To visit the backcountry hut of Colorado require a degree of planning. The 10th Mountain Division hut Association requires that you join up and enter their booking lottery in March almost 12 months before your winter trip. You need to give a list of huts and dates and you will not get you favourite huts. To find other Colorado backcountry huts needs research on the web. We managed to secure for the month if February 2008, 3 huts in the 10th Mountain system and 2 others in the San Juan Mountains in the south. The trip members were: Bill, Sue & Liam Filson, Det & Hemmi Voges form NSC plus Bob Lewin & Steve Rouse from the Newcastle Bushwalking club. Set out on January 31, returning March 28, 2008. We also were joined by and old US friends and their family for some of the later huts; Bill, Nancy and Anya Dowey.
I had heard some good reports about the Wolf Creek ski area in the San Juan Mountains and organised 3 days of XCD skiing, an Avalanche course and 2 days at a backcountry Yurt. This decision proved successful and we had 2 magnificent day skiing in “champagne power” at the Wolf Creek resort.
The resort was small but with good lifts and extensive trails. The $45 day pass was cheap and the Tuesday 1/2 price “Local’s Day” was a steal. We skied 2 days of incredible powder, our skis would disappear completely as we sank smoothly and gently into carved telemark turns on the steep slopes. At times the deep snow would come up to our waists and often cause us to stalling. The smoothness and satisfaction of these turns are memories I will keep.
On the end of the second day a huge avalanche closed the road back the our rented house near the town of Pagosa Springs, normally 20 minutes away. We were turned back at the pass and it took us another full night and a day to find a way around the mountain chains as all the passes were closed. This was the heaviest snow fall in 30 years. This force side trip took us on a very snowy 300 mile trip though northern New Mexico. We had spent a lot of research on the vehicles we should rent and this proved worthwhile as the two bright red 4WD Ford Expeditions were to save us many times. Det Voges had equipped us with all the necessary towing gear and we used this gear a number of times. When we arrived back at our rented house we needed all this equipment we had to get up our driveway and into our garage.
An avalanche course had been organised with the owner of the nearby Pass Creek Yurt. Sandy Kobrock of
http://wolfcreekbackcountry.com/ had 20 years of experience as an avalanche safety manager at Wolf Creek. Her partner was the current avalanche forecaster for the area. We had the theory segment of this excellent course at our rental house, the practical segments in local car parks and the terrain segment at the Yurt. This course gave us the skills to identify avalanche slopes, (thus to avoid them) and to quickly find buried skiers using the beacons features, wands and shovels plus efficient methods to dig them out. Anyone attempting backcountry hut trip in Colorado must carry avalanche shovels, wands and beacons and have avalanche safety skills. We pre-arranged the purchase of our avalanche gear as a package from Switchback Ski Shop in Pagosa Springs and sold all 7 sets at the end of our trip.
Finally the Wolf Creek Pass was opened after nearly 3 days of snow clearing work and we were able to ski into the Pass Creek Yurt. After assessing the group’s skill sets Bob and Hemmi volunteered to organise and purchase all our food to insure we were fed for the rest of the month. They produced many excellent lightweight and simple meals. The rest of us washed up dishes and stirred pots under close supervision.
The route was 4 miles and lead from the Wolf Creek Ski area, past the Albert Lake, though steep pine forests and over a pass to the Yurt. We arrived at the yurt at 5pm to find it completely covered with snow. We also realised that we had not remember the door lock code correctly (close was not good enough) and could get in the Yurt. After fiddling with the combination lock for some cold-fingered minutes we decided to take quick advantage of the 1 hour of daylight remaining and return to the car park. We got to the top of the pine forest when darkness was complete and we skied down the steep slopes with head torches and great care. An accident here would have been a major issue. Skiing across the lake to the road set us on the safe route home. We arrived at the car park in reasonable condition although Hemmi’s feet and hands were very numb.
