo by Darla Hussey
Flooding from Texas Creek washed various and sundry items down Old Carlton Road.
Photo by Laurelle Walsh
Saturday was an ideal day for a family kayak outing — and lots of other activities — at Pearrygin Lake State Park, where the beach was full of sunbathers and swimmers.
Photo by Marcy Stamper
Photo by Marcy Stamper
Photo by Darla Hussey
The view from the top of the Patterson Mountain trail seems to go on and on forever.
Photo by Laurelle Walsh
Sun glints off the surface of Deadhorse Lake on Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife-managed land west of Twisp. Spring blossoms such as balsamroot, lupine and serviceberry are in full bloom now in the foothills above the valley floor.
Photo by Laurelle Walsh
A gorgeous spring view near Pearrygin Lake.
Photo by Marcy Stamper
Photo by Marcy Stamper
Like a bolt out of the blue… Days of spring-like weather — before last weekend’s snow — coaxed bluebells out of the ground on many hillsides around the valley. Some folks even eat the leaves and flowers.
Do I watch you eating? A browsing deer took advantage the nourishment offered by downed trees in the West Chewuch Road area last week. Photo by Ann McCreary
Two on the trail. A cross country skier followed his canine companion along a trail near the Big Valley Wildlife Area last weekend. Photo by Don Nelson
Snowy security blanket. Fresh snow this weekend provided an enveloping layer of warmth for the beavers that inhabit this pond near Sun Mountain. Signs of other wildlife were also evident on the Sun Mountain ski trails, including moose and snowshoe hare. Photo by Marcy Stamper
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
The cold, foggy weather that has blanketed the area for much of the past two weeks has produced at least one welcome effect — the interlocking crystals of hoarfrost that adorn branches, fences and snow-covered fields throughout the valley. Photo by Marcy Stamper
Winter Rorschach test. What do you see in the natural ice sculptures that formed along the Methow River at Mack Lloyd Park in Winthrop? 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
Ice coated the north fork of Libby Creek this past Sunday (Nov. 16). Photo by Darla Hussey
Upon reflection … There may be a chill in the air, snow at the higher elevations and early darkness, but fall isn’t quite ready to take leave of us yet. Photo by Marcy Stamper
A last blast. Fall is fading away, but a few leaves are still making an effort to go out in a blaze of glory. Meanwhile, driving conditions in the mountain passes included snow on the highways, although Washington Pass on Highway 20 remained open. Photo by Laurelle Walsh
Ed Sellers decked out Logan’s Steakhouse in Twisp with some cheery jack-o’-lanterns. Sellers, who has been painting windows from Wenatchee to Oroville over the past three decades, said his designs “come out of my fevered imagination.” .Photo by Marcy Stamper
Tye Schaefer, 2, travelled all the way from Winthrop to enjoy the Kids’ Pumpkin Fest on Gold Creek Loop Road this past Saturday. Mom Adrienne says they had a great time and are already looking forward to next year’s festival. Photo by Darla Hussey
Brian and Kristen Bruhahn, of Auburn, Washington, read one of the roadside placards that tell the story of the Thirtymile Fire, which erupted on July 9, 2001. “You can feel a lot of people’s pain at the memorial,” Brian said. 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
An unidentified climber (let us know if you know who he is) rappels down a route on Fun Rock at the climbing area on Lost River Road near Mazama on Sunday. Several groups of climbers took advantage of excellent weather to tackle the rock face. Photo by Don Nelson
A resident on Twin Lakes Road managed to salvage a sense of humor — if not the majestic trees in the front yard that were leveled by hurricane-force winds that assailed the valley in early August. Photo by Marcy Stamper
First-graders Marit Nelson, left, Sophia Marrone and Nella Belcher made connections in Amanda Armbrust’s class at Methow Valley Elementary School on Tuesday (Sept. 2), the first day of school. 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
Along the Loup: The repaired PUD transmission line to the Methow Valley was briefly out of service last week because of a pole fire in another section that was extinguished by a Department of Natural Resources crew. Photo by Marcy Stamper
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
Photos by Laurelle  Walsh
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
Photo by Laurelle Walsh
Push start. The Shafer Museum’s 1914 Ford Model T needed a little help getting started at the museum’s open house on Monday. Official driver John Owen gave rides to many visitors, include 92-year-old Hank Heckendorn, as well as a few driving lessons, Owen said. Photo by Laurelle Walsh
Face Time. Ally Hovee, 3, makes sure her mother, Melissa Raye, is suitably festooned for the Mayfair celebration organized in the Twisp park last week by Sarah Fox of Wildflowers Preschool and Tania Gonzalez Ortega of Rainbow Bridge Day Care. Photo by Marcy Stamper
Photo by Laurelle Walsh
Photo by Marcy Stamper
Keeping your head above water. These Western painted turtles — one of only two native species — took full advantage of the sun last weekend, soaking up enough warmth to sustain them while foraging in the chill of this beaver pond. Photo by Marcy Stamper
A place in the sun Anyone in a hurry to see the blooms of arrowleaf balsamroot should hurry over the Loup, where spring is further along. These sunflowers welcomed the rays near Malott.
