Nordic Pulse

The Echo Ridge Nordic Area winter season has officially wrapped up, and what an interesting season it was! Despite a lean snowpack, the combined dedication of the Lake Chelan Nordic Club Board, our grooming team, our road plowers, our mechanic, the U.S. Forest Service’s Chelan Ranger District, countless volunteers, and every skier who ventured onto the trails helped create a little winter magic at Echo this year.

The season: A few fun facts for the 2025-26 season…

• Opening day: December 20, 2025

• Last day of grooming: March 16, 2026

• 60 days of grooming

• 654 miles (1,052 km) of trails groomed

• 5 club-hosted Soup Sundays (Dec and Jan)

• Lots of happy skiers

• Pre-season volunteer work this year including trail brushing and mowing, trail widening, tree limbing, and washing the yurt.

• The future of Echo Ridge Nordic Area: The US Forest Service has asked the Lake Chelan Nordic Club to transition from our current cost share agreement to a Special Use Permit for operating the Echo Ridge Nordic Area in the future. The Board is working closely with the Chelan Ranger District to prepare for this shift. It represents a significant change, but our commitment remains the same: providing high‑quality nordic skiing opportunities for the Lake Chelan Valley. More updates will be shared as this process moves forward.

  Season Pass holders: For this year, your 2025-26 winter Echo Ridge season pass is an annual pass, so keep it on your dash for your spring, summer and fall Echo adventures! For others, day use fees at Echo Ridge return to $5/day (or use a Northwest Forest Pass).

  How you can help: Operating under a Special Use Permit will require additional funding through grants and donations. Support the Lake Chelan Nordic Ski Club today by making a donation. 100% of donations go towards providing nordic recreation at Echo Ridge and are greatly appreciated. Donate here. We will also be needing volunteers for a variety of roles next year (greeters/fee compliance, trail brushing, yurt maintenance and other). Please be on the lookout for future opportunities to add your talents to the operation of Echo Ridge’s winter season.

  Thank YOU for a wonderful 2025-26 ski season!

  The Lake Chelan Nordic Club Board