Back Country Quest
Photos Courtesy of Todd Powell
Janet’s Cabin is one of the author’s favorites. It “seems” to receive more snow and less strong winds than the others. Plus, it’s completely surrounded by “great ski lines in avalanche-safe terrain.”
It happens every time I arrive at one of Summit County’s back country ski huts.
I walk in and sit down to take off my ski boots, and am suddenly aware something is missing.
I can’t pinpoint it at first, but I know I’m a little uncomfortable, a little ill at ease in this oh-so-quiet hut deep in the backcountry.
My first impulse is to fill this silence by turning on the radio or TV, which, of course, these huts don’t have.
It hits me that I’m stuck here now and have absolutely nothing “to do.” No checking emails, no returning phone calls, no listening to the news.
For the next day or two the only entertainment will come from friendship and skiing.
After a few minutes, though, that uneasiness fades away and is quickly replaced with relief – relief knowing that “doing nothing” is exactly what we need more of.
Yesterday’s stress is officially on hold, and now it is just down to basics: talk, ski, sleep, ski.
JANET’S CABIN
Of the four huts operated by Summit Huts, the one that has given me the greatest boosts of relief has to be Janet’s Cabin, probably because we go there when my stress level is maxed – New Year’s Eve.
For Summit County visitors, this might be the last day of an awesome ski vacation; but for those of us working in ski towns, this is the end of the ski season’s busiest week, when we’re all exhausted from double-timing while at the same time fulfilling normal holiday obligations.
My husband, Jeffrey, and I don’t usually ski at a resort the week after Christmas, but here we are, New Year’s Eve day, driving through daunting traffic from Breckenridge to Copper Mountain to start our journey up to Janet’s Cabin. 
From the outlying parking lot, Copper’s shuttle bus drops us off at the beginner terrain’s lifts and this is where our really journey begins.
For someone who spends most of her time around the expert skier scene, I love the laidback atmosphere of the beginner skier crowd.
No one is in a hurry to do much of anything.
And after taking two sleepy beginner chair lifts to the top, I’m actually starting to feel like I’m on vacation as well.
We exit the ski area through a backcountry gate — free at last! It’s an easy two hour ski up the meadows of Guller Creek before finally seeing the roof of Janet’s Cabin just above the trees.
It is the ultimate in contrast – leaving bustling Breckenridge only hours before and arriving at this insanely beautiful, peaceful hut with alpine bowls and soaring peaks right out the front door.
Our trip to Janet’s has become an annual tradition. Our friend Mike books the entire cabin for New Year’s Eve night, and so the hut is filled with our closest friends. We all trickle in throughout the afternoon.
Jeffrey and I never manage to get there as early as hoped, but I make sure there is enough time for us to throw our sleeping bag onto a bed upstairs, change into some dry clothes and quickly head out for my absolute favorite part of a hut trip – the sunset ski.
How often do you get the opportunity to be skiing above tree line at sunset?
Janet’s Hut is enchanting at twilight, with gentle slopes rising above.
I’ve experienced quite a few sunset descents where, while I’m making careful turns in the dim light, the alpenglow is intensifying on the distant rugged west side of our familiar Tenmile Mountain Range.
Some of my favorite hut moments have been twilight skiing with close friends, and shelter is only minutes away.
Despite having no music, other than Mike strumming the out-of-tune “hut guitar,” we always manage to have fun that night.
The women whip out their slinky black dresses (rayon packs well) while the men saunter around in their favorite Hawaiian shirts, with the exception of Scott, who just loves to strut around in his Hugh Hefner-esque smoking jacket.
The rest of us make good use of tin foil to put a little sparkle in our attire.
Bang a spatula on a fry pan, slap two plastic coffee cups together, get Jeffrey to play the spoons, and we have tunes for New Year’s Eve.
I’m a notorious party pooper and have missed many of those final countdowns.
I sneak upstairs early, pop in the ear plugs and try to get a good night’s sleep because, for me, what makes Janet’s Cabin so special is the skiing.
Compared to the other three Summit Huts, Janet’s seems to receive more snow and a little less wind.
Look out the hut’s window and every direction offers great ski lines in avalanche-safe terrain.
We usually spend the first day of the new year on the gentle backside of Searle Pass, where we’ll do lap after lap of a hundred plus turns on mellow slopes.
FRANCIE’S HUT
For some folks, though, skiing or riding after getting to the hut is not the priority; it is more about the journey of getting there and then relaxing and staying put.
Add gorgeous high alpine scenery, an easy approach, and Francie’s Hut is the one for you.
This hut is located in one of Breckenridge’s most scenic high alpine basins, with dramatic views of the steep couloirs on Mt. Helen’s north side and the jagged profile of Father Dyer’s Peak. 
Nearby Crystal Lakes is a beautiful destination for an easy sunset stroll, perfect even for snowshoes or lighter ski gear.
