Challenging to get there but worth the trip. The wood stove is almost worthless so be prepared. I woke up and my boots were frozen to the floor.

Challenging to get there but worth the trip. The wood stove is almost worthless so be prepared. I woke up and my boots were frozen to the floor.

Great place! Well lit and USB plug-ins. Cell service variable. Needs a new fireplace damper. Trail to tower was the bumpiest part of the trek, but my thanks to the groomer.

Great place! Well lit and USB plug-ins. Cell service variable. Needs a new fireplace damper. Trail to tower was the bumpiest part of the trek, but my thanks to the groomer.

This was our first time actually staying here, the previous visits were during the summer. This time of year we made the long roughly 11 mile (several signs along the way contradict each other as far as distance goes...) xc ski in from Billy Bob Snopark. We lucked out and the first 8 miles had just been groomed. The final 3 up to the lookout were mostly breaking trail as 6-8 inches of snow had fallen overnight! This was a huge undertaking and took us 6hrs to ski from start to finish. We started at 10:30am and got to the LO at 4:30pm. The lock was frozen shut which took a few minutes to troubleshoot, but we got it. The hatch was iced over thick and we had to get a piece of firewood to push against it and break it free. We stayed for 3 nights and have everything from snow to heavy rain, to freezing rain, to sun by the end! Everything in the LO works well, even has inside solar lights! The propane regulator does freeze easily so we had to warm it up to get the oven/stove going. The wood stove is old and is a bit finicky, but with the right damper position and door position we were able to keep it about 65-70 degrees inside, toasty! It gets a lot of downdrafts and spits smoke into the cabin the whole time, so we cracked a window most of the stay (we ran into the FS on the ski down and mentioned this). A majority of the wood in the shed is also pretty green which contributes to the problems getting the fire going. Overall this was a fun stay with great views! We will be back! It is a major undertaking, especially if the snow or weather is not perfect, so keep that in mind. *Also of note, as a courtesy to those coming after you please leave enough burnable wood for a nighttime fire. Arrival will likely be near dark in the freezing cold and high winds. We were left with zero wood that we could make a fire with (massive logs, no kindling at all) and we had to split wood after an entire day in the cold before we could attempt to make a fire.*

This was our first time actually staying here, the previous visits were during the summer. This time of year we made the long roughly 11 mile (several signs along the way contradict each other as far as distance goes...) xc ski in from Billy Bob Snopark. We lucked out and the first 8 miles had just been groomed. The final 3 up to the lookout were mostly breaking trail as 6-8 inches of snow had fallen overnight! This was a huge undertaking and took us 6hrs to ski from start to finish. We started at 10:30am and got to the LO at 4:30pm. The lock was frozen shut which took a few minutes to troubleshoot, but we got it. The hatch was iced over thick and we had to get a piece of firewood to push against it and break it free. We stayed for 3 nights and have everything from snow to heavy rain, to freezing rain, to sun by the end! Everything in the LO works well, even has inside solar lights! The propane regulator does freeze easily so we had to warm it up to get the oven/stove going. The wood stove is old and is a bit finicky, but with the right damper position and door position we were able to keep it about 65-70 degrees inside, toasty! It gets a lot of downdrafts and spits smoke into the cabin the whole time, so we cracked a window most of the stay (we ran into the FS on the ski down and mentioned this). A majority of the wood in the shed is also pretty green which contributes to the problems getting the fire going. Overall this was a fun stay with great views! We will be back! It is a major undertaking, especially if the snow or weather is not perfect, so keep that in mind. *Also of note, as a courtesy to those coming after you please leave enough burnable wood for a nighttime fire. Arrival will likely be near dark in the freezing cold and high winds. We were left with zero wood that we could make a fire with (massive logs, no kindling at all) and we had to split wood after an entire day in the cold before we could attempt to make a fire.*