Across State Haul Road from Plain Hardware there are 18 acres of open ground. For years, the land was private property that hosted a system of ski trails in winter. This winter, that ground belongs to Chelan County, and it is on its way to becoming Plain's first community park.
The park has no design yet. It has no playground, pavilion or plan drawings either. For the coming months it does one job, and it is the same job the land had before the sale. Plain Valley Ski Trails will groom it for cross-country skiing while the county and the community work out what the park should be. That makes the 2026–27 Nordic season the first one on this ground as county-owned parkland. Every day pass, clinic sign-up and volunteer shift this winter feeds the organization expected to manage the place.
How a ski trail turned into a park
According to The Leavenworth Echo, the county commissioners bought the parcel for $1.2 million from G&B Properties East. The money came half from lodging tax dollars and half from a state sales tax credit known as "0.09 funds." In May, Lake Wenatchee Info reported that the purchase-and-sale agreement had been signed. The deal still depended on an irrigation agreement and an easement. By July, the Echo reported both were secured.
The push started with the ski trails. In the Echo's report, PVST executive director Christie Wilder described how it began:
"When we learned of this potential sale by the property owner and were told it was time sensitive, a steering committee was formed to develop a strategy to secure the land. We approached the county to acquire the land to preserve Plain Valley Ski Trail's winter access for the ski trails and to further develop a year-round community park in Plain."
Wilder also thanked Grahame Watson, who owns G&B Properties and has lived in Plain since 1988. She said he gave the community the time it needed to work with the county and buy the land. Commissioner Shon Smith represents Plain and District 2. He told the Echo, "We wish to see this park become a year-round attraction for both locals and visitors." The county also linked the purchase to its tourism impact assessment, which called for recreation in places that are not already crowded with visitors. Plain was one of the few rural communities in Chelan County without a community park.
Chelan County Natural Resources is working out a maintenance and operations agreement with PVST, which is expected to manage the property. PVST plans to ask residents and local groups to help shape the design. So the trail organization that brought the land into public hands is also the one that will run it.
Why last winter matters to this one
PVST has run trails in the valley since 2011, on land made available by private landowners. Its youth program, the Plain Valley Nordic Team, started in 2014. The trails exist to pay for the team. After operating costs, net proceeds from season and day passes go to the team's youth ski education.
That setup gets tested in a bad winter, and 2025–26 was one. PVST's 2025–26 annual report describes a storm that damaged Highway 2 and cut off access to the valley, followed by very little snow. PVST closed the trails on March 2. Two weeks later a little over a foot of fresh snow fell, but the trails stayed closed because there was no base left to groom on.
| 2025–26 season, per PVST's annual report | Figure |
|---|---|
| Days open | 72 |
| Trail users | 3,320 |
| Season passes / day passes | 480 / 2,840 |
| Income | $360,355 |
| Expenses | $393,517 |
| Operating reserve | $131,648 |
| Youth skiers on the Nordic team | 175, up from 133 the year before |
| Winter volunteers | 142 |
Expenses ran $33,162 above income, in a season with less snow and more kids. Most of the growth in the youth program came from the youngest skiers, and PVST bought more equipment so beginners could take part. The organization stepping in to manage Plain's new park comes off a lean year with a reserve to lean on and more young skiers than ever.
Parking was tight too. In February 2026, PVST temporarily closed the Meadow Loop and Beaver Creek lots and sent skiers to Osprey Lodge or to walk-in drop-off. The annual report also thanks Thousand Trails for taking hundreds of extra vehicles and trail users when the northern trail system became the main ski area. A trail system that relies on the goodwill of private neighbors in a tough winter now has one central piece that the public owns.
What the 2026–27 season costs
PVST advertises 25 km of trails groomed for both skate and classic skiing. The terrain is gentle enough for beginners, with hills and descents for stronger skiers, and there is a ski playground with bumps and hoops for kids. Opening day depends on snow, as it does every year.
- Day pass: $29 plus fees for adults. Youth day passes are free.
- PVST season pass: $300 for adults 18 to 69 and $125 for seniors 70 to 74, plus Washington sales tax, per PVST's pass notice on Nordic Pulse. Youth 17 and under and super seniors 75 and up pay only processing fees, listed at $10.
- Valley Pass: this is back for another season and covers both PVST and the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club, including the Ski Hill's alpine runs, tubing, fat biking and snowshoeing. Regular pricing started November 1: $575 for adults, $220 for seniors 70 to 74, $140 for youth 6 to 17 outside the Cascade School District, and a $10 processing fee for Cascade School District youth and skiers 75 and up.
- Indy XC Pass: PVST is a partner this season. The $99 adult or $49 kids pass includes two free days at each partner area, with a third day at 25% off. PVST requires reservations for it.
The early-bird Valley Pass prices ended October 31, so a Plain-only skier now pays $275 less for a PVST adult season pass than for the combined pass.
The winter calendar on Plain's trails
The schedule is mostly clinics, volunteer shifts and one race, which is how a ski season holds a community together before a park has any benches.
- December through March: trail ambassadors greet skiers, check passes and share conditions at the Meadow Loop, Osprey Lodge and Beaver Creek trailheads. Eight two-hour shifts on weekends and holiday breaks earn a free PVST season pass.
- Saturdays, December 19 through February 27: Saturday Skills and Kids clinics run 10 a.m. to noon. The Kids clinic is for ages 6 to 12. Clinics require a day or season pass. Rentals are separate and can be arranged at Plain Hardware at least an hour before the lesson.
- January 5 through February 11: the women's program, PVAW, meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. Its proceeds support the youth team.
- Sunday, January 10: the Washington Nordic Cup lists "WNC #2 - PVNT - Plain" from noon to 3 p.m., with Stevens Pass Nordic Center as the venue.
- January 16 or February 13 for classic, January 17 or February 14 for skate: full-day immersion clinics run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Last season PVST hosted 23 events, including Tour de Plain, a Moonlight Ski, a Washington Nordic Cup race and an end-of-season carnival for the team. The team also has a staffing change to fill this winter. PVST is hiring a program director and head coach for the Nordic team, and its volunteer page asks for coaches. Coaching twice a week earns a season pass, and coaching once a week earns half off one.
What comes after the snow melts
The county wants a park people use all year. PVST has said it will bring residents and local organizations into the design. Its annual report describes the goal as bringing the community "together to share ideas and help shape the park's future design and development." PVST is also more than a year into a 2025–30 strategic plan built around funding, organizational capacity and community support.
Until there is a design, the 18 acres on State Haul Road will be used for what PVST knows best. Mountain Springs Lodge, PVST's title business sponsor, put it this way in PVST's annual report: the trails and team "bring our community together." Grooming reports go out by email through the subscription on PVST's grooming page, which carries trail conditions all season.
We live here too, and we love it when land around Plain stays open for everyone to enjoy. If you own a cabin or acreage near the trails and want to know what it's worth before the snow flies, Team Stoddard can help. Start with our instant home valuation, then give us a call so we can talk it through over coffee.
