The cabin was built in 1992 to house BC Parks rangers. In 2003, BC Parks issued a request for proposals to convert the cabin to public use. The Alpine Club of Canada was selected to expand its extensive alpine hut system, and began operating it in the summer of 2004.
Facilities
The kitchen area and living room offer tables and a wood-burning stove. The sleeping quarters are in a loft. Sleepers occupy two long bunks and one shorter one. The hut offers water buckets, axes, saws and shovels. A tributary of Elkan Creek runs nearby. In winter, water is there and from snowmelt. Water must be purified before drinking. Sinks are connected to the sump. It occasionally freezes, in which case grey water should be dumped within a three-metre radius of the outhouse. The outhouse is located 10 m east of the cabin. All paper garbage and food scraps should be burned, and all other garbage and unused food carried out.
Located within the western ranges of the southern Rocky Mountains, Elk Lakes Provincial Park is an easily accessible wilderness park characterized by subalpine landscapes, remnant glaciers, peaks and lakes. The area has many hiking options. Options for hikers of all abilities and interests are available, including family friendlybackcountry hiking. Other trails are longer, more exposed and involve some route-finding. Several mountaineering objectives and scrambles are available. Mounts Fox, Aosta, Petain, Nivelle and Castelnau can all be summited in a moderate to long day from the cabin. Mount Joffre is accessible from the Elk Lakes side, although a high camp is recommended for climbers. The cabin supports backcountry skiing in winter. It is one of the few Canadian Alpine huts that can be reached on cross country skis by advanced skiers. Ski touring ranges from flat tours to advanced ski mountaineering. The area has several waterfall ice routes and a established mixed climb.
is a BC park. Access from the Alberta side is through Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. Parks have rules about dogs, fishing, bicycles and other things. Dogs are not allowed on ski trails, nor inside the cabin. Bikes are allowed on the trail to Elk Pass and along the power line to the cabin, but not elsewhere in Elk Lakes Park. Campgrounds are available in both parks, including one a kilometre from the cabin.
