Category: Stehekin Rendezvous

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Aspire Culture Blog Culture Destinations Reverb STEHEKIN Stehekin Rendezvous The Adventure Ethic update

The Pursuit of Adventure

If you’re a mountain minded individual in 2024, then you likely know the feeling of overwhelm as you scramble to send those final emails while stuffing the bags for a weekend away in the mountains. If it weren’t for the packing list chiseled out over countless adventures before, you’d certainly forget the sleeping bag again as you rummage through the gear closet, seemingly grabbing things at random.

There is something essential then, about adventure, that makes this stress worth the work. On a human level, adventure creates the space to breathe deep, for the blood flowing through your veins to pump faster and the feelings of personal liberation that follow to give meaning and context to our lives. We need this space more than ever in today’s rushed and commodified world.

Reflections in the water

There’s a photograph taken by Aspire photographer Nick Danielson from Mt. Rainier National Park that I keep at my desk. It shows a perfect reflection of the Meany Crest towering over Summerland in a large alpine tarn. On the far side of the water, I am running.

I remember that moment, running through the morning light after climbing to Pandhandle Gap in the pre-dawn pursuit of rarified air and hard-earned sunrise views. As I sit writing this blog, looking at my calendar and my tasks and the winter looming outside the windows, this photo is somewhat of a beacon, a foghorn on a shrouded sea. The recollection of that morning on Mt. Rainier’s shoulders is a “why” that I return to when the daily grind begins to wear on my consciousness. When things become monotonous, this photo is a reminder that the pursuit of adventure holds the tonic.

Reflections in an alpine tarn.

Ascending the mountain

So let’s cue it up: the icy mountain peaks, cold rushing rivers, and the contours of the unknown mountain inviting us into mystery.

McGregor Mountain is a 8,122′ peak in the North Cascades. Shy of the summit, there is a bench that offers incredible views of the glaciated peaks to the south. Above this bench lies the foreboding summit block, which appears to be an improbable climb from below. Yet, as you press beyond the bench and scramble up the boulder field, a path through a series of ledges marked by red blazes unveils itself.

I was on these ledges with two Aspire clients this past summer during the Stehekin Rendezvous, ascending the mountain and sharing stories of adventures past as we slid and stretched through this system of passageways towards the summit. The ledges provided the perfect allure, with one challenge after another. The question of what would come next was always looming in the back of our minds.

Runners ascend McGregor Mt.

The route is generally clear, but the element of the unknown activates the nervous system – your focus become crisp and clear searching for the next red blaze amongst the rocks. Physical attention is also heightened as the relationship between core strength and coordinated limbs allows for the precise movements scrambling requires. There’s no room for daydreaming on the summit block.

At one point on the climb up McGregor, climbers must pivot over the deep cut of a ravine between two ledges, using a boulder protruding from above as a handhold to cross this precarious crux. While these steps are not particularly hard to negotiate, a fall here would likely end in serious injury or death. The runners I traveled with passed by with grace, leaving nothing more than a few nervous chuckles to linger over the no-fall zone. The tension and challenge of this terrain brought not only clarity and focus, but also the sense of joy and levity that activates in beautiful places that require our full attention.

As we neared what I knew to be the top, a light dusting of snow appeared on the rocky shelves and crunched under our feet. “Oooo, I’d step here”, one runner expressed, pointing to a level step in a system of columnar rocks as we climbed up off a bench towards the low saddle above. The other runner took their cue, scaled the system of columns and popped up to the top. What followed was raw and uninhibited, a clear and exuberant release of the tension felt on the climb up:

“Whoah! This is just… this is f***king unbelievable!” I looked up to a jaw that might as well have been scraping the valley floor 6,000′ below.

“I really just can’t believe it… like, what!?! It’s SO beautiful up here!”

