Welcome to our FAQ page. For additional information use our website’s search option or give us a call at 970-925-5775 Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm.
What’s the cancellation policy? Cancellations: Any changes or cancellations require a 30-day advance notice for an 80% hut credit applicable towards a future hut trip. Cancellations made less than 30 days prior to your trip start date will result in forfeiture of your payment. No credit is available within 30 days of a trip start date. No refunds. Special Avalanche Cancellation Policy for the Braun and Friends’ Huts: Because the Alfred A. Braun Huts and Friends’ Hut are located in areas of known avalanche terrain with recurring avalanche cycles, an additional opportunity to cancel due to avalanche danger exists in these huts. Groups with reservations in these huts may cancel on the scheduled day of their trip (or the next business day), if the avalanche danger is higher than what their group feels comfortable with. These groups will be given a full hut credit for a future hut trip. No refunds will be given at any time, for any reason. How does hut credit work? It depends on what hut you cancelled – read below to learn more about the 3 hut credit pools and their associated expiration dates: Hut credit issued from cancellations at any 10th Mountain owned hut, any privately owned hut, any Summit Huts Association owned hut, or at the Broome Hut (owned by the Grand Huts Association) can be used at any of the huts listed on the four bullet points below. These hut credits will have either a 4/30 or a 9/30 expiration date noted on the cancellation email, giving you plenty of time to get the credit applied to a new trip before it expires. In addition, the hut credit expiration date is a book-by date, so the new trip that you reserve using the credit may even occur after the expiration date; however, we book trips well in advance so plan accordingly. Hut credit issued from cancellations at any Alfred A. Braun Hut will have a 5/31 expiration date noted on the cancellation email, giving you plenty of time to get the credit applied to a new trip before it expires. In addition, the hut credit expiration date is a book-by date, so the new Braun hut trip that you reserve using the credit may even occur after the expiration date; however, we book trips well in advance so plan accordingly. Hut credit issued from cancellations at the Friends’ Hut will have a 5/31 expiration date noted on the cancellation email, giving you plenty of time to get the credit applied to a new trip before it expires. In addition, the hut credit expiration date is a book-by date, so the new Friends’ Hut trip that you reserve using the credit may occur after the expiration date; however, we book trips well in advance so plan accordingly. NOTE! If you have a gift certificate, a hut credit certificate from a fundraising auction, or volunteer hut credits – restrictions will apply. Please call 10th Mountain for assistance. Payment: Full payment is due at the time of reservation. After booking, you’ll receive an email confirmation with your itinerary details. Please review this immediately and contact 10th Mountain in case of errors. What are the chances my cell phone will work at the hut? Cell phone service is never guaranteed in the backcountry, and at this time we do not offer specific information about service providers. Hut users have reported the following information, listed below by hut: 10th MOUNTAIN HUTS PRIVATELY OWNED HUTS SUMMIT HUTS GRAND HUTS ALFRED A. BRAUN HUT SYSTEM FRIENDS’ HUT Arrival time is 2 pm and departure time is 11 am. Please adhere to these times out of respect for field staff and other hut groups. Dogs are not permitted on summer or winter hut trips, nor are dogs allowed in or around huts except legitimate service animals as defined by the ADA. Emotional support, comfort dogs, or companion dogs do not qualify as service animals and are not permitted at the huts*. Dogs present a serious health hazard because winter hut visitors melt snow for water at most of the huts, some hut visitors are allergic to dogs, and dogs can harass wildlife around the huts. Failure to abide by this policy can result in fines up to $1,000. 10th Mountain and the US Forest Service takes this policy very seriously and asks that hut visitors help encourage compliance. 