Article originally written in 2012 and then updated in 2025 by Cyril Shokoples.
The Disaster Point Hut cover photo taken by Don Campbell, courtesy of Barbara Campbell.In the mid 1970s, I attended the ACC Edmonton Section’s “Summer in the Mountains” course, which included a series of weekend outings to Jasper National Park. A large group of ACC instructors and students used the Disaster Point Hut as a stepping-off point for our forays on rock, snow, and ice. Most participants chose to stay in tents or the veranda of the hut in preference to doing battle with the resident packrats, who had by this time laid claim to the building as is their way with structures that are not permanently occupied. Of course, at the time I had little idea that the quaint green building – which had been known for so long as the ACC’s “little clubhouse of the north” – had such an interesting history. That early visit was the first of many occasions on which I stayed at the derelict but somehow beautiful old hut. For me, it began a long-standing interest in the rock climbing to be found in the small “hidden valley” just behind the hut.
Long time members of the Alpine Club of Canada may have known the hut by the name Pocahontas. In this article most instances of this name have been changed to “Disaster Point” except where it was retained for historical accuracy. Please see the end of this article for a discussion of why use of this inappropriate older name has been discontinued (apart from a handful of references pertaining to the mining town).
In Jasper National Park, just west of the Miette Warden station, about one-hundred meters southwest of the current paved parking lot for the rock-climbing venue known as Hidden Valley, lies a small dirt turnout. There, just off the road, you can still find a small plaque now being overgrown by a clump of aspen trees. It marks the spot where the office of the Fitzhugh Lime and Stone Company quarry stood from 1911 to 1914. It was during this period, in the years leading up to the First World War, the small mining town of Pocahontas (sic) sprung up.
Wikipedia provides the following historical notes that help bring into focus the evolution of the area (Jasper’s townsite, Jasper Park, the railways and the highways) in the days that pre-date the ACC taking possession of what was to become the Disaster Point Hut:
Jasper National Park was established in 1907. The railway siding at the location of the future townsite (Jasper) was established by Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1911 and originally named Fitzhugh after a Grand Trunk vice president. The Canadian Northern Railway also began service to Fitzhugh in 1912. The townsite was surveyed in 1913 by H. Matheson, and subsequently renamed Jasper after the former fur trade post. By 1931, Jasper was accessible by road from Edmonton, and in 1940 the scenic Icefields Parkway opened, connecting Banff and Jasper.
As for the evolution of the mining town of Pocahontas (sic), the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives website sums up events as follows:
Pocahontas (sic) was the company town for Jasper Park Collieries (1910-1921) named for a successful coal mine in Virginia. The first official claim was made in 1908. Work started on the coal mine in 1910. By the time the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway arrived in Pocahontas (sic) (1911) they were ready to load coal. In addition to the mine-related buildings the town had a post office, store, hotel, RCMP post, train station, pool hall and restaurant. They even had a playing field and tennis court. The mine closed in 1921 and the community dispersed.
Not too far from town was the Miette Hot Springs. The first pool at the hot springs was a log structure built by miners (1919). In 1938 a new building and pool were constructed. At this time a road to the site was also completed. Previously the only access was on horseback. The 1938 pool was replaced in 1986 with the structure that is in use today.
The Fitzhugh Lime and Stone Co. was formed with a headquarters in Edmonton in about 1911. The railway put a siding in, in 1912 or 1913. At the outbreak of war in 1914, one car of lime was dumped where it was and the men took off to join up. The Alpine hut was the home of the Plant Manager. It was the only building connected with the site, which was still standing in 1969.
Helen Burns, Cyril Wates’ wife, succinctly describes the early history of the hut in the 1940 Canadian Alpine Journal as follows:
It all began during a Labor Day weekend four years ago (1935). The active members of the Edmonton Section had made a plot to take a group of our section associates up to Pocahontas (sic) and show them some real climbing. The Skipper (Major Rex Gibson) had told us about Roche Miette, the great rock tower which marks the northern gateway to Jasper Park. He told us how he failed to reach the summit in 1919 and made some excuse involving a train he had to catch but knowing the Skipper we accepted that story with our tongues in our cheeks!
So, nineteen of us started for Miette that Saturday afternoon. In those high and far off times the Jasper highway was still “under construction” and what with long delays while our cars were hauled through gumbo by tractors, and what with Rex Gibson dropping the battery out of his car and sailing on blissfully without it; and what with Lil Chapman picking up the truant battery and bringing it back to its master; yes, in spite and because of these and sundry other adventures it was the wee small hours of Sunday morning before we reached our camp site at the spot where the mining town of Pocahontas (sic) once stood.
