Alerts

Trips to the Braun and Friends’ Huts are a serious backcountry endeavor which demand careful planning, and the trained skills of travel and decision making in remote, avalanche terrain. These trips are not to be taken lightly even for the most experienced backcountry skier/rider. If you and your group do not have the equipment for and substantial experience with: decision making, and travel in serious avalanche terrain, and the use of navigation skills and tools in difficult conditions, choose another hut system or hire a professional guide.

Warning:
In addition to the backcountry risks described below, the Alfred A. Braun Huts and Friends’ Hut are located in areas of serious avalanche terrain with recurring avalanche cycles. Routes to and between the huts are not marked or maintained.

Avalanche Cancellation Policy:
Because the Alfred A. Braun Huts and Friends’ Hut are located in areas of serious avalanche terrain with recurring avalanche cycles, an additional opportunity to cancel due to avalanche danger exists for these huts. Groups with reservations in these huts may cancel on the scheduled day of their trip (or the next business day) if the avalanche danger is higher than what their group feels comfortable with. These groups will be given a full hut credit for a future hut trip. This credit is not transferable between huts in the Braun Hut system (including the Friends’ Hut) and huts in the 10th Mountain system. No refunds will be given at any time, for any reason. Visit Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s website: https://avalanche.state.co.us for up to date avalanche information. If you or members of your party are generally uncomfortable travelling in serious avalanche terrain, consider alternative huts in the 10th Mountain system.

Backcountry Risks:
Skiing and wilderness travel in the Elk Mountains have inherent risks, hazards and dangers that cannot be eliminated; they are very real and not to be taken lightly. People have died or been seriously injured traveling and recreating in this area. A partial list of risks, hazards and dangers a backcountry user can

encounter using these huts include:

  • Hazardous mountain environments with serious avalanche terrain where avalanches occur and where additional wilderness hazards exist that may not be obvious or visible (such as cliffs, hidden streams, etc.) where weather is changeable and unpredictable and can be extreme.
  • Route finding and skiing in a wilderness environment where routes and slopes are not marked, maintained, controlled or patrolled, where snow conditions vary and change, and where above tree-line travel can be extremely difficult or impossible.
  • Altitude sickness and exposure, especially if your groups become lost, delayed, or separated and members do not reach the hut.
  • Travel in remote areas and use of simple huts where outside help will be slow to arrive, cannot be communicated with, or is unavailable due to conditions.
  • Human factors, especially those related to group decision making and perceptions of expertise and differences in physical condition and skills.

The Huts > Alfred A Braun Hut System > Lindley Hut

Lindley Hut

The Lindley Hut is part of the Alfred Braun Hut System is located in the Elk Mountains between Aspen and Crested Butte. You can learn more about Colorado’s first hut system and how to support its work at www.braunhuts.org.

The Lindley Hut is one of the easiest to reach of all the huts in the Aspen area, but there are significant avalanche hazards along the way. From Ashcroft, the Cooper Creek Road takes skiers south up a gradual climb for three miles to where the hut is nestled in the woods just above Cooper Creek.

The road continues beyond toward the Pitkin Iron Mine on a series of gradual switchbacks where ski touring is pleasant for intermediates. For more advanced skiers, this road can link to the ridgetop beyond the mine for a remarkable high mountain traverse.

The Lindley Hut, formerly known as “The Ice Box” because of its all-concrete construction and lack of insulation, was renovated to include a hot-water solar-heated, radiant floor system with pumps powered by solar electric panels.

Alfred Lindley was a prominent lawyer and sportsman from Minnesota who was a principal of the National Ski Association (forerunner of the United States Ski Association). He died in a plane crash in 1950, and was honored as an enthusiast of alpine ski touring and mountaineering.

Hut Information

Owned By

Alfred A Braun Hut System

Open

Winter

Closest Town

Aspen

Hut Elevation

10,480 '

Elevation Max*

0

Layout

Lindley hut is a one-level structure with loft that sleeps a total of 14 (4 doubles, 6 singles).

Amenities

Heat

Wood

Oven

No

Refrigeration

No

Water

Snow Melt**

Toilet

Outhouse, Covered Walkway

Ada Accessible

No

Sauna

No

Fire Ring

No

Grill

No

Dogs

No

Charging

None

Gear Cart

No


** Winter only

Details

  • Firewood, starter paper, matches, axes
  • Propane for kitchen burners
  • Cooler for cold food storage
  • Snow collection buckets and large pot for melting snow on wood-burning heat stove (bring your own filter)
  • Pots, pans, potholders, dishware, cooking and eating utensils, percolator or French press, salt & pepper
  • Paper towels, dish soap, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, trash bags, toilet paper
  • Solar powered lighting
  • Mattresses, pillows
  • Crocs

Book This Hut

Capacity

14

Price

$370/night

Visit our Online Booking Platform to search for availability and book this hut.

Location

39.004444, -106.805473

Official 10th Mountain Division Map

CalTopo

Winter Map : Braun Huts Map

View / Print

National Geographic

Map : Aspen, Independence Pass

USFS

Map : White River National Forest

Trailheads/Routes

The Lindley Hut sits just a few hundred yards off the Cooper Creek Road near the base of Star Peak. The route in follows the road and makes for a gradual, low key trip. However the road does pass below various avalanche paths so you must exercise caution during times of elevated avalanche danger.

The Alfred Braun Hut System was designed to be a back-country SKI system. As such the Alfred Braun Hut System strongly discourages the use of snowmobiles for access to the huts. The hut system was created for non-motorized travel. As such, snowmobile use can often detract from this unique experience. Our huts are located on U.S. Forest Service land, and each hut has unique travel management restrictions as governed by Forest Service Travel Management Plans. Around the immediate environs of each Alfred Braun Hut is a USFS developed recreation site envelope with snowmobile restrictions. Access to and from each hut is managed within the Developed Recreation Site Boundary. Snowmobiles should not drive to the front door of any hut. There are no snowmobile play areas within the Developed Recreation Site boundaries. Snowmobiles are not allowed in Wilderness Areas, or on private land without permission. In the winter of 2010-2011, the fines for snowmobiling in the Wilderness Areas were $550 per snowmobile. You must know where you are if you expect to remain legal and safe. PLEASE DO NOT RELY ON A SNOWMOBILE TO GET YOURSELF OR YOUR EQUIPMENT TO A HUT.

Braun Huts & Friends’ Hut Winter Information PDF

Routes

Lindley Hut from Ashcroft Trailhead

Total Mileage

4

Trailhead Elevation

9,498'

Hut-Specific Weather

This Afternoon : Sunny, with a high near 42. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Tonight : Mostly clear, with a low around 15. South southeast wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday : Scattered rain and snow showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. West southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Tuesday Night : Isolated snow showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. North northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Wednesday : A slight chance of snow showers after noon. Sunny, with a high near 42. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wednesday Night : Mostly clear, with a low around 16.

Thursday : Sunny, with a high near 42.

Thursday Night : A slight chance of snow showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 18.

Friday : A chance of snow showers after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 43. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

Friday Night : A slight chance of snow showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20.

Saturday : A chance of snow showers after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 42.

Saturday Night : A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Sunday : Snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 34. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Sunday Night : Snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 12. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Contents

Compare Huts

Select up to four huts to compare.