A Night at the Manitoba Hut

May 4, 2026

At the end of March I (Danica) headed out with the kids for a night at the Manitoba Hut.

The Manitoba Hut can be accessed by parking at the mile 48 pullout on the Seward Highway just after the Hope cut-off. It’s a short half-mile walk to a furnished, woodfire-heated cabin, two yurts, and a sauna.

Before we had kids, Woodsen and I had skied to the Manitoba hut and used it as a base for ski touring on the nearby Manitoba Mountain. This trip to Manitoba would be quite different. I was meeting my friend Ellie, who was also solo parenting, and we agreed that the adventure would be getting to the cabin, keeping the kids fed, warm, and happy, and we wouldn’t even attempt any sort of skiing.

We initially had planned to spend two nights at the hut, but after Ellie and I had a few things come up, we decided I would drive in to spend one night at Ellie’s house, then head out the next day together.

Our kids woke up bright and early on Saturday, and after a leisurely morning, we hit the road for the Manitoba hut.

We arrived at the parking lot, and the kids exploded out of the car and were quickly occupied playing on the tall snow piles along the pullout. We loaded our sleds with gear, including some wood (since the reservation said there was a shortage, but there turned out to be plenty of wood)

Once we had the sleds loaded, we gathered the kids and headed out on the trail that starts at the far left of the pullout (if you are parked towards, and facing the snow drift)

The trees were dusted with snow, the sun was shining, the kids happily walked or ran down the trail, and the older kids even helped pull the sleds. Eska decided she wouldn’t enjoy the adventure unless I carried her, so she cried for most of her sled ride to the cabin.

The half-mile hike went quickly, and soon we were passing over the bridge just below the hut.

Even though it had been close to eight years since I had been to the hut, arriving at the hut felt familiar and even a bit nostalgic.

The sun’s warmth made staying outdoors easy, and the kids enjoyed playing and checking out the hut and yurts as we unpacked.

We heated up soup for lunch, then headed back outside to await more friends who were scheduled to arrive soon.

With kids happily playing, Ellie and I took advantage of the rare opportunity to sit in the sun and enjoy a quiet moment with a margarita. Soon, the kids were back, this time with an exciting “treasure” they wanted us to see. A dead bird😳, we paused the margarita moment to dispose of the bird where the dog wouldn’t get it. Never a dull moment.

As we sat outside waiting for our friends, quite a few other people passed by, heading up the mountain to ski or just explore the area on foot. Soon, we recognized a few of the people traveling down the path. First Jason, Britta and their daughter arrived, then soon after, our friend Mary made her way on skis to the cabin.

Now that everyone we were expecting had arrived, we applied glitter and called it a party.

With our hut “party” in full swing, Eska promptly fell asleep. It was getting close to dinner time, so I headed into the hut to prep dinner.

Atlee’s Birthday was coming up, so I had packed her favorite meal (spaghetti), the cake she had made at home, and a few birthday decorations. After a full day playing outside and working up an appetite, the kids devoured their dinner. After dinner, we sang Happy Birthday to our almost ten-year-old, and dug into the chocolate cake.

Ellie had started a fire in the yurts earlier in the day, so when we finally turned in, we cozied up in a warm yurt, and the kids crashed after a full day. In the middle of the night, I woke up and headed outside to go to the bathroom. I happened to look up and got the surprise of pale green northern lights dancing overhead. Atlee woke up as well, and we enjoyed the view together for a bit before heading back to bed.

Mornings are always my favorite when camping, especially when they are spent with friends. The next morning was no exception. Hot coffee, warm breakfast, cuddles, and time with friends is hard to beat.

After we enjoyed the morning, we started packing up to head out on the trail then back to Anchorage. Ellie and I were thrilled that our solo parenting adventure had went so smoothly and before we were back at the car we were already planning our next trip together.