Thursday, June 8, 2017

BoatTime

boat time at Stehekin Landing
Often visitors to Stehekin will ask a question similar to, "What's it like to live on the island?" It's sometimes hard for visitors to grasp that Stehekin is not an island. After all, the vast majority of visitors to Stehekin arrive and depart by boat. 

The boats, and their schedules which change with the seasons, are a significant part of our lives in Stehekin. We call the time of day when the boat is at the dock in Stehekin "boat time". And many of us plan our outings around boat time. The boat brings our mail, our UPS packages, our groceries, our visiting friends and relatives, our homeward bound family members, our baby chicks, our livestock feed, our prescriptions from the drug store, etc. 
Lady ll docked at the Stehekin Landing
When the boat is on its winter schedule and there isn't much social life in the valley, boat time becomes more important to us. Valley residents plan to meet up at boat time. The mail close-out time dictates the deadline for getting mail sent out. On the winter schedule our connection to the outside world, via the boat, is limited to Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Once the boat arrives it takes a while for our postmaster to get the mail delivered into the P.O.Boxes. That time, between close-out and delivery of mail, gives a nice opportunity to visit and take a walk along the lake. 
taking a walk while waiting for the mail 
Boat time around the holidays brings many people down the road in anticipation of the arrival of hoped for packages, and friends and family coming in for a visit. 
Lady Express arriving with holiday cheer

Boat time also gives people a chance to go into the Landing restaurant and have a bite to eat or a cup of coffee while visiting with neighbors. It's a time to catch up with friends.  
a family ready to board the boat for the down lake trip
Stehekin is "islanded" by the steep and beautiful mountains of the North Cascades Mountain Range. Any time of year, a trip up on the Lady to spend boat time in Stehekin can be a unique experience.
Lady of the Lake leaving Stehekin
~mc
Please visit StehekinHeritage.com for more information