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Letter from the Bondi's
Winter has arrived fast and furious this month, with cold nights and plenty of snow; we nearly have 2 feet as we leave Thanksgiving weekend behind! This nice white blanket of snow invokes peace and a sense of calmness, but there is also a buzz here at the North Cascades Basecamp as we prepare for our busiest season of the year. The lodge and cabin are primed for guests, the MVSTA cross country ski and snowshoe trails are groomed, the Basecamp Warming Hut is open and our Ecology Center lineup is set for this winter. So join us at the Basecamp this winter for good food, good friends, and a good night's rest. Leave the snow shoveling to us!
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In This Issue
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Letter from the Bondi's
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Winter Trails
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Winter Events
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Weekly Programs
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Testimonials
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Employees Corner
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Local Roots
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Mica's Musings
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Winter Trails Out Your Door
 Just out the door to the Basecamp Warming Hut, past the outdoor seating and warmth of the wood fireplace, visitors and guests can jump on the best of the world class groomed nordic ski trails in Mazama. Ski the aptly named Basecamp Trail directly to the Mazama Store, or cross the Methow River ski bridge to the Arrowleaf Conservation Area. The Basecamp property includes two snowshoe trails- follow the markers or join a naturalist-led tour of the woodlands, meadows, and beaver ponds. Be sure to swill some fireside cocoa upon returning from your ski or snowshoe.
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Winter Events
Methow Valley Wintering
Bald Eagle Expedition
January 6-8
with Libby Mills & Kim Romain-Bondi
Cost: $200/person includes lodging, meals, field trips, & presentations. Call for rates with meals and no lodging.
 A weekend full of learning & observing bald eagles in their winter habitat, and taking part in a Citizen Science Program to identify numbers and roost sites in the Methow Valley. Natural history, guest speakers, field trips, home cooked local food, wildlife observation, and more.
Groundhog Day
February 2
9am-noon with Kim and Steve Bondi
Meet at the Winthrop Town Trailhead for a naturalist led ski along the Community trail in search of Wilbur, the Winthrop Whistle Pig and his elusive shadow.
The Great Backyard Bird Count
February 17-20
with Kim and Steve Bondi
Be part of an international Citizen Science Program documenting the birds in our area during winter months. Bird walk at the North Cascades Basecamp. Friday-Monday 9am. FREE!
"Painting Colorful Winter Scenes" Watercolor Workshop
February 19
with John Adams
1-4pm at the North Cascades Basecamp. Call for registration
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Weekly Programs
Thursday's Winter Soup Night and Presentation Series
Thursday evenings, 5:30pm soup dinner, 6:00pm presentation. 5$/person; free to guests
We have a great lineup of presentations for you this winter, and we'd like to thank our presenters for their energy and time they commit to these talks. We hope you can join us every Thursday!
 
Dec 15 Pikas in a Climate of Global Warming ~Roger Christopherson
Dec 22 Campfire DrumCircle and Solstice Celebration ~Kip&Celeste Roberts
Dec 29 The Great Northwest Fires of 1910 ~Bill Moody
Jan 05 The Hidden Lives of Wildlife in Winter ~David Moskowitz
Jan 12 Mammals Underground: What's Happening Down There ~Kim Romain-Bondi
Jan 19 So You Want to Climb Denali ~Joe Reichert
Jan 26 On the Edge: Boreal Forest and Lynx in Okanogan County ~Gary Koehler
Feb 02 Barred Owl & Spotted Owl Interactions and Owl Hooting Walkabout ~Peter Singleton
Feb 09 Rattlesnakes and Their Seasonal Lives ~John Rohrer
Feb 16 The Dirt on Wine: Wine Tasting & Geology of Eastern WA ~John Morgan & Lost River Winery
Feb 23 Landscape Changes in the Artic National Parks ~Peter Neitlich
Mar 01 Mountain Goat Research in the North Cascades ~Leslie Parks
Nature of Winter Snowshoe Tours
 Join the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association's Nature of Winter Snowshoe tours which leave the North Cascades Basecamp in Mazama at 11am on the scheduled dates below. Local naturalists lead family friendly tours highlighting winter ecology, wildlife, tracks, snow conditions and more. FREE!
December 28, 31;
January 14, 15, 21, 28;
February 4, 11, 18, 19, 25
March 3
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Testimonials
Thank you Steve and Kim for a very  hospitable and welcoming stay. Loved the vegan blueberry muffins and the hot tub was great after hiking.
~Eugene and Elizabeth Flood, Canada
Thanks so much for the healthy food and peaceful stay, homely setting and family feeling.
~Jean and Jeff Crossley, Winters, CA
I learned how to ride a bike here!
~Jacob, age 6
Employees Corner
 Alex and Holly are our new employees that you will see around this winter shoveling snow, cooking your fabulous meals, and helping with the various duties around the Basecamp. They are both from the Pacific Northwest and see a winter in Mazama as an opportunity to learn more about the ecology and backcountry wilderness of this area. Holly, a Methow Native enjoys backcountry snowboarding, baking, and rock climbing. You may also see Holly at the Mazama Store baking delicious goods. Alex enjoys rock climbing, mountain biking, adventures and snowboarding. Spending time in Mazama this winter follows Alex's first summer here, working with Outward Bound in Mazama.
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Local Roots
Glover Street Market
For "Pretty Good Groceries", we at the Basecamp make our way to Glover Street Market, the locally owned grocery store in Twisp. Owned and operated by Jeff and Molly Patterson, Glover Street Market always comes through with custom bulk food orders and awesome farm raised pork, both staples in the North Cascades Basecamp's kitchen. As well as a super wide selection of in store groceries and a wine cellar and Saturday tasting events,they have a fantastic kitchen (eat in or take out) where they serve Soul Food, inspired by the seasons.
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Mica's Musings
I can't find my ball. Or my squeaky chicken. Where is my stuffed owl toy? This white stuff is everywhere and while I am finally cool again, it keeps getting deeper! Good think my winter coat came in thick because I think this is going to be an epic snow year. If anybody finds any of the above mentioned items in the snow around the Basecamp, could you please call me over to claim it? I am always loping around the buildings and I'll give you a true Newfoundland slobbery kiss, I promise!
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