The first signs of fall colors are appearing with promise of another glorious Methow Valley autumn. We all know how quickly the seasons change as evidenced by the shorter days and crisper temperatures. Winter sports enthusiasts have already begun preparing for the winter season before the first snowflakes fall.
I wonder how many readers know that Washington state has two winter recreation mascots! I sure didn’t. Blake and Matilda are two cartoon snowshoe hares with bright eyes and, well, big snowshoe feet. They are depicted with jubilant smiles as they ski, tube, snowshoe (of course), and snowmobile.
Blake Hare was named after Blake Island State Park, a marine state park in the Puget Sound. Matilda was named after Matilda Jackson, who along with her husband, John, were two of the first Euro-American settlers north of the Columbia River. Their reconstructed homestead cabin is preserved as the Jackson House State Park Heritage Site outside of Chehalis.
One group of avid sportspeople, the Methow Valley Snowmobile Association, put out a call for volunteers to show up for a work party at the Black Pine Basin warming hut on Sept. 17. The hut, located northwest of Mazama, is accessible from both the Yellowjacket and Goat Creek Sno-parks. The snowmobile trails from these Sno-parks zigzag over the terrain around Fawn Creek and between Rendezvous and Grizzly mountains for miles and can take the big sleds all the way to Cub Creek.
Volunteers built the hut in 2003; the U.S. Forest Service gave approval to use it a couple of years later. It is a welcome sight for snowmobilers with its woodstove for warming and an outhouse. The recent work party spiffed up the hut and outhouse with a thorough cleaning, a new coat of paint, and added skirting to discourage critter occupancy.
Some of the volunteers came from over the mountains. Others were from around the valley, including two best friends from down-valley, Julie Johnson and Betty Wagoner. I’ve written about these ladies before, but they never cease to amaze me with their get-up-and-go!
Julie is a professional painter and a painting masterpiece herself and always sports a smile from ear to ear. She says, “Being bored is not in my vocabulary.” In the summer, she’s on her horse, on the water, or camping. She’s only missed one Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival since its inception. You’ll see her at every parade, rodeo, and local event. To top it off, she is a willing helper when her friends need her for whatever reason with nary a complaint. You will always have a good laugh with Julie.
If you want to earn some points with your wife, hire a Mariachi band for her birthday. On Mireya Perez’s Sept. 19 birthday, her husband, JP Esquivel, surprised her at the Methow Valley Ciderhouse, which they own, with a nine-piece band from Tacoma. The group played a variety of songs featuring the talents of each of the members of the band. Needless to say, Mireya was thrilled with the surprise. Way to go, JP!