Like most Summit Huts, Francie’s Hut is sinfully spacious, clean and plush. It also has indoor bathrooms, a rarity for Colorado’s back country huts.
Families love this hut because it is so easy to reach – between an hour and two, especially if you pack light.
Often, a few families will book the entire hut to ensure privacy. Otherwise, be prepared to share this popular hut with others.
Communication with strangers and being sensitive to how huts operate are key to an enjoyable experience.
Sometimes you might have to hold off on cooking dinner so as not to bump into the other groups.
Gathering and melting snow is a non-stop process in a full hut, and everyone should help with this job.
That also goes for keeping the fire stoked and making sure all hut cleaning chores are done before leaving.
I often day-ski from the same parking lot used for Francie’s, and so have witnessed a lot of folks getting ready for their trip.
Can I just suggest one thing? Pack more carefully. People always are carrying loads better suited for a Nepalese trek than a couple nights spent in a relatively nearby cabin.
I, too, am guilty of carrying more than I need, but I bet they never bothered to transfer that bottle of wine into a plastic container or just couldn’t resist the bulky steak-and-potato dinner.
Don’t do it. Keep it simple. The price you’ll pay is those first sensations of blisters just minutes from the car.
Your neck will stiffen, your hips will ache and you’ll reach the hut probably with a bad attitude. I know this, because it’s happened to me.
If this is your first hut trip, I recommend Leigh Girvin and Scott Toepfer’s The Hut Handbook, which provides the “how-to” on planning a hut trip.
One last tip: study the route before going. It is easy to get lost, and don’t count on signs to point out the way.
Most of the skiing above the Francie’s Hut is in avalanche terrain, so we often make it there in late spring, sometimes on Memorial Day, another one of those holidays when it is nice to get out of town.
Here you can wake up to some of the best spring skiing opportunities offered from a Colorado backcountry hut.
The top of Breckenridge’s Peak 10 is only two hours away, and a little more effort gets you to Crystal Peak, with a 2,000-foot descent back down to the hut.
Around the corner is Mt. Helen, or the shorter pitches off Mohawk Lakes. With any luck you’ll have the company of mountain goats on your way up the ridge to Crystal’s summit. Last spring, an avalanche class watched a lynx stroll by.
SECTION HOUSE
This spring, my goal is to spend more time at Section House and its adjacent Ken’s Cabin. By virtue of their location on top of Boreas Pass Road along the Continental Divide, these huts experience some major winds.
But even if the weather isn’t always cooperative, these huts are blessed with a spectacular setting with 360 degree views from South Park to the Tenmile range. And much of the c
harm found at Section House is not necessarily what’s outside. Step inside and step back into classic Colorado history.
Section House was built in 1882 to house the railroad families who took care of this narrow gauge railway line that started climbing from Como, topped out on brutal Boreas Pass, and then made a hairy descent into Breckenridge, which back then was my hometown’s only link to the outside world.
This narrow gauge railway line was famous for surpassing impossible odds on its difficult curvy passage. Thought to be one of the most scenic railways in the Colorado Rockies, it was also filled with setbacks: snowstorms, icy tracks and avalanches added to its colorful history.
In the early 1930s, financial woes closed down this famous rail line, and Section House started to fall apart.
Thankfully, in 1993 the Colorado Historic Society and the U.S. Forest Service restored this building, and in 1996 Summit Huts took it over as a winter ski hut/museum. Today, the hut’s walls are filled with old photos and interpretative posters that tell the story of this site.
I’ve spent the least amount of time at this hut, but it is by no means any less appealing than the rest.
At six miles from the trailhead, it’s longer in distance to reach, but the route is not steep. I keep meaning to get up there for an April getaway so we can head for a few surrounding peaks best reached from Section House. Among them are Red Peak and Boreas Mountain.
Although wind does tend to nuke the snowfields above Section House, it wins the award for a sunset ski: it was here where I actually skied in the alpenglow on the west-facing slopes just above Boreas Pass.
Next door to Section House is my favorite romantic getaway, the renovated Ken’s Cabin, which sleeps three but is perfect for two. Built in the 1860s, this could be the quintessential romantic destination for the hardcore ski couple.
Jeffrey and I have spent a few nights there and I’ll never forget that time we finally discovered some friendly snow on a tucked away mellow slope on the Como side of the pass that for some reason wasn’t blown away by wind.
We skied perfect powder all morning, but unfortunately were so tired later that, you’ll be relieved to know, love was not in the air. Sleep was.
The best things in life take some effort. A backcountry hut trip is no exception.
There is a little planning, a little work, and you’re sometimes sharing spaces with strangers.
The plus side is impossible beauty and spending a night in high country comfort even during raging weather.
And, if you’re lucky, a dose of sublime silence.
(Editor’s note: For extensive information about Summit Huts, visit www.summithuts.org.)
Ellen Hollinshead has lived in Breckenridge, Colorado, for 25 years and skis more than ever, first strides in late October, last turns on July 4th.
