Women's Backcountry Hut Trip 2023

Are you craving three days with rad women in the Colorado backcountry on a hut-trip of your dreams? Look no further.

We are proud to partner with Colorado Adventure Guides to present our second ever women's backcountry hut trip. Unplug from the stressors of daily life with this backcountry ski and wellness retreat. Surround yourself with like-minded women for an all-inclusive weekend of backcountry skiing and wellness practices amongst iconic peaks of the Rocky Mountains. This trip is a gentle reminder that an equal balance of a healthy mind, body and spirit is as important in the backcountry as it is in everyday life. We will reinstate this balance by practicing backcountry skills and skiing unforgettable lines right back to the comfort of Janet’s Cabin, where we will nourish ourselves with wholesome cooking, mindful practices and honest human connection.

Due to high demand, please head HERE to submit your pre-trip application. This is not a confirmation of your registration. Once we receive your application, we will reach out and direct you to payment. Payment is required in full to confirm your spot. We take and review applications in the order we receive them – if the trip fills up, you will be placed on a waitlist!

Overview:

A 3-day, all-women backcountry ski retreat in the Colorado Mountains focused on backcountry education, community, and wellness for the body and mind.

Dates: March 26-29, 2023

NEW PRICE: $900
Old Price: $1,399

PRE-REGISTER APPLICATION

3 PILLARS OF THE TRIP:

1. Education
While we strongly encourage having your Avalanche Level 1 or equivalent, our highly trained guides and leaders will teach basic + tangible backcountry skills. Each day will include an educational theme from Leave No Trace, navigation, mountain weather, backcountry ski techniques, and more. Also, gain skills in multi-day group meal planning, smart decision making, route planning, and kit preparation.

2. Wellness
In the backcountry, the body and mind go hand in hand. As often as we turn to the backcountry to seek adventure, push our limits and learn from the mountains, we allow this experience to become a place of healing for our mind, body and soul. This retreat is a synergistic balance of adventure and healing, and wellness. We will return to nature by unsubscribing from the fast paced world we live in as we simultaneously fuel, heal and thank our bodies with nourishing food and functional stretching. We will give love to our minds by making time for intention setting, meditation and reflection, as we nourish our souls through intimate connection with a small group of women. When we return to nature, we return to ourselves.

3. Community
To say it simply, we believe that together, we are stronger. Whether traveling in the backcountry, or pursuing a passion project, our intention is to foster a supportive, inclusive, and enriching community that acts as a safe space for exploration and growth. Plus, we love to laugh and there seems to be no shortage of that whenever we get a group of lady shredders together!

MORE OF WHAT TO EXPECT:

Expect an unforgettable retreat in the backcountry with like-minded and positive women, focusing on wellness, community, and education.
Look forward to a physical challenge! We will be dividing all group food for the trip equally among all participants along with personal belongings and backcountry safety equipment to carry into the hut ~4 miles with a 1,150’ vertical gain.
Advanced to intermediate terrain from steep chutes to powder glades: We highly recommend a basic level of knowledge in the backcountry—preferably, an Avalanche Level 1 or equivalent. We also recommend a basic level of knowledge of uphill skinning, although we will go over tip + tricks to further your knowledge. When it comes to downhill skiing, we expect you to be confident on un-groomed black-diamond in-bound runs.

Guides: We are working with Colorado Adventure Guides (CAG) and their professional, certified, and highly experienced guides for the weekend to lead us on various ascents and descents safely.

TRAVEL LOGISTICS:

We will spend night 1 at The Pad in Silverthorne, Colorado – This is covered in the trip cost.
Please aim to arrive at The Pad and be ready to meet as a group no later than 5pm for group orientation, food distribution, and to kick off the trip!
If you are coming from out of state, please let us know when you sign up and we can recommend transportation options from Denver International Airport.

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE COST:

3 highly-trained professional ski guides from Colorado Adventure Guides who ho are all experienced and professionally certified through the American Avalanche Association
2 nights of comfortable, warm, and cozy accommodations at Janet’s Cabin. The Hut stocks mattresses, a fully-stocked kitchen with propane stove, toilet paper, paper towels, & cleaning supplies. The hut also has a sauna! Find the full list of hut amenities here.
3 hearty + delicious meals per day for 3 days
1 night of group bunk lodging at The Pad in Silverthorne Colorado
1 lift ticket to Copper to take the chairlift to the top (We will begin our trek into the hut out of the backcountry gates at Copper.
Access to avalanche rescue equipment (Beacon, Shovel, Probe) if you do not have your own - provided by CAG)
Icelantic Touring Demo Skis – we know you may want to ski your own gear, however if you are interested in trying Icelantic skis for the trip, please reach out and we can get you sorted!
Free pair of RAB hut booties!
Custom Icelantic gift bag with notebook, beanie, stickers, and more!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO PACK:

Alpine touring skis, climbing skins, poles, touring boots (Contact us if you’d like to demo Icelantic touring skis—availability dependent on inventory levels.
Avalanche Equipment: Beacon, shovel, probe. CAG can provide this equipment if you need it. Please mention this when you register and we will get you taken care of.

