The Huts > Summit Huts Association > Ken’s Cabin & Section House > Section House

Ken’s Cabin & Section House Section House

The Boreas Pass Section House was built in 1882 to house the railroad men and their families who took care of a section of the Denver South Park & Pacific narrow gauge railway that ran from Denver to Leadville over Boreas Pass. Next to the Section House sits Ken’s Cabin (see huts menu above), also known as the historic Wagon Cabin, built in the 1860’s when Boreas Pass Road was a mere wagon trail over the Continental Divide.

These historic buildings, listed with the National Register of Historic Places, were carefully restored from 1992-97 with funding and assistance provided by the U.S. Forest Service, Park County, Texas A&M University, Colorado Department of Transportation, and Harris Construction. Summit Huts Association completed the upgrades to the Section House and Ken’s Cabin and has a special use permit to operate the buildings as winter ski huts.

Hut Information

Owned By

Summit Huts Association

Open

Winter

Winter Mileage*

6.4

Closest Town

Breckenridge

Hut Elevation

11,481 '

Cumulative Elevation Gain *

1,208'

Layout

Main Level: 2 sets of single bunks. Upstairs: 1 bedroom with 1 double bed and 3 single beds, 1 bedroom with 1 double bed and 1 single bed.

Hutmasters and Volunteers: SHA realizes that groups that reserve the entire cabin are seeking privacy. However, SHA does not prevent hutmasters or volunteers from staying in the Hutmasters’ Quarters (located on the main level), even when one group has booked the cabin. All hutmasters and volunteers are expected to respect the privacy of cabin guests while carrying out their maintenance duties. Maintenance staff is at the cabin once a week and guests should not be surprised to encounter hutmasters or volunteers during their visit.

*from Boreas Pass Trailhead

Amenities

Heat

Wood, Propane Fireplace

Oven

Wood

Refrigeration

No

Water

Snow Melt**

Toilet

Outhouse

Ada Accessible

No

Sauna

No

Fire Ring

No

Grill

No

Dogs

No

Charging

None

Gear Cart

No


** Winter only

Details

  • Firewood, starter paper, matches, axes
  • Propane for kitchen burners and upstairs fireplace
  • Plastic bins for food storage
  • Snow collection buckets and large pot for melting snow on wood-burning heat stove (bring your own filter)
  • Outhouse shared by Ken's Cabin and Section House, toilet paper
  • Pots, pans, potholders, dishware, cooking and eating utensils, percolator or French press, salt & pepper
  • Paper towels, dish soap, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, trash bags
  • Solar powered lights
  • Mattresses, pillows

Book This Hut

Capacity

12

Price

$40/person/night

Visit our Online Booking Platform to search for availability and book this hut.

Location

39.410666, -105.967757

Official 10th Mountain Division Map

CalTopo

Winter Map : Boreas Pass Map

View / Print

National Geographic

Map : Breckenridge/Tennessee Pass

USFS

Map : Pike National Forest

Trailheads/Routes

Most hut users access the Section House from the Boreas Pass trailhead. This is a gradual ski/snowshoe up an old railroad grade. There are access routes from the south that begin outside Como, but they aren’t used as often so some trail-breaking and navigation may be required.

NO MOTORIZED ACCESS: During the winter season (November to May), motorized access, including snowmobiles, is strictly prohibited on the Boreas Pass Road leading to Ken’s Cabin and/or the Section House. The winter gate at the Boreas Pass Trailhead is closed to all motorized vehicles during the winter months per the US Forest Service.

Section House Winter Information & Parking Permit PDF

Routes

Section House from Boreas Pass Trailhead/Standard Winter Route

Total Mileage

6.4

Trailhead Elevation

10,350'

Cumulative Elevation Gain

1,208'

Section House from Gold Dust Drop-Off/No Parking

Total Mileage

4.7

Trailhead Elevation

10,330'

Cumulative Elevation Gain

1,185'

Section House from Peabody Trailhead

Total Mileage

7.2

Trailhead Elevation

10,096'

Cumulative Elevation Gain

1,451'

Hut-Specific Weather

This Afternoon : Mostly sunny. High near 34, with temperatures falling to around 28 in the afternoon. West wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Tonight : A chance of snow after 11pm. Partly cloudy. Low around 16, with temperatures rising to around 18 overnight. Wind chill values as low as -2. West wind 12 to 33 mph, with gusts as high as 51 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Sunday : A chance of snow before 5pm. Mostly sunny. High near 23, with temperatures falling to around 17 in the afternoon. Wind chill values as low as -4. West wind 24 to 35 mph, with gusts as high as 52 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Sunday Night : Mostly clear, with a low around 9. Wind chill values as low as -10. West northwest wind around 26 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.

Monday : Sunny, with a high near 31. West wind 13 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Monday Night : A slight chance of snow after 5am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 16. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday : A chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 26. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Tuesday Night : A chance of snow before 5am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 7. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Wednesday : Mostly sunny, with a high near 31.

Wednesday Night : Partly cloudy, with a low around 14.

Thursday : Sunny, with a high near 34.

Thursday Night : Mostly clear, with a low around 16.

Friday : Sunny, with a high near 38.

Friday Night : Partly cloudy, with a low around 18.

Contents

Notices

Avalanche Hazard Information

Colorado is known for its avalanche prone snowpack. A number of the suggested routes to 10th Mountain Division Huts pass through or are next to terrain that may be prone to avalanches. Accordingly, pick the suggested route that most suits your group and its abilities, carry appropriate equipment, and always exercise prudent backcountry travel techniques when passing through avalanche prone terrain. Remember, avalanches can occur in forested areas and can run into forested areas from open slopes. Moreover, a number of huts booked are situated in the midst of extreme avalanche terrain. Many other huts, while located in more modest terrain, still have access routes that cross avalanche paths.

We strongly suggest that someone in every group be experienced in evaluating avalanche and snow stability hazards and practicing prudent backcountry and winter mountain travel techniques. For up-to-date avalanche information for all of Colorado, visit the website for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC). Another excellent resource is the Forest Service National Avalanche Center website. While this site doesn’t have local forecasts, it does have a wealth of information on backcountry travel in avalanche terrain and snow science, as well as tutorials on some basic skills and snow science.

We recommend that you start checking the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) website regularly before your trip to see how conditions are evolving. Study your maps to see what type of terrain you will be traveling through to see if there are alternative routes that might be feasible if snow stability conditions deteriorate. During most of the winter, travel to the huts, other than those in the Braun Hut System and the Friends’ Hut, is possible with a relatively minor degree of risk. However, if your trip falls within a period or cycle of high or extreme instability, you must make the decision of whether or not to go. The huts are not closed for avalanche hazard reasons.

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