COMMUNITY EFFORT

They say Rome wasn't built in a day. Maybe it would have been, had they had the commitment and drive of the Cabinet Ridge Riders (CRR). More than 40 volunteers with the Trout Creek group have spent nearly 2,000 hours rebuilding the warming hut at Gem Peak near Trout Creek, which was burned by fire in August.

The warming hut was destroyed by fire in the early morning hours of August 25. The Ridge Riders have a special use permit with the U.S. Forest Service for the structure. Cleanup began Labor Day weekend and construction started September 10 with digging and setting forms for the concrete. The Ridge Riders said this week that volunteers have been putting in long days trying to finish up the building. "The structure is up and they're still working on the finishing touches," said CRR Secretary Alexis Dean. "We're not sure if everything will be done before the snow flies, but they're trying their hardest."

The Ridge Riders have made some improvements in the new structure. Dean said the trusses were made by Trout Creek Truss instead of the club making their own, and the building is stick frame on stem walls instead of a pole building on sauna tubes. The front of the building is covered to keep the snow away from the door and the structure features a wood shed on the side with a walk-through man door. Group members met with the U.S. Forest Service to ensure the new structure stays within the current special use permit.

The club has received more than $23,000 in donations. At a meeting with the Sanders County Commissioners earlier this month, CRR President Dave Anderson said donations were continuing to come in, both in the form of money and materials. Several businesses and individuals from throughout the area have donated materials or construction services. Dean said those include Ace Hardware, Boyce Lumber, Diversified Plastic, Hi-Land Construction, Jackson Contractor Inc., Johnson's Hardware, Naughty Pine, Noxon PTO, Razz Construction, Steve Labelle Body Shop, Thompson River Redi-Mix, Trout Creek Truss, Wayside Bar, Thompson River Lumber, Chef Bob of Trout Creek, Ken Bernardy, Zarach Epperson, Mike Erwin, Bill Nolen and Dustin Nelson.

Ranger Michael Feiger of the Cabinet Ranger District stated earlier this month when meeting with commissioners that investigators were not able to determine the cause of the fire at the warming hut due to the number of accelerants present at the location. Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Sanders County Sheriff's Office at (406) 827-3854, or the Cabinet Ranger District at (406) 827-3533.

For more information or to follow progress on the warming hut, visit the Cabinet Ridge Riders on Facebook.