Archive:Hut Bulletins

This page documents bulletins for the Hut and Trail Conditions that are now older than 2 years. Five bulletins should always be kept on the VOC Hut Registration Page and can be permitted even if older than 2 years.

Brew Hut

2020 October 21 - Elliott Skierszkan

Roe Creek FSR has been deactivated with deep waterbars requiring 4wdHC staring immediately after the bridge over Roe Creek. There were some excavators today and signage indicating the bridge over Roe Creek was slated for removal on October 26, 2020.

2020 February 29 - Owen McDonnell

A friend and I arrived early Saturday morning with the intention of staying a night at the hut. Having never tried alpine touring before, my shame at having failed is somewhat dampened, but a little disappointed nonetheless.I'll share some of our faulty assumptions, so other beginners might have a better chance of success. Firstly, though we were prepared for a long skin up, having been told that driving past the PMC office is effectively impossible, I had an image of driving up to decent snow over which to glide. Well, we had to hike for a few hundred meters carrying our gear in our hands, arbitrarily choosing a point to put the skis on for a KM or so of pretty slushy/icy/muddy road (with plenty of snowmobile traffic to keep us company).ï

Higher up on the trail, once off the roe creek road, the small, deep trenches that you run into present quite a challenge to a beginner, both technical and psychological since you don't have a confident sense of where you can safely place your skis. Ultimately we turned around since we had three paths to choose from and, though we could make out no markers, we both agreed of the most likely one. Unfortunately, that path seemed totally cut off by a small stream which had formed a small gully.

In summary, maybe this is not the most appropriate trip for a first time skier with rental gear and unaccompanied by someone who's traveled this winter trail before.Or at very least, make sure you'll be able to follow someone's tracks. 

2020 February 2 - George Hill

This is a reminder that during the winter months until late April, the farthest you can drive is to the Cat-ski parking lot 1.5km from the highway. Be aware that the cat will not always have the road leading up to the trailhead groomed (you might be breaking trail after a storm!). Be prepared for 1000m of elevation gain over 12km of skinning (8km the road and 4km on the Roe-Brew Trail). Depending on your group dynamics and fitness level, the total time from car to hut can take as much as 10hrs or be as quick as 5hrs. If you need any help to make your trip success, don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

2019 November 2 - Martin Ortmayr

The broom handle is broken and needs replacing (or a new broom), so sweeping the hut is a bit of a pain.The old one seems to have been made with an old ski pole. We moved some of the sheet metal from behind the door to under the bench where it is more out of the way. Noticed mouse activity in the area behind the door that wasn't getting swept. Probably the less clutter in the hut the better, as far as mice go. We also dismantled a fire ring that a previous party had constructed outside. (Picture:/)

2019 September 2nd - George Hill

The outhouse is in good shape and prepared for winter. New spring door hinges and door trim have been installed as well as some new metal signage. The pit is showing signs of naturally occurring vermiculture; a sign that the conveyor belt is succeeding in removing urine from the pit. Unfortunately, as a prototype, the conveyor has seen issues over the past year and it needs an upgrade, namely, a synchronous belt with a more robust drive train. It has been removed and placed underneath the outhouse for now.

2019 February 21st - Austin Gardner

I noticed a minor leak in the loft in the middle of the room. There's a rusty nail marking the problem area. Asides from that everything seemed in great shape

2019 February 4th - Jenna Wright

The wood block that locks the outhouse from the outside is gone. A rock has been left in front of the door with hopes of keeping the door closed and the inside protected from the elements.

2018 October 8th - George Hill

A new outhouse has been installed. See trip report here.

2018 May 7th - Roland Burton

Solar lighting is OK now; buttons have been replaced with a clockwork timer. Outhouse is working OK; it seems there was "operator error". Door will be repaired later this summer.

2018 March 5th - Heather Filyk

As of this past weekend there are a few updates. (1) Pin to turn light on fell out - light switch needs repair. Pin was stuck back in but then light would not turn off. (2) Inside Door knob broken - stopped turning the door lock. Had to remove handle in the morning to get out. Can open from outside. (3) The Outhouse is full up to the seat and no longer usable - for those going up to the hut bring poop bag to hut and pack it out.

2017 June 10th - Roland Burton

We now have solar lighting, which should provide ~8 hours of light, after charging with 20 hours of sunlight. Turn it on with the black button, and turn it off with the red button. It turns off every hour.

2017 June 9th - George Hill

The Coleman stove up there was tested as working on this date. The VOC does not supply fuel for it. If you are not familiar with Coleman stoves, don't use it and bring your own cooking stove.

2017 January 15th - George Hill

A security guard has been unlawfully preventing cars for non-motorized recreationalists from getting to the winter parking lot. This security guard does not have authorization from the Squamish Forest District and therefore if you are stopped, call Dave Southam the Sea to Sky District Manager at (604) 898-2141. The VOC is currently reviewing this ongoing issue and is pursuing methods to mitigate impact for those trying to access Brew Hut. If you would like to be involved in the conversation, check out this VOC message board thread. If you are a snowmobiler, there is a $20 access fee that you must pay. For more information contact George Hill

2016 May 1st - Roland Burton

The road at the R200 junction has been re-opened, 4WD High Clearance to the trailhead.

2015 December 4th - Roland Burton

The road at the R200 junction has been "deactivated", with a log across the road.

