Europe is known for its network of high-alpine huts, where you hike from lodge to lodge and eat dishes like goulash and spaetzle before retiring for the night in plush accommodations and then hiking on to the next hut the following day. But you don’t have to leave the country for a taste of that experience.
“The U.S. is on the verge of embracing what huts are all about,” says Sam Demas, author of the forthcoming guidebook
Hut to Hut USA: The Complete Guide for Hikers, Bikers, and Skiers, which will be published in October. “There’s a big appetite for hut travel in the U.S., and we’re seeing more communities develop new systems.”
Special to the Daily
There’s a new rule requiring everyone to wear masks on federal land. Folks at the U.S. Forest Service are waiting for guidance as to what that means for the millions of acres of federal land west of the Mississippi River.
Eagle Holy Cross District Ranger Leanne Velduis said her office is still awaiting further direction about how the new order will impact forest users.
“I think we’ve been getting a lot of questions about this,” Veldhuis said. But without clear direction, people at local Forest Service offices must wear masks inside, and maintain social distance outside.
On Dec. 3, the Vail Daily published an avalanche safety-related article (“Avalanche Survivors share stories as cautionary tales…” page A5). This story related the experience of an avalanche accident victim near Loveland pass in 2004 as well as some precautionary words from Summit County SAR members. The article also provided a short list of Avalanche Safety Resources in Colorado.
Thanks to the Daily for continuing to provide content on backcountry safety and avalanche awareness; it is always timely in our region. While all of the guide services listed do indeed lead courses on Vail Pass and other nearby backcountry venues in Summit County, none of the services listed are Eagle County businesses. Please don’t forget that we have a several terrific guide services and avalanche safety instruction schools right here in our own backyard.