Sept 20th
Awoke just before 7am as the others were getting ready to leave, rolled back as it was just too cold to get up. One of the coldest mornings that we have had since the high Sierras. Finally up an on trail shortly after 8:30am under generally clear skies.
A walk through the forest, sometimes old growth cedar/hemlock sometimes secondary growth. Clouds started rolling in by mid mornin as it looked like we might return to more rainy weather. But they started to part around noon with occasional sun breaks. Nosgul, the last out of camp, passed us late morning. Occasionally a few dramatic peaks could be seen through a filter of trees.
We made it to the road around 1:45, bu the shuttle doesn’t run all the way to the trail head anymore. The big washout last October took a part of the road with it and the bus turns around a couple miles down the road. We walked to the bus turn around and then checked out the Stehekin Valley Ranch. No space available, so we caught the 3pm shuttle into Stehekin, with a stop at the bakery. The shuttle driver has said that the forecast is for clearing, a high pressure moving in bringing with it nicer weather for at least the next several days. Its nice , although a little strange to be back in the Stehekin Valley, a place familiar from time spent here and yet distant because of the long time since then.
We got off the bus at the landing and sorted things out. Walking back to the camp area we ran into Wicked, Capt Mike, Papparazi, One Gallon and Fritz, Dan, Steady and Spirit, and had a reunion at the A frame building which housed the sewer and laundry. Salamander, No Trace, Wise Owl arrived a little later. Back at camp were Nosgul and later we met Gange and James.
Dinner with Dan, Steady and Spirit at the lodge. BBQ chicken all you can eat buffet. After dinner ran into Sasquatch back at camp.
The night air is clear and dry, a nice change of pace.
Phil “Nowhere Man” Hough
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