Stevens Pass - Canada!

Mile  2461 - 2650

We arrived at Stevens Pass Ski Resort mid-morning and hitched into Leavenworth, WA.  The town is meant to be a replica of a German Bavarian town.  Samson, Shadow, and I jumped out of truck and immediately saw Shorty.  A guy from Germany.  We all laughed as he described the differences.  Of course we had to grab a bratwurst and beer.  After finding a place for the night we started researching our options to continue to Canada based on the fires.  

Shadow's ankle was still swollen by morning and spent the day keeping his foot iced and elevated.  Samson chilled too while I shopped  around town.  

The fire information had gotten out of hand on Facebook so we called the National Parks Service to filter through the rumors.  Turns out our two options had turned into one option.  Take a two buses to the town of Chelan, catch a ferry (2:30 hours) to the town of Stehekin, then a NPS bus to the trail head.  The fire situation is constantly changing and some hikers have decided not to continue to Canada.

The three of us decided to head to Stehekin and talk to the rangers there for the most up-to-date fire info.  

The next day we were in Chelan.  This town is a cute resort area along Lake Chelan.  The third deepest lake in the US following Lake Tahoe and Crater Lake.  Normally the town is booming with tourists.  Due to the fires, the town is pretty quiet other than locals and fire fighters.  Helicopters carrying water buckets pass above and the hills around town are black.  Samson's wife recommended we pick up a breathing mask in case the smoke got bad.  We spoke to the local rangers and still no closures between Stehekin and the border.  While at the hardware store we discussed where to stay the night.  A lady overheard us talking and insisted we stay with her (Michelle) and her husband (Mark).  She drove us a few streets to her house where we unloaded our things before making our way down to the lake.  A few jet skis and boats played in the crystal clear water.  

Before driving us to the ferry dock, Michelle made us a wonderful breakfast.  We all sat at the table and talked about their town and the fires.  By 8:30am we were on the boat heading up the narrow 50 mile lake.  Two hikers from Australia we met at the grocery the day before were on board.  I'm glad to know we aren't the only ones heading back to the trail.  

I'm sure the boat ride would be beautiful without the smoke.  The lake was made from a receding glacier.  The community added a dam just incase.  Steep mountains line the lake with houses on the edge.  There's a road for the first 25 miles.  From there it's boat or sea plane.  The town of Stehekin  reminded us of an Alaskan town.  Most of the land here is national park or national forest.  There's a store with camping style food, a post office, and ranger station.  I felt much better after talking to the ranger about the fires.  Samson got our backcountry permits while Shadow and I sifted through our last resupply box.  

A national park bus drives you 11 miles to the end of the road stopping at a cute bakery and lodge.  I've heard they have a produce stand too.  

Three miles in we caught up to a fire fighter.  He was checking on a fire that was a quarter mile from the trail.  I immediately began rethinking my decision to continue hiking North.  I over heard a NP Ranger saying that they were closing some side trails.  Nothing was said about the PCT.  We never saw the ranger and kept moving forward.  

We arrived at camp by a nice creek.    Smoke settled along the creek overnight.  

The next morning we began a climb to our first mountain pass and crossed Hwy 20.  The road was closed so there was no traffic.

We had hoped that over Cutthroat Pass the sky would clear, but no such luck.    

After lunch we ran into Thermometer.  The Korean gentleman we met back in Yosemite.  He didn't get a permit to enter Canada and had to turn around after touching the border and hike South back to Hwy 20.  He didn't recognize us at first.  When I told him my name he became so excited.  Threw his hands in the air with a big smile and took off his pack.  Shadow spoke his broken Korean for a while.  Then he took his hand up to his mouth and tipped his head back.  He was asking if we wanted a drink.  We laughed and said yes.  A small bottle of Black Velvet whiskey came out of his pack with a shot glass.  There was just enough for the four of us to have a shot.  "Congratulations!" he said to each of us.  

The smoke cleared a little in the afternoon but not enough for good photos.  Seeing Thermometer made me spend the rest of the day thinking of these last few miles as a victory lap versus a slog to Canada.  

This evening we talked about how life was going to drastically change.  Soon the sound of water will be coming out of a faucet and not a creek.  Our nights will no longer be quality conversations with strangers.  No more peaceful poops in the woods.  The quiet forest will not be putting me to sleep every night.  It will however be nice not pitch a tent and inflate my sleeping pad every night.  Fresh fruit and veggies will be nice too.

Actually saw the sun this morning.  It rose from a valley and shined on the mountain peaks.  The sky was blue and very little smoke.  The 2,500 foot climb this morning gave us an awesome view along a rugged ridge line.  Most of the day was above tree line.  We sidled around mountain tops and high above valley floors.  

We reminisced at lunch.  We sat in a saddle so you could see a valley in both directions.  

This afternoon we crossed our last road.  You could make out cars and tents from a mile away.  I had convinced myself that it was trail magic.  We are in the middle of nowhere.  Those people must be here for a giant trail magic party.  I imagined a grill going and could see lots of coolers.  We arrived at Harts Pass with no magic.  The Forest Service personnel informed us that it was a group here counting and tagging Hawks.  We signed the register and looked for names that we recognized.  The fire has mixed everyone up.  Some quit back at Stevens Pass while others hitched to Harts Pass then up to Canada.  

After finding a nice spring and a couple flat spots with a view we called it a short day (21 miles).  Windy Pass offered a great backdrop for dinner.  I told Shadow that I will miss eating like this and to promise we will have more picnics in real life.  During dinner we heard voices.  They had made it to the border and going back to Harts Pass.  If you don't get a permit, you can't cross the border.  One of the hikers was BLT.  He did the same thing we did and hiked the Sierra's Southbound.  It was great catching up.  

Our last day on the trail (August 28th).  We woke to sprinkles on the tent, but the weather held off till we packed our things and headed North.  By 10am the rain stopped.  It was perfect timing because we had climbed to our first mountain pass.  The terrain was beautiful.  We weaved around one peak after another staying mostly above tree line.  Long exposed sidles on rockslides.  A great hike on our last day.  We saw lots of marmots.  Their gray color makes them look old.  

About a 3 miles before the border we ran across some ripe blueberries and huckleberries.  Around 4pm we crossed the border.  There a wood and metal monument in the middle of a strip of land with no trees.  Little Brown was at the border as well.  We took turns taking photos and signed the register.  "I can't believe it's over..." I said.  The miles go by slow, but the days fly by.  

We walked another quarter mile and stopped for the night at Manning Provincial Park, Canada.