By David Fisher, communications intern, University of Utah Marketing and Communications
Originally built in the 1960s, DeMars Lodge was intended for use by the University of Utah Faculty Club. The cabin is named for U professor Ted DeMars who was instrumental in planning and building the cabin. Located in beautiful Wolf Creek Pass next to the South Fork of the Provo River, on land donated to the faculty club by the Clyde family, this cabin is the ultimate escape from the city.
“I have fond memories of group hikes, fishing, barbecues, outside games and children playing in the field,” said John Burton, emeritus professor and member of the Faculty Club who spent time at the cabin in the 1980s.
Approaching its 40th anniversary, DeMars Lodge was starting to deteriorate.
“It was beginning to look more like a haunted house than a retreat home,” said Judith Warner, president elect and past president of the Faculty Club.
The Faculty Club approached Facility Operations about doing a few repairs to the cabin.
“What was initially intended to be only a few repairs ended up as a full remodel,” said Nate Miles, construction manager for Facility Operations. “We needed to bring the cabin back to code, modernize the entire building and fix all of the damage that rodents did behind the paneling of the building.”
The remodel of the cabin started in the summer of 2015 and the cabin is scheduled to open this month. The cabin will be available to Faculty Club members for Faculty Club gatherings and for business or personal use by faculty, staff, departments, students and campus groups.
Some new features include:
- Open floor plan to accommodate larger groups
- New windows and insulation to keep insects out
- Remodeled bathrooms with new fixtures
- Energy-efficient LED lighting
- A new fence and outdoor area for camp fires
For more information or to reserve the cabin, contact Perry Hacker at the University of Utah Guest House at phacker@guesthouse.utah.edu or call 801-587-1010.