Real Stories from the Residents of Stehekin.

These are the human stories of displacement, restricted heritage, and trampled local values hidden behind the glossy “national interest” façade, happening right now in America’s backyard.

  • Stranded – By Jake Courtney

    In the early morning of December 11, 2025, the Stehekin River surged to the second highest peak flow ever recorded. A staggering 21,000 cubic feet per second tore through the valley. This powerful natural event destroyed much of the protective levee along Company [...]

  • The Foresight of a Pioneer: Curt Courtney and the Stehekin Boatel’s Last Stand

    When the National Park Service assumed control of the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area on January 1, 1969, the air in Stehekin crackled with uncertainty. The ink on Public Law 90-544 was barely dry, and already the federal blueprint for this roadless paradise [...]

  • Stehekin Isn’t Just a Place—It’s a National Treasure Because of Its People

    All of us who choose to endure the hardships necessary to live in Stehekin fiercely love it. We love it not only for the natural beauty but for the sense of community that exists. I do not know that there is a typical Stehekinite. [...]

Stranded – By Jake Courtney

April 10, 2026|Comments Off on Stranded – By Jake Courtney

In the early morning of December 11, 2025, the Stehekin River surged to the second highest peak flow ever recorded. A staggering 21,000 cubic feet per second tore through the valley. This powerful [...]