The Hut is Open

 The long-awaited permit is in place, and below is a letter from The Nature Conservancy allowing the warming hut on Amabilis.   The hut is now officially open to the public; to find it, take the left fork at the Y and head up to the saddle.

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Updates on the Amabilis Mountain Hut, Trail System, and Land Transfer

 

We are happy to announce that there will be a ski hut, built by Kongsberger Ski Club volunteers, on Amabilis Mountain for public use for the remainder of the winter 2022 season. The hut, the Pickett trails adjacent to it, and various open viewpoints off the Amabilis Road are the result of a 6-year partnership between the Kongsberger Ski Club and The Nature Conservancy, who currently manages this area, with the shared mission to provide the public with winter recreation opportunities and access to Amabilis Mountain. 

 

The Nature Conservancy is in the process of transferring its Amabilis Mountain parcel, part of the 48,000-acre Central Cascades Forest project (see map below), to the U.S. Forest Service for permanent protection of the recreational and ecological values of this special place. The Nature Conservancy and Kongsberger Ski Club value their long-standing partnership with the Forest Service, which is supporting the transfer of this parcel as well as an additional 30,000 acres of the Central Cascades Forest into public ownership. These former private industrial timberlands are now managed for timber, forest health, wildlife and fish habitat, water quantity and quality, as well as public recreation.

 

The Forest Service expects to acquire the Amabilis parcel during the 2022-23 winter recreation season. In order to facilitate this transfer, no seasonal or other structures will be permitted on the Amabilis parcel during the 2022-23 winter recreation season. The Kongsberger Ski Club is currently working with the Forest Service to determine the future of the Pickett trails and the hut when the land is transferred.  

 

We are grateful for the patience and support of skiers, snowshoers, hikers and other recreational users as we work to protect these lands and public access for generations to come.

Map of the Central Cascades Forest. These former private industrial timberlands will be transferred into permanent protection and managed for timber, forest health, wildlife and fish habitat, water quantity and quality, as well as public recreation.