Skibowl’s Warming Hut is about to get warmer.

Petr Kakes, the manager of the historic Warming Hut at Skibowl, said the building has seen very limited maintenance since its construction in the 1930s – the biggest fix since then was the addition of some paneling inside to prevent snow from blowing through the walls when Kirk Hanna purchased the
ski resort more than 20 years ago.

“I have been noticing, especially on rainy winter events, the water was
accumulating from the surrounding area underneath; basically a river running
through it,” Kakes said.

This fall, however, the Warming Hut (located mid-mountain at the bottom of
the Upper Bowl) is being restored by the Mount Hood National Forest and
Skibowl, including replacement of sill logs, repairs to log posts and repairs to
the foundation.

The 32-feet by 22-feet hut, featuring one large open loft room and an
enclosed porch and storage area, was originally constructed by the Forest
Service through the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1937 and offers a
warm respite and refreshments to skiers.

At first, the plan was for the hut to be built from stone, like warming shelters
of a similar design throughout the Northwest, but another nearby project kept
stone masons too busy to do more than one section.

“One theory is that all the stone masons were up at Timberline, so they
decided to use wood instead and made one side a masonry chimney,” said
Alexandra Wenzl, Mt. Hood National Forest historian.

The hut has seating for 40 and thanks to its picturesque location, with a
perfect view of the summit of Mount Hood, also is the site of nearly 20
weddings per year during the summer. Its location at the Upper Bowl also
allows skiers and snowboarders to pop in for a break without going to the
bottom of the mountain.

“The warming hut is packed every night, even during the week, especially
during a good snow event,” Kakes said.

The U.S. Forest Service contributed $50,000, including $22,000 for materials
and a preservation team, plus donated staff time, while Wenzl noted Skibowl
staff has helped move rocks during the restoration.

Kakes pointed out that Zigzag District Ranger Bill Westbrook helped get the
ball rolling for the project, adding that the building was a lower priority for his
predecessors. Wenzl estimated the hut is one of possibly six remaining in
Oregon and Washington and added that it still is fulfilling its original purpose,
to promote skiing and recreation on the Mountain.

After work is complete this fall, Wenzl said the hope is to repair the wood
storage area and replace the roof sometime in the future, depending on when
funding is available.

“Then it will last another 75 years ... hopefully longer,” she said.