July 1 & 2, 2020 zero day in Stehekin
Stehekin is a fascinating place. So many contradictions. You cannot drive here, but there are many cars and about 20 miles of roads. There are some gorgeous lakeside cabins that rich Seattleites must shell out big money to own and maintain. There are also many homes that are dumps or in construction purgatory.
The cars are a trip. Since there is no law enforcement, owners feel no obligation to pay their tags. The oldest I saw was 2002. As a consequence, whimsies such as safety are also given short shrift. For example, passenger side doors are less common than you would think. Whether the door disappeared through passenger ejection, neglect, or simply a compelling Ebay bid is hard to figure. Inevitably, when the remnants of the vehicle cannot run and the costs of repair or recycle are too high, vehicles are just sort of left to decompose. Like a radioactive-free Chernobyl, rusting hulks dot the landscape here and there.
Still, the area’s appeal is immediate. You are in a remote, isolated mountain community. A beautiful lake, stunning river, rich soil, clean air, mild weather. I saw some homesteads with thoughtful crops, orchards, modest husbandry, and a complete sense of being self-sufficient. Additionally, I saw some cabins that would be at home on Lake Como, screaming out “cozy” to the world.
There are also homes where I “get it” and see that somebody thought this would be their nirvana. But they didn’t think through the cash flow. Or the cost of getting to and from. So you see the “starter” home and the “cabin” that was supposed to be rented out on Airbnb to pay for completing the starter home but didn’t work out.
There is a great bakery. What a joy for backpackers. I wonder how they recruit and retain employees? In addition, the garden is stunning. The overall vibe is the bakery is nurturing and comforting in it’s place.
The lodge is a let down. I was hoping for something like the grand old destination lodges, but it is a serviceable collection of cabins, motel rooms, and duplexes. The restaurant was takeout only due to covid. Overall, the feeling was “outsourced concessions” brought to you by the government. Beautiful setting, nice people trying hard, but it ended up feeling like chateaubriand with velveeta and ketchup.
There were many backpackers getting off and on the ferries and at the lodge a few were definite SoBo PCTers. I came across a great bunch of guys from Texas that I saw on the trail…me heading back, them charging forward.
Zero days are weird. They are supposed to be about recovery (muscles, bones, mind) and replenishment (nutrition and family via electronics). But this early, it feels like too much. I’m antsy, edgy. The first morning I woke up early and went for a run. Think about it. On my day “off” from a 2,650 walk, I was stir crazy and went for a run.
The only fun thing has been the scars on my legs. Quite a conversation starter! There are a few mothers with small children that see my scabbed and scarred legs. They tend to grab their children and move them briskly away from me as though I am a leper. I really wish I had a few alka seltzer tabs I could put in my mouth to start foaming and chase them. After all, the sheriff is a Ferry ride away.
I head out tomorrow morning. The Texas guys found a local willing to drive us to the trailhead early. It will be 6 days on the trail. No blog or instagram updates. Just a 100+ miles to a road juncture leading to Skykomish. I am looking forward to finally stringing together some full length days. I will also look forward to updating this blog!
backpacking over the hill 