Stehekin Adventure

[GregJ]

The Stehekin Overnight Adventure will be Aug. 27 and 28 (Sat. and Sun.) this year.

The plan is to meet at Twenty-Five Mile Creek State campground at 9:00 am on Saturday the 27th. I would like to have a dock meeting at 9:30 am and leave for Stehekin before 10:00 am. We will visit several camping spots on the way up to Stehekin. Our objective will be to camp at Weaver Point, which is 29 miles north of our launching site at Twenty-five Mile Creek. Last year we had the whole place to ourselves. The Forest Service people told us that it’s rare for people to camp there.
When you check in at Twenty-five Mile Creek, the ranger will give you a simple map of the lake and you should get a dock pass for every day you plan on using the docks. There will be a $5.00 a day charge for that, plus the $7.00 launch fee. Some might leave the next day and others might stay until Monday.
You can get detailed information by going to www.stehekin.com for information about Stehekin and http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selec...ek&subject=all for the Twenty-Five Mile Creek website. The web sites have all the information you might need.
On a final note, there is a reason we call this particular event an adventure. Tim McCrain will explain that in a posting to come soon. My cell is 206-790-1725. Please call any time.

[Bflaherty]

We are super excited about this event!! Michele had to beg and pleed with work to get the weekend off.

I just booked us at Twenty-Five mile creek Friday night, but I can't find Weaver Point on the state park website? Do we need reservations for Saturday night?

Thanks for organizing this event! Should be awesome!!!:GoTeam1:

[GregJ]

Brian, Weaver point is just accross the bay from Stehekin,about a quarter mile. As far as I know the camp sights are first come first serve. Last year Weaver point was completely empty except for us and the forestry service said that it is rarely used. It's a really a nice camp ground with flush toilets, fire pits, pic nic tables bear boxes at 16 different sights so it's possible that we might not get the sight right at dock side but I'm fairly certain there will be sights available. I think the main reason it is so vacant is because the only way you can get there is by boat. Stehekin is so close that it is really easy to get there from Weaver by boat. I'm really happy you guys are coming. I forgot to mention that the dock passes are good at all the State camp grounds on the lake. You need one for every night that you might be overnighting at the state docks. If you forget to get them at 25 mi. the forestry service has an office at Stehekin and you can get them there. There will probably be more post to come but try not to miss the dock meeting on Sat. a.m.. Anyway I hope to see you at Laconnor this Sat. I'll be there.

[Tim McCrain]

North to Stehekin!

This trip was the highlight of last season for Brendan and I, we had a great time and our only regret was that we couldn't stay another night. The scenery was beautiful, the company enjoyable and the location couldn't be beat. Our group had the entire campground and dock to ourselves, and as Greg mentioned, the ranger who stopped in to say hello Sat evening said that the Weaver Point campground was often empty even at the height of the season.

Although we had wonderful conditions and weather last year, we need to keep in mind that Chelan can get very rough very quickly and plan accordingly. A cross section of Lake Chelan looks like two connected basins, with the northernmost being much longer and deeper then the shorter, shallower south basin. This, combined with the winds funnelled by the topography on either side which narrows at the point of depth change, can result in some serious water if the winds come up.

In the interest of safety, please be sure of the following:
1) Your boat has adequate freeboard for potentially rough water
2) You are familiar with the nearest "safe harbor" and are prepared to wait out windy conditions (We'll provide maps with key areas marked)
3) Your boat is properly equipped, including extra lines, etc.
4) You have a VHF radio and are monitoring it.
5) You have read and agree to comply with the NWCBC Safety Policy and Event Procedures found by clicking this link: [ame="http://www.classicboatclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2772"]Northwest Classic Boat Club Forum[/ame]


Our Safety Policy was inspired, in part, by the Stehekin trip last year. Although we had great conditions, an uneventful trip and no close calls, those of us in attendance discussed how we as a group approached the trip and identified some areas where we could have done better. I feel very fortunate to boat with a group of people that are able to recognize potential problems and correct them before a bad situation develops. Here are the things we agreed to stress for the next trip:

1) Everyone must have a VHF radio. (and make sure you can hear it!)
2) Don't leave the group without making sure that someone knows what you're doing. Don't make the rest of the group wonder where you are or go looking for you unnecessarily!
3) Don't miss the dock meeting before departure!
4) Don't be late for departure! In fact, be early!

Again, we had no problems or close calls last year and I anticipate the same this year, we just want to do everything we can to make sure that we're prepared for rough conditions if they arise.

See you there!

Tim

[Lowell]

Count me in.

Greg,
I will be waiting for the group on Saturday morning at the 25 mile creek boat launch. I'm spending Friday night at the Marina and I would like to stay out on the Lake until Monday Morning. How about a potluck meal Saturday and Sunday? Nothing special just something to share at the evening dinner. Also don't forget last year several members caught enough fish for dinner just off the dock at Purple Point Campground.
The fuel tanks are topped off.
Motors test run.
Battery charged.
I'm ready for a wonderful trip into the beautiful North Cascades National Park.
Lowell

[bham-rick]

Bummed out


Sorry I'm going to miss this trip ! This is the one Saturday that I have to work to help cover Managers Vacations. Since I'm now in the position to have Saturday & Sunday off , I said I would help cover when needed and this happens to be the only weekend they played the trump card and asked for my help Would have really liked to have made this - I've never been in that neck of the woods. Maybe next year !

