Destination: Snowbird Hut

Perched next to the Snowbird Glacier, the Snowbird Hut makes for a spectacular overnight trip into the Talkeetna Mountains. Eleven people slept in the hut Saturday night after Southcentral Alaska's first big snowfall of the winter. Visitors can backcountry ski on the glacier, which is northeast of Hatcher Pass, or use the hut as a stop on a traverse between other backcountry huts in the area. The Snowbird Hut is managed by the Alaska section of the American Alpine Club and is open to the public; reservations are not accepted or required.