Spring 2026 Newsletter Vol. 3
Hello all,
We are beginning to close the chapter on this winter season, Sisters, Section House and Ken’s Cabin all close today and Francie’s and Janet’s will close in two weeks. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who enjoyed a hut trip this winter. It was, by all accounts, a bleak snow year. But time and again, you showed that Summit Huts is about far more than perfect conditions. Whether gathered around a wood stove, sharing meals, or simply enjoying the quiet of the backcountry, our cabins are about building connections and community. We heard countless great trip reports achieving just that. Your flexibility, positivity, and willingness to embrace the experience, no matter what the snowpack looked like, made this winter meaningful in all the right ways.
Looking ahead, summer is right around the corner, and reservations are now open! The huts take on a whole new character in the warmer months, offering access to alpine hiking, wildflower filled meadows, and long, sunlit evenings in the high country. It’s a different pace, but the same spirit of adventure and community. We hope you’ll join us this summer to experience it for yourself. Whether it’s your first visit or part of a long-standing tradition, we look forward to welcoming you back.
We also have many summer volunteer opportunities if you are looking for a different way to experience the cabins and meet some new people. We are using a new system this summer, POINT, to help us manage these events and there is more information on this below.
Last but not least, we have welcomed David Brown to our team. David will be supporting the operations side of Summit Huts and is our new volunteer coordinator. You may see emails from David announcing volunteer events and or project needs. Learn a little more about David below.
Happy spring!
Greg Guevara
Executive Director
Executive Director
New SHA Volunteering Tool
New for this summer, Summit Huts is rolling out a new tool to make volunteering easier for everyone: POINT. It’s a free platform designed to help nonprofits connect with volunteers more efficiently offering cleaner sign-ups, better communication, and less coordinating via email. You can check out the updated volunteer page on our website, where you’ll now find links to each of our scheduled events. If you’ve volunteered with us before, keep an eye on your inbox, you’ll be receiving an email invite to join us on POINT soon.
Volunteers provide essential support for Summit Huts mission and are integral to our operations. Volunteering with Summit Huts is a chance to directly support a backcountry community that values connection, stewardship, and shared experience. It’s cleaning, it’s stacking wood, but it’s meaningful, hands on work that keeps the huts running while building lasting friendships and deepening your relationship with the mountains. Thank you to all of our past and to our future volunteers!
Welcome David
Summit Huts is pleased to welcome David Brown, who joined the organization in March as our new Volunteer and Operations Coordinator. A Virginia native and University of Virginia graduate now rooted in Breckenridge, David brings seven years of operations and project management experience in consulting.
Since taking his AIARE 1 in 2021, hut trips and winter backcountry adventures have been one of his favorite parts of life in Colorado. He began volunteering with Summit Huts last fall, joining the Advisory Council in January, and ultimately jumping at the chance to step into this part-time role when it opened up.
Outside of SHA, David is active across Summit County in causes he cares about, including youth mountain bike coaching, food bank volunteering, and sustainable waste management. We’re thrilled to have him.
Hutmaster Spotlight: Mac McNamara II (Hutmaster since 2021)
What’s it like to do a Hutmaster shift?
To do a Hutmaster “shift” is the best reason to embrace getting out into our local mountains while also helping facilitate others to have the best experience doing the same in these magical cabins.
What is your favorite part of being a Hutmaster?
My favorite part is just being out there. Beautiful mountains and skin track therapy while preserving the off-grid lifestyle, in the most amazing settings. The other great part is sharing a love for skiing and snowboarding with the other crazy people that enjoy hiking miles into the mountains and staying off-grid to do so.
What do you wish visitors knew about Hutmasters?
I hope people know how big of a community of love goes into making these cabins possible. From the first time volunteers all the way to the president of Summit Huts Association. Knowing the stories and history behind each cabin is crucial to fully embracing each cabin.
Heard at the Hut
“Janet’s is a top notch hut. Thanks for all you do!”
“Beautiful hut, well thought out floor plan and amenities. The propane stove upon entry for snow melt/water is brilliant! No dragging snow through the living space. Also love this space for boot drying, hanging clothes, etc. To keep clutter inside to a minimum!” (Sisters)