… We returned to Edmonton on Monday with two things we had not taken with us: a group of budding “actives” and a firm resolve that we would have a section hut somewhere near the foot of Roche Miette. Most of those budding actives have long since burst into full bloom, and the section hut which was nothing but a dream has awakened into reality as a Club hut far more pretentious than anything we had pictured—a centre of activity which fully justifies the affectionate title, “The Little Club House in the North.”
The first question was money, and a modest building fund was not long in materializing. The second was a site. Fortune was with us and the ideal site was found, but thereby hangs a tale. Back in the big, bad boom days before the first Great War, when the tracks of the Grand Trunk Pacific occupied the roadbed which is now the Jasper highway, two young men (George Brown and H.H. Needham) started a limekiln just north of Disaster Point, which is the end of the great buttress running down to Athabaska (sic) river from Roche Miette. The brothers erected a substantial stone dwelling house near their kiln, put in a spur line to the railway and settled down to make their fortunes. Then came the war. The brothers dumped the lime from the flat cars, where it still lies in a huge heap to attract the mountain sheep from many miles around. The railway tracks were torn up and sent to France, where the two brothers followed them. The stone house was deserted and the peace of the primitive wilderness settled back once more upon Disaster Point.
The years passed. Pack rats made their home in the silent rafters. An occasional hobo tore up planks from the floor to build his fire. But the two brothers had built well, and the four stone walls stood four-square to the winds until, two decades later, we found the old house and recognized it as the much-desired nucleus of our Disaster Point hut.
Then followed prolonged negotiations with the Dominion Government. At last, through the generous cooperation of the Hon. J. A. McKinnon, the site was ours, together with the building “as is.” Our ambitions were modest: a new floor, new doors and windows, needed repairs to the walls where frost had loosened the limestone blocks. The Skipper made plans, Dr. Bulyea produced an oil painting of the finished hut, we were confident that with plenty of volunteer labor our section home would be ready for occupation by the end of the next summer. But now we struck a snag. This was the year of the Columbia Icefield camp, and every member of the section was going to camp or bust!
However, we did succeed in getting together a little work party, and then followed ten days of strenuous labor compared with which the ascent of Mt. Columbia was a mere summer picnic. The Skipper, who was engineer in charge, had insisted on one thing “strict union hours,” and we obeyed his ruling; we worked eight hours in the morning and eight in the afternoon and evening! Our only relaxation was the occasional dip in the newly opened Hot Springs.
At the end of ten days we left for Edmonton with a long-drawn sigh of relief. The hut was not finished, but at least it was habitable. The party who visited it on the following Labor Day admitted as much with a certain restrained enthusiasm, but—. Sadly we came to the conclusion that the section had bitten off more than it could chew. Funds were exhausted, and the hut was far from finished. What should we do? The Skipper came to our rescue with a suggestion.
…At about the same time that the two brothers abandoned their lime kiln, Charles Robert Cross of Boston, U.S.A., bequeathed to the Club the sum of one thousand dollars in memory of his son, C. R. Cross Jr. who lost his life in the early days of the war. There was a proviso in Mr. Cross’ will to the effect that the money was to be used for the benefit of the Club “and especially of the Edmonton section.” The money was lying untouched. Here, perhaps, was the solution of our difficulty.
After long discussion, we decided to approach the executive of the Club with a suggestion. We proposed that the Cross Fund should be divided between the Disaster Point hut and the Stanley Mitchell hut, which also needed money; in return the section would turn the finished hut over to the Club to be used as a sort of Jasper Park Annex to the Club House. To our delight, the grant was approved, and a building committee was set up with the writer as chairman. Realizing that the Club would require something much more commodious than the simple one-room structure which now existed, we drew up new plans and went to work. We felt that we owed it to the Club to provide the best possible in the way of building and equipment, so for two years volunteer work parties spent every holiday weekend at Disaster Point. A group of five young men who were “handy with tools” were enlisted to do much of the carpentering work. The climax came in the summer of 1940 when Dr. Bulyea built with his own hands a stone fireplace which is a memorial to his son John, who was one of the original party during that exciting Labor Day trip which saw the beginning of the project.
… The original stone building forms the assembly room, where the activities of the day culminate around the great fireplace. In front is a wide verandah, forty feet in length, affording a wide view across the rushing Athabaska (sic) to a background of peaks, from Pyramid Mountain to Roche Ronde. On the north side is a spacious ladies’ sleeping porch, with screens and shutters, and on the south side a similar sleeping porch for men.
At the back of the building are two rooms, a kitchen and a ladies’ room, the latter opening into the sleeping porch. The hut is equipped with sixteen cots, but no bedding has been provided, as cars can be driven right to the door and members are expected to bring their own blankets. Provision has been made for the installation of four bunks in the attic, when more sleeping accommodation is needed. There are books and pictures and even a boat for use on nearby Talbot Lake, where fishing is reported to be good, but a boathouse is still a project for the future.
