Our crew spent the weekend at Lost Wonder Hut this winter. It’s just a quick trip up Monarch Pass, about twenty minutes from Salida with another good two to three miles of skinning. Although, it feels much farther than that once you’re there.
What It’s Like
When we arrived this year, snow coverage was light. It was late January, so early enough in the season that you still know what’s underneath. A few logs and rocks never stopped anyone before! As soon as we arrived, we dropped packs, stomped snow off boots, and immediately got the wood-burning stove going. There’s something grounding about that first task: splitting kindling, striking a match, and watching the hut slowly warm from the inside out and become our home for the weekend.
But overnight, we were blessed by some semblance of snow Gods. We woke to a real storm, with snow stacking up quietly against the windows. The kind of morning where you unzip your sleeping bag and just be hypnotized by it for a minute. From the shared bunk room, beneath tall vertical windows, we could see toward Aetna (13,745 ft). By the time coffee was poured, there was a fresh six inches waiting for us. That’s when you know it’s going to be a good day.
We stayed out for hours, moving through rolling glades and open pockets near the hut. The trees were tempting, but thin coverage and buried logs kept us on edge, and it was cold enough that standing still wasn’t an option (this is where a quick pull from a flask helps). So we kept searching. Out of the trees ended up being the move: cleaner lines, softer turns, and fewer surprises underfoot.
How We Pack
Hut trips live in the space between backcountry mission and sleepover. You’re skiing all day, but you’re also living in a shared space at high elevation with no running water and an outhouse. Packing wrong can make the weekend harder than it needs to be.
Here’s what we’ve learned to bring that you might not already be thinking of:
- Allovers: The ultimate hut uniform, our lightweight overalls. The second you’re done skiing, you want something warm, loose, and dry to throw on over long johns. It’s the fastest way to reset after being in cold layers all day.
- The Waffle: The breathable base layer is perfect for chasing powder all day. You stay warm without suffocating on the uphill.
- Headlamp (non-negotiable): It gets dark early in winter, and hut lighting is minimal. Also essential for late-night bathroom runs.
- Slippers or camp shoes: Get out of those ski boots ASAP!
- Kindle, crosswords, or a small book: There’s downtime. And it’s good downtime. People unexpectedly get very into crosswords at elevation.
- Light-weight film camera: Our Ektar half-frame captures everything, including the pictures you’re admiring now.
- Snacks you actually want: Hello, Oreos!
-
Flask: Optional, but appreciated.
You’re only skinning a few miles in, so you can afford a couple comfort items, but everything still goes on your back. If you pack for both skiing and lounging hard, you’ll be set.
Why We Do It
We love rafting overnighters, backpacking, and hut trips for reasons that are hard to explain until you’re on one.
Maybe it’s the uninterrupted time: no service, no rushing, no splitting off at the end of the night. You cook together. You go to sleep and wake up in the same beautiful place as your friends, feeling like little kids anticipating whatever adventure the next day is about to bring.
In the winter, you all hear the same winds that move across the ridge and are hypnotized by the snow. There’s a kind of solitude that only comes when you’re fully surrounded by snow and trees, miles from a road, where the loudest thing at night is actually a blanket of silence from the snowfall.
These types of overnighters never come with luxury or perfect conditions, but a full weekend of new experiences, completely surrounded by nature, with the people you care about most.
We’ll be back.
