There are four such huts built and maintained by volunteers: Bensen, built in 1949; Peter Grubb built in 1938-9; Ludlow built in 1958; and Bradley (Pole Creek) re-built in 1998.

Bensen Hut
The Bensen Hut is situated in trees in the shadow of Anderson Peak (8,683'), five miles south of Donner Summit. The hut is a popular overnight objective for hikers and skiers doing a loop trail from Donner Summit or traveling from the Donner area to Palisades Tahoe. And if certain rumors are to be believed, the hut is also a frequent stopover for travelers of the "spirit world."

These days, up to 15 guests staying in the snug A-frame cabin need not worry about exposure to the elements. But mysterious footsteps, creaking ladders to the loft, and an occasional sighting of a young girl who quickly disappears do provide guests with great stories to share around the wood-burning stove.

"It's my favorite of the Sierra Club huts, mainly because it's more remote and less frequented than the other cabins. It's a bit of a ski to get to, but the reward is worthwhile." This perspective is from Doug Read, a member of Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, who has explored Tahoe's backcountry for thirty years. "Bensen is intimate and peaceful and has outstanding scenery."

The view from the hut (8,400') embraces Coldstream Canyon to the east, Mount Lincoln to the north, and vistas of the Sacramento Valley to west. From a saddle near the hut, skiers can drop into endless backcountry powder.

"The spirit who resides in the place isn't too scary, but just adds to the experience," explains Read. "Some of us believe it's the ghost of the hut's namesake, John Benson, who was a Sierra Club member and a 10th Mountain Division soldier.

"I often sleep in one of the downstairs bunks, and during the night it's not unusual to hear thumping footsteps in the upstairs loft."

Other Bensen veterans claim to have felt and seen the presence of a young woman. Jim Granger, an experienced backcountry skier and another member of Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, recalls waking up and seeing a young girl, dressed in a turn-of-the century dress, staring directly at him.

Ghosts aside, the Benson is just one of the four hand-built lodges that have weathered many Sierra winters.

Peter Grubb Hut
This hut below Castle Peak (8,325') north of Boreal and east of the PCT, is the most-visited of the huts. It provides backcountry skiers and snowboarders with a launching pad for exploration of Sand Ridge Lake as well as Castle and Basin Peaks.

Bradley Hut
In 1998 Bradley was reconstructed in Pole Creek near Palisades Tahoe. It offers the visitor world-class ski touring and cozy digs surrounded by classic high country. The hut, new and clean, allows linked tours by hikers, experienced skiers, and snow-shoers to the Benson Hut four miles away to the north.

The Bradley was named after Josephine Bradley, the wife of former Sierra Club president, Harold Bradley. The original hut was built in 1957 in the Five Lakes Basin, between Alpine Meadows and Palisades Tahoe. In 1984 Congress designated the Five Lakes Basin to be part of the new Granite Chief Wilderness, and within a decade, in 1994, the U.S. Forest Service, which oversees the nation's Wilderness areas, asked the Sierra Club to relocate the Bradley Hut outside the wilderness area.

"Over the course of three years more than 100 volunteers participated in over 20 work-parties to demolish the original hut and construct the new Bradley Hut. It was a cooperative effort between the Sierra Club and U.S. Forest Service and an amazing effort by many volunteers," says Dick Simpson, a Sierra Club member since 1974, who directed relocation efforts. Simpson, a Planetary Astronomer at Stanford University, also raised more than half the funds for the project, including a $15,000 Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) gift.

Ludlow Hut
This is the farthest south of the huts; it is along the Sierra Crest south of Homewood. Located at Richardson Lake on the northern edge of Desolation, Ludlow opens up Rubicon Peak and the General Creek areas to hardy visitors.
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All four huts are used extensively with over 1800 people staying overnight annually. Each hut can be reached in a day or less (weather and conditions permitting) from the nearest road. Open to the public, usage costs $10 per person per night. Hut reservations, especially weekends, are essential.

"They're unique attractions. They have survived a lot of harsh winters, but they continue to provide shelter and good times, besides very nice skiing, to a great many people," Dick Simpson says. "They are really a tribute to the many volunteers that help maintain them."

Every September and October, weekend work parties help prepare the huts for winter, including stocking the cabins with firewood. Those helping out get put on a priority list for reservations at the huts. A healthy attitude toward manual labor and a desire for fresh mountain air mixed with fall colors sustain most volunteers.

"We've had people haul lumber in over miles of terrain to do repairs," adds Simpson."

Traveling in winter to a hut, within reach for even immediate level skiers, still demands good judgment and athleticism. Visitors should backpack in as if they might snow camp. Sheltered by glades and sometimes buried in heavy winters, the huts can be hard to spot even from nearby.

"Every generation of backcountry skiers needs reminders why they picked up the sport in the first place. These huts help serve as that reminder," explains Doug Read. "It's not just some spirit they might seek, but rather a spirit of exploration and freedom that attracts so many of us to venture into the backcountry in winter."