Tag Archive for: cat skiing

Susan Winthrop

Suzie In The Selkirks

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Run After Run Of Perfect Powder For Five Straight Days. Snowcat Skiing At Its Best.

Correspondent Suzie Winthrop found fresh powder every day. Can you see the smile on her face?
Credit: Steve Shannon

Do you dream of skiing in untracked powder?  Of course! We all do!  And most of us get one or two runs at resorts that offer “fresh tracks” early in the morning before the snow cats groom the trails. But soon you’re plowing through broken snow and by noon those freshies are a distant memory.

Snowcat skiing is a unique, albeit pricey experience with fresh powder every day.
Credit: Selkirk Snowcat

How about skiing run after run of perfect powder for five straight days? Run after run of power up to your knees, day after day. Impossible, you say. Well, this past March a group of us found Nirvana in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia.

It snowed every night.  In the morning, our tracks from the previous day were nowhere to be seen. We accessed the terrain by snowcats which accommodated 12 skiers plus two guides.  The powerful machines were cozy, comfortable and allowed for good conversation as we chugged up the mountains.  The pace was just right; we had time to catch our breath between the ten or eleven runs we took each day.  Fifteen to eighteen thousand vertical feet of downhill per day was more than enough to send us back to the comfortable lodge exhausted and happy.  After a soak in the hot tub, a drink at the bar, a delicious homestyle dinner and a few rounds of “Grunge” at the pool table, it was time to call it a night. After all, we would be awakened at 6:30 a.m., stagger in to our 7:00 yoga/stretch class before enjoying our hearty breakfast and then head out to yet another day of perfect powder skiing.

Selkirk Snowcat Skiing is located in Meadow Creek in the SE corner of British Columbia, 60 miles north of Nelson.  We flew to Spokane, rented vans and drove to Nelson where we spent the night at the Hume Hotel (“Antique, Chic, Boutique”).  While in Nelson, we checked out Whitewater Ski Resort which offers a Super Senior ticket (75+ ski free) and looked like a great place to get your ski legs.

[Editor Note: Rates for 2017-18 range from $2,000-$6,000 per guest. If you’re interested, better check for availability.  Repeat visitors book early.]

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Deep Powder Cat Skiing: $25 Per Run

We’ve carried several articles about Powder Mountain, the enormous, old-fashioned resort about an hour northeast of Salt Lake International Airport. It was purchased a few years ago by a group of investors, and improvements are underway. It’s the go-to place for untracked powder long after the other resorts have been skied out. The place has so much acreage and so few skiers that untracked runs are available all day long and for days following the last big snowfall. It also offers a variety of snowcat skiing experiences, with single rides as low as $25.
Guided half and full day adventures are higher, but still quite reasonable. For newcomers to powder skiing, its acres of broad, gentle terrain make it a great place to learn. For the more experienced, there are long pitches to satisfy most appetites. Whether you live here or plan to visit, Powder Mountain is an adventure worth experiencing.

MASSACHUSETTS

Jiminy Peak‘s 2017/18 Zephyr season pass (six non-holiday days per week, Sunday to Friday) on sale for $349. Purchase now and get same perks for rest of current season.

PENNSYLVANIA

Several Pennsylvania resorts also have season pass deals that, if purchased now, let you ski free the rest of the season. Among them: Blue Mountain Resort, Camelback Mountain Resort and Roundtop Mountain Resort. 

VERMONT

Okemo‘s Spring Skiesta Card offers unrestricted skiing/riding from March 17 through end of season. Price ($139-$159) based on when purchased. Some purchasers will be entitled to $99 off ’17/’18 season pass.