Day 144 - The Last Resupply - Stehekin

Mile 2564.3 to Mile 2574.3 - 10 miles

Today was about getting in & out of Stehekin for our last resupply & chance to shower, launder etc. Stehekin sits on the shore of the divine Lake Chelan and is very unusual in that there is no external road access. So you can only get there by taking a ferry across the lake, float plane, helicopter or walk. But what a setting- simply breathtaking

Hiker activity is centred around the lodge and post office

We also needed to visit the local Information Centre for our camping permits for North Cascades National Park. The short 5 mile walk in the morning saw us join a number of other hikers waiting for the 9.00 am shuttle service

The bus itself was a cool retro design with a glass roof & probably not as costly as the Napier City Council effort at an art deco bus :-)

We stopped at a bridge over the Stehekin River where we could see salmon spawning down below

After getting our chores done we were back on the bus for the 11 miles back to the trail & a short 5 mile section. We were delighted to catch up with Pacer & Muffin at the bus stop as they had got a day behind us getting out of Snoqualmie Pass

The walk up saw us spook a bear about 20 feet off the trail. This is bear no. 4 for me. It's leisurely stroll away suggested using the bear box at the campground tonight might be a good idea. 

So now we are camped 76 miles from the Canadian border.........Weta