Early the next day we were back at the Yurt and attacking the fresh, untouched, powder slopes above it. We climbed steeply above the Yurt with Sandy and a friend Shermond (who was the Avalanche forecaster for Red Mountain Pass) and they instructed us on avalanche slope measurement and risk assessment. At the end of this course I felt much more comfortable about skiing in these areas and overcame the feeling that “everywhere” was dangerous. Basically, all slopes that are as steep as black runs (or steeper) are to be avoided. This leaves plenty of good slopes to be enjoyed but the skier must still be alert to small snow roll-overs which can avalanche and easily bury a person. We had some wonderful skis back down form this top, working our way down between the aspen and pine trees in knee-deep powder. Most of us then wanted to relax and set up in the Yurt but Liam and Steve could not stand still and waste this beautiful snow and went back out on the slopes.
The Yurt was exceptionally comfortable that night. We followed the waste removal procedures and were impressed with the care that was taken to avoid any contamination of the pristine surroundings.
We were up early the next morning and climbed back up to the tops to get more powder runs. Reluctantly we left the Yurt at lunchtime to return to the vehicles and drive to the city of Durango for the night and then on to visit the Mesa Verde National Park for a welcome sightseeing diversion. Mesa Verde was a fascinating place of cliff dwellers and early human innovation.
Red Mountain Pass and St Paul Lodge ski hut was our next backcountry trip and we drove north from Durango up the 550 route for some 60 miles to the trailhead. The drive was spectacular as is climbed precarious snowy passes and descended into remote mining townships. The town of Silverton was a museum piece. At the top of the Red Mountain Pass we parked in a parking spot beside the road in a snow cut out with sides higher that the vehicles. We set out up the trail with beacons switched on and food for three days. This area had given me my greatest cause for concern as it was the most active avalanche location of all the huts we were to visit. The day was fine and the weather forecast was good so we pushed on up the steep trail to the Ski Hut.
On arriving at the hut, Chris George the owner was there to meet us. George was a man with a host of stories and experiences. The ski hut was a very old out-house from a main building. The main building is now called St Paul Lodge, which originally contained the mine head for the 800ft deep mine shaft (which is now beneath the lodge dining table). The lodge provides full board and slightly more comfort than the cheaper self catered Ski Hut. We bought one night’s meal from George and he cooked up and excellent lasagne and a desert tart - recommended.
The skiing around the huts was again exceptional. That afternoon some of us set out from the Hut at 11,400’ towards the 12804’ McMillan Peak to assess the climb planned for the next day and surprised ourselves as to how far we got up it. Liam and Steve got to the top.
The next day it was on for all and everyone was on top of McMillan Peak at lunchtime. These Red Mountain peaks are the central core of a huge ancient volcano and the old caldera can be seen as a circle of other 13,000 footers. The final assent to the summit was up a cornice hovering over a multi-thousand foot drop. “Most” of us pulled back from the edge and took a safer, but rockier, route up well behind the cornice.
The view down to the town of Silverton and the surrounding peaks was spectacular. We took many photos and tried to avoid the giant telecommunication structure on the top of the peak. We walked the decent back down to the first saddle and then skied on compacted powder for a mile or so distance. The snow got progressively better as we descended and finally we were skiing in exceptionally pleasant powder gullies. The mountain view of major peaks towering in front of us was a joy to behold. After a late lunch at the Ski Hut we returned to the slopes, some of us headed south up the US Basin for an easier tour, returning down a wonderful powdery creek gully. The US Basin is a valley where you could spend many days on reasonably safe slopes honing your telemark turns.
Our third day was an easier tour around the hills local to the huts. We were discovering that there were a number of other commercial huts in the area. After some enjoyable tree runs and we made our way back to the hut for our arrange meal with Chris George. He had three other US skiers in the Lodge and we had a very agreeable night with conversations covering politic and the environment. It is always encouraging to re-confirm that all backcountry skiers have compatible views of the world in spite of cultural differences.
On to our third Hut, the first of the 10th Division Huts, was to the Harry Gate Hut (yes Mr Microsoft Gates built this hut for the 10th Mountain Association to honour his Dad who was an outdoor’s man and also served in the army – a tenuous connection. It is a very good hut – thanks Bill G). On our way to Harry Gate we were first to do a sightseeing diversion to see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and then on to travel north to the meet the I70 interstate road at Grand Junction and visit the Colorado National Monument National Park. These were classic American features and could not be missed. There was heavy snow as we drove on the edges of high cliffs though these parks and we felt very secure in our big 4WD vehicles. These parks were spectacular and are another story.
