Hut News October 2018

Passing along a backlog of hut news items accumulated over the past months, mostly concerning US huts:

American Prairie Reserve Hut System Opens

This summer the American Prairie Reserve opened two yurts, the first in a planned 10 hut

system in a vast prairie reserve near along the Missouri River.  Guests reserve the entire yurt, which sleeps up to 9 people in 4 bunk rooms.  Fully equipped kitchens, compost toilets and common areas are provided. The huts are self-service, but a full-service option is available through an outfitter.  Congratulations to Mike Kautz and his colleagues in launching this ambitious effort!

 

Cascade Huts Closes

This privately owned Oregon-based hut system has announced that they are closed effective this season.  While they leave the door open to possibly re-opening, it seems the system (under new ownership in recent years) has apparently not been profitable these past two seasons.

New Zealand Huts Price Increases

In its boldest move in recent years to use pricing as a visitor management tool, the New Zealand Department of Conservation has implemented a one season differential pricing trail on the four highest use trails (Abel Tasman, Milford, Kepler and Routeburn) effective October 2018.  User prices for international visitors will be doubled while prices for Kiwis will not change.   This is part of a larger discussion about managing the world’s largest hut system and concern about the ever-expanding use of certain parts of the hut system by international visitors.  The purposes of this differential price increase are to: read more….

Moving on: Carolann Ouellette, Maine Huts and Trails

Carolann Oulette, Executive Director of Maine Huts and Trails, has been appointed Director of Maine’s newly created Office of Outdoor Recreation, where she will be responsible for growing the state’s outdoor recreation economy.

Rebuild of Sperry Chalet in Glacier National Park

Work began this summer to rebuild this beloved hut and Phase 2 will continue next summer, when the project may be completed.  The Galcier National Park Conservancy created a Sperry Action Fund, which has raised funds to begin the work and will continue fundraising.  Montana’s congressional delegation is supporting an appropriation of $12,000,000 requested by Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, a former Montana congressional representative.  The dining room, which did not burn, was open this summer to feed workers.

LandPaths wins RTCA grant from National Parks Service

The Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program of the US National Parks Service has awarded a grant to the innovative land trust for development its innovative educational program TrekSonoma in planning a hut-to-hut system that will link conservation lands in Sonoma County, California.

Death of Hannah Taylor, Summit Huts Association & Sisters Cabin, their newest hut opens soon

Sadly, Hannah Taylor, 39, Managing Director of the Summit Huts Association in Colorado, died in a mountain running accident on July 21, 2018.  While I only met her once, Hannah was generous in sharing her knowledge with me last winter when I was visiting Colorado hut systems.  She impressed me as a smart, tough and serious hut-woman.  A N.H. native who worked on the croo of AMC’s Mizpah Hut, she was involved for the past ten years with most aspects of managing Summit Huts Association, including work on the Sisters Cabin, Summit Hut’s newest hut that was under construction this summer and is expected to open this winter. See picture below.

See Hannah’s obituary from the Old Hutcroo Association website.