Michael:

Those situations are one of the reasons for trials and Judges.

Sometimes the owner, the "locals", or the areas Police may not be understanding or totally accepting of the scenario.

If Joe has a criminal record for "breaking and entering", then it is going to be an extremely different matter. Even if Joe was snowed in, it could be argued that he used the situation as an excuse to plunder nearby cabins and the only reason he was caught was because of the security system in the first cabin he broke into. The fact that he broke in because "he was looking for a working telephone" would not be very pursuasive if there were no telephone lines going to the cabin which anyone could see was the case from outside the cabin. If there were no telephone lines going to the cabin, I would charge Joe and let the Judge and jury figure it out.

One more good reason to stay "clean" of criminal activity.

Bountyhunter