The runner had reached the saddle just below the summit and had been afforded the 360° views that McGregor it known for… and they do knock you off your feet. I quickly scrambled up to meet her, and though I’d been there before, I was no less awe-struck. We had put in the work on the seven mile climb and were now receiving the sweet reward.

The views from the top of McGregor do not disappoint.

As we sat and broke out our trail snacks, we continued to circulate the appreciation and awe of the moment. We shared gratitude for our bodies, which were still pulling us up 8,000′ peaks after years of battering, and for the exceptional cookies provided to us by the Stehekin Valley Ranch.

Into the unknown

Piercing upwards through the unknown that day had gifted us with presence, both on the scramble upward and in the moment we reached to top. The unknown is the ultimate disruption of the mundane, requiring us to be alive, alert and awake to the world around us. In a world full of monotonous distractions, running trails through remote wilderness offers a uniquely thrilling meditation.

Sacred process, sacred ritual

The runners who climbed McGregor Mountain with me that day broke out of routine and into action that brought to them vitality and thrill. Those moments are exceptional and singular, but they don’t happen without a profound amount of dedication and planning. It’s worthwhile to acknowledge the work it takes to find yourself on the summit of McGregor Mountain as it’s own journey.

Every step of this process is sacred when we allow it to be. The fatigue of looking at a screen for the sixth hour of the day causing us to look up and gaze at the photo we keep at our desk with longing. The text to a friend – “How about heading out to that hot spring this weekend?” The shared excitement after you secure the reservation, the planning that follows, the hurried packing, the drive to get there… it’s all the ritual.

The magic of acknowledging this entire process as sacred is that we create the pathways for gratitude to travel on, outward from those summit moments into each moment of our lives. In the pursuit of adventure, we experience both the expansion felt on the summit and grounding of returning to the valley floor renewed. Through the integration of these experiences into our day to day, we can dial in a life that pulses with purpose. The magic of the mountains is ours to weave with, and the tapestry we create with it holds the vitality of transcendence – so where to, friend?

Summit celebrations on McGregor Mt.

Trent Banks a senior trail guide and marketing director for Aspire Adventure Running. He is also a mountain rambler, disc jockey, and father of two daughters, based out of Seattle, WA. He joined the Aspire crew in 2018, and fell in love with facilitating the connection between trail runners and wild places.

Listen to his Spirit Ventures DJ mix series, inspired by and made for trail running.

Aspire remove barriers between runners and incredible experiences in the wilderness, making the pursuit of adventure more accessible to everyone. Explore the Stehekin Rendezvous or view the 2024 calendar!

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The Magic of Lodge Season

Fall comes early in the mountains. The fog hangs heavier over the valleys, the skies begin to welcome the familiar shifting clouds. The days are getting shorter, but there are still berry harvests to be had and some of the trail running’s most wondrous days awaiting. Aspire moves basecamp indoors to mountain lodges, turning up the cozy for a series of charmed autumn trips.

Last fall, I had the privilege of sharing in the magic of Territory Run Camp as a member of the Aspire staff. The luxury of having a lodge, as opposed to our usual outdoor glamping scene, was not to be understated in the midst of the many different types of weather we encountered. It’s quite difficult to imagine it was only a long weekend, the moments of run camp truly felt timeless. 

Settling into the lodge on the first night, we feasted on garlic toast and a hearty carrot-lentil soup, spiced to aromatic perfection. As night fell, runners retired to their bunks, only to be greeted with hot coffee and dutch pancakes at first light. 

These rendezvous trips offer runners many options for what kind of mileage or length of day they would like to have. As a member of the Aspire crew, we coordinate to ensure that each mile of trail a participant chooses to run is swept so that we can make sure everyone makes it home for dinner. 

