[RodF]

"Trail Shelters of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee National Forests", USFS, James B. Cox, Jr., November 1988. This 113-page publication lists 188 trail shelters in MBSNF. The condition and significance the 26 which remained in 1988 are evaluated, and 9 found eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. This book is unpublished and of limited availability, so I've posted the 15-page introduction and the appendices at this link.

Young Creek Shelter

title page

contents

maps, figures & tables

page 1

page 2

For each of the following shelters, one or two pages of text describe the location, construction, condition and significance of the shelter, along with several photos and a map of their location. Griners Trail Shelter Finney Creek Trail Shelter Sloan Creek Trail Shelter Mackinaw Trail Shelter * Suiattle Trail Shelter * Long Lake Trail Shelter * Big Crow Basin Trail Shelter * Crow Creek Lake Trail Shelter Sand Lake Trail Shelter * Swamp Lake Trail Shelter Taneum Trail Shelter * Young Creek Trail Shelter * Moore Point Trail Shelter * Meadow Creek Trail Shelter North Fork Fish Creek Trail Shelter * North Fork Prince Creek Trail Shelter Silesia Creek Trail Shelter Hannegan Trailhead Shelter Ridley Creek Trail Shelter Government Meadows Trail Shelter Saddle Lake Trail Shelter Lower Tuscohatchie Trail Shelter Lake Janus Cabin Bull Buck Cabin Hunter Trail Shelter Blue Creek Cabin * eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as of 1988. Ten additional shelters are now eligible by age (>50 years), if they have survived and meet additional eligibility criteria. To my knowledge, none of these have yet been listed on the NRHP. Their eligibility provides only limited protection, particularly in light of the heinous Green Mountain Lookout decision. Appendix B lists 136 shelters depicted on 1931-1949 USFS maps.

Mount Baker NF trail shelters

Mt. Baker NF trail shelters, cont'd.

Snoqualmie NF& Cascade Crest trail shelters

Chelan NF trail shelters

Appendix C lists 43 additional shelters found on USFS lists

more Snoqualmie NF trail shelters

more Mt. Baker NF trail shelters

more Mt. Baker NF trail shelters, cont'd.

Nine additional postwar shelters are listed in the contents and described in this book, for a total of 188 known shelters. (Dozens more likely existed, but were not listed on the sources available, and may have been lost to road building or nature by the 1930s.) Note: I have this book on loan from USFS over the holidays, and can scan the pages on those of particular interest to people. Please post photos or information! Those few trail shelters which have survived the ravages of time are treasured. "Historic value is a Wilderness value." - Judge John Coughenour ironically wrote, while condemning Green Mountain Lookout.

[Brian Curtis]

I managed to miss this great post the first time around. Thanks for posting it, Rod. Looks like they missed the Necklace Valley Shelter. Is the Lake Janus shelter still there? I've been there a few times and didn't see one. If it was there in '88 I couldn't have missed it by too much.

[Ski]

me too. thank you Rod!

[Hulksmash]

Interesting list. The Mackinaw Shelter is seriously rotten. I'm amazed it still holds the snow loads it receives during the winter. The Saddle lake shelter is listed in 1937. What other criteria is there to make the list of historic places? Clearly it's more than 50 years old.