2014 March 2nd

Lots of fresh snow! Vehicles with 4WD or AWD were able to get to the snowcat base (1.7km up Chance Creek FSR). Due to snow, the road is impassable to most vehicles beyond this point. There is a new clearcut (2013) just past the "old" trailhead on R200 that can make route-finding challenging when fresh snow covers any previous tracks. Recommended approach: Bring GPS waypoints if possible but otherwise from the "old" trailhead you can follow the new road R230 originally heading east for about half km and then climbing north between two small hills, skirting the edge of a band of trees through the clearcut. Look for orange markers at the base of the first rock bluff about 1km from the "old" trailhead. From the base of the rock bluff the route is well marked by orange markers all the way to Brew Lake. From Brew Lake to Brew Hut there are no markers but the route is fairly straight forward. Head WNW over mostly open slopes with sparse trees for about 1km before turning north to ascend a col just west of the hut. Brew Hut is in good shape. The lantern and stove are both working well and there is ample firewood in the wood shed. The outhouse is accessible (but quite full).

2008 September 1st

Road in good shape to the trailhead. Blueberry bushes are quite dense, but once through them, the trail in the forest is pretty good. Some chainsawing of stumps, to improve the skiing, was done this summer. Unfortunately the trail permit is for a "winter ski trail", and that's what we built. We are not improving the trail to summer standards, partially because that's not what the permit is for, and partially because of the amount of work involved.

2008 June 14th

The road was drivable all the way to the trailhead. No seasonal water bars were put in on the road. Bushwhacking through the clear cut then spring snow conditions on most of the trail, with about 20% of the below treeline trail melted out (mostly in the open boulder field sections). Still lots of snow in the alpine. Minor repairs needed to the seal around the bottom of the hut door.

2008 January 19th

Vehicles with 4WD or AWD were able to get up to the snowcat base and other cars were stopped at the highway. The road up Roe Creek was packed down by snowcat. Tons of snow at Brew, fantastic powder, and not too much to not have a hard time making tracks. The wood stove chimney was plug by snow, but we manage to dig a big chunk out. The evening/night was then nice and warm.

2006 December 27th

Vehicles with 4WD or AWD were able to get up to the snowcat base at 1.7km of Chance Creek FSR, other cars were stopped by the highway. 2wd and chains might do the trick as well but nobody tried that. The road up Roe Creek is now packed down by snowcat, and all cross ditches on Roe Creek mainline and on the R200 branch are filled in. Snow depth estimated to be about 3.5 or 4m around Brew Lake. The chimney for the lantern is broken but it still works, and the pumps on both the lantern and the stove needed a lot of oiling during our stay.

2006 November 25th

Chance Creek FSR plowed for heli logging, but Roe Creek road was completely snowed in. Trail breaking from the start of Roe Creek road to the hut took 7 hours, arriving just before dark. A half dozen or so open water bars on the road, but most will be completely covered over soon. Trail is in great shape, with over 1m of snow at the start and lots more at brew lake. Snow depth was 2.5m in the meadows just below the hut. South and West side windows are frozen closed but the north side ones work and so does the door. Outhouse was not buried, but wind seems to be blowing the door inwards, and it's supposed to open out. The old Coleman stove was replaced with a different old Coleman stove that does not suffer from the problem of the air intake catching on fire.

2006 November 12th

Did the inaugural boot pack in. Broke trail from the Roe Creek bridge at 11am. Only had made it to ther 2nd rock outcropping by 3:45. Very slow going. Decided to turn around and made it back to the car in about 90 min. Under the cover of trees, snow was appx knee deep with snowshoes on. In the boulder gardens/clearings snow was up to waist deep or higher at times. Trail well marked up to our turnaround point.

2006 October 14th

Cleared out ski trail from Roe Creek - much easier travelling now. Brew Hut boasts a new fire extinguisher and a new hatchet.

2006 July 22nd

Brew Lake trail is snow free, and there are only a few snow patches left above Brew Lake. There is still plenty of snow around the hut for drinking water. The outhouse has now been installed just NE of the hut.

Brian Waddington Hut

2020 January 21^st - Haley Foladare. WATER QUALITY SAFETY ADVISORY

There have been concerns regarding the quality of the water that is obtained at the creek just to the left of the hut. Please insure that you are getting your water UPHILL of the outhouse, and if not, ensure that you are treating water before drinking. Keep in mind that you won't realize the issue until two weeks later- so best to take necessary precautions. The club executive will be testing the water quality, and taking this into consideration when making decisions regarding the location of the next outhouse.

2019 November 23^rd – James Starke – [email protected]

Had a crazy experience this weekend trying to get to the Brian Waddington Hut. We took the 4x4 trail all the way to the trail head and when we arrived, we came onto quite the scene. There was a burnt-out pickup truck that smelt very fresh. In addition, there were possessions thrown all over the area including two passports, three smashed cell phones, a smashed laptop, ID cards, toiletry bags and clothing. It felt like a crime scene and had a very eerie feeling. We turned around and left deciding not to hike to the hut with a fear of walking into something. (obviously our whole group was thinking about the Canadian Manhunt from the summer) We called the police and reported it. I thought the community would like to know before anyone drives 4 hours to a trail head only to be turned around. 

2019 February 3^rd - Tom Curran

Noticed one of the fire extinguishers had been used. Other one fine. Small propane heater working - see below. Windows seemed somewhat frozen shut. Carried out 1 broken ski pole and one mostly empty gas canister for canister stoves. Please do not leave trash at the hut.

