Stehekin Tourism Struggles With Pioneer Fire Gut Punch But Still Optimistic
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the operators of a barge service on Lake Chelan. Mountain Barge Service is a barge service transporting cargo between Chelan and Stehekin in support of the Pioneer Fire crews
The Pioneer Fire has burned since June 11th on the north shore of Lake Chelan and spread northeast, eventually forcing an evacuation of all tourism-related visitors to Stehekin, the remote community at the head of Lake Chelan.
Stehekin is only accessible by boat or float plane. There are no roads. Experienced hikers on the Pacific Coast Trail can access Stehekin and sometimes use it as their jumping off point, skipping the last leg to the Canadian border.
But for most visitors, a trip to Stehekin on one of Lake Chelan Boat Company's different ferry's offers an idyllic escape from the hectic pace of life and a real chance to disconnect.
On a specially arranged trip to Stehekin over the weekend, I spoke with Nick Davis who operates Stehekin Reservations, a business that rents ATV's and books tours for others.
I rented one of his side-by-sides on my last pleasure trip to Stehekin and it was a great way to get around to Rainbow Falls, the Stehekin Bakery, Buckner Orchard or wherever you want to explore.
Firefighters Don't Need Flyfishing Trips Right Now
Davis is fortunate but right now because he provides a service that the Forest Service needs--Nick's entire fleet is rented out to firefighters so they can get around the Stehekin Valley to fight the fire.
Next to his rental office just a few hundred yards from the Stehekin Landing, you notice a stark contrast. While Nick's fleet of ATV's are all out on the fire lines, there are rows of mountain bikes that his neighbor business Discovery Bikes rents out. They sit neatly lined up with no takers, because there are no visitors in Stehekin.
Davis also books trips for other businesses out of his ATV rental office for Stehekin Fishing Adventures and Stehekin Outfitters to name a few. "They are going to be hurting in a big way. All of us have about four months, June through September to earn our living" Davis explains.
Those businesses are looking at a loss of 50% or more of their peak summer business revenue and are facing a double whammy "a lot of money going out and no more money coming in. Whatever money they had in deposits for trip reservations had to be refunded so it's going to be very difficult for a lot of the businesses up here that the forest service was not able to utilize"
That is the paradox of the Pioneer Fire.
Some businesses, while likely not thriving, are able to do some business with the fire agencies working the blaze.
The Lake Chelan Boat Company would normally be ferrying 150 to 200 people daily to Stehekin but that tourism revenue is ground to a halt with tourists barred from Stehekin for safety reasons.
The Boat Company is providing transport services to support the firefighting, including a new group of firefighters who arrived with me on Saturday as part of reinforcements for California Incident Management Team 15. The owner is urging visitors to support Stehekin businesses by booking trips for next summer or by purchasing gift certificates towards future trips
The Stehekin Valley Ranch and Stehekin Bakery are providing meals for fire crews. Mountain Barge Services operate a barge that brings vital equipment and supplies every day on the 55 mile route up Lake Chelan.
Countless other businesses though have ground to a halt due to a lack of tourism. Vacation rentals are empty. Housekeepers that would have been busy cleaning rooms for those guests or at the North Cascades Lodge in Stehekin Landing or those employed in the Lodge's restaurant have no work.
The majority of the 95 or so fulltime residents of Stehekin have remained despite the Level 3 GO NOW evacuation order in place for everyone except for firefighters. The sentiment is they love their community and are grateful no structures have been lost.
Davis says he is optimistic for next summer's tourist season. "Stehekin's still going to be here. People will come up, check it out and see it's not as bad as some of the pictures make it look. If we keep it out of the valley floor, you won't even know there has been a fire up here. The river will still be flowing, the lake will still be here. Rainbow Falls will still be flowing. Stehekin will still be beautiful, regardless"
That was the final impression I was left with.
Other than the swarm of yellow clad firefighters and their apparatus, your only obvious clue there is a fire in the area is the haze and the lack of tourists. The fire has advanced about a mile past the Stehekin Landing but much work lies ahead to stop it.
Hopefully, the new tactic of helicopter retardant drops along with traditional airplane runs should start to make progress.
That and mother nature's soaking rains.
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Gallery Credit: AJ Brewster