A beloved local nordic hut was destroyed in a fire Thursday afternoon.

Enjoyed by cross-country skiers for the past 35 years, Harvey’s Hut now lays in ruin at its clearing along Copper and Dog trails about three kilometres from the ski chalet at Mount McIntyre.

A common destination among skiers old and young, Harvey’s Hut was often used as a meeting point or destination for younger or more inexperienced skiers.

Retired competitive cross-country skier Jenelle Greer recalled learning to ski on the Mount Mac trails.

“I skied my whole life up there,” she said this morning from Kelowna, B.C., where she attends school. “That’s where I learnt to ski.”

Greer’s parents would lay out a trail of gummy bears on the snow and she would shuffle along to each. If she made it to Harvey’s Hut, there would be an extra treat by way of weenie roast or hot chocolate.

Harvey’s Hut was often busy with families enjoying a fire or sweet treat in the shelter.

It was also a favourite for those out on a full-moon ski or New Year’s ski.

Kristenn Magnusson recalls spending a friend’s birthday out on the trails on a chilly mid-winter night. They all met at the hut for refreshments and to warm up before heading back out on the mountain.

“It was a nice way to gather,” she said. “It’s sadly missed.”

Bill Curtis, the Whitehorse Cross-Country Ski Club’s president, was out on his road bike yesterday when he heard the news.

This morning, he and members of the ski club’s board met to discuss what to do next.

They discussed how to harness the energy being shown by the community to support the club in a new building.

He said they were looking at a few different options: building the hut again this year, or building a temporary shelter this year and focusing on “getting it perfect next year.”

Among the considerations, how to fire-proof a future building.

He said that a design for another hut the club was looking at putting on the trails rang up to about $10,000, but that it is smaller in size.

This hut, he estimates, would cost anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000.

“We need to I think at least take some precautions of fireproofing a new hut so I don’t know what the incremental cost would be on that,” he said from the ski club at Mount Mac.

Fewer than 24 hours after the hut burned, the community is already responding.

“That part just really buoys me,”" said Curtis of the community support. “We sometimes wonder why we volunteer for these organizations and then you see everyone rallying together and it makes it all worth while.”

Curtis said he’s already received offers from local contractors.

Coast Mountain Sports has pledged to donate $1,000 to the rebuilding effort as well.

They will also be joining forces with Air North to offer a raffle package. The details are still coming together, but are expected to be ready in time for the Ski Swap on Oct. 15.

Mary-Jane Warshawski, a co-owner at Coast Mountain Sports, was in Victoria when she found out about the fire. An employee called her with the news.

“(She said) ‘hey, I’m up here and this is not good,’” said Warshawski. “We both said at the same time we should do something.

“I just know it’s really important to the club and the ski community and that’s why we stepped up.”

The hut had always been used, but in recent years, the ski club organized a Sunday ski event, which involved volunteers playing host at the hut.

They’d bake cookies at home, get the fire going in the hut and have hot chocolate and cookies for those that came by to say hi. Curtis estimates between 100 and 150 people would visit the hut on those days.

Over the next few days, plans will develop further and right now Curtis said their immediate concern is cleaning up the site to make sure it’s safe.

“We are going to rebuild,” he said. “There’s a lot of people rallying around to get this done.

“We want to harness that energy while we can.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Curtis said that the wood fireplace that usually resides there in the winter is taken out over the summer to try and alleviate vandalism attempts.

“At this point, we just have to move forward and prevent this from happening as best we can in the future,” he said.

If the community has anything to say in the matter, the new hut will be bigger and better than ever before.

“This community is going to rebuild,” said Magnusson. “I can't imagine the ski network without it and a lot of people in the community have the same feeling.”

The future hut will likely still be named for Bruce Harvey, the late trail steward, after whom the hut was named.

“It’s a point on the map but it’s so much more than that,” said Curtis. “It’s funny how a place becomes so iconic.”

A gofundme page was launched this afternoon and had raised $1,000 of its $10,000 goal in the first hour. Those interested in donating to the effort can at www.gofundme.com/2s2xyus.

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