2019 January 28^th - Jordan Uittenbogaard

We got the coleman propane stove working no problem by pushing the new regulator into the stove to engage the valve. We pushed it in as hard as we could then tightened it down. After we did that, it worked all weekend. If just threaded on, it wont work. I have also donated a heater (Mr. Heater Portable Propane Buddy Heater MH 9BX) to the hut. It uses the 1lb propane cylinders as well and produces a good amount of heat. We were rather comfortable. On high a cylinder lasts 3 hours and on low 6 hours. See picture.

2019 January 2^nd - Lukas Schreiber

Elliott Skierszan, his friend Nick and I made necessary improvements to the outhouse. One, we added a beam to better support the seat platform in the front. Two, we added an extra panel below and in front of the toilet seat, to prevent body liquids from reaching the outhouse floor.

2018 November 12 - George Hill

A team of 6 VOC volunteers went up to the Hut with a gallon of Moldex Killer and scrubbed out the loft and roof, cleaning it of all the visible mould and some of the grime/mould nutrients caked on to the roof. Ryan took a peek behind a small loose-ish panel and saw mold growth behind the plywood. He hypothesizes that the mould's reach behind the panels is far and wide, and that old mould in the plywood rafters had been sealed in previously by teak oil, but not killed. IF these are indeed the things that are happening, then the whole roof plywood, insulation and vapour barrier should be replaced at the time of a heater being installed. However, we should not jump to this before at least taking off one panel and investigating it further. The solar fan is working fine and my hypothesis for why the mould was so horrid this year was because of the vent on the north side of the hut. We installed a temperature sensor last New Years that used the vent and had a rag stuffed in it (the rag is typically removed in the spring/summer but wasn't this year because of the sensor). We have now moved the sensors so that they do not use the vent and hopefully next year, the hut should not see the same kind of mould growth, especially after our cleaning this fall. Also on this trip we put up a blackboard. Feel free to use it to post avalanche bulletins, weather or other family friendly artwork. Also, also, the propane cooking stove has a faulty regulator. We have taken the regulator down and will bring up a new one at New Years (unless someone beats us to it).

2018 November 3rd - Luc Harvey

A team of 16 VOC volunteers went up to the Phelix Creek FSR with 3 Brush saws, picks and shovels, multiple sets of clippers and a chainsaw to cut back the alder along the road from the landslide to the trailhead. Three of us went up on the Friday and did a bunch of work to the landslide section of the road to improve vehicle access and made it more safe to drive over. It looks much better from what people who had driven it before had told me. Rocks were moved and the slide was cut back to make as level a surface as possible. A regular sized 4x4 vehicle with enough clearance can now make it past the slide with ease now. On the Saturday, the alder along the majority of the road was also significantly cut back and should now hopefully, at a minimum, hold out until the end of next summer. A bunch of tall, leaning alder trees were also cut down and moved to the side of the road to prevent them from falling over the road in the future. The logging company in the area intends to reactivate the road as Ryan hinted to below so this may not need to be done again for a good while. Further to this, the 2 ton second bridge (or as we call it the zero bridge as we don't think it should have any vehicles crossing it due to the state of the beams supporting it) was tested by Tom's SUV and proven that it can still support the weight of a vehicle. Nevertheless, I think that the more we test it, the more likely it is to break so I would avoid repeating this at all costs (unless you feel like getting your vehicle stuck up there). Lastly, the flagging is still up at the ditches along the road (be careful crossing these as there is a good chance of bottoming out if you drive through them too fast). We reattached any flagging on new branch nearby when alder that had flagging attached to them was cut down.

2018 October 8th - Ryan Macdonald

The mold issue at Brian Waddington is worse than ever. Pink & White mold is eating into the main roof beam, and black mold has colonized around the front window + all the roof panels to some extent. I suspect, given the vapor barrier, that behind said panels may be a horror show of health hazard levels if we pulled one and took a peek. I was quite shocked at how much worse it is from ten months ago. In other news there's fresh flagging all the way up the road for the installation of drainage works, so presumably someone intends to reactivate the spur past the log & rope bridge. Hopefully they stabilize the landslip and don't put a big gate in or pull the bridges when they finish. One mouse was caught by a trap, however there were several running around downstairs at night, suspending food is recommended. We removed the metal footbridge for the winter on our way out.

2018 April 19th - Luc Frost

We planned on driving most of the FSR but had to change plans immediately due to a huge boulder that has blocked the road right at the very start. http://tinypic.com/r/2e2gmxv/9 We managed to clear a route around it by removing the trees that it had taken out after it rolled down the hill, and managed to get around the landslide (don't do this in a truck.. way too sketchy) but there is a LOT of snow from the very start so we had to park up just before the landslide. Thanks to Scott McKenzie's email, I had a good idea of what the rest of the trail would be like. We spent 3 days up at the hut. It was mostly full on the first night so bear in mind a lot of people don't realize the registration page exists.

2018 April 15th - Scott McKenzie

Parked at the gate to Birkenhead Prov. Park and started skinning up the Phelix Creek FSR.  There were a few sections we had to boot pack up, and they were longer on the way down due to snow melt Saturday afternoon and Sunday.  The snowmobile tracks between the parking lot and the trail split were a pain, more so on the ski out as it was all slushy, tight rollers.  The section above the split (just before the 2nd bridge on the way up) was pretty good.  The snowpack was soft under foot, and even skis were sinking on occasion if you stepped off the buried skin track (we broke Trail the whole way up).  There were a number of small creeks that still had snow bridge dips over them, but we had to pop skis off and walk across the wider creek (single log bridge with a rope handrail).  The steep portion (last 2km before the lake) of the trail was pretty icy which was tough both up and down. The Hut is in pretty good shape, there was lots of snow at the top, there are openings in the creek, but the lake is still nicely frozen.  There is no propane left for the stove or griddle, but otherwise it’s clean and cozy. Skiing off Cabin Hill Sunday was stable and ankle deep pow.

