Upper Stehekin River Valley
Letter from Bob Lehman
October 27, 2007

As a resident of Stehekin, a father, a grandpa and one who appreciates the outdoors my favorite summertime activity is to fish and explore the upper Stehekin River Valley. I used to drive to Cottonwood and fish my way back to High Bridge. I enjoyed seeing the young kids with their families--Mom, Dad, Grandparents hiking, fishing, picking berries, camping and just plain having fun.

Since the floods of recent years I have continued to attempt to hike and fish this area. Each year the area is less accessible to people. Mother nature has been part of the problem but so has the lack of action in either improving or maintaining the trails. In the past two years I have walked between Car Wash Falls and the old Shady Campground and fished this area. In over twenty trips I have observed a total of less than twenty other people. Thirteen were seen in one trip over a major holiday weekend. I have never seen a young person under about age eighteen, an elderly person over sixty or a handicapped person. I'm sure it was not the intent to have a National Park which was inaccessible to people, was it?

I used to enjoy seeing families camp at Dolly Varden and watch kids catch a "big" cutthroat. Nothing like learning to catch your first fish, clean it and cook it over a camp fire. Today, one can not even get there without risking your life and if you are young, old or handicapped, it is impossible. Who will have the courage to correct this wrong? How will we be able to build a future generation who will see the value in both preserving and enjoying this experience? Will my five grandchildren ever be able to walk the riverbanks in the upper valley, enjoy a camping outing, catch their first trout, take a picture of a bear? The case for keeping the Park open to all citizens must be made by those who have experienced and enjoyed the area, not those who think it should not ever be seen.

It is our job to teach the youth. Youngsters need to be exposed to this type of environment if they are to be in charge of preserving it. One can read about the outdoors, but that is not how one learns to appreciate nature. Ron, when I learned of your efforts to introduce the children of Stehekin to the area this fall I was truly moved. How can I help your efforts to reopen this area to all citizens? This is not a Republican or Democrat issue, it is truly an educational issue. This special piece of nature must be made available to all!

Thanks for your efforts. There are those who care. For the sake of all future generations we must keep this area open. We must share our history.

Sincerely,

Bob Lehman