I don’t remember how or when I first heard about the small community of Stehekin. It was probably one of those late nights when I couldn’t sleep so I surfed the internet on my phone. I know it’s a bad habit. But it helps to slow my mind down. So does background noise while I sleep. I’ve always been that way. And I think everyone in my family follows that trend.
Stehekin is located at the northwest end of Lake Chelan, just south of North Cascades National Park. The community has about 95 residents with the population fluctuating during the summer months with staff and visitors. The remote location and natural beauty adds to its allure. Named for the Salish word for “the way through,” Stehekin can only be reached by boat (either on the Lady of the Lake ferry or private boat), small plane, or by hiking the 23 miles from the Cascade Pass parking lot to High Bridge. That hiking path was used for millennia by the original stewards of this land, the Lake Chelan and Upper Skagit, as a trade route through the North Cascade range. We opted to travel by boat since I am pretty sure my five year old wouldn’t be able to hike 23 miles, even with backpacking along the way.
After lots of staring at the calendar, reading Google maps, and reserving our ferry and cabin, I decided that we would make the four hour drive to the town of Chelan and stay in a hotel before getting on the ferry. Our ferry was scheduled to leave at 8:30am. I am not about getting up and leaving for trips at 3am. I played that game a few times driving to Montana, and it was awful. Never again. It’s even more difficult with a kid that has all the energy while you remain sleep deprived and grouchy.
We stayed in the Apple Inn Motel. It was a simple, clean motel with very friendly staff. Most importantly, it was less than two miles from the ferry dock and a grocery store and numerous places to eat. We stopped by Wal-Mart to grab a few essentials to take to Stehekin. There are no grocery stores there, and the lodge only carries a handful of items to cook. I booked us a cabin with a full kitchen since the restaurant at the lodge was closed due to limited staff.
I decided we would try our luck at the County Line for dinner in Chelan. We found a nice spot outside on the front patio. Stone got a lemonade and hot dog. I ordered a tuna poke bowl and a Pomegranate Patio Pounder – a good buzz for a $13 drink. God I’m a lightweight… The tuna poke was delicious, and I got to steal some kettle chips from Stone’s meal too. Stone and I talked about the day ahead of us and how much fun we were going to have while we soaked up the last bit of sun at the Summer Solstice. Our sunset in Chelan was at 9:43pm.
It should be noted that the County Line is family friendly, but it is definitely a bar. I also don’t think I have ever seen so many dudes that look like Danny McBride from “Eastbound and Down”. Imagine all the mullets and all the Oakley baseball sport sunglasses. So if you don’t want to hear folks loudly talking about getting their friends a boob job, or explaining what that means to your kids, this may not be the spot for you. Thankfully, Chelan has plenty of places to grab a bite to eat. Just make sure you check closing times since some places close much earlier.
We got back to our room quickly and watched some tv before getting to bed. I made sure to set my alarm so we would have enough time to pack up and visit the Lake Chelan Artisan Bakery before getting on the boat. I slept like a log with the AC set to low and the fan on full blast.
The next morning we were up and packed into the car by 7:40am. I wasn’t sure if there would be a line at the bakery so I figured it would be better to be there early. Stone wasn’t as excited to be up early on vacation but quickly changed his mind when presented with a cinnamon roll and apple juice. I got my usual oat milk latte as well as some pastries and baked goods to take on the trip.
I found the ferry dock easily and parked in their overnight lot across the street. After checking in, we boarded the ferry and dropped off my pack and our small cooler bag to be stored at the back of the ferry. Stone and I found seats on the enclosed lower deck since the upper open deck was already crowded. The ferry ride is roughly 2.5 hours from Chelan to Stehekin, with stops at Field’s Point Landing, Prince Creek, and Lucerne. They offered concessions on the trip as well – brewed coffee, candy, muffins, and such. Since we had just gotten our breakfast at the bakery, I sat back to take in the views while sipping my coffee.
