Mica Lake, Suiattle River & the Final Push into Stehekin – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [50]

  1. The Pacific Crest Trail Blog of ‘Tatters’ 2017
  2. Scout and Frodo ‘A Homely Beginning’ – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [01]
  3. Am I Really in a Desert? – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [02]
  4. Scissors Crossing and Julian ‘A First Time for Many Things’ – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [03]
  5. Early Mornings and Desert Superblooms – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [04]
  6. Paradise Café & Idyllwild ‘The Motivation for Food and Alcohol Grows!’ – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [05]
  7. San Jacinto & Fuller Ridge ‘Alpha Mountaineering Crew’ – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [06]
  8. Trail-names, Burgers & Sleeping in Cyclones – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [07]
  9. ‘Hippy Hot Springs’ & Big Miles to McDonald’s – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [08]
  10. Motivation into Wrightwood & Mount Baden Powell – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [09]
  11. Trail Closures & Reuniting at Hiker Heaven – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [10]
  12. Trail Family United & Casa de Luna – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [11]
  13. A Truly Hot and Dry Desert Surrounding Hikertown – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [12]
  14. Tehachapi Zero and Nero Day Morale Boosting! — PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [13]
  15. Nearing the End of the Desert? – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [14]
  16. Lake Isabella & Last Stops Before the Snow and Mountains! – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [15]
  17. Kennedy Meadows ‘Into the Mountains We Go!’ — PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [16]
  18. Off to Lone Pine – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [17]
  19. Badass Mountaineers on Mount Whitney – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [18]
  20. Forester Pass & the Township of Bishop – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [19]
  21. Glen Pass & the End of the Family: PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [20]
  22. Mountaineering on Pinchot Pass & Mather Pass – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [21]
  23. Muir Pass, Evolution Creek, & Flooded Creek Crossings – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [22]
  24. Walls of Snow at Mammoth & Donohue Pass — PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [23]
  25. Solo Hiking to Yosemite Valley – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [24]
  26. The Waterfalls of Yosemite & Sonora Pass – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [25]
  27. Truly Alone in the Wild (near Ebbetts Peak) – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [26]
  28. South Lake Tahoe, Dicks Pass & Frozen Lakes – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [27]
  29. Desolation Wilderness & Truckin’ to Truckee – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [28]
  30. A Week Off-trail for 4th July with Rex! – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [29]
  31. Back on Trail, Sierra City & Out of the High Sierra – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [30]
  32. New Faces, Middle Feather Fork River and Belden – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [31]
  33. The PCT Halfway Point and Lassen Volcanic Wilderness – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [32]
  34. Chilling with Bears, Old Station & Burney Lodge – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [33]
  35. Burney Falls to Dunsmuir – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [34]
  36. Deadfall Lakes and Finding the Long Lost Dinosaur – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [35]
  37. Rockin’ Through the Trinity Alps Wilderness – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [36]
  38. Sky High Lakes & Grider Creek – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [37]
  39. Bye Bye California, Hello Oregon! – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [38]
  40. Rollin’ Along the Meadows to Lake Hyatt – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [39]
  41. ‘A Hike of Ice and Fire’ – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [40]
  42. Frustrating Closures & Shelter Cove – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [41]
  43. ‘Bending’ Past PCT Fire Closures & Homely Trail Angels – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [42]
  44. Mt Hood, Timberline Lodge & the PCT Days Event- PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [43]
  45. Preparations for the Final Month in Washington – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [44]
  46. Mt Adams & Ascending into Eternity – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [45]
  47. Amazing Goat Rocks Wilderness & Resting in Packwood – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [46]
  48. White Pass & More Fire Closures! – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [47]
  49. The Beautiful Deception Lake & Loving the New Trail Family! – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [48]
  50. The German Town of Leavenworth & Hiking in Beauty – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [49]
  51. Mica Lake, Suiattle River & the Final Push into Stehekin – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [50]
  52. All Good Things Come to an End… The PCT Northern Terminus! – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [51]

Mica Lake, Suiattle River & the Final Push into Stehekin – PCT 2017: A Hiking Story [50]

Previous Post:

Part 49 ‘The German Town of Leavenworth & Hiking in Beauty’ 

Day 156 (07/09) – Mica Lake and the Suiattle River Crossing

The night camped out on the beautiful Mica Lake turned to horror, as raging winds ploughed into our poorly set-up tents on the rocky cliff. I was already in a precarious spot, and I really didn’t feel like flying off into the lake.  I used my Mt Tronador, Patagonia trick, and just opened up my tent to allow the fiat to blow straight through. It was nothing though in comparison to that night of windy hell all those months ago now.

Luckily the wind only lasted a few hours and by early morning it was back to calm. I hadn’t really experienced much wind since the desert. It was expected to rain the night before too – hence the rain fly being on my tent. I hadn’t really experienced much (if any) rain on the PCT either this year – what a strange year it’s been for the trail!

Mica Lake – one of the best lakes I had seen on my trip
Rise, Snakebite and Shine at Mica Lake

The day started with a long, windy downhill stretch to Milk Creek below, which seemed impossibly far away. Eventually, we came to Milk Creek and then repeated the steep climb in reverse on the other side. The switchbacks were numerous, and it was evident to me this was the most switchback-heavy section of the entire trail – it’s just so steep! We climbed up to the top, stopping at a nice creek for a break.

