Park Service outlines options for Sperry Chalet future

Glacier National Park officials Wednesday night unveiled four possible options for rebuilding the historic backcountry Sperry Chalet. The main dormitory of the chalet complex was gutted by the Sprague Fire on Aug. 31. All that remains is the masonry shell of the 105-year-old building and internal mason chimneys.

The options for the future of the chalet’s next 100 years, outlined at a public meeting at Flathead Valley Community College in front of a large crowd include:

- Restore the dormitory to as “close to as it was” reflecting its period of significance (1914-1949). This approach would provide for some critical updates to current building codes and improve life safety, the Park notes. The visitor experience would be very similar to what it has been for decades. The old walls that separated the rooms, however, were in no way soundproof and guests had could hear conversations in adjacent rooms, among other things.

- Restore the dormitory “in place, but modernized” using as much of the historic fabric as possible. The Park Service said this approach would provide the best opportunity to ensure the chalet’s use is well-suited for a visitor experience for the next 100 years. This would include code upgrades, insulation between interior walls and some additional engineering and design work.

- Construct an entirely new structure, complementing the historic landscape, in a slightly different location to avoid recent avalanche activity. This alternative would also stabilize the remaining walls and provide visitor interpretation of the original structure, The Park Service notes.

- A different approach would not rebuild the chalet at all, but provide guests with lodging in wall tents or yurts that would be removed each season. This sort of backcountry lodging was available to guests in the Park’s early history, Park officials noted. The remaining walls of the dormitory would be stabilized and visitor interpretation of the original structure as a ruin would be provided.

Glacier Park Superintendent Jeff Mow said current ballpark estimates for a rebuild run from $7 million to $12 million. He and deputy Superintendent Eric Smith noted that the Park Service is still early in the process and there’s some key considerations to all the alternatives going forward. Foremost, the walls have to survive this winter and next. The Glacier National Park Conservancy quickly raised funds to stabilize the structure, but with the snowpack well above average, the threat of an avalanche between now summer is real. The chalet was last struck and damaged by an avalanche in 2011 and was also hit by an avalanche in 2014.

There’s questions about the mortar holding the stones together. Preliminary indications are that it weathered the fire fairly well, but more thorough testing will be done this summer to see whether the stone walls can be used as part of the structure itself, or simply as a facade,

Having said that, the project is on a fast track by Park Service standards. They’ve entered a $350,000 contract with Anderson Hallas architects of Colorado for schematic designs of the alternatives. The Park will hold another public meeting to showcase those designs in a couple of weeks. The Park is also starting the environmental review of the rebuild. An environmental assessment should be completed by August and ready for public review by September, with a decision notice by December.

If all goes well, construction would start in 2019 and could run into 2020. The U.S. military could be helpful in the project — with units from Spokane interested in the project so they can practice hauling heavy loads by helicopter. Getting materials to the chalet is a big challenge, while balancing the needs of the surrounding wildlife and wilderness values, Smith and Mow noted.

This summer, the top priority is to get the Sperry Chalet Trail cleared and repaired where needed, Smith said. The Flathead Hot Shot crews have agreed to help the Park out, Smith said. There’s at least 1,000 trees down over the 6-plus mile long trail.

The Park Service has plans to staff the chalet area, to keep an eye on the remains and keep people off of it. But the dining hall will be closed and the concessions contract to operate the complex suspended. The Sperry campground will open and the Park has an Aug. 1 target date.

Concessionaire Belton Chalets Inc. — owned by the Luding family — has operated the complex for more than 50 years. Nine people were employed there, said Belton owner Kevin Warrington. He said the company will still operate Granite Park chalet this summer and it’s booked solid.

Warrington was looking forward to the future.

“That old stone building, she has a lot of life left in her,” he said. “I’ll be optimistic no matter what.”

Mow said he expects that a congressional appropriation would likely pay for rebuilding the bulk of the chalet. The complex also needs a water system upgrade. As climate change grips the Park, the chalet in recent years has either run out of water or come close. Last summer it was a couple of weeks away from running out entirely.

Montana’s congressional delegation and Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke have all said they support rebuilding the structure.

People can read the full scoping document and comment on the alternatives at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=78972