10th (Tenth) Mountain Division Huts and Summit Huts Online Guidebook
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Commando Run Trailhead at Vail Resort
Elevation: 8, 220 feet
Hutski.com map: For parking in Vail follow current signs and regulations, most of this route is on our Vail map.
USGS 7.5 min map: Vail East
10th Mountain Huts map: None
GPS: 382 011 E, 43 88 862 N
Huts accessed: Shrine Mountain Inn

The Vail Trailhead for the Commando Run is not signed, but it's fairly easy to find.

Follow I-70 to the main Vail Exit (Exit 176) at Vail Resort. Take the exit, then turn immediately right (S) into a traffic circle. Turn east out of the traffic circle on the frontage road and drive .4 miles E (upvalley, toward Vail Pass) to an intersection marked with an oversized stop sign. Turn right (S) here and follow Vail Valley Drive .4 miles to parking at the Golden Peak Children's Skiing Center at the base of lifts 6 and 12. During winter Vail parking is highly regulated, so check the parking rules when you get there.

You can skin climb up the ski area from here to start the Commando Run in Mill Creek. This is a grueling start for such a nice tour, so consider accessing the Commando Run from the Vail ski lifts. There has been talk for years of a one-ride ticket for just that purpose, so check for this option.

To reach the Commando Run from the lifts you can get into Mill Creek from the top of lift 6; or take a more roundabout route, finally using the Orient Express Lift to reach the west ridge of Siberia Peak.

In the summer you can ride the Vail Gondola most of the way up the mountain, then hike the ridge to Siberia Peak. Cyclists can take their bike up the Gondola and ride across the ski area to the Mill Creek Road.

 
 
 
 
This book goes great with our maps, highly recommended for any hut skier.
 
   
   
 
 
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Please note: The information in this website is based on the experience and research of the site owners and their sources, may not be accurate, and might not be perceived as accurate by other persons. Therefore, extreme care should be taken when following any of the backcountry skiing 10th Mountain Huts, Summit Huts and Braun Huts routes described in this website. This website is not intended to be instructional but rather is a guide for backcountry users who already have the requisite training, experience, and knowledge for the activities they choose. An advanced level of expertise and physical conditioning is necessary for even the "easiest" of the routes and activities described herein. Proper clothing and equipment is essential. Failure to have the necessary knowledge, equipment, and conditioning will subject you to physical danger, injury, or death. Some backcountry skiing routes for 10th Mountain Huts, Summit Huts and Braun Huts have changed and others will change; avalanche hazards may have expanded or new hazards may have formed since this website's publication.

Mission statement: The mission of HutSki.com is to provide backcountry skiers and other Colorado hut users with a complete set of high quality free topo maps, plentiful how-to information, and brief route descriptions that include alternate routes as well as standard trails.