WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST — Lifelong pals Onie Bolduc and Kevin Hochtl will always have a special connection to the 10th Mountain Division Huts Association’s Fowler/Hilliard Hut.
In September 2009, Bolduc was among the last people to spend a night at the original Fowler/Hilliard Hut, effectively ending an era dating to 1988 that came to a close when the structure burned to the ground less than a week later.
Late last August, his buddy Hochtl became the first to sleep in the new and improved version of the popular backcountry cabin, launching a fresh era for the hut named for avid mountaineers Anne Fowler and Ed Hilliard.
“There’s nothing better than putting a group together and coming up to a hut,” Bolduc said from the front porch of the tidy new structure Sunday.
“It’s such a cool experience,” Hochtl added. “We grew up doing this with our families. It’s awesome.”
The backcountry skiing buddies from Vail had made their way to the hut, at 11,500 feet, to sample some of the surrounding snow-covered slopes, along with the handiwork of the hut’s rebuilders. Hochtl, a coach with Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, spent a portion of his summer working on the new hut’s plumbing and gas lines alongside Duncan Robinson, with whom he shared the inaugural overnight during a four-day work mission.
Like a proud papa, Hochtl eagerly showed off the hut’s new amenities, giving credit to the general contractor, Structural Associates from Carbondale, along with the Fowler and Hilliard families and the 10th Mountain Division Huts Association itself for the vision to resurrect the high-country classic on U.S. Forest Service Land some 6 miles west of Vail Pass.
“They really did a spectacular job on all of it,” Hochtl said. “I already booked a reservation for April 1.”
Since construction in 1988, the 10th Mountain-owned Fowler/Hilliard Hut has been among the most popular in the system of nearly 35 backcountry huts managed by the association in Colorado’s high country. Before the suspected lightning-caused fire that burned the hut to the ground, the 16-person lodge averaged more than 2,300 user nights (one person/one night) per year. The entire system averages about 51,000 user nights a year, about 75 percent of those between Thanksgiving and April 30, when backcountry skiers and snowshoers rent the accommodating group cabins.
While the number of hut visitors doesn’t seem to change much from year to year, the reservations for popular times such as weekends, holidays and full-moon nights in the heart of winter are going faster.
“I think there’s increasing demand for this kind of a backcountry hut experience, and there certainly isn’t enough supply,” said Ben Dodge, executive director of the 10th Mountain Division Huts Association.
A quick glimpse at the association’s reservation page () already shows slim pickings for the popular months of January-March, when snow quality is typically most inviting to backcountry skiers.
But in seasons such as this year, when heavy November snows already have piled up deep bases at high elevations, those looking for a quality skiing experience at the huts before winter officially sets in on Dec. 21 have ample opportunity at a wide variety of huts.
“Most people like to book their trips when they’re assured of good skiing,” Dodge said. “This is what we call our early ‘shoulder season,’ from Thanksgiving through December, with a second one in April. And when there’s good snow like this, it allows for some good last-minute booking, which is nice.”
In the spirit of the original 10th Mountain Division military corps that trained to do battle on skis in the region, the namesake hut system was originally designed as a linked network of warming cabins used primarily for ski touring.
While Dodge says the user patterns have recently shifted from hut-to-hut tours to more hut-specific downhill skiing with the advent of wider skis and modern alpine touring equipment, the connectivity of the system remains vital to the association’s mission. That’s a big reason why 10th Mountain put up a temporary yurt at the centrally located Fowler/Hilliard site last winter and moved quickly to rebuild the hut in time for a Thanksgiving opening this year.
“That’s what sets our system apart from many of the huts out there,” Dodge said. “There are a lot of good huts out there, but to be able to ski from hut to hut is very unique and important to our mission.”
Fowler/Hilliard is just one of the many 10th Mountain Huts regarded for its surrounding backcountry skiing terrain. As the “newest” hut in the system, the building redesigned by original architect Eliot Goss is likely to become equally popular for its construction.
The overall size and floor plan of the hut remains the same (covered by insurance), but some smart additions include an air-lock/mud room entrance to enhance heat efficiency, improved views of the Gore Range to the north and exterior construction using stone and rustic, reclaimed metal to decrease “ignitability.”
As with the original structure, Goss donated his work this time too. Although Anne Fowler and Ed Hilliard have since passed in a mountaineering accident, their families contributed to the new additions.
“We’ve never lost a hut to a fire before, and it was difficult for all of us, but mostly to the families,” Dodge said. “The coolest thing about it was the families that supported the original hut re-upped their support. This time it was the kids, who apparently hold the same values and felt it was important to participate. The whole human element, having the memorial to Ed and Anne is so important. It’s really heartwarming.”
Scott Willoughby: 303-954-1993 or swilloughby@denverpost.com
Book a hut, Danno
Details on the 10th Mountain Division Huts Association:
• Most huts accommodate 16 people (some more, some fewer). Overnight rates start at $30 per person, per night.
• Most huts are booked on a per-person basis, with the exception of Fabi’s Hut (six spaces), Ken’s Cabin (three), Carl’s Cabin (six), Chuck’s Upstairs (six), Walter’s Upstairs (six), and the Braun Huts, which are only booked for one group at a time.
• Children 12 years or younger at the time of the trip are eligible for a half-price rate (except at the Continental Divide Cabin).
• Huts in the Vail Pass region are subject to additional U.S. Forest Service winter use fees of $6/adult/night. There is no fee for children 13 and younger.
• Most huts are open from Thanksgiving through April 30. Janet’s Cabin, Francie’s Cabin, Section House, and Ken’s Cabin usually remain open for the first week in May. The Shrine Mountain Inn is open all year. The Braun Huts and Friends Hut are open through May 30.
• More info at
Scott Willoughby, The Denver Post
