Welcome to Winthrop Photo by Diana Reid

The afternoon heat is menacing. At the higher elevations a slight breeze picks up here and there, but for the most part, the wind blows tantalizingly out of skin's reach. I can hear it teasing me, moving high above the trees, but only snatches of it float down to our level.

After my climb of Argentina's Mt. Aconcagua nine months ago, my body has remained almost exclusively at sea level and seems to have forgotten its ability to cope well with the reduced levels of oxygen at altitude. I creep ever more slowly along the trail, putting increasing distance between me and my hiking partner, and pretend I'm just enjoying the view, and am really not in pain. As we climb higher the trail changes shape, becoming extremely narrow and rocky in places, then crossing grassy meadows, and then venturing into thickly forested settings. Each time we reach a clearing and gaze out upon the spacious valley landscape, I am breathless, not only due to my physical condition, but as a result of the spectacular views.

After several hours, now that my lungs have finally relaxed and resigned themselves to the increasing elevation, we begin to catch sight of small bits of bright, sunlit sky -- almost directly on the horizon. We must be nearing the top. These brief glimpses of blue become the siren's call, beckoning us forward. The trail flattens out and I think we must be within a hundred yards of the summit. We wind through a broad tree-lined section of trail and come out into a brief clearing. I am moving much more quickly now in anticipation.

Then we see it. Off in the distance, at least three quarters of a mile away (and at least 500 feet up) is our destination, the North Twentymile Lookout tower atop North Twentymile Peak. We've been duped by a false summit. My spirits sink. My feet cry out in rebellion. My exhausted knees reflexively give out briefly.

Driving forward with newfound determination (this silly hill is not beating me), we quickly cover the last stretch. Within forty minutes we've rounded the final rocky turn and reached the summit. Breathing hard, we climb the thirty odd steps to the top of the lookout tower and soak in the amazing 360-degrees valley views.

Below us we can see slowly meandering rivers and their rocky beds, acres of Evergreens, pastoral scenes replete with the requisite livestock, arid hillsides strewn with tumbleweeds, and off in the distance, the jagged and snow-dotted Cascades rise majestically. It's absolutely gorgeous.

On a mischievous whim, the wind quickly whips through my hair, at last relenting and cooling me. We stand quietly for a time at the rail of the tower, enjoying the view and imagining life as a caretaker (who is apparently enjoying a day off) on the tops of these great, isolated peaks, and then embark on our quick descent. (It's funny how much energy you have all of a sudden when you know you'll be back at sea level soon!).

Once we return to the car, exhausted, hungry and surprisingly sore, we take a closer look at a topographic map. On our "gentle little day hike" we had gained 3700', topped out at 7240' in elevation, and hiked 11 miles. All right then. Perhaps tomorrow we'll start our leisurely weekend.

Finding your own Methow Valley adventure

Getting to the Methow Valley by car:

There are two main ways to reach the region by car (3-4.5 hours one way):
1. Take US Highway 20 (North Cascades Highway) east to Mazama, Winthrop, Twisp (to get to Hwy 20 you can drive through Arlington, Burlington or several other smaller cities north of Seattle)

2. Take US Highway 2 to Wenatchee, then Hwy 97 north to Pateros. There you'll connect with Hwy 153, which then drops into Hwy 20 at Twisp.

General information (including history, places to stay, recreation, events, museums, etc):
MethowNet, www.methownet.com
Winthrop Chamber of Commerce, www.winthropwashington.com
Twisp Chamber of Commerce, http://www.twispinfo.com/index.html

Weather:
http://www.methow.com/weather.html

Outdoor Activities:
Methow Valley Sport Trails Association, http://www.mvsta.com
Campgrounds, http://www.methow.com/campground.html
Recreation Information, http://www.methownet.com/recreation.html

Local Guides & Outfitters:
Cascade Wilderness & Wildlife Outfitters (Carlton), (509) 997-0155
D-Tours (Mazama), (509) 996-3673, http://www.methow.com/mazamastore/dtours.html
Mazama Fly Shop and Troutfitters, (509) 996-3674, http://www.methow.com/mazamastore/trout.html
Methow Adventures (Winthrop), (509) 996-TAXI, (888) 802-3284, www.methownet.com/methowadventure
North Cascades Mountain Guides (Mazama), (509) 996-2886
North Cascades Outfitters (Carlton), (509) 997-0330
Osprey River Adventures (Twisp), (800) 997-4116, http://www.methow.com/~osprey/
Wavetop Adventures, (509) 996-2523, http://www.methow.com/mazamastore/wavetop.html
Winthrop Mountain Sports, (509) 996-2886, www.winthropmountainsports.com

Visitors Center:
Methow Valley USFS Visitors Center, Bldg 49, US Hwy 20 (just outside of Winthrop), (509) 996-4000, www.fs.fed.us/r6/oka
*Note: Be sure to ask at the Visitors Center about necessary permits. Many hikes and rides are on US Forest Lands (or private land) and require permits. At the time of this article, a day pass costs $5.00.

— By Diana Reid

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