Shane and Stormy's Adventures

travels, photos, and family

Polar Star Carl’s Cabin Skiing

Megan, Shane, and Tom

Megan, Shane, and Tom at Carl’s Cabin

For this year’s backcountry ski-hut trip I went to Carl’s Cabin with Megan and Tom. Carl’s is a small cabin that holds six, but only the three of us used it this time. The ski-in is about six miles and about a 2000 ft climb. It seemed a long ski in. In fact we almost hot-wired a snowcat we found on the side of the road about half way in.

Abandone snowcat

We thought about hot-wiring it, but decided it might not be prudent.


After a long exhausting ski we arrived at Carl’s Cabin. It hadn’t been used in a couple of days so it was only 15° inside. After battling a finicky stove (who puts the stove by the entrance and away from the sitting area? Apparently Carl does) we finally got the cabin heated to a toasty 72°.

We earned our turns for the next two days and had some great powder runs above the cabin in two feet of snow. You did have to watch out for mine shafts though.

Polar Star mineshaft

Polar Star Mine mineshaft with Shane’s ski track above.

Polar Star Mine mineshaft

A more frightening view of the Polar Star Mine mineshaft. It was dug horizontally into the mountain, but it was about eight feet deep here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was cold, but the snow wasn’t windblown so it was good skiing. As usual, the ski out was much easier than the ski in.

Megan

Megan enjoying the ski out.

Tom

Tom enjoying some turns on the way home.

Thanks Megan and Tom for helping me celebrate my 60th orbit.

If you want to see more photos of the trip check out our photo gallery.

3 Comments on “Polar Star Carl’s Cabin Skiing

  1. shane
    February 8, 2014

    Tom has posted some more photos of the trip on his site:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockwren/sets/
    The URL of the hut trip photos is:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockwren/12388441154/in/set-72157640682794533

    Thanks Tom!

  2. Jan Cox Ford Ahern
    February 8, 2014

    You had me ooooing and aaahing till the mine shaft and now I’m going to have nightmares. 🙂 Love the blog!

  3. Charlie
    February 9, 2014

    Sounds different than some other trips and very nice. Sorry to have had to miss it. A real winter adventure.

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