Hišimy̓awiƛ (5040 Alpine Hut)

Hišimy̓awiƛ (5040 Alpine Hut) is an Alpine Club of Canada Vancouver Island backcountry hut on the ridge of 5040 Peak (1350 m). It’s a modern hut designed for both summer alpine hiking access and winter/spring skiing trips, and it runs on solar power plus a wood pellet and propane system for heat and cooking.

Bookings are required for all stays. The hut sleeps 12 people in 2 rooms (6 bunks per room). Bedding is provided as mattress pads, but guests bring their own sleeping bag; meals are cooked on a propane cooktop with propane supplied, while the heat comes from a wood pellet stove with fuel provided. The outhouse uses a urine/solid separating system; guests are expected to bring their own food and personal items, and the hut is user-maintained (guests handle custodial tasks like cleaning, fetching water, and shovelling snow). Dogs or other animals are not permitted in the hut except guide animals, and dogs should be kept away from the tarns near the hut because they provide drinking water. Access is via the Cobalt Lake Trail in summer (about 2.4 km hike; ~700 m gain) and by ski in winter (up to ~12 km, ~1175 m gain depending on snow levels), with trailhead access requiring a 4WD/AWD vehicle.

Official website