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*

6.5

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

6.5

Trailhead Elevation

10,350'

Cumulative Elevation Gain

1,208'

Section House from Gold Dust Trailhead

Total Mileage

4.7

Trailhead Elevation

10,330'

Cumulative Elevation Gain

1,185'

Section House from Peabody Trailhead

Total Mileage

7

Trailhead Elevation

10,096'

Cumulative Elevation Gain

1,451'

Weather

Current Condition

Today

Mostly Sunny
34˚ F

Mostly Sunny

12 to 15 mph
Winds

Mostly sunny. High near 34, with temperatures falling to around 21 in the afternoon. West northwest wind 12 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Tonight

Mostly Cloudy
12˚ F

Mostly Cloudy

3 to 12 mph
Winds

Mostly cloudy. Low around 12, with temperatures rising to around 14 overnight. West southwest wind 3 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

Thursday

Chance Light Snow
25˚ F

Chance Light Snow

7 to 13 mph
Winds

A chance of snow after 11am. Partly sunny. High near 25, with temperatures falling to around 19 in the afternoon. South southeast wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Thursday Night

Light Snow Likely
12˚ F

Light Snow Likely

3 to 10 mph
Winds

Snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12. Wind chill values as low as 0. Southwest wind 3 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Friday

Light Snow
23˚ F

Light Snow

12 to 18 mph
Winds

Snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 23. West wind 12 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Friday Night

Chance Light Snow
6˚ F

Chance Light Snow

13 to 18 mph
Winds

A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 6. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Saturday

Chance Light Snow And Patchy Blowing Snow
18˚ F

Chance Light Snow And Patchy Blowing Snow

21 mph
Winds

A chance of snow before 10am, then a chance of snow and patchy blowing snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 18. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Saturday Night

Light Snow Likely And Patchy Blowing Snow
9˚ F

Light Snow Likely And Patchy Blowing Snow

21 mph
Winds

A chance of snow before 11pm, then snow likely and patchy blowing snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Sunday

Light Snow Likely And Patchy Blowing Snow then Areas Of Blowing Snow
18˚ F

Light Snow Likely And Patchy Blowing Snow then Areas Of Blowing Snow

21 to 25 mph
Winds

Snow likely and patchy blowing snow before 11am, then areas of blowing snow and a chance of snow between 11am and 5pm, then a chance of snow and patchy blowing snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 18. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Sunday Night

Chance Light Snow And Patchy Blowing Snow
11˚ F

Chance Light Snow And Patchy Blowing Snow

22 mph
Winds

A chance of snow and patchy blowing snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Monday

Chance Light Snow And Patchy Blowing Snow then Patchy Blowing Snow
26˚ F

Chance Light Snow And Patchy Blowing Snow then Patchy Blowing Snow

20 to 25 mph
Winds

A chance of snow and patchy blowing snow before 11am, then patchy blowing snow and a slight chance of snow. Mostly sunny, with a high near 26. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Monday Night

Patchy Blowing Snow
14˚ F

Patchy Blowing Snow

20 to 24 mph
Winds

Patchy blowing snow. Partly cloudy, with a low around 14. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Tuesday

Patchy Blowing Snow
34˚ F

Patchy Blowing Snow

20 mph
Winds

Patchy blowing snow before 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 34.

Tuesday Night

Mostly Clear
17˚ F

Mostly Clear

17 mph
Winds

Mostly clear, with a low around 17.

Raw Data

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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