Stehekin Surprise

Day 114

On the day’s first climb, I found ripe huckleberry patches and paused to graze. Between that and recording the occasional thought on my phone, I didn’t move fast. I caught a whiff of campfire and realized the haze in the distance was smoke. At Sally Ann Lake, I found Hobble-it lounging on the shore. I joined her and made myself instant cold coffee.

The sky was overcast and stayed that way all day. On my next water break, I met a weekend backpacker. He told me there were two fires, one near Glacier Peak and the other near Ross Lake, neither headed toward the PCT. Hobble-it dreamed aloud of trail magic, then we met trail runners who mentioned some ahead.

There was indeed trail magic at White Pass, hosted by Sol, who hiked the PCT in 2022. She carried chips, cookies, watermelon, and a case of non-alcoholic beer ten miles up a side trail. We chatted and snacked with her and her two friends for a couple hours. Near the end, Sandbag and Ludacris arrived, then Dance On, a hiker I’d not met but heard of through Sandbag, then Roller Coaster, Compass, and Pepperjack. It was quite the reunion!

It was a final upward push from the pass. The view was spectacular, and I saw a dozen marmots. One snacked on berries and let Hobble-it and I approach to within a couple feet before it ran off and stood on its haunches. After reaching the top, our trail magic group dropped into a rocky valley backed by Glacier Peak. Dance On chatted about getting on and off trail multiple times. He, Ludacris, and Sandbag stopped at a site beside a broken bridge, while Hobble-it and I went 2.5 miles further.

Day 115

Unfortunately, I slept poorly. Fortunately, the camp site had a wooden toilet! It was tricky to find and had almost been smashed by a falling tree. After eating cold-soaked oatmeal, I got an early start. Initially, tiredness fluttered at the edges of my mind, until yerba mate energy chews and a thrilling log crossing over Kennedy Creek swept it away. Then I hit the steep hill climb with a surge of energy.

The ascent to Fire Pass had two dips. In the first, at a clear seasonal flow, I chatted with Drop, whom I met along with his wife Drip on my rush into Trout Lake. Circling a valley further along, a couple pointed out a large bear chowing down on berry bushes. It was far down the slope and intent on its task. Off and on I listened to Walden by Thoreau, which I began yesterday.

A 1/4 of the way down the descent, I stopped at Mica Lake. The color was an astounding turquoise, clear, and beautiful. Initially I dangled my lower legs in the water while I ate part of my lunch. When Hobble-it arrived, I thought she’d join me in a swim, but she said it was too cold. I eased my way in and it was bracing, yet refreshing. While I dried in the sunshine, Ludacris and Sandbag arrived; the four of us ate and chatted.

The remaining descent was surprisingly long and gradual due to a plethora of switchbacks. I liked it, except for the brushy sections. Near the bottom, a bridge crossed Milk Creek, a glacial runoff stream. Then came an uphill that mirrored the down. I enjoyed the leisurely ascent and the lovely basin in which it eventually terminated.

While I got water at a clear stream, I chatted with Dance On and Ladybug. Then I proceeded to our intended camp site and ate dinner while I waited for the others. The site filled with people who needed it more than me, including Ludacris and Sandbag, so I continued with Hobble-it another 3.7 miles downhill. We camped beside Vista Creek with Dance On and Ladybug.

Day 116

As I finished packing, a light rain began. I wore shorts (rare for me) in anticipation of wet undergrowth. Fortunately, the rain didn’t last long and though my pack got wet (still missing a cover) everything inside stayed dry. It was a tortoise paced morning for me. I stopped often to take pictures of moss, tree roots, fungi, and a banana slug. Some trees towered more than a hundred feet and I clambered over more than a dozen that had fallen across the trail.

While hiking along the Suiattle River, I met a nice lady named Alison, who followed my blog prior to beginning her southbound journey. She thanked me for writing, and we discussed Stehekin. As I considered a lunch break, I came across Ludacris lounging on her Tyvek beside the trail. I joined her and we ate lunch together.

The afternoon was one of enjoyable solitude. I saw only a solo hiker and a group of six, all headed south. The woods were quiet and fog hung in the upper reaches of the mountains. Ludacris and I picked a camp site at lunch and when I arrived I found her, Sandbag, and Hobble-it. The four of us ate dinner and as we finished Pluto, Luna, and Martin arrived. The group was back together, other than Sky-Hi, whom we last heard from in Leavenworth.

Day 117

Originally, I planned to catch the 3:00 p.m. shuttle into Stehekin. However, I once again didn’t sleep well, so I got a 6:00 a.m. start. It was 16.4 miles, 78% downhill, and late morning. I realized I could make the 12:30 shuttle. Hobble-it and Sandbag made it too and soon we were bumping along the dirt road toward town. Our driver made a quick stop at the famed Stehekin Pastry Company, and I got a GF Carmalita bar. It was tasty.

Stehekin is a small cluster of buildings perched on Lake Chelan. It is accessible only by ferry, float plane, or foot. I thought it was cute. After getting my last Washington resupply box at the post office, I claimed a flat spot in the Lakeview Campground’s hiker area. Sandbag and I ate lunch at a picnic table. When the ferry docked in early afternoon, I was among the eager hikers who gained access to its Starlink Wi-Fi. There came the surprise… Sandbag, Hobble-it, and I got approval to walk into Canada! Woohoo!

As the dinner hour approached, I joined Pluto, Luna, and Martin for a celebratory drink; beer for them, kombucha for me. Unfortunately, Luna’s passport is caught in the midst of bureaucratic tape, so the three of them plan to backtrack from the border to Hart’s Pass. That will be their end of trail. Luna is from the States, but headed to Italy for school. Martin will return to the Czech Republic.

From the lodge, I wandered to the shower/ laundry area. Two dollars bought me five glorious minutes of cleansing water. It still amazes me that my handkerchief sized micro-fiber cloth can dry my entire body. I joined Hobble-it and Sandbag as they waited for their laundry to dry. The evening was warm with a smoke-scented breeze.

Day 118

Finally, after three nights of poor sleep, I slept a solid six or seven hours. Refreshed, I returned to the charging area around 5:00 a.m., to download media and blog. The Wi-Fi was so much faster without other hikers using it. Then I walked the two miles to the bakery, along a flat road which curved around Lake Chelan. It was overcast, cool not cold, and I enjoyed being free of my pack.

At the bakery, I ordered the GF muffin (it had apple, shredded carrot, and raisins) and drip coffee. Soon the 8:00 a.m. shuttle arrived, and I was joined by Ludacris, Sandbag, and Hobble-it. My muffin was excellent. We chatted and relaxed, having planned a zero day. When the next shuttle was ~15 minutes out, Hobble-it and I walked 1/4 mile along the road to a beautiful garden. I got a peach and she got blueberries; we talked about books. Then she caught the shuttle and I walked back to Stehekin.

It’s ironic that our trail community strengthens as the end nears. I chatted with multiple hikers and a ranger before reaching my tent. After a savory snack, I laid down and watched two She-Ra episodes. All trail I’ve been working my way through the newish Netflix show, and it is so good.

Once packed, I got us a backcountry permit for Tumwater Camp. The ferry showed up and we sat in the hiker area to access the WiFi. All of us checked the hiker box and scored fun snacks. I had plenty of food, but variety is nice. We took the 6:15 p.m. shuttle to the trail crossing and walked less than a mile to camp beside the Stehekin River.