10th Mountain fully supports and encourages the use of legitimate service animals for individuals with disabilities on trips to the huts provided such use does not fundamentally alter the nature of the backcountry hut experience for current and future hut visitors. See 10th Mountain’s Service Animal Policy for more details. Please note that legitimate service animals may be encountered at the huts at any time. *An exception to this policy is the High Lonesome Hut which allows any and all dogs, is owned and operated privately, requires whole hut reservations, and provides water from a well, not snowmelt. If your group brings a dog to High Lonesome Hut, please respect the maintenance crew and the next guests by not allowing your dog onto the beds or furniture. We suggest you bring a dog bed if your companion needs a padded refuge. Thank you. These other Colorado huts and yurts may allow dogs. Be sure to contact them before booking to learn about their current policies: Water sources vary greatly by hut and by season. Make sure to familiarize yourself with water sources described here by season, and review water source information on the individual Hut Pages. Winter: Some huts have running, potable water, but at most huts in winter, melting snow is the main source of water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. If applicable, huts are stocked with snow collection buckets and a large pot that rests on a heat source for melting snow. It is the guests’ responsibility to filter or boil this water. Filters are not provided. Some huts are equipped with a hand pump in the kitchen that dispenses water from a cistern filled with a roof-catchment system. The suggested use of cistern water is for cleaning purposes only (drinking this water even if you filter it, is not recommended). Depending on the level of hut use and precipitation, the cistern could be dry during your visit. Summer: Some huts have running, potable water, but at most huts in summer, water is collected from a nearby stream. Most huts have a water-carrying backpack and large water containers for collection. It is the responsibility of the guests to filter or boil collected water. Filters are not provided. Some huts are equipped with a hand pump in the kitchen that dispenses water from a cistern filled with a roof-catchment system. The suggested use of cistern water is for cleaning purposes only (drinking this water even if you filter it, is not recommended). Depending on the level of hut use and precipitation, the cistern could be dry during your visit. Summer guests using a support vehicle are encouraged to bring their own water. Our Summer Water Source Information page offers stream locations and cistern details by hut. Travel time can vary greatly based on route difficulty, individual skill, and weather. A rough estimation is one mile per hour plus an additional hour for every thousand feet of vertical gain. Speed may increase on clear days when a route has already been broken-out but could be slower in poor visibility or without a broken trail. To evaluate your capabilities, take a test ski tour with a full pack. Remember, tasks like route finding, taking breaks, changing layers, and gear adjustments can add significant time to your trip. Yes, snowshoeing to the huts is an option. If you are inexperienced in backcountry skiing or carrying a pack, snowshoes could be a good choice; however, snowshoeing can be slower and more tiring than skiing, especially in deep, untracked snow. That said – skiing in deep, untracked snow with a pack could be even more challenging than snowshoeing for an inexperienced skier, making snowshoes a more enjoyable and efficient alternative. The choice is yours! 10th Mountain strongly discourages the use of snowmobiles for hut access. The hut system was created for non-motorized travel and snowmobile use detracts from this unique experience. While most huts are on US Forest Service land which permits diverse recreational uses, each hut is surrounded by a non-motorized envelope prohibiting snowmobiles. Most of these boundaries restrict access around each hut from 1/8 to 1/2 mile, with some huts having larger zones. Snowmobiles are also not allowed in Wilderness Areas or on private land without permission. Depending on motorized support can be risky. Routes may become impassable for snowmobiles in deep, untracked snow, and mechanical failures are possible. Please note that if a single snowmobile track leads to a hut, other snowmobilers may follow it, causing annoyance to hut users long after the original machines have gone. DO NOT USE A SNOWMOBILE TO GET YOURSELF OR YOUR EQUIPMENT TO A HUT. Don’t think you can make it to the hut without motorized support? Consider hiring a guide to carry the heaviest items, opting for a less challenging route, lightening your pack, starting a fitness program, or planning a trip in the future when you are better prepared. Consider routes through Wilderness areas where snowmobiles are not allowed. Alternatively, consider Betty Bear Hut, Jackal Hut, Janet’s