Colorado Powder Tour Recap

Last week GetOut hosted our first retreat, a backcountry touring trip outside of Breckenridge, Colorado. Like all GetOut retreats will be planned, this trip was quick but packed with activity and time to make new friends.

Trip recap

Sunday afternoon:

I picked everyone who needed a ride up from Denver Airport and we headed to Silverthorne where we met the rest of the group at Colorado Adventure Guides. Here we rented touring skis and did a quick gear check.

After everyone had met and rented touring skis or a splitboard, we checked into a local hotel and headed off to dinner where the group had a private yurt on the banks of the Blue River.

Monday morning:

After a quick hotel breakfast and coffee, we headed back to Colorado Adventure Guides where we met our guides Abe and Kyle. Our guides helped us pack our overnight packs with everything we’d need for the next 36 hours in the backcountry.

After a quick 30 minute drive towards Breckenridge we parked at the trailhead and got ready to head up to Sisters Cabin. First a quick safety chat and check by Abe

Our first climb was 3.8 miles with 1200 ft of elevation gained. The trail wasn’t steep but constant and the packs were heavy!

Everyone made it to our basecamp in about 2.5 hours up at Sisters Cabin at 11,500 ft of elevation. This “backcountry hut” is the newest addition to the 10th Mountain Division - Colorado Hut Association, added in 2019, its really nice and comfortable for a minimalist cabin with only solar power and snow melted for water. Now we could unload our packs and travel light to tour and ski above the cabin.

After a much needed lunch and water break we set out and up again to explore the skiable terrain above the cabin. The trees were amazing and snow covered from a recent storm, which left 6-8” of fresh powder for us!

It didn’t take long to get above tree line, where we could explore bowls and chutes that led right back to the skin track to the cabin.

Our first run of the trip was a mix of bowl skiing and tree skiing, everyone was psyched to go down the mountain after going up for so long!

Everyone was wiped out after a long day, so we headed back to Sisters Cabin for a well deserved beer, charcuterie plate, and hang time by the fire.

This cabin was so comfortable, the common space was perfect for group conversation before dinner where we covered a ton of ground on various industries and what everyone was excited or nervous about for 2024 in their sector. Dinner was carnitas tacos and rice, everyone pitched in either cooking or cleaning making for an easy meal.

It was a full day of touring and skiing and by 8:30pm people were headed up to bed, the 2nd floor of the cabin has three bedrooms that sleeps up to 12 people.

Tuesday: We woke up to another cold and clear day looking over Breckenridge

We brewed some french pressed coffee, cut up some fresh fruit, and cooked pancakes and bacon to get ready for another day. We cleaned and packed up for an easy exit after a day for skiing above the cabin.

Time to head back up…

We had plenty of time to explore, and with two guides we could split up for those that wanted to ski steeper, tighter trees or those that preferred more open glades with trees much farther apart. We also had time to do several laps up and down and anyone that wanted a break could hang down at the cabin for a break.

By 230pm everyone had their fill of powder turns, we filled our backpacks at the Cabin and skied our way down to the trailhead. After a quick stop to return skis and gear in Silverthorne we headed back to Denver in time to catch evening flights home.

This was an unforgettable trip, perfect for folks with backcountry experience or those looking for their first backcountry experience. GetOut specifically sets this trip up so that you don’t need to own or go out and buy specialized equipment and the guides are there to teach and keep the group safe from avalanche prone terrain. We will definitely be headed back next year!

Thanks to those that joined me, Colorado Adventure Guides, and Kkrunkphoto (link below) for the great photos. Follow along by clicking our social links below, heading to the website, or subscribe to the newsletter for more information on future retreats.