The Yurt at the Fowler/Hilliard Hut Site

-Exterior of the Yurt at the Fowler-Hilliard Site-

As many of you know by now the Fowler/Hilliard Hut burned down last fall on September 22nd. Thankfully no one was in the hut when it burned down and the fire didn't spread to the surrounding forest, but the hut was a total loss. This was a difficult and tragic loss for not only us at 10th Mountain but for all of our hut users as well. The Fowler/Hilliard hut was one of the most popular huts because of its location and its design, and the surrounding ski terrain is some of the best in our hut system. As sad as this loss is, we will soon start the reconstruction process and hope to have it up and running for the 2010-2011 winter season.

Why did 10th Mountain choose to install a yurt rather than do nothing?

Doing nothing would have been frustrating, unproductive, and not consistent with how we do business.  People reserved the Fowler/Hilliard Hut and they deserved to have the opportunity to stay – if not at the hut – then the next best thing.

Constructing a yurt was the right thing to do because it honored the commitment to advance reservations, provided a continuity of backcountry shelter experience, and demonstrated that 10th Mountain is able to appropriately and swiftly respond to a completely unexpected and untimely occurrence.  It was, quite frankly, a lousy idea from strictly a financial point of view and our accountants had a really difficult time with the whole idea.Their job was to worry about these things.Our job was to provide a good experience, and this is why we decided to construct a yurt.  It was a bit of a push to get it built before the onset of winter but we got it done. After all, that is what we do - mess around in the high country well after good reason warrants.

Design

The yurt is 30 feet in diameter; 6’7”exterior round walls; 14 feet tall in the middle; and has approximately 700 sq ft of living space.  This structure is designed for high altitude, snowy and windy environments and comes with insulation in the floor, walls, and ceiling.  It has five windows that are 5’x4’ and both doors have windows.  There is an 8’x16’ deck on the south side.  Below is a link to the yurt manufacturers website and an exterior view of the yurt as well as some sample photos of other yurts here in Colorado..

Colorado Yurt Company

Interior Layout Image Looking North

Interior Layout Image Looking South

Exterior View

Sample Photos

Interior Design

The yurt is not be quite as spacious as the Fowler-Hilliard Hut was but it still provided a cozy escape from the elements. 

Amenities

The yurt has all the same amenities as other 10th Mountain huts, including a new large wood burning heat stove, firewood, propane burners for cooking, photovoltaic lights, matches, TP, candles, and a fully stocked kitchen with cooking and eating utensils. There is no oven at this yurt.  There are 16 comfortable mattresses with flannel cover sheets, pillows, and beds arranged in a combination of singles and doubles in a large shared sleeping room.  As with all the huts, you need to bring a sleeping bag, food, personal, and emergency gear.  Yurt users melt snow for water in the winter and are responsible for drinking water purification. 

Who helped to build this yurt (in nasty weather, with horrible access, and unyielding timeline)?

• Colorado Yurt Company (gracious, accommodating, and generous)
• Fiddler Creek Construction (professional, determined, competent)
• 10th Mountain Board of Directors and Staff (innovative, determined, unified, competent)
• Volunteers (superlatives are not adequate praise)
• Seneca Insurance Company (a cooperative working relationship, thankfully)
• Mark Mueller, Structural Engineer (expert advice and great knowledge of the high altitude engineering)
• Michael Thompson, Architect  (wonderfully qualified and creative)
• Al Beyer, Architect (equally qualified and creative)
• Eagle County
• US Forest Service – White River National Forest, Eagle/Holy Cross Ranger District
• Sunsense - for their help with the solar power system
• Ferrellgas - for their work on the propane systems

Thanks to the following groups for their expert advice regarding yurts:

• Sun Valley Trekking Huts & Yurts 
• Hidden Treasure Yurts
• Leadville Backcountry
• Never Summer Nordic

Fowler/Hilliard Hut Fire - General Information

The Fowler/Hilliard Hut burned September 22, 2009. For more information click here.

Hut visitors will be glad to know that the logbooks of the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association are regularly archived offsite.  We are currently retrieving all logbook entries beginning with the first entries in winter 1988 through spring 2009.  Regrettably, we had not archived entries from the summer 2009.

- A photo of the Yurt kitchen-

-Photo of the Yurt interior -