Nordic Center at White Pass

Unilocalsop’s Fables
«The snow-​covered sable»
One fine winter’s morning, a sable paid a visit to the White Pass Nordic Ski area. He was road tripping, as sables these days tend to do, and was on his way to distant California, but he decided to take a break to explore the Cascades before moving on.
So, with several hours to spare, he strapped on his snowshoes and set out onto frozen Leech Lake for a partially frozen waterfall several miles away.
It was a pretty day, with snow and clouds and sun from time to time. There was a lot of fresh powder all around, and he plowed through the gigantic snow drifts with carefree curiosity. He reveled in the moment, in the strange new circumstances in which he found himself, in the endless expanse of trees, snow, and sky. Several xcountry skiers were sighted from time to time, and a few snowshoe groups, but mainly he and his partner were alone in the whitewashed woods of wintry Washington, silently taking in the sights and sounds. For a $ 15 fee, they had access to the trails and wandered them to their hearts’ content, for several long and enjoyable hours.
And then, snow-​covered and satiated with winter’s magic, they returned to the waiting car and sped off, down the mountain, for Oregon and the Willamette Valley and the Pacific coast after that.
Goodbye, White Pass! Perhaps we’ll meet again someday.
Moral: Road trips aren’t just about the road. Get off the beaten path sometimes, and bring your snowshoes with you. You never know when winter’s magic will come a’calling. When it does, be ready for frolicking fun. Just like the snow-​covered sable.

It’s always better in a yurt.
Yes, so I was ready this year. I bought my very first cross-​country skiing set-​up and a ski rack for my rig. I wanted to get my XC skiing on. But unfortunately, a winter which started with so much potential has been looking utterly sad as of late. After being skunked for two weekends in a row, decided to bite the bullet and head up to White Pass even if the forecast looked ugly (meaning warm & wet).
Sure enough the drive up didn’t instill confidence. We didn’t see ANY snow for much of the drive up, but luckily right toward the pass, the snow started to look a little more substantial. White Pass wasn’t completely packed, but I was surprised with the lack of parking near the Nordic Center. I was further surprised by the number of people at the Nordic Center.
So we went to the Nordic Center which is basically a yurt (a Mongolian tent/​cabin-​like structure). We were greeted by staff here, and we got the 411 about the trails. We also bought our passes for the day (they were only $ 9!). As of the last few weeks, the only issue up here is a washout on the trail south of the lake. You’ll have to get out of your skis and follow the walkway through it. Now most of the trails are groomed. They have also opened up a loop called Zig Zag which had been closed for a few years. Oh, and snow shoe-​ers are also welcome on the trails up here, too.
As for why all the people — the Nordic Center dude said it is because they were having a Jamboree. Basically it’s an event to get people to come up from the East and West side to enjoy the Nordic style. It was cool. All the people here seemed really nice. My kind of people, I reckon! The yurt is cozy. There are a few tables to chill at. There are snacks and hot drinks available. There’s only one bathroom in here, so you’ll have to wait in line. We made it quick and tried to get on the snow ASAP.
So, there’s a (very) slight descent to get on the trails from the yurt. I suck at XC skiing, so I was a little scared of this, because I didn’t want to eat it in front of the crowd hanging out here. Luckily we made it on to the trail with no issue.
Now there are tons of trails here. There is lots of flats, some definite steep routes, and also some curvy paths. We were on the paths by about 2pm and were easily there until 5. For most of the time you are on your own because the area is big.
I first came up in 2000, and with every visit, I always say I can’t be a stranger. It’s so much fun! Even though the weather wasn’t optimal, it was still beautiful. The snow was actually really good. Being outside, barreling down a hill, sweating it up a GREAT cardio/​muscle workout. The Nordic trails up here are awesomely cool!