2018 March 10th - Jason John Thompson

skins on from beginning on phelix fsr. it took 5.5 hrs with two snack breaks easy pace. leave early easy skinning first 7km. last 3km is a slog with “skin track” of sub optimal. the phelix creek trail steep hill skinning at the end is icy since everyone coming down and pizza wedges it. we even took skis off at one point to boot up ice. once at lake lots of snow soft of N aspect. south aspects got sun baked. I imagine its frozen crust now. cabin minus 2 in morning with 2 peeps. amazing terrain.

2018 January 5th - Elliot Skierszkan

Our party of 4 was the last VOC-affiliated party to leave the hut, yesterday. We did a good clean up of the surfaces and kitchenware, hauled out the remaining garbage, chipped the ice away from the windows and door frames so they would shut properly and generally left the hut in much greater condition than when we arrived on the 31st. The hut does have a resident mouse, unfortunately. Tom and Cassandra did an amazing job clearing alder on the way up, and I also hacked away some more on my way down. Tom and Cassandra removed most of the alder close to the trail, so by the time I was sweeping out I was attacking what little remained. The result of this and many previous trail-clearing efforts mean that the ski in/out of Phelix is in the best condition I have ever seen it, so great work to all those involved!

2017 November 13th - Tanner Dobson

Just got back from a weekend romp up Phelix, left Friday night, trail was passable to the big creek washout with the log bridge on dirt. Chains or good winters now required with new snow that fell this weekend. Trail wasnt skiable until the elevation of the lake though that may change with sunday's storm, still not great skiing up there yet, needs a bit more snow

2017 October 29th - Else Bosman

The first part of the logging road is blocked by a large number of fallen trees. There are about 12 spots (one or multiple trees) that require a saw - can be done by hand saw. You can hike around the trees but the logging road is blocked from traffic about 5 min after the landslide. Road is clear after the first bridge. Snow at the lake is about 75 cm deep and the lake is nowhere close to being frozen yet.

2017 September 24th - Alan Martin

The stove worked well, fans were running and the guitar was pretty much in tune (our singing voices less so). We observed grizzly tracks in several places in the soft sediments surrounding the lake, but did not see any bears. We also saw Felidae tracks (lynx or cougar) and smaller canine tracks (dog, coyote or small wolf). Left the place very clean and packed everything out.

2016 September 14th

Road is okay for 4WDHC, but slide alder will scratch your paint. Re-hung door so it now stops mice more effectively, though they seem to have other ways to get into hut. No marmots under hut. The CD's which are hanging from the hut give off very intense flashes of sunlight and these or maybe the mesh which we have installed, have stopped the birds that were drilling holes in the hut. Outhouse looks good, not full, not full of water. Strip of roofing metal needs to be nailed onto roof over entry door. Lots of firewood around hut. Lots of fire pits, showing campfire activity in the area.

2016 September 14th

On the trail once in the trees and up through the switchbacks, discontinuous snow coverage mixed with patches of dirt and ice. Best for high-traction snowshoes, okay for boot-packing, terrible for skis/skins (in my opinion). A few cm of new snow would make a huge difference. There are about four trees across trail, would benefit from a chainsaw. Above the tree-line (at lake/hut/above) the snow base on average about 40-50cm along N. facing aspects. Breakable crust conditions when we were there, but it had just re-frozen after long warm period. The Hut has two white gas Coleman lanterns - one works well for sure (bring stick matches to light). Solar air fan operates when in the sun. The mice didn't hibernate. Open fresh water accessible just looker's left of hut. Outhouse works- aforementioned "stream of runny shit" must be conveniently frozen and buried with snow.

2016 October 22nd - Roland Burton

Road is okay for 4WDHC to upper parking, Trial is clear with snow on upper section. Must carry skies to lake. Snow is deep enough to ski select slopes at upper lake. Hut is generally in good condition. There is a mouse in the hut which eats your food. Lantern needs two new mantels in order to stay lit. Propane stove which requires canisters works great.

2016 July 1st - Roland Burton

The hut no longer has Coleman stoves that burn naphtha, white gas, Coleman fuel. There is now a Propane Coleman Stove that burns propane in one-pound propane cylinders. The Club does not supply propane. Feel free to bring propane cylinders to the hut, feel free to use any that are left up there that still contain propane, but please haul out any empties. Of course you can always bring your own stove...

2015 February 15th

Road is okay until landslide. Landslide itself has worsened since Oct, and large (30cm diameter) tree crosses road about .5km above (with cut in it possibly allowing snowmobile access, NOT wide enough for passenger vehicles). Intermittent deep snow and bare road. All small creek/drainage crossings exposed. Attempting to ski in would be about equal mix of skinning and boot-packing (at best).

2014 October 11th

Road, including slide, is in good condition. Stucco mesh on "one log bridge" needs to be replaced and nailed down, as it is a hazard at present. Solar air heater still works. Two Coleman stoves are fussy, but work. No Coleman lantern up there. Coleman catalytic heater shoud not be used as it is damaged and gives off poisonous fumes. Outhouse works, but deposits a stream of runny shit on the trail to the outhouse, and is not up to Canadian standards. And marmots are eating the outhouse.

