About Francie's Cabin
Francie's Cabin was the second hut built by Summit Huts Association and is one of the most popular huts in Colorado. Francie's offers great skiing and is popular with families and beginners due to the relative ease of access. Francie's Cabin is open for winter and summer seasons. Winter season runs from the day before Thanksgiving to mid-May. Summer season is July through September. Francie's Cabin sleeps 20 people divided among six bunk rooms (there are no double beds). All huts are booked to capacity and may be occupied by more than one group. Francie's is equipped with a wood stove for heat, firewood, propane cook tops, indoor composting toilets, a wood-fired sauna, solar powered lights, twin sized bunks with mattresses and pillows, cooking and eating utensils (pots/pans/plates/flatware/mugs/glasses), toilet paper, paper towels, and cleaning supplies. There is no cooking oven. There is a separate downstairs "Hutmasters' Quarters" that is used by Summit Huts maintenance staff and volunteers.
Please see How to Plan a Hut Trip for more information on what to expect and how to make reservations for Francie's Cabin. Reservations for all Summit Huts are made through 10th Mountain Division Hut Association at (970)925-5775.
We recently discovered some hut trip footage on YouTube that gives a pretty good picture of what it's like up at and around the hut.
Francie's Cabin Fast Facts
- Hut Elevation: 11,264 feet
- GPS: 39 26.312’ N, 106 04.354’ W
- General Location: 4 miles south of Breckenridge, CO in the Crystal Lakes Basin
- Map: USGS Breckenridge 7.5 min. map or Trails Illustrated Breckenridge/ Tennessee Pass #109 or SHA Francie’s Cabin Map
- Miles from Trailhead: Three different routes ranging from 1.8 miles to 4.5 miles
- Date Built: Built in 1994 in memory of Frances Lockwood Bailey
- Owned By: Summit Hut Association
- Dates open: Summer: July 1 through September 30th. Winter: Thanksgiving through 1st week of May
- Cost per night: $33/person (2012/2013 season) Advanced reservations only.
- Ski Terrain: Surrounding Hut Skiing in Crystal Creek drainage, conditions can be windblown, significant avalanche hazard in valley above hut.
- Hut Layout: Main Floor - Open common room/kitchen, one bunk room, boot room, two toilets. Upper Floor - five bunk rooms, sitting/reading room. Basement - wood room, hutmasters' quarters. Sleeping accomodations - main floor bunkroom - single bunk & 2 single beds. Upstairs bunkrooms - 2 with 2 single beds, 3 with 2 sets of bunks in each.
- Amenities: Wood burning stove for heat, solar powered lights, indoor composting toilet, sauna, beds and pillows, fully equipped kitchen and hutmasters' quarters.
- Water: Snow is melted for water. In summer, water is available at nearby creek.
- Handicap Accessible:
Cabin -Yes Trail-No
- Motorized access: Winter - NoneSummer - Limited
- Reservations: (970)925-5775
