Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - September 23rd
Day 153: Monday 23rd September Agnes Creek – Hideaway Camp
I left this morning at 7.35am just as “Load”, “Phantasmo”, “Kato” and Hazel came
along, followed shortly afterwards by “Goof”. They had camped higher up Agnes Creek
and made an early start as they were wanting to get down to the Stehekin River in time
to catch the shuttle bus ten miles down to the resort of Stehekin at the northern end of
the 50-mile long Lake Chelan. Apart from the mountain trails, the only access to of
Stehekin was the tourist ferry that operated from Chelan at the southern end of the
lake. Stehekin had a small store and Post Office, so most thru-hikers visited it to
resupply. In the summer the USFS ran a minibus service for tourists, hikers and
fishermen up the dirt road that headed up the Stehekin River. Since I had dropped a
supply cache back at Suiattle Creek and had my final one ahead at Highway 20 there was
no need for me to drop down to the fleshpots of Stehekin.
I walked five miles up the dirt road alongside the Stehekin River, rather than follow
the PCT, which ran parallel to the road on the slopes of the valley, before having second
breakfast at the Bridge Creek Campground. This was one of about ten campgrounds in
this popular valley with picnic tables, toilets and bear boxes. They all seemed deserted
now that the short hiking season in the Northern Cascades was drawing to a close.
Despite the clear skies it was still chilly in this deep-forested valley.
I stopped for lunch just below the trail on the top of the 1,000ft cliffs dropping down
to Bridge Creek. While I was lunching “Ranger”, “Flying Dutchman”, “Fire Marshall”,
Lemstar” and “Sumara” slipped past. By now I was in the open and it was pleasantly
warm in the sun.
I needed to do the laundry so I stopped early at Hideaway Camp beside Bridge
Creek and had a bath and washed most of my clothes. Bruce and Chris dropped into the
camp looking for the spot where Bruce had caught trout about 30 years ago. This was
further downstream and they decided to go on rather than camp. Like many Americans
in the wilderness, they hadn’t even got a map with them.
Day 153: 15.7 miles 6.26 hours Camp: Hideaway Camp
I left this morning at 7.35am just as “Load”, “Phantasmo”, “Kato” and Hazel came
along, followed shortly afterwards by “Goof”. They had camped higher up Agnes Creek
and made an early start as they were wanting to get down to the Stehekin River in time
to catch the shuttle bus ten miles down to the resort of Stehekin at the northern end of
the 50-mile long Lake Chelan. Apart from the mountain trails, the only access to of
Stehekin was the tourist ferry that operated from Chelan at the southern end of the
lake. Stehekin had a small store and Post Office, so most thru-hikers visited it to
resupply. In the summer the USFS ran a minibus service for tourists, hikers and
fishermen up the dirt road that headed up the Stehekin River. Since I had dropped a
supply cache back at Suiattle Creek and had my final one ahead at Highway 20 there was
no need for me to drop down to the fleshpots of Stehekin.
I walked five miles up the dirt road alongside the Stehekin River, rather than follow
the PCT, which ran parallel to the road on the slopes of the valley, before having second
breakfast at the Bridge Creek Campground. This was one of about ten campgrounds in
this popular valley with picnic tables, toilets and bear boxes. They all seemed deserted
now that the short hiking season in the Northern Cascades was drawing to a close.
Despite the clear skies it was still chilly in this deep-forested valley.
I stopped for lunch just below the trail on the top of the 1,000ft cliffs dropping down
to Bridge Creek. While I was lunching “Ranger”, “Flying Dutchman”, “Fire Marshall”,
Lemstar” and “Sumara” slipped past. By now I was in the open and it was pleasantly
warm in the sun.
I needed to do the laundry so I stopped early at Hideaway Camp beside Bridge
Creek and had a bath and washed most of my clothes. Bruce and Chris dropped into the
camp looking for the spot where Bruce had caught trout about 30 years ago. This was
further downstream and they decided to go on rather than camp. Like many Americans
in the wilderness, they hadn’t even got a map with them.
Day 153: 15.7 miles 6.26 hours Camp: Hideaway Camp
Load, Phanntasmo
and Kato
and Kato
Hazel
Bridge Creek Canyon
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