Hut Trip Report
Buckeye Gulch TH to Sangree's to Emmelyn to East Tennessee TH
Thanksgiving Weekend, 11/27 - 30/2025
This is a report for a TG Weekend 2025 trip from
the standard Buckeye Gulch TH on Co Hwy 91 to
Sangree M. Froelicher Hut for 1 night then on to
Emmelyn Hut for 2 nights,
with a day trip to the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse for lunch, then
out to the East Tennessee TH.
This is a semi-repeat trip for me.
See my previous trip report:
Dec 2023 Sangree's to Emmelyn Hut, with detailed route description.
For this trip, instead of doing
Buckeye Gulch-Sangree's-Emmelyn-BG as we did in 2023, we did
Buckeye Gulch-Sangree's-Emmelyn-East Tennessee TH,
requiring a short car shuttle.
We ended up with a strong group of 8 friends for this year's TG trip.
One was a rookie to the huts but still very strong.
The rest were veterans of previous hut trips.
All are now veterans of a significant hut-to-hut trip requiring
complex backcountry navigation and snowshoeing.
Apparently because Emmelyn is one of the newest huts in the 10th Mtn system,
the route from Sangree's to Emmelyn is still not marked at all in any way.
There is a GPX track available on the 10th Mtn site on the Emmelyn page.
We were able to follow this GPX track from Sangree, over the 11,900' saddle,
back down through the woods right to Emmelyn.
Without this GPX track, it could be very difficult to find the Emmelyn hut
when coming from Sangree's unless there happens to be a snow track.
TG 2025 Sangree's to Emmelyn Hut, with updated route description. P1
Re: TG 2025 Sangree's to Emmelyn Hut, with updated route description. P2
Flashback to last year, TG 2024
Most of us attempted to do this trip last year, TG 2024, to do
Buckeye-Sangree's-Emmelyn-Continental Divide hut-Tennessee Pass.
However 28+" of new snow fell on Tuesday before TG on the Tennessee Pass/Fremont Pass area.
By Thursday, roads were still icy and the route to the huts was totally untracked.
We dropped off some people at BG to start up the trail while the others
shuttled cars to Tennessee Pass. The last of us left the TH after the car shuttle at almost 1 PM.
The end people caught up the starting people at the steep crux of the route,
~2 mi in and still more than 1 more mi to the hut where the starters had slowed to a
crawl at best in ~3' of new, untracked snow.
We soon realized we could not make it to the hut and needed to return to the TH,
which we did by almost dark.
However, we now have most of our vehicles at the Tennessee Pass TH!
So we had to leave 4 people waiting at the BG TH, in single digit temps,
while the rest of us crammed in to 2 cars to re-shuttle cars back to BG,
to pick up the unlucky ones, which took almost 1 hr, due to snowy/icy roads.
Fortunately they were strong and able to tough it out.
Then on to Leadville to find some accommodations.
We eventually found a great Victorian home, available on either AB&B or VRBO - don't remember which,
to have our belated TG feast.
Fri., 2024 still, we hoped to get into Emmelyn from the E. Tennessee TH but
found it full of deep, untracked snow too and
realized it would not be possible to make it to Emmelyn either! Major Bummer!!
So on to the Nordic center at Ski Cooper for a day of snowshoeing on their trails,
lunch at the TP Cookhouse and
find more accommodations for that night, since the previous nights house was not available.
Saturday we were able to make it into Continental Divide hut on schedule to finish off the weekend!
Most of us attempted to do this trip last year, TG 2024, to do
Buckeye-Sangree's-Emmelyn-Continental Divide hut-Tennessee Pass.
However 28+" of new snow fell on Tuesday before TG on the Tennessee Pass/Fremont Pass area.
By Thursday, roads were still icy and the route to the huts was totally untracked.
We dropped off some people at BG to start up the trail while the others
shuttled cars to Tennessee Pass. The last of us left the TH after the car shuttle at almost 1 PM.
The end people caught up the starting people at the steep crux of the route,
~2 mi in and still more than 1 more mi to the hut where the starters had slowed to a
crawl at best in ~3' of new, untracked snow.
We soon realized we could not make it to the hut and needed to return to the TH,
which we did by almost dark.
However, we now have most of our vehicles at the Tennessee Pass TH!
