In the U.S., mountain huts were constructed long ago by herders, miners and the forest service. In the 1940’s, the tenants of Rocky Mountain huts quickly changed. Returning WW2 soldiers from mountain divisions trained for alpine survival were keen to make skiing their lifestyle and once they relocated to Colorado they refurbished old huts for basecamps.
Hut historian Louis Dawson noted that the first true ski hut in Colorado was probably created in the late 1940s, when Billie Tagert and his friends fixed up an old miner’s cabin at the head of Castle Creek near Aspen.
This wide system of huts near Aspen are still around and available for reservation by the public for those brave enough to go backcountry.
Beth’s brother John proposed to his wife, Alexis, after hiking up to one of these huts.
(via zachklein)
