Colorado's Fab Four

Make your getaway (Photo courtesy of San Juan Hut System)

Trail's end: Moab, Utah (Photo courtesy of San Juan Hut System)

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Roughly retracing the getaway route of gunslinger Butch Cassidy's gang after they robbed a Telluride bank in 1889, the San Juan Hut System's 206-mile Telluride-to-Moab tour transports riders from Colorado's cool Alpine mountaintops to the fiery deserts and red-rock canyons of Utah's Moab.

Besides the obvious history and geography lessons, the system is special for its six wooden huts that serve as backcounty shelters for fat-tire tourers. The fully outfitted huts relieve riders of the necessity of carrying tents, main meals, campstoves, cookwear, and sleeping bags. The only catch, if you can even call it that, is that riders must pay $475 each (up to eight people allowed) for the privilege of six nights of food and lodging—a good deal for an adventure of this caliber.

Since the huts are destinations in themselves, riders might have to hustle to make each nightly appointment. That's not only because of the energy-sapping altitude (the average hut elevation is 9,000 feet), but because the Alpine meadows are choked with all manner of blooming wildflowers. If you're carrying a camera, count on making more stops than a school bus.

The jaw-dropping views, in fact, are a marquee attraction for the San Juan route. With the cloud-piercing, snowcapped San Juans to the south, and the desiccated expanse of the approaching Colorado Plateau to the west, the contrasting landforms are uniquely spectacular and offer nonstop panoramas during the entire six-day trek.

The first day's ride to Last Dollar Hut—a fancy plywood cabin—is just 15 miles, the shortest day ride in the system. But in those few miles you'll find 2,800 feet of climbing to Last Dollar's lofty 11,000-foot San Juan perch. Riders winded by what's probably the easiest of days should know that the distances grow to an average of 35 miles between huts, and the fifth day's ride encompasses a colossal 4,400-foot climb. By then, the ride has entered the transitional territory that gives way from cool high country to desert. And it's likely the lower-elevation midday temperatures will be a good 20 degrees warmer than previous days. The rule says carry as much water as you think you'll need, then double the amount.

Resources: The San Juan Hut System requires advanced payment to use the hut facilities. Mountain-bike season runs from June to October (970-626-3033; www.sanjuanhuts.com; San Juan Hut Systems, P.O. Box 773, Ridgway, CO 81432). Two good ride guides are Colorado Hut to Hut (by Brian Litz; Westcliffe Publishers, 2000) and Mountain Bike America: Colorado (by Stephen Hlawaty; Beachway Press, 2000).