New BC Hut: Opa’s Taylor Hut
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The newest backcountry hut in the Braun hut system between Crested Butte and Aspen recently started taking reservations. Located near Taylor Pass, Opa’s Taylor Hut should open some new opportunities for hut travel in the area. Here is a Google Earth image of the area, looking West. Please note that I have not been to this brand-new hut and the location should be considered very approximate.
This is a great zone and should give backcountry tourers and ski mountaineers a number of options. From Aspen, tourers could combine a trip to the Taylor hut with a trip to the Godwin-Green or Markley huts, while visitors to the Friends Hut from Crested Butte could add in a trip to Opa’s. Opa’s Taylor Hut could also be reached via the upper Taylor River from Taylor Park, Crested Butte via “Cement Creek Pass”, or from Express Creek.
Inside the Taylor Hut, looking towards Eyre Basin. (Photo from huts.org)
Skiing options include the steep and glorious slide paths coming off Mt Tilton, which unfortunately are also very avalanche prone. In fact, everything in this area is a bit dryer, colder, and windier than other parts of the Elks, so be wary when skiing this area. There is GREAT skiing in this area in the springtime, however. Star Peak is one of my all-time favorite peaks.
Taylor Peak also offers some excellent skiing and there is a huge line off the North side I’d love to ski someday.
Finally, there are a number of options in the Eyre Basin area.
All of these will be great options for the new Opa’s Taylor Hut. Check it out- and pray for snow.
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Looking for some help trying to figure out if i can get into Oap’s hut by snowmobile from Taylor reservoir??? dos anyone have any info on this?????
Ben- this is what I know. Taylor Park is well-traveled, and the main road is generally free from avalanche zones. You should be able to get to the turnoff for the Taylor Pass road without much trouble. From there, I’m not sure. I’ve only snowmobiled up Taylor in the Springtime- it was an easy and well traveled road at that time of year. Surprisingly, it was not very sidehilled. So I do think that the Taylor route will work very well, but I can’t say for sure. Let us know if you go!
I guess im not sure as to where it is exactly do you know how or where i could find a good map of where it is? Is it at the top of taylor pass? Thanks for the help man an i will for sure give more beta once i go in a week!!
I wish I could help with the exact location, Ben. All I know is that it is somewhere on that high plateau visible in the google image on this post. Good luck with everything, and I hope you find great snow somewhere. Definitely keep us updated on the route and exact location, thanks!