Cabin, Sangree M. Froelicher Hut, or Vance’s Cabin, as parts of the recommended routes to these huts are either inaccessible to snowmobiles or are closed to them. You may want to avoid Shrine Mountain Inn, and the Fowler-Hilliard Hut, especially on weekends, due to heavy recreational use, including snowmobile traffic. COMING SOON! We are updating our Braun hut information. Check back here or give us a call for more information. The Vail Pass Recreation Fee is a US Forest Service fee charged for winter recreation in the Vail Pass Recreation area, including visits to Janet’s Cabin, Shrine Mountain Inn (Jay’s, Chuck’s, and Walter’s), Fowler-Hilliard Hut, and the Jackal Hut. 10th Mountain charges you the fee at the time you make your winter hut reservation. Unlike day-use visitors to the area who pay the fee per day, hut users are charged the fee per night. The fee applies to recreating on the land. It is not a parking fee – there are no parking fees at any of the hut trailheads. It does not matter which trailhead you use to access the huts in this area, or where you park your car. The fee is $10 per adult and children 15 and under are free. Most groups stay one or more nights at the same hut which allows for recovery if getting to the hut was more challenging than anticipated. One night is also fine, but adding a layover day is preferred for resting, enjoying the hut, and exploring the surrounding terrain. Experienced groups may connect multiple huts on longer trips – known as going hut-to-hut. These challenging routes tend to be longer and demand advanced navigation and route-finding skills, excellent skiing ability, and physical stamina. These routes are less commonly used, so going hut-to-hut might also require breaking trail. The maximum number of consecutive nights the same hut can be rented in its entirety by the same group is 5. By design – going to most huts is an experience in communal living. Unless you book all the spaces, you should anticipate several different groups sharing the hut each night. When you make a reservation, you are reserving sleeping space in a hut, not specific beds or rooms. Upon arrival, you’ll choose where to sleep or discuss arrangements with other guests. Some huts offer more private rooms, but they can’t be reserved. Summer routes are not marked. In winter, suggested routes are intermittently marked with blue diamonds, except in Wilderness Areas where tree blazes are used. From one trail marker, the next is usually not visible, making route finding an important skill for a successful trip. Winter routes are not maintained, so don’t anticipate a tracked or groomed trail. Even short trips with minimal elevation changes can become very challenging in whiteout conditions or if you have to break trail. Map and compass skills are essential. Some huts have shorter approaches that might be a good fit for first-timers or groups with kids. Visit our Family & Kids Trips page which has low mileage hut access descriptions by season. You can also use the “Search Huts” option on this website and select the lowest mileage range filter. Feel free to call 10th Mountain to discuss options at 970-925-5775. 10th Mountain produces hut and season-specific topographic maps made of tear-proof paper. These maps are mailed from our office in Aspen, so it’s necessary to purchase them in advance of your trip. They can be purchased as part of the online booking process, over the phone, or from the 10th Mountain Store. These maps are also sold at a variety of outdoor retailers in Colorado including many REI stores (call ahead to see if the map you want is in stock). COMING SOON! There are so many great topographic maps – both paper and digital. Guidebooks are a great resource for hut users seeking expert advice. Route difficulty, estimations of travel time, along with many helpful hints and suggestions are included. 10th Mountain Hut Guide, 2nd Edition by Warren Ohlrich 10th Mountain sells Warren Ohlrich’s winter guidebook. This paperback guidebook covers most of the 10th Mountain and Summit Huts – although since it’s publication a few huts have been added to the system. It contains route descriptions, maps, photos, trip information, checklists, and more. HutSki.com An Online Guidebook by Lou Dawson Writer and ski mountaineer Lou Dawson offers online routes and maps for most huts in the 10th Mountain Division Hut System. His online guidebook also covers backcountry skiing guidance for the Elk Mountains, including the Friends’ Hut and the Alfred A. Braun Huts. WildSnow.com by Lou Dawson Another Lou Dawson website, WildSnow covers ski touring gear reviews, tips & tricks, and trip reports. Several guide services offer trips to the huts under