Stone played his Nintendo Switch for a bit before asking me if I wanted to color with him. I previously got him a coloring book of PNW animals in formline design from the Olympic Peninsula. I also found him a small set of colored pencils so he could do more detailed coloring without making a mess with markers. He is awful at remembering to put the caps back on. We worked on a thunderbird design together. I showed him how to create new colors by mixing and blending two or three colored pencils together. These small moments with him are some of my favorite times we spend together. Watching his fine motor skills develop even further while reading to him about the imagery reminds me that my baby isn’t a baby anymore. He left that phase of his life long ago. Now, he is a full on kid. He’s reading simple books on his own. He loves playing dodgeball. And he’s starting to develop his own styles and tastes regarding his clothes. Yet he is still very attached to his mom and wants to go on adventures with me to new places. I’m soaking up that feeling before the teen years hit. Although he may surprise me…
We arrived in Stehekin around 11:45am, a little bit behind schedule. As we got off the boat, it was impossible to avoid dozens of Anise swallowtail butterflies fluttering about the water. Kids stood around waiting for a butterfly to land on their hand or tried to gently move one onto their hand. Stone stood out in the open with his arms out waiting for one to land on him but it never happened.
Our cabin wasn’t ready for us yet, but I had predicted that might happen and had a plan for our afternoon. Several others were waiting for their rooms or cabins as well, and they set up on the large patio in front of the lodge. Folks were eating packed lunches and visiting the gift shop/store. We passed the lodge and walked about 0.25 miles to my big surprise for Stone… I had reserved us an ATV for the afternoon.
I contacted Nick at Stehekin Reservations a few days before our trip to ask about renting a Can-Am Defender so that we could get around. Reservations start at $65 an hour. I relied on Nick’s advice over the phone to educate me on the Stehekin Valley Road and timing to visit High Bridge, the Cascades, and Rainbow Falls. He recommended that we rent the Can-Am for four hours, with the fourth hour only being $25. The reservation process was quick and easy over the phone. And picking up the Can-Am was just as easy. Nick gave us a map of the area and circled the main attractions along the road. He gave me a quick run down of starting and driving the ATV (which thankfully I had driven one in Montana several years back). Stone and I loaded up our bags and cooler into the back of the Can-Am, and we took off for the valley. You can also rent bicycles right next door to Nick’s spot, both electric and foot pedal. Stone isn’t ready for that much work though.
Our first stop along the road was the Stehekin Pastry Company and gift shop. The Pastry Company is open everyday from 7:30am to 5pm. They make their pies and pastries from scratch and also offer breakfast and lunch options such as egg sandwiches, quiche, savory croissants, soups and salads, and hot and cold sandwiches. They also had several flavors of ice cream and espresso drinks. I got Stone and I two oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to share and a mountain bar for me for later.
We stopped by their gift shop and bought our traditional magnet and postcard to send to a friend or family member. Stone found a lynx stuffed animal and instantly fell in love. It was the only thing he wanted, along with a sticker to put on his toy chest. Stone took his new lynx toy to all our stops. It is also named “Fluffy” now. His names aren’t the most creative right now. Maybe that could change in the future.
The sole road in Stehekin follows the Stehekin river up into the North Cascades National Park. It’s about 16 miles of road, although the pavement gives way to gravel, and the gravel eventually gives way to a narrow forest trail. After getting back into the Can-Am, I decided we would try our luck to go as far at this road would take us into the Cascades.
As we made our way towards High Bridge, I was happy that the windshield was down. It was predicted to get up to 93 degrees while we were in Stehekin. And while 93 doesn’t seem hot compared to Texas or Arizona, it was not our usual temperature that we had gotten used to for the last couple months. Honestly, it didn’t even feel like spring or summer this year. We were still wearing jeans, hoodies, and beanies just days before the heat set in. And I had pretty much accepted that it would be raining throughout the summer. As soon as the heat was here, it was gone. On the drive back home from Chelan, the temperature dropped 25 degrees in three hours. The power of crossing a mountain pass in the rain.
