Are you preparing for your first 10th Mtn Winter Hut Trip? It is something that deeply engrained in the core bucket list of Colorado’s backcountry culture. I have several years of backpacking experience through a variety of shoots and assignments, however, it was my girlfriend’s first time not only throwing on a backpacking pack but also spending a night in the backcountry. So it was the perfect opportunity for both of us to do our first hut trip, the “green circle” of the huts, The Shrine Mountain Inn. Below is what we discovered that we’d like to share with you as some trail knowledge of how to prepare and what to expect.
Please keep in mind that we packed with the intention of not using a sled, and for a maximum of 2 nights.
Batch Cocktail - In a hydroflask, premake a batch cocktail. While tempting to bring up an entire 750mL of your finest distilled spirit, this is a rookie mistake. Or grab a plastic flash for the wine-os of the world to save the glass weight. - LINK
Layers, Layers, Layers - Pretty self explanatory. Thermals, Polartech Shell, Waterproof outerlayer. Avoid cotton at all costs. I’m looking at you, Houstonians in denim.
Skins if you have them, snowshoes if you must.- A basic one, but you’ll be trekking across powder fields to access your hut. With a pack between 25-50 lbs depending on how much food you overpacked, do look into renting an AT setup. After having done our first trip with pretty good quality snowshoes, when we do our next trip it will certainly be on split boards with skins.
Caltopo or Saved Google Map - Prepare, prepare, prepare. There are NO signs and NO trail markings for accessing the huts from Vail Pass. While I have mountain biked Shrine Pass Rd in the summer to send into the backside of Vail and was decently familiar with the area, it does look completely different in the winter. Along with snowmobile tracks that may cover up your skin trail that you are following. We did this trip in a snowstorm that was dropping about 1ft of fresh snow, and while we were fortunate enough to meet up with a group that was heading to our hut, having the maps downloaded and saved with GPS coordinates and pins, provided that kept that anxiety trail monkey at bay. Here’s where to download the Caltopo map from, BUT if you want to save the map you’ll have the purchase the app. Do this before you get to the trailhead because there isn’t enough service to access + download at the Vail Pass trailhead and you’ll find yourself trekking back down to Copper to download it.
Food to Share - Bring something carb dense for yourself or to share, but bring something to share as a peace offering with the group. We opt’ed with the age old
Nalgene Bottles - For Eggs, tomato sauce, salad dressings, or anything that might come in a glass bottle or could easily spill inside of your pack. Think ounces and that you have in carry out everything you carry-in. LINK
Toilet Paper - Avoid a crappy time in your thermals on your trip. While some huts very much have all of the comforts of home, someone might have had too much Annie’s Chili and used all of the TP before your hut master restocks your spot.
An Extroverted Sense of Self - The lightest but arguably something that of great importance is preparing yourself to meet, interact, drink, and potentially sleep next to told strangers. Huts = Backcountry Hostiles, so be prepared to chat more about weather and political views.
Games - Cards, Cards against Humanity, Exploding Kittens, or even Backcountry Bocca if the snow hasn’t stacked yet. Low weight, could help reduce the boring short talk with the awkward Texas tourist couple that won’t stop about legal weed or “oh gosh, the elevation….”, and could bring others you don’t share the same values with into the fold.
End of the Trail Surprise - Nothing keeps the spirits high by planning ahead of whenever you reach the destination or your car at either end of your trip, leave something like some dank snacks or a few cold barley pops quickly accessible.
Honestly, the Shrine Mountain Inn was safe and softer than I would have imagined. While this was our first hut trip, I didn’t know that “Shrine Mountain Inn” consisted of really three individual huts all tucked nicely about 300 to 800 feet apart; Chuck, Jay’s and Walters. These 3 huts had gas heat, running water, propane grills bedding, a SAUNA, in cell service, firewood, and frequent snowmobile traffic on the Shrine Pass Road so you never felt too far away from reality. After all the approach is 2.7 miles from the Vail pass parking lot on i70.
While the huts literally had, and felt like, the comforts of home in every way (bathtub included) the beauty of the hut trip is the people. You are staying with 10 - 12 complete strangers that in the course of an evening and a couple of whiskey infused libations helps to restore one’s faith in humanity that there is a tribe of people that deeply love the outdoors and dependent on the seeing the stars for what makes them feel most human.
None the less, if you are looking for a quick, suffer-less time in the backcountry to make some new friends or a trip to do with your parents or in-laws to get them into the backcountry with a cushy experience, then this huts are nothing short of an incredible experience.
For Hut Booking Info - LINK
