Backpacker

58 10.2017VIEW WITH A ROOMGO LUXE ON THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDEUNCLE BUD’S HUTSAN ISABEL NATIONAL FOREST, COLORADO``````“Hut” seems like a misnomer in this case. Uncle Bud’sChâteau may be more appropriate. Consider that the firstfloor alone is more than a thousand square feet—a commu-nity space with sitting areas, a fully stocked kitchen suite withmultiple sinks and wood-burning stoves, and, of course, hugewindow panes facing 14,421-foot Mt. Massive. A communalarea and two private bedrooms upstairs sleep 16—standardfor Colorado’s famed 10th Mountain Division Huts. And thehiking is just as good: From the front door, the ContinentalDivide Trail is less than .3 mile northwest.In summer, it’s just a .3-mile walk to the mansion fromForest Service Road 107. Hikers can stage day trips along theCDT to views of 14,009-foot Mt. of the Holy Cross’s iconicsouth-facing, snow-filled couloir. If you like what you see—``````both in the hut and out—consider creating an ambitious,17-mile, hut-to-hut epic linking fellow 10th Mountain Divisionshelters Skinner and Betty Bear.Come late fall, snow and road closures bump the trailheadservicing Uncle Bud’s back to Turquoise Lake, 5.8 miles away.It’s worth it, though: From there, a gradual climb (gaining just1,620 feet) to the cabin lands you at one of Colorado’s primewinter wonderlands. Backcountry skiers can run laps in thelow-angle, open terrain just north of the hut or tackle biggerobjectives like the chutes of Galena Mountain.``````Trailhead FS Road 107 closure in summer; Turquoise Lakein winter Season July through September for summer; lateNovember through April for winter Amenities Bunks withmattresses; wood-burning stove; two-burner stove (propaneprovided); cookware Reservation $33; you must be amember of the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association ($35annually) to participate in the March lottery, but leftover datesare open to the public. Contact huts.orgPHOTO BY (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) JASON HATFIELD / TANDEMSTOCK.COM; JOHNATHAN AMPERSAND ESPER / AURORA PHOTOS; TOM SPENCE``````A central wood-burningstove keeps Uncle Bud’swarm, even in winter.