Featured Hut: OPUS Hut, Ophir, Colorado
First impressions of the Opus Pass Ultimate Ski Hut are vivid: its stunning perch and vast views on Ophir Pass, and the immediate sensation of being in the warm embrace of a cozy mountain hut in France or Switzerland. Check out the picture gallery to see for yourself!
Winter Wind – photo courtesy Bob Kingsley
The OPUS Hut is a labor of love by owner, builder, and hut-master Bob Kingsley. Bob has lived in Colorado since 1983. He searched for years for the perfect spot for a ski hut in Colorado, found it, bought a patented mining claim, and hand-built a gem of a hut – by far the most authentically European style hut in the USA. A quiet, thoughtful guy, Bob is a craftsman, skier, climber, and guide (he guided trips to 10MD huts and around Colorado for 8 years). The hut design was inspired by stints of living in France and Switzerland, and lots of time in and around huts in the Alps. Its tasteful décor, comfortable amenities, and good food and wine make for an “ultimate ski hut”, while the terrain provides year-round outdoor pleasures.
Living room — Photo by Sam
The spectacular location – remote but accessible from two major recreation hubs in SW Colorado, Telluride and Silverton — was an inspired choice. It is about 3.5 miles from the hamlet of Ophir and 3.5 miles from Highway 550, the scenic Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Silverton. You can walk or drive in summer (the road is closed all winter and rugged when open, particularly on the W side from Ophir), and skin up on skis in winter.
Summer scenery – photo courtesy Bob Kingsley
At 11,765 feet, OPUS Hut provides access to a wide variety of back country ski terrain, from fairly gentle beginner slopes near the hut to the kind of ski terrain usually reached by helicopter. Guided ski trips are available and split boarders (a pursuit new to me: snowboards that split in two to accommodate climbing skins, then snap back together for a wild ride) are discovering the hut.
In season, there are hiking trails/loops nearby. There is also the possibility of doing longer walks that link to the lodges of Red Mountain and from the Telluride ski lifts. There are ample opportunities for mountain biking on roads and single-track trails. For fishing and swimming, there are four Alpine lakes within two miles. Some summer guests come for quiet pursuits such as painting, photography, wildflower walks, stargazing, and meditation and yoga workshops.
Visually, the three-story timber and frame lodge blends into the mountainside. Bob framed the building with 120 year old hand hewn timbers salvaged from a Wisconsin dairy barn. The hut sleeps 16 people, including two private rooms (sleeping 3 & 5 people each). The dining room is directly adjacent to the beautiful, well equipped kitchen, and provides comfortable space for socializing before and after meals.
Bob’s Kitchen – OPUS Hut — Photo by Sam
By all accounts the food is great, and OPUS boasts the only liquor license in the extensive Colorado hut community. The resident hut keepers cook and generally keep the place clean and orderly. Outdoors, the decks and the sauna are oriented towards fabulous views.
Built with evident care, the 1,800 square foot structure is snug and warm. Completely off the grid, a 24 volt photo-voltaic system and thermal solar panels generate power for electricity, radiant floor heat, and hot water. Two wood stoves supplement the radiant heat.
Cozy nook off living room – Photo by Sam
There are two bathrooms with well functioning composting toilets and sink with hot and cold running water (no shower). Interior features include hand-built doors, wainscoating, padded wooden benches for lounging, and stairwells. Each window frames a lovely view and the hut is graced with cushions covered with beautiful textiles and an oriental carpet. There is a small collection of books and magazines and a nice little ludotheque (game library) for quiet times together.
OPUS window view — from OPUS Gallery with permission
It is heartwarming to see the European approach to huts working well in the USA. Business is better than the 2011 operating plan projected: the occupancy rate is very healthy and Bob is thinking about expanding to add additional huts someday to create a system. Why? Because the formula works: rugged mountain beauty and recreation, combined with comfort and conviviality is irresistible!
Overall, the OPUS hut reminds me of the Danish term hygge, which is loosely translated as “coziness”. But hygge is more like “the art of creating intimacy: a sense of comradeship, conviviality, and contentment rolled into one…it generally involves friends and family, and eating and drinking. Bob Kingfield has created the perfect circumstances for friends and families to enjoy each other company, outside in a spectacular mountain setting, and inside a cozy European hut.
by Sam Demas, editor