The Huts > Privately Owned > Vance’s Cabin

Vance’s Cabin

Vance’s Cabin is located on a timbered mountainside near Tennessee Pass. Construction of the cabin began in 1981 and was completed in 1988. The hut is named in honor of one of the original owner’s father Vance Faulkenberg, who was involved in building the cabin using timber from the site.

Hut Information

Owned By

Privately Owned

Open

Winter

Winter Mileage*

2.8

Closest Town

Leadville

Hut Elevation

10,980'

Cumulative Elevation Gain*

778'

Layout

Upstairs: 4 beds in a loft. Downstairs: 5 single bunk beds (sleeping 10) in a communal sleeping area.

*from Ski Cooper

Amenities

Heat

Wood

Oven

Propane

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 oven
  • Snow collection buckets and large pot for melting snow on wood-burning heat stove
  • 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 lights
  • Mattresses, pillows

Book This Hut

Capacity

14

Price

$518/night

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

Location

39.383138, -106.299807

Official 10th Mountain Division Map

CalTopo

Winter Map : Camp Hale N/S Map

View / Print

National Geographic

Map : Eagles Nest/Holy Cross

USFS

Map : White River National Forest

Trailheads/Routes

The suggested route into Vance’s Cabin begins at Ski Cooper and follows rolling terrain and gently climbs to the hut. An alternate choice is to ski in from Camp Hale which is further and requires more climbing and stronger navigation and trailbreaking capabilities.

Winter Hut Information PDF

Routes

Vance's Cabin from Ski Cooper Trailhead/Standard Winter Route

Total Mileage

2.8

Trailhead Elevation

10,480'

Cumulative Elevation Gain

778'

Cumulative Elevation Loss

251'

Vance's Cabin from South Camp Hale

Total Mileage

7.8

Trailhead Elevation

9,280'

Cumulative Elevation Gain

1,891'

Hut to Hut/Vance's Cabin to Jackal Hut via Cataract

Total Mileage

8.4

Trailhead Elevation

10,980'

Cumulative Elevation Gain

2,324'

Cumulative Elevation Loss

1,643'

Weather

Current Condition

This Afternoon

Chance Snow Showers
24˚ F

Chance Snow Showers

5 to 10 mph
Winds

A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 24. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Tonight

Chance Snow Showers
9˚ F

Chance Snow Showers

5 to 15 mph
Winds

A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Saturday

Snow Showers And Areas Of Blowing Snow then Patchy Blowing Snow
14˚ F

Snow Showers And Areas Of Blowing Snow then Patchy Blowing Snow

20 to 25 mph
Winds

Snow showers and areas of blowing snow before 10am, then patchy blowing snow and scattered snow showers between 10am and 5pm, then snow showers likely and patchy blowing snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 14. West northwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of around one inch possible.

Saturday Night

Snow Showers And Blowing Snow
10˚ F

Snow Showers And Blowing Snow

20 to 35 mph
Winds

Snow showers and blowing snow. Cloudy, with a low around 10. West wind 20 to 35 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Sunday

Snow Showers And Blowing Snow
21˚ F

Snow Showers And Blowing Snow

20 to 35 mph
Winds

Snow showers and blowing snow before 11am, then blowing snow and snow showers likely between 11am and noon, then snow showers likely and areas of blowing snow. Cloudy, with a high near 21. West northwest wind 20 to 35 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Sunday Night

Chance Snow Showers And Patchy Blowing Snow
19˚ F

Chance Snow Showers And Patchy Blowing Snow

15 to 20 mph
Winds

A chance of snow showers and patchy blowing snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Monday

Slight Chance Snow Showers then Partly Sunny
31˚ F

Slight Chance Snow Showers then Partly Sunny

15 mph
Winds

A slight chance of snow showers before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 31. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Monday Night

Partly Cloudy
16˚ F

Partly Cloudy

10 to 15 mph
Winds

Partly cloudy, with a low around 16.

Tuesday

Sunny
37˚ F

Sunny

10 mph
Winds

Sunny, with a high near 37.

Tuesday Night

Mostly Clear
19˚ F

Mostly Clear

10 mph
Winds

Mostly clear, with a low around 19.

Wednesday

Mostly Sunny
41˚ F

Mostly Sunny

10 mph
Winds

Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.

Wednesday Night

Partly Cloudy
20˚ F

Partly Cloudy

10 mph
Winds

Partly cloudy, with a low around 20.

Thursday

Mostly Sunny
38˚ F

Mostly Sunny

10 to 15 mph
Winds

Mostly sunny, with a high near 38.

Thursday Night

Partly Cloudy
20˚ F

Partly Cloudy

10 mph
Winds

Partly cloudy, with a low around 20.

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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