Jan 1-4 Rendezvous Huts Methow Valley

On New Year's Day we drove to Winthrop for what was going to be strictly skinny ski X-country with the family.  We skied into Grizzly Cabin - about 9 miles.  I was extremely proud of my 12 and 8 year old sons, AND my first wife, Ellen.  After checking through our gear haul and finding everything accounted for, I took leave of everyone, put on my Tele skis (which I had loaded up based on TAYers input) and hiked up the small mountain - Grizzly Peak - behind the cabin.  It turned out I wasn't the first with the idea, since I found a nice up track, and a nice slope just a few hundred yards from the cabin.  Too bad that it had been thoroughly thrashed by some earlier skiers/snowboarders.  It was fun anyway, but I ran out of daylight pretty quick.  That night I was too tied to sleep.
    The next morning brought light snowfall that lasted all day.  We played in the snow for a couple of hours, then packed a lunch, donned our skis and headed off to explore some other trails.  We went about 5 miles that day, round trip.  In the process, we found my dream cabin set midway in a wide open slope that would have been PURRFECT for telemarking.  If any of you are thinking about a trip there, Cassal Cabin would be a great location.  I think I could have skied there for days.  Sigh... Next trip.