Fall is certainly in the air now in the Stehekin Valley. After a couple weeks of blazing sunshine with temperatures in the 90′s, the weather has now cooled off to a more standard September feel. Temperatures are in the 60′s-70′s during the day, and leaves are starting to fall.

The Kokanee Salmon are running in red streaks up the river, apples are ripening in the orchard, and gardens are coming to the end of production. Guests at the ranch enjoyed fresh berries and veggies from several garden patches this year, including “the garden” owned by Karl Gaskill.

Regular season Ranch dinners will end Sept 24. After that we will cater to our own guests before closing on October 7th. You still have time to come and enjoy the beautiful fall season here in Stehekin – we will be looking for you!

Deer in Buckner Orchard

No shortage of Deer in the Orchard today!

Great Fishing in Stehekin now!

North Fork of Bridge Creek

Hiker on the bridge at the North Fork of Bridge Creek

Recently, we had a travel writer visit Stehekin, and she wrote an article about her stay in our neck of the woods. Here is a link to the article found in the Woodenville Weekly. Enjoy!

Stehekin – the jewel of the North Cascades

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“When I grow up I want to live at Stehekin”  – Ben  (Ranch Guest, 6 years old)

Highlighted Activities and Events

The river is high and the holes big.

The snow melt has made for an unusually exciting June and is still going strong for July. Looking up there is still plenty of snow to melt to make for an amazing season of rafting. For those of us who live to be on the river, this year has had some ideal conditions and looks promising to stay put for a nice season into mid-August. However, you never know what the weather will do. Get here while the water’s good!

Spin Spin Spin!

Last weekend was our annual spinning weekend where wool went flying and yarn was spun. Wheels turned impressively and in their spare time they worked in some other great arts and crafts projects. See this picture of this group making necklaces from cut up old shirts. How creative!

Flora and Fauna Sightings

Wild flowers are out in storm. On a hike up to Agnes Gorge we seemed to see a new beautiful and unique flower every two minutes and we kept stopping for pictures making our hike a bit longer than planned. In the last week I’ve personally seen osprey, several bald eagles, what we think was a baby river otter, numerous deer, a black bear and a cougar! Pictures of these have been more difficult than the sightings so you’ll have to come and see for yourself.

Hi All,

Our Summer season has begun here at Stehekin Valley Ranch.  A late spring has led to a cool early Summer here with a strong snow pack still covering our beautiful mountains surrounding the valley. Temperatures are perfect for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Also, the Stehekin river is maintaining a great high water level as a result of the high snow pack which leads to an exciting and beautiful ride for our river rafting adventures.

Personally, I am constantly amazed at the pristine beauty and serenity of this valley. We hope to see you out here enjoying the Ranch and the great outdoors this Summer season. We are certainly happy to be open and serving our guests with our usual care.

Stehekin Valley Ranch

Are you itching to work somewhere new and fresh this summer? Then why not try out a truly unique experience working at Stehekin Valley Ranch!

We are currently hiring for the 2011 summer season. Employment starts in early June, and goes through September.  If you love the outdoors, and want to work in a friendly atmosphere as part of our team, check out the “Jobs” section of our website, and fill out an application today!!

Use the following links to find more information about working at Stehekin Valley Ranch:
Working at Stehekin Valley Ranch
Available Positions
Fill out an Application

You may think that we have fallen off the face of the Earth here at the Ranch – it has been a while since any of us has sat down to write a line here. However, all is well in our corner of the world, as we settle in for a cozy snow-covered winter here in the valley.

After saying farewell to the last of our guests in October (as well as our great seasonal staff!), the Ranch was closed down for the season, and all work revolved around getting ready for snow. There is now about 4 feet of the white stuff covering the grounds, with plenty more expected.

The Spring will be busy with projects to prepare for the new 2011 season, but for now, we are content to enjoy the slower pace of the winter season. We hope this Christmas finds you well, and that you are able to share the joy of the season with those you love. We look forward to seeing you all again in the new year!

Take care until then!

It is a beautiful Fall day here in Stehekin! After several days of drizzling rain, the sun came out yesterday, and is shining a bright light on some grand views around here!

The Dogwoods and Maples are starting to turn into their flaming colors of red, orange and yellow. I went up the road this afternoon and took a few pictures of the colors I saw. I even spotted some red right here at the Ranch!

Vine Maple along the road just before Carwash Falls

Maple tree near the Old Wagon Road trailhead

Dogwood with Stehekin Valley Ranch in the background

I have been told that there is still much concern down lake about the fire here in Stehekin. Word is that the news stations are acting like the entire valley is on fire. Not true!

The Rainbow Bridge fire is not currently a threat to the Stehekin Valley. It has moved uphill, and away from the valley floor. All businesses in the valley are still open. Rainbow Falls Tours have resumed. Activities are going on as normal.

The Ranch has remained in the clear throughout. We haven’t had much smoke (99.9% of the time we have been completely smoke-free.) I have included a couple pictures I took from our pasture this morning, as I have had multiple requests asking for pictures. I have to admit, I have not been very inspired to take pictures, as there hasn’t been much of interest to photograph. We have just had normal looking summer days (With occasional rain/thunderstorms).

It rained another half inch last night, which is always good news for firefighters. We continue to feel blessed, and thank everyone for all their prayers during this incident.

For up to date information about the progress on containing this fire, you can go to the Incident Information Page.

Taken at 11am this morning, this is the view downvalley at the Ranch.

This is the view looking upvalley from the pasture this morning at 11am.

We had over an inch of rain last night, and it was a very welcome blessing! While the fire is not out, the rain has suppressed it quite a bit, making it much easier for firefighters to get in and surround it.

The valley floor and structures are no longer in immediate threat. The Ranch has continued to stay completely clear of the fire.

There is still some cloud cover in the area, and temperatures are in the mid 70′s.

River rafting, horseback riding and kayak tours are still available, and most trails in the area are still open. The Bakery is still open as well!

On Thursday, a fire was started in the vicinity of the Rainbow Creek drainage. Locals have joined with fire crews to act quickly to keep the fire away from all structures in the valley.

The Ranch is not currently in danger, and with the prevailing downlake wind pattern, we have stayed clear of the smoke most of the time. The picture below was taken yesterday at the Ranch.

We will try to keep this blog updated as new information becomes available. You can also follow this fire on GoLakeChelan.com.