Bill Putnam Hut
| Bill Putnam (Fairy Meadow) hut | |
| alpine hut | |
 |
|
| Named for: William Putnam | |
| Country |  Canada |
|---|---|
| Province |  British Columbia |
| Region | Selkirk Mountains |
| Location | near Adamant Range |
| - elevation | 2,057 m (6,700 ft) |
| - coordinates | 51°45′48″N 117°52′36″W / 51.76333°N 117.87667°W |
| Built by | Alpine Club of Canada |
| Style | Log cabin |
| Material | Wood |
| Built in | 1965 |
| Governed by | British Columbia |
| Owned by | Alpine Club of Canada |
| For public | Reservations required |
| Easiest access | by helicopter |
| Capacity | 20 in summer/winter |
| Heating | Wood stove |
| Lighting & Cooking | Propane |
| Sleeping | Dormitory style |
| Drinking water | Creek |
| Human waste | Outhouse |
| GPS coordinates | NAD83 11U 0439386 5735331 |
| Map reference | 82N/13 (Sullivan River) |
| Grid reference | 394353 |
| Website: http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/facility/fairy.html | |
The Bill Putnam (Fairy Meadow) hut is an alpine hut located in the Adamant range of the Selkirk mountains in British Columbia. It is set on a knoll at the edge of a high mountain meadow and provides access to a great array of mountaineering objectives, but is best known for its spectacular skiing terrain. The hut is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada.Coordinates: 51°45′48″N 117°52′36″W / 51.76333°N 117.87667°W
The hut was built by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) in 1965 as a project proposed and largely overseen by noted author and alpinist William Lowell Putnam III, who later became president of the American Alpine Club for several years and a long-term board member. In 1973 the hut was renovated and considerably enlarged, a project again largely funded and overseen by Putnam. Since then it has been twice renovated and partly rebuilt. The ACC has held its annual General Mountaineering Camp in the Fairy Meadow area four times since 1981, although the hut was not used for the GMC because it is too small to accommodate all the participants.
Bill Putnam spearheaded the construction of three mountain huts now operated by the Alpine Club of Canada. The Fairy Meadow Hut was renamed the Bill Putnam Hut in 2002 to recognize his contribution. Putnam died on December 20, 2014 at age 90, leaving his legacy behind for Canadian mountaineers to enjoy.
Summer access to the hut is via an estimated 4-7 hour hike up Swan Creek, gaining roughly 1,500 meters in about 8 km, from a trailhead that begins following a drive of 65 km on a logging road along the banks of Lake Kinbasket a portion of the upper Columbia River. This road is sometimes washed out, and is at other times used by fast-moving logging trucks and so discussion with the forestry company, Evans Forest Products in Golden, British Columbia is advisable before starting out. Hiking time on Swan Creek will vary greatly, and may be influenced by significant avalanche debris, heavy brush and other difficulties. Because of this in summer, short helicopter approaches from the logging road are recommended for heavily laden parties to avoid a difficult bush thrash on the undeveloped trail up the creek.
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Wikipedia