Explore Snow Country on Fat Bikes
Experience nature’s wintry glory threaded with the childhood joy of biking in the snow.
By Seattle Mag March 1, 2013
This article originally appeared in the March 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.
While we wait (and wait) for spring to arrive, Seattleites head east for blue vistas and shimmering snowfields; plunging into all that mood-lifting whiteness on sleds, snowshoes, skis and, now, on so-called fat bicycles. While bikes with wide, snow-gripping tires have been plying frozen stretches of Alaska for years, this is the first time any of the cross-country ski trails in the Methow Valley have welcomed their ilk. Don’t expect a high-speed adrenaline rush—fat bikes are built for stability, and ideal for snow lovers who don’t like to ski; cross-country skiers looking to mix it up; and mountain bikers who are tired of waiting for the spring melt.
Check trail openings/conditions daily at mvsta.com. Limited fat bike rentals available at Methow Cycle & Sport in Winthrop, $35–$55/four to 24 hours; methowcyclesport.com
Follow Us
The Rise of the Experience Economy
REI brings back guided travel, betting that memories matter more than stuff.
In my household, with two young boys under the age of five, we often have to remind them to take things back. Did you really mean to tell dad that his dinner isn’t good? You might want to take that back. Did your brother deserve to be hit? Let’s rethink that one. Extreme analogies aside,…
Bellevue Is Treating Accessibility Like Infrastructure
A partnership with Wheel the World makes it easier to plan travel with verified details.
For a lot of people, the hardest part of travel planning isn’t arranging flights or booking a hotel. It’s figuring out whether a place will actually work for your needs once you get there. Bellevue has partnered with Wheel the World, a travel platform used worldwide, to verify accessibility details for hotels, attractions, restaurants, and…
Northwest Enters Winter After Warmest Fall on Record
Unseasonably high temperatures and rain instead of snow have pushed regional snowpack to record lows for this point in the season.
Across the Northwest, a record-warm fall and lack of snowpack going into the winter is putting more drought pressure on Oregon, Idaho, Washington and western Montana. Despite record rain in western Washington recently, and earlier this year in central and southern Oregon, the showers are filling up already overdrawn reservoirs in many areas, scientists said…
Renew Yourself in Bellingham, Washington
Images courtesy of Visit Bellingham Unwind and reset in 2026 with a trip to peaceful Bellingham, Washington. Located between the stunning Cascade Mountains and the tranquil Salish Sea, there’s no better place for a trip packed with quiet moments in nature combined with the amenities of a culturally rich college town. Bellingham is known for…