The ULTIMATE Galentines Experience

Sometimes mama needs a day with the girls that involves shredding hard rather than hauling toddlers. That’s why we planned the ultimate mountain-mama getaway in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. 18 women at a backcountry hut? Sign us up!

Of course, moms need a little spoiling too, and that’s why we were thrilled when Justin’s reached out to support our trip for an early Galentine’s treat. Not only are their Nut Butters and Nut Butter Cups our favorite treats to help sustain our energy in the backcountry, but we also love their Super Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups and their Super Dark Chocolate Espresso Almond Butter Cups—and we were stoked to share them with our mom friends.

This post is sponsored by Justin’s. All thoughts and opinions are our own. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Reserving a Hut

If planning a hut trip was easy, everyone would do it. One of the main challenges to planning winter hut trips is that you have to be thinking about it in advance; often almost a year out! Many hut systems open lottery reservations 6-12 months in advance. For us, this meant entering a lottery with all of our possible dates (weekends please!) in February 2021. We were stoked when we found out that we were picked for a January weekend!

We wanted this trip to be a moms-only trip where we could get away, challenge ourselves, and make new friends. The hut was beginner-friendly with an easy approach for skiers or snowshoers, making it a great choice for first-timers. Oh yeah, one small detail: the hut we reserved had a sauna. A SAUNA. We wanted this to be fun for ladies who were both hut-trip veterans and newbies! We sent out information to friends and ladies in our WildKind community and we quickly filled the trip with 18 total moms committing to the weekend!

Planning with Your Crew

Once the group is confirmed, it’s time to start planning and sharing information. Communication is everything when planning a backcountry trip.It doesn’t matter how you communicate, but it is important that everyone is in the know.

Here are some things to discuss prior to the trip:

Travel, carpooling, and timing for arrival
Packing. Share a thorough packing list with the group!
Weather and snow conditions
Safety gear and experience within the group
Questions and concerns

Safety and Training

There is always an element of risk while traveling in the backcountry. Before a trip, assess the trail and terrain you’ll be traveling. Also, discuss any concerning factors with your group. We strongly recommend folks have at least an AIARE Level 1 avalanche certification. If not, take a “know before you go” backcountry course to help familiarize yourself with any potential risk factors of traveling in the backcountry. By reading your local avy forecast a few weeks in advance, you’ll also be able to understand the snowpack and be apprised on weather updates.

One of our critical elements is evaluating each individual’s risk tolerance and comfort levels since decisions should be made as a group. We opted to stay off and away from slopes steeper than 30 degrees thanks to considerable/high avalanche danger in the forecast. Thanks to our pre-trip communication, everyone in our group was happy to play it safe and enjoy some soft, low-angle turns.

Of course, don’t forget your avalanche rescue gear: a beacon (with extra batteries), shovel, and probe. Pro tip: make sure everyone knows how to actually use them.

It’s also a good idea to have at least one member of your group who has their WFA or WFR certification should a medical incident arise. Plus, it’s important to have a stocked first aid kit, communication tools (like the BCA Link Radio or Rocky Talkie), a sallellite messenger, and an emergency repair kit.

(Pssst: WildKind members get a discount on all Survival Med Online on their online WFA or WFR certification courses!)

Fueling Your Fun

There’s a lot of relaxation on these trips (did we mention the sauna?!) but it takes tons of work to get there, get back, and play in between. To that end, we ensured everyone ate plenty of good calories and hydrated. In between puzzle sessions and ski turns, you’ll want to make sure the fire is stoked in the wood-burning snow and that snow is melting for drinking water. Each hut will have instructions regarding wood chopping and stocking for the stove; this can be a fun chore too!

Before your trip, consider meals that are filling, packable, and easy to assemble in a simple kitchen. Group meals are a GREAT way to go! Some of our favorites have been spaghetti, fajitas, and breakfast burritos, although we’ll never say no to a killer charcuterie board.

Pro tip: you’re responsible for packing out all your waste! It’s a win when every last bite can get eaten, and the packaging is minimal.

The food highlight of the trip was definitely our Justin's snacks that kept us going on the snowy uphills. Justin’s sent us peanut butter cups and nut butters including their Cinnamon Almond Butter Squeeze Packs and their Super Dark Chocolate Espresso Almond Butter Cups. Needless to say, we had plenty of energy to charge on our low-angle ski tours. We even finished two thousand-piece puzzles during the trip. Yeah, we’re pretty proud. Can you tell?!

There’s nothing worse than bonking in the backcountry. When it’s cold, it’s critical to stay ahead of caloric depletion since your body is working harder to maintain warmth. Instead of choking down a frozen granola bar, it was a nice treat to reach into a hip belt pocket and grab a Justin’s Super Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup!

Hut Time

We had a few different groups arriving throughout the day and everyone had a hiking buddy for the inward journey. Everyone claimed a bed and gravitated towards the huge downstairs with lots of seats and space for people to socialize. The hut came stocked with books and puzzles that kept some of us up way too late and the kitchen was constantly used but never crowded.

Everyone took turns building and stoking the fire, chopping wood, and refilling our huge pot of snowmelt on the stove. For some of the moms, it was their first time to try these tasks and they left feeling empowered knowing they had a couple badass skills under their belt.

If there is one takeaway from our trip, it’s this: moms are efficient. Everyone stepped up to make sure people were fed, everyone hydrated, and coffee was made.

Check Out & Leave No Trace Practices

Each hut has a set of checkout instructions before departure. The Colorado huts are BOOKED SOLID, so it’s important to be ready to go by the posted check out time. If you plan to take a lap or two before checking out, have your gear ready to go and the hut cleaned up before you head out. We came into a super clean and cozy hut and we wanted to leave that same experience for the next party.

Even though we were in a big hut in the middle of the woods, Leave No Trace principles still applied. Anything you pack in must be packed out. This includes trash and food waste. We did several sweeps of the cabin, restocked the snow-melt pot and the firewood (and the sauna firewood!), and made sure we left no trace of our experience (Aside from a note welcoming the next group because who doesn’t like a little love note?)

Recap

Once you return, it’s not a bad idea to send out a follow-up message to the group and make sure everybody arrived home safely. This is a great time to make sure your new friend found her misplaced glasses or book, too. Communication is EVERYTHING.

At the end of our trip we sent out a post-trip recap to share what went well, what we could have done differently for next time, and provided different resources. A few of us used the onx Backcountry app (WildKind members get 20% off the annual plan!) to study the area, along with additional training recommendations for AIARE courses and wilderness first aid training. And of course, you’ll want to start a shared photo/video folder because us moms love our photos!

Motherhood is wonderfully all-consuming, especially during the short season with young children. And it should be. But it’s also important to invest some time in our female friendships too. Trips like these allow us to connect and bond and enjoy a safe place to share.

Whether you plan a Galentine’s to celebrate your girlfriends or save dates for a girls’ trip each winter, remember that it’s important for your health. YOU are worth it!