Julie Johnson and Betty Wagoner warmed up for a trail ride from Goat Creek Sno-Park.
No excuses! Such is the mantra of 70-year-old Julie Johnson and soon-to-be-84-year-old Betty Wagoner. These two “young” ladies have been fast friends since they first met in 1980 at the apple packing shed (since burned down) in the down-valley burg of Methow. As they carefully wrapped apples and pears into shipping boxes, they found they had much in common with their love of activity and the outdoors. Soon they were heading out on their adventures together, and they haven’t stopped since.
There is not a season of the year that doesn’t hold promise of fresh air, adventure and fun to these Carlton friends. They are rafting, kayaking and horseback riding in the spring, summer and fall. But when the snow flies, they are polishing their snowmobiles, getting ready for the ride. This year they were thrilled that the season began mid-November with the early snowfall.
I met up with Julie and Betty at Goat Creek Sno-Park last Saturday as they were preparing for a “club” ride. They both laughed about their little inconvenience of the morning. Julie’s big Ski-doo 600 was frozen up. She was in the trailer pounding away and spraying de-icer to free it up. Soon, the rumble of the giant bumblebee-colored machine filled the air and out of the trailer popped Julie and the sled.
As my fingers were starting to complain of the cold early morning temperature, these enthusiasts were nonplussed, feeling the excitement of the day. The Methow Valley Snowmobile Association had chosen the 14-mile ride to Black Pine Basin for this morning. As other members were pulling in to join the ride, I watched the preparation necessary for this trek — to be safe, warm, and prepared.
The saddlebags are filled with provisions including what will be a most welcome lunch to be eaten at the mountaintop destination. Julie checks the two-way radios to be sure that they have a way to communicate should the need arise. They explain that sometimes the machines get stuck, and they may need reinforcements to extract the 500-pound beast.
Betty asks Julie to put the “scratchers” down on her Ski-doo 600. Huh? With this day’s somewhat solid snow pack and icy surface, the scratchers are sturdy bicycle kickstand-looking things that dig into the surface to create “snow dust.” The loose snow and ice are thrown up on to the heat exchanger and dissipate the heat in the engine. An overheated engine is not a good thing.
Donning the entire garb necessary is an exercise in itself. Plenty of warm layers and topped off with an astronaut helmet. Betty is proud of her fluorescent green one. (She also chuckles that she is called a “wimp” because she has a taller windshield!) They will be out sledding through the snow the better part of the day. The company of like-minded riders, the beauty of the wild Methow, and the thrill of the ride all add up to the kind of fun Betty and Julie love.
They admit that they both have aches and pains, but as long as they can move, they are going to climb every mountain. They have been told by others, “I wish I could do what you do.” Their no excuses attitude raises its head. Like Nike, they say, “Then, just do it!”
It should be noted that these women also calendar a three-day stay at the Mazama Ranch House in the winter to cross country ski (and hot tub!), three days in June to ride horses into the Rendezvous Gardner Hut, and three days camped at Goat Creek in the fall with their horse trailers and horses to ride the local trails including Cutthroat Lake. Never a dull moment. I say, “You go, girls!”
Important Note: If you haven’t listened to Rendezvous resident and former NPR environmental reporter Ashley Ahearn’s podcast “Grouse,” it is a must. “The Atlantic” ranks “Grouse” as No. 19 in “The 50 Best Podcasts of 2020.” It truly is.
