Four years in a row now Anna-Lisa and I have kept up the tradition of visiting a hut on or around Christmas. It’s a seemingly fitting thing to do given the quaint, festive nature of spending a night or two in a small log cabin deep in the Colorado backcountry. This year we decided to head to the Betty Bear Hut west of Hagerman Pass, best accessed via Ruedi Reservoir to the east of Basalt. The Betty Bear Hut is tucked away on the north side of the Fryingpan River valley only about 5 miles west of Turquoise Lake, but the Continental Divide and Hagerman Pass separate the two preventing easy access to Betty Bear from Leadville. Read more…
Several years back I got an invite to join on J, Brandon and Co’s annual “Hardman Hut Trip” (some years are harder than others but there are always plenty of men). From 10th Mountain to Uncle Bud’s to Skinner we went, covering around 30 miles between the three huts with a few good turns mixed in along the way. This same crew of long-time friends has continued with this style of trip every year for the past decade or so, and I was happy to join again for this year’s outing as soon as I got the invite. Read more…
To keep up what has turned into sort of an aspiring tradition for us, Anna-Lisa and I skinned into the Fabi Hut from Aspen last week and did our best to fill the place with holiday cheer. It was a fun night out as huts are always a unique experience, and cool to visit the other Benedict Hut after spending Christmas Eve at Fritz’s three years ago. Read more…
We’re deep into winter now up here in the Colorado high country. It’s been a cold one this season and coming off the tail end of another round of storms, spring still feels a long ways off. One of the best ways to break up the grind a little bit, other than escaping to the desert or booking a tropical getaway of course, is to go on a hut trip. There’s just something refreshing about rounding up some friends, skiing to a cozy backcountry cabin miles from civilization, cranking up the furnace and enjoying a feast, games and conversation late into the night. It’s always a good time. Read more…
