The Challenge:

The EarntheBeer crew decided to take a quick road trip to the Methow Valley to enjoy the last remaining glimpses of winter before all those lovely spring and summer outdoor activates start. We woke up at the crack of dawn with large quantities of caffeine in hand. The 3 hour drive whizzed by as the local forecast in the Valley called for 5-8 inches of fresh gnar. Knowing that the Methow Valley is mostly untouched and that the local beers flow the like the mighty river itself, we can barely hold it together as we started seeing the snow fall with flakes as large as silver dollars.

We pulled in with Baker the Akita (the official EarntheBeer mascot) in tow debating on how to spend the last day of winter. After much debating between the 3 of us, we decided to go with the hat trick; Snowboarding, Fat Tire Bike Riding, and Snowshoeing. How do we do all 3 in one day? Simple! A beer reward at the end!

As we ascended up Highway 20 we saw a much welcomed sign singling we were almost at our first stop. At 9am sharp the sign read; Welcome to the Loup. YES! We made it. Loup Loup is a local ski mountain that is known for being small, quaint, and extremely beautiful. Loup Loup defines what a local’s mountain encompasses. No crowds or lift lines. Friendly as all get out. Zero douchery. We spent the next 3 hours enjoying the fresh pow and having the time of our lives knowing this would be the last time this season we strap on the Skate Banana.

We descended Highway 20 eagerly waiting to take on the next adventure of the day as we pulled into Winthrop. Fat Tire Bike riding is a fun and grueling workout. We decided to start the journey in town and do the 8 mile loop towards the fish hatchery out to the rolling hills of the valley. The snow was deep…real deep. The downhill riding was epic and there were more than a few times a self-inflicted endo had us eating snow. We wrapped up the last mile and wondered if we had enough gas in the tank to fulfill the hat trick.

Baker the Akita looked at us as he pondered out loud: When do I get to enjoy this white fluffy stuff? Ok, it was his turn now. We strapped on the MSR Lightning Snowshoes and headed up, up, up Patterson Mountain. Baker was in heaven. The snow was light, fluffy, and piled high. The 3.7 mile out and back felt like it was our own personal trail as there were no people in sight. At this point our legs felt like jello and Baker was eating more snow that he was hiking. Hat trick completed! Time for the reward.

The Reward:

We traversed back to Twisp and made a b-line to the Old Schoolhouse Brewery tasting room. Man oh man. What a site for sore eyes and legs. We pulled up a stool and pointed to the tap. It read Ruud Awakening. Barkeep…we will take two!