PHOTO COURTESY OF RED MOUNTAIN ALPINE LODGE

A custom-timber frame lodge in the midst of the San Juan Mountains filled with heated floors, warm showers and hearty chef-prepared meals, steps away from lush backcountry skiing and ice climbing galore — what could be better for a mountain lover or an alpine enthusiast?

This winter, a stay at the Red Mountain Alpine Lodge in Ouray, Colorado, is the perfect way to seamlessly experience all the San Juan Mountains have to offer.

Co-owners Nate Disser and Mark Luppenlatz opened the lodge’s doors on the Winter Solstice in 2018, serving as an expansion of their guiding company, San Juan Mountain Guides (SJMG), which they’ve run together since 2012. It’s a family-run operation: Nate’s wife Keeton is the SJMG office manager and Mark’s wife Andreais the lodge manager. Together their vision is to take guests on inspiring trips into the mountains to widen their outlooks on life, all while feeling supported, safe and taken care of.

Driving up Highway 550 offers some of the most idyllic views in the Mountain West, and once you approach this hidden gem right off the road, it feels like you’ve entered a sacred opening. A wooden deck wraps around the lodge front and houses a fireplace facing views of striking peaks — an ideal spot to sip some of the complimentary coffee and tea offered inside. During the warmer months, there’s a luxurious yoga deck in the back.

“Connecting into the mountains and getting out into the wilderness, in my view, is one of the most important things you can do with your time off,” shares Disser. “And we take care of all the details.”

The San Juan Mountains are known for their complex terrain and varying snowpack — an adventure out there is no easy feat. But Disser says their goal was to make this experience accessible to everyone. The SJMG offer equipment rentals and expertise from their highly qualified guides. All you need to bring are your clothes, and they’ve got the rest.

“We’re all about embracing the skiing culture vibe. It’s cool, but it’s also safe,” Disser says.

Guests are not limited to just the terrain outside the lodge; when you embark on an adventure with the SJMG, the whole mountain range is at your disposal. Simply put, when you sign up for a three-day ski trip, you get three full days of skiing, unlike other traditional winter hut trips that clock in the travel time to get to the physical hut. The SJMG also offer avalanche courses on top of the multitude of outdoor trips they currently take guests on.

“Red Mountain Alpine Lodge blew me away. I knew it was a special location but the lodge itself was so cozy and charming. The staff pay attention to so many details and are truly there to take care of you,” says Jessica Waclawski, who co-hosted a retreat at the space with S+B Editor-in-Chief Kim Fuller last summer. “I’m not kidding when I tell people the San Juan Mountain Guides are the best out there. I’m not used to hiking with a guide, but since climbing Mount Sneffels with them this summer, I now want a guide on every experience. It takes the stress off. And the guides are such down-to-earth, amazing people.” Waclawski and Fuller are returning this March + August to host more retreats at the lodge.

It truly simplifies logistics for people. At the Red Mountain Alpine Lodge, plentiful food (all diets accommodated) and a memory foam mattress awaits you after a long day exploring the lush San Juan Mountain wilderness.

Check out of a list of their offerings and bookings at redmountainalpinelodge.com and mtnguides.net.

Originally published in the Winter 2019 issue of Spoke+Blossom

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