Hut to Hut/Margy's Hut to Betty Bear Hut via Beyul Retreat

Route Description

*Please Note: This route description assumes you’ll spend a layover night at the Beyul Retreat, a historic guest ranch nestled deep in the Fryingpan River Valley, between the Margy’s Hut and Harry Gates Hut. Beyul offers a warm and cozy break on what would otherwise be a long 16-mile trek between huts. The retreat provides both cabins with kitchenettes and rooms in their lodge, where guests have access to a communal kitchen.

Beyul has long been a favorite stopover on this route, offering a comfortable place to rest and recharge. To make winter reservations, you’ll need to call them directly at (970) 927-4188, as bookings during this season are phone-only. For more information and photos, you can visit their website at beyulretreat.com.

Starting from Margy’s Hut, begin your journey by heading NE and then E along the Margy’s Hut Trail. This trail involves a long 1 3/4-mile descending traverse until you reach Sawmill Park. Keep an eye out for the junction markers on a couple of medium-sized evergreens at the west end of the park.

Once in Sawmill Park, ski up to the upper (east) end of the park to a divide at 11057 feet, where you’ll enjoy a view of the Elk Mountains. From the divide you’ll find a steep descent. Follow this trail E, then NE, as it descends to the meadows at 10,400 feet. Continue your descent E to 10,240 feet, then NE until you reach Foster Gulch at 9,920 feet. The trail now parallels Foster Creek for 1/2 mile before crossing Deeds Creek. Continue following the trail as it leads into Twin Meadows on the north side of Deeds Creek.

Once you reach Twin Meadows, enter the forest on the obscure summer trail cut for the Aspen/Norrie trail, following the west shore of the north lake. Continue skiing around the north side of the north lake, and stay on the north end of Twin Meadows. After reaching Twin Meadows, take the spur that leads 1/4 mile E through conifer forest until it intersects with the South Fork Road (FS road # 504).

Turn left onto the road and follow it for 2 1/4 miles, descending through a series of switchbacks. Continue on the well-defined road as it winds down through aspen forests, leading you back to the snow closure at the Norrie Trailhead. From the Norrie Trailhead continue down FS Road #504 approximately 150 yards to a private road named Elliott Way. Take a left and head NW on Elliott for .5 miles until the road swings N towards the last cabins. Leave the road and continue NW through a large meadow for approximately .5 miles before entering the woods on a well-defined trail for the last .3 miles to the Beyul Retreat.

From the Beyul Retreat, you have two options:

Arrange a shuttle from the Beyul Retreat to the Road 505 Trailhead.
Retrace your route back up to Twin Meadows and then follow the route below to the 505 Trailhead.

From Twin Meadows, where you’ll intersect the standard Norrie/Aspen trail after following snow-covered roads for 3 1/4 miles east along road number 504.1. Once you reach the road (9,150 feet), continue southeast to where the trail winds through conifer and aspen. After about 1/3 mile, you’ll encounter a Y split; take the trail that heads down to the left (E) along the South Fork of the Fryingpan River.

Continue to follow the trail as it winds several hundred yards to a vague Y split. From here, go right (E) to cross the South Fork (no bridge) at 9,050 feet. After crossing, continue southeast, then head east along the trail as it climbs a small hill to a flat area (9,010 feet) at the bottom of a shallow gulch with the South Fork directly in front of you.

From here, descend back to the footbridge over the small creek (8,800 feet), swing back east, and ski the trail to Granite Lakes Trailhead.

From the Granite Lakes Trailhead follow the driveway approximately 1 mile as it switchbacks uphill to the Fryingpan River road. Once you reach the Fryingpan River road take a right and walk approximately 0.8 miles up the road to the 505 trailhead.

Ski Road 505 as it gradually climbs southeast along the side of the Fryingpan drainage for 3 1/2 miles to the road’s high point at the obvious concrete structure of the Granite Adit (9,990 feet). Enjoy the superb view of Mount Massive looming on the northeast side of the upper drainage. Continue on level road (with a few slight ups and downs) another mile to cross over Lily Pad Creek. This creek is inconspicuous as it has little flow and passes under the road through a culvert. The stub of the culvert is visible if you look over the downhill side of the road. Another good way to identify Lily Pad Creek is by paying attention to the two rock “gates” you pass through on Road 505. These “gates” are places where road-blasting left remnants of rock outcrops on the downhill side of the road. Lily Pad Creek is located about 100 feet past the second rock “gate.”

Ski the road past Lily Pad Creek for several hundred feet. At this point the trail to Betty Bear Hut leaves the road and climbs northeast up the side of the valley. With a lack of natural landmarks and your altimeter of little use because of the level road, this intersection of road and trail is a place where the blue diamond trail markers (and possibly GPS use) are essential. Using climbing skins, climb the marked trail as it makes several switchbacks up the valleyside, then parallels and gradually nears Lily Pad Creek. After the steep switchbacks, the marked trail leaves the Lily Pad Creek drainage by heading south for 4/10ths of a mile up through timber and clearings to Betty Bear Hut (11,100 feet). The hut sits at the edge of timber overlooking a southwest-facing clearing. Keep your eye on your altimeter and GPS. It is essential to not drop too low. (By no means try to make it down to the road from below the hut as the terrain is quite steep and rough.)