It was then another steep downhill, and by now, we were all getting a little sore. Downhills might take less energy, but they are more painful to weary bodies.

Tree fall was more common here – I had to squeeze through that tiny gap!

At the bottom, we came to a decision to take the old PCT route over the Suiattle River. It was a shorter, unmaintained section of trail to save a few miles. It would help reach the goal to arrive in Shehekin to meet up with Fat & Sassy. He was the other guy in the group of five I was hiking with that briefly went off-trail for a wedding. I’d met him briefly at the start of Washington when I was leapfrogging with the group.

The old PCT route turned out to be hard to find, and we had to cross a shallow but wide river over a log crossing. Finding the trail after taking a lot of bush bashing, but we eventually found it. It was beautifully green, and the logs were all covered in moss.

It might not be the trail… but we will find it!
Loads of undergrowth taking over the trail

After only a mile and a half or so, we came to the large river crossing – the Suiattle River. It was quite raging and dangerous, and we did end up finding another log crossing, although it was somewhat sketchy. We all made it across with no casualties, but the bank on the far side was a challenge. It was basically loose glacial moraine. Shine tried to grab one of the boulders, and it came loose, falling on her foot. She handled it well, despite being in some pain – nothing broken though! We tried a different way and proceeded to climb up a steep sandy slope.

To get back onto the PCT, we had to further climb a mossy, steep slope to reach the trail perched up high on the slope. If hikers were passing at that time, we’d look like mountain goats!

A pretty sketchy log crossing over the deep and fast river (can’t see a lot of the log)

We arrived at an unexpectedly crowded camp at Miner’s Creek. There were loads of overnight hikers there. We basically camped on the side of the trail to avoid the congested area.

Distance hiked: 25 miles

Total PCT hiked: 2546.5 miles

Day 157 (08/09) – Stehekin

We set out relatively early and hiked the final miles to the old pioneer resupply town – Stehekin. A light mist had befallen, and I noticed my gear was getting slightly damp.

A misty morning hike
Cooling and calming forest

As we entered North Cascades National Park, the scenery became ever-beautiful as we descended the huge, but easy hike down to the valley. I was behind the girls a ways back at this point taking lots of photos, when Mammal finally caught up! We left him in Stevens Pass, so he could get his box, thinking he’d catch up in a day or two. It turns out it took a lot longer to arrive than he thought. He had been crushing miles to catch us, including a 37-mile day yesterday – crazy in this hard section!

Spectacular scenery
Love the clouds

I ended up finding Corky and Still Phil having a break by the river. It appeared to be a river crossing where Corky and Still Phil just crossed in the water, getting wet shoes. We found out there was an easy log crossing not far downstream and took that instead.

Strange fungi I’ve never seen before
Break time!
If it wasn’t freezing, I’d swim that!

There was a steep cliff jutting out above the canyon, to which I clambered out to the edge and got a cool view of the canyon below.

View looking down into the canyon below – a beautiful waterfall

The final stretch was crossing High Bridge over the beautiful Stehekin River. In the river were numerous large Sockeye Salmon resting in the eddy at the side of the main flow (catching food as it flies downstream, I had assumed).

Sockeye salmon around the base of the log
The blue Stehekin River

At the ranger station, around ten PCT hikers were awaiting the shuttle bus into Stehekin which was to come after 6pm. The town is situated on Lake Chelan, into which the Stehekin River flows. It is not accessible by car unless brought over by ferry. The town has only about a 100-person population, and only has small amenities for tourists, including the famous bakery.

The shopping and restaurant area
Stehekin dock

We immediately went to the restaurant and ordered burgers and chips. Fat & Sassy was waiting there (part of the group I joined up with), and there were hugs all around, as the others hadn’t seen him for about two weeks. There’s a group of nine 50-year-old ladies wearing flower dresses – all drinking wines and laughing at the table nearby. They overheard we were hiking the PCT, and had unexpectedly bought us a round of beers! We had a conversation with them and found out they were trail running on a small section of the PCT. Snakebite admitted she wanted to be like them at that age, haha.

We ended up cowboy camping on the hill behind the visitor centre with the other hikers there.

Distance hiked: 23 miles

Total PCT hiked: 2569.5 miles

Day 158 (09/09) – Party in Stehekin

Sleep was a bitch, and I had flies attacking my nostrils all morning and kept waking me up. Eventually, we all got up and packed, and caught the shuttle bus to the famous Stehekin bakery.

Shine ready for some bakery goodness

Let me tell you… the bakery did not disappoint! I had a cinnamon roll and a bacon, ranch, chicken croissant pastry and man did they fill me up.

The gang all stocked up on baked goods

Later that day, we got the news that there was going to be an outdoor dance event with a live band in the orchard. We didn’t know what to expect, but thought, what the hell – why not!

When we arrived, we were some of the first people there. Within an hour the place was filling up and the band (Kevin Jones Band) was fantastic! They played many old songs in their own style. The funniest was when a car drove into a ditch nearby and a lot of guys including myself tried to help. The main vocalist improvised the lyrics to fit the theme of the car driving in the ditch and everyone helping – it was funny as!

I remember us all acting like wild animals wearing mammals’ awesome fur vest. We ended up staying right until the end before being shuttled back. I was glad to already have set up my tent for a good night’s sleep back in town.

Me imitating wild animals in Mammals fur vest

Next Post:

Part, 51 ‘All Good Things Come to an End… CAANNAADDAA!!!’ 

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