Archive for the ‘snowmobiling’ Category

Celebrate at Sneak Peek to Spring Barrel

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

The Yakima Valley Visitor Information Center (VIC) celebrates 10 years of serving visitors to the Yakima Valley in 2013. Built in 2003, with the vision to promote the Yakima Valley’s growing wine country, the Visitor Center has become the first stop for information on lodging, restaurants, activities and events.

One of the events during this year long celebration, “Sneak Peek to Spring Barrel,” will be April 11, 2013, at Le Chateau.  Wine Diva’s will be hosting this event.  Come enjoy local wine tasting, live music, Hors D’Oeuvers, Spring fashions, shopping, raffle prizes and more. This is an all lady, 21 and over event. The Visitor Center will be offering a Gift Bag valued at $25 with every ticket. The gift bag will include 4 wine tasting coupons, to be used anytime during the evening, a glass of wine, a lite-up wine glass, Washington Wine Country Coasters; It’s All about the Pretzels, Spring Barrel Wine Tasting winery information, coupons and so much more. Tickets to the event are $30. Visit the Yakima Valley’s beautiful Tuscan style Visitor Center for your tickets.

The Yakima Valley Visitor Center provides information covering the Yakima Valley, most cities in Washington State, plus Oregon, Idaho, Montana.  In 2006 the gift shop was added featuring local Yakima Valley made products and artwork, souvenirs plus specialty gift items.  In 2011 the gift shop expanded its selection of local wines for purchase and began offering wine tasting 4 premiums Yakima Valley wines with the purchase of a $5.00 Govino wine glass.

The Yakima Valley Visitor Center is located across the street from Target Store at 101 North Fair Ave. Exit 33 off I-82. (map)

Come celebrate with us.

 

The Yakima Valley blog articles feature members of the Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau. If you would like to receive information regarding membership, Click here, or to request a membership application, please contact Michelle Hopkins at (509) 575-3010.

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Big Weekend at White Pass Ski Area – Winter Carnival!

Tuesday, February 26th, 2013

Are you ready for  27th Annual White Pass Winter Carnival this weekend? March 2 & 3, 2013.   Bring the whole family, the kids will have fun climbing through the snow castle and tubing down the snow slide (I know I did!).  Enjoy this huge snow castle, carnival games, races, snow sculptures, fireworks, and live music during this annual winter celebration. A tradition for Northwest families since 1987. View the full event schedule here.

 

If you haven’t been to the White Pass Ski Area in a few years you will be surprised at the expansion and the new ski in lodge. Time to check out White Pass Ski Resort’s Paradise Basin, which doubled the size of the ski area by 767 acres.   Whether you ski or snowboard, the views of Mt Rainier are spectacular.   Start at the White Pass Resort Day Lodge (Trail map) on Highway 12,  ride the Great White Quad to the top, off the quad, ski down straight to base of Chair 5, take the Basin Quad/Chair 5, follow signs to the new High Camp Lodge (pictured).  At High Camp enjoy a morning waffle bar on select days, lunch daily. 

White Pass offers 18k of double-tracked groomed Nordic trails, as well as single tracked snowshoeing trails and  a terrain park, with 14 challenging features, including rails and c-boxes.wine and beer. White Pass Ski Resort, is located only 40 minutes from the city of Yakima on the White Pass Scenic Byway.  Visitors and locals enjoy the opportunity to ski during the day and return to Yakima for wine tasting and a fine meal in one of the many restaurants

 

Winter Recreation Information:

White Pass Ski Resort History

Vacation Rentals, Retreats and Guesthouses

Winter Fun: Cross Country Skiing & Snowshoeing

Snowmobile Recreation: Where are the trails?

The Yakima Valley blog articles feature members of the Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau. If you would like to receive information regarding membership, Click here, or to request a membership application, please contact Michelle Hopkins at (509) 575-3010.

