Route Description

JANET’S CABIN FROM UNION CREEK TRAILHEAD VIA ROUNDABOUT & WEST TENMILE SKI RUNS

Guller Creek drainage is the standard winter route to Janet’s Cabin. Begin at the Union Creek Trailhead at Copper Mountain Ski Area, where you have two choices. The popular option (see K & L Lifts route description) begins by riding K and L lifts to the top of West Tenmile ski run OR – as described here, begin by skinning or snowshoeing up Roundabout and West Tenmile ski runs.

SKIN OR SNOWSHOE UP ROUNDABOUT & WEST TENMILE SKI RUN OPTION 4.9 miles (mileage is from the bottom of the Roundabout ski run)

From Union Creek Trailhead, skin or snowshoe up the extreme west (looker’s right) side of Roundabout ski run 0.6 miles to the base of L lift. Continue up the extreme west (looker’s right) side of West Tenmile ski run to a backcountry gate in the ski resort boundary at 10,640′ (an altimeter eliminates guesswork here).

Once you get to the backcountry gate, leave the ski area by following the blue diamond marked route west, through the gate and into the forest. Continue on an obvious trail-cut (take your skins off) as it traverses then drops west into the Guller Creek drainage to cross Jacque Creek and Guller Creek in an open area at 10,460′. From the crossing, the trail stays on the north side of the creek for 2 miles to approximately 11,120′. Here the valley widens and becomes very low angled. Switch to the south side of the creek here, and continue up the drainage another mile to where the valley steepens and narrows. If you haven’t done so already, put your skins on here. Continue up to Janet’s Cabin.

Locations of Observed or Reported Avalanche Activity: Avalanche activity has been reported along this suggested route at locations indicated below. Elevations indicate approximate elevation where the slides crossed the trail, not the starting zones. Learn more about avalanche hazards here.

1.78 miles from trailhead on skier’s right. D2.

Avalanche size/destructive force is scaled according to the American Avalanche Association as follows:

D1 – Relatively harmless to people
D2 – Could bury or injure a person
D3 – Could bury a car, damage a truck, destroy a wood frame house, or break a few trees
D4 – Could destroy a railroad car, large truck, several buildings, or a substantial amount of forest
D5 – Could gouge the landscape, largest snow avalanches known

Trailhead Directions

Parking

PARKING AT THE ALPINE LOT & SHUTTLE INFORMATION:

Park along the perimeter of the North side of the ALPINE LOT by the Transportation Center. If ALPINE LOT is full, go across the street to the FAR EAST LOT and park along the perimeter of the parking lot.

Post your parking permit on the dash and make extra copies if your group requires more than one vehicle.

Next, take the free shuttle from the Transportation Center to West Village/Union Creek.

DO NOT PARK AT THE WEST VILLAGE/UNION CREEK.

Transportation