Fore! Snowshoeing in Suncadia

Special to The SunBreak by John Hieger.

For all of the natural beauty surrounding the Suncadia Resort compound outside Roslyn it was a little disheartening to learn the golf course is the recommended tromping grounds for snowshoeing winter enthusiasts looking to tackle the "pristine" mountain charm hands on.

Some golfers may confuse a golf course for "nature," but in this region of Cascade pride a golf course is about as natural an escape as the grain elevators of Ellensburg. Suncadia sits on 1,200 acres--some of which is still waiting to be developed--that, at this juncture, feels underutilized in trail recreation, given the resort's function as an outdoors escape.

The resort presently offers a single "real" trail the "activities" people could recommend: It descends from the main lodge down the valley wall, to the Cle Elum River, which is the featured view from the lodge itself. The trail seems easy enough but in this season of unpredictable snowfalls, the downward trek consists of numerous icy patches that don’t necessarily justify snow shoes, but present multiple slipping opportunities regardless.

There’s no good way to go down ice that we know of sans crampons and in several places the bare earth was the best non-slipping option. Once the vertical descent ends a simple creek crossing is required and prettier, heavy snow becomes more commonplace as the jaunt to the river levels out. The thick forest canopy opens up to little clearings between strands of mid-sized pine as the sound of the river’s flow becomes audible and the comforts of the lodge are quickly forgotten.  

How to escape a cougar

Furthering the disparity from lodge comfort to rugged mountain ecosystem was the not-so-subtle, half-consumed deer corpse positioned in the middle of trail to the right of the creek crossing (river access is to the left).

Nothing screams wrong turn like stumbling upon the recently devoured remains of some poor herbivore. Mountain lions abound in this region and if I had been armed or had cooler nerves I might have tried tracking paw prints. But in the interest of not being some footnote on the Yakima evening news, I hightailed it back to the recommended path and the comfort of civilization, looking back every few seconds to ensure no massive feline was stalking my hindquarters.

The river bank itself is a transitional patchwork of snow and sun-tanning rocks. While winter is in the air, the clear skies and bright eastern Washington sun provide the perfect balance between warmth on the skin and chill underfoot. Early February usually isn't picnic season on the Cle Elum’s sand bars but with the bright sun overhead it's hard to suppress the hedonistic notion that chilling white wine in the cold river water would be an ideal compliment to an otherwise outdoorsy mission.

It may sound a little too yuppie for the rugged-type's taste, but it sure beats confusing a golf course for the wilderness. Suncadia will rent you snowshoes, by the way:

Nothing lets you get out and enjoy the trails and scenery like strapping on a pair of snowshoes and heading out for winter adventure. Rentals are available at the Swim & Fitness Center. $12/ 2-hr rental; $20/ 24-hr rental. Call 509.649.6140 for more information.