After about 3.5 miles, I found the ski hut I was looking for. It was quite obvious – it’s only about 40 yards off the trail and there are no big trees in the way. You would have to be fixated on your feet to miss it, and I try to look around while I hike. In addition, it was immediately obvious that this was no stealth shack:
It was built by the local Nordic Club (cross-country skiers) with the blessing of the Forest Service, and it was built to last:
There are solar panels out back to charge the batteries that power the interior lights:
It has a nice fire pit out front:
There is a wood ‘shed’ alcove with tools that might be useful. It was essentially empty, but is fully stocked during the winter:
Inside are tables, chairs, and benches. To the right you can see a counter for food prep as well as a good collection of utensils, pots, pans and other useful items. You can see the battery powered lights on the ceiling and a ladder in the back that leads up to a loft:
To the right of the door is a great big wood stove along with tools and a fire extinguisher on a section of natural stone floor:
Up in the loft is an extension ladder. There’s enough room up there for a dozen people to sleep on the floor, or for 4 or 5 people to sling up some hammocks. In the winter, this would be the warm place to sleep:
There is a sheet of instructions and other information, to help keep the place in good condition:
There were even posters with information that would allow visitors to help local wildlife officials with lynx and wolverine management. Some smarty-pants added a handmade “poster” with similar information about Bigfoot:
Overall it was a fantastic bit of work for this far out in the wilderness. I am sure that many hikers and skiers benefit from this place. I had miles to cover however, so I took my pictures and left.
Hey, thanks for taking us along! It was a great trip alright. Congratulations on a trek well done! Hope I am able to cover some good ground when we get moved up there.