said. Endurance racer Pat Norwil of Twisp was another early snow biker, competing in the Iditabike and other races. Snow bikers customized their own rides until Simon Rakower of Fairbanks, Alaska, began manufacturing and selling the SnowCat rim and Ray Molina of New Mexico started making custom bikes for desert riding. In the early 2000s, Surly Bikes released the Pugsly – the first commercial fat bike. Today there are at least 45 manufacturers of fat bikes, according to fat-bike.com. Winter biking in the Methow The MVSTA system allows riders with a trail pass on several groomed, multi-use trails: the Town Trailhead with connections to the Bitterbrush and Barnsley loops; the Big Valley trail; and Gunn Ranch Road connecting to the Grizzly Way loop. Two free, 0.5-kilometer bikefriendly loops are also accessible from the Town Trailhead: the Spring Creek Ranch North Loop and the new South Loop. Those wishing to try out a fat bike can borrow one from the MVSTA office (309 Riverside Ave. in downtown Winthrop), “zip over the Spring Creek pedestrian bridge, and ride the two Spring Creek Ranch loops for free,” said DeSalvo. The Sun Mountain Ski Shop, in partnership with Methow Cycle and Sport, has four fat bikes in a range of sizes for rent this season. “We hope to be able to outfit the whole family,” said ski shop owner/operator Don Portman (Sun Mountain re-opens Dec. 13 after a fall hiatus). Although Sun Mountain has chosen to keep fat bikes off its ski
trails for now, the organization has created “a separate little wing” of trails this winter, designed for fat bikers and snowshoers, according to Portman. Approximately 5 kilometers of bike-friendly trail heads out from the lodge on the Lakeview Trail, loops around the former Nordic sprint course area, and heads down the Corral Trail to the new Click-a-Pic loop. Due to the difficulty of the terrain, Sun Mountain’s new dual-use trail will be packed by snowmobile and by staff on snowshoes “to achieve a smooth, flat and firm surface,” according to Portman. Mitchell and Brown are teaming up again this winter to groom trails on the Lloyd Ranch at the Methow Wildlife Area and at Pearrygin Lake State Park – in total around 10-12 miles of connected trails, Mitchell estimates. The project began as “our commitment to making [fat biking] work in the valley,” Brown said. “The more access to trails and alternatives the better.” Mitchell and Brown plan to groom by snowmobile every few days, and although they don’t expect to achieve a perfect surface, “we are trying to provide a good, multi-use, safe and accessible trail,” Brown said. The free Lloyd/Pearrygin trails are open to snowshoers, skiers and snow bikers. A Discover Pass is required for parking. Trail maps are available at Methow Cycle and Sport (29 Highway 20 in Winthrop), which also provides fat bike rentals and information on winter biking.
gear for all seasons . . . whatever your sport
Rules of the trail MVSTA’s Winter Fat Bike Riding Conditions of Use asks bikers on the trail system to: • Purchase a trail pass • Verify daily access on the grooming report at mvsta.com/grooming.html • Only ride purpose-built snow bikes with tires wider than 3.7 inches, inflated less than 10 psi • Yield to all other users; stay to the right; stay out of the classic ski tracks • Do not ride if you leave a rut deeper than 1 inch, have to push your bike or cannot ride in a straight line Winter yield sign designed by Jake Hawkes of Grand Targhee Resort in Wyoming.
open 7 days a week 257 Riverside Ave in Winthrop 509.996.2886
winthropmountainsports.com Methow Valley Winter – 11