On this first running day, I was lucky to get to run the traverse from Excelsior Ridge along the High Divide to Yellow Aster Butte. After a few steep miles, the trail breaks through treeline and leads you through miles and miles of blueberry bushes atop scenic rocky ridgelines with sweeping views of the valleys below. Throughout this particular day, the sky was with me. We moved together. Sweeping around turns in the trail and through small stands of cedars. The swirling mist rising from the valleys caught my gaze as a hawk took off from a nearby perch and swooped over a misty horizon. The colors of vibrant green moss, auburn red undergrowth, and pink bells of heather seemed to catch my eye more on this overcast and moody day. How awesome it is to move for hours and miles through these hills, feasting on plump huckleberries, knowing there is a smiling face, a bag of chips, and a cooler of beer awaiting my arrival at the trailhead.

The next day, NOAA forecasted an eighty percent chance of rain, offering us the clear decision to spend the day exploring the trails nearby to the lodge. Of these trails, there are mileage options anywhere from a few miles, to 20+ miles through beautiful mountainous terrain with alpine lakes, broad ridgelines, glacier views, and more. Some folks opted to run out towards Lake Ann and the west face of Mount Shuksan. Others ventured out towards Kulshan along the Ptarmigan Ridge. I decided to run an eight mile loop from the lodge, circumnavigating Table Mountain. The loop is one I have more often completed on skis, while there is a hefty blanket of snow covering the slopes. On this foggy day, with little spouts of rain here and there, I found so much enjoyment discovering the magic that this route holds in the summer months -–shimmering clear alpine lakes, waterfalls and meandering creeks, rock buttresses adorned in moss and lichen, boulder and scree fields with stones of swirly metamorphosed granite. 

The afternoon offered many a moment to connect with others at Run Camp as we all gathered to share stories, read books, and play cards or chess, while our gear dried downstairs. After dinner, we listened to a talk given by a veteran through-hiker named Bacchus. He offered his words of wisdom acknowledging the power of giving in to an “unfiltered” experience. He spoke of the magic that happens when you pay attention, and leave the distractions behind. He called into question the meaning behind why we run? –why we do the things we do? In his words, “It’s not about the miles or the gear, but how you have been changed by the experience.” He encouraged everyone to take a moment and consider our relationship to the external world –to see ourselves in context; in this moment, in this place, as this person. His stories and his message felt potent, and the questions he raised stayed with me through the night.

On the third day of running, we had the opportunity to choose between a climb up Goat Mountain, a trail up the riverbed to the Nooksack Cirque, a climbers trail to a lake at the toe of a glacier, or any combination of the three options. As a skier and lover of glaciers, I decided to explore the Nooksack Cirque and glacier fed lake. Emerging from the forest onto the large smooth cobbles of the Nooksack valley, I took note of my slowed pace. As I walked, the river wound, interrupting my route –- ushering me across and through its icy waters. Knee deep in glacial runoff, feet soaked with the ancient melt of glaciers… I felt a reverence come over me. The cirque remained out of sight –around a bend in the river– and so I walked on to get a view. Eager to witness the headwaters where the mighty Nooksack river originates. As the blue ice began to show, and the river curved towards the cirque, I felt a heaviness happen upon my chest. The thought crossed my mind, “Is this ALL there is?” …and soon after, “This is ALL there is!” How magnificent and how frail. How ancient and powerful! How withered and vanishing. 

In the moments that followed, I could feel the messages of Bacchus’s talk taking root in my mind. I could feel myself being overwhelmed with gratitude for an opportunity such as this, to feel human, to feel uncertain of the future, to fully feel any and all emotions that colored the next hours of my experience.

On the final day of Territory Run Camp, everyone awoke before first light and made our way up to the summit of Table Mountain to watch as the sun rose over the shoulder of the neighboring Mount Shuksan. Winding our way up the rocky switchbacks, we could see Kulshan in the distance, radiant in the blue hue of dawn. As the light began to change, a few solitary wisps of clouds became illuminated with orange and pink. The energy amongst the group was one of contentment and awe, underlain by a heightened sense of connection to this place; to these mountains. We were so fortunate to get to experience them in so many different temperaments: the moody days that turned to rain; the rain that turned to hazy sunshine; then to a final burst of sunshine on the clearest morning of all. Gratitude to this degree felt humbling.

