Stehekin, Lake Chelan, WA (Tuesday, August 27th, 2019)

The beautiful glacier fed Lake Chelan was our destination today.  The town is about an hour and a half from our camp ground, but well worth the drive!  The lake is about 60 miles long, with one end in the town of Chelan, and the other end up near the glaciers that feed it.  We launched in a park near the town of Chelan.



So many beautiful houses line the shores of this lake near the town.

Sam and Sharyn have only been to the far end of the lake one time, and they have always wanted to go back, so we checked the weather, and the winds were supposed to be mild, so we decided to give it a try today.  Very quickly, the town disappeared and the rolling hills took over the landscape.

The further up the lake we got, the more peaceful it became.  We felt like we had the lake to ourselves.

The further up the lake we went, the more mountainous it became.  It was beginning to remind us of Colorado at this point.

In the next few pictures you can see the smoke hanging in the gorge from the nearby Devore Creek fire.  Fires are very common in eastern Washington in the summer.

As we approached the end of the lake, we got our first glimpse of the glacier that feeds it.

We pulled into the gas dock at the Stehekin Marina to get gas and take a look around this remote little town.

The Lady of the Lake Ferry runs from town to Stehekin once a day, staying for awhile at the far end of the lake, then returning to town.

There is a restaurant and lodge at the marina, and a bakery about two miles up the road.

This map shows all of the hiking trails in this area of the Cascades.

After getting gas and exploring a bit, we hopped back on the boat for some lunch.

Then headed back down the lake toward town while the waters were still calm.

The water was like glass all the way back down.  According to Sam and Sharyn, it is very rare to get a day like this on Lake Chelan.  Stehekin is usually out of reach, and the brave often end up following the ferry to get back.

The shores of the lake are dotted with camp sights.

And each campsite has it's own dock.  Pretty nice!

When we got back from our amazing day on Lake Chelan, we headed into town for some dinner at the Campbell House, a 100+ year old hotel and restaurant.  These flowers were so cool!  I have never seen anything like this.

The food at this restaurant was fabulous.  I highly recommend their fish and chips.  Probably the best I have ever had!

We drove back to our campground and said our goodbyes to our incredible hosts Sam and Sharyn.  Their hospitality has been beyond what we could have imagined, they cooking was beyond compare, and the friendship we have enjoyed this past week will never be forgotten.  We look forward to seeing them back in Havasu, but it certainly won't compare to the fun we have had exploring their summer home and the rest of eastern Washington with them.  Many, many thanks Sam and Sharyn!