Ride On: San Juan Hut Systems Supports Mountain Bike Adventures
Photos by Keenan Alexander
We had just over two miles to go when passing hikers shared some words of inspiration: “You are almost to the cabin.” They thought we were trying to make it to Graysill Mine historic site, just a quarter of a mile up the road. Even so, those words of encouragement were exactly what we needed to keep pushing just a little farther.
It was June 21, 2020 and day one of our San Juan Hut Systems’ Durango to Moab multi-day mountain bike trip. Summer had just become official and southern Colorado was already feeling hot and dry. Most of this first ride is up a dirt road — 18 miles to Bolam Hut from the base of Purgatory Ski Resort at an elevation of 8,793 feet. The blazing sun and Father’s Day traffic made for a hot, dusty and pretty grueling ride. Halfway through and after about 1,500 feet of gain, the smooth dirt road shifts to a true mountain doubletrack with a rocky climb for the remaining 2,000-plus feet up to get to Bolam Hut.
About 20 minutes after we passed those hikers near Graysill Mine we reached Celebration Lake, and we knew we were finally close. After a necessary dose of snacks and hydration we pushed the final leg up to Bolam Pass, pausing to take in the great views of Lizard Head and Wilson Peaks before pedaling over to Bolam Hut at 11,420 feet.
Photos + Videos by San Juan Hut Systems
Each hut is equipped with food, water, lights, a propane cook stove and all the cookware and utensils you need. We brought our own sleeping bags this trip to adhere to precautions taken by San Juan Hut System during COVID-19.
Much to our surprise and delight, the beers and other beverages were frosty in the cooler waiting for our arrival. We cracked a cold one and relaxed around the picnic table before starting dinner prep.
There is a list on San Juan Hut Systems’ website about the provisions you can expect. We can confirm the abundance of dynamic and delicious snacks and non-perishables behind the food cabinet doors, paired with fresh vegetables, fruits, butter, bacon, eggs and herbs in the cooler. Use the hut cookbook provided and anyone can be a gourmet chef in the backcountry.
Plenty of water is also ready in jugs at the huts, available for cooking, drinking, filling hydration bladders and mixing with electrolytes (also in the food cabinet).
After fueling and preparing ourselves for the next day with a delicious chicken curry dinner, we tended to the bikes. There is a bike stand and tool kit at each hut making maintenance a breeze. We checked on all of our components, cleaned and lubed our chains with just enough time for a walk to catch the breathtaking sunset on top of Bolam Pass.
It’s all pretty special, and it feels that way when you’re out there. This San Juan Hut Systems experience is one-of-a kind — every day you pack up what’s essential for a day ride, yet everything at the huts makes it so you can be in the wilderness for a week with all you need.
Wedding Bell hut with the La Sal Mountains to the west
“ADVENTURE, HARDSHIP AND ACCOMPLISHMENT”
Joe Ryan is the founder of San Juan Hut Systems. He was skiing with a friend in the Canadian Rockies in the 1980s when they came up with the idea to start a system of yurts in the San Juans. Sadly, Joe’s friend was killed in an avalanche not long after. Joe continued the dream and started a winter ski hut system in the San Juans in 1987.
Originally, he was required to remove the huts from the National Forest every summer. By the late 1980s, when mountain biking was emerging, Joe had the idea to use huts for mountain biking and the hut-to-hut mountain bike trips were born in the Telluride to Moab route. Several decades later, the Durango to Moab route was established in even more remote terrain.
“These trips are unique because they are self-guided and people really have to rely on themselves while traveling through remote terrain,” shares Kelly Ryan, co-owner and general manager of San Juan Hut Systems. “We provide them with enough information and support to have a spectacular experience, but they really have their own authentic adventure.”
Kelly, Joe’s daughter, explains how, for many people, these trips are experiences of a lifetime that they’ll never forget.
“There are not too many times in our lives these days where we truly have to be self-reliant,” she says. “Adventure, hardship and accomplishment shared with friends and family in some of the West’s most spectacular environments forge lifelong memories and bonds.”
For us, the most challenging moments on the bikes seemed to create the most rewarding days. Even with all the shelter, water and provisions ready for you when you arrive at a new hut each day, hours of pedaling up and down mountain terrain is exhausting. But like all great adventures, once you’ve made it to your destination you realize how much the effort pays off.
Feelings of accomplishment swell when you stretch out your dirt-caked legs and sip a cold beer after six hours in the saddle, and contentment comes while watching the sun go down over a range of tall peaks from a seat amidst alpine wildflowers. For every ounce of “adventure, hardship and accomplishment” attained during this unique experience, additional reminders of life-affirming gratitude and satisfaction emerge by the mile.
PLAN YOUR TRIP
The San Juan Huts’ Durango to Moab route consists of a six-night, seven-day bike ride, traversing from Durango through the alpine peaks of the San Juans to Moab’s Canyon Country and desert slickrock. The Telluride to Moab route is also a seven-day bike ride. There is also a four-night, five-day ride following the same route, but stops short of the La Sal mountains and the descent into Moab. According to San Juan Huts Systems, the Telluride to Moab Route is a bit easier than its sister route and spends a bit more time in the mountainous terrain.
Both options follow 215 miles of secondary dirt roads with alternate singletrack options available for some sections. We particularly enjoyed the Goat Creek singletrack trail alternate on day three heading from Black Mesa Hut to Dry Creek Basin Hut. It adds some mileage and vertical and was rugged and overgrown in areas, yet this option offers great flow on tacky dirt and an absolutely memorable addition to the dirt road miles.
Once you book your trip, San Juan Hut Systems has a two-part route packet that is provided to individual riders and group leaders. This includes a Bikers’ Bible loaded with information and packing lists, a daily standard route description, alternate route overview, GPS tracks and elevation profiles all sent over email, as well as links to online liability waivers. The second half of that packet is sent via mail and contains the key to unlock the huts and a set of maps marking the daily standard route and the alternate singletracks.
The newest route for San Juan Hut Systems is called the Tour of the Canyons and runs in May and October. At 250 dollars per rider it’s a two-night, three-day gravel and blacktop grinder from Grand Junction to Moab.
“This route is different from our other routes in that it is primarily a road ride and has significant sections of remote pavement,” shares Ryan. “It is also a shorter trip at two nights, three days. It winds its way from Grand Junction to Moab through the remote west end of Canyon Country, and riders spend much of their time alongside desert rivers and creeks looking up at red sandstone cliffs.” Learn more and book your trip at sanjuanhuts.com.
Originally published in the Fall 2020 issue of SPOKE+BLOSSOM
San Juan Hut Systems Mountain Bike Hut Trip Pricing
6 NIGHT / 7 DAY
Bike Package: $895 per person
GROUP DISCOUNT
8/6: Eight riders for the price of six – $5,370 total or $671 per person
4 NIGHT / 5 DAY
Bike Package: $795 per person
GROUP DISCOUNT
8/6: Eight riders for the price of six – $4,770 total or $596.25 per person