Suncadia in the Off Season (Cle Elum, Washington)

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A GRAND WINTER ESCAPE to the mountains. The scent of pine and Douglas fir, the scrape of skis over crisp powder, and only the sound of your lungs pumping in fresh, crystalline air for miles around. Except this time, we took the drive over Snoqualmie Pass and there was no snow. A few downhill skiers had staked out what little snow was left on the ski runs, but cutting down into Cle Elum, it was high and dry.

This is visiting in late February.

Suncadia Resort is affiliated with Hyatt. For those looking for a closer cross country ski haven than the legendary Methow Valley in Central Washington, it’s only about 1.5 hours from Seattle area. As we came down the drive, it felt like we were entering a gated community. Houses flanked the main drive left and right, much of it recent construction. We passed the Swim and Fitness Center which offers outdoor pools and hot tubs of all temperatures, an indoor option, and two massively fun waterslides. A short distance away was the main lodge where we were staying.

I’m telling you, the view is quite jaw-dropping. Walking into the hotel, you’re met with a dizzyingly beautiful panorama of the Cascades plunging into a deep valley, of which a river and old bridge run through. The second outdoor pool is fastened to this cliff overlooking it all and is open until 10 PM, so you can add dazzling stars to the list as well. There are tons of trails in back of the hotel but be prepared for cliffs. It’s quite a drop off. There are also a couple of firepits. The hotel puts out everything you need for making s’mores around 7 PM.

The rooms are comfortable, some offering kitchenettes, in addition to three restaurants around the Suncadia Resort, and a quick grab-and-go eatery inside the main lodge. Safeway at Cle Elum is a quick stop from here, and Roslyn also isn’t far away for some additional restaurant options.

I imagine if there was snow, it would be a great family cross country trek to Nelson Farms. We still visited by car, because there is a wonderful playground, and the nearby farm owners were nice enough to let us explore their property. It looks to be mainly for special events, but there’s fun little tractors and hay bales for littles to climb.

However, we were on a mission to find snow, damnit, and find it we did—we drove to Salmon le Sac Sno-Park (pass required). Most cars were lined up off the main road, but there was also a sign on the right pointing into a parking lot. There was still snow, albeit, a bit wet and dirty, leading off into the woods. Luckily for us, we had little kids who were more interested in sledding. The small slopes next to the parking lot were the perfect size for them.

Then it was back to the lodge to get in our swimsuits—it was a brisk trek to get over to the Swim and Fitness Center, but we had the entire pool to ourselves. Us grown ups got the chance to try out those fun water slides, zero line. Perks of going in the off season! Plus with the s’mores under the heavens at night—you really feel like you have the entire Cascades to yourself. However, maybe next time, would recommend a bit earlier in the year.

Disclaimer: the above is depicted as fiction and not fact.