March 9-12, 2026: Hosted by Winter Wildlands Alliance, Colorado Mountain Club and 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, this year’s Backcountry Snowsports Initiative (BSI) Summit will take place at the Sangree M. Froelicher Hut in Leadville.
Fowler-Hilliard Hut. Photo Courtesy 10th Mountain Division Huts
Who:
Winter Wildlands Alliance, Colorado Mountain Club, backcountry partners, grassroots groups, hut associations, SnowSchool educators, public land managers, snow rangers, wildlife experts and other friends.
What:
BSI’s mission is to protect sustainable recreation opportunities for backcountry skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers and winter hikers. BSI builds community awareness around human-powered recreation and promotes conservation of the wild lands that sustain them. As a program of the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC), with support from Winter Wildlands Alliance, the BSI works statewide on Forest Service and Over-Snow Vehicle (OSV) Planning, winter recreation mapping and data collection, wintering wildlife conservation, snow rangers and other issues.
When:
Beds are available for a maximum of 16 people per night from March 9-12, 2026. Come for just two nights (March 9 & 10) for the meeting or extend through the 11th. Be sure to reserve your spot in advance. First come first serve.
Where:
The Sangree M. Froelicher Hut and Alpine Resource Center is located on U.S. Forest Service land about 5.5 miles east of the Town of Leadville at an elevation of 11,650 feet. The main winter route (nonmotorized) into the hut is approx. 3.1 miles mostly uphill, starting at the Buckeye Gulch Trailhead.
Cost:
Sponsored by 10th Mountain Division Huts Association, this trip has no cost to participants, but is fully self-supported in terms of food, beverage, sleeping gear, musical instruments, and travel/ski equipment. Read through the hut website for details, protocols, approach and other information. Any questions, reach out to Brittany Leffel.
Draft Itinerary/Agenda
Monday, March 9th:
- 10:00 am – Meet at Buckeye Gulch Trailhead, pack and gear up
- 1:00pm – Arrive and settle in, Lunch (bring your own)
- 2:00pm – Introductions & BSI History
- 3:00pm – Ski Break
- 5:00pm – Dinner (bring your own)
- 6:00-8:00pm – Social Time
Tuesday, March 10th:
- 7:00-10:00am – Breakfast (bring your own) & morning ski
- 10:00-Noon – Morning Discussion
- Winter Recreation Management
- Winter Travel Management Planning
- Colorado Mountain Club RIMS App, winter recreation data collection and mapping
- Winter Recreation Management [with White River National Forest]
- Noon-1:00pm – Lunch (bring your own)
- 1:00-3:00pm – Afternoon Discussion
- Local Government in Winter Travel Planning [with Lynn Padgett]
- Grasstops Advocacy & GIS [with Outdoor Alliance]
- CMC Snow Rangers/Updates [with Brian Bergeler]
- Huts & Yurt Alliance updates
- 3:00-5:00pm – Ski Break
- 5:00pm – Dinner (will be provided)
- 6:00-8:00pm – Social Time
Wednesday, March 11th:
- Departure will be on your schedule, Winter Wildlands Alliance staff will be staying through the 11th so feel free to stay and ski or depart as necessary
Winter Wildlands Alliance is a national nonprofit organization working to
inspire and empower people to protect America’s wild snowscapes.
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