One of the most difficult to find huts, the Goodwin-Greene Hut is also one of the most inspiring sites of any of the huts in the Elk Range. This hut requires a significant approach under many large avalanche paths & above treeline with few landmarks.
The Goodwin-Greene Hut is most commonly accessed by taking the Express Creek Road from Ashcroft to Taylor Pass and then roughly following the Richmond Ridge Road to the hut. This route is a beautiful ski up the Express Creek Valley and through the high alpine terrain at the end of Richmond Ridge but can be quite challenging. The ski up Express Creek Road crosses under many large avalanche paths and the last few miles over Richmond Ridge is all above treeline and offers few landmarks. During severe weather and whiteout conditions route finding can be next to impossible.
The other common route into the Goodwin-Greene Hut is from the Barnard Hut. While this route doesn't have the same avalanche hazards as skiing in from Ashcroft, the route finding can be just as challenging.
The Alfred Braun Hut System was designed to be a back-country SKI system. As such the Alfred Braun Hut System strongly discourages the use of snowmobiles for access to the huts. The hut system was created for non-motorized travel. As such, snowmobile use can often detract from this unique experience. Our huts are located on U.S. Forest Service land, and each hut has unique travel management restrictions as governed by Forest Service Travel Management Plans. Around the immediate environs of each Alfred Braun Hut is a USFS developed recreation site envelope with snowmobile restrictions. Access to and from each hut is managed within the Developed Recreation Site Boundary. Snowmobiles should not drive to the front door of any hut. There are no snowmobile play areas within the Developed Recreation Site boundaries. Snowmobiles are not allowed in Wilderness Areas, or on private land without permission. In the winter of 2010-2011, the fines for snowmobiling in the Wilderness Areas were $550 per snowmobile. You must know where you are if you expect to remain legal and safe.
Snowmobile Restrictions:
This hut sits on a "cherry-stemmed" road surrounded by the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area. It is further protected by a developed hut site envelope, which begins at the saddle the road crosses above the hut, a 1/4 mile south of the hut. With the Wilderness Boundary and the terrain surrounding the hut, snowmobile travel from the ridge down to the hut is not possible without incursion into the Wilderness.
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Hut Tripper aims to be the go-to hub for backcountry hut exploration, crowd-sourced beta, and trip planning resources geared toward winter backcountry travelers. We're backcountry enthusiasts, ourselves, combining our love for alpine skiing, the wilderness, and adventure.
We exist to empower new & existing backcountry travelers to explore the mountains in a responsible and informed way, consolidating winter backcountry accommodations as far east as the Rockies and detailing each with an ever-evolving list of hut details and beta.
