Mount Steele Cabin
| Mount Steele Cabin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overnight Capacity | 12-15 |
| Coordinates |
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| Fee | $10 / night |
| Caretaker | Tetrahedron Outdoor Club |
The Mount Steele Cabin is the one of four cabins within the Tetrahedron provincial park boundaries. The park lays roughly 40 minutes north of Sechelt, on the the sunshine coast. The Park boundaries fall along side the drainage for the local watershed and users should be aware of their impact while in the park.
Both the Proximity to Vancouver and the proximity of the cabins to one another make this a great destination for a multi day trip for those seeking forgiving terrain.
Winter users should be prepared for wilderness travel. Avalanche hazards do exist in the park so experience and training, and appropriate safety gear is strongly recommended.
Facilities
The structure is a log cabin with a sleeping loft comfortably accommodating 12-15. The hut contains a wood stove, as well as fire wood (flown in at significant cost) there are also some pots for melting snow. Many decks of cards (though few complete sets) and a crib board. There is a Risk Game, which is great for those days when the weather is shite. Water jugs are also supplied for gray water.
Fees
Fees are collected by the Tetrahedron Outdoors Club, for cabin maintenance, fire wood delivery (which is a significant cost) and contributions to a plowing fund to keep the road clear in winter. (though officially the road is unplowed)
Fees are $10-15 per night per person (depending on if you are a member) and are the same for all four cabins (as of January 2015). You can pay fees several ways on the coast, by mail or online on the Tetrahedron Outdoor Club website. See the top of the webpage where there is a link to paypal payment site.
Access
Access to the park is achieved by taking the Langdale ferry from Horseshoe bay, driving 30 minutes north west on Highway 101 to the town of Sehelt. From Sechelt. Drive north on east Porpoise Bay rd. for 9.5km. Turn right on Upland Drive and after 0.5km turn right onto Carmel Place to get on the Grey Creek Logging rd. The road is marked with signs and climbs up to 3100ft on the south side of Grey Creek.
This FSR is recently deactivated and as such, now has large cross ditches making low clearance vehicles inadvisable. The first 3 km of road also offer significant elevation gain. (Read: steep with big ditches) After that the road levels nicely and the drive to the parking lot is quite manageable.
Time to parking lot from UBC is 3.5-4 hours depending on wait at the ferry and how long you drive around Sechelt looking for the Tim Horton's before realizing that there isn't one.
An alternative way to reach McNair Lake Cabin is via Port Mellon Highway and the McNair Creek Road (4WD forest service road). There is no marked trail from the end of the FSR to the cabin.
You can check road and snow conditions by calling the tetrahedron outdoor club snow phone (604-740-3030), and by looking at the outdoor reports at the SunCoastCentral website. Both services are run by volunteers. As is the usual case with such voluntary efforts, they aren’t guaranteed to be up to date. In winter, chains are a good idea, particularly for the Grey Creek road.
Trail distances and times:
Distances and time are approximate, and will vary with conditions, gear, etc. Know your abilities and plan accordingly. Be aware that the distance markers in the park are not very accurate, and sometimes contradict each other. Winter routes may be shorter if lakes are frozen, but use caution when crossing.
Parking lot – Bachelor Lake Cabin: 2.5 km, 45 min – 1.25 hrs summer, 1 – 2 hrs winter
Parking lot – Edwards Lake Cabin: 4.5 km, 1 – 1.5 hrs summer, 2 – 3 hrs winter
Edwards Lake Cabin – Mount Steele Cabin: 3 km, 1 – 1.5 hrs summer, 2 – 3 hrs winter
Edwards Lake Cabin – McNair Lake Cabin: 5 km, 1.5 – 2 hrs summer, 2 – 3 hrs winter
Good maps are provided here: Tethrahedron Outdoors Club map of trails - inc. winter trail of the cabin locations (with Lat/Long) here: Cabin Locations. The provincial government website here has the same up to date map: Province of BC website There is also a good site for trail conditions (road and park) here: Sunshine Coast conditions reports
Water Shed Restrictions
- Due to protection of watershed values, special park regulations are in effect for this park. Please familiarize yourself with the following rules before visiting Tetrahedron Park:
- All mechanized access, including mountain bikes and snowmobiles, is prohibited.
- Hunting is prohibited.
- Domestic animals are prohibited.
- Open fires are prohibited.
- Use the outhouses for all human excrement.
- Pack out all garbage.
- Camp only at designated cabins.
- Wash dishes only in the cabins.
- Dump all grey water in outhouses.
- No swimming or bathing in streams or lakes within the park.
- Only use the wood stove when absolutely necessary.
- Be self-sufficient and carry a fuel burning stove for cooking.
