Communists and the Klan
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The Similkameen
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Volume 65 Issue 47
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Years of backcountry tradition go up in smoke Andrea DeMeer Spotlight Staff
A backcountry tradition of providing shelter for hikers, skiers and hunters came to a sad end recently when a cabin at Joe Lake burned to the ground. “I was just sick to think about it,” said Roy Harker of Princeton, who has maintained the cabin as a volunteer for BC Parks for the past two decades. As recent improvements including a new stove and new chimney pipe were made to the cabin, Parker is convinced the place was deliberately torched. “I’m disgusted and shocked that anyone would do that,” he said. “This thing didn’t burn down by itself. Even if it was just an accident someone should come forward and say ‘Guess what we had an accident and burned down the cabin.’ But nobody is going to come forward. I’m sure of that.” The cabin – which according to its logbook received as many as 30 visitors each year – was originally constructed as a survival shelter for game wardens in the 1950s. There are only two ways to access Joe Lake – one 2.5 hour trail and one seven-hour trail – so the spot was popular among people who liked to spend a night or two in the bush, he said. The site can only be reached by foot or horseback. “It got a lot of hikers and the
horse people, but not as many of them as there were in the past. And of course there were hunters during the season because there are Bighorn sheep in the area. There were no locks on the doors, and the cabin was equipped with cots, foam mattresses, dishes, pots, pans and even containers of dried food. In September it received a fresh coat of paint. Almost all of the materials purchased for the cabin were courtesy of Harker and a group of his friends, who travelled to the area at least four times a year to maintain the building and haul away garbage. In 1998 the team won a Volunteer of the Year award from BC Parks for its efforts. “Because we loved doing it, that’s why,” he said by way of explaining the hundreds of hours of labor that went into maintaining the property each year. “It was to help people.” The cabin was destroyed between October 20 and October 30. Its charred ruins were discovered by hunters from Keremeos The cabin at Joe Lake, maintained by local volunteers who even provided dishes and stocked food, was who had intended to bunk there burned to the ground sometime in late October. overnight. Lake and stay the night. They get would have to be moved to the area point the mystery of the fire will Harker has already posted signs there late in the day and if all they by helicopter. be solved. at access points to the trails leadhave is their day packs they are The fire was reported to “People talk. Sooner or later ing to Joe Lake to warn people the stuck for the night.” Princeton RCMP. While Sergeant someone will say something. It cabin is no longer an option for Harker said there is no chance Barry Kennedy told the Spotlight might take a month, it might take shelter. the cabin will be rebuilt because the incident is unfortunate, there is a year or it might take ten years “That’s the main thing here is of the costs involved. Even if the little police can do to investigate. for eventually someone will brag to get the word out. Cross country materials were available, they Harker believes that at some about it.” skiers often go out that way to Joe
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