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Take the White Pass Scenic Byway to the Yakima Valley

Tuesday, January 29th, 2013

The White Pass Scenic Byway is a 2 1/2 hour scenic drive to the Yakima Valley from the west. The 124 mile long byway offers access to The Gifford Pinchot and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests and Mount Rainier National Park, Mt. St. Helens National Monument and Mount Adams Wilderness Area.

Starting from Portland or Seattle take I-5 exit 68, to Mary’s Corner, the beginning of the byway.  You will pass the communities of Randle, Morton and Packwood before reaching the summit and the White Pass Ski Area  at an elevation of 4500ft. Take the time to stop and enjoy the many viewpoints and scenic overlooks along the way.

Continuing to Yakima, you will pass Rimrock Lake Reservoir, the Tieton River, known for Class 3 whitewater rafting in season and the Oak Creek Wildlife Area, where elk herds are fed in the winter.

There are numerous opportunities for recreation including; hiking, boating, fishing, wildlife viewing, skiing, swimming, rock climbing and white water rafting along the byway. You will find many choices for accommodations and camping on the White Pass Scenic Byway as you make your way to the Yakima Valley.

From the lush vegetation of western Washington, over the mountain and forest pass to the desert climate of the Yakima Valley, this drive offers views of a diverse and changing landscape.

 

Thank you White Pass Scenic Byway and Destination Packwood for supporting the Yakima Valley Visitor Information Center as a Diamond Sponsor. The Yakima Valley Visitor Information Center: Celebrating 10 years of serving travelers to the Yakima Valley in 2013. 

The Yakima Valley blog articles feature members of the Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau. If you would like to receive information regarding membership, Click here, or to request a membership application, please contact Michelle Hopkins at (509) 575-3010.

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Snowmobile Recreation – Where are the Trails?

Monday, December 5th, 2011

The Yakima Valley is in close proximity to prime winter recreation areas with miles of groomed trails. Snowmobilers, are you ready for miles and miles of groomed trails?  Joe Parsons, known for his snowmobiling expertise as Winter X Games Gold Medalist spent his early days on the numerous trails in Yakima Valley.

Winter season is now open! Along the he White Pass Scenic Byway, you will find  numerous trail choices for snowmobiling.  Located about 40 miles from Yakima on Hwy 12, continue to Tieton Road and turn left. If you are coming over the White Pass Scenic Byway from the west, take the Clear Lake exit off Hwy 12 to reach these trails.

These areas on Tieton Road are:

  • Tieton Airstrip-35 spaces and 66 miles of trails.
  • Fish Creek-5 spaces, 66 miles of trails.
  • Cold Creek-85 spaces 66 miles of trails.
  • Pine Grass-5 spaces, 66 miles of trails.

Bear Creek Trail off Tieton Road -Take US Forest Service Road 1204, features 17 spaces and 66 miles of trails.

For Bethel Ridge/Soup Creek trails take US Forest Service Road 1305 off of Hwy 12.

The Washington State Parks winter recreation website offers additional information on fees, maps and trail conditions as well as the Naches Ranger District website.

The popular local Yakima  trails are Ahtanum Meadows and the Ahtanum Guard Station. Take the I-82 Exit 36 Valley Mall Blvd. West to 3rd turn left, at Ahtanum turn right and travel 25 miles to Tampico Food Store (closed) at the Y-intersection, turn right. Ahtanum Meadows, about 8 miles from the Y, features 54 miles of trails and 15 camping spaces. At 9.5 miles the Ahtanum guard station has 100 spaces and 54 miles of trails. This recreation area was due to be closed in 2009 due to state budget cuts to these Department of Natural Resources Land. A local snowmobile club, the Ski Benders raised the money to keep the area groomed and plowed for the 2009-2010 season. This area is so close to Yakima, one can take advantage of the hotels and restaurants in the cities of Union Gap and Yakima

The Yakima Valley blog articles feature members of the Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau. If you would like to receive information regarding membership, Click here, or to request a membership application, please contact Michele Hopkins at (509) 575-3010.

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