2013 January 21st

The Coleman white gas lantern no longer works, otherwise the hut is in fine shape. Spent 3 nights, beautiful weather and tough snow conditions, variable snow with hard crust mixed with softer sections and breakable crust. Lots of wind affected snow on Cabin Hill and other places that normally have powder stash :( Will need at least 1 m of snow to cover it up.

2011 July 14th

Big VOC trip to replace the four biggest windows ($1300) and do a little more work. Windows were carried in and replaced successfully and look good. They can be opened and closed to control humidity in the Hut, and being properly double glazed, should help to trap some of the negligible heat in the winter.

2010 August 14th

Big thanks to Jim's group for clearing the deadfall! Road was easily 4WD HC accesible. Found a dead mouse in the trap, removed and reset.

2010 August 12th

Large boulder has been rolled out of the way, but the slide is still only 4WD HC accessible. Jim's group has also cleared the deadfall all the way to the trailhead (Thanks!).

2010 July 13th

Tree down (2-3 foot diameter), blocking road a few minutes beyond slide area with large boulder.

2010 February 8th

Blackwater Road plowed and recently graded. Good coverage on logging road and trail. Soft snow to second bridge, but firmer above and through forest. Great snow quality and coverage on northern aspects. South facing aspects are tree bombed and crusty. Some minor natural activity related to cornice falls. Otherise very stable conditions. Ski out was fast (2 hours) and uneventful. New reflective blazes are well positioned and helpful. Perpetual slide at km 0.5 would make access for even HC 4x4 difficult in summer. Snowmobiles were having difficulty getting around it. Did not use any heaters (brought lots of friends) or stoves (brought our own). Coleman lantern needs new mantles. Left one lantern full of fuel (~1L). Temperatures relatively warm at -5C from Feb 5-8. No new snow during our stay. Sunny during the day and clear at night. Cleaned hut and took out garbage that others left behind. No water buckets, but one stainless pot and one kettle.

2009 March 9th

Blackwater Road plowed but sheer ice all the way through, graded but not sanded, don't brake! Ski in was fast, icy and hardpacked sections in the forest. Ski-out was via col between Peregrine and Frodo, a bit crusty below the col and powder afterwards, almost all the way to the clearcut. No water buckets in the cabin, used the large stainless steel pot (8 L) and 4 L milk jug instead. White gas supplies low, the newer larger heater is hard to get going, the old one is easier to light. The heater warmed the upstairs to about 11°C but it was back to 0°C by 4 AM. Warm sleeping bag definitely recommended. Skiing was awesome. Slideshow: Skiing at Phelix Creek http://www.flickr.com/photos/runningclouds/sets/72157615190470223/ -- runningclouds 18:01, 10 March 2009 (PST)

2009 January 17th

Blackwater Road plowed to end. Low snow year (approx 0.5m on logging road) with slide alder still poking through in places. Very tough, crusty conditions through the forest, but skiable all the way. Good skiing in the glades on cabin hill, and better stability than expected. Cabin in good condition. Supplies of "left over" white gas in the hut are very low; everyone is encouraged to leave left over fuel in the containers provided for refilling the lanterns etc, rather than carry it out, and maybe bring in a little extra. -- Matthew 16:28, 20 January 2009 (PST)

2008 January 1st

Road to trailhead was partially plowed. May have to park further back and prepare for a little extra distance. Lots of snow to cover 95% of the shrubbery on the trail. Snow bridges are stable across the creek crossings now. Conditions were powder at the time. There are snow mobiles using the logging roads portion of the trail. Cabin is in great shape except the water bucket became a puke bucket during the trip. Advised to give a good wash-down before future use. Notice one mouse scurrying at the bottom of the hut and climbed the ladder to the top. Traps were set and one mouse was caught. Ensure food is stored properly.

2007 October 22nd

New west side trail is complete. Follow orange and pink flags. Ignore yellow flags

2007 July 14th

Road is as per below. Flagging is sparse on the summer route, especially near the top. Counted about 40 blowdowns from the clearcut to the lake, making progress slow. Be prepared for a "full body hike" and a few scratches! Creek crossings are a bit dicey as well... Still a metre of snow or so at the cabin, which is in fine shape save for a broken window frame on the south side. This could be mended with a screw driver and 1/2 hour.

2007 June 24th

Logging road is driveable by 4x4 to 300m (?) from the end where there are two blowdowns blocking progress. Lots of snow, starting not far beyond the end of the road. 1.5m snowpack still remains at the hut. Orange flags on the west side of phelix creek mark wet areas and creeks for future trail construction. Please do not remove these flags. Scott Nelson 10:08, 27 June 2007 (PDT)

2007 February 24th

12 VOCers tested out the new flagged trail, and hauled in a catalytic heater as well as replacement globes and mantles for the lanterns. On the way in we met 2 non-VOC ladies who had been staying at the hut. Skiing conditions were truly phenomenal, lots and lots of fresh snow above the previous melt/freeze crust but bonding well. On the way out (a warm, sunny afternoon) we saw (and heard) recent avalanches on South facing slopes in the valleys above the logging roads. We forgot to take in the new hard-backed log book, and the guitar is missing a top E string (there are spares for most other strings). If the next party could take those in, that would be superb. -- Matthew 11:58, 26 February 2007 (PST)

2007 January 28th

Party of 4 flagged the west side ski route from the final clearcut to the lake by the hut with yellow flags. Hut is in good shape except for the lanters which need new mantels and glass. Good skiing conditions only in the narrow band between wind slab up high and melt/freeze crust down low. Contrary to the previous report, the Matterhorm puzzle seems to be ok. A previous party had assembled it on the table.