From Grand Junction we drove the town of Basalt (near Aspen) and made an early start the next day to the trailhead up the Fryingpan River Valley. We broke into 2 groups here as we had to wait for our US friends.
The 2nd group left very late at 11am. The trail in was 6.75 miles and a 1,800’ climb. The trail was very steep with a reprieve along the Montgomery Flats. Our US friends suffered badly and we had not allowed for the fact that they had just arrived from Boston which is of course close to sea level. The trail became very steep again until we reached the 10,000’ ridge line. At this point darkness overtook us (yes again) but a new moon provided just enough light to see the trail and to continue (careful) skiing. The next day we skied local around the hut and took advantage of the large communal area in the hut to do a lot of talking. Liam and Steve again were frustrated and set of to Climb Burnt Mountain (11,178’). They returned with stories of great views and the best snow ever.
The next day we all set off early to climb Burnt Mountain. The route climbed up though pine forest and then opened up to clear snow fields and on to a rounded summit. The view was extensive with southern views to Mt Snowmass and Mt Massive (14,421’ - 2nd highest in Colorado) and eastern
views to nearby mountains of Avalanche Peak (12,792’) and Mt Savage (13,139’) and the route down to Telurium Park & Lakes. The temperature was very low and lunch was short. The main group returned taking a northern route off the mountain. A small group remained to ski multiple runs down the northern slopes on some excellent snow. Their route back was though the pine forest, picking a fast route between the trees and back to the hut.
On our last day most of us were fully occupied skiing back to the trailhead. Liam and Steve could not resist climbing Burnt Mountain for a third time to get the most out of the summit slopes. Their ski from the mountain top to the main trail was not what they had hoped for and they struggled down though steep and difficult dense forest.
Next we travelled to the village of Eagle on the I70 Interstate and skied one day at the Beaver Creek Ski area. We had a wonderful day skiing on excellent groomed snow. We met a group of local Telemarkers who insisted we meet them at the end of the day and share drinks. We arranged with them the sale of our avalanche equipment and accepted an offer to stay at a local home and have a guided ski at Vaile when we returned from our next hut trip. We accepted gladly.
We set off to the Jackel Hut trailhead and the famous Camp Hale where the 10th Mountain Division were trained in WW2. The trail up to Jackal was exceptionally steep and we struggled up 2,000’ arriving at the hut very tired. We stayed at this hut for 2 nights and, as it was already on the top of a mountain, we were able to do excellent skiing on some on the best some we had
found. Being able to returning to the hut for regular sustenance was a luxury. We shared the hut with a guided party and by coincidence the guide was same person we had met on a trip 3 years ago at another 10th Mountain Hut. On an (almost) clear starry night we were privileged to see the total eclipse of the moon and it was a great sight. Orion stood up straight in front of us with the Sword of Damocles at his side (the handle of the big dipper to us Oz folk). Our ski out on our last day, on a suggestion from the guide, we took a different, northern, route out. This turned out to be a very good choice giving us nice runs down powder filled gullies to excellent trails along the creek out to Camp Hale.
The next hut we were to go to was a the Section Hut at Breckenridge but we were advised by a number of people that this was not a good site and we elected to spend more time at Vaile. We met up with our new friend Jules (from our day at Beaver Creek) and she took us first to an old Gold Mining ghost town of Fulford for a day tour. The next day she took us to the Vaile Ski Area and guided us though this huge ski area to the Back Bowls. These are ungroomed slopes were excellent for telemarking and we skiing down many seemingly endless slopes.
After 28 days of skiing we were feeling tattered but still felt a strong reluctance to leave these mountains as we drove that night though a snow storm and over the slippery Vaile Pass on the I70 to Denver.
