Area guide · Red Mountain Pass, CO · 11,200 ft
Out the door at Thelma
You're high on Red Mountain Pass, off the Million Dollar Highway between Silverton and Ouray — surrounded by some of the wildest terrain in the Lower 48. Here's what the San Juans have on offer, season by season.
Where you are
Red Mountain Pass
Thelma sits at 11,200 feet on Red Mountain Pass, on US-550 — the Million Dollar Highway — roughly midway between the old mining town of Silverton and the box-canyon town of Ouray. This is the heart of the San Juans: steep, high, and serious, with world-class skiing, climbing and alpine country in every direction.
Winter access to the hut is an over-snow trip from the pass, through avalanche terrain — we'll send exact directions, parking and current conditions before you arrive, and connect you with guides.
- Silverton
- ~15 min south · gateway town
- Ouray
- ~25 min north · hot springs & ice
- Telluride
- ~1.5 hr · resort & town
- Montrose (MTJ) airport
- ~1 hr north · closest commercial
- Durango (DRO) airport
- ~1 hr 15 min south
- Elevation
- 11,200 ft — acclimatize; see below
Winter & spring · the main event
Snow season
Red Mountain Pass is legendary backcountry terrain — and it's avalanche country. Go with a guide unless your team is trained and equipped, and check the forecast every single day.
Backcountry skiing & riding
Some of the most storied ski touring in Colorado is right off the pass. Big lines, deep snow, and consequences to match — this is guided-or-expert terrain.
Silverton Mountain
A one-of-a-kind expert ski area near Silverton — single chair, guided powder days, no groomers, no crowds. Book ahead in season.
Ouray Ice Park
World-famous human-made ice climbing in the Uncompahgre Gorge, ~25 minutes down in Ouray — free to climb, and the center of the ice universe each winter.
Ski touring & splitboarding
Skin from the pass into alpine bowls and couloirs. A guide will put you on the right aspect for the day's conditions.
Guided & catered trips
We run Thelma lean with established local guides — the simplest way to ski the San Juans safely, with the food and logistics handled.
The ski-in arrival
Reaching the hut in winter is an over-snow trip by ski or sled from the plowed highway — a true backcountry arrival, and part of what makes Thelma, Thelma.
Nordic & snowshoe
Mellower ways to move when the avalanche danger is up or the legs are tired — quiet valleys and mining roads below the steeps.
Check CAIC daily
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center forecasts the San Juan zone. Carry beacon, shovel and probe, know how to use them, and turn around when the snowpack says so.
June–October
Summer & fall
When the snow melts, the San Juans turn into the best alpine playground in Colorado — turquoise lakes, wildflowers, and passes that top 13,000 feet.
Alpine hiking
Ice Lakes Basin near Silverton is the postcard — impossibly blue tarns under 13,000-foot peaks. Columbine, Clear and Island lakes round out a lifetime of days.
Wildflowers
Mid-July to early August, the high basins explode — columbine, paintbrush and lupine. Some of the best wildflower hiking anywhere.
High-country Jeep passes
Black Bear, Imogene, Ophir and Engineer passes and the Alpine Loop — legendary 4×4 roads over 12,000-foot saddles. Rent a rig in town or ride with an outfitter.
Peak bagging
Handies Peak is one of Colorado's most accessible 14ers; Mount Sneffels and the Wilson group beckon the ambitious. Be off summits before afternoon storms.
Mountain biking
Big high-alpine rides and the wider Durango–Telluride trail network — from mellow valley spins to lung-busting passes.
Fishing
The Animas and Uncompahgre drainages and dozens of alpine lakes. We can line up a local guide who knows where they're rising.
Ouray: hot springs & via ferrata
Soak at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool and test your nerve on the town's via ferrata across the gorge — an easy, worthwhile day trip down-valley.
Fall color
Late September, the aspens light up gold across the passes. Cool days, quiet trails, and the Million Dollar Highway at its most photogenic.
Down the pass
Silverton & Ouray
Two historic mining towns bookend the pass — provision, fuel up and eat before you head up to the hut. There are no services on the pass itself.
Silverton · ~15 min south
A high, funky old mining town at 9,300 feet and the southern gateway to the pass. You'll find a small grocery, gas, a brewery and a handful of restaurants along Blair and Greene streets, plus the terminus of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Many spots run seasonal hours — stock up when you can.
Ouray · ~25 min north
The "Switzerland of America," tucked in a box canyon at 7,800 feet. More restaurants and lodging, the Ouray Hot Springs Pool, the Ice Park, and outfitters for Jeep tours and gear. For a full grocery or gear run, Montrose is about an hour on north; Durango about the same to the south.
Before you come
Good to know
The San Juans reward respect. A few honest notes — full arrival directions, access and an emergency card come with your booking.
Altitude is real
The hut is at 11,200 feet. If you're coming from sea level, take it easy day one, drink far more water than feels necessary, and know the signs of altitude sickness. Sleeping a night lower — in Ouray or Durango — helps you acclimatize.
The Million Dollar Highway
US-550 over the pass is stunning and serious — tight switchbacks, big drop-offs, few guardrails. In winter it can close for avalanche control. Check CDOT (COtrip) before you drive, and never rush it.
Connectivity & power
Cell service is patchy to none up high, but the hut has Starlink wifi and solar power. Download maps, forecasts and directions offline before you leave town.
Alpine weather
Storms build fast, especially summer afternoons — be below treeline and off summits by noon. Snow is possible any month up here; pack warm layers and a shell year-round.
Your basecamp
Sleep high in the San Juans
Take the whole hut or book by the bunk, go guided or self-catered, and wake up in the middle of the best terrain in Colorado.