The Nordic Festival — a three-day celebration of cross country skiing and other snow-related activities with something for all ages — will take place on Jan. 23–25 at various Methow Valley locations.
The festival, organized by Methow Trails, includes lots of free activities as well as races that require entry fees.
Jan. 23 will be Backyard Ski Day, which means that trail access is free all day. Free equipment rentals and skiing lessons will also be available from participating local outdoor stores.
There will also be a free fat bike demonstration, sponsored by Methow Cycle & Sport, at the Winthrop Fish Hatchery Trailhead from 9 a.m.–noon.
Jan. 24 will begin with a winter trail run of about 15 kilometers at Sun Mountain (Chickadee Trailhead), hosted by Rainshadow Running, starting at 8 a.m. Next up is a 30K classic ski race or tour from Winthrop to Mazama on the Methow Community Trail, beginning at 9:30 a.m. A shuttle bus for racers leaves the Mazama Trailhead at 8:30 a.m.
Free, guided snowshoe and natural history tours will be offered at 11 a.m. at Sun Mountain Lodge and North Cascades Basecamp near Mazama.
There will be a chili-and-beer happy hour at the Mazama Store from noon-3 p.m. Methow Endurance offers a free skate ski clinic from 2–4 p.m. at the Mazama Trailhead.
Registration and pickup of registration packets for Sunday’s skate race/relay/tour will be available on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. at the Mazama Community Club.
The Nordic Festival Dinner, hosted by the Methow Valley Nordic Ski Team, will be at 6 p.m. at the Winthrop Barn. Tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger, and can be purchased online at methowvalleynordic.com.
On Sunday, pick up registration packets for the skate race/relay/tour registration and at the Mazama Community Club from 9–9:45 a.m.
A shuttle bus leaves the Winthrop Town Trailhead at 8:30 a.m. to take participants to the starting point of the team relay and 30K skate race/tour from Mazama to Winthrop. There will be a 9:30 a.m. interval start for pursuit racers, and a 10:15 a.m. mass start for relay teams and other racers.
A post-race party, music and an awards ceremony will be held at the Winthrop Barn from noon–2 p.m.
Costs are $75 for the two-day pursuit race; $40 for the winter trail run; $40 for the classic race or tour; $40 for the skate race or tour; and $25 for each relay team member. Children under 17 can participate in all events for free but must register. Fees for all timed races go up by $10 after Jan. 18. Online registration at methowtrails.org closes on Jan. 20.
