Downhill skiing and snowboarding are not the only winter sports atop Mt. Spokane. Two of the others I have tried – snow tubing and snowshoeing. The third, cross-country skiing, I have not.
Snowshoeing view
Snow tubing:
The first Christmas our two daughters visited after my husband and I moved from Puerto Rico to Spokane, I feared they would be homesick for the tropical island Christmas. It seemed important to show them the beauty of a northern winter. They were interested in skiing, but I was not (see my previous post), so we compromised on something we could all do – snow tubing.
After a bit of research, we drove halfway up Mt. Spokane Road to the Bear Creek Lodge, just below the boundary of Mt. Spokane State Park. The large brown-wood chalet sits on one side of the road while the snow tubing takes place on a hill across the way. For a couple of hours we—one mature woman and her two adult daughters, not a child among us—had a great time grabbing the rope tow up to the launch area, sitting or sprawling on a sturdy tube, and swooping some 800 feet to the bottom of the hill. We finished off the outing with hot cocoa and beer.
Another option for snow tubing on Mt. Spokane is the Children’s Choice Tubing Hill at the Ski & Snowboard Park.
Snowshoeing:
When we arrived in Spokane, snowshoeing seemed the best way for my husband and I to enjoy the snow, so we outfitted ourselves with shoes and poles at REI and signed up for a City of Spokane Parks andRecreation snowshoeing tour on Mt. Spokane. Actually, two. The first time we went by day through forest and up a steep climb to Bald Knob Picnic Area. The second time we opted for an evening moonlit tour across the mountains to an area where skiers descend by day. After that, we decided to strike out on our own. Several times my husband has ascended to the Vista House on the summit of Mt. Spokane, and I have headed in the general direction of (but never reaching) a CCC cabin on Beauty Mountain. On a good day, you trek through an unspoiled winter wonderland — the snow dry and glinting with a billion points of light, evergreens packed deep with snow, and the views to Spokane and beyond, breathtaking.
Cross-country skiing:
In the winter, snow piles up on many of the trails used for summer hiking, creating a white-frosting landscape for cross-country skiers. In the Mt. Spokane Cross-Country Ski Park, more than 35 miles of trails bordered by snow-laden evergreens crisscross the slopes. Trail maps indicate the degree of difficulty of the trails, from easy to difficult. Most Nordic skiers park at a large lot around the corner from the starting-off point, the Selkirk Lodge, equipped with indoor plumbing, water, and tables. In addition, there are two warming huts at far-flung points along the loops. There are also opportunities for skijoring, in which harnessed dogs work with skiers to cover the trails. It looks like fun, but I do wonder if the dogs’ feet get cold. Booties, maybe?
If none of the above appeals to you, there are also bike and snowmobile trails.
