Terrain at the Hut
Backcountry Skiing in the San Juans
The OPUS Hut was built for Backcountry skiing and hiking. Located between the towns of Telluride and Silverton, high a top Ophir Pass, the OPUS offers access to some the best and backcountry skiing in the U.S. The hut is just a short three mile hike from State Highway 550 on the east side (Silverton), or an equal distance from the town of Ophir on the west side. Ski traverses North to Red Mountain pass or South toward Lizard Head pass, offer some of the best alpine terrain in Colorados’ San Juan Mountains.
For information on location and approaches see here.
Terrain at the Hut
The hut is located at treeline, with low angle glades below and opens slopes above. Mellow powder skiing can be had in the winter months, while towering 13,000ft peaks provide open bowl skiing for the spring – both right out of the backdoor of the hut. Venture a little further into Paradise Basin to sample some of the best chute skiing around.