for a few months now i’ve wanted to ski or snow shoe back into the Auresta or Ginn Mountain hut located about 4.5 miles east of the Eldora cross country trails.  with kelly in town, it seemed like the perfect excuse.  the avalanche danger wasn’t quite as low as i’d like but we figured below treeline we should be ok.  the hike in was pretty mellow, although in typical fashion, Kelly and i waited to leave the parking lot until 3:45 in the afternoon so we hiked the last bit in the dark which made finding the hut a little bit more of an adventure.  much to our surprise when we got there we were the only ones – it made for a fun evening of just hanging out.  i would definitely recommend this trip to anyone who likes winter camping (although the stove in the hut keeps it a fairly nice temperature)

Some things I learned:

1. If you’re going to a hut bring a small lantern or more candles (nice to leave some behind)
2. 1 beer packed in is not enough – even if it is a wonderful Ten Fiddy
3. Having the place to yourself RULES
4. Warmed Pro Bars make an excellent breakfast

I got GPS coordinates that i will post – just need to retrieve them.

photos below:

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