Though I’ve never had the pleasure of going on a hut-to-hut ski vacation, I am wistful about doing so all the same. I imagine days filled with skiing run after run of pristine powder snow followed by nights in a snug yurt, sitting next to a glowing wood stove while sipping a hot buttered rum and recounting the day’s adventures with my ski buddies. Hut systems are prolific in Europe, where they are known as “refugees,” and in Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Washington State. A few backcountry huts exist here in Utah, but most are not meant to be used for a consecutive multiday hut trip. However, thanks to Shaun Raskin Deutschlander, founder and lead guide for the Park City-based, Inspired Summit Adventures, the same dreamy guided backcountry skiing experience you can get in Europe or other Western states is now available in Utah.
In December 2024 Deutschlander announced the opening of guided tours between the first two yurts of a planned five-yurt network, dubbed the Western Uinta Hut System, offering unprecedented recreational access to 100,000 acres of rugged backcountry terrain in the Uinta Mountains. When all five huts of the system are in place, connecting routes will span 96.17 miles of developed trails, ideal for travel by backcountry skiers, snowmobilers, hikers, mountain bikers and UTV enthusiasts. For the 2024-25 winter season, Inspired Summit is offering guided, multiday backcountry skiing trips using the hut system’s two existing yurts—trips that, as of mid-December, were already booked out into March 2025 (despite the less-than-stellar start of the winter season). In early December 2024, I got to go with Deutschlander to preview Inspired Summit’s cozy Smith and Morehouse yurt. Here’s what I learned.
“When I started Inspired Summit over a decade ago, I only dreamed that one day I would be in a position to work with the Forest Service and the outdoor community in such a profound way,” Deutschlander says. “Most people who visit the Uintas don’t go beyond the overcrowded roadside destinations like Trial Lake and Lilly Lake. This [hut system] is an opportunity for outdoors lovers to get away from the crowds, and for me, to create a legacy focused on my values of sustainability and leave no trace.”
Deutschlander set the first phase of that dream into motion when she purchased the Castle Peak Yurt from Park City’s White Pine Touring in 2021. “It had been well-loved over its many years and so we replaced it with a new yurt and also added a guide hut and wood-burning sauna,” she says. In Fall 2024, the system’s second hut, the Smith and Morehouse yurt, was constructed near the banks of the Smith and Morehouse Reservoir, 11 miles and 2,000 feet of elevation away from the Castle Peak yurt.
Inspired Summit’s winter 2024-25 hut-to-hut trips begin at the Castle Peak Yurt where skiers get to spend their first couple of days venturing out on guided, high-elevation tours and taking advantage of the sauna. The second half of the experience follows the long descent to the Smith and Morehouse yurt (gear is moved via porter service) and another day (or more) of exploring that corner of the Uintas. Each yurt sleeps between six and 10 adults, which made me wonder if separate groups are booked in the yurts at the same time. “Nope,” said Cindi Grant, Inspired Summit’s director of operations.” Every trip we book is private and customized to each group.”
On the day I got to tour the Smith and Morehouse yurt with Deutschlander, we met in Weber Canyon just outside of Oakley. The road to the Smith and Morehouse reservoir is not maintained in the winter, and so she had brought along snowmobiles for us to ride into the yurt. As we rounded a corner and approached the north end of the reservoir, Deutschlander stopped so we could take in the magical view. A series of rounded mountain peaks, typical of the Uintas, stood like quiet sentinels over the frozen lake where a group of skaters played hockey on the icy surface. “The Uintas are one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America, and were sculpted by glaciers that carved out all the lakes people are aware of,” Deutschlander explained, “and created really fun and nuanced skiing terrain.”
We hopped back on the snowmobiles and continued along the lake to the yurt. Fun fact: yurts originated thousands of years ago in the Central Asian Steppes where nomadic cultures, like the Mongols and Turks, used them as portable homes. Original yurts were covered with animal skins; a durable canvas/plastic hybrid covers most modern yurts, that functions in the same way as the traditional ones: to keep heat in and wind and snow out. The Smith and Morehouse yurt sits atop a large deck that extends well beyond the shelter’s footprint, offering an ideal outdoor space for catching some rays on a sunny day. A breezeway is also attached to the yurt, a smart addition, I thought, to both avoid snow blowing in the door and give visitors a protected place to stash their skis or bikes outside the yurt. An ADA-compliant ramp, wide door opening and adjustable tables provide wheelchair access in the summer when it’s possible to drive to the yurt.
A table set with soup bowls, stainless steel wine glasses and a huge charcuterie board greeted us as we entered the yurt. Grant gave us a warm “hello” from the kitchen area where she was kneading dough for pizzas to bake inside a pizza oven affixed on top of the wood-burning stove. Inspired Summit’s yurt catering menus include items like burritos, French toast or oatmeal for breakfast; a sandwich bar and snacks for in-the-field lunches; and pizzas and soup, Mexican night, curry or pasta for dinners. Every menu is adjustable with respect to food allergies or dietary choices, too. “Shaun went to culinary school, and so food is a big deal for us,” Grant says. “Much of the food we serve is organic and sourced from high-end grocers like Whole Foods.”
And, of course, what would a ski trip be without après? In addition to the fabulous charcuterie spread we enjoyed during my visit, the post-tour snack menu Inspired Summit offers guests includes a chips and salsa bar, Mediterranean-style nuts and olives and two beers per person.
“The two beers are included, but we have a big a la carte menu with wine and cocktails, too, and people are welcome to bring their own alcohol that we can transport up to either of the yurts,” Grant says.
Deutschlander’s goal is to complete the remaining three Western Uinta Hut System yurts by 2027. Locations she’s eyeing for the additional yurts include just outside of Samak near the Slate Creek mountain biking trail system, and at Big Elk Lake and Ramona Lake. When completed, each yurt in the system will be situated within six to eight miles along established trails from the next one, providing a way for everyone from seasoned outdoor recreationists to families with small children to have a truly adventurous and nature-immersive experience.
“My goal is to get the yurts as close to trails as possible but still far enough away so as not to interfere with other people’s exploration of these incredible mountains,” Deutschlander says.
