Powderfest at the Fowler/Hilliard Hut

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, moonlight, hut. 10th Mountain Division
Fowler Hilliard Moonlight : Prints Available

A full moon shines through breaking snowstorm clouds at the Fowler/Hilliard Hut in the southern Gore Range, Colorado – January.

It had been snowing for nearly three weeks straight in the northern mountains of Colorado. With the northwest storm flow forecasted to dump a few more heavy punches before finally clearing out, last week I checked the 10th Mtn. Division Huts schedule and to my delight I was able to make last minute reservations for three nights at the Fowler/Hilliard Hut, located on a snowy ridge in the mountains north of Leadville, south of Vail. Claudia and I spent a few nights there last spring and had a great time skiing the endless ski terrain around the hut. This trip was shaping up to be even snowier!

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, skiing

It’s a 5 mile, 2500-vertical-foot skin up to the hut. Intending to pack light for this trip, I left my big camera at home and brought only my little Ricoh GR camera. Since I saved all that weight, I figured I might as well carry a box of wine up there!

Shortly after leaving the trailhead, we passed a large group of snowshoers coming back from the hut; luckily for us they had plowed the trail through the deep snow all the way down! And I also realized with giddy anticipation that since the hut was filled with snowshoers for the last days, all that pristine powder up there would be waiting untracked for us!

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, skiing, hut

Day 2: Still snowing heavily the next morning. After breakfast, time to bundle up and head out for some pow turns!

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, skiing

The trees are smothered in snow…

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, skiing

…and we proceed to milk fresh tracks through mellow north facing glades.

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, skiing

Five laps later… legs are tired and stoke is high!

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, moonlight, hut. 10th Mountain Division
Fowler Hilliard Moonlight : Prints Available

That night the snowstorm finally starts to break, revealing the full moon and anticipation for a bluebird powder day tomorrow.

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, skiing, hut

Day 3: Bluebird indeed! Time to get back to work (I mean, fun).

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, skiing

We skin around the bowl and score some longer, steeper lines. Stoke is rising to bliss levels!

That delicious looking peak across the way is Resolution Mountain; the hut sits on the saddle towards the upper right of the photo. Those drool-inducing lines off Resolution look so tempting, but the tender avy conditions, huge wind loading, and evidence of numerous recent natural slides convinces us not to tickle that dragon.

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, skiing

Loving it.

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, skiing

Skiing all day, just keep going for more until sunset.

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, sunset
Fowler Hilliard Sunset : Prints Available

Back to the hut for dinner and a brief rest for the legs, then back outside for some more powder turns under the full moon!

Colorado,Fowler Hilliard Hut,Gore Range

Goofball in the moonlight.

Colorado,Fowler Hilliard Hut,Gore Range, snowboarding, January, moonlight

Shredding some pow in the moonlight. Dreamy…

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, snowboarding

Day 4: Ooooo! A pillow to jump off!

Colorado, Fowler Hilliard Hut, Gore Range, January, skiing

We can’t resist 3 more laps before packing up to leave. But it’s not over yet! We still get a solid 2500′ ride back down through more untracked powder to the truck. Icing on the cake!

I’m not sure that a hut trip could possibly get any better than this. We tried to track up all the powder but it was simply too much for two people to handle. But we certainly tried our best!

9 thoughts on “Powderfest at the Fowler/Hilliard Hut

  1. Wow! What an amazing trip! The Fowler Hilliard is such a wonderful hut and always affords a great time, but sounds like you hit the jackpot!

    1. Hey Ann, we certainly did! We wished we could have stayed for another couple days… it felt a bit sad to leave so much untracked powder behind! 🙂

      I just read about your bobsled experience on your Trying Stuff webpage… I did that once also in Park City, riding with an Olympic driver. It was one of the craziest experiences of my life, up there with skydiving. The G forces were so intense I thought my spine was going to fold in half. I must admit to being quite relieved when we got to the bottom!

  2. Looks amazing Jack!
    I’ve gotta try skiing/snowboarding, while I’m still young and fit!
    There are not enough snowy slopes here in Israel…
    Thanks for sharing 🙂

      1. Nope it’s not very snowy here!
        Although we DID have a “winter” for 1 whole month!
        (In which Jerusalem was snowed in for a few days, without electricity for many of the residents).
        If I ever get to your part of the world I’d love to catch up!

  3. That looks simply awesome Jack! I’m super jealous too, I spent the past weekend at Wolf Creek and can’t say that the conditions were all time. Still fun, but growing up at Wolf Creek has led me to believe that there will be 20″ of blower every time I go. Keep it up Jack!

    1. Thanks Ryan! Yes, I can see how you could get quite jaded growing up skiing Wolf Creek! Anything less than a foot of powder would be a pretty crap day… hahaha.. 😉

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