Sleeping bag

Backpacking pack – recommended 45L or larger. You can use this bag as your daily bag for skiing as well, or pack a smaller daypack within your larger pack.

Personal snacks and adult beverages if desired.

Suitable outdoor ski clothing. Layers, layers, layers!

Cozy hut booties (with traction ideally!)

Review the equipment list here for more information and feel free to reach out with any questions!

The Nitty-Gritty: (Please note this itinerary is designed to give a feel for the trip layout but is subject to change).

DAY 1 (3/26): ARRIVAL
Meetup + Spend the night at The Pad in Silverthorne, CO
5-7pm: Pizza dinner, Introductions, Weekend Brief + Intention setting
Packing/Gear Check
Food distribution

DAY 2 (3/27): TOUR IN
Grab and go breakfast sandwiches
7:30am Drive to Copper Mountain, CO, where we will leave cars in a safe parking space.
9am Take the chairlift and head out the backcountry gate to begin skin into yurt (Approx 4 miles, 1100 feet gain roughly five hours.)
2:30pm (estimate) arrive at cabin
3-4:30pm Navigation or afternoon tour (split into groups)
4:30-6:00pm Guided stretch/ Apres snacks
6pm Dinner

DAY 3 (3/28): SHRED
7am Guided Meditation/Intention setting
8am Breakfast + group plan for the day
9am Skills Clinic: mountain weather, beacon rescue, group rescue, snow analysis + science
12pm Lunch, split into groups for afternoon ski based on skills + experience
4:30 pm Guided stretch, yoga, herbal tea chat + reflect
6pm Dinner, Discussion: Eating Well in the Backcountry or "What's In My Pack"

DAY 4 (3/29): TOUR OUT
7am Guided Meditation/Group reflection
8am Breakfast
9am Optional Dawn Patrol tour + morning ski
12pm Descent from hut

SKI LOGISTICS

The approach to Janet’s Cabin is a ~4 mile skin into the hut with a vertical gain of 1,150 feet. We will access Janet’s Cabin via the Copper Mountain Ski Area by riding the lifts and exiting out one of the backcountry gates.

Sleeping pads/mattresses and cookware are already stocked at the hut. We’ll divide the weight of our group food for the hike in. Once at the hut, everything is taken care of and all you have to do is ski, smile, and sleep! Group leaders will take the lead in cooking, however offering to help and working as a team is what makes it fun!

The terrain surrounding the hut will keep everyone entertained and we will likely break into groups for different levels of skiing.

DIFFICULTY

Backcountry experience is recommended; intermediate to advanced downhill ski ability in ungroomed terrain and good fitness required. It’s roughly a 4 mile ski into the hut with a vertical gain of 1,150 feet. The route follows a summer hiking trail.

Once at the hut, there are ski slopes right out the door! View on Powder Project here.

Would it be possible to carpool with other participants? How can I get their information?
Yes! Upon signup, we will link you up with other participants and try to arrange the most convenient transportation for everyone.

What type of physical shape should I be in?
While you certainly do not need to be a pro backcountry athlete, you will need to be comfortable traveling several miles on skis or split! At elevation, altitude sickness is a serious concern – because of this, we strongly recommend treating your body well the days leading up to the trip. This means hydrating like crazy, eating well, limiting alcohol, and getting plenty of rest.

How hard will the actual skiing be?
We want to open the doors to women of all abilities on this trip! Having some backcountry experience is preferred, but not ultimately required. More important is the ability to comfortably ski ungroomed terrain. For the actual skiing portion, we will divide the group among our guides based on ability level and objectives.
If you have questions or want to chat through your ability level, please reach out to experiences@icelanticskis.com.

If I bring my own gear, will the cost change?
Unfortunately, no; this gear is provided as part of the retreat. You may bring your own gear if you prefer, but most of the time when participants do, they end up using our gear which would have saved a lot of room when traveling. You only need to bring your personal items. To help prepare, we have a packing list on each retreat page as each location requires different needs.

How many women come by themselves?
70 percent of our participants come to our retreats alone. If you are hesitating to join because you would be coming solo, please know that we expect a majority of our participants to be joining by themselves, seeking new friendships. We do have friends sign up together on occasion which is fun to see too!

