Ski huts in the Alps are like small castles鈥攎ost employ caretakers who greet you with beer or wine and cook you hot meals. The U.S. may not have the luxury or the sheer numbers (Switzerland alone has 213 丑眉迟迟别蝉), but we鈥檙e getting better. Last year, the newly formed, Colorado-based Grand Huts Association opened the Broome Hut at Berthoud Pass near Denver, and there are plans to add eight more linkable huts in the next decade. Until then, there are plenty of other options. At least ten states from Maine to Oregon have huts. With a little planning, you can piece together a world-class trip without the transatlantic flight.
Rocky Top
The in Colorado remains the premier鈥攁nd most popular鈥攏etwork in America, and its 20 well-stocked cabins (with little avalanche danger along the access trails) are ripe for three-to-five-day powder trips. The best is a 28.5-mile route between Vail and Aspen. Start at the Polar Star Inn (elevation: 11,040 feet) and milk the tree skiing on the western flank of New York Mountain, located just above it. It鈥檚 8.2 tough miles from there to the Peter Estin Hut, but prime bowl skiing nearby makes the slog worth it. End with a seven-mile ski to the Harry Gates Hut, which sleeps 16 and is perched on a bench facing Avalanche Ridge. The next day, ski out to your car on Fryingpan Road. From $33 per person per night.
Teton Traverse
When people think of the Tetons, they almost always think of the range鈥檚 east face over Jackson Hole. But the west side holds rarely touched, navel-deep powder. Begin by climbing 5.5 miles through the Jed Smith Wilderness to Baldy Knoll, a Mongolian-style yurt operated by and surrounded by prime face-shot terrain. The next day, skin nine miles along Alpenglow Ridge at 10,626 feet to Teton Backcountry鈥檚 Plummer Canyon yurt; if it鈥檚 a whiteout, take the lower route through the trees. Once there, you鈥檒l appreciate the amply spaced aspen-grove heaven. Looking ahead: a 314-square-foot yurt with bunk beds, a pellet stove, and a full kitchen is opening in Teton Canyon next winter, so you can tour an extra day. From $355 per night for the yurts, which sleep six to eight.
Sierra Stash
More than 50 years ago, the built a series of huts above Lake Tahoe鈥檚 west shore. The best time to link them up is in late January, when Tahoe catches the best snow. The most feasible route begins at Donner Summit and travels six miles south to the Benson Hut, which is perched at 8,350 feet, sleeps 12, and offers high-alpine terrain. Then it鈥檚 four miles south to the Bradley Hut, an A-frame with a detached two-story outhouse that often gets buried in deep winters. The Bradley doesn鈥檛 have beds or cookstoves, so come prepared. $20 per person per night.