Date: January 4 and 5, 2019
Location: Elk Mountains, Colorado
Distance: 12 miles
Elevation Change: 2000 feet (hut elevation is 11,300 feet)
Group: Christian, Greg, Devin, and Mat
The Green-Wilson Hut is part of the Alfred Braun Hut System, which provides backcountry enthusiasts with warmth and access to the Elk Mountains. The huts can be reserved as via the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association website. We accessed the Green-Wilson Hut from the old Ashcroft ghost town. This is next to the Toklot Lodge as well as the Ashcroft Nordic Ski Area. So, the trailhead is fairly busy, but the first mile or two of the route is groomed and made for easy access.
The first half of the route in is pretty flat and easy going. Most of the elevation gain occurs in the last couple miles. The route does pass through avalanche run out zones. Please carefully assess such risks if you access this area. We saw several areas where some small slides/avalanches had occurred, but they were far from the trail.
The hut is wonderful! It sleeps 8 and was palatial for the four of us. The heart and soul of the hut is the wonderful wood stove - interior temperatures varied from 55 (early in the morning after the fire had burned out) to 75 F. The hut has a 4-burner propane stove, all the pots, pans, utensils, etc you need, and even had a supply of Crocs to wear while inside the cabin. After windy trips like Thunder Lake and Mitchell Lake, this was winter backpacking at its most luxurious. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, more bacon, two liters of A&W, more bacon, chips and salsa, steak...definitely a sufferfest. The A-frame hut shown below is the nearby Tagert Hut (not where we stayed).
The hut sits between Castle Peak (14,278 feet) and Greg Mace Peak (12,580). The basin below Castle Peak is spectacular. I snowshoed around this area for a couple of hours enjoying the views and taking some photos. Greg and Devin made a ski run down a portion of Greg Mace - look closely at the images below to see them on the slope as seen from the Castle Peak side.
Huts provide a great way to explore the backcountry in the winter. These, safe, relaxing shelters will certainly see future use from us.
