Cross-training and fellowship in the snow

I was having such a good time thinking about  a winter expedition that I missed the turn-off to my home street on my morning run today.

I got in some great cross-training as well as friendship and fun. Try a few days in a hut nestled into a dramatically beautiful bowl, remote yet almost within shouting distance of Winter Park ski area.

Here’s the recipe: Take 15 people between the ages of 33 and 80. You gotta be a little picky because this gig involves carrying some seriously gourmet food up the mountain plus minimum necessary clothing, a silly game or two and a generous supply of wine.

And these hutters will need a pair of skiis or snowshoes and the willingness to huff and puff up an 800-foot elevation gain in the mile or so it takes to reach the Broome Hut, newly-built in 2013 at 11,300 feet.

Part of the joy is the tradition surrounding this annual expedition that began more than 20 years ago, initiated by a Middlebury college kid who wanted to show his roommate the Colorado high country in winter.

Over time the group has grown older and varied some, but since my first experience trekking into a winter-bound cabin in Gothic not far  rom Crested Butte in 1996, there has been magic surrounding this time away from streets, crowds, television, running water, real bathrooms and the social pressure to take a daily shower.

After dinner on the first night, our senior member, a goat farmer, tire house builder long time rock and mountain climber and former CSU professor, gently asked us to share a few things about ourselves. This always turns out to be revealing and fascinating and becomes a great way to make connections because of shared interests and experiences.

I’m not sure there was a soul in the room without a green side, a graduate degree, a passion for recycling, a major concern regarding one’s carbon footprint, and interest in eating all the right stuff, from homemade pumpkin fruit leather to nine-grain cereal with goat’s milk. 

Last year the trek to Peter Estin hut south of Eagle was an eight-mile slog in tricky snow conditions with several of us arriving at or after dark, exhausted.

Temperate weather, sunshine and pristine snow enticed every one of us outside for a ski tour the following day this year.  The hot shots headed for the tough stuff. It was a pleasure to watch them gracefully skimming the hillsides, each making their own set of curving tracks in the new snow.

Still, there was plenty of time for chatting, reading and a yoga demonstration later in the day.

After an evening spread of chili, warm tortillas and a wide range of toppings lined up down the center of the long table, we settled into “hands”—an elimination game—easy to play--hard to explain—requiring quick reflexes and difficult to master.

Next morning, before we skied down, warmed by coffee, hot cereal, sausage and crunchy bread and jam, everyone pitched in to make sure the hut was ship-shape for the next set of visitors. These huts are so popular that you must sign up a year in advance.

No wonder. A couple of days in one of them is an experience to recollect with joy.