Mark Creek Cabin

Sunrise at the Mark Creek Cabin with Cakewalk Ridge behind it. This is in the southern Purcell Mountain Range of the East Kootenays. We had arrived in the late afternoon the previous day. Although we really couldn't ask for nicer February weather, the days were cold. After arriving, we started a fire in the very aged wood stove, only to find smoke billowing out of every crack in it - of which there were many. We were fairly confident that once the flue heated up properly that the cabin would stop being smoked out; but all of us also considered that it may not turn out that way and that the evening may find us eating supper and then crawling into our sleeping bags to try to stay (get?) warm. It took nearly half an hour, but once the flue warmed up, the smoke circulated up the chimney and we were able to close the door and enjoy a quite comfortable night eating, playing cards, and joking around. Other than the fact that the cabin was built in the 1940's by Cominco, I don't know any other history of the cabin. I am presuming it was used while searching for future mining prospects in the area. Photo by Laszlo Hulicsko, February 20, 2011