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.
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
Tonight : Snow showers and a chance of thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
Saturday : Snow showers before 9am, then snow showers and a chance of thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 32. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.
Saturday Night : Snow showers and a chance of thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 21. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Sunday : Snow showers before noon, then snow showers and a chance of thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 35. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Sunday Night : A chance of snow showers and a chance of thunderstorms before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Monday : Mostly sunny, with a high near 40.
Monday Night : Partly cloudy, with a low around 23.
Tuesday : A slight chance of snow showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms after noon. Sunny, with a high near 45.
Tuesday Night : Mostly clear, with a low around 25.
Wednesday : A chance of snow showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 46.
Wednesday Night : A slight chance of snow showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms before midnight. Mostly clear, with a low around 23.
Thursday : A chance of snow showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 48.
Thursday Night : A slight chance of snow showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.
Friday : A chance of snow showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 49.
