With western Washington’s generally mild weather, this is always a great time of year to golf in the morning, then snowshoe in the afternoon. The perfect venues for these activities: Crystal Mountain Resort and the small town of Enumclaw, just 30 miles away.
As you start driving east on State Highway 410 in Enumclaw, the picturesque Enumclaw Golf Course (http://cityofenumclaw.net) is on your immediate right. The 18-hole, par 70 course measures a modest 5,561 yards from the tips. Since the City of Enumclaw took over day-to-day operations in 2010, significant improvements have been made to the 66-year-old course. They have brought in a new restaurant operator and remodeled the pro shop and restaurant, added new golf carts, and tidied up the course with new grounds keeping equipment. Coming soon will be an online reservation system. Because the course sits at 760 feet above sea level, golfers can enjoy the Enumclaw Golf Course year round, thanks to the mild winter months.
After your round of golf, follow Highway 410 all the way to Crystal Mountain Resort, where the main lodge sits at 4,400 feet. Located about a 90-minute drive from Tacoma and 105 minutes from Seattle, Crystal Mountain Resort sits in the northeast corner of Mount Rainier National Park. With an annual average of 486 inches of snow, yes, 40 feet of snow, Crystal’s 2,600 acres attract outdoor enthusiasts from across the country. Though most come for skiing, cross-country and snowshoe trails abound throughout this wilderness playground.
Parking your RV right at the resort makes it convenient. Located in the B parking lot are forty, 30-amp electrical hook-ups available on a first-come, first-serve basis, except for the holiday. Costs are $30 for hook ups and $20 without power. Step out of your rig and the trails are endless. An alternative to backcountry snowshoeing on your own is the Alpine Wilderness Snowshoe Tours offered by the resort every Saturday afternoon from around Christmas through mid April. After an afternoon of snowshoeing with the group for about two-and-a-half hours, head back to the lodge and enjoy an incredible cheese fondue dinner with a selection of vegetables, salad, and a scrumptious homemade dessert. For complete details on this popular snowshoeing excursion, visit http://crystalmountainresort.com/Activities/Guided-Snowshoe-Tours.
Golf in the morning and snowshoe in the afternoon; what better way to spend a Saturday in winter?
Rick Stedman is an avid golfer, RVer, and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Rick writes a golf column, “The RV Golfer,” which is published every month in rvlife.com. He can be reached at rstedman@gmail.com.
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