Skip to content

Help needed on restoration of historical cabin in the Shuswap

The Cache Cabin served as the halfway point on the journey to the Mara Lookout Ranger Station.
17412817_web1_190623-EVN-Cache-Cabin
Project co-planner David Crowfoot takes measurements for the restoration of the cache cabin. (Photo Contributed)

The historic building known as the Cache Cabin has stood at the halfway point between Sicamous and the Mara Lookout Ranger Station since 1907. Volunteers are wanted to help ensure it stays standing.

According to the Shuswap Trail Alliance, the log timber cabin has stood up well considering its age but careful remediation work is required to repair wear and tear on the structure.

Read More: Lower lake levels could create bumper crop of invasive milfoil

Read More: Vernon and Sicamous cannabis stores get provincial nod

The Cache Cabin gets its name because it was used as a place to stash supplies for the rangers watching for fires from the Mara Lookout Ranger Station to save them half of the two-day horseback ride to Sicamous. In the early days of electronic communication, before radios became common, it was also a stop along the telegraph and then telephone line used by the rangers to report fires.

According to the Trail Alliance, the cabin is not intended for overnight stays but could be a lifesaving haven for a lost backcountry user; it is also a fascinating place to visit and a piece of history worthy of preservation.

The Shuswap Backcountry Riders are taking the lead on restoration work. The restoration includes removal of the cabin’s deck and support posts in order to remove the rotted bottoms of existing support posts and replace them with new bases. Work on the cabin will also include hanging its door on new hinges.

All necessary materials for the restoration work have been milled, but help is needed transporting them to the site which sits 400 metres down a trail from the nearest motorized access. The call has gone out for volunteers to help out with the restoration project on Saturday, July 6. The “voly day” runs from 8 a.m. until about noon.

Read More: Wildfire burning in coastal forest

Read More: Two day job fair seeks employees for new Salmon Arm restaurant

Volunteers are asked to meet at the Owlhead trailhead which is at the 17 kilometre mark on the Owlhead Forest Service Road, accessible from McLean-MacPherson Road in Sicamous.

Work will involve lifting and carrying lumber and other construction materials from the road to the cabin over uneven terrain.


@SalmonArm
jim.elliot@saobserver.net

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter



Jim Elliot

About the Author: Jim Elliot

I’m a B.C. transplant here in Whitehorse at The News telling stories about the Yukon's people, environment, and culture.
Read more