This time of the year, there is no shortcut to Winthrop. With highway 20 closed, it’s the roundabout trek or nothing.

The long ride is certainly worth it. The Methow Valley Sports Trail Association (MVSTA) boasts about 120 miles of groomed, interconnected trails surrounded by more than a million acres of wilderness and forest lands.

Make sure to pick up a map at either your hotel, Sun Mountain Lodge, the chamber of commerce or the Forest Service Information Center. Five trails begin at the Chickadee Trailhead.
There is a detailed map and restrooms at the trailhead.

One must have a snowshoe pass, which costs $3 per day. Passes can be purchased at many of the hotels, lodges and sports chalets around town.

If you don’t own snowshoes and poles, there are numerous places on this side of the mountains as well as on the other at which to rent. I rented mine at Joe’s Sports Outdoor and More in Mount Vernon for $11 a day.

If you haven’t tried snowshoeing, it’s not that difficult, especially around this area where trails are prepped. Just take your time, keep your feet a little wider apart than when walking and simply put one foot in front of the other. Poles are helpful, particularly on hills.

Distance: 1 mile

Destination: Loop trail

Difficulty: Depends on snowshoe ability

Elevation gain: Minimal

Getting there: Highway 2 east over Stevens Pass to Wenatchee. At Wenatchee, go north on Alt. 97. Alt. 97 merges with Highway 97 outside of Chelan. Continue on Highway 97 toward Pateros. Just before Pateros, turn northwest on State Route 153 and continue toward Winthrop. On the outskirts of Winthrop, turn left on Twin Lakes Road. This is the road leading to Liberty Bell High School. Stay on Twin Lakes Road for about 2.2 miles. Turn left on Patterson Lake Road. Follow the road to the end of Patterson Lake and turn left into the Chickadee Trailhead parking area.

The Trek: After parking in the lot, layering up and getting your bearings from the colorful map at the information kiosk, strap on the snowshoes, pick up your poles and set out.

I hiked this trail before — during the summer — but never during the winter and, most importantly, never in snowshoes.

It was a completely different world.

Pick up the trail just to the left of the kiosk. A small hill leads to a wood cabin. This is the staging area for many of area’s winter — and summer —races.

After checking out the cabin, walk across a snow-covered clearing (which just a day earlier was bustling with cross country skiers prepping for the Methow Valley Pursuit) and locate the sign high on a tree for the Chickadee Trail.

Head downhill into the forest upon a beautifully groomed path of white. Make sure to avoid traipsing in the pair of parallel grooves cut into the snow. These are the groomed cross country ski tracks and cross country skiers do not like divots in their paths.

Take time to enjoy the serenity of the place. Snow hangs from every branch and icicles cling to many surfaces.

Reaching a fork, stay to the left. Hike past plenty of snow-covered ponderosa pines, many buried several feet in the snow.

The same can be said for the groves of quaking aspens.

Crossing a frozen stream by way of a footbridge (I only know there is a footbridge because of having made the trek in the summer. The bridge is now under several feet of snow) and continue on.

If the wind is blowing, be prepared for spindrift, which is blowing snow that tends to sting the eyes. On this day, the wind was slight.

Keep an eye out for deer. There are plenty that frequent the area. And as the higher elevations become less habitable because of snow, more deer will move to the lower elevations in search of food.

Reaching a major intersection, the Chickadee Trail intersects the Magpie and Cabin trails. Stay on the Chickadee Trail.

Follow the small, round, yellow, metal stamps attached to trees along the way. These identify the path as a snowshoe route.

Groomed paths make the going fairly easy. There is no deep snow to power through.

At the next fork, go to the right. If you want a taste of a non-groomed stretch, continue along a small ridge on a narrow path. To the right is a small gulch. A trip here means a snowball-roll to the bottom.

At any time after this point, a quick left will lead you back to the parking lot and the rig.