Our trip report to the Tiny Home in the Abajo Mountains. The end of the article has logistic info for the curious. Read More ...

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Another holiday spent in the mountains of Colorado. Read More ...

Continue reading Festivus Hut Trip – 2017 at PMags.com.

A weekend of skiing, eating, some adult libations, and winter scenery while catching up with another friend. Read More ...

Continue reading Benedict Hut – Another ski weekend at PMags.com.

A trip to Harry Gates Hut with spring-like conditions. Read More ...

Continue reading Harry Gates Hut – Spring in February at PMags.com.

A holiday weekend spent at the Sangree M. Froelicher Hut outside of Leadville. Read More ...

Continue reading Chrismukkah in the mountains : Sangree Hut at PMags.com.

A recent Denver Post article on hut trips in which I was interviewed about gourmet cooking at backcountry huts.

Over the years, I’ve grown to love hut trips.

To quote something I previously wrote:

As my friend Terry put it “The backcountry person in you loves the location and the skiing…the Italian in you loves the cooking and food!

And with these thoughts in mind, I helped contribute to a Denver Post interview about gourmet cooking at backcountry huts.

Besides my quotes, the author published some of my ideas, too.

I was tickled pink when she referred to me as an “outdoors person and photographer” as I only said my day job of an IT Monkey.  Granted, the title she chose makes me sounds much more exciting than I really am. I do like my part time gigs better, I must confess, too.

Continue reading Denver Post article on Hut Trips at PMags.com.

A trip to a 10th Mountain Hut can be an enjoyable and memorable experience. But what are the logistics for a trip to a 10th Mountain Hut? Read More ...

Continue reading Rustic Luxury- Pack for a 10th Mountain Hut at PMags.com.

A three-day trip to Skinner Hut near Leadville, CO.

I love hut trips.  They combine several things I enjoy in life: Great scenery, good friends, an enjoyable meal…“A dinner party with a ski trip attached” is how I always think of hut trips.

A bit more of a European-like experience in the Colorado backcountry during winter.

For those not familiar with the 10th Mtn hut system, they are backcountry huts accessible by skis or snowshoes in the Colorado Rockies.

Perhaps a bit decadent, but immensely enjoyable.

The hut of choice would be Skinner Hut. At 10.5 miles and almost 2600′ elevation gain (1500′ of it in the last three miles), the hut is a challenging one to reach but, like every hut, so worth it.

We started at the Turquoise Lake winter trailhead at Leadville, CO and made our way up Hagerman Pass Road.

Continue reading Ski to the Divide – Skinner Hut at PMags.com.

A hut trip to the Betty Bear Hut in early March 2013

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As I write this post, it is early April.
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It has been almost a month since I’ve been to the Betty Bear Hut near Aspen.
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As I get older, time does seem to go quicker.  Jobs get busier. Errands have to be run.
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As I told a friend of mine recently:  “Life seems to get in the way“.
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No matter how busy life does get, no matter how much it does get in the way, I still try to make time for what I enjoy. It is not something I want, but something I need.
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It is not patching a server, or playing another round of office politics and the Corporate Reindeer Games.
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It is a about enjoying the view of the snow blanketing the mountains. Having a hot drink and reading a book by the fire.  It is about experiencing the best that Colorado has to offer.

Continue reading Betty Bear Hut – March 2013 at PMags.com.

Snow, skiing, food and drink: A trip report of spending Christmas at the 10th Mountain Hut.

The 10th Mountain Division Hut system has left a legacy in Colorado.  "Rustic luxury" where a person can ski or snowshoe into the backcountry. enjoy the glories of the Colorado winter during the day and a warm fire, a hot drink and shared laughter at night.

When offered the chance to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the hut, it was an opportunity too good for someone and I to pass up.

The hut would be the actual 10th Mountain Hut.  Nestled near the Continental Divide, it is near a historic place. The namesake 10th Mountian Division had training manuevers at the nearby Homestake Peak and Slide Lake. With our modern gear and relaxed pace, it would be a much more casual weekend compared to the men who trained here seventy years ago.

Continue reading Christmas by The Divide – 10th Mountain Hut at PMags.com.