"Colorado’s 10th Mountain Division Huts are the fruits of one man’s crazy idea: Fritz Benedict, a 10th Mountain Division soldier who fought in World War II and an Aspen architect, dreamed of setting up a system of winter huts to rival the Alps’ Haute Route. The results arguably outdid the Europeans at their own game. Today, the system, located on the division’s former training grounds between Aspen, Vail, and Leadville, is 14 huts strong and connects to another 17 in the area. Linked with 300-plus miles (483-plus kilometers) of skiable routes, it’s the largest system of its kind on the continent."