2006 December 31st

circa 20 VOCers warmed up the Hut over New Years. The hut was found on the 29th with the N window wide open and snow drifts inside (the picture puzzle was one casualty of this). Windows are a little tough to shut. Several non-VOC groups also showed up.

2005 November 13th

We had a party of 10 in over the long weekend. Hut was cosy enough with 10 in it. The two vents and periodic door-opening sufficed for ventilation, we never cracked the windows. The south vent is letting water drip in along the cable from the solar panel to the LED battery. A bit of caulking could fix this, maybe. About 1m of snow at the cabin. One 4x4 made it to the second bridge, another one to the last creek crossing before the cut block.

2005 October 22nd

We also managed to drive a HC 4x4 without difficulty to about 300 meters before the first cut block. Brought up a new log book but lo and behold there was one already there. The weather was very warm at the cabin (5-7°C). No snow. We ended up wading Phelix creek at both crossings; logs were too slippery and wet to cross safely. The creek seemed high. Saw Moose prints, and Grizzly dirt but not the animals. Watch the top rung on the outhouse ladder, looks like it is about to go. Cabin is in great shape, nice and clean inside though there were a few mice type rodents that kept us company over night. We didn't use the Kerosene heater. --Troy 11:06, 24 Oct 2005 (MST)

2005 June 30th

We drove a HC 4x4 without difficulty on the access road. M. Gunn's Scrambles book provides a good description of the drive up. The trail is also well described in the book, well marked and easy to follow. Just remember to go as far as possible to the (very very) end of the cut blocks before crossing east over Phelix Creek. if you cross early, you will bushwhack in Devils club. Unfortunately, we forgot a log book.

Burton Hut

2019 January 14th - Alastair White

The info email received a report that Garibaldi Lake is only 3/4 frozen and Sentinel and Sphinx bays are still open.

2018 November 12th - Krista Cawley and Piotr Forysinski

The hut is still snow-free. We visited for the weekend to do some maintenance on the outhouse, which does not look like it's been used in quite some time. The door now has additional wood to reinforce where the hinges are, as well as new hinges, and has been re-mounted and secured with a piece of string and a nail to keep it closed in the winter. The wood on the door jam is still OK and will likely last a little while longer. We also screwed the throne to the floor so it doesn't move, and closed up the back of the outhouse where it looks like an animal ripped the wood away. Likely, this is why the outhouse has been getting filled with snow; hopefully this year the lower level will stay snow-free. There's a piece of cedar 1x6, a few smaller blocks of wood, and some screws we left in the repair bin in the hut. The hut could use a new pen or pencil (there appears to be none there), but otherwise seems in good shape for the winter.

2018 June 24th - Jeff Mottershead

There's a thing on the hut registration (April 2nd Bulletin) that claims it's totally full and to bring sacks for poop. This isn't really true. The door of the outhouse is torn off and I can only assume that it was filled with a snow/poop aggregate. Spring has sprung. The poop has sunk. I wonder if once it stunk. The poop should find a loving home this summer, though, otherwise it will be really overflowing by this time next year. Another thing worth thinking about is putting the door back on. One hinge is bent, screws are rusted and busted and the wood that the screws used to screw into is punky, partially missing and not long for this world. If I was not useless I would have had a tape measure, but alas...

2018 April 2nd - George Hill

We have received reports that the outhouse at Burton is completely full. Until we can fix it we ask that anyone going to Burton Hut plan on bringing poop bags. Please do not poop in the snow. Additionally, we get water by melting snow at the Hut and we do not want to have people getting sick from poop contamination.

2018 February 21st - George Hill

Hut was nearly submerged in snow and only had about a meter poking above the surface. The orange marker sitting atop a pole strapped to the front was well attached and could have survived another half meter above the roof. The outhouse was about 90% submurged and was dug out once, but with high winds was quickly filled back in. The square hole at the top of the back side of the hut was letting an ample amount of snow and moisture into loft such that no one wished to sleep in the loft on that side. There used to be a small Styrofoam piece that would fit over top of the holes however the piece had broken. It might be worth considering how to improve this opening over the summer to reduce our reliance on fragile Styrofoam pieces. Both burners of the Coleman Stove worked well and combined with body heat of 8 people the Hut kept itself fairly warm despite -20 overnight lows and even colder winds blowing into the hut from the hole previously mentioned. Some Journals were brought up and the Journal list has now been updated here.

2011 July 1st - Roland Burton

The Coleman stove has been replaced with one which will hopefully be more reliable. It may be advisable to carry in your own stove and not to rely entirely on the hut stove working.

2007 April 20th - Geoff Briggs

The hut is in great shape, very tidy and well put together. A note on the Coleman stove reports a leak. We didn't try it since we had a camp stove. Nor did we, or the other group of five guys, test the heater or lantern. There are a couple snow melting pots and a 5gal bucket for collecting creek water, but no cook pots or other utensils. The creek is open and the water sweet, but don't venture there in your booties.

2007 April 20th

Two friends and I stayed at Burton hut as part of our Garibaldi Neve traverse. The traverse was great with good visibility and just the right amount of soft snow for the long decent to the lake. The snow pack is deep up high and seemed very stable. We spent a night in the cozy glaciology hut after coming off the traverse, enjoying the chance to go barefoot on the warm exposed rock in the afternoon sun. The next day we managed little more than a ski over to Burton, which required a full dig-out, and a nap. Russ and I rallied around 6pm for an evening tour, making it 3/4 of the way to Sphinx col for sunset and a ski down on firm, but reliable snow.