The name Disaster Point, which appears on government maps of Jasper Park, had its origin in an incident which happened to Sir Sandford Fleming seventy years ago. Fleming was exploring a possible route for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1872 when he traversed the slopes of Roche Miette on his way to the present site of Jasper. Principal Grant, who was acting as secretary to the expedition, describes the following event: “The Chief’s bag got a crush against a rock, and his flask that held a drop of brandy carefully preserved for the next plum pudding, was broken. It was hard, but on an expedition like this the most serious losses are taken calmly and soon forgotten.”
There has been some criticism of the use of the name in connection with a Club hut, but we are sure that when our members become familiar with the historic incident described above, this prejudice will disappear. At the time when the hut was still a section project, a vote was taken with the result that the members were almost unanimously in favor of retaining the name. We hope that the Club will agree with our viewpoint and that no disaster more serious than Fleming’s may ever take place at “The Little Club House in the North.”
Many prominent and active ACC members and visitors stayed at Disaster Point during its heyday, including Frank Smythe, Rex Gibson, Cyril Wates, Bob Hind, Jo Kato, and many more. It was not unusual for dozens of ACC members to camp in and around the hut during trips, camps, and courses.
The Disaster Point Hut is mentioned in several CAJ articles in 1950 and 1954 (first ascent of Mt. Chevron by Jo Kato, Vic & Mary Wilshire). In 1961, Eric Hopkins – an active Edmonton Section member involved in many climbs and first ascents based from the Disaster Point Hut – described numerous routes and first ascents on Roche à Perdrix, Roche Ronde, Morro Peak, and C2 ½ (CR5A). Eric passed away in 2006 at the age of ninety-six.
Numerous reports from the Edmonton Section mentioned the Disaster Point Hut in the ACC Gazette until 1962, after which the hut receives little mention in the club’s publications. By 1973, the hut had fallen into disrepair, and the ACC Huts Committee was considering upgrading, replacing, or even relocating the hut. George Stefanick submitted a report to the Edmonton Section Executive highlighting the need for extensive work.
Stefanick then entered into correspondence with Jasper National Park itself, specifically with Superintendent Rory Flanagan, regarding the future of the hut. Flanagan’s response, in a letter to Stefanick dated May 9, 1973, was anything but encouraging:
I have been much concerned about that building, its location, its use, and, in particular, its condition. Even more so, I have been concerned about its presence not only on a major transcontinental highway, but also in a national park at all.
In view of the cabin’s location, condition, and very obvious contravention to National Parks policy… I am opposed to recommending a further renewal of the license of occupation. Again, while I very much appreciate the sentimental attachment of the Alpine Club of Canada to this site, I really feel it would be better advised to divert its funds to buildings and improvements in the high country in connection with the true and demanding activities of the Club.
In the following few years, the future became increasing bleak and stormy for the Disaster Point Hut and to some degree, for all ACC huts for that matter. By 1976 Parks Canada was considering removing all huts from national parks. The license of occupation was to expire in 1978 and the Edmonton Section itself was divided regarding what to do with place. Dark clouds were indeed gathering.
As an aside, around the same time Parks Canada was also considering the removal of youth hostels from the Icefields Parkway. The youth hostel in Elk Island National Park was flattened by the park because the Canadian Youth Hostel Association lacked the funds to remove the buildings. So, the outlook was grim for huts and hostels throughout the parks system.
In September 1976, W.C. Turnbull, Director of Western Region, Parks Canada, wrote to the ACC’s President, an Edmontonian named John Tewnion, suggesting that the ACC should consider “integrating your ‘hut’ into a larger complex that would serve the needs of a variety of people who have in common a basic requirement for low-cost accommodation other than campgrounds and outlying hostels.” The idea proposed was to develop a modern hostel-style facility in Jasper townsite with the Canadian Youth Hostel Association (now Hostelling International) with the ACC collaborating to make this happen.
After much deliberation, the ACC dropped the townsite hostel idea and decided instead to concentrate on finding a way to erect a suitable facility near Miette Junction. A bit of breathing room was obtained when the occupation license was extended to 1981. But, as time passed, it became obvious that rebuilding at the original site was unlikely or impossible – efforts shifted to focus on a proposed new site along the Miette Hot Springs Road. In March 1979, the ACC received approval in principle for building a hostel not far from the current Miette Hot Springs Bungalows. The Edmonton Section was tasked with developing a plan for the future facility.