To be offered such an opportunity as Territory Run Camp and a progression of experience is such a gift. I am so grateful for the running stoke, the exceptional food, and all the uplifting vibes from Aspire and Territory Running Co. And I also deeply appreciate the sense of adventure; of growing as a human; of discovering what it means to be in connection with wild places. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I’m already looking forward to lodge season next year!

Explore Territory Run Camp and the following lodge trips on the calendar this fall:

Stehekin Rendezvous

North Cascades Climate Summit

Territory Run Camp

Out Trails LGBTQ+ Running Retreat – North Cascades

Julie Ann leads Aspire’s mountain based skills courses and fastpacking missions, while also working as a mountain guide in the North Cascades, and teaching wilderness medicine courses.

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Aspire Trail Runner Profile: Rachel Beda

“Who goes on Aspire trips?”
It’s a question we hear often. The truth is, the runners who show up for our trips come from diverse backgrounds and bring a wide range of running and mountain experience with them to the trails.
We all relate to mountain spaces in unique and personal ways. We are excited to add some depth to our response to the “Who?” question with the Aspire trail runner profile series. We’ve enjoyed hitting the dirt and building friendships with these runners on our trips, and we think you’ll enjoy hearing their stories!

Name: Rachel Beda Age: 45 Hometown: Seattle, WA

Thanks for sharing your story with us for the Aspire Trial Runner Profile! Which Aspire Trips have you participated in?

Stehekin 2018 and Wonderland 2020

Describe your experience, background, and enthusiasm for running and/or wilderness and backcountry experiences?

I started trail running during medical residency 17 years ago and it never, ever gets old. Wilderness is my meditative, sacred place, and I feel the most at peace and alive while I’m moving through it on my own two feet. A busy work and family schedule means running is the most efficient way to get the most views in the shortest amount of time. 

I’m not fast – I hike the uphills and then love to bomb the downhills. I am typically mid-to-back-of-the-pack at trail races and on Aspire trips. What I lack in speed, I make up for in enthusiasm! 

I don’t have many running buddies – my friends are either short-distance hikers, or genetically gifted speed demons that I can’t keep up with, so I’m typically running alone. I’m comfortable running alone, but I really appreciate the safety net Aspire provides. It’s allowed me to go deeper into the wilderness than I would be comfortable doing by myself. 

What questions, concerns, or unknowns did you have going into your trip? How were they resolved?

I was afraid I wouldn’t be fast enough for the group. I shouldn’t have worried. It’s not a race and there’s no pressure. 

For Wonderland, I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to do 3 long days back-to-back-to-back, and Abram worked with me to make a modified itinerary that worked for me. 

I was afraid it would be all young gunners and I would be too old. It was actually a great mix of all ages. 

How did you prepare for your trip? Given your experience would you prepare differently, if so how? This can be answered in terms of fitness and/or gear.

For Stehekin: I did long trail runs of up to 16 miles with plenty of vert, and weekly mileage of about 20-25mi and it worked great since there is a day of rest at the Ranch between run days. 

For Wonderland: I increased my mileage to 30-35 mile weeks including some long trail runs of up to 18 miles with vert, peaking at a 40mi week. Spoiler: it was NOT enough, and I rode ahead in the van on day 2. For next time (oh yeah, I want to go back and get it all next time!!!), I would aim for more 40 mile weeks, and I would schedule a back-to-back trail weekend of at least 15-20 mi/day + 4000ft of gain on both Sat and Sun. If you are a shorter-distance runner like I am (25k races are my favorites), do not make the mistake I did of underestimating the legitimacy of that amount of vert on day one (9700ft of gain from Longmire to Mowich).

I highly recommend using hiking poles for the climbs and bringing a lightweight water filtering method so that you can minimize water weight. 