Colorado had the best snow for 30 year and we were certainly very lucky. The bad weather only caused us problems at Wolf Creek but we had no problems for the rest of the trip. Many of the National Parks had restricted access due to the heavy snow but we saw all the important views. This was our 2nd Hut trip in Colorado and I can highly recommend the area to all NSC members. The Avalanche problems are real but you must get the correct training and equipment and use common sense in route selection. I’d go again next winter but Europe is beckoning.
The resort was small but with good lifts and extensive trails. The $45 day pass was cheap and the Tuesday 1/2 price “Local’s Day” was a steal. We skied 2 days of incredible powder, our skis would disappear completely as we sank smoothly and gently into carved telemark turns on the steep slopes. At times the deep snow would come up to our waists and often cause us to stalling. The smoothness and satisfaction of these turns are memories I will keep.
Early the next day we were back at the Yurt and attacking the fresh, untouched, powder slopes above it. We climbed steeply above the Yurt with Sandy and a friend Shermond (who was the Avalanche forecaster for Red Mountain Pass) and they instructed us on avalanche slope measurement and risk assessment. At the end of this course I felt much more comfortable about skiing in these areas and overcame the feeling that “everywhere” was dangerous. Basically, all slopes that are as steep as black runs (or steeper) are to be avoided. This leaves plenty of good slopes to be enjoyed but the skier must still be alert to small snow roll-overs which can avalanche and easily bury a person. We had some wonderful skis back down form this top, working our way down between the aspen and pine trees in knee-deep powder. Most of us then wanted to relax and set up in the Yurt but Liam and Steve could not stand still and waste this beautiful snow and went back out on the slopes.
We were up early the next morning and climbed back up to the tops to get more powder runs. Reluctantly we left the Yurt at lunchtime to return to the vehicles and drive to the city of Durango for the night and then on to visit the Mesa Verde National Park for a welcome sightseeing diversion. Mesa Verde was a fascinating place of cliff dwellers and early human innovation.
The view down to the town of Silverton and the surrounding peaks was spectacular. We took many photos and tried to avoid the giant telecommunication structure on the top of the peak. We walked the decent back down to the first saddle and then skied on compacted powder for a mile or so distance. The snow got progressively better as we descended and finally we were skiing in exceptionally pleasant powder gullies. The mountain view of major peaks towering in front of us was a joy to behold. After a late lunch at the Ski Hut we returned to the slopes, some of us headed south up the US Basin for an easier tour, returning down a wonderful powdery creek gully. The US Basin is a valley where you could spend many days on reasonably safe slopes honing your telemark turns.
The 2nd group left very late at 11am. The trail in was 6.75 miles and a 1,800’ climb. The trail was very steep with a reprieve along the Montgomery Flats. Our US friends suffered badly and we had not allowed for the fact that they had just arrived from Boston which is of course close to sea level. The trail became very steep again until we reached the 10,000’ ridge line. At this point darkness overtook us (yes again) but a new moon provided just enough light to see the trail and to continue (careful) skiing. The next day we skied local around the hut and took advantage of the large communal area in the hut to do a lot of talking. Liam and Steve again were frustrated and set of to Climb Burnt Mountain (11,178’). They returned with stories of great views and the best snow ever.
views to nearby mountains of Avalanche Peak (12,792’) and Mt Savage (13,139’) and the route down to Telurium Park & Lakes. The temperature was very low and lunch was short. The main group returned taking a northern route off the mountain. A small group remained to ski multiple runs down the northern slopes on some excellent snow. Their route back was though the pine forest, picking a fast route between the trees and back to the hut.
found. Being able to returning to the hut for regular sustenance was a luxury. We shared the hut with a guided party and by coincidence the guide was same person we had met on a trip 3 years ago at another 10th Mountain Hut. On an (almost) clear starry night we were privileged to see the total eclipse of the moon and it was a great sight. Orion stood up straight in front of us with the Sword of Damocles at his side (the handle of the big dipper to us Oz folk). Our ski out on our last day, on a suggestion from the guide, we took a different, northern, route out. This turned out to be a very good choice giving us nice runs down powder filled gullies to excellent trails along the creek out to Camp Hale.
