Cross-country ski to a sleep yurt at 10,800 feet
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This could be your deck view. Photo: Courtesy of Hailey Wham
Just outside of Leadville lies the winter adventure you didn't know you needed.
The big picture: The Tennessee Pass Nordic Center in the San Isabel National Forest has more than 15 miles of beautiful cross-country trails, which alone are worth a visit.
Yes, but: Deep among those trails are also six reservable sleep yurts and a high-end Cookhouse restaurant that you need only to strap on your skis or snowshoes to experience.
How it works: The yurts sleep six people in three double beds. They contain a propane burner, potable water, a wood-burning stove and other necessities for a cozy night (like polar booties for your midnight walk to the outhouse).
- Each group can bring a cooler, and each guest is allowed a bag, all delivered to the yurt via snowmobile. Leave behind your expectations for cell service.
- The setup frees you up to ski the trails all day until you're ready for a beer at the yurt, where your shoes will be waiting by the fire.
- Trail pass and equipment rental discounts are available to overnight guests.
Plus: You can also make lunch and dinner reservations at the nearby Cookhouse yurt. Lunch is more casual, but dinner is a prix-fixe affair.
- Those reservations can be separate as day ski trips, or you can do both: spend the evening having dinner at the Cookhouse followed by a quick ski under the stars back to your yurt.
What's next: If you can't squeeze the visit in this winter season (which ends in mid-April), the yurts and Cookhouse reopen for overnights and dinner during the summer season in June, too.
If you go: Pricing and reservation availability here.