Like many new parents, when our friend clan started procreating, we kept right on doing what we did before being saddled with children. Foremost come winter: going on hut trips, where the whole family skis into a cozy cabin with all the creature comforts. Luckily, Colorado is blessed with a bounty of such abodes. Their beauty is that, unlike backpacking, you don’t need to carry shelter, stoves, cooking gear, or ground pads. That’s all provided at the cabin. Of course, you do have to get your entire brood in there, which means bringing mountains of gear — clothes, food, sleeping bags, ski equipment, and more. But while it’s a lot of work, and makes you question your sanity, it’s well worth the effort for a wintertime getaway. Following are a few pointers we learned along the way.
Shrink your distance. Don’t set out for Everest. Depending on your youngsters’ ages, pick huts that are closer to a trailhead; 1 to 3 miles without much elevation gain works best. Favorites include Vance’s, a 10th Mountain hut near Ski Cooper on Tennessee Pass (3 miles with a 556-foot elevation gain, huts.org), and 20-bed Francie’s near Breckenridge (2.2 miles with 1,000-foot elevation gain, summithuts.org).
Kids’ ski gear. You have a choice between snowshoes, cross-country skis, telemark gear, or an Alpine touring setup. Snowshoes are simple but considerably slower. Cross-country gear is lighter for the up but offers less control on the down. AT and telemark gear offers the most control for skiing but is heavier and more expensive. Full-on Alpine gear provides uber-control for the ski out, but you’ll have to pack it in.
Bring other families. Misery (and memories) loves company. And so do your kids. The key for our trips was bringing other families along — meaning the kids had friends and so did the parents. It makes the ski in easier, the hut games and igloo building more fun, and pajama time that much cozier. (Yes, you can still bring pajamas.)
Sleds vs. packs. For getting in with your gear, you have two options: sleds or backpacks. (In the early years, sometimes a poor parent had both.) Sleds let the ground shoulder the load and can carry more gear but require more fussing as they can list to the side. Packs put the weight on your back, which is less efficient. They also can’t fit as much, often meaning strapping gear to the outside.
Watch your pack weight. From kids’ equipment to snacks, meals, clothes, sleeping bags, blankies, and that favorite stuffed animal, you’ll be packing a lot of gear. Trim where you can to avoid taking multiple trips. In other words, don’t bring the kitchen sink — the cabins have them, anyway. Ski clothes and one comfy change for inside, and one lightweight pair of shoes or slippers will do. Save the T-bones for home and go light with your meals. Until your kids can carry some of the load, you’re the beast of burden.
Cabin time. Embrace the time indoors: play card and board games in front of the fire. A few hut trip faves include charades, salad bowl, Pictionary variations, limbo, and the ol’ grab-the-bag-with-your-teeth game.
It’s not all about the skiing. Sure, skiing is great. But don’t force it. Kids will have just as much fun, or even more, sledding and building snow forts, igloos, and snowmen as they will schussing. And believe it or not, you will, too.
A former ski patrol and raft and kayak guide, Eugene Buchanan has written about the outdoors for more than 25 years. He lives in Steamboat Springs.
NOTE ABOUT HUT TRIPS
There is high demand for winter hut use. If you are interested, visit huts.org/how-to-plan-a-hut-trip. The reservation lottery for 2026 trips opens in January.