Cross Country Cabin Adventure

Two weekends ago, Toby (good friend and fellow intern) joined me on an adventure that we had set our sight on months earlier. We learned about some semi-remote cabins that one could ski to and rent for just $16/night. The tiny town of Gothic is roughly 3 miles north of Crested Butte and is a biological research town (remnants of an early 1900s goldmining town) during the summer. In the winter, a couple of the cabins are rented out and the only access to Gothic is to ski in the 3 miles following a mountain pass. This was exactly the adventure we were looking for, and boy was it worth every bit. The scenery was beautiful, the snowfall was perfect, and the serenity was divine. This was the perfect winter wonderland escape---one that we are sure to return to and hopefully be able to bring our families.

The top picture is of Toby leading the way as we started our journey. After about an hour and a half, we finally got to the Forest Queen (our cabin), with plenty of time to chop wood, start a fire in the small wood-burning stove, and get settled in.
That's our little cabin....the one with the smoke rising from the chimney. In the background is Mt. Gothic.

Before it got dark, we set out to explore Schofield pass up ahead of Gothic. This photo is of the view looking back towards Crested Butte ( that is Mt. Crested Butte in the distance---see the ski runs?) Apparently 4-wheel drive is recommended in the summer time, but for us, it was an easy glide through virgin snow. We didn't see a single soul beyond Gothic. There was another group of guys that had skiied in to the other cabin to enjoy some telemark skiing right there at Gothic.When we woke up, this was our view with the sun revealing all the beauty of Mt. Gothic. After a very warm night (thanks to the little stove that could :) ) and a hearty breakfast, we packed up in order to head back out. Oh, I can't forget to mention that for dinner, Toby packed in some fabulous Indian cuisine!!..Dinner was awesome!


Here's a view (heading back to Crested Butte) of the mountain pass that we had come through the day before.
This brief adventure was by far one of the best trips I've ever made. It was indeed the whole package that made it a memorable experience. Most of all, it was the peaceful stay in a rustic cabin far from any of today's modern technologies...it was a time to reflect on the natural beauties that God has created for us to stop and enjoy.