Return from the Wilderness

Well we returned from the wild! Kaleb and I had an awesome time in the wilderness together. The North Cascades National Park is the closest thing that I have experienced to the great Alaskan wilderness. It is absolutely amazing! The fingerprints of God surround you in these mountains. The North Cascades contains some of America's most beautiful mountain scenery - high jagged peaks, ridges, slopes, and countless cascading waterfalls (as the name of the Park suggests). There are glaciers and snowfields that remain year-round. Few roads lead into the park and most of the scenery is only seen by hikers along the trail.

We began our journey off the North Cascades Highway along Washington State Highway 20 at Rainy Pass. The first day we hiked around 4 miles camping at a place called Fireweed Camp. It had a refreshing creek running right along the campground. The next day we hiked another 5 miles uphill to McAlester Lake. It is a beautiful alpine lake around 6000 feet in elevation. It was refreshing to wash up in this mountain lake. The final day of hiking was a 12 mile hike almost all downhill. We went from 6000 feet down to 1400 feet to the little mountain community of Stehekin. I never thought going downhill would be such a challenge, but carrying a 50 pound or so backpack downhill all day was a tremendous stain on my knees. But with the help of my strong son Kaleb I managed to make it all the way. It was completely worth it!

After we arrived in Stehekin we remained there for 2 nights staying at a campground along the Stehekin river where the Kokanee salmon were swimming upstream by the thousands to spawn. The salmon were almost so dense that you could step out walk on them. They were a bright red in color and extremely beautiful.

One of the highlights of Stehekin is the famous bakery. It is called the Stehekin Pastry Company and after 4 days of food around the campfire it was a welcome haven. We had fresh cinnamon roles and egg sandwiches made with fresh homemade bread. The men were satisfied!!!

The biggest highlight was enjoying this with my oldest son Kaleb. It is a memory that we will never forget!

A Gateway to the Wilderness

Kaleb and I, along with Boy Scout Troup 912, Marble, WA are leaving tomorrow morning for Stehekin, Washington. Read the following review of the area and enjoy the pictures of God's beautiful creation from Washington state. The trailhead begins 200 miles west of our home near Rainy Pass in the North Cascades. As we embark on the trail we will begin our 3 day backpack down to the little community of Stehekin. We will be backpacking 20 miles over the course of 3 days and then spend 2 days in Stehekin. There will be 3 men plus 9-10 Boy Scouts in our group. We will be packing in our food, water, shelter and clothing for 5 days. Since the only way in to Stehekin is by boat, plane or trail we will conclude our journey with a 4 hour Ferry ride along Lake Chelan back to our vehicles. Lake Chelan is on of the deepest lakes in the U.S. with a depth of 1486 ft. at its deepest point. It is a 50 mile long glacier-fed lake with a width of 1.5 miles at its widest. Obviously we have quite an exciting journey ahead of us and we will report back on our return. We would appreciate your prayers while we're gone.

A Gateway to the
Wilderness

JOURNEY DEEP INTO THE NORTH CASCADES to the headwaters of Lake Chelan. Fronted by one of America's largest lakes, edged by wilderness and surrounded by tall mountain peaks, Stehekin is a remote community connected to the rest of the world only by boat, plane, or trail.

The voyage to Stehekin is part of the experience. You travel from the hustle of the modern world to a place where there are no shopping malls, movie theaters or internet cafes. Here, a connection to the land can still be felt.

Whether you enjoy boating, fishing, camping, backpacking, hiking, bicycling, horseback-riding, rafting, kayaking, or simply lounging at the edge of the lake, there are plenty of ways to seek adventure or relax.

Stehekin serves as a hub to explore the 62,000 acre Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and a gateway to the rest of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex as well as the adjacent National Forest Wilderness Areas.