Michelle Schmidtke

A few columns back, I sang the praises of the Okanogan Conservation District (OCD). I recently received the summer edition of their newsletter and noticed that several people in the Methow Valley were honored with awards at their 2025 Conservation Celebration. Vic Stokes, a fourth-generation rancher, received the Norm McClure Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award for […]

David Attenborough said, “If children don’t grow up knowing about nature, they won’t understand it. And if they don’t understand it, they won’t protect it.” In the Methow Valley, we’re fortunate to have River Camp, which introduces children to the joy of playing outdoors, learning new skills, and becoming knowledgeable about the natural world. In […]

Since the North Cascades Highway opened in September 1972, I’ve explored the trails and waterways along its route from Cutthroat Creek to Thunder Creek at the Colonial Creek Campground. My friend, Heather Swanson, who retired last year as the lead packer for North Cascades National Park (NOCA), now joins me, recreating in the park for […]

I still own many of the books I collected during the Back to the Land movement of the 1970s, books that, along with classes at the UW’s Experimental College, taught me gardening and homesteading skills. Some of us made this movement our permanent way of life — living off the grid in remote areas, building […]

From June 16-19, Home Range Wildlife Research (HRWR) hosted its third annual Wildlife Field Techniques Course at the Seattle-based Bush School’s Mazama campus. Offering wildlife education to the general public, aspiring biologists, and professionals needing a refresher is one of the core missions of this Methow Valley nonprofit founded in 2021 by Becca Windell, Carmen […]

Molly Patterson, the proprietor of the Glover Street Market, co-owner of the old Prewitt ranch, breeder and trainer of quarter horses, designer of homes for The Patterson Company, and mother of three boys — all currently in college — has so much going on that I struggled to decide what to write about her. When […]

You can’t miss her as she drives through the streets of Twisp in a bright orange, fake-fur-covered vehicle with pointy ears and a long tail — the Fox Mobile. Hillary Ketcham-Roseland, owner of the Thrifty Fox, part-owner of the Second Avenue Salon, silversmith, creator of fabulous costumes for the Trashion Show, and mother of two, […]

Conservation districts and their offerings weren’t on my radar until we required assistance replacing a severely leaking irrigation pipe. Given that water conservation is one of their goals, we qualified for grant funding from the Okanogan Conservation District (OCD). In his book, “Dirt, The Erosion of Civilization,” David Montgomery reveals that the westward movement in […]

On Sunday, May 25, Last Chance Distillery celebrated its first anniversary. A packed house enjoyed flights and festivities, featuring two new additions, Twist River Rum and Barrel Finished Gunn Ranch Gin. In the May 23, 2024, issue of Methow Valley News, Ashley Lodato wrote about the opening of a new distilling business in Twisp, introducing […]

“Maybe it’s because of my Midwest roots that I believe in volunteerism and stewardship,” Louise Suhr said about her commitment to trail work and her concern that more people who love and use our trails don’t help maintain them. Louise sent me an email about a “trail work fiesta” that piqued my interest. Louise, along […]