Polar Star Inn is one of 16 10th Mountain Division Huts, located about 14 miles southeast of Eagle and 14 miles southwest of Vail. On Saturday, 16 of us climbed the 6 mile, 2000 foot trail to the hut, located just above 11,000 ft above sea level. Sunday was more of a down day - the skiers caught some turns above Polar Star Mine, and many snowshoers explored New York Mountain 1000 feet above the hut. As always, the food was excellent (and plentiful), the company terrific, and the entertainment quite amusing!
Jay and Roy at the trailhead
Lisa tries to separate her skins
Skis on
Departing the trailhead
The group heads off
Tory
Brian, Ryan, and Ling
Jay along the trail
Roy and Brian guard the trail
Rurik, looking splendid
Steve
Kathy and Rurik
Lisa
Shaun takes a break
Brian and Lisa
A fox along the side of the trail
Steve skins up
Rurik, Kathy, and Lisa
Polar Star Inn
Rurik recovers
Shari catches up on some reading
Lonny and his camera
...taking a picture of Brian and his camera
How many engineers does it take to light a pilot light?
Lisa
Ryan
Chicken Surprise!
Relaxing after dinner
Yahtzee!
Making breakfast
Tory and Steve prepare breakfast
mmmmm....breakfast
Roy, Kathleen, and Brian
Rurik and Jay examine the 10th Mountain Division hut system
Elvis Cribbage
Relaxing after breakfast
Brian
Ling and Ryan
Shaun on New York Mountain
Kathleen and Forrest
Jay and Shaun on New York Mountain
Roy and Shaun consult a map
Lonny
Steve
Brian grabs some turns on Polar Star Mine
An old cabin
The view from the Polar Star Mine
Roy and Brian catch a breath of fresh air on the porch
Polar Star Inn
Rurik and Kathy
Lonny sets up a great MacGyver snow tripod
...to get this photo Ling, Ryan, Shari, and Lonny on New York Mountain
Shaun attempts to match the pose of the SI swimsuit poster girl...
New York Mountain
Shari, Ling, and Ryan on New York Mountain
Lisa eats lunch
Kathy playing angry cards
A little hut euchre
Shaun filtering out pine needles through a coffee filter (for our dinner water)
Tory and Steve after their Sunday outing
Rurik vs. Bread Loaf
Lonny and Shari performing some form of surgery
Steve and Brian
The gear drying
Lounging around the fire
Lonny shares his light reading The previous hut occupants left a SI Swimsuit issue and Cosmo for us to read...it provided much entertainment
Scrabble after dinner
Tory makes dessert
Brian sets up the group photo
The Polar Star Inn group Clockwise from left: Shaun, Jay, Lonny, Brian, Steve, Tory, Forrest, Ryan, Rurik, Kathy, Lisa, Shari, Roy, Ling, Brian, Kathleen
