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Stehekin

Chelan was a bit of a disappointment to start our trip, but to be honest, it was just a staging area. Next we were going to Stehekin, a place which has always fascinated me but which I never visited. It's at the far end of Lake Chelan, fifty one miles from where we were staying in the town of Chelan. Carved by glaciers, the lake is long but very narrow, varying from two miles at the widest point to only a third of a mile at its narrowest. It's the third deepest lake in North America, with a maximum depth of 1,486 feet. With steep mountains on both sides, it's often referred to an an inland fjord.

Paved roads only extend along the shore of the lake for about ten miles from the eastern end, although it's possible to reach the half way point by rough forest roads on the south side. But that's as far as you can drive. Beyond that is wilderness. To go any further, the only access is by boat or by trail. But at the end of the lake, there are two small, remote communities.

One of them is Holden Village, which started as a mining town in the 1930's during the Great Depression. Now it's owned by the Lutheran Church, which operates it as an education and retreat center. It operates year round but the population varies a lot with the season, from three hundred people during the summer months to only thirty or so in the winter.

It's definitely a remote community. To reach it, you take the ferry to Lucerne Landing, about ten miles short of the upper end of the lake. Then there's a ten mile shuttle bus ride on a dirt road up a side valley, to where Holden is surrounded by the half million acres of the Glacier Peak Wilderness. But it isn't a "real" town with long term residents. Sandy knows someone who lived there. He was a minister who left Sandy's church and then had a one year assignment at Holden Village. The people who live there year round are probably better described as staff rather than residents. There is a community school but in 2022 it only had one student in K-12.

Stehekin on the other hand does have about seventy five permanent residents. That number grows in the summer with seasonal workers and tourists. There are two lodges, a number of campgrounds, several other businesses and even a post office in the Stehekin Valley. A road runs from the boat landing a little over eleven miles up the valley, where it ends without connecting to anything. With no outside road access, Stehekin is one of the most remote towns in the continental United States.

One way to get there is by walking. Near its end, the Stehekin valley road intersects the Pacific Crest Trail at High Bridge. There is a campground where the two meet, and PCT hikers often overnight there while they go down to the landing to resupply for their final push to the border. While we were in Stehekin, I saw two guys with big backpacks who looked like they had been on the trail for a long time. They were opening packages they had picked up at the post office. It's common on long distance backpack trips to mail supplies to yourself at points up along the way.

While that is one possible route, starting at Mexico does make for a long hike to get to Stehekin. Another approach is from Cascade Pass. There is a popular trail that leads to the pass from the west. I've done that hike twice. Once many years ago, in my mountaineering days, I was attempting to climb Sahale Peak. More recently, I did a day hike to Cascade Pass while spending a couple of days in the mountains after attending a game convention in Seattle. From the pass, I could look down into the headwaters of the Stehekin River. The town and the lake are out of sight around a bend many miles down the valley. It's twenty seven trail miles from the pass to the Stehekin Valley road at High Bridge, and then another eleven miles down the road to the town. That's definitely a multiday backpack, but I was definitely intrigued by the idea of hiking to a town that had no car access.

Now that I was actually going there, it was by water instead of land. The Lake Chelan Boat Company runs a ferry service up and down the lake. The Lady of the Lake is their largest boat, and has been in operation since 1976. It's also the slowest. It takes four hour to travel from Chelan to Stehekin. Their fastest boat, the Lady Liberty, makes the trip in only seventy minutes. It is also the smallest boat and had an odd schedule that didn't work for us. We compromised and took the Lady Express, which can do the trip in two and a half hours. It left Chelan at 8:30 which would get us to Stehekin at 11:00. The return trip left at 12:30 and arrived at 3:00, which would give us time to drive to where we would be staying the next night. Besides, while we didn't want to spend a whole day sailing up and down the lake, we thought it would be good to have a little more time to enjoy the scenery along the way.

We were both up early (unusual for me) on the morning we were taking the ferry. We had scouted out the route to the dock the day before. It was only a five minute drive from our hotel and there was a fenced and gated parking lot for overnight parking. I had alreay bought our tickets online so all we needed to do was park our car, pay for an overnight parking permit, and get on the boat by 8:30. We had plenty of time so we went to the Lake Chelan Artisan Bakery to get something for breakfast. I had a cinamon roll and it was really good.

On the boat we sat in the cabin in the "Bob Uecker seats", in the front row where we had a panoramic view. At first there were a lot of houses, which were undoubtedly very pricey, along both sides of the lake. They thinned out as we sailed up the lake, ending about ten miles from Chelan where the paved road stopped. As we sailed up the lake, the mountains along the shoreline gradually became more interesting - higher, steeper, rockier and more forested. Near the upper end of the lake we could see real alpine peaks lurking up some of the side valleys.

