February 2008 | Escape the Pace
Over the Hills to Washington’s Best Snow
By Crai S. Bower
After the holidays, we’re reminded of the romantic bliss that winter can bring: cocoa by the fire, sledding in the backyard or simply enjoying the silver-scape of a winter wonderland. It all seems heart-warming, but mostly too good to be true. There’s a place, however, just a couple hours’ drive from Seattle, that pairs romance with reality to create an escape that is well worth the extra gas money spent on bypassing Snoqualmie and Blewett Pass ski areas. It’s known as Mission Ridge Ski Resort, and it’s all about the snow and the people.
When I first moved back to Seattle ten years ago, I watched my neighbors chug away Sunday mornings in their VW bus, determined to drive to and from Mission Ridge Ski Resort in the same day. “Why?” I would ask. “Why do you travel that far to ski when two much larger areas are an hour closer?” “Two simple reasons,” they would explain, with the air of mythical secret sharers.
“The snow and the people.” When I finally visited two years (and countless trips to other areas) later, I quickly discovered why they chose to ascend both Snoqualmie and Blewett Pass each wintry Sunday. I returned to Mission Ridge recently and found it still well worth the extra hour.
Before Mission Ridge sounds too much like a fairy tale, it’s important to point out what the ski hill isn’t. There are no ski-in/ski-out condos, the lone day lodge is small and the lifts are slow (though the addition of a high-speed quad helps). You won’t find lift operators with name tags boasting exotic hometowns; just about every employee grew up in the Wenatchee Valley. In truth, there is nothing glamorous about this 42-year-old hill, but therein lies its charms.
Think of Mission Ridge as your own private ski hill; it actually recalls such areas from the east coast, with rarely a lift line surpassing five minutes and people who treat you like you’ve skied together for decades. In fact, Mission Ridge was owned by the City of Wenatchee for awhile. Today, a Seattle businessman owns the area, his sole ownership a rarity among modern, gigantic ski resorts.
Snow and terrain, not spa treatments, boutiques nor even the après scene, should always define a skier’s resort. Mission Ridge’s boast of having the state’s best snow is right on. My coign of vantage from within the Wenatchee Range reveals a broad expanse of desert, these arid conditions lighten snow that couldn’t be more different from the dense Cascade ‘cement’ that falls just a ninety-minute drive west at Stevens Pass or Snoqualmie Ridge.
This fluffy powder alone is a great reason to come here to learn. A child’s skis glide easily through the drifts, a new teleskier doesn’t have to concern herself with snow grabs, and a novice snowboarder will find a much softer landing during his countless first-day tumbles.
Butch, my ski host, has guided this mountain since the day it opened. He taught his kids and grandkids to ski here, and soon, his great-granddaughter will learn to ski here. “I’ve skied everywhere,” explains Butch, who still takes an annual two-week ski sojourn with his wife and four other couples. “But I’m always happy to return to this hill and this snow.”
Butch and I mostly cruise the blue, intermediate runs together. There are some steeps up top, especially off the aptly named Windy Ridge and through the chutes of the Bomber Cliffs, but most of Mission Ridge appeals to beginner and intermediate skiers. Where many ski resorts fixate on their double black diamond challenges, this terrain offers a great learning environment, beginning with the ski school.
Ski schools vary from each other as much as their academic cousins do, some too technical, others glorified daycare. Mission Ridge’s ski school celebrates friendly skiing. The instructors genuinely appear to like their students, even remaining with them in the school’s cafeteria after the lesson is completed. Bonding with an instructor is critical for a beginner skier, whether the novice is four or 40. This school gets it.
While Mission Ridge is an excellent weekend destination, a week here could grow old, especially for the experienced skier. The 1,000-acre terrain is limited, as are the amenities. Several Wenatchee hotels do offer enticing stay-and-ski packages, though I suggest renting a property along Wenatchee Mountain Road or Squilchuck Road if you plan to ski exclusively. One longer option is to stay one hour away in Leavenworth and split activities between Nordic and alpine skiing, as well as snowshoeing.
There are also some surprisingly good dining options in Wenatchee. Château Faire Le Pont was my favorite, a great brick room with diverse, excellent wine flights. Visconti’s serves (big) Italian food in large portions, which are always welcome (and guilt-free) after an arduous day of exercise.
But the culinary gem of the valley resides ten miles west, just outside of Cashmere. The Anjou Bakery — look for the roadside pear sign — is, ski tips down, the finest bakery in the state. The French aesthetic is only equaled by the French rolls—cinnamon rolls made with croissant flour.
Get there early because the shelves go bare every single day.
Mission Ridge may not provide a nouveau resort experience, but the combination of snow quality, terrain and humanity makes it the best weekend ski destination in Washington. Even if the drive is a bit longer, the fresh powder and baked goods make it well worth it and there’s really nothing better than feeling at home on a ski hill.
Crai Bower is a Seattle-based writer. Check out his work at: FlowingStreamWriting.net
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