Neversummer Nordic Yurt Trip ~ 2002

A back-country ski trip into Colorado State Forest is a wonderful way to experience winter in Colorado.

This was our 3^rd annual trip to the Never Summer Nordic yurt system. What’s a yurt, you say? Think of a scaled down version of a big-top circus tent, about 16 feet in diameter. The wall of the tent is made of wood lattice and the outer covering consists of several layers of thick, insulated canvas. The yurt sits atop a wood deck platform on the edge of an alpine meadow. Inside the yurt is quite cozy and well outfitted – sleeping bunks, propane stove and light, a wood burning stove for heat, and an assortment of other amenities. It is not, by any means, the Ritz Carlton, but it’s not a tent in the snow either. The Never Summer Nordic yurt system consists of 6 yurts spread out along the various ski trails within Colorado State Forest. This year we traveled to the Lower Montgomery Pass yurt and a group of our friends stayed in the, closely located, Upper Montgomery Pass yurt.

  So how do you get to these yurts? The main entrance to Colorado State Forest is just outside of Gould, CO on State Hwy 14, about 2 hours West of Ft. Collins, over Cameron Pass. Roads inside the State Park lead to trailheads for the yurts. So in the summer, you can hike or ride your mountain bike. In the winter you ski or snowshoe. And, since our group has a hard time leaving too much behind, we towed sleds with food, drink and board game entertainment. Towing a sled uphill while skiing? Well, that’s where a bit of physical conditioning is needed.

Day 1 ~ The ski in…

We arrived at the trailhead around noon and began packing the sleds and deciding what to wear for the afternoon of skiing. The weather conditions were spring-like with warm sunshine and clear skies. We knew we would be gaining elevation on the trail to the yurt. Yep, that means going uphill and working up a sweat. So all the heavy warm layers of clothing we brought with us got stuffed into packs and strapped to sleds. Finally, everyone stepped into their skis and we set off, making fresh tracks in the several inches of snow left from the previous night’s storm.

The first 2 miles of the trail are relatively flat, following a road (open in summer), as it winds around a large meadow, along the North Fork Michigan River. We stopped at the Bockman Campground (open in summer) for a short rest and map check. And then we began climbing our way up into the forest. About one-third of a mile past the Bockman Campground the trail turns left off the Montgomery Pass road and begins heading uphill, .8 miles, to the location of the Montgomery Pass yurts. We arrived at the yurt around 2:00pm, unpacked sleds, and started settling into our home away from home.

  After stowing food and supplies and starting a fire, we enjoyed a snack and, dare I say, a beer while basking in the bright sunshine on the South facing deck. The view was magnificent – Diamond Peak, The Nokhu Crags, Mount Richtofen, and the Seven Utes to the South. To the west, the grand vista of North Park spread out below us. One of my favorite things about the winter back-country is the quiet that settles over everything. The blanket of snow and the trees surrounding us seem to absorb all sounds except the occasional squirrel chirp or squawk from a jay. No television, ringing telephone or highway noise – that’s one of the reasons we come here.

Our friends staying in the Upper Montgomery Pass yurt arrived just as the sun was going down. As they unpacked we were cooking up a dinner of tortellini in alfredo sauce. Our nights at the yurts were filled with food, talk, laughter and generally enjoying the company of our friends.

Day 2 ~ A bit more skiing...

We slept last night in interrupted intervals. In the past, we’ve always stoked the fire a couple times during the night. This usually keeps the yurt at a good temperature for sleeping. Well, around midnight I woke to a cold fire and got a little carried away as I stoked it back to life. As I drifted back to sleep the temperature inside the yurt quickly rose to a sauna-like levels. Those on the top bunks felt like they were being roasted inside their sleeping bags. I awoke to sleepy suggestions like, “Is there a window in here?” Opening the door to the mountain night air solved the problem fairly quickly, but I know there were a few pairs of non-trusting eyes, in the dark, when I woke a few hours later to add one (and ONLY one) log to the fire.

We had warm oatmeal and raisin bread for breakfast to fuel our first day of skiing. The people in our group had various levels of skiing ability and back-country experience, so we decided to ski as a group on this first day. We skied about 3 miles through forest and meadow and returned to the yurt to meet another couple of friends arriving that day. Our friends staying in the Upper Montgomery pass yurt had fun tele-skiing in a nearby meadow and sledding along the ski trail. We had lunch and then a few of us ventured out again to break some fresh trails along the ridge and through the meadow close to the yurt. We followed in the footsteps of a resident moose for more than a quarter of a mile.

 This evening we feasted on baked canolli and garlic bread. Then we played board games before retiring to sleep.

Day 3 ~ The fun ski to Montgomery Pass

Two of our friends had to depart today after a really good breakfast of egg and green chili burritos. As they packed up for the trip back down to their car, the rest of us were gearing up for a trip to Montgomery Pass. We bid good-bye to our friends and began the long trek up towards the Continental Divide. We skied almost to the top of the divide, 3.5 miles and 1600 feet of elevation gain, stopping just short of the pass. The trip up was taxing, so we took frequent breaks and just enjoyed the scenery. It is always so relaxing for me to be completely surrounded by nature’s beauty. As the day went on, the weather began to change. The wind really picked up and clouds moved in, periodically providing a scattering of snow. The temperature also dropped considerably. This, along with the fact that we were just plain tired, contributed to our decision to turn back before getting too much above tree-line. We decided that the conditions would not be enjoyable without the cover of the forest. We all really enjoyed the trip back to the yurt. All that work going up translated into lots of coasting downhill!

Tonight we were treated to a fantastic sunset over the mountains. The approaching storm gave the evening light a magical quality. As darkness fell, clouds covered the sky and wind buffeted the snow into a blizzard. We were very happy to be cozily tucked away in the warmth of our yurt.

Day 4 ~ Skiing out in a snow storm

Check out time is 11:00am. We spent the morning cleaning up, preparing the yurt for the next visitors, packing and watching the storm. It seemed like every time we looked outside it was snowing just a bit harder. This was a stark reminder that we were in the mountains during winter. After all, just how did all that snow we’ve been enjoying the last 3 days get here?? This type of winter weather presents a different kind of beauty and I enjoy it just as much as the clear skies and sunshine – large wet snowflakes floating to the ground through the dark pines with the tops of the trees obscured by the low lying clouds. The snow was piling up on the ground, and any time we took a break from skiing on our trip back to the trailhead, it piled up on us!

We arrived back at our cars safely and prepared for the drive home. Eventually, we left the snowy weather behind as we descended down the mountains and back into the city. I’m already looking forward to going back next year.