C-13 solid-state MAS NMR was used to probe the chemistry of a number of species involved in the methanol-to-hydrocarbon process over H-SAPO-34 molecular sieve at both high (573 K) and low (473-563 K) temperature ranges and at very low conversion (<0.1%). Isobutane was the only hydrocarbon product observed at 473 and 573 K. Evidence for the operation of a stepwise methylation reaction via surface-bound species derives from, first, the treatment of several samples with different loadings of methanol at 523-563 K and, second, when either [C-13]methanol is coadsorbed with [C-12]ethene over the catalyst or [C-12]ethene is reacted with pre-[C-13]methylated SAPO-34. The hydrocarbon products in these experiments were mainly isobutane and isopentane as well as methane, ethene, and propane. Based on these experimental findings, a number of mechanistic approaches concerning the very first stages of the reaction are discussed.