Landscape Archives | Coast Mountain Gothic: A History of the Gothic Arch Mountain Hut

Glulam arch from original technical drawing

Portion of original technical drawing illustrating how to build the front end-wall of the Hut frame.

Gothic Arch Hut Design Specifications

Section of the original technical plans detailing the equipment and lumber required to assemble a Gothic arch Hut.

Will Wheaton Hut

The Will Wheaton Hut was recently renovated and remains a destination for hikers on Vancouver Island in Strathcona Provincial Park.

Don MacLaurin – Arrival at the Batzer Hut location (audio)

Don MacLaurin recalled. “I was the guy that went up with the first flight with all kinds of equipment to get things ready. The other guys climbed up […]

Werner Himmelsbach – Igloo Inspiration (audio)

Werner Himmelsbach recalled, “For instance, when we came here we practiced building Igloos so I thought maybe that was how we would build these arches because you know […]

North Creek Hut repainting well underway in 2013

Regular upkeep of the Huts includes lots of repainting to help protect the wood from the harsh weather elements of water, snow and wind and at the same […]

Stawamus Chief

In the 1950s, The Stawamus Chief became a popular rock climbing area because of its proximity to the growing metropolis of Vancouver. This allowed the Alpine Club of […]

Turquoise water of Wedgemount Lake

The turquoise water of the glacial-fed Wedgemount Lake ripples in the wind. Wedgemount Lake is located below Wedge Glacier and Mountain in what is known as a hanging […]

Grizzly Bear in autumn meadow

“If there is one symbol of Canada’s remaining wilderness, it is the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos).” Over 250 Grizzly Bears call the Coast Mountains home and live in […]

Hoary Marmot

The Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata), a large squirrel-like rodent, communicates with one another by whistling. In the 1960s, a group of Vancouver businessmen led by Franz Wilhelmsen were […]

The Batzer Hut destroyed by an avalanche (audio)

Don MacLaurin recalled, “Two years later, the 1 in 250 year avalanches came down and took it the cabin, nobody in it, thank god, and all the 200 […]

Choosing the location in Chilliwack (audio)

Don MaLaurin said, “I know we negotiated with the Forest Service because they had the need to have lookouts…temporary lookouts during fire season that was the way the […]