In April 1981 JNP Superintendent Flanagan wrote to Len Gottselig, the Chair of the ACC Huts Committee, informing him of the imminent removal of the outer structure of the Disaster Point Hut with a plan to retain the inner historic stone structure. A license of occupation for the new site was obtained but it contained a number of stipulations, including that “the Licensee will permit any potential hosteller… to use the facility on a first come first serve basis, as long as the hostel is open and has space.”
According to ACC members Herb and Pat Kariel, from their useful Alpine Huts in the Rockies, Selkirks and Purcells (1986):
In September 1982, the Edmonton Section raised about $30,000 by holding a casino; together with other funds on hand, a total of $37,000 was available. Architect Tony Eng drew up a plan for a building of approximately 130 m2, at an estimated cost of $44,200, using much volunteer labour. It was hoped that… construction would commence in 1983.
Unfortunately, building could not commence as planned, since the ACC discovered belatedly that no water was readily available on the site (a well drilled to a depth of 55m was dry), and Parks Canada would not agree to the temporary use of water from the adjoining motel. Although Jasper National Park personnel had known about the lack of water, they had apparently failed to communicate this information to the regional office.
There was considerable haggling over both management and construction details, with apparent failure of communication between the ACC and Parks Canada. To clarify the situation, the ACC met with Parks Canada representatives in Jasper on October 28, 1983. A major problem was that Parks Canada wanted a higher-caliber facility than the ACC felt was required, plus a full-time custodian; this was resolved. Construction details were also agreed upon. Although minutes were kept, ten months later this verbal agreement was repudiated by Parks Canada. The Ottawa office insisted that there must be showers, flush toilets and at least 6 m2 of space per person, which would allow for only 9 occupants in the hut as planned.
Finally, after much indecision, the Edmonton Section recommended to the ACC Board of Management in 1985 that no hut be built near the highway, but that the money be spent instead for high-altitude shelters… This course of action was supported by Willi Pfisterer, Jasper National Park Alpine Specialist, who felt it was the proper role for the ACC.
Jasper National Park planned to retain the hut (original stone building only) as a historic site. During the summer of 1984, they removed the wooden structure, which had been added, retaining the masonry and fireplace, without a roof, and planning to place a plaque on the site commemorating the cabin. In 1985, however, some employees thought the walls were too unstable and dangerous, so they pushed them over with a bulldozer, leaving only a pile of rubble and bringing an inglorious end to that cozy “clubhouse in the north.”
Eventually all the remaining stones were removed, and the surrounding vegetation was allowed to encroach on the old site on which the hut and the original stone structure stood.
Should you find yourself stopping to sample the hiking and rock climbing in Hidden Valley, take the time to ponder the Alpine Club Edmonton Section’s wonderful history in this place. We are far from the first to explore this area for its beauty and readily accessible climbing.
The pile of lime, mentioned by Helen Burns, still exists and the site of the kiln is a visible cut into the limestone just across the pond from where you park. Wander down the road and visit the plaque – it celebrates not only the century old history of the Fitzhugh Lime and Stone Company, but the decades of hikers, climbers and Edmontonians enjoying the ACC’s Disaster Point Hut.
The following discussion of historical names in the area is taken directly from the Jasper National Park website:
The power of words
Jasper National Park
Renaming of Pocahontas Campground
The use of the name Pocahontas is an example of systemic racism and misogyny within the historical naming of places. Beginning in 2020, representatives from the Jasper Indigenous Forum and Jasper National Park began working to change this.
An advisory group of the Jasper Indigenous Forum have been working collaboratively with Parks Canada to find an appropriate name for the former Pocahontas Campground. The Advisory Group and Parks Canada announced the selection of “Miette” as an interim name in the ongoing process to find an acceptable, permanent campground name that properly honours Indigenous cultures and connections to Jasper National Park.
As an interim measure, the name Miette will appear on all signage, correspondence and reservations, and will also be reflected in the name of the area’s warden cabin and hiking trail.
Why change the name?
While current park sites are named due to their proximity to the historical Pocahontas coal mine, the use of the name “Pocahontas” is problematic for several reasons:
- “Pocahontas” is sometimes used as a racial slur.
- Pocahontas, as a notable historical figure, bears no direct connection with Jasper National Park or its Indigenous peoples.
- The original naming of the site was done at a time when concerns about appropriation and racism were not considered.
- The narratives of Pocahontas are complex and meaningful; appropriation of this name reflects many problematic aspects of colonialism, violence against women, and racism.
- Visitors to the park are provided little-to-no context for the naming of the site and are likely to casually infer connections to popular American narratives of Pocahontas.
For these reasons, the name “Pocahontas” can be seen as an explicit and overt remnant of systemic racism, and an inappropriate name for Parks Canada sites.