special use permits from the US Forest Service. Hiring a guide can enhance your hut experience, especially for first-timers or those seeking more adventurous routes and challenging hut-to-hut itineraries. These services can also manage logistics such as car shuttles and meals. Note that it’s illegal to pay someone to accompany you to the hut, deliver your equipment, cook your meals, etc., without a US Forest Service permit. Check the Guides section of this site for a list of permitted guide services. Winter routes to the huts often contain sections of cross-country travel where there are no underlying trails or roads, whereas summer routes follow established roads and trails. Winter snowpack makes off-road, off-trail travel more feasible. Obstacles such as water and dense vegetation can make winter routes impassable during the summer. Summer routes are not marked, however, they are indicated on summer maps produced by 10th Mountain. Winter routes are intermittently marked with blue diamonds, except in Wilderness Areas where they are intermittently marked with tree blazes. 10th Mountain strongly discourages using motorized vehicles to reach the huts, except as support for hikers or bikers. The hut system was created for non-motorized travel and we encourage guests to reach the hut under their own power. If you use a support vehicle, note that each hut is surrounded by a Forest Service-enforced, non-motorized envelope. Boundaries restrict access around the huts from 1/8 to 1/2 mile, although several huts have larger envelopes. If you must drive, 4WD high-clearance vehicles are recommended for all routes – see 4WD High Clearance filter option. The roads to a handful of huts are particularly steep and hazardous and 10th Mountain does not recommend driving to these huts – see Extreme 4WD High Clearance filter option. Vehicle access to the huts is not always possible. After storms, mud can make many routes impassable. Be prepared with backpacks, hiking boots, rain gear, and warm clothes, in case you have to hike into or out of a hut due to road conditions or mechanical problems. The US Forest Service, not 10th Mountain, controls the gates on the roads that lead to the huts. Gates are sometimes locked, especially early or late in the season, due to road conditions and snow. Hagerman Pass in particular tends to open late and close early. After winters with heavy snowfall, it opened as late as mid-August. Additionally, the road to the 10th Mountain Division Hut is periodically closed in the summer season due to road damage and bad conditions. Please keep all of this in mind when planning your trip and be prepared to travel to the hut under your own power. 10th Mountain does not encourage or guarantee vehicle access to the huts. There is a cart at most hut closure gates that can be used to ferry gear from your vehicle to the hut. Most huts that are open in summer have metal fire pits with grates (except Broome, Continental Divide/Point Breeze, Francie’s, Janet’s, and Emmelyn). Colorado summers can be very dry and the US Forest Service will issue a fire ban when conditions become dangerous. It is your responsibility to find out in advance if there is a ban in effect. Forest Service Ranger District numbers are provided on the summer information sheet sent out with all summer reservations. 10th Mountain will occasionally close the fire pits at the huts. In extreme fire conditions, additional restrictions, such as the closure of the wood-burning stoves inside the huts, may be in place. Please respect any closure signs. The process of buying, delivering, cutting, splitting, and stacking wood is expensive and takes the time of many volunteers. With the help of hut users, the maintenance costs and environmental impacts of cutting and burning firewood can be reduced. Please help us conserve wood! During the summer, Betty Bear Hut, Fowler-Hilliard Hut, Francie’s Cabin, and Skinner Hut are all handicap accessible. For more details, call us at 970-925-5775. Janet’s Cabin, Continental Divide and Point Breeze Cabins, and Uncle Bud’s Hut are directly accessible via the Colorado Trail. The 10th Mountain Division Hut is near the trail but requires an additional 2.5 mile hike (one way) up Slide Lake Road to reach the hut. 10th Mountain welcomes horseback riders and the use of pack animals. In the interest of keeping the areas around the huts as pristine as possible, we ask that you read this information carefully. Guidelines for Hut Trips with Horses/Pack Animals Hut Specific Information for Horses and Pack Animals Huts that are closed in summer include: Barnard Hut, Benedict Huts (Fritz & Fabi), Friends’ Hut, Goodwin-Greene Hut, Green Wilson Hut, Ken’s Cabin, Lindley