LAKE CHELAN NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

SAWTOOTH WILDERNESS

OKANOGAN NATIONAL FOREST

Activity: Backpacking

Distance 18 miles, 1800’ elevation gain, duration approximately 12 hours of hiking, rated Moderate to Strenuous

Date: June 17-19, 2020

Nestled in the North Cascades Lake Chelan is 50 miles of Summer. At one end it is a respite from the busy, hectic life in bustling Seattle filled with lakeside homes, cabins and condos, ski boats, swimmers and sun bathers. The other end is quite different. Because of the ruggedness of this area there are no roads to the small town of Stehekin at the far end of the lake. The only way to get there is by boat or float plane keeping this area pristine and majestic.

Lake Chelan is as blue as sapphires and the views along the way compare with picturesque scenes of Norway. The long slender lake reminds me of the fjords in Alaska. Lake Chelan’s idyllic shores are heavily forested with green firs, although the area is also recovering from a damaging fire a few years back. Some of the world’s roughest mountain peaks stand as silent snow capped sentinels keeping watch over this remarkable place.

Lake Chelan, the largest freshwater lake in the state of Washington, fills a valley formed by a glacier that cut through the area making it the deepest gorge in the USA, 8,631’, measuring from the top of Pyramid Mountain to the low point of Lake Chelan 386’ below sea level. Chelan means deep water, in fact it is the 3rd deepest lake in America behind California’s Lake Tahoe and Oregon’s Crater Lake.

We boarded a boat at Fields Point, not far from the city of Wenatchee. National Geographic claims this trip is a “must do” taking about an hour through some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable. We disembarked at Prince Creek shouldering our backpacks and heading out on this special adventure into the wilderness.

Our trek along the scenic Lake Shore Trail would be 18 miles long and is rated moderate to strenuous with 1800’ of elevation gain. We hiked in mid June, which is not recommended as the Summer months can reach temperatures over 100 degrees, but we had just had some rain and it was unusually cooler than normal, but I will say that even the mid to upper 80’s was quite warm. It seemed we were seldom hiking along a flat plane, constantly climbing or descending. Most of the trail is a couple hundred feet over the lake, but at times drops to within 50 feet of the lapping lakeside. Much of the time you will have a view of the water, and some of the open vistas will take your breath away with the stunning natural beauty of the blue lake, the green forest, hills, mountains, and strikingly rugged snowy peaks.

The vegetation was diverse ranging from ponderosa pine forest, as well as some of the burn area, to dry, hot, grassy and rocky areas. We fording multiple rushing streams and dropped down into green, lush, creek fern grottos. Although we only encountered lizards, a blue grouse, and a deer on our trip the area is also home to black bear, elk, and rattlesnake.

After a long day of hiking at the quick pace, set by backpacking enthusiasts brother in law Dale, and my sister Peggy, we arrived at our camping destination just South of Moore Point. After a bit of bush whacking, in order to find just the right spot, we settled in. Wow, what a place to camp! In the forest, right on a the edge of a little bluff, with a stupendous view of the lake, mountains and peaks. Peggy treated us to a scrumptious homemade camp meal Salmon Curry Couscous. The following day we doctored our sore, blistered feet and continued our journey through this land of wonder ultimately arriving tired yet satisfied at the quaint town of Stehekin.

It has been said that Lake Chelan’s Lake Shore Trail ranks among the World’s Best, and is certainly a bucket list type of experience. Something to be cherished. Thanks for joining Dale, Peggy and I as we backpacked our way through the wilds of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area while “Pursuing Balance Through Adventure”. Take a moment to LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW, and SHARE. There is more to this adventure and you don’t want to miss it. Checkout the menu above for other locations to ”find yourself” in, they are all separate sites and thus need to be followed individually. If you like the long sleeve performance shirt in the picture of me and the boat or the face gator with the PBTA insignia then visit SHOP APPAREL and get yours today.

Happy Trails,

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure