HUT TRIP!!
Here's the first of two photo posts of my hut trip last weekend. We snowshoed to a hut on the top of Guinn (pronounced "Gwen") Mountain. It's just under 11,000 feet and on the back side of Eldora Ski Resort. It was the full moon that night. Lemme tell ya, it was probably one of the coolest things I've ever done.
And just a little tease...
That's me on top of a "smallish" mountain.
Kyle and I went up with two of his friends from CU, Ross and Rich. Fun little 21-year-olds with a lust for life. Kyle's camera was very finicky. So Rich has most of the really good pics. You'll have to wait for those.
We snowshoed in about five miles. I'd had the stomach flu for the last couple days but somehow made it up the mountain anyway. I think Kyle even referred to me as a "billy goat." I'm not sure if that was because I was looking so pretty or because of my amazing skills. I was wearing a 15 pound pack. Super good workout.
The hut was on top of a mountain in a grove of trees near treeline (where the trees stop growing b/c of lack of O2 and stuff). It was basically a little log cabin with a wood burning stove in the middle and was lined with a bench for sleeping/sitting. All those beds were taken, so the four of us claimed the loft. We cooked up some lunch and bundled back up. Exploring time.
This is Ross standing almost on the roof of the hut. The snow is REALLY deep.
We snowshoed to the top of Guinn Mnt. It was super windy but oh so beautiful. Again, you'll have to wait for pics.
Then we hooked around and found another little grove of trees. It was time to dig to see how deep the snow really was. The boys all had their avi gear, including shovels. I dig a little snow seat and take a quick nap. I'd been puking for three days. Cut me a break- I was tired.
So I wake up and the guys have dug a 5 foot hole, which turned into a 10 foot snow cave. After 10 feet, they figured the snow was REALLY FREAKING DEEP and that was good enough.
Here's some post-whole-digging pics. The old man with an icy beard is Kyle. Oh aren't I a lucky girl... ;) They're all on the "porch."
These are the boys and you can kinda see the moon above Ross's yellow glove.
Kyle and Rich in front of the hut.
Me, Kyle being a Viking god, and the moon.
Same pic just no flash.
And the best picture of the whole trip...
Kyle's AMAZING facial hair.
We cooked some dinner, sat around and chatted with the other hutters, drank some schnapps and cocoa, and decided it was time for another adventure.
The moonlit snowshoe was the coolest part of the trip. Again, Rich has those photos. We climbed to the top of Guinn again. You could see everything. You could see all the way to Boulder. We even spotted Echo Mountain Park on a distant slope. You feel so alive on top of a mountain. It's a feeling of accomplishment that's hard to beat. And the beauty is breathtaking.
We finally headed back to the hut, climbed our make-shift ladder, and went to sleep.
The next morning was gorgeous and warm (relative- it was still the top of a mountain).
We were the last ones up and the last ones out. It was great to have the hut to ourselves.
Ross telling a story.
Rich digging a boog.
It was a day of light layers and sunshine. I couldn't have been happier.
Ross & Rich near mountain top.
Me mountain top again. That's the Continental Divide behind me. Winter Park is just over the ridge to the right.
Rich & me gearing back up. This was just before the guys started riding and I chased them down the mountain. I don't backcountry.
So the guys rode and I snowshoed down the mountains singing, "The hills are aliiiiiiiive with the sound of muuuuuuusiiiiiiic..." It was amazing.
Kyle and I pulled ahead of Ross and Rich. (We kicked their asses down the mountain.) We stopped in a little meadow for lunch. Kyle dug a snow bench. We cut up cheese and a stick of beef to eat with crackers.
Me eating lunch.
The boys finally caught up and sat down with me to eat their lunch.
Kyle had his shirt off at this point. I'm telling you, it was damn near hot.
After lunch, Kyle and I once again kicked the boys' asses all the way back to Eldora. The last stretch, Kyle cut off and snowboarded down Eldora. I had the woods all to myself. There's really nothing I love more than being in the Colorado mountains. I was almost crying with happiness when Kyle and I met back up at the bottom.
