ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
|
WEB EXCLUSIVE
An Off-Grid Escape
Solar-powered mountain huts let vacationers really get away from it all.
By Ben Dodge Published: May 28, 2010
 A remote mountain hut, unreachable by car, might seem the idyllic getaway. But how do you power it when you’re so far from civilization?
The 10th Mountain Division Hut Association’s solution: off-grid photovoltaics (PV). The organization (huts.org) operates a system of 32 backcountry huts in the Colorado Rockies that are open to public use during the winter and summer. Hut users ski, snowshoe, hike or bike to the huts — located at elevations between 9,700 and 11,700 feet — along 300-plus miles of designated, marked routes. Since 1987, small PV arrays have provided lighting for the more than 50,000 people who visit the huts annually. This solution has worked remarkably well, allowing guests to enjoy the use of renewable energy and reducing the dangers associated with the misuse of propane lanterns. Preserving a Legacy The nonprofit 10th Mountain Division Hut Association was formed in the early 1980s by several Aspen skiers, including 10th Mountain Division veteran Fritz Benedict, who cherished the perfect ski touring between Vail and Aspen. From the start, the group set its sights on a trail with closely spaced huts, all accessible via intermediate ski touring trails. The group and others also wanted to honor the infantrymen of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, who learned their skiing and mountaineering skills at Camp Hale in central Colorado. Much of the territory that now comprises the 10th Mountain Division Hut System was originally part of the training ground for 10th Mountain Division troops, who fought critical battles in the Italian Dolomites near the end of World War II. Many of the soldiers went on to become key figures in the ski industry. Five of the 10th Mountain huts were built with donations from family and friends to honor 10th Mountain Division soldiers who died in World War II. Each hut sleeps 16 people, divided among three or four bunkrooms. Huts include wood-burning heat and cook stoves; propane stoves (to accommodate those who can’t figure out the wood-burning cook stoves); cooking and eating utensils; mattresses and pillows on sleeping platforms; supplies such as toilet paper, soap, cleaning supplies, trash bags; and, of course, photovoltaic lighting. There are no televisions, computers or humming appliances in the huts, and cell phones rarely have coverage. The 10th Mountain hut experience is about enjoying the backcountry and being self-sufficient, as exemplified by the soldiers. The huts provide opportunities for environmental and experiential education for people of all ages, including youth. PV: A Low-Maintenance Solution Because the huts contain few appliances and gadgets, the huts’ energy needs are minimal. The first two 10th Mountain huts, built in the early 1980s, did not have PV systems. Instead, typical propane gas lanterns provided lighting. Needless to say, the correct operation of these lanterns eluded some hut visitors, with interesting and somewhat alarming results recorded in the hut logbooks. Eventually, reasonably priced PV systems became available, and 10th Mountain made the decision to install them in the huts. The results were predictable, immediate and positive, and hut visitors have enjoyed dependable, good lighting ever since. The average capacity of the huts is about 200 watts, and each hut has about two to three panels. The systems are designed to have a five-day reserve capacity, meaning the storage batteries contain sufficient reserve energy to operate the lights for five consecutive cloudy or stormy days, with no energy from the sun recharging the system. However, occasional user misuse, such as leaving the lights on all night or using too many lights, sometimes resulted in brown outs, and the automatic controls would shut the system down until it could be recharged. This rarely occurs now because of more frequent battery replacement schedules and the use of more efficient light bulbs. The association has been installing compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) and LED bulbs at the huts for several years now, trying to find the desired combination of energy efficiency and pleasing light. The photovoltaic systems have been easy to maintain, and this is important because the huts do not receive daily maid visits. (It is typically a four- to six-hour journey to the hut and the economics just wouldn’t work.) Hut visitors are responsible for leaving the hut in as good or better shape than they found it, and this does work remarkably well — so well, in fact, that it renews one’s faith in humanity. 10th Mountain staff travels to each of the huts every seven to 10 days (on skis during the winter — it’s truly a fun job) to conduct a thorough cleaning, occasional repair and full inspection of various systems, including the PV system. Most of the time, maintenance consists of replenishing the water in the batteries and nothing more. 10th Mountain is also testing sealed batteries that require less maintenance, and these seem to be working well. An Emphasis on Conservation At the end of the day, the carbon footprint of the hut recreational experience is so much less than the carbon footprint of, say, the Regis Hotel experience. This is due to the huts' use of renewable energy as well as the travel choices of our customers. Our customers are typically driving vehicles to the trailhead, but the vast majority of them are then traveling under their own power to get to the hut. Also, 10th Mountain conducted a thorough analysis of its carbon footprint a few years back and implemented energy-saving measures at its employee housing, in its administrative offices and on its maintenance vehicles. Each of the 10th Mountain huts offers an interpretive library, equipped with about 50 identical titles. That way, folks can begin to read a book at one hut and finish it at a later hut, without having to abscond with the book. The libraries include books intended to increase awareness of stewardship of the forest and surrounding lands, the use of renewable energy (including a self-published Solar System manual describing the PV systems at the huts and how this technology could be used at home) and other such topics. Hut users are encouraged to submit reports of spotted Canada lynx tracks or activity. We work closely with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the agency responsible for the reintroduction effort of this endangered species, to provide identification information and reporting techniques. 10th Mountain also offers a Backcountry Exploration Program, which is intended to facilitate use of the huts by nonprofit educational groups, including schools and civic groups. Approximately 1,500 user nights are made possible through this program, mostly with school groups. One of the more valuable aspects of the huts is that they provide the opportunity for people to have a good experience in the backcountry. This experience increases the chance of a positive connection and the chance that hut visitors will participate in the public lands management process. Visitors will care more about how this land is managed, and that’s a good thing from our perspective. For more information about the huts, visit huts.org or call 970.925.5775. ------------
About the Author: Ben Dodge (
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
) is executive director of the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association.
|
ADVERTISEMENT
