San Juan Huts — Attraction in Ridgway

Did Telluride to Moab bike trip in late June. Overall the experience was great and the huts are wonderful. Some things I wish I had known/some feedback for the company that I believe should be public knowledge:

First the cons:

-we rode every “singletrack option” with the exception of one trail on day 3. There is not a lot of good singletrack on the route. There are SOME great trails but don’t expect to be riding more than a few good trails every few days. I was annoyed that we ended up doing a lot of descending double track that was billed as a “singletrack option” just to climb out another super steep double track gravel road back to the main road. Or the singletrack wasn’t ridden much and was just miles of pushing your bike over downed trees. -a lot of agricultural surroundings. Think cow noise (bells, moo-ing) all night long. I think only 2 of the huts are not surrounded by farm animals -the company will tell you that everything is in the bike bible but ask questions because there is a lot of information they don’t include. -we are quite fit, do a lot of racing, and at a VERY relaxed pace this ended up being 30 hours of biking in one week. You will enjoy it more with good fitness. -from talking to our independent shuttle company it seems that a LOT of people end up bailing out for various reasons -huts would be cramped for 8 people, try to go with a smaller group I’d say

Pros:

-huts are super well stocked with everything from sunscreen to food -get the beer package, very worth it, great selection -views were even better...

Our group of eight just finished Telluride to Moab. Had an amazing trip. If you are in decent shape and not in a hurry, it is totally doable by most people. The maps and directions are top notch. Huts are well-stocked and it’s fun getting creative with the meals you can make with what is provided. I’m vegan and had no problem making the food work. My wife doesn’t ride a ton, but she’s tenacious and although she was nervous about the trip, she loved it and wants to do more bikepacking (big win for me). Definitely hit the parallel trail and the Ute Creek trail if you do any alternative rides. We stayed otherwise to the standard route for my wife’s benefit, but it was honestly super fun just riding at a chill pace with no cell service to distract us from being together.

A few tips: bring good ear plugs. I recommend the silicone wax type. People can be very noisy at night, but these kind block it all out. Also, haul a good pillow. If you can’t sleep well you get a little crazy after 7 days. Take time to make creative dinners. You have all day so mix it up. Do it in September. The temps are perfect, rain is less and the...

Last week my niece and I hiked the San Juan Hut Systems Sneffels Traverse. It was the finest of backpacking experiences!!! Without having to carry tent, sleeping bag, and cooking utensils, our packs were relatively light which made the hiking fun. The huts themselves were aesthetically pleasing, clean and inviting at the end of the day. They seemed to be perfectly placed. The locations were scenic and the distances between huts provided a good days walk without being exhausting. (We went from west to east, from Last Dollar Road to East Dallas Trailhead. This is the direction I would recommend.) The end of July through the beginning of August this year proved to be AMAZING in terms of wildflowers--- fields of Lupine, Indian Paintbrush, Asters, and Goldenrod, and Delphiniums and Cow Parsnips above our heads!!! The alpine scenery was incredibly picturesque with the entire Sneffels Range unfolding peak by peak each day. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the SJHS team for the quality of their maintenance of these remote huts and trails. I CANNOT RECOMMEND THE SJHS SNEFFELS TRAVERSE...