Snake River: Hat Ck. cabin burned

[Hunt'nFish]

For those that care......
It looks like the old sheep herders cabin at Hat Creek has been burned by our Federal caretakers.
As you know, the Battle Ck fire was in there earlier this season,
but it does NOT appear that the forest fire is what burned it.
I suspect orders were handed down to burn it after mop up.

Some of you may, or may not, know of desires by regional USFS directors to destroy the cabin. Citing non-historical value and such. A few years back there was a letter writing campain to save it. They conceeded to user input, and repairs were made: the roof fixed, the tack porch repaired, windows replaced, outside painted USFS regulation brown, and inside painted white. These repairs were done not by USFS personel but rather users........my father took charge of the regulation upgrades.

All seemed well, but it looks like the Battle Ck fire has been used as an excuse to destroy a public resource that future generations of wilderness travelers will not enjoy.
I hate the thought that Federal caretakers of our public resources would do such a thing, but that appears to be the case.

Internal reports indicated the cabin to be intact during post burn assesments, but local information a few weeks later reported it lost. The old man rode in to inspect it this past weekend and reports it is gone and all remains removed. Surrounding area yeilded little evidence that the fire burned it, as damage was localized to the immediate area.
Man this chaps my hide! I would so like to nail the responsible officals to the wall.
Hunt'nFish
Mike Knifong

PS: If you used this public resource, please share a story in memory.
I grew up in that cabin, many many memories made over the years.

[ehunter]

Mike I have never been into that cabin but I can feel your frustration sorry.

Originally Posted by Hunt'nFish

For those that care......
It looks like the old sheep herders cabin at Hat Creek has been burned by our Federal caretakers.
As you know, the Battle Ck fire was in there earlier this season,
but it does NOT appear that the forest fire is what burned it.
I suspect orders were handed down to burn it after mop up.

Some of you may, or may not, know of desires by regional USFS directors to destroy the cabin. Citing non-historical value and such. A few years back there was a letter writing campain to save it. They conceeded to user input, and repairs were made: the roof fixed, the tack porch repaired, windows replaced, outside painted USFS regulation brown, and inside painted white. These repairs were done not by USFS personel but rather users........my father took charge of the regulation upgrades.

All seemed well, but it looks like the Battle Ck fire has been used as an excuse to destroy a public resource that future generations of wilderness travelers will not enjoy.
I hate the thought that Federal caretakers of our public resources would do such a thing, but that appears to be the case.

Internal reports indicated the cabin to be intact buring post burn assesments, but local information a few weeks later reported it lost. The old man rode in to inspect it this past weekend and reports it is gone and all remains removed. Surrounding area yeilded little evidence that the fire burned it, as damage was localized to the immediate area.
Man this chaps my hide! I would so like to nail the responsible officals to the wall.
Hunt'nFish
Mike Knifong

PS: If you used this public resource, please share a story in memory.
I grew up in that cabin, many many memories made over the years.

[STRUTTIN-1]

:frown::frown: Yes I have been there.What a shame.

[bp97211]

Mike-- any call to the district ranger to find out what the story is? If no response, call the Regional Forester herself--Linda Goodman in Portland.

[Don Becker]

'Sorry, Mike! :frown::frown: Don

[Rank Amateur]

Wouldn't setting fire to a cabin during fire season be a violation of the law??? I hope you get to the bottom of this Mike. If you need help hammering some nails, just let me know.

[toas243]

What a drag ,I wanted to go there on a hunt :shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked:,it never amazes me on all of the stupid things our gvernment does

[Hunt'nFish]

Well I'm mixed on what I can/should do.

One part of me realizes that I already know what the "official" report will say......Stucture lost to fire.
The realist in me also knows that nothing will change, it won't magically reappear even if I could prove it.

The other part of me wants to expose those responsible. Nail their jobs to the wall. But I also don't want to get those who were following orders in trouble either. And it's always the guys at the bottom that take the heat. Good guys w/ families to support.
Hunt'nFish

[llama77]

Theres a cabin off the lord flat road. when my friend inquired of the forest service who owned it they said they did and were going to burn it.

You realize that that cabin was probably forcing elk to soem other location where they were more susceptable to predation. Elk numbers will surely climb since its been removed!

[scottishsetter]

Could you(we) put holes in the ground with some easy to erect poles to build a three sided 'lean to' with fire pit up front? Nothing permanent.
It's a structure dear to the Hunters in my family. Holes in the ground and logs on the ground. That's nothing 'they' could/should get bureaucratic about but who knows.

Anyway it would make a good IFish destination camp. Volunteers in America.

[mcknerkneykak]

I was down there a couple spring bear hunts ago in late May. Took off from Memaloose headed west and dropped down to freezeout saddle, then turned back on that trail halfway down the hill to the Snake and ended up camping not far from the cabin.
Talked to some backpackers at the cabin from Ohio and a couple who had been up to Temperance Cr for about a week. She had shot a bear and was pretty tickled about it. They were in there with mules and horses and had parked at the freezeout trailhead.
I was alone except for my pack and saddle horse and my GSP.
I took the trail up to the lookout (I think I was the first one mounted that year to go up that trail), and talked to a couple gentlemen with mules and horses just getting ready to go down to the cabin. They told me that they had done a lot of work on that cabin and had to fight the Forest Service to keep them from burning it. You could tell they sort of liked the place a whole bunch. As I recall they both lived around the Joseph/Enterprize area.
That was a neat cabin. I can't imagine what it was hurting and why anyone including the FS would want it destroyed.

[DRUNK COWBOY]

I went down to this cabin on foot two springs ago for a bear hunt. It was really cool to see the cabin down there. I do not know much about it, but I am sad it is gone. If you want some help to find what really went on, just let me know

[johndeeregreen]

DUMB. That is all I can say.

[baltz526]

sounds like standard practice. if it is a great cabin in a great place they will destroy it. but if it is a old 70's era hippy squaters A frame on usfs land, they will drive right by it for decades. with no thoughts in their minds to remove it.