Everything Happened at Once!!

It has been a cool, but sunny spring. Then everything happened at once! The elk returned to the meadow. This year's count is 27. The Sandhill Cranes left to start raising their young. The flowers started blooming. The aspen buds burst open and now we can hear the rustle of aspen leaves once again.

For one of our younger guests it was not the elk, flowers or the kid toys upstairs that caught her attention, but the frogs. Every spring, at dusk the frog chorus starts up and continues well after dark. At the age of two, this was her first experience with the frog chorus. She sat quietly for twenty minutes and just listened.

She then announced to her parents that she wanted to come back to "her cabin" soon. But don't worry! you can still make Camas "your cabin" by calling soon to reserve your week or long weekend this summer.

As the meadow is drying, the frog chorus will soon fall silent. However, the bugling of the elk and the bird songs will still be there to enthrall both the young and old.

We have plenty of openings in the upcoming summer months. The 4th of July and Labor Day holidays are still open. The Perseid meteor shower in August is still open. Summer at the meadow will be going until Labor Day!

Sandhill Cranes and Camas Meadows

In May of 2004 our guests from Minnesota noticed a couple of large birds in the meadow. They were Sandhill Cranes visiting Camas Meadows for the first time. They must have liked the meadow for they have been coming back every year since 2004. The Cranes would show up just as snow melt started in the meadow and would depart as the meadow started drying out.

We were not quite sure why they kept coming back year after year even though Camas Meadows does not offer good habitat for nesting and particularly the rearing of young. Well this spring our neighbor caught the Cranes in their "mating dance". It seems that the Cranes were using the meadow as a romantic start to raising their families.

For five years now the Cranes have been back for their spring honeymoon. You can catch the Cranes through the spotting scope at the lodge. They are usually gone as the meadow dries out later in May. We are not sure where they go after their "honeymoon" at Camas. But every year at this time they are back at Camas Meadows.

Last week we were skiing on the meadow. This week the snow clings only to the north side of the meadow. By this weekend we suspect all the snow will be gone. On the south facing slopes the Glacier Lily's and Spring Beauties are out in full force. Wildflower season has started and will continue through mid June.

Come join the Sandhill Cranes and the returning elk herd for spring at Camas Meadows. This is our favorite time of year with wildflowers blooming, snow capped peaks, and sunshine with a deep blue luster to the sky. This is the reason that come May the Sandhill Cranes and elk head for Camas Meadows to join the mountain bluebirds and other wildlife on the meadow.

Unlike the Cranes and elk you do have to make reservations to stay at Camas Meadows. Fortunately, we still have plenty of vacancies in May!

Wildflowers Coming Soon!!

The winters at Camas start with heavy snowfall and cold temperatures. They end with sunny, warm days. Today we went skiing on the meadow for the last time this season. The snow is rapidly melting. The road to the cabin is ready for travel, totally melted out and dried. The snow only lingers in the meadow and the north facing slopes.

It was great skiing in the warm sunshine. When you kick with the skis, the glide goes on forever. The mysterious ice sheets of Camas Meadows are still there and they came in handy for crossing Camas Creek as it flows through the meadow. The ski trip was followed by a glass of wine and a nap in the LaFuma recliners on the deck in the sunshine.

The first Glacier Lilies were spotted along Camas Creek road!. It will not be long until wildflower season is in full swing at the meadow. The elk herd, as always, is expected to show on April 15th. I must admit it is the only thing we look forward to on April 15! The forecast for the rest of the week is to be in the mid 70's, so the last reminder of the loooong winter will disappear this week as the snow retreats and the meadow greens for the arrival of the elk. Then the camas will appear and blue blossoms will cover the meadow to herald in the wildflower season in full glory.

April and May are the best times at Camas Meadows. The days are generally warm and sunny with cool nights. The elk herd is in the meadow and the birds and other wildlife are active as spring gets into full swing.

There is nothing like May flowers in eastern Washington. If you can only make one trip to Camas Meadows... May is the time to be here!! We are booked for Memorial Day weekend, but other weekends are still open including the romantic full moon weekend of May 9th.

Where is Camas Meadows?

When we get inquiries about Camas Meadows Lodge the first question people ask is "Where is Camas Meadows"?

It was not always this way.

At one time everybody in the Northwest knew where Camas Meadows was located. Camas Meadows was one of those special places that everybody knew and loved. Residents of eastern Washington would come up to Camas to camp and get out of the summer heat. Camas Meadows is a good ten to fifteen degrees cooler than Wenatchee.

The meadow would be filled with campsites. I am sure the sound of kid's laughter drifted across the meadow. Like all special places, stories were told and retold about Camas Meadows and became legends.

For the story on Camas Meadows and the legends it inspired, please see the stories about Mountain Goat and Coyote's Racetrack in "The Wenatchee Valley and its First Peoples", written by Richard Scheuerman.

In the early 1800's, two eastern guys came out west writing the first guidebook about the Northwest. They never did come closer than a couple hundred miles to Camas Meadows, but their guidebook did start changing the Northwest. We recommend that you read the University of Nebraska version of the Lewis and Clark Journals.

The Wenatchi Indians would come up here in the summer to harvest the Camas root for which the meadow is named. Camas Meadows was a special place for the Wenatchi Indians for thousands of years. It is still a special place.


