The 14 x 24 foot cedar cabin was built to honor John Caouette, a longtime Juneau resident who passed away in 2010.
Caouette was an avid skater and hockey player, and Twin Lakes was one of his favorite places to lace up the skates. Friends and family raised the funds and donated time and labor to build the shelter, located on the southern end of Twin Lakes just after you turn in to the parking lot.
Caouette’s mother, Mary Gorzycki, and widow, Rebecca Braun, were among those who spoke at the dedication. Several friends and family members from his home state of Minnesota made the trip to Juneau for the event.
Caouette died in an accidental fall in Minneapolis while visiting family in October 2010. He was just 46 years old.
He moved to Juneau in the early ’90s to work for the U.S. Forest Service. He later worked as a research scientist for the Nature Conservancy, where his studies of the Tongass National Forest were described as “cutting edge” by colleagues.