This ski-in backcountry eatery offers four-course dining amid views of the Continental Divide
By Corey Buhay
Most Coloradans think of backcountry adventure and five-star dining as mutually exclusive. You can have one or the other—maybe on the same day, but certainly not at the same time. Unless, of course, you dine at the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse.
Tucked amid evergreen forest just north of Leadville, the Cookhouse is a tiny establishment—just a small kitchen and handful of tables tucked into a canvas-sided yurt. In the winter, the only way to get there is via a one-mile ski or snowshoe. Those nights, the forest is quiet. Moonlight casts aspen shadows across the glittering snow, and the only sound is the swish of your skis through powder. When you finally arrive, the yurt seems to materialize from thin air, a surreal mirage against the winter white.
Stand on the front porch, and you’ll be treated to sweeping views of the Sawatch Range and the Continental Divide. Wander inside, and you’ll be greeted by the savory aromas of seared game and homemade soup, roasted potatoes and fresh-baked bread. Juxtaposed against the snow and silence, the warmth and bustle feel almost surreal—a scene straight out of Narnia. But this is no spellbound illusion. It’s the very real brainchild of Ty and Roxanne Hall, the couple who bought the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center in 1994 in hopes of building it into something better.
“We were looking for ways to expand beyond cross-country skiing, and we realized there was a picnic table where the Cookhouse is now,” says co-founder Ty Hall. The table, which overlooked a sweeping mountain panorama, was a popular lunch spot.
“We wondered if people would ski to a restaurant at night,” Ty Hall says. “We decided to give it a shot.” They petitioned the Forest Service for permission and scored a permit for a temporary structure—hence the yurt. But thanks to its unique look and intimate feel, the yurt stuck.
The Halls hired a chef and promised guests a high-end dining experience, spotlighting wild game and traditional Colorado fare (think: four-course meals featuring dishes like succulent elk ribs and bison tenderloin). For the first few years, they barely broke even. But slowly, things started to take off. Today, the Cookhouse is a local institution. Diners travel from all over the world, and many reserve tables a year in advance.
It’s not hard to see the appeal. There are few places in Colorado cozier than the Cookhouse on a busy night. Candlelight dances on the walls and a golden warmth emanates from the wood-fired stove. The air thrums with talk and laughter, set to a rhythm of clinking plates and chiming glasses.
“It’s so close and cozy and welcoming,” Ty Hall says. “It’s that kind of intimate dining setting where people really talk to each other. I’m amazed at how many times groups decide to join tables.”
The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. No one is in a hurry. After all, few diners have to commute home. Most end the night by skiing straight to their accommodations: a handful of cozy sleep yurts that offer soft beds, wood stoves—and a way to keep the magic going just a little longer.
Tennessee Pass
E. Tennessee Rd.
Leadville
719.486.8114
tennesseepass.com
