Vandals Significantly Damage Beloved Oregon Ski Cabin

Vandals damaged a cabin at Gold Lake Sno-Park, Oregon, which serves Nordic skiers and other backcountry users along Willamette Pass, prompting an investigation led by local officials.

The training director of the Willamette Backcountry Ski Patrol (WBSP), Jamie Sullivan, said in a social media post that on September 7, she and her friends saw a “suspicious” car parked past the entrance on the right side of the building. They spotted a person sleeping inside the car and left immediately afterward, citing safety concerns, but not before noticing “damage to the shutters, debris pulled out of the wood shed, and other items strewn about,” Sullivan said.

On a return trip, Sullivan said what they found was “heartbreaking.” 

“Our custom windows, shutters, the handmade LED lights, desk, drying rack, stove pipe, framed maps, electrical wiring, radio antenna lines, and built in cabinetry; was all ripped out and heavily damaged,” she wrote. 

Sullivan said she was “beyond saddened and mad” that someone would do “such a horrible thing” to the cabin. 

The necessary repairs present a challenge for the cabin’s planned opening date of November 28, KVAL13 reported. While the public can’t directly help due to liability reasons, donations can be made at this link.

Sullivan also noted that a private donor is willing to help with much of the wiring and woodwork.

The Gold Lake Patrol Cabin sits inside the Gold Lake Sno-Park, a backcountry area and network of Nordic trails near but separate from Willamette Pass Ski Area. 

WBSP volunteers staff the cabin, using it as a base for SAR missions and providing information to visitors. Built in 1986 by U.S. Forest Service volunteers, with support from WBSP Volunteers and the Marine Reserves, the 20-by-30-foot log structure is also a place where people can warm up. The WBSP maintains the cabin alongside the Willamette National Forest.

The latest vandalism incident at the cabin is the third and most serious, and it left the cabin unusable, necessitating a quick fix. This fall, the patrollers are now working to get it ready for the winter season with some help from the Forest Service.

An investigation is underway, led by the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Forest Service. 

While a motive wasn’t confirmed when the Salem Statesman Journal first reported on the break-in earlier this month, the outlet did note that local contractors suspected the culprits were looking for copper wiring, a common target for thieves. Earlier this year, around 60 streetlights on Portland’s I-84 got knocked out when thieves attempted to make off with their wiring.

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