Wilderness group fights to preserve historic cabin
Conservation officer Randy Kadatz sticks a bowl-sized Alberta heritage plaque smothered in glue on the side of a weather-worn mountain cabin, a two-day hike through the mountains near Hinton.
When the glue dries on the 80-year-old wood behind it, the navy blue provincial historical designation will be set, with the hope the Summit Mile 58 Cabin will be kept in good condition as a mainstay for an increasing number of trappers, hunters and hikers that frequent Willmore Wilderness Park.
“(The secret) is getting out and what we find out is things get busy in Jasper and people have to cancel their trip or they don’t make it, then they may come up to Rock Lake and into the Willmore,” said Kadatz.
As he roots through old bottles, Cisco cooking fat and cooking oil left behind by travellers, Kadatz pulls out a logbook half filled by hikers over the past year-and-ahalf.
Inside is a collection of harrowing tales, thankful notes and well wishes highlighting the importance of the cabin situated in a low-strung valley south of the Persimmon Range.
The warm memories and scribbled reminders of the quirky stop ins lift off the logbook pages and onto the frame of the structure.
In big red ink across the interior of the cabin a message is written from halfway around the world: “Travelling Swedish Nymphomaniacs: no boys, decided to move on to next cabin.”
With a chuckle, Kadatz reads over a cheeky reply from a pair of men implying a holiday was in store if they had arrived a few nights earlier and happened across the Swedish tourists.
Last November, the provincial government designated Summit Cabin as a Provincial Historic Resource, opening the door to grant funding opportunities for the Rocky Mountain Wilderness Society (RMWS), a private group dedicated to preserving Rocky Mountain parkland.
Kadatz, the province’s district conservation officer for the Hinton area, said the group spent close to two years lobbying government officials for the official status.
“This one’s been slated for quite a few years to help stop the deterioration of the logs so it stays standing,” said Kadatz.
“From the Rock Lake area, it’s the only historical one left with easy access.
“It’s two days in and it’s still used very regularly.”
The designation and restoration is hoped to highlight and protect the area for tourists and hikers looking for a “true wilderness experience,” away from the hustle and bustle of Jasper and Banff National Parks.
“Lost four horses, had to leave everything and hike out on foot with only our pack, will return with fresh horses to get the remainder of our items,” reads one entry.
Situated in the southeastern portion of Willmore Wilderness Park, a unique 4,500-square-kilometre area of the province governed by its own act, Summit Cabin was originally built as a lodging home for federal forestry officers and park rangers.
It remains a structurally sound building about eight feet tall, topped by a metal roof with a working stove in its centre.
Built in 1929, the cabin was originally a shelter and storage area for federal workers before ownership was moved to the province’s forest rangers and then later to Alberta Parks. The logging cabin is now a mainstay for those seeking shelter during their backcountry adventure. The wilderness park has no industry — outside of commercial trapping — and is a vast landscape to explore.
“Sure there’s mice running around, but if it’s pouring rain and it’s freezing, there’s a stove and you dry out and there’s an outhouse out back. Those little things seem like a huge luxury,” said Kadatz. “It helps bring people together too and 98 per cent of people respect that.”
The Willmore Wilderness Provincial Act restricts off-highway vehicles, meaning hikers hoof it on their own two feet or make any treks into the park on horseback.
Since the park doesn’t require residents to check in or inform rangers where they will be staying, Kadatz could only estimate between 1,000 and 1,500 people travel the 750 kilometres of trails in the park each year.
The wilderness area is a haven for provincial wildlife surveys and water, flora and fauna research. Nearby industry also taps into the vast area to conduct research for their operations.
“You have the freedom to stay where you want and I think that’s one of the biggest draws,” said Kadatz.
The route into Summit Cabin and the province’s commitment to maintenance highlights not only the vast wilderness but also the park’s funding struggles.
With kilometres of trails made with little to no structure, and abandoned provincial fire-watch towers, most of the maintenance is done by private groups.
In the latest provincial government budget, the ministry of parks and environment received an increase of $36 million compared to 2018-2019, with the majority of that influx marked for emission reductions. Operating expenses for provincial parks, however, was cut to the tune of $6 million compared to 2018-19 with a further drop of $17 million by 2022-23.
Kadatz, along with two other conservation officers, are in charge of monitoring the park that ranges from north of Hinton to the outskirts of Grande Cache.
With a small team, Kadatz said, they often look for park-goers to monitor one another, noting hunters are often the greatest conservation advocates.
“We have no provincial resources or a trail crew to maintain trails or look at cabins, that’s just been our officers in the past,” said Kadatz. “Occasionally we get a one-time push where we can get a contract to bring in a carpenter or someone to do some work but there’s very little funding that way and it is a challenge trying to keep things up.”
Ken Groat, president of the Rocky Mountain Wilderness Society, told Postmedia earlier this year he expects the historical-resource designation to bring more funding and attention to the site.
“If we get it fixed up the way it should be, it’ll be good for a couple of more generations,” said Groat.