Alerts
Trips to the Braun and Friends’ Huts are a serious backcountry endeavor which demand careful planning, and the trained skills of travel and decision making in remote, avalanche terrain. These trips are not to be taken lightly even for the most experienced backcountry skier/rider. If you and your group do not have the equipment for and substantial experience with: decision making, and travel in serious avalanche terrain, and the use of navigation skills and tools in difficult conditions, choose another hut system or hire a professional guide.
Warning:
In addition to the backcountry risks described below, the Alfred A. Braun Huts and Friends’ Hut are located in areas of serious avalanche terrain with recurring avalanche cycles. Routes to and between the huts are not marked or maintained.
Avalanche Cancellation Policy:
Because the Alfred A. Braun Huts and Friends’ Hut are located in areas of serious avalanche terrain with recurring avalanche cycles, an additional opportunity to cancel due to avalanche danger exists for 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. This credit is not transferable between huts in the Braun Hut system (including the Friends’ Hut) and huts in the 10th Mountain system. No refunds will be given at any time, for any reason. Visit Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s website: https://avalanche.state.co.us for up to date avalanche information. If you or members of your party are generally uncomfortable travelling in serious avalanche terrain, consider alternative huts in the 10th Mountain system.
Backcountry Risks:
Skiing and wilderness travel in the Elk Mountains have inherent risks, hazards and dangers that cannot be eliminated; they are very real and not to be taken lightly. People have died or been seriously injured traveling and recreating in this area. A partial list of risks, hazards and dangers a backcountry user can
encounter using these huts include:
- Hazardous mountain environments with serious avalanche terrain where avalanches occur and where additional wilderness hazards exist that may not be obvious or visible (such as cliffs, hidden streams, etc.) where weather is changeable and unpredictable and can be extreme.
- Route finding and skiing in a wilderness environment where routes and slopes are not marked, maintained, controlled or patrolled, where snow conditions vary and change, and where above tree-line travel can be extremely difficult or impossible.
- Altitude sickness and exposure, especially if your groups become lost, delayed, or separated and members do not reach the hut.
- Travel in remote areas and use of simple huts where outside help will be slow to arrive, cannot be communicated with, or is unavailable due to conditions.
- Human factors, especially those related to group decision making and perceptions of expertise and differences in physical condition and skills.
The Huts > Alfred A Braun Hut System > Green Wilson & Tagert Huts > Green Wilson Hut
Green Wilson & Tagert Huts Green Wilson Hut
The Green Wilson Hut is part of the Alfred Braun Hut System is located in the Elk Mountains between Aspen and Crested Butte. You can learn more about Colorado’s first hut system and how to support its work at www.braunhuts.org.
The Green Wilson Hut, separated by 50 yards from the Tagert Hut at the foot of rugged Pearl Basin, constitute the first popular ski hut destination in the Elk Range. The original Tagert Hut was a dam-keeper cabin for a hydroelectric plant during the silver mining of the late 1880s. It is named for Billy Tagert, an Aspen pioneer and teamster who hauled supplies to mining camps in the Elk Range.
The first known use of this cabin for backcountry skiing was when early mountaineer Otto Schniebs used it for expeditions during the 1930s. In 1946, Jay Laughlin came to the Aspen area from Connecticut. He had convinced the National Ski Association to set up a hut committee to build and maintain ski huts in the central Rockies. Laughlin repaired the Tagert cabin, which Billy Tagert donated to the Ski Association.
The Tagert Hut received more visitation under the care of John Holden in the 1960s. Holden founded the Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale and spearheaded, along with Fred Braun and Stuart Mace, the fund-raising and building of three huts above Ashcroft: the Lindley Hut in 1958, the renovated Tagert Hut in 1960, and the Markley Hut in 1964.
The Green Wilson Hut was built next door to the Tagert, nearly 100 years later. It is named for Lu Lynn Green Wilson, who lived in Aspen in the 70’s. Lu Lynn was a Laboratory Technologist who managed the Aspen Valley Hospital laboratory her untimely death from cancer.
Both Tagert and Green Wilson were renovated in 1999 into cozy shelters beneath the awesome escarpments above. While they are in close proximity, they are far enough apart to ensure privacy for separate ski parties who brave an avalanche gauntlet to reach them from the Ashcroft trailhead six miles away.
Hut Information
Owned By
Alfred A Braun Hut System
Open
Winter
Closest Town
Aspen
Hut Elevation
11,280 '
Elevation Max*
0
Layout
Green Wilson sleeps 8 (2 doubles, 4 singles).
Amenities
Heat
Wood
Oven
No
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
- Cooler for cold food storage
- Snow collection buckets and large pot for melting snow on wood-burning heat stove (bring your own filter)
- Pots, pans, potholders, dishware, cooking and eating utensils, percolator or French press, salt & pepper
- Paper towels, dish soap, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, trash bags, toilet paper
- Solar powered lighting
- Mattresses, pillows
- Crocs
Book This Hut
Visit our Online Booking Platform to search for availability and book this hut.
Location
Official 10th Mountain Division Map
CalTopo
Winter Map : Braun Huts Map
View / PrintNational Geographic
Map : Aspen, Independence Pass
USFS
Map : White River National Forest
Trailheads/Routes
These cabins are accessed from Ashcroft via the Pearl Pass Road, which makes for a mostly gradual climb in to the huts, but the route does cross under numerous large avalanche paths.
The Alfred Braun Hut System was designed to be a back-country SKI system. As such the Alfred Braun Hut System strongly discourages the use of snowmobiles for access to the huts. The hut system was created for non-motorized travel. As such, snowmobile use can often detract from this unique experience. Our huts are located on U.S. Forest Service land, and each hut has unique travel management restrictions as governed by Forest Service Travel Management Plans. Around the immediate environs of each Alfred Braun Hut is a USFS developed recreation site envelope with snowmobile restrictions. Access to and from each hut is managed within the Developed Recreation Site Boundary. Snowmobiles should not drive to the front door of any hut. There are no snowmobile play areas within the Developed Recreation Site boundaries. Snowmobiles are not allowed in Wilderness Areas, or on private land without permission. In the winter of 2010-2011, the fines for snowmobiling in the Wilderness Areas were $550 per snowmobile. You must know where you are if you expect to remain legal and safe. PLEASE DO NOT RELY ON A SNOWMOBILE TO GET YOURSELF OR YOUR EQUIPMENT TO A HUT.
Snowmobile Restrictions: Located a hundred yards apart, Tagert and Green-Wilson huts are protected by a winter-time motorized use closure of the Pearl Pass road from its intersection with the Montezuma basin road (a 1/4 mile below the huts). In addition, the Maroon Bells Wilderness area is adjacent to the Pearl Pass road (within 10 feet of the road). Snowmobiles may be encountered on the Castle Creek/Montezuma basin portion of the access route.
Braun Huts & Friends’ Hut Winter Information PDF
Routes
Green Wilson Hut from Ashcroft Trailhead
Total Mileage
5.3
Trailhead Elevation
9,498'
Hut-Specific Weather
Overnight : Partly cloudy, with a low around 12. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday : Sunny, with a high near 38. West southwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night : Mostly clear, with a low around 13. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday : Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night : A chance of snow showers after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. West wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
Monday : Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Monday Night : A chance of snow showers before 5am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
Tuesday : Mostly sunny, with a high near 29.
Tuesday Night : Snow showers likely after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
Christmas Day : Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 24. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Wednesday Night : A chance of snow showers before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 10. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
Thursday : A chance of snow showers after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 26.
Thursday Night : Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 13. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Friday : Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 22. New snow accumulation of around one inch possible.
