By Joanna Bastian
Something is different about this week. It is the lack of school buses pausing along Highway 153 to let loose groups of young scholars each afternoon. Spring break is in full swing, and that means summer is just around the corner. If you happen to be on horseback, some incredible views of the most scenic areas of the Methow Valley are around the corner, too.
Brian Varrelman at Whistlin’ Pine Ranch and Sawtooth Outfitters by Alta Lake offers guided trail rides on horseback in the scenic Alta Coulee, and the Sawtooth and Pasayten Wilderness areas.
Nestled along the southern shore of Alta Lake, Whistlin’ Pine Ranch is 5 miles up-valley from Pateros and just past Alta Lake State Park. Carved by glaciers, the Alta Coulee has mellowed through the ages into the meadows and forests of Whistlin’ Pine Ranch.
Alta Lake and the coulee are rich in both geologic and human history. For many generations, the valley was valuable hunting and fishing grounds for Native Americans. In the 1880s, trappers set up camp as they collected fur pelts to sell to the Hudson’s Bay Company. Miners carved out gems and ore from the mountains, building roads and marking trees, all of which can still be seen along the steep walls of the coulee.
Brian Varrelman of Whistlin’ Pine Ranch takes a ride in the Alta Coulee.
In the early 1900s, miners settled down as homesteaders and turned to farming and orchards. In the 1940s, the Varrelman family bought the land south of Alta Lake, and started ranching. Their family has outfitted and guided guests for 71 years through the Alta Coulee and surrounding wilderness areas.
Seventy horses and a team of experienced guides are available for day trips around the scenic ranch and multi-day pack trips in surrounding wilderness areas. Trail rides are scheduled for as little as one hour, a few hours, a full day, or even multi-day pack trips.
In the Alta Coulee, trails meander for miles under mountain ridges through scenic meadows and quiet forests. Narrow trails follow historic freight and stage line roads used in the early 1900s to move supplies and passengers from the Methow Valley to Lake Chelan.
A steep road off the main trail cuts into the cliffside and leads to a historic mining site. Years ago, Brian found a galvanized metal sign that said, “Asbestos Mining Co. 1907.” Lying at the base of the road are two large ponderosa pines, cut down during the Carlton Complex Fires of 2014. These trees were used to mark the route to the mine, and the miner claims slashed into the bark can still be seen nearly a century later.
For overnight visitors, Whistlin’ Pine Ranch offers rustic accommodations for different levels of “roughing it.” There are 34 tent sites; each site has a picnic table and a fire pit. The deluxe cabins have running water, electricity, showers and kitchenettes. Rustic cabins with no running water or electricity are another alternative for peaceful retreat. For people who like to bring everything with them, including the kitchen sink, there are 10 RV sites.
Alta Lake has sandy beaches perfect for swimming, and the lake is open to boats and jet skis. Fishing season starts the last Saturday of April. For more information about Whistlin’ Pine Ranch and trail rides, call Brian at (509) 923-2548, or visit www.Altalake.com.
