Tanya, Heather N, and I went for a road trip to B.C.'s
Sunshine Coast for three days earlier this week. We had a lovely time.
The highlight was the wildlife: deer, blue heron, sea stars, crabs,
clams, and aenenomes, turkey vultures, a bald eagle and a golden eagle,
and two black bears--one while we were hiking! Photos
are here.
The second day it
took about 3 1/2 hours to hike the remaining 7 miles to Stehekin, where
five of us enjoyed burgers and sandwiches on a restaurant deck
overlooking Lake Chelan. Unfortunately, we left beind two comrades at
Moore Point due to heat exhaustion and severe foot blisters. But our
ferry back to our cars stopped there and picked them up, so everyone
made it safely back.
On the weekend I hiked Lake
Chelan with six friends. It was a
great trip.
We spent the first night at the Lake Chelan State Park campground, then
on Saturday took the Lady of the Lake II ferry from Fields Point to
Prince Creek. From there it was an 11 1/2 mile (7.5 hour) hike in 30 +
weather to Moore Point. The contrasts between heat and cold, dryness
and water, were amazing. We could see snow capped peaks and glaciers
above, which melt and rush down the steep mountainsides into the lake.
Lake Chelan is fed by 27 glaciers. Most of us brought swimsuits, but no
one was brave enough to swim in the frigid water. The climate is
similar to that of the south Okanagan, resulting in similar vegetation:
ponderosa
pines, scrubby-looking bushes, arrowleaf balsamroot. Oh, and lots of
salamanders and at leat one huge toad.