Jocelyn Curry

Legendary and evocative, the tiny community of Stehekin, Washington, is tucked in between peaks of the North Cascades at the north end of deep, glacially carved Lake Chelan. There are three ways to get there, none of which are by car. One can hike in (14 miles) on mountain trails, fly in by float plane from the town of Chelan at the opposite end of the lake, or, do as most of us do: take the Lady of the Lake II for a day-long cruise "uplake" and then "downlake," stopping here and there along the steep shoreline to pick up travelers. I took my tiny sketchbook with me and captured a few scenes:

The trip uplake is narrated just enough. One learns of the geology, the communities that have taken hold along the shores, the camping locations, and various historic events. As the ship is under way, fishermen proudly hold up their morning catches to show the Lady passengers. Good, stout coffee is sold at the concessions stand on board. Passengers move in and out from the bow or stern, catching the fresh air and perfect views of the mountain-surrounded lake. The strong engines of the vessel smoothly move the Edmonds, WA-built vessel along; she can take an impressive 285 passengers.

When the ship docks in Stehekin, the Landing comes to life. According to the ship's captain, as soon as the Lady departs, the Landing (residents consider Stehekin to be a nine mile long community that includes the Landing, rather than a "town") once again becomes still and quiet. Moored at the end of a dock was a sunny, golden yellow and orange float plane, looking like an oversized, cheerful mosquito against the Prussian blue of the lake waters. We took the 45 minute-long tour on a cherry red bus that took us to several features found within a few miles of the Landing. The layover in Stehekin is a brief 90 minutes – not long enough to satisfy us – but long enough to give us an idea of what life would be like for the fewer than 100 year 'round residents there. A highlight: the Stehekin Pastry Company! Blackberry pie and a luscious brownie fueled us for the tranquil cruise downlake.