At one point we sailed close to Domke Falls, a beautiful fifty foot high waterfall that plunges directly into Lake Chelan. The boat stopped briefly so people could go on deck to take pictures, but I was one of the few who did. Most people were back inside and I was already in my seat when a little girl ran out onto the deck. She was about four years old and had not been enjoying the trip very much. She was very active and had been crying and making a fuss or running all over the boat for the whole trip. She was what Sandy and I call a "Screecher", a name we made up in Singapore for little kids who would run around the pool at our apartment building and scream all day. Her mom didn't pay much attention and just let her roam. It was almost like she was glad when she was pestering other people on the boat instead of her. As soon as the little girl was out on deck she immediatly started to climb up on the railing. Mom was following but taking her time, still inside cabin and at least ten steps behind. Not a good idea as anyone who has been a parent can tell you how fast a young child can get into trouble. Several people moved toward the little girl and a crew member got their first, getting the kid off the railing and herding her back to mom. He scolded mom pretty good and I have to say I thought it was well deserved.

It wasn't the first time either. Earlier I had gone out on the open deck at the stern to take pictures. As I came back, the little girl went past to go out on the deck. Mom was nowhere in sight. I stopped and watched the little girl, worried that she might go by the railing. After a minute or so I turned to the lady next to me, an employee working a small snack stand at the back of the cabin. "Is anyone with her?" I asked, indicating the little girl. "No, but I'm keeping an eye on her." she said, so I went back to my seat. It was several minutes before mom got up and headed back looking for her kid. Definitely not a model parent.

Fortunately we made it to Stehekin Landing without anyone falling overboard, arriving right on time at 11:00. The boat waits an hour and a half before going back to Chelan and some people just come as a day trip. There was also an old school bus waiting right at the dock. You could sign up for a ninety minute tour that would take you up the valley to a few sights and have you back at the boat for the return trip. That seemed a bit rushed to me but it was what most people did. We had plenty of time to explore on our own.

We would be staying overnight at the North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin, which was right next to the dock. It had a mixture of both rooms and cabins, maybe twenty units total. There was a small store (and I mean really small) with a very limited selection. To give you an idea of how small, the bottle of white wine that we bought that evening was the only one that they had. On the plus side, the wine was only five bucks and was actually quite good. There was also a restaurant but it was only open two hours for lunch and two hours for dinner. For breakfast you were on your own. We heard from someone during our stay that the lodge, like many places this year, was very short handed. Compared to their normal staff of twenty, this season they only had nine people. That would definitely have an effect. You wouldn't know it from interacting with the people at the lodge though. While we were there they were all very friendly and helpful, doing the best that they could.

The first thing we did after getting off the boat was check at the lodge to see if our rooms were ready. They weren't but that wasn't surprising since it was still early. In the meantime we set out to explore. We asked about luggage and the guy just told us to leave it outside. He assured us that no one takes anything. Since all we brought along was a change of clothes and a toilet kit, we were just carrying our day packs. Sandy left hers outside the store but I was less trusting and decided to take mine along.

Near the lodge was the historic Golden West Visitor Center. In the 1890's, The Argonaut started as a boarding house for miners and eventually evolved into the elegant Hotel Field. In 1926 a dam was built in Chelan that raised the level of the lake twenty feet, eventually covering the site of the hotel. Before it was flooded, the building was taken apart and reassembled on higher ground as the Golden West Hotel. Over the years it did not do well, with the Great Depression, World War II and the advent of automobile tourism. Eventually the hotel closed and the building was taken over by the National Park Service and converted into a visitor center. It was closed when we got there. Even its hours were very limited. Staffed by volunteers, it was only open two hours a day.

There was also a small cabin nearby that sold handicrafts make by people in the town. At least that was open. We checked it out and Sandy was tempted but ended up not getting anything.

Two hundred and fifty yards up the road from the landing was a stand where we rented two bicycles. I can't even remember the last time I had been on a bike. It was certainly decades ago. Although it's true that you never forget how to ride a bike, I was surprised that I was working hard to peddle and was a bit wobbly. We still managed to make progress up the road. For the first mile we followed the lake shore to the very end, which was a very pretty ride. Then the road entered the forest and we headed up the valley. Before long we passed The Garden, one of the few businesses in Stehekin. The owners grow vegetables and keep bees. They don't really have a storefront but you can contact them to arrange to buy produce or honey. What caught my eye as we rode past was a gumball machine out front with a sign that said "Last gumball machine for 42 miles". Of course I was dumb and didn't take a picture.

Two miles from the ferry landing we reached our most important goal, the Stehekin Pastry Company. Besides the obvious pastries, cakes and pies, they served a few breakfast and lunch items and even ice cream for desert. I got a slice of pizza and Sandy got a sandwich. We sat on a park bench outside in the shade under a big tree. The grounds were filled with flowers and it was very pleasant out. Lunch was good but we really needed to check out the desserts. We got a monster cinamon roll that we shared. It was good although I have to admit, not quite as good as the one I had early that morning in Chalan.

Our timing was good because just after we sat down to eat our dessert, the ninety minute tour bus pulled up. It let out about twenty people and all of a sudden the line at the counter stretched way out the door. I wondered if they would make it to the dock in time. Most of them probably had to just grab something and take back to the boat with them.

