Jacquslins Hooper
- Contributing Writer -
“TF you are one of
those hale and hearty..:
individuals who hike —
up Black Mountain in
- Cypress Bowl over
» West Vancouver ona —
hot, sticky day, you'll.
have swum in Cabin
* Lake'to'cool off. °

# Cabin Lake is: just. below

‘the.top.of the mountain.’
hot: too cold-and with firm

helving underfoot unlike «

“most mountain tarns; a

- delightful place to swim ins
the summer, and to wonder,
as many ‘other hikers have,:
why called Cabin Lake? ~
Vell; there was a cabin on
the edge of the lake in the

1960s and 1970s, an attrac-

“tive one-sturey-and-loft little

building, whose framing. was
; flown to the site by heli-
opter from North |
Vancouver, built by Reto =.
Schmidt, a ski instructor...
from ‘Switzerland. And
‘therein hangs a tale.

Ss He built the cabin for.
Alpine Outdoor Recreation -
Resources Ltd: later also
known as Vallcy. Royal «

Home Hardware

NORTH...
VANCOUVER

: Developments Ltd. The

conipanies were formed by a

_” group of dreamers urged on -
” by Chuck Eadie, a ‘

~ Vancouver businessman who
: first saw Black Mountain

and the whole of Cypress”
Bowl as a world-class winter
and summer resort, like
Squaw Valley. Other players.
included president Earl

.Pletsch, well-known local.

skier, vice-president George
Reifel and Secretary Chuck
Wills. Arno Manning and .
Fred Dietrich were'also

- members.

Here was untouched *

” Crown land in 3,100-foot
Cypress Bow] with magnifi-_

cent views of the city, the

forest, a stcing of little lakes; .

nestled amid Black, Strachan
and Hollyburn mountains —
and ripe for development.

Alpine Outdoor
Recreation Resources fore-
saw a hotel, swimming,
pools, a golf course, acrial
tramway to the Bow! from
West Vancouver with a gon-
dola accommodating 50 pas-
sengers.

in 1969, the plans
included 978 single family
dwellings,:5,580 low-rise
units, 2,400 high-rise units,
45 acres of high density
commercial facilities and 37 |,
acres of low density com-
mercial facilities. Add to this
T-bars, lift chairs on Mt.
Strachan and Black
Mountain and you get the -
picture.

While these plans were
being formulated, the major
players scooted up to Cabin
Lake and partied in the *
cabin. First announced in

* 1963, in 1964 the develop-
. ment group went to West

Vancouver municipal council
with what was then a $10-

‘, million proposal. Most of
“the 10,000-acre tract lay.

within West Vancouver
municipality. On June ll:

See more page SO

“VANCOUVER
~ Home Hardware
1750 Marine Drive

CLYDE MITCHELL, ConDUCTOR

"Sunday, December 17, 2:30pm .

West Vancouver. United Church
a

Friday December. ‘2, 7:30pm
_ Centennial Theatre

Tickets: 984-4484 or at the door.
Adults $22.00, Studenis/Seniors $77.60

1329 Lonsdale _

(604) 922-413
(604) 988-0838 Poa