10th Mountain Huts in
Summer
June 30-July 4, 2007
Trip Leader and
Author:
Judy Opsahl
Trip
Participants: Kathleen Greutzmacher with children, Michael and Elena, Jackie
Little, Dick and Judy Opsahl, Ken Collins, Bart Daly, Brad and Pat
Duni, and Mike and Kyle Wheeler
Original Club Announcement:
click
here for details
Twelve of us spent the nights of July 1 to 3 in
Skinner and Betty Bear Huts in the Tenth Mountain Division Assn hut
system. We had beautiful (and very warm) weather, abundant
wildflowers, and wonderful hiking in the Colorado mountains.
Betty Bear Hut.
We did
it the easy way. Brad and Pat Duni drove their truck up to the huts,
loaded with all our food and gear, so those of us hiking up only had
to carry day packs. We all drove our vehicles to a trailhead parking
lot half way up Hagerman Pass Road, hiked a short but steep hike into
Windsor Lake, and then up the road to Skinner Hut. Bart Daly did it
all on his mountain bike.
The top of Hagerman
Pass and Continental Divide, 11,925 ft.
We spent the first night at Skinner (elevation
11,620 ft), the 2nd night at Betty Bear Hut (elevation 11,100 ft), and
then back to Skinner. The hike over to Betty Bear, through meadows
full of wildflowers was so spectacular that no-one minded doing it
again the next day.
Walking over a
patch of snow.
There were day hikes to take at each hut for
those who drove, and those who hiked but wanted to hike some more. A group of us went up Divide Mountain; at 12,200 ft, not a whole lot
higher than Skinner Hut, but what the heck, it was a handy peak.
There's snow up in
them thar hills.
The
trip was so successful, that we are hoping to do it again next year,
aiming for three nights in Uncle Bud's Hut.
