The Truckee Donner Land Trust is considering building a hut system in the Tahoe area and they need your suggestions! If you haven’t heard of the group, this is their mission statement
[To] preserve and protect scenic, historic and recreational lands with high natural resource values in the greater Truckee Donner region and manage recreational activities on these lands in a sustainable manner.
Questions range from the basic “would you use a Backcountry Hut System?” to practical “What kind of toilet do you want?” There are also options about catered food and cost per night.
Here’s a link to the Survey
This is an opportunity for the local Tahoe community to make their voice heard and help build what could be an extensive backcountry hut system. The survey isn’t limited to local Tahoe and Truckee folks though. It also asks for suggestions on things you’ve seen in other Yurts or Huts that would be great additions to the system. With that in mind, we put together a few suggestions for the survey.
Affordability — These huts need to be affordable and attainable for the locals and ski bums and they shouldn’t turn into a costly, luxury, experience just because the Bay Area is close by.
Solar powered LED lighting — Short days are one of the worst parts of winter. Why should the day end right as the sun goes down? LED and Solar is a bit of a higher start-up cost, but much more sustainable.
Wood burning stove with attachable reservoir — The best yurts have this system. Basically, there’s a metal reservoir with faucet that one can hook a the side of a wood burning stove, making snow melting/water collection an easy task.
A fully stocked bar — This one explains itself. Just charge us upfront for the Jack Daniels and beer so we don’t have to haul it all in on a sled we bought at Walmart.
Decent bunks — Having decent and sturdy bunks in the hut is a must. Otherwise you’ll be woken every-time your buddies decide to roll over in the middle of the night.
Bigger Scale? — The Northern Sierra is a large geographical area. It would be fantastic to see some of these huts extending beyond the Tahoe Donner area. Heading north out of Truckee you will find some spectacular mountains and outdoor recreation. While the snow quality and mountain size may be slightly more modest, areas like Sierraville/Lakes Basin/Lost Sierra offer fantastic hiking and mountain biking. Let’s hope these less profitable and less trafficked zones can get some attention.
All jokes aside, the fun of a hut trip is often in those moments when
the comforts aren’t immediately available. Memories are made from the dark evenings around a fire. And if you’re wondering whether or not brining the flask is worth the extra weight, it is.
– Tony & Pat