Tag Archives: hut to hut hiking

Yosemite High Sierra Camps Trip Report

Yosemite Camp CabinsYOSEMITE HIGH SIERRA CAMPS — AUGUST 2016

By Rachael Swift

I recently completed a 6 day, 5 night ranger-guided group hut-to-hut hike to four of the Yosemite High Sierra Camps.  I was accompanied by my husband Bill and our 23 year old son Tom. We started at Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and from there hiked to Sunrise, Merced Lake, Vogelsang, and then back to Tuolumne Meadows Lodge. We did not go to the camps at May Lake or Glen Aulin which I am now really looking forward to seeing at some future time.

Reservations are by lottery through the National Parks Service concessionaire website.

Continue reading →

Adirondack Hamlets to Huts: a founders’ profile

Adirondack Hamlets to Huts

Duane Gould, Joe Dadey, and Jack Drury – The Adirondacks Hamlets to Huts Team

Joe and Jack: pioneers in a culture awakening to the environmental benefits of huts

In 2013 Joe Dadey and Jack Drury came up with the idea of a lodging and trails system connecting Adirondack hamlets to huts.  I’ve been following their quest as something of a model planning process for hut systems.

Continue reading →

Tent-to-tent as hut-to-hut in the N. Cascades National Park

Tent-to-tent

Photos in this post are courtesy of Stehekin Outfitters

Stehekin Outfitters has a unique business model: tent-to-tent hiking in a U.S. National Park.  This unique form of “hut-to-hut” seems like a great way to support hikers who want to go out for several days and don’t have the gear or experience to do full-on backpacking.

Continue reading →

Alpine huts for Scotland? News of a possible pilot project…

image

Larig Leacach Bothy Courtesy Wikipedia

Is Scotland missing out on a key mountain tourism niche?

The Ramblers in Scotland think this may be true, and are proposing a pilot project to test this assumption.

While the Scots have “Bothies” — unimproved  backpacker shelters — European-style huts are not part of the accommodations infrastructure for walkers in Scotland, Wales, England.  They rely on a robust network of B&B’s and hostels.  This leaves gaps in mountainous regions.

Continue reading →

Outdoor Society argues for more huts in USA

Mathias Eichler, outdoors advocate and editor of the Outdoor Society blog, grew up in the foothills of the Alps.  He can’t understand why there are not more huts in USA, his beloved adopted land.  He is a great fan of our National Parks and advocate for recreational use of public land. {Featured image courtesy Mathias Eichler}

In two posts (click on titles in excerpts below) he discusses his ideas.  In an editorial “Whats next for America’s Public Lands?” he presents a case for more huts on public lands.  A separate piece “Eight Huts we need in the Mountains of the American West” presents brief profiles, accompanied by great pictures, of some huts he admires.

Continue reading →

Hut-to-hut in USA: situation and outlook

Hut to hut in the USA: situation and outlook

by  Sam Demas and Wilson Josephson

[Note: This 2015 post is out of date.  See our book for more recent analysis of huts in USA.  Will update later.]

Sam August 2021

This is a preliminary overview of the 15 hut-to-hut systems in the USA.  There are a number of systems under development or expanding, and I’m hoping readers will tip me off to others that should be included.  Currently these 15 systems comprise 107 huts, yurts, and cabins, and offer 1,496 beds for long distance hut-to-hut hikers, bikers and skiers. This sketch of hut-to-hut infrastructure in the USA provides an overview by region, and very briefly discusses: business models, recreational uses, staffing, and some. Based on the data presented, it concludes with some musings about the future of hut systems supporting long distance human-powered travelers in the USA.  hut to hut in usa

Continue reading →

Trip Report: Hut to Hut Hiking in the San Juan Huts

Where: San Juan Huts, Ridgway, Colorado, http://sanjuanhuts.com Hiked the Sneffels Traverse in late August, from Last Dollar Hut to Silverton, staying in four huts.

Amenities: The huts are basic, but comfortable. They have good cooking facilities, wood stove (which we didn’t need in August), nice areas for seating outside, and great outdoor settings.

Trip description: Four of us made the delightful 30 mile trek and thoroughly enjoyed hiking day after day at tree-line, circling around Mt. Sneffels though the woodlands and pastures. On the first two days we gathered lots of Chantrelle mushrooms, which enriched our risotto and other meals. We happened to be hiking in parallel with two couples, who were great company. The huts offer basic comfort, conviviality, and a chance to rest and recreate after a nice days walk.

Continue reading →