[GregJ]

Lowell, I was concidering staying at the 25 mi. marina also but Susie wants to stay at Mom's Motel like last year. If evrybody wants a potluck,thats what we will do. I thought we caught the fish right there at Weaver. I know I did. The line between Stehekin and Purple point north is closed waters. I will check to make sure. I will write a more detailed post about this event soon. So far we have four boats committed. After the great time last year I am really excited about our return. I hope the weather is in our favor, so far it's looking real good. Here are the people that are coming so far;
Susie and I
Lowell
Brian Flaferty and fiance'
Tim McCrain and Brenden
Marty and Mo might come
Who else at this point?
Rick, I was looking forward to seeing you on this one but especially these days when we have to work it's best we work. I understand completely.Hopefully next year.

[Bflaherty]

First off I would like to say, that I am really proud to be a member of such a club that will step up and enforce safety restrictions when needed. I have done a handful of events with other clubs that don't care at all about the safety of their members and boats, they just assume all the captains are smart enough (in some cases sober enough) to make the right decisions.

When we tagged along with the ACBS group on their Snake River Odyssey it was the first time we had done a major trip like that with so much potential for disaster and their organizers made great efforts to cover safety. Before leaving the dock the first day all boats were paired off with at least one other boat so that everyone had at least one backup. All boats without radios where requested to stay within ear-shot of a boat with a radio. We had the benefit of having to make dam schedules so we all met back up while waiting for the locks.

On the first two days of our trip we were fighting a 25-30 knot head wind blowing against a 5 knot current which resulted in 6-8 ft wind waves! It was an experience of a lifetime taking our low profile 17ft ski boat down through all this, but I learned right away that speed and throttle response make all the difference. Even in our little boat, we took only 2 waves over the windshield and even then the bilge pump only needed to run for about 15 seconds!

We are super excited for Stehekin and hoping that this trip will be far less "exciting"...opcorn1:

[GregJ]

Brian, Thanks for the post especially your concern for the dredded wind wave. I haven't experienced that on Lake Chelan but I am very much aware that Chelan can dish out everything Puget Sound can and then some. This is the very reason why we will launch at 25 mi. and try to leave at or before 10 a.m.. The souther half of the lake can be much more trecherous then the northern half and the wind tends to build after 12 noon.The wind can be northerly usually in the a.m. and also southerly in the p.m.. Fresh water waves can be harder to deal with than salt water waves because they are less dense making them steeper and closer together. Last year we had no problems at all but from what I understand the wind there can come up very quickly and unexpectedly. This is why it is important that our boats are ready for the worst and we all have the neccessary safety equipment aboard. One of the problems is that there are very few places we can hide once we get started. We will discus this at the dock meeting just before we leave. Make sure you get the map of the lake that the forestry service hands out when you pay for your launch fee and dock passes. I'm not trying to talk people out of doing this event because this cruz is really great as long as the weather cooperates. We had a fantastic time last year and hopefully will again. An adventure? You bet.:BigHappy1:

[GregJ]

A couple of other things I forgot to mention. It would be best if everybody taking part is able to maintain a cruzing speed of at least 17 mph and have enough food on board for an extra day or two just in case we have to wait out a storm. I'm planning on coming back on Sunday but that was the plan last year and Susie and I stayed until Monday because we were having so much fun. The resteraunt at Stehekin has great bacon cheese burgers and the bakery two miles down the road has great big sticky buns. More to come. Please call me on my cell 206 790 1725 24/7 if there are any questions.

[GregJ]

I need to correct my statement about the closed waters to fishing on Chelan. All waters north of the line between Purple Point and Painted Rock and within 400' of the mouths of all tributaries are closed to fishing. We were illegal last year. No wonder the fishing was good. We were using light spinning gear, Potsky salmon eggs,shartruse Power Bait and Rooster Tails in closed waters right off the dock at Weaver. Hope that stuff works well south of the closed water line. I'm going to try.

[GregJ]

It looks like the weather on Sat. Sun. and Mon. in Stehekin is going to be good,90+ and clear. Be sure to bring lots of water and sun screen. We will have a simple potluck on Sat. evening. We will bring a pile of home made CowBoy cookies. Simple and easy is the name of the game for the potluck. Remember we will try to be launched by around 930a with a short dock meeting afterwards with a departure hopefully by 10a.
See ya all there,
Greg and Susie

[Tim McCrain]

Brendan and I are really looking forward to this one, we had an awesome time last year!

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

Lake Chelan

I can see I'm going to have to obtain a trailerable boat so as to make this trip in the future. Have a great time!

McSkagit

[GregJ]

Thank you Tim. Last year we had a great time. We had the first camp sight off the dock so we were camped right on the water. Some people camped on shore and others slept on there boats or rented a motel type room accross the bay in Stehekin. Weaver point camp ground is not used much because it is a boats only camp ground so we had the whole place to ourselves. There's a ton of things to do in and around Stehekin so one or two days there does'nt seem like enough time to be there. The resteraunt has good food and the store is adequate.They do sell gas at Stehekin. I'm looking forward to the trout fishing. I'm sorry you can't come with us this year. Hopefully you'll be able to make it sometime in the near future. It's well worth it.