Booty's Cabin draws a crowd for Canada 150
By Sara Golling
The forest air was crisp and intoxicatingly pure (except for the cloud of sausage-scented smoke rising from the barbeque) as outdoorsy people from local communities gathered around the new Booty's Cabin to celebrate it, and the Rossland Range Recreation Site ― that made it (and the other day-use shelters) legally possible. Booty's is so new it isn't even quite finished yet, though it now has doors and windows and front steps, and the stove was giving off lovely warmth inside as people went in and out.
Some of those people have been using the area recreationally for many decades now, exploring on boots and skis, clearing routes and building the old shelters that are gradually being replaced. They were the pioneers, and the rest of us felt honoured by their presence.
Sausages, hotdogs, buns, beverages and cake nourished the crowd outside as a few luminaries made laudably brief speeches from the front porch of Booty's Cabin. Friends of the Rossland Range president Kim Deane and Ministry of Forests Recreation Officer Justin Dexter spoke about the evolution of the local cabins and how the Recreation Site came to be. Rossland Councillor John Greene said a few gracious words. The numerous attendees spread out among the trees to listen, and then exchanged stories among themselves. Some lobbied Justin Dexter for permission to replace Eagle's Nest.
Booty's Cabin ― larger than the other day-use shelters ― is intended as the Rec Site's "gateway" cabin, a place for school groups to gather for their outdoor education experiences, and for families whose young children or elders aren't up to hiking, skiing, or snowshoeing very far.
Shadows lengthened on October 15 as the crowd gradually dispersed. For more information on the Rossland Recreation Site, go to:
or check out these articles on the topic, published earlier:
https://rosslandtelegraph.com/news/new-recreation-designation-rossland-range-26515#.WeeUlztrzIU
https://rosslandtelegraph.com/news/gimme-shelter-rossland-range-recreation-site-42022#.WeeVDDtrzIU
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