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Today we decided to rent some bikes to explore the area. There are a couple
places to rent bikes -- one is at the dock, and the other is a little further
up the road, Discovery Bikes. We chose the latter, partly because it's also
the place to make dinner reservations for Stehekin Valley Ranch. The bus
driver had recommended it, and after two nights of dry meat at the lodge
restaurant, I was ready to try it.
Away we went on the bikes. The road is pretty flat, so even people who
don't ride much should have no problem. No sooner than we started,
f course, we stopped at the pastry shop to pick up sandwiches for lunch.
Then we continued along to Rainbow Falls.
Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls is over 300 feet high. It falls down to a pool, which then
falls a further 15 or 20 feet before continuing on as a creek. The creek
is the same one we saw on the Rainbow Loop Trail the day before (though we
had stopped above the falls then). There's a picnic bench near the parking
lot, and a log bench closer to the falls. The bench has a nice view of
the falls, framed by tall trees on either side. Too bad I didn't bring
my tripod on the bike ride.
Rainbow Creek
After each lunch here, we admired the falls and then returned to our bikes.
Just after we left, a bus dumped off about 30 or so tourists. If you want
to enjoy the falls in private, be sure to check the Rainbow Falls tour bus
schedule.
Buckner's Orchard
Apple tree at Buckner's Orchard
Our next stop was Buckner's apple orchard. It's a beautiful setting for an
orchard, framed by mountains. After a brief visit, we continued on up the
road to Harlequin bridge. We crossed the bridge and stopped at Harlequin
Camp. If you're camping instead of staying in the lodge, this is a great
choice. There was almost nobody here, and it's right next to the Stehekin
River. As we took a break, a river raft came by (yes, you can raft the river).
Harlequin Bridge over the Stehekin River
Rafters on the Stehekin
Shady view of the river
Enjoying the peaceful Stehekin River
The road beyond Harlequin bridge turns into gravel, so we turned around
here. After another stop at the pastry shop, we returned the bikes.
Then we took the shuttle up to Stehekin Valley Ranch for dinner.
The ranch has lodging accommodations (meals included), or you can just go
there for dinner. The dining room is one large room with long rows of
tables. You pick up your dinner buffet style (there's a "special" which
most people get, or you can order an individual dish like a steak or
hamburger). While the chicken (the special of the day) was still a bit
on the dry side, it was definitely better than the lodge. And there was
also a nice selection of desserts.
The ranch is apparently a place where backpackers from the Pacific Crest Trail
like to stop to have a good meal after days on the trail. We saw several
backpackers eating there, then take the bus down to camp near the dock.
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