The mountains of Southwest Colorado offer red rock, desert landscape, snowcapped peaks, and superb mountain biking.  For sixteen years the 215-mile trek between the mountain-enclosed town of Telluride, and the slick-rock destination of Moab, Utah, has been made possible by the San Juan Hut System. A series of six alpine huts, stocked with supplies and food, provide rustic lodging on this seven-day tour that climbs over 16,000 vertical feet. An alternative route, from Durango to Moab, challenges more advanced riders with a cumulative ascent of over 26,000 feet. If you’re looking for more excitement and difficulty, both trips have singletrack alternatives to the dirt road routes. The hut system also offers customized bike tours, so you can determine the number of days, distance covered, and the terrain you want to ride on. 

-       Both 215-mile, weeklong trips cost $850 per person. The price includes three meals per day, hut facilities, trail descriptions and maps, and a sleeping bag at each hut.

-       Maximum hut capacity: Eight

-       See sanjuanhuts.org for details on making reservations, lodging in Telluride, Durango and Moab, and setting up shuttle arrangements.