We pulled over in a small turn around at High Bridge to eat our cookies and view the Stehekin River. With the recent heat, the river surged from snowmelt and run off. We sat by the edge of the cliff, careful not to get to close, and enjoyed our treats. Stone decided he didn’t want to eat his cookie so I saved it for later in the day and ended up eating it myself. He was mainly concerned with looking at the rocks and plant life in the area. While we were relaxing, a couple hikers came through and took a break at the bridge. High Bridge is also the starting point for several other trails in the area including the Agnes Gorge trail and a section of the Pacific Crest Trail.
I should also mention that hiking in this area, as well as the North Cascades Park in general involves some planning if you are going beyond a few miles. Before the snow melt, trails can be difficult to navigate. After the snow melt and late into the season, there could be little to no water available along the trail. these water sources would also require a filtration system. Intestinal parasites are NOT FUN folks!
The beauty of being in a remote area away from others can also be a little intimidating. As Stone and I continued over and beyond high bridge, I knew we would reach a wash out in the road and eventually need to turn around. I also realized that we were the only people that far up the trail road. The hikers had started their return to Stehekin, leaving us alone in the wilderness. I will admit, I had a great time navigating the twists and turns and dips in the trail in our Can-Am. We crept over rocks and roots with now issue. Then I remembered we were in bear (both black and grizzly) and cougar territory with no bear spray in an ATV that topped out at 25 miles per hour. I found a spot for us to turn around without even mentioning those things to Stone. No sense in freaking the kid out if we didn’t need to be worried. There is also another animal of some concern in the North Cascades, the western rattlesnake. And the occasional moose or grey wolf. We didn’t see any of these. We didn’t even see a pika or a ground squirrel. Our only wildlife experience were the butterflies at the dock.
After turning around, we made stops at a couple main attractions along the Stehekin Valley Road. We took photos at the bridge to Company Creek Rd but decided against going to the airstrip since we still wanted to visit Rainbow Falls.
Rainbow Falls cascades 312 feet from Rainbow Creek above the valley floor. We opted for the Rainbow Falls Mist Trail, a quick 0.25 mile walk up a couple switchbacks to get a prime view of the falls. They were so powerful and so full of mist that it felt like it was raining as I approached the viewing platform. Stone stayed behind in a switchback because he didn’t want to get wet, but I wanted to get as close as possible to the cascade. The mist and force of air was almost too much to even breathe. I ended up turning around just 20 feet shy of the platform because it was so intense. By the time I got back to Stone at the switchback, I was completely soaked from head to toe.
Thankfully the combination of dry heat and wind from driving the Can-Am dried most of my clothing. My hair was a major mess, and my glasses were spotted from water droplets drying in odd patterns. Stone and I agreed to stop at the bakery again for ice cream, the real reason he didn’t want to eat that damn cookie. I got a scoop of huckleberry while he got a scoop of rocky road. We ate in the shaded lawn outside the bakery talking about the falls and how the rapids occur in the Stehekin River.
I felt like we had done enough for our afternoon. I knew we were only going to have one day and one night here, but I also didn’t feel like he would truly appreciate the Buckner Orchard and Homestead or the organic Garden. I would highly advise checking those places out later in the season though. Plenty of fresh organic produce, local honey, goat cheese and yogurt, and botanical medicinal items. I mean that’s about as local as you can get since all the items are grown, harvested, and crafted in the Stehekin Valley. We were outside of the season though. And it’s tough to get a five year old excited about goat cheese. Well…mine at least.
We got back to the Stehekin Lodge around 3:30pm and our cabin was ready. After getting the keys, we unloaded our bags into the cabin, and I put our food items in the fridge. Thankfully the cooler bag I bought at Target worked pretty well to keep our items cold. I was also thankful that the cabin was tucked in the shade and felt cooler than I expected it to. We filled up the Can-Am at a single gas pump near the dock before returning it. I wish we could have planned for an extra day there but sadly our cabin was booked out, along with all their other rooms, for the rest of the week. By Nick’s Can-Am rentals, you could also rent kayaks or join a tour of Lake Chelan. You could also join a fly fishing trip in the Stehekin River and catch your dinner to go with your local organic produce.
