July 1998
Berthoud Pass Cabins Closed for Lack of Management
Three popular backcountry cabins at Berthoud Pass have been closed to the public since the previous manager backed out. The cabins have been locked for a year now. It's a shame as these structures were a great place to retreat to. The Forest Service locked the structures because they couldn't find a way to manage them. Steve Ipswitch of the USFS said the Forest Service is still looking for a way to reopen the cabins.
The cabin I built, known as the High Lonesome Hut, is located just north of Meadow Creek Reservoir in the Fraser Valley. My clients have cared well for the cabin. A few weeks ago I hauled trash out for the first group who had not packed out their own. When I tell fellow lodging business operators about my backcountry hut customers, they are green with envy. Half of my clients clean the toilet before they leave. In contrast, the Forest Service finds damaged doors and broken locks on the Berthoud Cabins every month. I had to wonder then when Steve Ipswitch told me about the vandalism being done to the cabins. Maybe backcountry travelers are not as respectful as I had thought?
The Forest Service is studying the possibility of finding a private manager for the cabins. Ipswitch says his agency is setting up a Recreation Fee Demonstration project. "We are looking at systems in place in Montana," he said, where the Forest Service rents cabins to the public. Under this scenario, the Forest Service would fix the cabins up and either find a private company to run them or rent the cabins themselves. I support this kind of plan, whereby the Forest Service could collect fees and have the management company rehabilitate and operate the cabins.
The first step is for all of us who love the woods to demand that our fellow skiers and hikers stop the vandalism. The second step is for the Forest Service to find a solutionthat will allow us to once again use these special mountain cabins.