Lakeshore Trail

My time at Holden has come to an end... again. But before I left the Railroad Creek Valley, I went for a hike. As Josh Ritter sings, "It's been a long time coming but now the snow is gone." And after a winter in which 27 FEET of snow fell from the clouds, its a big deal when the trails are clear. Unlike I usually do, I did not hike alone. Instead I hiked with one of my best friends, Brian, a fellow Holden-ite.

It was a special time for a hike, for several reasons. The first being the one night we camped was the night of the recent supermoon. Second, my sister was due to give birth to her first child (first time uncle, for me) at any time. And finally, it was just really nice to end my time living in the mountains with an overnight hike.

We left the village on wheels, getting a ride down to the Lucerne from the "RedBox", a reclaimed wildland fire truck. We then waited for the Lady of the Lake II. Upon arrival, we purchased tickets and were on our way. The boat ride was relatively short, just needing to cross the width Lake Chelan.

Dropped off at Moore Point, we unloaded some gear and headed south on the Lakeshore Trail. Moore Point would be our campsite for the evening, but we wanted to hike towards Prince Creek and hoped to run into a former Holden volunteer who was rumored to be leading a trail crew. We eventually turned around at Meadow Creek, never seeing our friend.

Camp at Moore Point was simple, just a tarp on the ground for our sleeping bags. No tent as the weather was near perfect. Another Holden volunteer, Tobiah, was hiking the same trail, and met up with Brian and I that evening. We ate our hobo meals and enjoyed the sights as the supermoon rose over the ridgeline. I woke up a few times that night, surprised with how bright the sky was from the moon. I guess that is one drawback from not using a tent.

Before the supermoon rises.

The next morning we took our time with breakfast (leftover hobo, sans protein) and breaking down camp. Eventually with our gear packed, we made our way north on the Lakeshore Trail, seven miles to Stehekin. The sights were beautiful along the trail, stopping every few miles to take a few photos. Not much in the way of wildlife, but the landscapes more than made up for that. Plus, I'd rather see a snow-capped mountain peak than a rattlesnake.

Tobiah drying his "feet".

Brian at a trail junction.

Moore Point.

North Cascades and Stehekin

We completed our goal and arrived in Stehekin. Walking around the small community, I noticed a few Holden friends riding bikes. We chatted, juggled and laughed as we waited for the return boat ride to Lucerne. And with that, my last hike in the North Cascades (for the foreseeable future) was over.

A great hike with a great friend.

Thanks for the memories, Brian.