After having heard many stories about the awesome experiences to be had in the 10th mountain division huts, Nicole and I finally had our opportunity to experience the huts ourselves. We were far from disappointed. We hiked into Chuck’s Cabin the day of the 14th, spent one night in the cabin, and hiked out on the 15th.
For those unfamiliar with the Shrine Mountain Huts, the huts are located about 3 miles south of vail pass (location on a google map), with a flat & easy cross country ski into the huts. The huts are quite nice, with hot running water, electric lights, propane stoves and oven, and a shower. Nicole and I each had our own bed in the main living room… the other two couples had spent the previous night in the hut, so we didn’t get one of the two available rooms.
The skiing around the hut was quite fun, though for the most part mellow. After dropping our bags at the hut on the first day we were still able to get a few hours of skiing in before dark. I had brought my Madshus Annums, touted as a “downhill cross country ski”, so was able to have a great time on both the climb up and the ski down. Nicole had rented some xc skis from REI in Denver, and while she had a great time on the way up, the way down was more terrifying than fun.
The second day, we climbed the ridge again to play around in the powder and had enough time to spare for some avalanche beacon practice. We had been reading a significant amount about avalanche dangers in a great avalanche safety book, and it was nice to put into practice the things we’d been reading. I’ve recently purchased a Tracker 2 beacon (which is also being recalled… shucks) along with a lightweight shovel-n-probe, while Nicole was borrowing equipment from a friend of ours. She’ll get her own, eventually.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the trip was the social interactions in the hut. Nicole and I shared the hut with two couples from the Denver area, both couples significantly older than us. We swapped plenty of stories regarding our skiing experiences in the area and their significant knowledge of the 10th mountain huts… one of the couples had skied all but two of the 10th mountain huts. To show our thanks, Nicole and I helped them devour some delicious fajitas so that they wouldn’t have to carry out the food. We’re so kind.
Overall, the trip was a great experience. We both left the experience feeling refreshed and thirsty for more. We’ve since planned another hut trip (coming up this next weekend!), and are keeping our eyes out for any openings that would work with our schedule.
Extras
You can find the full photo gallery from our trip here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/spencer.r.alexander/HutTrip
A few statistics:
| Total Distance | Total Time | Moving Time | Elevation Gain | |
| Ski In | 2.85 miles | 1h 30m | 1h | 836 ft |
| Day One BC Skiing | 2.59 m | 2h 30m | 55m | 845 ft |
| Day Two BC Skiing | 2 miles* | 1h 30m* | 55m* | 700 ft* |
| Ski Out | 2.85 miles* | 45m* | 45m* | 100 ft* |