Hut-Hut, CO.


                                                    HUT TO HUT 
 
This Colorado back country skiing adventure took us from Vail to Aspen utilizing the Huts that have been established by the 10th Mountain Division,  a 501″C”3 orgnization.  The guiding service was provided by Paragon Guides and I can not say enough great things about Paragon and our Guides Greg and Nick.  
                                      
Paragon Guides rule                                                                                  
Paragon Guides has been providing backcountry skiing in Colorado since 1978.  They have the most extensive permits in the White river National Forest and they “our guides” Great and Nick did a great job.  The preparation of the adventure, the focus on safety, the food they prepared and route we took was terrific – thank you Paragon. 
 
We started from the town of  Edwards near the great ski resorts of Beaver Creek and Vail and is situated at about 7,300 feet.  The town is very beautiful and quaint with many fine restaurants and hotels. 
 
 When we arrived we were wisked to the “Inn at Riverwalk” in Edwards for orientation and it is a great hotel with outdoor heated pool and fitness center.  The rooms were perfect and the hotel centrally located . We dined at the equisit “Juniper Restaurant” and the food was sophisticated and elegant.  
                                                                   

                                        A Typical Day                                                              

The next 5 days we (6 guests: Ken  Mark, Woody, Pat and Gabe, led by the great guides Greg and Nick we backcountry skied from Vail to Aspen staying in the hut system 

A typical day would start at about 7 Am with breakfast.  By 9 Am we would be “geared-up” with Ski skins on for a long arduous backcountry ski adventure into the depths of the forest on single tracks.  It is the remote places of the earth, in the middle of nowhere,  I feel the presence of God and that is an incredible thing and I am most grateful and here, I can assure you God was all around us. Typically we would end the adventure around 3 PM in the afternoon  and settle into the huts.  We would ski on average about 8-12 miles per day and at times could engage a 3,000 foot climb.  At times we would find a small jeep trail snow covered and all travel through the wilderness on it  
 
                                                                                                                                 
 
Eventually after an arduous day we would break for a lite lunch and then quickly get back into the game and “hit the trails again” .  We would finally end up at the “hut” at the end of a hards days work. 
                                                                                                                                    
One of the huts above and another “Margy’s” below.  We would have to heat the cabin/room by cutting timber and feeding the stove and then melt the snow we collected by placing the snow in large containers on the stove and then we would prepare for dinner with the food we carried in our backpacks.  In the hut we would stake our claim to the bunks and sleeping bags were provided.  We had outdoor outhouses which were decent
 
 
preparing food above . A couple of views from the cabin and the first is a wild animal that I befriended he is really cool
 
 Here are a few shots along the way back country skiing below.  One day we had a great downhill with some powder and ripped some turns below
 
 
 
Ripping it above and arriving at the Diamond Jay Ranch below.  On the 3rd night out we arrived at the “Diamond Jay Ranch” and wow what a treat: Hot showers, nice toilets, fine dinning with wine and beer = yea.  A few shots from the Ranch starting with the entrance, fantastic rooms and fine dinning                                                                        .
                                                                                                                             

 From here we had two more days of back country skiing but I had developed to bad blisters with bloody output, so I quit while the group went onward. The group leaving below.  I immediately went to Aspen and skied downhill for 2 days smoking the slopes. I had blue Bird days 

My downhill ski adventure in  Aspen below
The slopes were awesome.  I earned a few NASTAR Silver medals on their slopes below.

                      The group arrived on time 2 days later and we all met at the Hotel Jerome a top luxury hotel and we all had some drinks before going home

  
 Thank you Paragon and
Cool photo above
thank you Greg and Nick and thank you group . A great time was had by all. Photos below