When we finished I checked out the gift shop next door. There were some nice tshirts, but being the cautious buyer that I am, I held off on getting them right away.

Continuing up the valley another mile we reached the old schoolhouse. It was just a small log cabin, although it did have two rooms rather than just one so technically it was not a one room schoolhouse. They had a lot of pictures on the walls of many of the classes over the years. Most of them were only seven or eight students. Going to school in that environment would definitely be different.

We went up the valley as far as the turnoff to Rainbow Falls, three and a half miles from the landing. A short trail led to the base of the falls. It was quite impressive. It falls free from the top for 312 feet into a rock basin, then continues with a second drop for a total of 392 feet. Sandy stayed at the base while I walked up the "mist trail" to a viewpoint about half way up the falls. Yes, it was a great viewpoint. Yes, it was misty and I got wet. It was a hot day so I didn't really mind.

After seeing the falls we turned around and rode back. It turned out to be slightly downhill all the way. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised since we were going down a valley, but the incline had been gradual enough on the way up that I hadn't noticed the elevation change. I felt better now because I understood why I had been working so hard before. We were going uphill all the way. We mostly coasted all the way back. I found myself thinking, hey, this riding a bike thing is kind of fun.

When we turned in our bikes the guy was nice and only charged us for two hours even though we had them for two and a half. Then we went to the lodge and were able to get into our room, which turned out to be very nice. It had a balcony that looked out over the lake and was a really nice place to sit. And that's what we did most of the rest of the afternoon and evening. We bought some cheese and crackers and other snacks at the store and had our bottle of wine while sitting outside our room. Although it had been very hot the day before in Chelan, which is also on the lake and therefore at the same elevation, it was shady and pleasant with a light breeze on our patio. There is no internet or cell service in Stehekin so we couldn't do email or go on social media. It was nice to just sit quietly and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

Just before sunset we took a short walk on the Lakeshore Trail. It starts near the lodge and runs for seventeen miles along the shore of the lake to Prince Creek. The view across the lake with the alpenglow on the mountains was beautiful. Not far from the lodge, as we passed a campground, a young deer walked very close by us and then into the campground right past some backpackers. It obviously wasn't afraid of people.

The next morning we were up early again. We went to the bakery for breakfast, although this time we walked. Along the way we had great views of the mountains, which had a very different look in the morning light than they did the evening before. When we got to the bakery I had a giant carrot cake cupcake piled high with cream frosting. It was delicious.

After we finished eating I picked up the two tshirts that I wanted at the gift shop. I did show some restraint though because I didn't buy any more when we got back to the lodge, even though they had some different tshirts in the store. We cleaned up, checked out of our room and spent the rest of the morning on the patio by the restaurant looking out over the lake. Well, except for when I had a momentary lapse and walked up to the visitor center to buy a North Cascades National Park hat. When I did, I saw our friend the deer again right beside the trail.

Both Sandy and I really liked Stehekin. It was a welcome change after our disappointments earlier this summer with the overcrowding at Redfish Lake and at Chelan. There were quite a few people around after the boat arrived, but an hour and a half later when it left most of the people left too. There were a few people who were staying at the lodge. There were also a few PCT hikers picking up supplies and enjoying the benefits of civilization, like a hot shower. After a while we even started to recognize people. There was a couple ahead of us in line at the boat dock in Chelan. Later we saw them at the bike rental place, at the bakery, and several times at the lodge. It's easy to see how in a small, remote community like Stehekin it wouldn't take long and you would know everybody. It's quite different from living in a big city where you are always surrounded by people but don't know anyone.

One thing about Stehekin did surprise me. We saw several dozen cars/truck/buses. I don't know why there were so many since there really isn't anywhere to drive. And the only way to get a vehicle there is to have it shipped in on a barge, which sounds expensive. A few I could understand, like the tour bus or the shuttle that took people up the valley to Stehekin Valley Ranch. That didn't explain why there were so many. We didn't really see many vehicles driving around. They were usually just parked along the side of the road.

Stehikin was a cool place to visit and both Sandy and I said that we would like to come back. But for now it was time to leave. The scenery on the way back compared to the day before was like watching a movie in reverse. Spectacular mountains got smaller and less impressive. Scattered houses appeared, and then more and more until they became a city.

The ride back was comfortable. Because it was hot in the afternoon, they kept the front hatch open and a nice breeze blew through the cabin. This time there were no little kids running loose but we did have a very loud Trumpian in front of us. He carried on for much of the trip about what was wrong with the world. I have to admit that given a choice I would have preferred the screecher.

We made it back to Chelan a little after 3 pm. Our car was fine but it was so hot after sitting in the sun all afternoon that Sandy had to lay something on the seat so she didn't burn herself. Once we got going and had the air conditioner on for a few minutes, everything was fine. Then we had an hour and a half drive to our next stop, the town of Mazama. I'll cover our time there in another post.