What story or description would you give to represent the group dynamic on your trip?

Encouraging, supportive, and ego-free!

What was the most difficult moment and/or a surprising episode from your trip?

I was so excited as we started out on day 1 of Wonderland that I forgot to keep up with my nutrition and hydration in the first few miles, and I started to battle nausea around mile 7. By mile 21 I was dry heaving, and by mile 24 I had to lie down on the side of the trail. Kara, who was the sweep on the Aspire Team, was so incredibly patient, positive, and supportive. She GPS-texted ahead to camp and Ian from Aspire started out towards us with supplies in case I really couldn’t make the last few miles. Thanks to their help and encouragement, I was able to rally and make it 10 more miles to Mowich Lake and the rest of the group. Although I could have done without the dry heaving, it taught me that my strength and endurance is bigger than I thought. I also was blown away by the kindness, patience, and encouragement of the Aspire Team. If they could believe in me after only knowing me for one day, I could certainly believe in myself. That lesson is going to help me whenever the miles get tough in the future. 

What info/advice/thoughts would you offer to someone considering signing up for an Aspire trip?

All the things I was worried about – ego, speed, pressure to perform, competition – none of that exists on an Aspire trip, clearly by design. Abram sets up the most supportive, chill, happy adventures.

Explore our Wonderland Circumnavigation trip.

Have a story from an Aspire trip you’d like to share for a Aspire Trail Runner profile? Fill out the form here and we’ll be in touch!

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Blog courses Destinations Highlights Rendezvous Runner Resources STEHEKIN Stehekin Rendezvous trip report Trip Reports and Trip Styles Trip Styles update

Stehekin: A Trip Report

Views looking east from Cascade Pass

“Stehekin” is an indigenous word meaning “the way through”, for over 9,000 years the Stehekin River Valley has served as a travel corridor connecting the rain shadowed steps of the eastern Cascades with the lush forested coastal regions of the Salish Sea. Dividing these ecosystems lie the formidable North Cascades. Stehekin is a direct reference to the river whose headwaters are a network of alpine snowfields and waterfalls that drain into a rugged valley formed over centuries of glaciation. Woven into this mountain landscape is a ribbon of trail paralleling the river and terminating at the shores of Lake Chelan where crystal waters meet a shoreline lined with an endless crown of mountain peaks. 

Views looking east from Cascade Pass

Day 1: Cascade Pass

We’ve built our Stehekin itinerary around the biggest views, best trails, and the cleanest line into the valley. After an early rendezvous and shuttle, the trip kicks off at Cascade Pass. It’s a 23 mile day and the 3,000’ of climbing is largely front loaded into the first 3.5 miles. The rewards come quickly as runners leave the forest canopy and step into a rocky alpine valley surrounded by high peaks, glaciers, and waterfalls. From the pass the views are long and they beacon to fresh legs practically pulling runners into a 20 mile descent along the Stehekin River. While there is no “cutoff” runners need to make it to High Bridge camp by 6pm to catch the last park shuttle to the Stehekin Valley Ranch. I’ve missed the ride more than once, which means an extra couple miles along the river to finish out the day. 

Runners resting on the porch at the Stehekin Valley Ranch

Basecamp: The Stehekin Valley Ranch

Aspire basecamps are a source of pride and joy all summer long. But as the days shorten, temperatures drop, and the chance of inclement weather increases we turn our sights on more formidable lodges and cabins for our accommodations. Our stay at the Stehekin Valley Ranch is the pinnacle of “rustic opulence”. The ranch is family owned and operated by Cliff Courtney, his sons, and a great team of seasonal staff. Cliff was raised on the ranch and since 1983 has grown his vision of a full-service basecamp on a foundation of good food and hard work. Gardens, hay fields, horse corrals, and a full service lodge and cookhouse service hungry hikers and visitors from across the world. Full course breakfast, lunch, and dinner with homemade pies are staples of everyday life along with the perpetual hearth fire and coffee pot always ready for a “cowboy” pour. 

