By Tim Clinton
Sports Editor

A second round of winter storms on Snoqualmie Pass dumped an ample amount of snow onto the regularly-maintained trails at Cabin Creek, a roughly 60-minute drive from Seattle and just 10 minutes past the Snoqualmie summit. This addition builds on top of a snowpack already greatly exceeding what last winter provided, and is setting the stage for the “Mavericks” participants of Momentum Northwest, a non-profit cross-country ski organization based in Seattle.

The Mavericks program encompass ages six through eleven and encourages all abilities, from complete beginner up to advanced young skiers to join on snow every Saturday morning at Cabin Creek for coached activities and learning to ski. “Our Mavericks are the foundational element of Momentum Northwest,” says Sam Naney, Program Director. “Getting kids on skis at a young age and helping them develop their skills in a high-energy atmosphere of coach-led instruction is the best way to foster in them a love of the sport, and an innate comfort on snow.”

The Mavericks spend two hours every Saturday morning for eight weeks beginning in January, skiing in ability-distinguished groups and later all together in relays, obstacle courses and skill-building exercises.
“We do not think of the Mavericks program as a ski school,” says Naney. “Rather, we want the kids to learn the sport through doing it, by climbing hills to slalom back down, and take small jumps to learn how to control their balance and agility. Skiing is so much about experiencing the thrill of going fast and moving over terrain; we want to imbue that in our participants from the earliest ages possible.”

Naney also emphasizes the benefits to parents whose children participate; Cabin Creek offer hours of cross-country skiing access, and combined with nearby Stampede Pass and other proximate trail networks, opportunities for snowshoeing, snowmobiling and backcountry ski touring are ample. And with no lift tickets or season’s passes to purchase, the sport’s access is ideal for newcomers and those keeping an eye to their activities budget.

Momentum Northwest’s registration for winter programs is now open for all ages; to learn more and to register your children for the program, visit their website at www.momentumnorthwest.org.