The hut is in great shape, very tidy and well put together. A note on the Coleman stove reports a leak. We didn't try it since we had a camp stove. Nor did we, or the other group of five guys, test the heater or lantern. There are a couple snow melting pots and a 5gal bucket for collecting creek water, but no cook pots or other utensils. The creek is open and the water sweet, but don't venture there in your booties.

The next morning we bid farewell and waxed for the lake crossing, very scenic and enjoyable with the big peaks all out. Still plenty frozen. The top part of the trail was fun, with some pow in the trees, then a little fast and firm, then icy, beat up and downright nasty. We walked a couple km of the worst of it before hitting dry trail, about 4.5km of walking total. We had arranged a ride with a nice young woman who works at the Discovery center in Squamish who we contacted by cell phone (OK signal at both trail heads). A little grueling but were on the road to Seattle by 4pm.

The skiing possibilities above Burton had my eyes pooping out of my head. Two full days with the hut as a base are warranted. It won't be long before we return to this beautiful area.

2007 February 17th

Garibaldi Lake is now frozen all the way across. The newly renovated hut proved to be very warm inside with 14 people. The stream near the hut was frozen solid so we had to melt snow for water.

2006 February 19th

Nick Cowan's party of 5 left Elfin early on the 19th, heading across the neve, so they likely spent the night at Sphinx.

Nick's story: I somehow convinced 3 others (Sam, Clemence, Rok) to drive up to Garibaldi Park and try skiing over the Garibaldi Neve. This classic traverse is on most Vancouverites' checklist. Sam, Rok and i headed up to Vancouver Friday night in Sam's burly truck. We met up with Clemence, did some groceries and crashed on her floor. Woke up nice and late to avoid the early-morning Whistler traffic on the Sea-to-Sky. Set off from the Diamond Head parking lot around noon. The route up to Elfin Lakes Hut was super crowded due to the spectacular weather and, not surprisingly, we had to settle for floor space in the huge hut. Rok and i, having skinned up to the hut in pretty good time, headed up Columnar Peak to try out new gear (his splitboard, my helmet). We reached the summit at sunset and enjoyed some surprisingly juicy snow on the NE aspect. Made it back to the hut (just) before dark.

We woke up at 5:00 on Sunday and did our best to not wake up the 50-something other people in the hut as we ate breakfast and packed up. Sunrise saw us traversing the avalanche slopes underneath The Gargoyles. Crossing Ring Creek turned out to be a bit spicier than expected but by noon we were on the Garibaldi Glacier, just North of Opal Cone. The slog up the glacier was hot and heavy and we wondered when we were going to experience the frigid alpine weathers that had been forecast for the weekend. We reached the highpoint (about 7000 ft) below Mt Garibaldi in the early afternoon, and as some clouds were showing up, winds picking up and the temperature dropping, we decided to leave the summit for another day and simply ski down the Warren Glacier towards Glacier Pikes. Once again, we were pleasantly surprised at the good snow. We easily avoided crevasses and never came close to roping up. From Glacier Pikes we skied down Sentinel Glacier to Garibaldi Lake. From there it was a short jaunt up the lake to the Burton Hut, maintained by the Varsity Outdoors Club. Unlike the night before we were the only people in the (much smaller) hut. We enjoyed the peace and quiet and another delicious dinner.

Awake at 6:00, Rok, Sam and i headed up Guard Mountain shortly after sunrise. We skinned and kick-stepped up to a sweet-looking East-facing bowl and absorbed sick views of the surrounding glacier-draped mountains before skiing back down to the hut. Once again, the snow was way better than the rock-hard crust everyone had been expecting. After lunch, packing and cleaning up, we set off across the lake. By eschewing skins we made excellent time. From the NW corner of Garibaldi Lake we skied and hiked down the trail, past Rubble Creek parking lot, right down to Hwy 99. At this point we were in a bit of a jam, since Sam's truck was back at the Diamond Head parking lot. We had laid beautiful plans involving friends picking us up and taking us back to our car, but none of these panned out so we found ourselves hitchhiking down the Sea-to-Sky in the dark with lots of gear. Incredibly, one brave soul named Charlie drove up in a big-ass van and offered to drive us all the way up to the truck! An our later we were at the truck, marveling at our good fortune and changing into luscious cotton. A huge dinner at the Howe Sound Brew Pub has us in carb coma for the rest of the drive back to Seattle. Got back in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

The trip was everything it was hyped up to be. For those who go out for the sick mountain views, this is about as good as it gets.

Casualties:

• Clemence's Touque (lost somewhere below The Gargoyles)
• Nick's Nalgene (lost somewhere on Warren Glacier)
• Sam's Cables (snapped on Garibaldi Lake)
• Rok's Nalgene (lost somewhere on the side of Guard Mtn)
• Sam's Pole (bent while gawking at The Barrier)

2006 February 18th

JP's party of five were seen crossing the neve around noon on the 18th so they likely spent the night at Sphinx.

2006 February 16th

Lake is frozen very solid. Big winds and Hut was cold first night, but for second night we got the catalytic (naphtha!) heater going and partially buried the exposed parts of the hut to insulate it, and it wasn't half bad. Some urbanites had filled the Coleman lamp with kerosene, so this had to be dumped and washed with naphtha a couple of times before it would work. Did not investigate the Coleman stove or the kerosene heater, but likely the heater is rusted up and won't work. I am putting together a proposal to insulate the Hut, and take out the kero heater. Anybody interested in this one way or another, contact Roland.