So we had to leave 4 people waiting at the BG TH, in single digit temps,
while the rest of us crammed in to 2 cars to re-shuttle cars back to BG,
to pick up the unlucky ones, which took almost 1 hr, due to snowy/icy roads.
Fortunately they were strong and able to tough it out.
Then on to Leadville to find some accommodations.
We eventually found a great Victorian home, available on either AB&B or VRBO - don't remember which,
to have our belated TG feast.
Fri., 2024 still, we hoped to get into Emmelyn from the E. Tennessee TH but
found it full of deep, untracked snow too and
realized it would not be possible to make it to Emmelyn either! Major Bummer!!
So on to the Nordic center at Ski Cooper for a day of snowshoeing on their trails,
lunch at the TP Cookhouse and
find more accommodations for that night, since the previous nights house was not available.
Saturday we were able to make it into Continental Divide hut on schedule to finish off the weekend!
Last edited by wjblazek on Sun Dec 14, 2025 7:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: TG 2025 Sangree's to Emmelyn Hut, with updated route description. P3
Thursday, 11/27/2025, Thanksgiving day.
We all carpooled from several Denver area locations and met at the Buckeye Gulch.
This year's snowpack was the exact opposite!
It took us ~3-3.5 hours from the TH to Sangree's, arriving by ~3:15 PM,
in untracked but minimal snow, some didn't even wear snowshoes or micro spikes.
Last year we were still wallowing in waist deep snow a mile away at that time.
The summer single-track trail was even visible much of the way.
At the hut there was minimal but adequate snow to collect for melting for water.
We enjoyed a great evening of comradery and enjoying our TG feast.
Since there were only 8 of us and Sangree's sleeps 16,
we had plenty of room since the other spaces had not been booked.
Sangree's is a classic 10th Mtn hut design and floorplan, up and down,
with ~100' walk to the outhouse out back.
As usual, TG weekend is the start of the winter hut season and
no one had been at Sangree's for several days at least.
This meant that the whole hut building itself was at ambient outdoor tempurature.
It typically takes several hours with both stoves going full blast and
some propane burners to get the hut up to a comfortable temperature and
it was no exception this year.
So the women all chose to sleep downstairs by the fire,
bringing sleeping mattress down from upstairs to sleep on the floor,
and the guys slept upstairs.
Fri. 11/28
Since it's only ~2.5 mi, ~300' gain, ~700' loss to Emmelyn, and weather was good,
we planned a casual start, ~9:30 AM, from Sangree's.
We headed up the jeep road above and behind, North, of Sangree's.
The road quickly leaves the trees and hits the open tundra.
This year the road is clearly visible with minimal snow in the actual tire tracks
all the way to the 11,900' saddle.
This year we were able to skirt through the woods below the 12,000' knob, to the North,
on the West side of the saddle. 2 of us had scouted this route for
last year's trip so we new it was a viable option and
avoided the knob and the large steep North Face talas slope,
described in my 2023 report.
The GPX track goes up to the 12K' knob so we
diverged from the track for a short way but
picked it back up at the meadow on the ridge.
We stayed mostly level, traversing below the knob and
came out right at the meadow on the ridge where we took a short lunch break.
Weather was great with spectacular views to the west of the Sawatch Range.
With the thin snow and traversing sideways on a mix of grassy and forested ground,
we did have to hike carefully. Some wore snowshoes, some spikes, some just boots.
With a foot of snow more more to make a real track,
this traverse would probably be a bit easier.
From the meadow it's straight forward down the generally gentle slope but
with a few steeper sections, through a mix of meadows and thin forest,
to the hut following the GPX track.
This year there were no snow tracks to the hut.
We were at Emmelyn by noonish.
We all carpooled from several Denver area locations and met at the Buckeye Gulch.
This year's snowpack was the exact opposite!
It took us ~3-3.5 hours from the TH to Sangree's, arriving by ~3:15 PM,
in untracked but minimal snow, some didn't even wear snowshoes or micro spikes.
Last year we were still wallowing in waist deep snow a mile away at that time.
The summer single-track trail was even visible much of the way.
At the hut there was minimal but adequate snow to collect for melting for water.
We enjoyed a great evening of comradery and enjoying our TG feast.
Since there were only 8 of us and Sangree's sleeps 16,
we had plenty of room since the other spaces had not been booked.
