The Stehekin Valley settles into the peacefulness of winter as naturally as the snows that come to blanket the valley floor. Valley residents shift into low gear and look into their homes and themselves for the activities that will occupy them through the winter. Preparations for winter are strenuous and mandatory. We all heat, and some cook, with wood. So, in the fall you will see a flung of wood gathering, splitting and stacking. Snow may come early and interrupt our winter preparations, or it may hold off and allow their thorough completion. One never knows, so there is always an urgency to get the task done.
A sign of the approach of winter is the day that no boat arrives. The tourist cycle has been broken and we settle into the community cycle of our year. We now see each other less frequently, usually on "boat days" when many gather at the landing to pick up the mail. Nature is slowing to a rest and so are the Stehekin residents.
Snow comes as surely as sunrise and sunset. And, it has been my experience that it comes in bunches. Not a mere inch or two but rather a foot or two. How beautiful those first flakes are that come in the early days of winter. How beautiful they are, too, if you are fortunate enough to stay close by your fire and enjoy them through the window. That is rarely the case, as we must keep our paths packed and roads open. Even within our community, the daily life must go on, and going out into the storms of winter is a part of that daily life.
Tourists are few, but those who come are enthusiastic about Stehekin winters. Cross-country skiing through freshly fallen snow has had many a visitor raving about Stehekin winters.

Click © Barnhart Photography	Click © Barnhart Photography