We’ve been winning big in the 10th Mountain Division lottery with back-to-back winter Eisman Hut and Fowler-Hilliard Hut trips. In fact, our submissions have scored prime weekends every time. These are the proven strategies we use to hack the system and score a top hut in Colorado’s 10th Mountain Division hut system.
You need a crew
Find ten to sixteen people to join your group and submit the exact same thing in the lottery. Your lottery form is due in early February each year for the following season. Yes, we understand it is crazy to plan these trips over twelve months in advance, but that is just how the system works.
Pick a lot of huts, or just pick all the huts
Have a broad range of huts that you are interested in visiting. When I ask local legends about the best hut, they just laugh at me. In their mind, every hut is great. While some huts are known for the best skiing in the world, there is something special about every place built so carefully in the mountains.
Pick a lot of dates
Typically we include every weekend between mid-January and mid-April in our submission. February and March are trips that we hope will line up perfectly with a big powder day. For April and May trips, we use the hut as a launching point for ski mountaineering objectives. We normally do not put late May or June dates into the lottery because those can often be booked outside of the lottery system.
Make it easy for the group
Organizers and trip leaders should send everyone in the group the lottery link and exactly what to copy and paste into the lottery form. At the bottom of this post, I’ve included examples of our winning 10th Mountain Division Lottery submissions.
Final Tricks to Booking an Amazing Hut
If the lottery doesn’t work out for your group it is OK! Remember there are a bunch of other ways to book an amazing trip in the Rocky Mountains. First, there are a bunch of private huts that typically start accepting bookings in the summer such as our very own Tundra Hut, the Lost Wonder Hut, and the Opus Hut. Second, you can always check hut availability after the lottery and often snag some spring dates for corn skiing!
Example 2023 Hut Lottery Submission
LINK HERE – Follow the directions below. Use this group name and lottery choices.
Group Name: I can’t believe I’m organizing this again
Lottery Choices (Cut and paste this section below)
Any of the following days of the week between Jan 15 and April 10 in this order of preference:
- Friday Check in -> Monday Checkout
- Friday Check in -> Monday Checkout
- Sat check in -> Tue checkout
- Fri check in -> Sunday checkout
Hut Preferences in this order:
- Fowlard Hillard
- 10th mt division Hut
- Uncle Bud’s
- Jackal
- Janet’s Cabin
- Francie’s
- Sisters
Eample 2022 Hut Lottery Submission
You know the drill. Submit the details below.
Benedict 100 Group Name: Go Big or Go Benedict
Regular Hut Lotto Group Name: Searching for POWDER
Any of the following huts and dates. Preference is for hut first then date:
Huts:
- Eisman (entire hut)
- Fowler Hilliard (entire hut)
- 10th mountain division hut (entire hut)
- Jackal (entire hut)
- Sister’s (entire hut)
- Opa’s (entire hut)
- Hary Gates (entire hut)
- Margy (entire hut)
- McNamara (entire hut)
- Francies (entire hut)
- Janets (entire hut)
- Section House (entire hut)
- The Broome Hut (entire hut)
- Any other hut except Vance’s Cabin, Uncle Buds, and Shrine Huts (entire hut)
Dates:
- Feb 18-21
- Feb 12-14
- Feb 18-20
- Feb 19-21
- Feb 25-27
- Feb 26-28
- Feb 11-13
- March 4-6
- Feb 4-5
- Feb 5-6
- March 5-7
- Jan 28-29
- Jan 29-31
- March 11-13
- March 12-14