Winter huts/yurt in the mountains ?

[SergeyG]

Hello everyone !
Not that long I moved to Calgary and was wondering, if you guys have camping huts in your campgrounds in the mountains ? Somethings with heat (preferably fireplace), electricity and maybe water ?

Maybe some remotely located and inexpensive cabins ? But I mean like really in the deep bush.

Thank you in advance for your help !

[Gust]

Yurts are gaining popularity and I'm sure a search should bring something up. Were you just looking to camp, or ice fish/scout game x-country ski?

[BeeGuy]

Search alpine club or back country resorts.

[SergeyG]

Originally Posted by Gust

Yurts are gaining popularity and I'm sure a search should bring something up. Were you just looking to camp, or ice fish/scout game x-country ski?

Gust, just camping. Need time to recharge and be away from people for a while.

Couldn't find anything specific using search, but I will give it another shot.

Do you happen to know any specific places ?

[SergeyG]

Originally Posted by BeeGuy

Search alpine club or back country resorts.

Thank you ! I'll need time to read through the apline club website, but it looks like I will able to find what I'm looking for !

[Gust]

Griffiths Ranch (<??), used to have nice big teepees with wood stoves in them, NW of Cochrane,, though this is 30 years ago.

[Gust]

http://www.sundancelodges.com/

http://goglamping.net/americas/sundance-lodges-alberta/

[backpacker]

The Alpine Club of Canada is a great way to visit the backcountry in the winter. I have stayed at a few huts and if you can luck out as I did once, I was able to stay in Elk Lake cabin for 3 nights by my self. Not a sole around for 3 days was nice. Here is a link. Worth the small fee.

http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/facility/elklakes.html

You can x-country ski or snowshoe in(10kms.) on a power line, making for easy travel. Once there you can ski/snowshoe to lower/upper Elk Lakes for a days adventure and picture taking.
As you will find out if you read up on the huts; you really only need to take your clothes, sleeping bag and food. There are propane stoves, and lighting and all the pots/pans plates and cutlery you'll need all ready there.

[CheeseBurger]

If you don't mind cross country skiing in:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/ban...ng/bryant.aspx

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/ban...ing/egypt.aspx

The girlfriend and I are heading to the hut at Egypt Lake for NYE.

[crunchiespg]

Can anyone suggest some of these cabins that would be within a sensible distance to take our 5 year old. She can probably do 5km or so and we could take a sled to help a little.

[greylynx]

Mosquito Creek Hostel during the week.

About 30 miles north of Lake Louise on the Banff Jasper Highway.

It is just south of the Columbia Icefields.

[CheeseBurger]

Crunchies - There is also a ACC hut I believe that is south of Nelson on Hwy 6? to Salmo. I think it's only about 2km off the road. I know it's not exactly close but you are going to be hard pressed to find a hut less than 10km from a road.

[Heavy K]

Originally Posted by CheeseBurger

Crunchies - There is also a ACC hut I believe that is south of Nelson on Hwy 6? to Salmo. I think it's only about 2km off the road. I know it's not exactly close but you are going to be hard pressed to find a hut less than 10km from a road.

That's not an ACC hut. That's the Ripple Ridge Cabin maintained by the Creston Valley Quad Squad, which is available by booking only. It is off of Highway 3. It probably wouldn't be suitable for taking a five year old for their first trip. It's foot access only from the road, and about 200m vertical and about 3km back. It's also quite a bit more rustic than the ACC huts. You will need all of your own dishes, sleeping pads, and your own stove. It's also a busy area in the winter with the ski tour crowd.

The easiest access ACC hut that is not actually road access is the Wheeler Hut at Rogers' Pass. It's about a kilometer off the highway on the old railroad grade (ie easy travel). There is plenty to do up the valley from the hut. There are ruins from the old CP Hotel just beyond that look to be a great place for the kiddoes to frolic and explore. Note that travel more than ~2km further up valley will require appropriate avalanche gear and training. Nonetheless, lots of families in your precise situation will make use of the Wheeler Hut for introducing their little ones to the winter backcountry. Because of this, you'll want to bring earplugs for the hut at night!

Grey mentioned the road access, Mosquito Creek hostel up Highway 93N, which I'd agree is an excellent option. There is also the Rampart Creek Hostel and the recently reopened Hilda Creek Hostel that would provide a similar experiences.

Enjoy, and hopefully your little one will be hooked.

HK

[CheeseBurger]

Heavy - We are talking about entirely different huts:

http://www.kootenaymountaineering.bc...ckleberry.html

That being said, I was wrong about it only being a couple km off the road, that would only be in the summer. Winter it would be 6km off the road so still probably not appropriate for a little one...

[Heavy K]

Originally Posted by CheeseBurger

Heavy - We are talking about entirely different huts:

http://www.kootenaymountaineering.bc...ckleberry.html

That being said, I was wrong about it only being a couple km off the road, that would only be in the summer. Winter it would be 6km off the road so still probably not appropriate for a little one...

Ah. That makes more sense. Forgot about the Bonnington Huts, as they're actually not ACC huts anymore. Travel in there in the winter would definitely not be suitable for the lil' one on their first trip! People spend plenty of time wandering around in the cloudy and featureless Kootenay forest, hunting for cabins buried up to the roof in snow.

HK

[crunchiespg]

thanks guys, you've given me some options to look at..

for a little one she can sure get about. she hiked plenty this summer, often covering 8km or more.. also, we did lots of bike camping this summer, load up the bikes with everything we need and throw her in the trailer.

she's just at that in-between age, too big to carry, and too small to carry herself all the way..
I'm also going to look into those sleds with the bars that you tow behind, a pull sled, that might work for when she runs out of steam.

if she can physically get there, it doesn't matter how short of facilities it is. we are used to tent camping anyway.
a shed with a wood burning stove would be all we need. throw camp mats and sleeping bags on the floor and we'd be set.