Big Creek Cabin restored

Photos courtesy of the UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE/ The Big Creek Cabin near Calder before its restoration.

The Big Creek Cabin after restoration.

| October 31, 2019 5:42 PM

The Big Creek Cabin after restoration.

AVERY – The U.S. Forest Service recently announced that it has restored the Big Creek Cabin on the St. Joe Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. The cabin is located five miles up Big Creek, near Calder, Idaho.

Originally built in the early 1900s to support firefighting efforts, this historic cabin has become a popular destination for motorcyclists, hikers, and stock riders who ride the motorized single-track trails around Big Creek.

Over the last three years, the St. Joe Ranger District Trails Crew and dedicated volunteers from St. Maries, Idaho worked hard to replace the floor, door, and cedar shake roof as well as clean and rodent-proof the building. The trail crew created shake bolts out of Western Red Cedar trees and hand-split the shakes. Horses and mules were used to transport the shakes from the Big Creek Campground to the cabin.

Local volunteers Eric Cummins and Kenny Moore were instrumental in making the project a success.

“We are incredibly grateful for all the volunteers and employees that helped restore the cabin,” said Tracy Gravelle, St. Joe Ranger District trails program manager. “At one point we had a 15-animal pack string headed down the trail.”

For more information about this project, call the St. Joe Ranger District at 208-245-2531.