The Amazing Upper Stehekin Valley

Today we have a guest post from a long time friend of Stehekin, Jeffery Bilbro.

I worked in Stehekin for four summers while attending college, and most weeks I spent my days off hiking along the trails and ridges leading up from the valley. These photos are from 2007, my last summer working at Discovery Bikes, and feature a couple of trips I took in the upper valley. These hikes still require a longer approach as the upper road remains closed, but they lead through some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.

The first two pictures are taken from the top of Goode Ridge, a five-mile climb from Bridge Creek.

A great view of the backside of McGregor Mountain

Enjoying a rest on top of Goode Ridge

One of my favorite places in Stehekin is Trapper Lake. There’s no maintained trail to the lake, but you can access it via a scramble from Cottonwood Campground or from Pelton Basin.

A view of the lake from the west end

Many of the mountains around the lake are remarkably sheer

This is from the shoulder of Trapper Mountain, looking back down at Trapper Lake and the Stehekin Valley below

Horseshoe Basin used to be a popular day hike from Cottonwood Campground. Besides the beautiful waterfalls and wildflowers, there’s some interesting old mine shafts and equipment. On this trip, I climbed above the basin to spend the night in the meadows below Buckner Peak. 

The approach to Horseshoe Basin

The meadows above Horseshoe Basin, with the aptly named Ripsaw Ridge against the skyline

The meadows above Horseshoe Basin, with the aptly named Ripsaw Ridge against the skyline