Photo by Marcy Stamper
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
Mule Deer. Photo by Don Nelson
High flyer. Young local snowboarder Merick Johnson catches some air during the sixth annual Loup Loup Slope Style competition at the Loup Loup Ski Bowl last Saturday.Photo by Mike Maltais
On Patrol. Surveiling Monday morning’s commute into Twisp, this bald eagle did its part to keep the traffic flowing smoothly at the Loup Loup intersection. Photo by Darla Hussey
Photo by Marcy Stamper
Out there. A solo skier took advantage of new snow at a Mazama meadow last weekend. Snow has continued to accumulate throughout the week, creating excellent end-of-season conditions. Photo by Don Nelson
Chicka-dee-dee-dee. A black-capped chickadee cheers the fresh snow and sunshine on Tuesday morning. Photo by Marcy Stamper
Photo by Don Nelson
Photo by Laurelle Walsh
Gone Fishin’. As cross country skiers enjoyed the tracks around Patterson Lake Monday (Jan. 20), this Husky decided ice fishing was more his speed. Photo by Darla Hussey
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
The monochromatic, foggy days that have persisted in the valley have been relieved by colorful foliage, which easily protrudes above the shallow snow cover. Photo by Marcy Stamper
While there is still not much snow in the valley, most rivers are enveloped in a thick platform of ice. The Twisp River shimmered in the soft winter glow on Sunday, Dec. 22. Photo by Marcy Stamper
Two high-altitude airplane contrails intersected (although the planes fortunately did not) over Patterson Lake last week to create a cross over the frozen lake. Photo by Don Nelson
Icicles hanging from the eaves of a cabin on Cub Creek Road portend a week of extreme cold. Forecasts call for lows in the single digits, or even below zero in some spots. However, more snow is not in the near-term outlook. Photo by Don Nelson
Migrating trumpeter swans took a break from flight last weekend at Big Twin Lake. Photo by Don Nelson
Zombies in Twisp! Halloween night, 2013. Photo by Marcy Stamper
Autumn in the Methow 2013. By Marcy Stamper
This nosy, grass-chewing bovine-like creature got up close and personal on Saturday (Oct. 19) in a field on the West County Road. Photo by Sue Misao
Toilets waiting for a new home are among the varied collection of used building materials that have been available at Methow Resource Recovery, which is closing Oct. 19. Photo by Don Nelson
Fall colors have arrived in the Methow Valley. Photo by Laurelle Walsh
A Methow Valley hayhawk in a field between Twisp and Carlton takes off from a bale of hay. Also, there’s no such thing as a “hayhawk.” Photo by Sue Misao
Scene from the piano garden in Twisp. Photo by Marcy Stamper
A toy tractor shared the turf with a full-size antique John Deere at the Shafer Museum during last week’s Vintage Wheels Show in Winthrop. Photo by Don Nelson
“Storm in Mirror” by Dana Sphar
This beaver was one of several industrious denizens at a complex of beaver ponds and side channels at the Elbow Coulee floodplain on the Twisp River. Photo by Marcy Stamper
Just some clouds. Photo by Sue Misao
The wind storm blew a toe-biter into an unfortunate position onto this Carlton patio, where he then had to fend off a yellowjacket. Photo by Sue Misao
July 31, 2013: Guthrie Stamper doin’ the dog days of summer. Photo by Marcy Stamper
July 24, 2013: Seen at the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival. Photo by Sue Misao
July 17, 2013: This bat in Carlton screamed at the people (and dog) who woke him up. Photo by Sue Misao
July 10, 2013: Double rainbow seen from Winthrop. Photo by Callie Fink
July 3, 2013: Halt! Customer Parking Only at this Twisp business. Photo by Marcy Stamper
May 15, 2013: Liberty Bell senior Chuck Long honors veterans by running around the track with the American flag. Photo by Marcy Stamper