Hut, Markley Hut, McNamara Hut, Opa’s Taylor Hut, Section House, Sisters Cabin, Tagert Hut, and Vance’s Cabin. Self-rescue is the responsibility of your group. If a member of your group is injured on the trail or at the hut, you cannot rely on outside help. Your group must be prepared and equipped for a bivouac, rescue, evacuation, equipment repair, and any other unexpected mishap. Every group should have complete first aid and repair kits. Before your trip, leave the following information with a responsible friend or relative: Your automobile make and license plate, the trailhead you will be parking at, and the appropriate county’s emergency dispatch phone number. Your exact travel plans, including dates, huts to be used, ski routes, and your plans in the case of an emergency. For additional information and emergency contact information by county and hut visit the Emergency & Self Rescue section on our Field Info page. While very few acts of vandalism and theft have been reported over the years at hut trailheads, it’s always good to be cautious. Don’t leave valuables in your car and try to park inconspicuously. Consider parking in a populated area and use a shuttle service or have someone drop you off at the trailhead. Also, make sure to park at the designated trailhead. Driving in and parking along the road puts your vehicle at greater risk for vandalism and it may be plowed-in or towed. Please report any incidents to the local Sheriff and 10th Mountain. No, firearms are not allowed at the huts or within the hut’s permitted boundary area. GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS AT SHRINE MOUNTAIN INN 10th Mountain Specialty License Plates are issued by the State of Colorado on behalf of the 10th Mountain Division Foundation, a veterans organization that promotes the history and legacy of the 10th Mountain Division. A donation is required. This program furthers the mission of the Foundation and – to a lesser degree – benefits other 10th Mountain-related causes, including the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association which typically receives about 20% of the collected donations. Visit the 10th Mountain Division Foundation website to learn more. Please note: if you are interested in supporting the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, a direct donation is preferred. Dedicated volunteer search and rescue (SAR) teams, across Colorado, are ready to mobilize to help those stranded, lost, or injured in the Colorado backcountry. By purchasing a Colorado Outdoor Search and Rescue (CORSAR) card you are contributing to Colorado’s Search and Rescue fund, which reimburses these teams for the costs they incur to provide help. 10th Mountain no longer sells CORSAR Cards. Visit the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website for more information.
Waivers: As the person who made the reservation, you become the “Group Leader” with additional responsibilities and liabilities. In the Waiver and Release Agreement, group leaders will agree to indemnify 10th Mountain and other hut owners/operators for any liability for injuries, paralysis, or death to any member of his/her group that does not sign a Waiver and Release Agreement. We trust this will encourage all hut users to sign releases.
Blue Lakes Hut (San Juan Huts) 970-626-3033
Bull of the Woods Yurt (SW Nordic Center) 575-758-4761
Burn Hut (San Juan Huts) 970-626-3033
Colorado Trail Friends Yurt (Hinsdale Haute Route) 970-944-2269
Emma Yurt (Leadville Backcountry) 719-486-0092
Grays & Torreys Hut (Owner Operated) 303-807-0420
Jon Wilson Memorial Yurt (Hinsdale Haute Route) 970-944-2269
Last Dollar Hut (San Juan Huts) 970-626-3033
Lost Wonder Hut (Owner Operated) info@lostwonderhut.com
Marceline Yurt (Leadville Backcountry) 719-486-0092
North Pole Hut (San Juan Huts) 970-626-3033
Opus Hut (Owner Operated) 970-708-0092
Pass Creek Yurt (Wolf Creek Backcountry) 970-731-2486
Pearl Lakes Yurt (CO Parks & Wildlife) 970-879-3922
Phoenix Ride Yurt (Owner Operated) 303-565-6787
Ridgeway Hut (San Juan Huts) 970-626-3033
Snow Survey Cabin (US Forest Service) 307-326-5258
Tundra Hut (Owner Operated) 303-279-4759
1. The rental of the grounds, compensating for wear and tear on the property when additional people attend an event.
2. Pre-event suggestions from the caretaker regarding best use of the venue and a list of experienced vendors (portable toilets, caterers, food trucks, photographers, etc.).
3. On the day/weekend of the event, the caretaker (or one of the Shrine Mountain family) will be onsite to address any property related issues. The caretaker will work with the hosts and any event planners, but does not replace a wedding or event planner.