Janet's Cabin 2025

This image shows the tracks the Lance made over the three days that we were at the hut situated a few miles from Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado.

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Janet's Cabin 2025 14-16 January

This was a Rocky Flats Mountaineering Group (RFMG) hut trip. The participants were Lance Masoner, Bill Rivers, Bob Annear (neighbor of Kim Greene), Kim Greene, Candace Winkle, Wendy Phillips, Gary Probst (neighbor of Candace Winkle), Ryan Brooks (from Ridgeway and friend of Evan Langsted), and Chrissy Charlton (from Vancouver, Canada and friend of Candace).

Originally sixteen places were booked at the hut. There were a number of cancellations and changes such that the final head count was nine people.

We came from multiple places including Ridgeway, Breckenridge, and the front range.

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I'm increasingly enjoying sleeping in so when the alarm went off this morning at 5AM it took a little extra effort to roll of out bed into the cool default house nighttime temperature. Ah, but a breakfast awaited at the Butterhorn Cafe helping to motivate me.

I met Bill, Bob, and Kim at Kim's home in east Boulder County. We split 2-by-2 into two cars for the drive up to Frisco since Bob would only be staying for the first night. The roads were clear and the traffic light. We arrived at the Butterhorn Cafe at the projected time of 8AM. Unlike previous trips, no one else joined us this morning so it was just us four. The breakfast didn't disappoint being up to its historic standards. Because I paid cash, I was gifted a large cookie which Bill, Kim, and I enjoyed upon our return to the car after the trip. We found parking spots right near the Copper Mountain Transportation Center at the north end of the Alpine parking lot to my pleasant surprise. A foot of snow lay on some of the cars that had been parking there in the prior days which bode well for finding fresh powder at the hut. Ryan called me just as I parked requesting that we grab his snowboard which he inadvertently left on the ski rack at the bus stop! We jumped on the Copper Mtn bus and rode it to the West Village.

Ryan and Chrissy had already connected using their backpacks as the clue they were both bound for a hut. Chrissy shared that Candace and Gary had already departed since it was expected that Gary would take longer skiing up the trail. We secured the complimentary passes at guest services before riding the two chairlifts up the ski area. Everyone managed the chairlifts with their heavy packs. The lift operator on the first chair was gracious and slowed the lift down as we disembarked. We skied the short distance on one of the trails to the entrance and trailhead to the hut.

Crossing the ski area boundary we started the formal trek toward Janet's Cabin. Ryan had his snowboard split so he could trek with it. He was not accustomed to travel downhill in this configuration so that above the creek he elected to put the skins on. I did the same to remain with him. We soon joined the others at the creek to start the gradual climb along Guller Creek on this segment of the Colorado Trail toward the hut.

About three quarter of the way, we came upon an elderly gentleman messy with his pack and skis. I said hi and continued on thinking he must be with another group heading into the hut. A short distance later Bill shared that that was Gary! Whoops! He was now the last of our group so I waited for him and we traveled gradually together. Candace had left him to make her way more quickly to the hut.

Candace had the hut warming when we arrived. It took us about three hours to ski into the hut. After a late light lunch, a subgroup of us headed out and make a couple of runs. Bob demonstrated excellent alpine skiing on his A/T setup. Bob works with an old friend of mine, Jeff Roedell. It was enjoyable to have that (less than) 6 degrees of separation connection.

There were two other groups at the hut. But even with those extra people we didn't fill the hut. I understand it was Ryan's first hut trip. Both Ryan and Chrissy were welcome additions. They are very friendly conscientious supportive individuals - and did I say young additions to our group!

Kim provided the delicious dinner of shrimp and rice. Most folks were snug in bed by 9PM after the long active day.

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I purposefully slept in a bit this morning. Wonderfully, Bill had coffee brewing. He went on to fix one of his hearty egg breakfasts for us.

We made a few runs to the west as a group. One included a short tour above timberline in the direction of Vail pass. We made more runs in the afternoon toward the south and east. The last run was down through a gully and trees to the east eventually intersecting the hut trail. The powder was uncut and slightly sticky. The run through the trees induced yelps of glee. Bob departed us from here since he needed to return to work the next day.

Dinner was my turn tonight. I served veg chili. We'd been sharing stories about Tom Glenn who passed away 26th December. Tonight with a picture of Tom, we lit a candle together to share more fond memories of our times with Tom. He's been a bulwark of the RFMG for at least 40 years. He's fondly remembered and sadly missed for his friendships, kindness, and the energy he brought to life.

Ryan and Chrissy were determined to fire up the sauna! They could not get the lock open on the sauna. Ryan finally called the 10th Mtn huts seeking advice. (Modern technology! Once it was only George Lehmkuhl's ham radio that allowed connection to the outside world.) They told him the lock was most likely frozen shut. With a little thawing and wood chopping Ryan and Chrissy had the sauna cooking! Thanks to them we enjoyed some hot soak time in the dry sauna.

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Bill made coffee again this morning. Shockingly we could not give the full pot away! In the past days when the hut was full of RFMG folks, two or more pots were needed to satiate the need for that morning caffeine fix. Wendy made a fine breakfast supplemented with Bill's hash browns. We made a couple of runs, cleaned the hut, filled the water container on the stove, Candace locked the door, and we skied away from Janet's Cabin.

Gary didn't have the best glide with his new fish scale style skis so I hung back with him. Everyone else waited for us at the Guller Creek crossing where we skinned up for the climb up to the Copper Mtn ski area. Gary needed some help to de-ice his tech toe so that it would operate. Once on the green Copper Mtn run we soon became scattered as we made our way back down to West Village and onto our cars for the trips home.

Overall the group meshed beautifully. We got to start new friendships and rekindle old ones. Everyone pitched in on chores. The skiing was one of those better encounters with plenty of unbroken powder that we did a great job cutting up.

For me, a little uncertainly lies with the future of the group. For the first time, no one in the group had worked at Rocky Flats. We talked about preferred huts for next year, but it is unclear who would be taking the lead to apply for reservations. The process has changed for the 25/26 season making it more complicated. And who should be invited? Of the nine people on this trip (30%), three were last minute invites that had never been connected with the group in the past. Just has Tom transitioned from life this past year, it feels like the RFMG may have reached the end of it's life. The ad hoc people that remain feel a bit untethered and scattered lacking a common link and commitment as a group. I'm not sure it's enough that we all enjoy being in the backcountry in the winter. I've organized other group hut trips in the past without sustainable success. It takes a commitment to leadership and effort to even begin the process. I'm not sure I prepared to take that on.

Whimsical Chrissy brainstormed some nicknames for each of us. I'm capturing them here as it was creative and heartwarming.

Candace of the Cornice

Black Diamond Bill

Summit Slayer Gary

Whiteout Wendy

Kickturn Kim

Lance the Line Seeker

Ridge Runner Ryan

Bombn' Bob