Colorado Hut-to-Hut Adventure – Day 1 – 9/8/12 – ContinentalDivide Cabin – 1 mile
I’m following my friends on a nearly flat trail less than amile long to a log cabin. My head ispounding, my breathing is difficult and my legs feel like lead. How did this happen?
Background: One of myBerg friends, Mike, has mentioned several times the awesomeness of an area in theColorado Rocky Mountains called the 10th Mountain Division Huts, acollection of lodges used primarily by cross-country skiers in winter but alsoavailable to hikers. His enthusiasm forthe region and his willingness to make plans resulted in four of us – Mike,Cathy, Jeff and me – meeting in Leadville, Colorado one sunny Saturdayafternoon to embark on yet another epic adventure.
(The 10th Mountain name honors the men of 10th MountainDivision of the U.S. Army, who trained during World War II at Camp Hale incentral Colorado. Read about the hut system here and more about the 10th Mountain Division history here. If you want to really get into it,an internet search will keep you immersed for a long time.)
Cathy, Jeff and I flew into Denver, CO and drove toLeadville where we met up with Mike, who was already bouncing around out weston a months-long adventure. Mike couldhardly contain his glee at what he had in store for us. Over lunch at the local Subway he outlined thescheme: buy groceries based on a 2-nightand a 4-night segment, individual breakfasts/lunches/snacks and group suppersinvolving real food, not dehydrated (I believe Team A and Team B for cookingwas mentioned). Since we were notburdened with tents and sleeping pads and stoves and fuel, we could carryluxury food. I was not sure I was onboard with this – I preferred the idea of less weight rather than similar weight withdifferent stuff. But Mike was the manwith the plan and it was best to follow along. After shopping and organizing for the different segments, we would headout to our first hut. What about ourfood for tonight’s supper and breakfast? Ah, said Mike mysteriously…the “hut fairy” has taken care of that. At the grocery store I tried to keep my head on straight tomake food decisions for the next 7 days. We wouldn’t be near civilization again, so I’d better get it right. As usual, I ended up over-buying. Have I ever starved on a backpackingtrip? No. Have I ever carried too much? Yes.
At a trailhead parking lot we spread our stuff out all overcreation in an attempt to organize and I managed to sort all my gear and clothingfor the 7 days/nights. Too overwhelmingto figure out food yet, so I threw a few snacks in my backpack and hoped forthe best for Day 1. As Cathy and I tossed stuffaround, Mike and Jeff left to place our rental car at the end of our last hikenext Saturday. From now on we would befour Musketeers in Mike’s home-on-the-range van.
Cathy’s spot in the back of Mike’s van. My seat was in a lawn chair behind the frontseats, facing sideways. We’re driving tothe Tennessee Pass on Highway 24 in between San Isabel National Forest andWhite River National Forest. Let the funbegin!
And here I am on this short hike to the Continental Divide Cabin. Oh yeah…at 10,500 feetelevation. What is air? Going straight from Charlotte’s elevation of748 feet to walking at 10,500 feet was not a good idea for me. 
A swing? Don’t getused to this, we won’t see any more oftheseBy the time we reached the cabin my head and my eyes werehurting, my stomach was queasy and sloshing from drinking huge quantities ofwater, and I was useless. The “hut fairy”had hiked in previously with dinner provisions (including wine!) Mike cooked chicken on the grill, Jeff boiledcorn on the cob for the first time ever, Cathy tossed a salad: a celebratory feast. I couldn’t eat a thing, not even thecheesecake. I wandered outside the cabin for fresh air, startling four deer that were hanging out in the yard. Finally at 8 o’clock my friendspronounced me excused and off to bed I went.
Continental Divide Cabin is considered a “family” hut,booked for a single fee rather than a per-person-per-night fee like most of theother huts in the 10th Mountain Division system, so we had it all toourselves. It sleeps 8 people, 2 each in2 small bedrooms and then 4 on bunks in the central living area. Like all the huts, it operates on solar powerfor lighting (and unlike the other huts, CDC has a small refrigerator). Here’s a quick tour.
Come on in!
Common room with kitchen space and a wood burning stove
Bunks in the main room
My little space where I crashed
Two-burner propane stovetop. All pots and pans, dishes and silverware are furnished in the huts, even paper towels - nice!
In the winter hut dwellers rely on snow melt for water. There is also a cistern and water is accessedvia a hand pump. Water treatment isrecommended. 
VERY nice privy (toilet paper provided too). Ithink I visited here 8 times during the night.
Walkway from the privy to the main cabin
Serious wood supply storageAll this wonderful- ness and I couldn’t enjoy it much. Hoping mass quantities of ibuprofen andkeeping my eyes closed helps for what’s coming with the sunrise.
"When he first came to the mountains
His life was far awayOn the road and hanging by a song..."
~John Denver
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