Mile 2580 Chelan via Stehekin to High Point camp

As if the snow on the mountains ahead wasn't enough to deal with, the US Federal government is having a shut down. It was only when we were being driven to the ferry, by Karen at the Apple Inn Motel for the 8:30am ferry to Stehekin, that she mentioned that the parks shuttle bus to the trailhead 18 miles away may not be running. This would change everything. We wouldn't take the ferry but hitch to another trail access point instead. We had a dramatic 20 minutes, while Karen waits for us, as we tried to get more information. Tracy called the Stehekin Lodge's satellite phone only to find out they open at 8:30, the same time as the ferry leaves, and we needed to decide whether to be on it or not. Meanwhile I ran over to the float plane office, which also acts as a booking office for the lodge, to see if they  knew about the shuttle buses. The woman there told me that 'the woman who knows everything starts at 8:30'. We decided to take a chance and got on the boat. Just after we boarded we got confirmation that the buses will be running for at least 48 hrs. Phew!

The ferry was very relaxing, we did the NY Times crossword and actually saw our surroundings on this trip back up Lake Chelan as the weather was good. When we arrived at Stehekin we talked to hikers who were leaving the trail. Muk Muk and UB however were both continuing. We were excited that we had found others who were still gung ho about continuing. I shared my brothers message of support with them:

That's the spirit Ing .  We are from Scotland remember.  If we couldn't handle a wee bit rain n snow, we ginger folk would have died out millennia ago.  
But..

we Didnae! 😠

We hung out for a while then decided not  to stay overnight, as Muk Muk had offered, but to take advantage of the good weather and take the bus to the trailhead. When we got to the trailhead we left a note on the notice board for hikers coming in from the trail. We let them know that due to govmt shut downs as of Thursday afternoon the lodge, restaurant, store, shuttle bus and ferry would be closed down but the post office remains open. 

And then it started to rain. Fortunately we found a fantastic shelter at the campsite near the trailhead. The kind of shelter we have dreamt of the entire journey. A solid open log structure with a grand smell of horse manure, which neither of us mind. Smells a lot better than most hikers. It was infact a kind of manger, with straw on the floor. Little baby Jesus would not have looked out of place here. Tracy lit a candle and made little night tables and benches with logs. Cosy, cosy and we didn't have to use our tent, keeping it nice and dry.