[pct-l] Stehekin Fire Detour

[Keith Kurko]

Rob, 

The suggested PCT detour route at Suiattle Pass then south via Lyman Lake,
Spider Gap, and Phelps Creek, then to the town of Chelan and to Stehekin by
boat would normally be a creative and extremely scenic way to go.  And the
cross country travel referred to from Lyman Lake over Spider Gap is about as
open and easy as cross country travel ever gets.  It is part  of a classic
North Cascades backpacking loop done by hundreds of hikers every year.  But
I see two major problems with that alternate route right now.  The town of
Chelan itself has been involved in a local wildfire and things may be quite
chaotic there.  Secondly once you hike north from Stehekin to Rainy Pass,
the PCT is closed by another fire between Rainy Pass and Hart's Pass.
Normally you could hitchhike down from Rainy Pass to the small community of
Mazama and then hitch again up the Forest Service dirt road to Hart's Pass.
But with the North Cascades Highway closed at Newhalem to the west, and to
the east with evacuations of residents from the town of Winthrop (just east
of Mazama), there may be very few if any non-emergency vehicles to hitch a
ride from.  Might be near impossible to get back to the trail at Hart's
Pass.

K2 in Seattle

-----------------------------
Message: 11
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2015 20:56:47 +0000
From: Tobin Zerba <tobin at zerba.com>
To: Rob Langsdorf <sdscpcts at yahoo.com>, "pct-l at backcountry.net"
	<pct-l at backcountry.net>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Stehekin Fire Detour

If you do this route you can stop at Midway Market if you need immediate
supplies, it's not far from where Chiwawa River Road meets Chiwawa loop
road.  There is also an awesome pizza place "Headwaters" near where Highway
207 crosses the Wenatchee river (just south of Lake Wenatchee).  Both are on
the way to Highway 2. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Pct-L [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Rob
Langsdorf
Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2015 1:43 PM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Stehekin Fire Detour

Last week "Man, Bear, Pig" hiked up to Suiattle Pass and then to Lyman Lake
and then took a cross country route through Spider Gap and down to a trail
head on Phelps Creek. From there he got a ride down Chiwawa River road to
207 and down to US 2. From there he got a ride to Chilan and took the boat
to Stehekin.
I had talked to him near the Suiattle River junction on one afternoon. When
I hiked from the Bridge Creek Trail Head down to the Fireweed trail junction
3 days later I ran into Blue Feather, who said that "Man Bear Pig" had
already picked up his supplies at Stehekin and had already passed Rainy
Pass. So it might be worthwhile to check out this route as an option to get
to Stehekin.
I hope that they are able to get the Blankenship fire out enough to allow
PCT hikers to just hike through. But this other option might work for
others, who are skilled at cross country travel, to get to Stehekin.
Rob