The knoll that figured so prominently in the story about Mountain Goat and Coyote is directly across from Camas Meadows Lodge. The "white fog" that drifted across Camas Meadows in the story still makes it appearance after rain storms during the spring and summer months.

Come experience the legend that is Camas Meadows.

We are starting to get snow followed by clearing skies, but spring is definitely just around the corner. The snowfalls now melt away in a day or two rather than adding to the snowpack.

With daylight savings time, it is easier to get up and experience the magic of Camas Meadows in the morning. But even if you sleep in, the view is still pretty good at mid-morning. All the weekends in March are still open.

Oh, Camas Meadows is also known as CamasLand on the Forest Service maps. We are just up Camas Creek road from Highway 97. Twenty minutes from Leavenworth and thirty minutes from Wenatchee.

Mornings are Priceless at Camas Meadows!

This past weekend the weather brought snow showers and unfortunately mostly cloudy weather. But given our easterly location clouds do not stay long at Camas Meadows. Tuesday morning dawned with fog in meadow, sunshine on Three Brothers, and blue sky above. On mornings like this it just gets better and better.


By the time the coffee was done and poured the fog had started its retreat. We could see the aspen grove in the middle of the meadow and now there was more blue sky visible.


Quickly by the second cup of coffee the fog was almost gone from the meadow and Tip Top could be seen with its trees covered in fresh snow.


Soon those magic moments of early morning were gone and so was the coffee. So we put on our cross-country skis and ventured out into the meadow and the sunshine.



All the pictures were taken from our deck. So you can experience the beauty of a Camas Meadows morning while lounging around in your pajamas! The warm cozy fire and the view make that coffee taste extra special.

It has been a mild winter with little snow after the snowstorms and cold of December. Spring is coming soon. If your looking for skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, building snowmen, or any other activity that requires that white stuff book your reservation soon.

The snow should be here for another two or three weeks, but with temperatures in the high 40's during the day and low 20's at night the snow is slowly retreating. As soon as our night time temperatures stay above freezing the snow will be going fast.

The Mysterious Ice Sheets of Camas Meadows

Every year at Camas Meadows the seasons are slightly different. Just when you think you have seen it all, something new comes along. This is our twelfth winter at Camas, but our first with the mysterious ice sheets.

This winter we had substantial snowfall and record cold temperatures in December. This was followed by a rain on snow event in January. After this, all the snow and rain ceased and we had warm, sunny days followed by clear, cold nights. We suspect this particular timing of events led to the appearance of the ice sheets at Camas.

The ice is about six inches thick and found along all the water courses in the meadow. We have not tried ice-skating or playing hockey with the neighbors on the sheets of ice, but they are interesting to follow while skiing around the meadow. When spring comes, we suspect that the snow on the meadow will melt first; but then what will happen to the ice sheets?? Will they float and create abstract displays of ice dams?

In December, with the cold temperatures and snow, it looked like a late spring for sure. January, however, proved to be quite different. We ended up with warm sunny days and cold clear nights. What will February bring?? The first week is forecasted to continue the January pattern.

So spring might be early this year at the meadows. For those of you looking for skiing, snowshoeing, snowball fights or building snowman do not wait to long. Those winter opportunities could just melt away.

This coming weekend is the full moon. Camas Meadows at night under a full moon is something else!

We are booked President’s Day weekend. But other weekends are still open. Winter break week is still open and we will honor the 3 for 2 mid-week special. Winter at Camas Meadows is always a treat.

Camas Meadows-Your Special Place

Ten years ago, when we first started renting, we thought Camas Meadows Lodge was a special place for couples. The lodge offered the perfect weekend getaway for a romantic stay at a high mountain meadow. We provided a place for couples to unwind from the pace of everyday life. The well-appointed kitchen made fixing those special dinners a treat to prepare. There were wine glasses for enjoying fine wine in front of a roaring fire and gazing out to view the snow-capped peaks in the distance. Why weren’t we ever listed in Best Places to Kiss?

Soon we noticed that many of our guests were returning with children. Think there was any correlation? Talking to several of our favorite guests, we discovered that many of our Camas enthusiasts were kids under 12! There are sleds to slide on and snowmen to be built. We stock videos and games for the younger set, along with K’nex for the whole family. We’ve seen some awesome creations throughout the years. Pretty in Pink likes to play on and behind the spiral staircase, making a tent and “camping”. And after all those rides on the sleds, snowball fights, and snowmen built there is hot chocolate to be had while warming up by the wood stove.

Pretty in Pink may look like a charming little girl, which she is, but get her on her skies and you will find she’s a speed demon. She searches out moguls and downhill runs to practice her turns. We suspect it won’t be long before she will be telemarking on the slopes above the meadow; and then move on to ski racing and jumping!

The weather has been perfect these last two weeks with plenty of sunshine and a firm base for great skiing. The forecast is for colder weather and snow by this weekend. Powder snow on top of our current base will make for the best cross-country skiing of the season.

We are open the weekends of January 24th and February 7^th. President’s weekend is already booked. Our guess is that skiing and snowshoeing will be possible until the middle of March.

Book a stay with us and find out why Camas Meadows is such a special place whether your four or eighty-four.