An Alpine Club of Canada proposal to build a new winter-only backcountry hut in Yoho National Park is heading to the next stage of Parks Canada’s development process.
The proposal for a hut east of des Poilus Glacier is going before Parks Canada’s Advisory Development Board (ADB) Thursday (Jan. 30), at 1:30 p.m. at the Banff National Park administration building.
If the hut gets a nod of approval from Parks Canada, ACC executive director Lawrence White said construction would get underway in July, with hopes of opening in time for next winter.
“It’s a winter facility only, so we could have it ready to go by winter 2014–15,” he said.
Last summer, Parks Canada gave the ACC the green light to proceed with a project design and public consultation. The plan is for a 1,000-square-foot, two-storey structure, with an overnight capacity of between 16 and 18 people.
The management plan for Yoho speaks to investigating the feasibility of establishing one additional hut to support ski touring between Yoho’s Stanley Mitchell Hut in the south and Banff’s Bow Hut in the north.
The proposed hut will sit on the classic Yoho Traverse at about the midway point between Bow Hut and Stanley Mitchell Hut, offering adventurers the opportunity to access or exit the traverse via Little Yoho Valley in B.C.
Other huts in the area, including Bow and Peyto huts in the north, sleep 30 and 16 respectively, while Stanley Mitchell hut to the south can accommodate 24 people.
“It will be something that complements the Wapta experience,” said White. “It’s about reconnecting visitors to the winter experience.”
The ACC’s proposal can be viewed at the Banff National Park administrative office. The ADB is an advisory body only. The superintendent of Yoho National Park will make the final decision.
White said the ACC plans to kick-start an official capital campaign at the end of January to raise $500,000 for the project.
