My friend Claire always knows the best spots. They have this reputation - if they recommend something, you do it, you go there, you make it happen. Because you know it’s going to be worth it. So in October when they started planning a trip to Stehekin for the following 4th of July, I signed myself up. And damn, as usual, it was worth it.
The Journey There
Because the 4th was on a Thursday, I only had to take off one day of work for a fantastic 4-day weekend. That thought was what got me out of bed that morning, and the thought that the ice in my already-packed cooler was melting. I gathered up the rest of my food, grabbed my extra camera batteries from their charger, and took off for Lake Chelan.
If you’ve never heard of Stehekin, you’re definitely not alone. If you have, there’s a solid chance you’re from Chelan or have thru-hiked the PCT. It’s one of the most remote towns in the country - only accessible via a 45-mile ferry ride, or an even longer hike. Many PCT hikers stop there to refuel along their thru-hike, making use of the post office, general store and bakery.
Luckily (or maybe not, I haven’t quite made up my mind about how that hike would’ve been), we were on the 1pm ferry. After loading up our gear (and slathering myself in sunscreen - I wasn’t about to get burnt that early on the trip), we settled on the upper deck.
In the weeks leading up to this trip, I had been hyper-vigilant about staying up to date with a fire that was in the area. I don’t do super-well with smoke, so I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to hike or really enjoy the outdoors much during the trip. But at this point, the fire was pretty well controlled, and the wind was trending down-lake, sending fresh air from the North Cascades down to push the smoke further south. We saw just a bit of the fire, and only dealt with minimal smoke until we pulled into the Stehekin dock.
The Town & The Stars
When we got there, I was very thankful we weren’t camping, and were instead going to have access to electricity (and a box fan) in the lodge. Our room was right above the general store, that also acted as the front desk to the lodge. There was a sunroom facing the lake with tons of board games (we took full advantage of that Scrabble board that weekend), and a restaurant in the next building with a covered patio.
The rest of our friends were in other rooms or a larger cabin just a short walk away. Further down the road at the head of the lake, the dirt road continued to a bakery. The 90 locals that live in Stehekin year-round mostly live off of that road, and their packages come either through the post office or the daily ferry. About a mile or two further down the road is Rainbow Falls, named after the way the sun hits the falls in the afternoon.
Once the sun went down and gave us some relief from the heat, the stars were out in full display. Because the town is so remote, there’s almost no light pollution. The darkness combined with a meteor shower (and the fire on the horizon) to create some truly once-in-a-lifetime conditions for astrophotography. We stayed up past midnight every night to take advantage.
In the coming days, I fully embraced the lack of internet, and took advantage of the opportunity to unplug. We hung out with our friends, drank beer, played games and ate communal dinners. I tried to internalize the slow pace of this remote town, where people left out bikes with no locks, and loosely tied paddleboards to the dock, knowing they’d still be there when they came back to pick them up.
The Trip Back
The wind died down the last day we were there, meaning the smoke that we managed to escape the entire weekend finally hovered around the town. I put on a mask for the ferry ride through the smoke, as I learned (thank you ferry wifi) that the fire had doubled in size overnight. We could see the firefighters working to protect private structures and trying to establish a barrier to avoid further spreading. It’s still active, and my co-worker’s husband was dispatched to the site the next week. You can see the status here.
The smoke cleared as we took Highway 20 back to Bellingham, and we made decent time, only stopping to admire the view at Lake Diablo.
Takeaways
Every summer I find myself trying to keep my spirits high despite the active wildfires in my backyard. To an extent, wildfires are natural and healthy for our lands, and I’m sure a part of my feelings are due to me becoming more aware as an adult. But I do think climate change has impacted the Pacific Northwest in a lot of ways. Controlled burns help prevent forests from destructive burning, and I sincerely hope we learn how to better manage our forests, because the last few years have been pretty damaging to our public lands.
Anyways, my main point is this: Stehekin is an absolute gem that I hope many people (and generations to come) will get to experience, protect and enjoy.
UPDATE: As of August 3, 2024, the Pioneer Fire burns a quarter of a mile from the town.