Will there be a packing list to help me prepare for the trip?
Yes! Check the “Logistics tab” for an overview and a specific list provided by CAG. Please take a look if you have questions.

What is the average age of the participant?
Age is just a number to us! We have a wide range of ages of women who attend our retreats which we highly anticipate and welcome. The average ages that attend are 24 to 45; we have had women in their 60's join who enjoy themselves as much as the 20-year-old participants. It really is up to the physical ability level of the guest.

I have my Level 1 but I’ve only skinned a few times before. Do I need previous backcountry experience?
While we strongly encourage having your Avalanche Level 1 or equivalent, our highly trained guides and leaders will teach basic + tangible backcountry skills. Each day will include an educational theme from Leave No Trace, navigation, mountain weather, backcountry ski techniques, and more. If you want to talk through any concerns, please reach out to us directly!

Do I need my own equipment?
If you do not have your own alpine touring set up (skis + skins), or you wish to demo new gear, please contact us directly to inquire about an Icelantic touring set-up. Colorado Adventure Guides is also able to provide avalanche safety equipment if you choose to not bring your own. Please contact us directly if you have any questions!

Do I need to bring extra food or snacks? What about cold snacks?
We will provide a hearty and healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea/coffee for 3 days. We recommend you to bring your own energy bars or additional snacks for long days in the backcountry. Alcoholic beverages are welcomed, but will not be provided.

How many people will be on the retreat?
There will be a total of 18 people on the trip.

This is a trip with a limited amount of seats and requires an adequate level of skiing ability — we want to make sure this trip is right for you.

If you're ready to sign up, please fill out the pre-trip registration form here.

PRE-REGISTRATION APPLICATION

Have general questions? Want to make sure this trip is right for you?

Email us and we'll get back to you promptly!

Contact Us

Meet the Crew

TARAH O'CONNOR

CAG Guide

@Tarah_oc

After growing up skiing on the east coast, Tarah headed west after college to ski big mountains. Her first season in Colorado she had several experiences with avalanches and decided to learn how to make decisions for herself. After spending almost a decade in the Tetons learning the fine art of being a mentee, Tarah became a pro patroller and worked in CO, ID and UT. These days she works as an AIARE Course leader,Instructor Trainer, EMT, ski and raft guide based out of Utah. She loves uplifting women in the backcountry and showing them their own potential.

AMY DAVID

Icelantic Athlete | Trip Leader

@AmyJaneDavid

Amy is the And She's Dope Too Retreat Director, has been a backpacking guide for the past 8 years, is a trained Wilderness First Responder, a Leave No Trace trainer, has a Pro 1 Avalanche certification, is in the thick of earning an AMGA Ski Guide certification, and will be one of the Sawtooth Mountain Guides leading the trip. As an Icelantic Skis athlete, she loves catching big air with cold-smoke powder landings, exploring the high alpine jagged peaks of the Sawtooths, and finding steep couloirs in the backcountry. Her focus is on connecting like-minded women with each other and nature while sharing the love of mountains and adventure.

HANNA WHIRTY

Icelantic Marketing Director | Trip Leader + Photographer

@HannaWhirty

Hanna Whirty is the Marketing Director for Icelantic Skis, an independent ski brand that designs and manufactures in their home state of Colorado. After graduating college with a degree in journalism and political science, Hanna switched routes and dove head first into the world of marketing. After spending a handful of years working for an agency for a client, Hanna joined the in-house team at Icelantic Skis 3 years ago. Photography has always been a huge passion for Hanna; her grandfather gave her her first film camera when she was 13 years old and the rest was history. Learning how to make photography more than just a hobby, Hanna was able to utilize her camera skills in various freelance projects along with her position at Icelantic. Hanna completed her first Outward Bound course when she was 13-years-old and quickly realized the outdoors was where she felt most at home. When not on the slopes, sending emails, or drinking coffee, Hanna can be found learning how to mountain bike, cooking, or taking her pup, Zuma, on walks.

ANNA TEDESCO

Icelantic Athlete | Meal Prep Extraordinaire

@AnnaTabasco

East coast native turned west coast adventurer, Anna lives out of her van in the pursuit of filling her life with experiences rather than things. As much as she loves exploring high alpine peaks and the limits of the human body, she has learned the importance of maintaining a healthy mind and spirit for longevity as an athlete. Cooking nourishing food, meditating, and meaningful human connection help keep her grounded while living a volatile life on the road. Anna is honored to share some of her healing practices with an intimate group of women during this retreat.

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