Boreas Pass Section House was built in 1882 to house railroad workers. Ken's Cabin is next to Section House. These historic buildings were recently restored, and are now part of Summit Huts Association under a Forest Service special use permit for winter ski touring.
While skiing to Section House and Ken's is somewhat tedious because of lengthy low-angled travel on snow covered Boreas Pass Road, plenty of exciting terrain is available near the huts. Stay for a few days and enjoy.
Map below connects to Francie's Cabin on the left (west) and Section House South on the bottom right (south). If you have trouble viewing or printing this map, please try our Section House PDF. Our maps are highly accurate and rather large, so please give thse links time to download after you click them.
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Breckenridge - Section House via Boreas Pass Road
DIFFICULTY: Novice
HUTSKI.COM FREE MAPS: Section House, Section House South
TIME: 5 hours up, 3 hours down
DISTANCE: 6 1/2 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 1,140 feet
Your basic road slog. Get to the Boreas Pass (northern) trailhead and take the road southerly to the huts. Use nordic wax and enjoy the views. A wine and cheese picnic is highly recommended, but ration the wine.
Breckenridge - Section House via Baker's Tank Trail and Boreas Pass Road
DIFFICULTY: Intermediate
HUTSKI.COM FREE MAPS: Section House, Section House South
TIME: 5 hours up, 3 hours down
DISTANCE: 6 1/4 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 1,210 feet
This slight variation to the Boreas Pass Road has a more backcountry feeling and shortens the trip a hair (though you probably won't notice any time gain since it ads a smidge of elevation gain).
As above, drive to the Boreas Pass Trailhead (North), only instead of taking the Boreas Pass Road look for a well used trail that heads SE through timber from trailhead parking. The route basically parallels Boreas Pass Road. At 2 1/2 miles drop a short distance south to Baker's Tank, an historic railroad artifact that's quite obvious. From there, continue on the Boreas Pass Road 3 1/2 miles southerly to Section House and Ken's Cabin.
South Boreas Pass Trailhead (Peabody) -- Section House via Boryeras Pass Road
DIFFICULTY: Novice/Intermediate
HUTSKI.COM FREE MAPS: Section House, Section House South
TIME: 5 1/2 hours up, 3 hours down
DISTANCE: 7 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 1,385 feet
Another lengthy road tour, but the destination is worth it. Drive to the Boreas Pass South (Peabody) Trailhead. Simply ski the Boreas Pass road 7 miles northerly to the cabins. You can cut a bit of distance by short-cutting the first large bend in the road. To do so simply climb north from the trailhead 3/4 mile to intersect the Boreas Pass Road.
South Boreas Pass Trailhead (Peabody) -- Section House via Gold Dust Trail
DIFFICULTY: Intermediate
HUTSKI.COM FREE MAPS: Section House, Section House South
TIME: 4 1/2 hours up, 3 hours return
DISTANCE: 4 1/4 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 1,230 feet
This route follows an old wagon road and various other paths, thus providing a more interesting alternative to Boreas Pass Road. The route is marked by a few blue diamonds, but don't count on them. Drive to the Gold Dust Trailhead and ski northerly though timber and open areas 4 1/2 miles to the Boreas Pass Road, then continue on the road 1/2 mile to Section House & Ken's Cabin.
Please note: The information in this website is based on the experience and research of the site owners and their sources, may not be accurate, and might not be perceived as accurate by other persons. Therefore, extreme care should be taken when following any of the backcountry skiing 10th Mountain Huts, Summit Huts and Braun Huts routes described in this website. This website is not intended to be instructional but rather is a guide for backcountry users who already have the requisite training, experience, and knowledge for the activities they choose. An advanced level of expertise and physical conditioning is necessary for even the "easiest" of the routes and activities described herein. Proper clothing and equipment is essential. Failure to have the necessary knowledge, equipment, and conditioning will subject you to physical danger, injury, or death. Some backcountry skiing routes for 10th Mountain Huts, Summit Huts and Braun Huts have changed and others will change; avalanche hazards may have expanded or new hazards may have formed since this website's publication.
Mission statement: The mission of HutSki.com is to provide backcountry skiers and other Colorado hut users with a complete set of high quality free topo maps, plentiful how-to information, and brief route descriptions that include alternate routes as well as standard trails.
