10th Mountain Division Hut Trip

Hello, last weekend we made our annual 10th Mountain Division Hut Trip with a group of 16 friends from around Colorado. This year we went to the Harry Gates Hut which is between Aspen and Vail. 10th Mountain Division Hut Association
For the first time, I snowshoed rather than skied. The first 3 miles of the trail were steep, narrow and icy. The last 3.7 miles were up and down on a snow-packed road. Snowshoes aren't as fast as skiing but much safer.
Our friends Darrell and Dana drove our backpacks most of the way to the hut with their snowmobiles pulling a sled. Snowmobiles aren't permitted on the first part of the trail so they went the long way around and met us on the road and then had to park about a half-mile below the hut.
It was a long hike in carrying a day pack and a camera. It took me almost 4.5 hours!
Using the snowmobiles adds a nice safety factor if anyone has a medical emergency, gets lost, etc. Plus they allow you to take more supplies in such as food, wine, beer, snowboards, etc.
The weather this year was almost perfect - not too cold, not too hot and lots of snow. Last year we left for Uncle Bud's Hut in a huge blizzard.
After a good nights sleep, Sara and Jason decided to build a jump for their snowboards while others spent the day hiking or snowmobiling around the area. Four members of our group could only stay one night and hiked out early on Sunday.
On Monday morning we prepared a huge breakfast including Mimosa's, we even added a few raspberries.
Then it was time to clean up and pack up. It only took 2.5 hours to get back to the trailhead. If you would like to see a slideshow of trip, CLICK HERE: Winter Hut Trip