Sangree's is a classic 10th Mtn hut design and floorplan, up and down,
with ~100' walk to the outhouse out back.
As usual, TG weekend is the start of the winter hut season and
no one had been at Sangree's for several days at least.
This meant that the whole hut building itself was at ambient outdoor tempurature.
It typically takes several hours with both stoves going full blast and
some propane burners to get the hut up to a comfortable temperature and
it was no exception this year.
So the women all chose to sleep downstairs by the fire,
bringing sleeping mattress down from upstairs to sleep on the floor,
and the guys slept upstairs.
Fri. 11/28
Since it's only ~2.5 mi, ~300' gain, ~700' loss to Emmelyn, and weather was good,
we planned a casual start, ~9:30 AM, from Sangree's.
We headed up the jeep road above and behind, North, of Sangree's.
The road quickly leaves the trees and hits the open tundra.
This year the road is clearly visible with minimal snow in the actual tire tracks
all the way to the 11,900' saddle.
This year we were able to skirt through the woods below the 12,000' knob, to the North,
on the West side of the saddle. 2 of us had scouted this route for
last year's trip so we new it was a viable option and
avoided the knob and the large steep North Face talas slope,
described in my 2023 report.
The GPX track goes up to the 12K' knob so we
diverged from the track for a short way but
picked it back up at the meadow on the ridge.
We stayed mostly level, traversing below the knob and
came out right at the meadow on the ridge where we took a short lunch break.
Weather was great with spectacular views to the west of the Sawatch Range.
With the thin snow and traversing sideways on a mix of grassy and forested ground,
we did have to hike carefully. Some wore snowshoes, some spikes, some just boots.
With a foot of snow more more to make a real track,
this traverse would probably be a bit easier.
From the meadow it's straight forward down the generally gentle slope but
with a few steeper sections, through a mix of meadows and thin forest,
to the hut following the GPX track.
This year there were no snow tracks to the hut.
We were at Emmelyn by noonish.
Last edited by wjblazek on Sun Dec 14, 2025 7:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: TG 2025 Sangree's to Emmelyn Hut, with updated route description. P4
Emmelyn is one of the newest huts in the 10th Mtn system and
a state-of-the-art hut with beautiful architecture, high ceilings and
big windows with fantastic views to the West and Southwest of
the Sawatch range from Mt. Holy Cross to the North, all the way down South of Mt. Elbert.
The big SW facing windows, upstairs and downstairs,
help keep the hut warm, along with the wood burning stove.
And they give great views of the sunsets over the Sawatch!
This year we had great sunsets all 3 nights!
The kitchen has plenty of stainless steel counter space with a sink and 4 burner propane stove.
One of the best features is the indoor, composting toilet that is virtually odor-free!
You don't even need to put in sawdust after using it!
There are also USB-A and USB-C jacks in the main level bedroom and
upstairs by the sink. How modern!
There is a modern hand-pump, that does not need priming, to pump water from the cistern.
However, instructions say to melt snow for water in the winter and
use the cistern water in the summer.
So we mostly melted snow for water and only used a little cistern water for cleaning.
There was a little more snow on the ground at Emmelyn than Sangree's so we
had plenty to melt for water.
When we arrived the hut was still warm from the previous party.
There is also a big beautiful south facing deck, with table and chairs,
that would be great in summer but also made it easy to get to nice clean snow.
Bunk space wise, there are 5 double-bed sized mattresses,
1.5 single mattresses wide, for 2 people each.
1 is on the main level in it's own room and 4 upstairs.
Upstairs, 1 double bed is in it's own room and 3 are in a common area,
2 of which are a double bed, bunk bed.
There is also a single bunk in it's own separate little nook.
So the hut could sleep 11 people but it is only booked for a maximum of 10.
The double bed size mattresses are best for couples.
It would be a bit tight and cozy for 10 single people in this hut.
There are also bench seats with mattresses around the stove area where
3 people max could potentially sleep end to end.
The one thing Emmelyn does need are Scrabble game and Chess games! :-)
All in all, it's a great new addition to the 10th Mtn hut system.
a state-of-the-art hut with beautiful architecture, high ceilings and
big windows with fantastic views to the West and Southwest of
the Sawatch range from Mt. Holy Cross to the North, all the way down South of Mt. Elbert.