Life is so, so good.
And just a little tease...
That's me on top of a "smallish" mountain.
Kyle and I went up with two of his friends from CU, Ross and Rich. Fun little 21-year-olds with a lust for life. Kyle's camera was very finicky. So Rich has most of the really good pics. You'll have to wait for those.
We snowshoed in about five miles. I'd had the stomach flu for the last couple days but somehow made it up the mountain anyway. I think Kyle even referred to me as a "billy goat." I'm not sure if that was because I was looking so pretty or because of my amazing skills. I was wearing a 15 pound pack. Super good workout.
The hut was on top of a mountain in a grove of trees near treeline (where the trees stop growing b/c of lack of O2 and stuff). It was basically a little log cabin with a wood burning stove in the middle and was lined with a bench for sleeping/sitting. All those beds were taken, so the four of us claimed the loft. We cooked up some lunch and bundled back up. Exploring time.
This is Ross standing almost on the roof of the hut. The snow is REALLY deep.
We snowshoed to the top of Guinn Mnt. It was super windy but oh so beautiful. Again, you'll have to wait for pics.
Then we hooked around and found another little grove of trees. It was time to dig to see how deep the snow really was. The boys all had their avi gear, including shovels. I dig a little snow seat and take a quick nap. I'd been puking for three days. Cut me a break- I was tired.
So I wake up and the guys have dug a 5 foot hole, which turned into a 10 foot snow cave. After 10 feet, they figured the snow was REALLY FREAKING DEEP and that was good enough.
Here's some post-whole-digging pics. The old man with an icy beard is Kyle. Oh aren't I a lucky girl... ;) They're all on the "porch."
These are the boys and you can kinda see the moon above Ross's yellow glove.
Kyle and Rich in front of the hut.
Me, Kyle being a Viking god, and the moon.
Same pic just no flash.
And the best picture of the whole trip...
Kyle's AMAZING facial hair.
We cooked some dinner, sat around and chatted with the other hutters, drank some schnapps and cocoa, and decided it was time for another adventure.
The moonlit snowshoe was the coolest part of the trip. Again, Rich has those photos. We climbed to the top of Guinn again. You could see everything. You could see all the way to Boulder. We even spotted Echo Mountain Park on a distant slope. You feel so alive on top of a mountain. It's a feeling of accomplishment that's hard to beat. And the beauty is breathtaking.
We finally headed back to the hut, climbed our make-shift ladder, and went to sleep.
The next morning was gorgeous and warm (relative- it was still the top of a mountain).
We were the last ones up and the last ones out. It was great to have the hut to ourselves.
Ross telling a story.
Rich digging a boog.
It was a day of light layers and sunshine. I couldn't have been happier.
Ross & Rich near mountain top.
Me mountain top again. That's the Continental Divide behind me. Winter Park is just over the ridge to the right.
Rich & me gearing back up. This was just before the guys started riding and I chased them down the mountain. I don't backcountry.
So the guys rode and I snowshoed down the mountains singing, "The hills are aliiiiiiiive with the sound of muuuuuuusiiiiiiic..." It was amazing.
Kyle and I pulled ahead of Ross and Rich. (We kicked their asses down the mountain.) We stopped in a little meadow for lunch. Kyle dug a snow bench. We cut up cheese and a stick of beef to eat with crackers.
Me eating lunch.
The boys finally caught up and sat down with me to eat their lunch.
Kyle had his shirt off at this point. I'm telling you, it was damn near hot.
After lunch, Kyle and I once again kicked the boys' asses all the way back to Eldora. The last stretch, Kyle cut off and snowboarded down Eldora. I had the woods all to myself. There's really nothing I love more than being in the Colorado mountains. I was almost crying with happiness when Kyle and I met back up at the bottom.
Life is so, so good.