Pelton Basin

My friend Mike and I went up and over Cascade Pass last week, and hiked down into Pelton Basin.  I typically head up to the spectacular Sahale Arm, but I've heard good things about this trail, which goes all the ways to Stehekin. Cascade Pass trailhead is one of the most popular ones in the North Cascades National Park complex, and for good reason.

Pelton Basin is about a half mile beyond Cascade Pass. It rained the whole way in. I haven't hiked so long in the rain in a while. This isn't really a complaint--I have good memories of many rain hikes, and this one will be included in that group now. It's just something different. Glad I bought the right jacket, and if I had to do it again, I'd have an extra poncho to go over it, just in case things got cooler.

We made steady time up to the pass, which is still snow free. The hope was that on the other side of the pass, which I consider eastern Washington, things would dry up. Eventually they did, after we went past Pelton Basin campground. We probably went another half mile beyond the Basin, for something like 10 or 11 miles on the day, with some healthy climbing to the 6pass.

There were much better views of hanging glaciers in the valley just a bit further down the trail. Unfortunately, my camera battery died, so all I have here is a few pictures here, reflecting the conditions. Pelton Basin itself is basically a somewhat tight valley with some beautiful North Cascades style flat land in the middle, with a creek running through it. We looked for bears and other big, live animals, but at best we saw perhaps spots on far hillsides that may or may not have been.

In the next couple years, I want to take the trail to Stehekin. From the trailhead, it is a bout 31 miles or so, i think, but a bus into town can be caught from High Bridge, which is at about 22 miles. I could see it being done in a day with an early start, though there are many options.

So glad Mike could get out and hike this trail in the rain with me. Mike, you are the best! He had to get up early--probably in the 4 AM hour, just to meet me in Mount Vernon at 6 AM. We also had the pleasure of picking up two Swedish environmental science students who were on holiday at the trailhead, and were returning from Sahale Arm. It was kind of funny---they asked us for a ride to Marblemount, and hit the hitchhiking jackpot, with a ride all the way to Seattle.

Stehekin Run

Stehekin is a town on the north end of Lake Chelan, accessible only by boat, plane or trail. No roads in. It is known for its remote mountain bakery, the Stehekin Pastry Company, and as a place to truly get away from it all. I’ve always wanted to run there, and on Saturday I finally made it happen, with a 36 mile Pacific Crest Trail run.

I met my friend Craig at 4:40 AM in Burlington, and we drove up to the Bridge Creek trailhead together, where we met up with Heather, Brian and Catherine. Heather had originally suggested the run, and was a rockstar, managing to fit in an extra 14 miles for a cool 50 on the day. Brian and Catherine made a weekend of the run, coming out on Sunday after a night in Stehekin. Good plan.

As far as backcountry runs go, this one is pretty different. We had to make it 18 miles down the trail to the remote High Bridge campground by 12 noon, so that we could then catch the North Cascades shuttle bus down to the Bakery and the lake. After a few hours in the area, the plan was to catch the return shuttle back to High Bridge, and run it back out. So—basically, long trail run, a sweet intermission for pastries, and then another long trail run.

It was cold at the start of the day, mist and rain. The forecasts said showers, but in the North Cascades, you never know, as there are all sorts of microclimates and rainshadows. It turned out to be a great day, with increasingly improving weather as we approached Stehekin. I think it rained all day back home.

There are many trails into the town of Stehekin. We took the Pacific Crest Trail, which is a relatively easy route. Our path was broken into two segments: the Bridge Creek Trail, and the Old Wagon Trail. The Bridge Creek trail travels through subalpine forest and open slopes, and crosses the creek at a junction with the North Fork. Parts of this run seemed very backcountry.

After roughly 13 miles, the PCT trail converges with the Stehekin Valley trail, at Bridge Creek Camp. This section is called the Old Wagon Trail, and it is gorgeous in the fall, reminding me of the east coast this time of year, with its mix of deciduous and coniferous trees, changing colors. The trail continues to parallel Bridge Creek.

One of the coolest things about this run was seeing the recent burn from the Rainbow Bridge fire, which has shut down many trails on this side of the park this summer. I didn’t like seeing burnt old growth per se, but you could smell the fire, see the charred trees, and then you could also see the new bushes, ferns and other growth turning color with the fall. A striking dichotomy. I have a good friend who used to study fire ecology—it is really fascinating stuff.

We indeed made it to High Bridge by 11:15, and it was actually pretty easy. We slowed down quite a bit towards the end, talking with thru-hikers on the PCT, near their finish, and kicking around. The gorge at High Bridge is killer, with 100s of kokanees visible swimming in the water, and the river rocky and wild. The charming old shuttle bus arrived on time, and we drove down into the valley, first visiting the Stehekin Valley Ranch, and then the bakery, and then finally Lake Chelan and the Landing.

The Bakery may be the best aid station of all time, ever. After running 18 miles on mountain trail, in the mist, corn chowder and a gooey cinnamon roll were just the ticket. I ate way too much, throwing down a piece of pizza and a mountain bar on the way out, and suffered for it on the return. The Landing was a pleasant spot, where taking a nap seemed just right. We ran into more PCT thru-hikers, and I checked out the National Park Visitor Center.

Getting going again on the way back was tough, after roughly a 3 hour break. But we did, and soon we were motoring uphill, hiking when necessary, running when able. It did get tough towards the end—it just was a long day, but we stayed steady, and were back at the car by 7:45, and home for Saturday Night Live.

Some pics below, more pics here.