Tenth Mountain Hut Trip

I remember talking with my friend Patty Packrat about the 10th Mountain Trail system for the first time in the 80's thinking it would be a great adventure.  I was envious again 30 years later when my back country kayak pal Vera told me she had skied to some of them. These huts has grown to an extensive back country trail system with over 34 huts with 300 plus miles of hiking/biking/skiing trails in the high country. If you go back to my earlier snowmobile post in December, this area is rich in WWII 10th Mtn division history and this hut system commemorates and celebrates those rugged winter warriors. 10th Mountain Hut History  Tuesday the 18th of February happened to be the 70th Anniversary of Riva Ridge (see the snowmobile post for an explanation) and this past Tuesday while I was gone to the hut,  Vail especially groomed the run named for that because there is still a reunion ski down for a handful of those 90+ year old vets. Would have loved to been here for that. CBS out of Denver covered it: WWII Vets Reunite

 I had my chance this past week to do a 3 day hut trip to the hut that is named "The 10th Mountain Hut" with 8 of my friends from Vail Club 50 who pretty much do a hut trip annually.  The weather gods smiled on us and we skied in just under 4 miles under bluebird then had a picture perfect high country powder falling all the next day and skied through a pristine winter landscape to exit. Yes, this is serious back country travel and we were under a high avalanche warning at the time in Colorado but research showed that the trail in did not pass on or beneath any questionable slopes and our play day in at the hut we stayed off of any slopes that may have posed danger. We did cheat a bit and utilize snowmobiles to pack the food in, and if you know me not being a "purist" was a bit hard. But I felt a little better when the snowmobiles got bogged down so badly that we decided the skiers would go first to pack the trail for the snowmobiles--now that's a turn about!  I borrowed a pair of back country x-c skis for this trip but have decided a pair(free heel, wider than regular x-c skis, metal edges, beefier bindings, fish scales in the camber and climbing skins for steep slopes)  need to be in my ski quiver.I created a little movie of our trip I hope you enjoy, click on the link and it will take you to Youtube: 10th Mtn Hut Trip February 2015
Thought the info posted in the hut was interesting but it didn't fit well in the movie I made.

Notice the 122 lbs per person these ski troopers carried! Wonder what an emergency thong was?