The big SW facing windows, upstairs and downstairs,
help keep the hut warm, along with the wood burning stove.
And they give great views of the sunsets over the Sawatch!
This year we had great sunsets all 3 nights!
The kitchen has plenty of stainless steel counter space with a sink and 4 burner propane stove.
One of the best features is the indoor, composting toilet that is virtually odor-free!
You don't even need to put in sawdust after using it!
There are also USB-A and USB-C jacks in the main level bedroom and
upstairs by the sink. How modern!
There is a modern hand-pump, that does not need priming, to pump water from the cistern.
However, instructions say to melt snow for water in the winter and
use the cistern water in the summer.
So we mostly melted snow for water and only used a little cistern water for cleaning.
There was a little more snow on the ground at Emmelyn than Sangree's so we
had plenty to melt for water.
When we arrived the hut was still warm from the previous party.
There is also a big beautiful south facing deck, with table and chairs,
that would be great in summer but also made it easy to get to nice clean snow.
Bunk space wise, there are 5 double-bed sized mattresses,
1.5 single mattresses wide, for 2 people each.
1 is on the main level in it's own room and 4 upstairs.
Upstairs, 1 double bed is in it's own room and 3 are in a common area,
2 of which are a double bed, bunk bed.
There is also a single bunk in it's own separate little nook.
So the hut could sleep 11 people but it is only booked for a maximum of 10.
The double bed size mattresses are best for couples.
It would be a bit tight and cozy for 10 single people in this hut.
There are also bench seats with mattresses around the stove area where
3 people max could potentially sleep end to end.
The one thing Emmelyn does need are Scrabble game and Chess games! :-)
All in all, it's a great new addition to the 10th Mtn hut system.
Re: TG 2025 Sangree's to Emmelyn Hut, with updated route description. P5
Sat. 11/29
Today we trekked down and back to the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse where we had reservations for lunch.
From the hut, we bushwacked NE through the woods down to FS Rd 102, then
followed that, past the yurts to the cookhouse, ~2.5 mi total, one way.
www.tennesseepass.com/cookhouse/
FS Rd 102 is a 4WD jeep road that, in summer is easily driveable with
any standard 4WD, high clearance, vehicle.
In winter it is used for snowmobiling. When there is enough snow!
After a great lunch, in a great setting, we hoofed it back to the hut in <2 hours,
making a great day trip of it. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent
playing games and finishing a 1000 piece Coloado themed jig-saw puzzle.
With everyone helping it still took ~6 hours to complete!
Emmelyn still needs a scrabble game and chess set! :-)
Sun 11/30
From Emmelyn, we started down the 4WD road ~1/4-1/2 mi to the 1st hard right switchback
where we took a old, much rougher, narrower, closed to 4WD vehicles,
cut through the woods that makes a short cut down to FS Rd 102.
This cuts off at least 1/2 mi from FS Rd 102 and the road up to the hut and
is the standard winter route to the hut, that is part of the 10th Mtn's winter GPX track.
Once back on 102, it's ~2 mi straight forward ski/snowshoe/walk back to the E. Tenn. TH.
Today we trekked down and back to the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse where we had reservations for lunch.
From the hut, we bushwacked NE through the woods down to FS Rd 102, then
followed that, past the yurts to the cookhouse, ~2.5 mi total, one way.
www.tennesseepass.com/cookhouse/
FS Rd 102 is a 4WD jeep road that, in summer is easily driveable with
any standard 4WD, high clearance, vehicle.
In winter it is used for snowmobiling. When there is enough snow!
After a great lunch, in a great setting, we hoofed it back to the hut in <2 hours,
making a great day trip of it. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent
playing games and finishing a 1000 piece Coloado themed jig-saw puzzle.
With everyone helping it still took ~6 hours to complete!
Emmelyn still needs a scrabble game and chess set! :-)
Sun 11/30
From Emmelyn, we started down the 4WD road ~1/4-1/2 mi to the 1st hard right switchback
where we took a old, much rougher, narrower, closed to 4WD vehicles,
cut through the woods that makes a short cut down to FS Rd 102.
This cuts off at least 1/2 mi from FS Rd 102 and the road up to the hut and
is the standard winter route to the hut, that is part of the 10th Mtn's winter GPX track.
