Janet’s Cabin was the first backcountry hut built by Summit Huts Association. Built in 1989-90, Janet’s opened to the first guests in 1991. Janet’s Cabin is located in Guller Gulch, a roadless area between Copper Mountain and Vail Pass along the Colorado Trail.
Janet’s Cabin was named after Janet Boyd Tyler, an avid skier who died of cancer in 1988. The cabin was built in her memory near her adopted home of Vail, Co, where she was a long time resident. Her lifetime season ski pass to Vail Mountain is buried in the cabin foundation. As the cabin is located in a roadless area, helicopters were required to build and are necessary to re-supply the hut each season.
Francie’s Cabin, the second hut built in the SHA system is located approximately 4 miles south of Breckenridge, CO in the Crystal Lakes drainage. The cabin was named after Frances Lockwood Bailey, a former resident of Breckenridge, who died in a tragic plane crash in 1989
Francie is remembered as “gentle,” “giving,” “caring, “ artistic” and “funny.” Fran loved children and was devoted to her family. She also enjoyed tennis, hiking and both alpine and Nordic skiing.
The sauna at Francie’s Cabin was built in memory of Francie’s brother Herb Lockwood, who wrote his college thesis on the geology of the Crystal Lakes Basin.
Summit Huts Association is a nonprofit organization that manages backcountry huts in Summit County, Colorado: Janet's Cabin, Francie's Cabin, the Section House and Ken's Cabin. All are open for winter use from November to May. Francie's and Janet's Cabins are also open for summer use from July to September. The Section House is operated by the Forest Service as an historic interpretive site open to day visitors in the summer months.
The Section House was built in 1882 to house the railroad men and their families who took care of a section of the railway that traveled over Boreas Pass, hence the name, “Section House.” The Denver, South Park and Pacific narrow gauge railroad traveled from Denver to Leadville in the height of the mining era. The route was abandoned in the early 1930’s and the Section House fell into disrepair.
It was about to collapse when the US Forest Service and the Colorado Historic Society teamed up to resurrect it in 1993. By 1996, the building was completely restored with a new roof, windows, and interior finish. Summit Huts Association and the US Forest Service began working together in 1996 to operate the Section House as a winter ski hut. SHA’s special use permit was granted in July 1997 and the Section House officially opened in December 1997.
Ken’s Cabin is located next to the Boreas Pass Section House. Originally built in the 1860’s when Boreas Pass Road was a mere wagon trail, the Wagon cabin as it was known, is one of the oldest buildings in the Breckenridge area. Today, Ken’s Cabin serves as a cozy, intimate hut, sleeping two to three people with its own kitchen, dining and sleeping area. Ken’s Cabin is named in memory of Ken Graff, M.D., who died in 1995 at age 33 in an avalanche near Breckenridge, to commemorate his love of the mountains and of skiing.
Despite its creature comforts, Ken’s Cabin remains a rustic experience. There is no insulation in the ceiling per request of the State Historical Society, so it may get cold at night. And the sink drains to a bucket. Guests will be responsible for dumping their sink waste in the Section House sink which does drain to a leach field, or broadcasting it on the ground away from snow collection areas. The outhouse is shared with guests of the Section House.
