Day Three: Cascade Lodge to Stehekin to Chelan (and home)  

Click on the small pictures to see larger ones.

Happy campers		   At breakfast on Sunday morning, while I sat drinking mug after mug of 'cowboy' coffee (the best I've had in a long time away from home), Eva had a great idea. Instead of taking the shuttle bus to Stehekin, why didn't we rent bicycles and ride the nine miles to town? Then we could stop at Rainbow Falls and at the Pastry Shop and take our time? The idea seemed good to us and when Cliff ambled by our table to see how we are were doing, he quickly agreed that it was a capital plan. He suggested that we put our backpacks on the bus and only take hydration packs with us on the bicycles. We could turn in the bikes near the ferry dock and pick up our packs there. Stehekin is a really small town and he was sure no one would mess with our packs while they sat at the cargo area of the ferry dock. So we chose our bikes from the rack out front, made sure the bus driver was okay with the plan, and took off on bicycles for the morning! It was wonderful as the weather was still cool and the trip to Stehekin was mostly downhill.
 
We stopped to take photos and poke around the river on the way to town. Luckily, there was very little traffic on the road, so we didn't get 'dusted' too many times. We admired the various kinds of cabins along the road, and saw a deer enjoying his breakfast. Or at least he was enjoying it until Rick chased him off. Oh, well, he'll be back - you can't scare them off that easily!
 

a peaceful morning
chomp, chomp
Eva!
mountain view
 
Rainbow Falls was really pretty and we spent some time exploring around there. The water falls over 300 feet so I couldn't get the whole thing in just one picture :(
 

base of falls
top of falls
falls from the road
neat old bridge
 
Stehekin is a great little town and we toured the Visitor Center/Ranger Station before our ferry left. The ride to Chelan took just over four hours but we amused ourselves by reading, looking through binoculars, and watching the kids on the ferry juggle their hacky-sacks. It was relaxing after all that hiking but I'm sure glad we cycled in the morning as it would have led to leg cramps to be that immobile all day long. Carl met us in Chelan at the ferry dock there and took us all out for Mexican food. Then he drove us back over Stevens Pass toward Seattle.
 

tip o' Lake Chelan
Buckner Glacier
says "good-bye"
on the ferry
 
Eva and I were really tired so I called Al and he graciously agreed to meet us in Marysville to take us home. That saved us a lot of travelling time since Lin and Rick were going to Camano Island to get her car and then drive back to Seattle. We thought they might like some time alone together so were happy to jump from the van to Al's Beetle. I got home tired, as always, but happy. Al had made cubano sandwiches for me, the sweetie, and we stayed up late talking and looking at my pictures. I took Monday off work to unpack and do laundry and Al decided to play hookie with me. We went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and had a wonderful dinner at Tango. I hope you've enjoyed the story of the hike and that the pictures convey some of the joy and happiness that I felt during the weekend. It was all perfect, every minute of it, and I can't wait to share it with my family.





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