For the past four years, we have been driving past the Second Creek Trailhead as we traveled back and forth to Base Camp @ Grand Lake over Berthoud Pass. Repeatedly, I have mentioned to Stella that we need to venture up the trail to see what is hiding up there. Well, fate had intervened and I found myself with a unique opportunity to find out. Earlier this summer, I discovered the opportunity to be part of the Hut Master Program at Broome Hut, serving as a volunteer. Through this discovery, I was able to finally connect the dots about what exactly lies up on trail. And on Saturday, October 12th, I hiked to the Broome Hut via the Second Creek Trailhead to begin my Hut Master training.
The Second Creek Trailhead is located on the Winter Park side of Berthoud Pass. The hike from the Second Creek Trailhead to the Broome Hut is about 1.25 miles, with an elevation gain of about 800 feet. The trek is literally all up hill, until you reach the hut at an elevation of 11,300 feet, which is located in the Second Creek Basin and a stones throw from the Vasquez Peak Wilderness. I am not going to lie – I was a bit winded while making my way up to the hut, but I did enjoy the forty minute climb, with spectacular views in all directions.
The Broome Hut was born from the history of “A-Frame at Second Creek,” also know as the Second Creek Cabin. The hut is owned and operated by the Grand Huts Association, and reservations are managed by the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association. The Broome Hut is chalked full of amenities, whether dropping in for the day or staying overnight. Designed with the environment in mind, the Broome Hut utilizes solar panels to provide lighting, pellet stoves to heat and composting toilets, and there is a cistern to capture rainwater for those staying overnight. I am excited about being a Hut Master volunteer, as well as spending time in the basin. Come by and visit, and let’s swap stories about our outdoor adventures with one another!
