Summer in Stehekin: Day 11 - 14

Enter = The Most Action Packed Week of My Life! From Thursday June 25 through yesterday, July 6, has been day after day of exciting-don't know which way is up and down-non-stop crazy! So let's get started with Part One!

Believe It Or Not: This is a Reflection

Thursday June 25, 2015

I've been doing this thing. So the other two retail workers, Rachel and Collin, have their two days off Monday-Thursday. Since I'm the only other main retail person, this has required me to work 7am-ish til 3pm at the kiosk and 4-8pm in the store. Now I understand it's my own doing. I want to be at the kiosk, so I'm sacrificing my sanity doing something I love. But still it's starting to wear on me. Anyway…

Today was another of those days. But it made it all the better because I guided a group of four friends who were just tremendous people. Luanne, Jim, Michelle, and Dion. Jim was scared of the water, but I helped him through it and we made it across to see the pictographs just fine.  I recommended that they rent bikes and take them up to High Bridge and then bike back. They loved it. They started calling me their tour guide. It makes me feel so good that I can help make someone's experience here in Stehekin that amazing. I love that part of my job.

Michelle, Luanne, Dion, and Jim

I forgot to mention it! Robbie made me a vegan muffin! Cranberry Nut Spice! Yummy!

Friday June 26, 2015

Another busy day. Full day on the water before noon, then beat the heat with Luanne, Michelle, Jim, and Dion. Met Priscilla from Leavenworth and hung out with her a lot too. Highs of 100 seem to be a constant… Stayed inside tonight and watched a movie. First TV since I got here!

Saturday June27, 2015

Today was a great day! Another morning with a lot of paddlers super early and with highs in the 100s again, I went swimming in the afternoon. I honestly never thought I'd be swimming every day, but I'm very happy I have a job where I can wear my swimsuit.

Everyone is super excited about tonight. Apparently it had been a very long time since the Lodge has had live music on the deck. A group called Folias, composed of a flute and guitar, played a wonderful concert for the restaurant.  Playing the flute myself, I was particularly interested. They were fantastic. They had moved inside the restaurant to escape the heat and I listened for a few minutes before I decided to get up and help the wait staff. The ice cream was melting too quickly and there were too many people in the restaurant for the staff to handle. So I jumped in; at least for a little bit, before I got 'yelled' at. Mary and Diane told me to sit down and relax. Although they appreciate my helpfulness.

Afterwards, I went outside to listen to Folias some more and even got to talk to Cameron about her flutes (she had a piccolo and an alto!). I even bought a CD! So excited to download it and get it on my phone to listen to.

Cameron, the flutist for Folias

Sunday June 28, 2015

Now we get into the two days of pure insanity. Day One: The day started out like any other. I had paddlers out early in the morning and it was hot. I decided to clean the boats which was a good excuse to get wet. By 9am I was sweating and it was already miserable.

[Side note: I seem to wake up every morning with a new bruise… That's what I get for tossing around kayaks all day!]

Around 1pm a family of four came down and they hoped into two sea kayaks and the canoe and were off. At 2pm I put Margaret, George, Norma, and Mike into kayaks and sent them off to the pictographs. Shortly after, Jonathan decided he wanted to go out for a little bit. So I sent him out. Just as he reached the wake barrier, things went south. Fast. Within seconds the winds had gone from 0-20+ MPH. Jonathan turned around immediately and came back in.

[Keep in mind, that during my safety talk prior to putting people in the water, I emphasize the valley's unique weather systems. This includes forceful down-lake winds in the afternoon. I remind them to avoid open water and to hug the coastline around the top of the lake. Take the extra time by taking the long way round. So my boaters are aware of the risks by going out in the afternoon.]

As soon as Jonathan is safe on shore, I grab my binoculars and start finding my boats. I easily find the two couples by the pictographs and then I notice someone else with binoculars looking out at them too. It's Maria: a ranger with the Park Service. I yell out to her and ask if she sees them. She says they're struggling and she's going out to help. I acknowledge her and she runs off to notify Sonja, the EMT who hops on the boat and they head out.

Knowing that the NPS is helping those four, I start looking for the family who I know are up-lake. Finally I find the dark green canoe and orange kayak. But I can't find the yellow one. I hear Phil over the walkie-talkie say that there's a capsized yellow kayak near Weaver Point campground. Instantly I'm worried, but the canoe and other kayak are no one near Weaver Point, paddling in the opposite direction with no additional passenger, and with no intention of turning around. So whatever Phil saw in the water was not one of ours. I handed the binoculars to Corey, one of the Lodge's admins and he finally found our yellow kayak close to the right shore. With the extent of down-lake wind, I knew the family would eventually make it back to the docks, safely and I left my co-workers to help them in.

By this time the two couples had gotten separated, with two of them managing to make it towards the boat docks and the other two were being helped by the NPS. I discovered during this whole ordeal that my walkie-talkie picks up the NPS channel and I was able to communicate with them, helping to facilitate the rescue. I ran down the docks and blew my whistle alerting the two boaters to allow themselves to drift back towards me. They were initially trying to get to my kayak dock, but I didn't want them working any harder than necessary. So they came up to the boat dock and I got them off the lake there.

The NPS boat picked up Margaret and then provided support for Mike as he made for the boat ramp. I met him there and we both walked over the docking NPS boat. Everyone congregated back at the kayak dock, wearing huge smiles. It might have been an intense experience, but everyone was in good spirits. Bee, the 12-year-old daughter, who was in the canoe, said she barely paddled on the way up, making her dad do most of the work, but on the way back she never stopped. She said her paddle barely made it into the water half the time, the waves were so big. Her brother Zak, said he wanted to hold onto his lifejacket because he wasn't sure what other crazy adventures his parents had in store for them on that trip. They made me laugh.

Afterward I sat with the two couples and we spent an hour talking about the event. It's funny how when something happens, you feel the need to talk about it into the ground. We found ourselves repeating the events from everybody's perspective, laughing, knowing the stress of it was all done.

When I had informed Mary that everyone was safe on shore, she responded by telling me that I did a wonderful job and that I earned my pay for the day. Later on, she told me that today was why she hired me and everything else I do this summer is superfluous. Completely made it worth it.

Took it easy tonight; watched the Producers with Klis and then bedtime at 10pm. Wow.

Stay tuned for Part Two!