Once back on 102, it's ~2 mi straight forward ski/snowshoe/walk back to the E. Tenn. TH.
Last edited by wjblazek on Sun Dec 14, 2025 7:45 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: TG 2025 Sangree's to Emmelyn Hut, with updated route description. P6
Updated Sangree's - Emmelyn Winter route analysis
As described above, presumably due to the newness of Emmelyn,
there is no physical trail or path between these huts, only a GPX track.
That track goes over the top of the 12,000' knob, between them.
IMHO, a better route, now that I have scouted it round trip twice and done it twice in winter,
is to go to the 11,900' saddle and
head West, slightly North, dropping slightly into the trees just enough to be out of avy danger.
Then traverse West through the woods to the ridge and meadow and down to the yurt and hut.
This traverse is fairly straight forward as long as one is careful to stay at
the same elevation and not loose any elevation.
The woods are only moderately dense with only scattered deadfall.
Strong skiers can manage this route but must be willing to negotiate the forest travel.
Skins would definitely be required IMHO.
Don't underestimate the distance between the huts, which is only ~2.5 mi..
A strong group with good snow conditions and weather could easily
make it from one hut to another, either direction, in 2 hours or less.
The same group in deep fresh deep snow with a serious winter storm blowing
could easily take far longer and have a major challenge to make it at all.
Anyone considering this route needs to carefully consider the specific conditions that
exist on the day they are traveling and have excellent winter backcountry travel skills.
The section of this hut-hut route between Sangree's,
over the 11,900' saddle and back into the trees
on the North side of the 12,000' knob,
is totally exposed to the weather.
Ski/snowshoe tracks will be quickly covered by blowing snow.
Visibility in bad weather could easily be reduced to nothing across the saddle.
Deep snow, like TG 2024, is probably very common here.
We couldn't even make it to Sangree's last year.
We certainly would not have been able to make it on to Emmelyn.
Despite the short distance, consider this route carefully!
Still the Sangree's - Emmelyn route is excellent,
giving people a great sense of doing a real hut-to-hut route
with serious backcountry travel and navigation.
Given the short distance between these huts,
this hut-hut route is bound to be popular.
So I think it would be wise, for 10th Mtn and the owner(s) of Emmelyn,
to define an optimal route between them.
Be safe in the backcountry
As described above, presumably due to the newness of Emmelyn,
there is no physical trail or path between these huts, only a GPX track.
That track goes over the top of the 12,000' knob, between them.
IMHO, a better route, now that I have scouted it round trip twice and done it twice in winter,
is to go to the 11,900' saddle and
head West, slightly North, dropping slightly into the trees just enough to be out of avy danger.
Then traverse West through the woods to the ridge and meadow and down to the yurt and hut.
This traverse is fairly straight forward as long as one is careful to stay at
the same elevation and not loose any elevation.
The woods are only moderately dense with only scattered deadfall.
Strong skiers can manage this route but must be willing to negotiate the forest travel.
Skins would definitely be required IMHO.
Don't underestimate the distance between the huts, which is only ~2.5 mi..
A strong group with good snow conditions and weather could easily
make it from one hut to another, either direction, in 2 hours or less.
The same group in deep fresh deep snow with a serious winter storm blowing
could easily take far longer and have a major challenge to make it at all.
Anyone considering this route needs to carefully consider the specific conditions that
exist on the day they are traveling and have excellent winter backcountry travel skills.
The section of this hut-hut route between Sangree's,
over the 11,900' saddle and back into the trees
on the North side of the 12,000' knob,
is totally exposed to the weather.
Ski/snowshoe tracks will be quickly covered by blowing snow.
Visibility in bad weather could easily be reduced to nothing across the saddle.
Deep snow, like TG 2024, is probably very common here.
We couldn't even make it to Sangree's last year.
We certainly would not have been able to make it on to Emmelyn.
Despite the short distance, consider this route carefully!
Still the Sangree's - Emmelyn route is excellent,
giving people a great sense of doing a real hut-to-hut route
with serious backcountry travel and navigation.
Given the short distance between these huts,
this hut-hut route is bound to be popular.
So I think it would be wise, for 10th Mtn and the owner(s) of Emmelyn,
to define an optimal route between them.
Be safe in the backcountry