Runner Descending from the Summit

Day 2: Climb Mt. McGreggor or Choose Your Own Adventure

Over the years the Aspire team have scouted a variety of trails and routes, always working towards an itinerary that optimizes the Stehekin experience. We think we’ve found it, but the beauty of this trip is that once runners have arrived, much of the Stehekin experience is based on a “choose your own adventure” ethic. Folks are welcome to lengthen or shorten their trail miles, from 0 to 30+. Opting out of running and scheduling a massage is always an option as well. 

Our standard go-to option for day two of the Stehekin trip is a run up Mt. McGregor. McGreggor is the highest point in the Stehekin Valley. It’s a 8 mile one-way climb that gains a solid 6,500’. The return for the effort are golden larches, expansive views, and a heart pumping summit scramble for those comfortable with a bit of craggy scrambling and exposure. The bench just short of the summit, is the perfect lunch spot and an ideal place for an afternoon nap if the weather cooperates. Turn around times are based on a budget of being back to the ranch in time for a shower, beverages, and dinner. 

Dhalia Gardens In Stehekin

Day 3: Stehekin Exploration

No roads lead to Stehekin. All entry and exit is limited to a boat ferry up Lake Chelan, a chartered float plane, or via foot one of the many trails that criss cross the Cascades. Consequently, the character of the hundred or so permanent residents, is defined by this isolation, resilience, and creativity.  The resulting community is an enclave of gardens, homesteads, and ranches. We encourage runners to take a day to run through “town”, rent a bike, or stroll through the historical sites along the valley floor. A few highlights are worth mentioning:

The Stehekin Valley Pastry Company, family owned and operated this bakery will leave a lifelong impression. Expresso, icecream, and a summer’s worth of handmade pastries, pies, and cinnamon rolls fill the counter. 

The Buckner Orchard and homestead were acquired by the National Park Service when the North Cascades National Park was created in 1968. The working orchard has been maintained by the park service and the orchard gates are open to the public for wandering and tasting. 

The Landing is the cosmopolitan center of Stehekin. Here the national park office, post office, and various cafe’s line the shores of Lake Chelan. A lakeside park and picnic tables dot the shore and the cool alpine waters are particularly refreshing on a hot afternoon. 

All of these sites and more are an easy walk from the ranch and can be accessed via a national park shuttle that runs between the landing and the 11 miles of maintained road connecting the lake to the mountains. The shuttle is free for those staying at the ranch, and it will drop you back just in time to hear the dinner bell. 

Runners Headed to Rainbow Pass

Day 4: Out Via the Pacific Crest Trail or Rainbow Pass

Time follows its own arc in Stehekin. By day 4 it isn’t really clear how long you’ve been there or if there is any other world outside of this contemporary Rivendale. 

Multiple trails lead out of the valley, though we prefer one of 2 options. The standard route follows the Pacific Crest Trail. Given the season, it’s inevitable that we fall in line with at least a handful of through hikers who began their journey nearly 2,600 miles earlier at the Mexican border. This route to Highway 20 and the Aspire shuttle is 13 miles with a steady 3,500’ climb following creeks and rivers back to civilization. 

Option two incorporates a longer day in the hills, covering 21 miles and 8,300’ of climbing over Rainbow Pass. The extra miles come with alpine lakes and big views but, finish at the same place, the Bridge Creek trailhead. Here the Aspire team has snacks, drop bags, and libations waiting.  

To encapsulate the whole of the Stehekin experience into one word, it would have to be “magical”. The time of year, the juxtaposition of wilderness and opulence, the food, the ranch, the pie, the people. The whole of the journey seeps into the cells of the body and lodges permanently into the psyche. Forever after Stehekin becomes a place spoken of in awed, mystical, and somewhat reverential tones. 

Rainbow over the Stehekin Valley