Photo by Jenny Neyman, Redoubt Reporter. Repairs near completion on the 70-plus-year-old Manitoba Cabin in the Summit Lake area of the Kenai Mountains earlier this month. Originally a mining cabin, the structure also has been a popular stopover for backcountry skiers, and now is available to rent through the Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Huts Association.

Hunt salvaged materials wherever he could — reapplying existing exterior siding, extending rafters by adding new wood where it wasn’t as obvious and using lengths of the old rafters where they would be seen. Salvaged materials — including old flooring planks stamped with “K D Co. Moose Pass” were used to make the doors, countertops and other indoor features. New windows were selected to mimic the look of the originals.

“We have some lumber inside that’s all salvaged. We haven’t bought much of this exterior stuff — it all came off of the structure and we reused it. Even those doors, I made them from some old wood we had on site. So we’re trying to reuse, regurgitate the building, take it apart, reassemble it and use as much of the old components and possible,” Hunt said.

“That’s the eco-friendly way of doing it. So there’s quite a bit of effort involved. And it isn’t that you’ll notice it that it’s done like it is. But if we didn’t do it that way it would be glaring. Nobody will notice it unless you realize what went into it, but if you did it the other way it would be an eyesore. It wouldn’t be in character of the old cabin,” he said.

via Hut, hut, hike or ski — Manitoba Cabin gets new lease on recreation life | The Mouth of The Kenai.