Harrison Hut

2020 August 7th - John Howe

Message from a logging company in charge of new logging along the trail: The first section of trail, from Perkins Main to Meager Creek, is closed until mid September for active logging. They also say "All access along the Meager Road (by foot and bike) will also be very limited, for safety reasons, during daylight hours from August 15 until mid-September as helicopter operations are underway." VH: not sure how this affects weekend access.

2019 June 1st - John Howe

Active logging has started for the season and there will be hauling on the Lillooet South FSR and the Meager South roads within the next few days, continuing for a few weeks. The first half of the Harrison Hut Trail has sections where active falling is occuring and with cut-blocks being a serious safety hazard, the first half of the Trail is CLOSED. The second half of the trail is OPEN and can be reached by travelling along the Meager South Road to bypass the first half of the trail. VOC Note: The first half of the trail is somewhat redundant now anyways since the 23km gate prevents vehicle access to the trailhead. It is faster and easier to cycle the new road to the mid-way point of the trail and start from there. This also avoids the loggers as well.

2018 September 19th - John Howe

Pebble Creek Timber Co., the logging company with timber rights in the Meager Valley, is planning to start heli logging operations that will affect the Harrison Hut Trail that starts near Perkins Creek and goes into the Meager Creek watershed. For safety reasons, the trail will be closed 7 days a week for the next two months as of today until November 30th, 2018. Signs will be posted at the trailhead and on both sides of the effected sections.

2018 September 16th - George Hill

The Lillooet South FSR is closed, beginning at the 2km gate, to motorized vehicle traffic from September 16th to November 30th and from April 1st to June 15th annually to protect sensitive grizzly bear habitat. Non-motorized traffic, such as biking, skiing or hiking are still permitted. The gate is closed by the Sea to Sky Forest District and was implemented as a result of a 2018 report titled "Motorized Access Management: Recommendations to Protect Grizzly Bears in the Upper Lillooet River Area". The report cites the following as the reason for the implementation of the gates: "public recreation that is cause for concern, owing to the observations on the north side of the Lillooet River FSR, and activities in the Pebble Creek hot springs that frequently require action by Conservation Officers and FLNRORD Compliance and Enforcement personnel...Gates allow for continued industrial and First Nations use while restricting public recreational or other unauthorized use". For further information, contact the Sea to Sky Forest District.

2018 June 26th - Roland Burton

Hi, My name is Simon Getaz, I am in charge of the falling for logging purpose of cutblocks 170 and 171 up Perkins Main. Those two block are located at the start of the Harrison Hut trail. We noticed people walking and driving through those cutblocks to access the trail, so we would like to inform you of our active falling and logging operation. Signage will be in place. If any of your members were to do this hike, could they please get on the trail where it originally started and not through the new cutblocks. Safety is our priority and the trail can remain open if accessed this way. If we notice people going through our signage without care we might be forced to shut the trail access. Thank you for your understanding. Simon Getaz 604 6126404

2018 June 19th - Vincent Hanlon

The gate at 2km (on Lillooet South FSR) is open, but it may be closed periodically because of landslide risk if things get really hot. Incidentally, this sort of information about road access is available from the Sea to Sky Natural Resource district (Sea to Sky Resource Road Status and Information Page).

2017 September 24th - George Hill

After three workhikes this summer a new bridge has been installed to replace the broken Barr Creek Bridge and the Hut now has a it's main floor completely renovated inclusive of: a new floor; a new steel door and frame complete with weather stripping, a sweep and a door closer; new and re-used baseboards to complete the seal around the new floor; solar lighting that can provide light to the Hut for up to 8 hours on a full charge; the bench on the wall rebuilt and improved and; new and improved supports for the cooking table attached to the other wall. The Hut now looks nearly brand new. Things that can still be done include adding a layer of paint to the new floor and baseboards; rebuilding the movable bench to sit flat on the ground; new windows & frames; rebuilding the ladder to be more sturdy and; replacing the wooden solar panel frame with a more robust metal frame.

2017 May 29th - George Hill

This is a reminder that there is active logging in the vicinity of the Harrison Hut trailhead similar to last year. For more information see the June 1st bulletin below.

2017 May 29th - George Hill

Update from John Howe, the liaison for the forest company using the road: "The slide has been cleared and road crew are working at the road heading."

2017 April 22nd - Dylan Korba (dylan_dot_korba_at_gmail)

Attempted to access via S.Lillooet FSR on April/22/2017. Cleared many fallen trees, but major landslide at ~17.5km on the road ( 50°34'21.40"N : 123°18'15.74"W).

2016 September 2nd - Roland Burton

There is not much wood left in the Hut to burn but there is a fair amount of deadfall around the Hut that could be gathered with some scavenging.

2016 June 1st - George Hill

Please note there is active logging near the the trail-head. The Harrison Hut Trail is OPEN. Use EXTREME CAUTION on 4wd Spur. See Official Post here: Harrison Hut 2016 Summer Update

2014 August 21st - Christian Veenstra

As of mid 2014 hiking season the route is continuous, but it is not yet complete as a trail. Footbed work continues in various areas. But it's brushed out, most of the worst sidehills have a good footbed, Barr Creek has a bridge, and there are sufficient markers that you should have no problem finding the way if you're careful.