Frequently Asked Questions:

What’s available in Stehekin in the winter?

After October 15th Stehekin quiets down and most of the businesses shut down with the exception of a few cabin rentals and some winter packages offered at the North Cascades Lodge. For people who really want peace and quiet this is a great time of year to visit and rent a cabin on your own. Try some cross-country skiing or snowshoeing – see Rainbow Falls iced over! Be prepared to pack in your own food and dress for snow and enjoy remote situations! The passenger boat only makes a run to Stehekin every other day during winter so you need to come prepared for being disconnected to the outside world. For passenger boat information please go to www.ladyofthelake.com . For winter packages and activities go to: www.stehekin.com. For more accommodations and great information go to: www.stehekinvalley.com.

Stehekin is accessible via seaplane, passenger, charter or private boat or you may hike or ride your stock in during the summer months. There are a few private pilots that also bring their planes into the Stehekin airstrip. Most people go from the town of Chelan and take the seaplane or passenger boat. For transportation maps and directions go to www.stehekinvalley.com/gettingtostehekin.htm

What type of weather should you prepare for?

In the springtime we usually experience some windy conditions and the mornings and evenings are still cool with the days warming up to 50-70 degrees. Summer is very comfortable for most – late July and August start to get warm (80 and 90 degrees is normal) and is when most people enjoy having the river and the lake to play in. Fall is traditionally magical with its crisp, clear days and then cold mornings and evenings. Winter finds the valley with an average snow level of 4-6 feet and can drop to below zero temperatures. We recommend you keep all weather conditions in mind no matter what time of year. Don’t be shy about asking for weather up dates- although we can’t predict the weather we can sure tell you how it’s been lately. Though it’s rare we have even experienced snow conditions in summer- especially in the higher elevations. If you are traveling by private boat to Stehekin and are unaware of the moody winds of Lake Chelan, then we highly recommend being prepared to pull in to a safe harbor should you need to in case of high winds or a break down. Have some food, shelter options, sleeping bags and any medications just in case. It’s a good idea to have a flare or something bright to get the attention of the passenger boat or the seaplane in case you are in any trouble also.

Is there television and phone service in Stehekin?

While some private individuals have satellite dishes for television entertainment, the accommodations at Stehekin do not have television for their guests. There is electricity in some locations where you will be able to hook up your own DVD/VCR or audio equipment. At this time there is not cell phone service in Stehekin and you will be out of range for using your own. There is a community satellite phone located near the boat dock for people to call out of the valley on if they need to. It’s important to remember that people cannot call into this number. If a person needs to get a message to you from outside the valley they can contact our down lake office and that person can email the facility where you are staying. We encourage this only with urgent matters as most people come to Stehekin to get away from their every day worries.

What’s the best way to communicate to Stehekin?

As mentioned above, presently there is no phone service into Stehekin. There is satellite connection for emailing in however. Most everyone has an email in Stehekin now and that is the main source of communication to the outside world. Most of the commercial businesses have outside reservation phone services that are based in Chelan. If you have questions you should contact the reservation line of the facility you are staying with. If they cannot answer your question then they will be able to email directly to the Stehekin establishment to find an answer. Of course, there’s still the good old-fashioned way of mailing them a letter too.

How do you pay for things in Stehekin?

While some places accept MasterCard or Visa, most businesses prefer to have payments made with cash or a check. This is due to the expensive set up and processing of credit cards from such a remote area. If you find it necessary to use your credit card you can pre-pay for your lodging and some activities at our reservation office in Chelan. Be sure to bring a little cash with you to spend at the Bakery and the gift shops! Also, if you need to ride the Stehekin Shuttle, it’s good to have some spare change. To our knowledge there is not an ATM machine in Stehekin.

Have more questions?
Feel free to email us at: ranch@courtneycountry.com
If we don’t know we’ll find out for you!

Customer Comments

If you are considering a trip into the
mountains around Lake Chelan contact Cragg & Robbie
Courtney at Cascade Corrals in Stehekin, Wa. Their
years of experience, knowledge of the area combined
with good equipment, friendly, courteous,
personalized, professional service and hard working
staff, in addition to the hearty portions of some of
the best food you will ever eat in the high country
will provide you and your companions with memories of
a trip that will last a life time. In more than 40
years of extensive travel on mules, horses, and by
foot thru wilderness area in Canada, Alaska, and much
of the Western United States I would have to say that
our recent trip with the Courtney's in one of the best
we have ever experienced.
I endorse and recommend Cragg & Robbie and Cascade
Corrals without hesitation, they are the very best.

Greg & Kathy Stafford
4250 Sunnybank Ct.
Chelan, Wa. 98816
509 682-4642

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We have greatly enjoyed every pack trip we have taken. The hospitality, food and sights are world class and we look forward to our trips every year.

Mark T. Anderson
CEO/President
Anderson Hay & Grain Co., Inc.

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Dear Cragg and Roberta,

It is good to hear from you.

I hope you know how much our family and friends enjoyed their visit to the Stehekin area. This was greatly helped by the Courtney support. For a group of people with widely varying physical abilities, your tent-to-tent program was perfect. With so much incredible country available from the camp sites, each person could choose from a variety of day or overnight hikes; and the one rainy day was comfortable with the huge stand-up tent and inside warming stove. The propane cooking arrangement was better than our car camping stuff.
With the Stehekin River road washout, the campsite locations for the tent-to-tent were perfect. It allowed us to split our group so we could approach from both west and east, meet at Cottonwood campground, and trade cars. That way we could easily traverse the Cascade range via Cascade Pass both ways. Your packhorses carrying our gear into the camp solved my own logistal nightmare. We like to hike, but everyone had a much better time carrying a lighter pack. And best of all, from my planning perspective, it was great to be able to schedule in advance. Since I have to plan my vacation far in advance, it is reassuring to know there will be no problem finding a campspot; the National Park Service would not let us make any advance arrangements like you do.

My wife tells me that everyone enjoyed the comfortable sleeping pads, camp cots, and the incredibly roomy tent. Best of all, everyone appreciated the incredibly friendly and helpful support from the Courtneys. The area is some of the best mountain country in the world. Knowing we can have your help will keep us coming back.

Best wishes to you all,
Mike and Yoko Colpitts

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