Tag Archive for: NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK

Work in Stehekin this summer!

Arrive as Strangers. Leave as Family. We are looking for good people to join us for an unforgettable summer!

Guided Hiking Trip featuring a stay at Stehekin Valley Ranch!

August 8-16, 2020

Have you been wanting to get out and explore in the North Cascades, but would prefer to go with a knowledgeable guide? Here is a great opportunity for you!

Saying goodbye to another great season

With the mild and beautiful Fall we have had this year, it is hard to believe we are already past Thanksgiving! I hope yours was top notch!

Now that the snow is finally starting to fall, I find myself looking back once again to the whirlwind that was 2018.

The summer started with the completion of the Stehekin Road Project. For better or worse the construction workers finished up, and I don’t think anyone was sad to see them depart! While the finished product certainly left us scratching our heads looking for logic, the road did see some improvement, and traffic started flowing without the interruption of flaggers – hooray!

The summer kicked into action Memorial Day Weekend, and seemed to continue on at a high pace from there.

The electric bikes were a big hit. We expanded our fleet to include some step-thru-models which allowed some of our shorter guests to comfortably ride them. We also added some child seats and a cargo bike, and the younger generations were able to enjoy them as well.

This year saw some new furry critters at the Ranch. Roaming freely and eating anything green were 3 lambs. A wee bit skittish, but amusing to watch. The star of the show was the baby Fjord horse – Kjeks. He was super friendly and energetic while putting on regular shows for anyone watching. That is, when he wasn’t playing the part of the exhausted sleeping pony.

Fires stayed at bay for the most part – nothing threatening Stehekin, and only mild smoke for the most part. We continue to be blessed on that front, and are truly thankful!

Before we knew it, a fabulous fall had arrived, bringing out hikers and fishermen to enjoy the last days of the season.

Now, as winter sets it, we look ahead to next year. We are excited to be bringing our new Gypsy Wagons online, and will be busy bees getting them all ready in the spring!

Last ride of the season

We said a fond farewell to the Norwegian Fjord horses this month. Don’t worry – they’ll be back next spring!

Employment Opportunities

We are still looking for a Bus Driver, Cook, and Maintenance Person.

Only 3 positions left – apply now for a summer job you will never forget!

Visit our Jobs Page or Fill Out an Application

Job Openings:

Bus Driver

Morning Commute 🙂

Skills: An insurable driving record and a valid Commercial Drivers License (CDL) with passenger endorsement or the ability to get one is required. This is a physically demanding job, since the driver will be handling freight as well as humans. Friendly customer service skills are also a must, given that the driver is the first impression of the Ranch for our guests.
Duties: Responsible for transporting guests throughout the Stehekin valley on a scheduled bus. Also required to load/unload luggage, haul freight, and do daily errands such as picking up the mail. The driver will also provide a commentary about the surrounding area, activities, and community on the way up the road.

Breakfast/Lunch Cook
Skills/Duties: Baking biscuits, muffins, coffee cakes, and cookies. Cooking standard breakfast fare: eggs, omelets, hash browns, breakfast meats, pancakes. Making soups cooking burgers, slicing lunchmeats and cheese and other details for setting up lunch bar.
This position will clean up after themselves, which will include dishes. During the busy season a helper is assigned to do breakfast dishes.
Breakfast consists of a buffet line, with items stocked in a steam table. Short orders are taken for other items. This position requires good public relations skills as the person takes the orders as well as cooks and delivers them.

Maintenance Person
Skills: General knowledge in areas of mechanics, carpentry, plumbing, and electrical.  Ability to operate related equipment as well as some heavy machinery is essential.  An insurable driving record and a valid Commercial Drivers License (CDL) with passenger endorsement or the ability to get one is highly desirable.
Duties: Responsible for the general maintenance of the Ranch facilities and vehicles. Some training will be provided, but previous experience with all or most of the above listed trades a must. A qualified applicant will be able to trouble-shoot and come up with solutions.
Since we are a small company all staff is required to do whatever is necessary to make things work efficiently.  The principle responsibility is general and emergency maintenance, but the remainder of the duties to fill a 40 hour work week will involve labor, driving and other duties such as hauling of groceries and garbage.

Stehekin Winters

What’s the most common question I get in the summer?

What’s it like here in the winter?!

Quickly followed by:

What do you DO all winter?!!!

OK. I’ll admit, if I was a tourist, that would probably be one of my first questions too. But, in reality, I feel like I live a fairly normal life in the winter. OK, so “work” is pretty laid back, and I have lots of time for vacation. And it is blissfully quiet – no honking horns, rowdy parties next door, or phones ringing off the hook. And it is a bit of a commute to get anywhere other than Stehekin itself. But other than that….I live a fairly normal life.

There seems to be an assumption that a switch is flipped in the fall and everything just stops here for the winter. I suppose to some extent that is true – 99% of the tourists are gone, the major tourist businesses shut down, and us locals have the place to ourselves.

But life does not stop. We find ourselves finally having some time to relax and visit our neighbors, sure. But there is still plenty of work to do. Wood to be collected so we don’t freeze all winter. Getting buildings “winterized” and ready for snow and cold temperatures. Then once the snow hits there’s shoveling and plowing to do. Indoor projects to be done.

The other awesome thing about Stehekin is that despite the small size of the community, we still have a plethora of talented people here. So, winter is a great time to get together for classes and teaching each other new skills. Art classes, knitting classes, yoga and exercise classes, writing, woodworking – you name it, and someone can probably teach it.

Winter is also a great time to travel. My friend Nancy just got back from a yoga retreat in Costa Rica. She also plays hockey with me, so we travel back and forth to Wenatchee all winter, and play tournaments as far away as Montana.

The Stehekin community also gets together for larger events throughout the winter. We just had our “Winter Celebration” – more commonly known as “Fireworks Night”. One of the local families gets amazing fireworks every year, and invite the whole valley up for a potluck and to watch the show. (This happens in the winter so as not to burn the place down on the 4th of July.) We also have various talent shows and musical performances throughout the year.

So….what do I DO in the winter?

I enjoy life. Bask in the awesomeness that I am lucky enough to be a part of. Hang out with friends and neighbors. Play in the snow. Visit family. Play hockey. Watch the wildlife outside my door. And maybe even get some work done too.

~Bethany Gerhard,
Stehekin resident

Christmas is coming…

Still hunting for the perfect gift for that special someone in your life?
How about a trip to Stehekin?

Why buy more “stuff” – give the gift of an unforgettable experience instead!

Another Great Season in the Books!

2017 was a year of trying new things, and happily, our experiments were welcomed by those who were able to take advantage of them.

Transportation Freedom – Electric bikes @ the Ranch!

That’s different! Skydivers at the Ranch

Skydive Chelan offered this exclusive package for experienced skydivers to come have a one of a kind expedition to Stehekin. Check out the video here!