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March, 2024

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BC cabin

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SPskier543
Posts: 2413 - Karma: 324
is it legal to build a small cabin in the backcountry of Utah or colorado? I saw one when skiing in the backcountry between the canyons and park city when I lived in Utah and it seems like an awesome way to live. I'm sure people do it alot, but I'm just wondering if it's legal to.
Feb 24 2011 10:28PM
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B-runge
Posts: 16558 - Karma: 360
highly highly doubt it's legal
but who is going to be patrolling the bc in the winter telling people not to live there?
Feb 24 2011 10:29PM
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SPskier543
Posts: 2413 - Karma: 324
Forest patrol in the summer possibly? That's when I would built it so they could probably stop me. I just think a small cabin in the backcountry somewhere that I can skin or ski to and stay for a few nights while skiing mad pow would be awesome
Feb 24 2011 10:32PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,012
gotta own the land or you're fucked
Feb 24 2011 10:47PM
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pomme-de-terre
Posts: 3915 - Karma: 703
there was article in either freeskier or powder magazine about illegally built BC shredshacks. the main one they featured was doper than fucking coke and totally not allowed to be there.
Feb 24 2011 11:25PM
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SPskier543
Posts: 2413 - Karma: 324
I think I remember reading that in powder. The one I saw between PC and the canyons I highly doubt is legal. It's under a grove of pine trees and you can barely see it. It's pretty sick though.
Feb 24 2011 11:27PM
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-Mugatu
Posts: 2579 - Karma: 84
A man without land is nothing.
Feb 24 2011 11:31PM
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daskis
Posts: 1828 - Karma: 356
So much want.

It is illegal, but I'm sure you could buy a teeny bit of land... maybe.
Feb 24 2011 11:33PM
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skichicky3
Posts: 2593 - Karma: 64
If you occupy land for 7 years it becomes yours.
Feb 24 2011 11:34PM
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SPskier543
Posts: 2413 - Karma: 324
This may be true, but there's probably a bunch of limitations to it. There's no way you could say you occupied 60 acres of perfect mountain land for 7 years and get away with getting it for free. Most of the BC stuff in CO and UT is either state or federal land I think, or forestry land.
Feb 24 2011 11:38PM
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timmi
Posts: 12874 - Karma: 3,460
that issue was years old and still sits by my toilet
Feb 25 2011 12:19AM
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Troy.
Posts: 5070 - Karma: 12,545
Are you talking about the ones off of Guardsmans pass? But idk, but threads for some developments on this subject.
Feb 25 2011 12:34AM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,462
I want!

Feb 25 2011 12:37AM
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vailsux.com
Posts: 1769 - Karma: 440
Good luck building anything in the wasatch and keeping it a secret. You would even be hard pressed to keep something like that secret in the Uintas. The only place you could just build something in Utah and no one would know is all south of I-70 and east of I-15. But you could go a head and try, if you just built a small bungalo you could probably hide it pretty well or just stay in the numerous cabins strewn across the wasatch. Hell there are two right above layton you can stay in whenever you want, us locals keep it pretty well stocked with propane.

I suggest you read "Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties" by Danial C. Beard before pulling any shananagans. Your mind will be blown.

Feb 25 2011 12:50AM
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Z-Juice
Posts: 3151 - Karma: 1,504
I have no idea if it's legal, but would you really want to live there? Staying for like 2 or 3 weeks would be more than enough for me
Feb 25 2011 1:04AM
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JIBpsy^^
Posts: 2851 - Karma: 36

Pot Shacks are regulary built in Breck. They Often have waterproof roofs and windproof walls. I wouldnt want to sleep in one but they look relativley easy to build.

Feb 25 2011 1:17AM
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JIBpsy^^
Posts: 2851 - Karma: 36
Also if your in CO try to use beetle killed trees to build your cabin. That way you dont feel bad about chopping down alive trees. ECO SMART FTW
Feb 25 2011 1:21AM
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jorb.co
Posts: 2581 - Karma: 468
words can not describe how awesome that would be.
Feb 25 2011 1:38AM
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gnarles.
Posts: 2587 - Karma: 130
you would get so cold
Feb 25 2011 1:52AM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21061 - Karma: 8,366
Yes, you can definitely do this if you go about it right.

The 7 year thing isn't true though. it's based off of the homestead act, which is an outdated settlement policy from the days of manifest destiny which said you could gain rights to land if you cultivated it for 5 years or you could purchase it outright after 6 months.


Nowadays though, under the General Hardrock Mining Law, all youwould have to do is claim (with no proof) that you found minerals on public land and you can gain rights to build a house on that land as long as you spend $100 in work there. That could include something as simple as spending $100 in gas to drive there and back. New claims for this haven't really int he past 10 years or so but you can buy old claims.
Feb 25 2011 4:33AM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21061 - Karma: 8,366
haven't really been granted in the past
Feb 25 2011 4:35AM
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.frenchy
Posts: 18212 - Karma: 12,257
was it a smoke shack? haha
Feb 25 2011 6:06AM
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