Hut of the Month – The High Lonesome Hut

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As we head into the summer season, we are delighted to highlight the High Lonesome Hut as our featured ‘Hut of the Month’ for June. One of several privately-owned huts operating under the 10th Mountain Division Huts Association umbrella, the High Lonesome Hut – located outside of Winter Park/Fraser, in Grand County – offers a unique experience for hut users, and carries a rich history of family and community ties.

A Family Affair

The High Lonesome Hut is owned and operated by the father-son duo of Andy and Skyler Miller. Andy has deep roots in Grand County and the Fraser Valley – where he has lived for 52 years, working both as a contractor and running childcare centers – as well as deep roots in mountain lodging. Andy’s father and uncle built Millers Idlewild Inn in Winter Park back in 1946, shortly after the end of World War II. Andy was born a few years later, and spent much of his childhood at the storied, family-centric ski lodge, which was defined by its rustic feel, open atmosphere to encourage meeting other guests, and family-style meal service.

“The time I spent at the lodge growing up gave me a love of getting people out into unfamiliar circumstances – but in groups, so they could share the experience and make it all feel more social,” says Andy. “The environment we created there inspired the family-style mountain experience that the High Lonesome Hut is now built around.”

Today Andy is proud to share the High Lonesome Hut operations with his younger son Skyler, who also grew up in Grand County and spent much of his own childhood visiting backcountry huts, and later became a builder in his own right. Skyler is now the primary on-site caretaker at High Lonesome Hut, and is building his own home about a half-mile east of the cabin. The multi-generational family lodging tradition lives on!

 Bringing High Lonesome to Life

The High Lonesome Hut is built on a historic logging claim, on a roughly 160-acre parcel surrounded by National Forest. Andy purchased the land in 1995 specifically to build a backcountry hut, taking inspiration from those he’d seen in Europe. He knew the mellow, forested terrain was ideal for both cross-country skiing and alpine touring in the winter, with access to vast surrounding trails, and open valleys filled with flowers in the summer.

He designed and built the hut himself, using log framing and structural insulated panels, resulting in a highly efficient hut with a true cabin-like feel. He also put in a deep well and plumbing system, so the hut could have flush toilets and both hot and cold running water. The hut even has a shower in its indoor bathroom!

A Unique Hut Experience 

A trip to the High Lonesome Hut offers a truly unique experience, built around the family-style atmosphere that both defined Andy’s childhood and reflects his longtime passion for educating children and promoting time outside in the mountains.

“Creating a kid-friendly environment was a cornerstone of the hut,” says Andy.

The hut is naturally well-suited for families and kids for a number of reasons, including its moderate terrain, relatively short and mellow hike or skin in, a nearby stream for wading in the summer, and access to mellow trails for day hikes, among others. Andy has also added certain amenities and special touches to the hut specifically geared toward kids, such as a collection of tubes in the winter, a variety of children’s toys, and a Pack n’ Play available for hut users.

But with its moderate altitude compared to other Colorado huts (9,300 feet), relative accessibility (2.5 miles in, with 600 feet of gain), and relatively safe terrain, High Lonesome is a good beginner/intermediate hut option for folks of all ages.

One more unique feature of the High Lonesome Hut that is different from any other hut in the 10th Mountain Division Huts system is that it also allows for dogs to stay at the hut.

“Dogs in the mountains is a wonderful thing!” says Andy. “That’s the advantage of having our deep well is we can allow them to safely join in on these trips.”

Book High Lonesome Hut Today!

The High Lonesome Hut is open year-round, and can be booked online through 10th Mountain Division Huts. This hut is a single-party booking (so visitors must reserve the whole hut), with a maximum capacity of 12 people. The cost is $600 per night.

The Miller family is pleased to offer special discounts for school groups and other educational programs, to help encourage kids to get outside and into the mountains. These groups can reach out to 10th Mountain Huts to inquire about discounted booking opportunities at High Lonesome Hut.