It really is a summer time dream….
The cabin we rented came with two rooms, both with a queen sized bed. It also had a living room area with a couch and super comfortable lounge chair and ottoman. And of course, we had a full kitchen with an oven and range, microwave, fridge, coffee pot, and any utensils and cookware you would need to make a full meal.
Of course, my favorite part was the view from our walk around porch/deck. We had a patio table and chairs so that we could sit outside, breathe in the Ponderosa pine trees, and watch the mountains change color with the sunset.
I didn’t get that wish just yet. Stone was adamant about getting his swim shorts and rash guard on so he could play in the lake. I helped get him changed and we walked to the dock.
The water wasn’t freezing, but it also wasn’t warm enough to fully swim. Lakes in the PNW are deceiving. And with growing up in Arkansas, as soon as summer starts (really Spring Break), you expect every lake to be like a luke warm bath. These glacial lakes are beautiful…and COLD.
Lake Chelan, with a maximum depth of 1,486 feet, is the third deepest lake in the United States behind Lake Tahoe and Crater Lake. Carved by a glacier thousands of years ago, it is composed of two basins – the more shallow Wapato basin and the deeper Lucerne basin. Also, Chelan is the Salish Indigenous word for “deep water.” The lake receives most of its water from the Stehekin River and Railroad Creek.
Stone and I waded around for a about an hour before getting back to the cabin to make dinner.
I brought a random collection of food from home and the Wal-Mart in Chelan. We had items for grilled cheese and soup as well as snacks like applesauce, cosmic crisp apples, protein bars, and almonds. We didn’t need all this food! I think Stone has picked up my habit of not eating when it’s hot out and instead opting for fresh fruit or lots of water. He did eat a grilled cheese with me before getting some screen time with his switch. I cleaned up the kitchen and took a nice, warm shower.
I had planned on walking to the lake to watch the sunset over the mountains. And then I passed out. I guess the combination of a long drive, a long boat ride, and an afternoon in the valley really did me in. Stone and I feel asleep easily before that 9:43 sunset.
The next morning I awoke to birds singing and light streaming through the blinds. I wasn’t the only one exhausted though. Stone continued sleeping with his new lynx stuffy while I made a pot of coffee and sat on the deck watching the clouds drift over the Cascades. There’s something peaceful and inspiring about witnessing the sun’s rays break through the clouds creating sparkles on the water. It was quiet in that moment. I drank two cups of coffee and ate a banana and a raspberry oat bar with no interruptions.
This is exactly the reason to come to Stehekin. No phones. No sirens. No lawn mowers going off at 7am. It’s just you, the sunshine, and the breeze. The water and mountains and trees.
Stone eventually did wake up and I made him scrambled eggs for breakfast. Six of them to be exact. He felt the need to tell everyone that he ran into that morning. Our check out time was 10:30am. I made sure we had everything we needed and had one last cup of coffee before locking up. We turned in the key to staff at the store and sat on the lodge deck. Originally, I had thought maybe we could rent kayaks for an hour or two while we waited for the Lady of the Lake to take us down lake. I knew it wouldn’t get to Stehekin until about 11:30 or noon. But the wind had drastically picked up that morning. Nobody was out on the lake. Instead folks were trying to wind up the patio umbrellas so they wouldn’t blow away.
Stone and I colored in his coloring book some more, finishing up a raven design. We then went to the store to get drinks and any last minute souvenirs. The ferry arrived and so began our journey back home. As we travelled down lake, the captain pointed out a couple waterfalls that were cascading into the lake and pictographs by the early Indigenous inhabitants of the lake.
I wasn’t ready to get back to reality but that is our reality. Stone would be starting summer camp. And I needed to get back to my own work. But it was a little easier going back knowing that I have already planned another trip… just around the corner.
