Backcountry skiers near Golden, British Columbia travel high into the Rocky Mountains in the comfort of snowcats. Traveling in groups of 12, lead by two qualified guides, skiers and snowboarders are carried to elevations of almost 10,000 ft., to ski and ride on a glacier or down great alpine bowls.  

 Snowcat skiing is adapted to short holidays and many operators offer 3-day and 4-day full-service tour packages. Snowcat skiing is not normally weather-dependent and there is no “down-time”. Every day is a good ski day.  Snowcat skiing provides a relaxed vacation that requires no prior experience or special equipment.

 Snowcat skiers enjoy a dedicated cat that moves according to the needs and ability of the group.  Snowcat rides are warm, quiet, relaxed and very sociable.  They give guests an opportunity to converse with their companions, to rest for the next run, and to adjust clothing.  Guests wanting a longer rest can sit out a run and visit with the cat driver on the ride back down the mountain. Lunch is grazed on over the course of the day.  Guests can leave extra clothing in the cat and adjust what they wear each run.

 Remote backcountry lodges are very comfortable and provide a unique wilderness experience.  They offer double-occupancy bedrooms with private bathrooms, excellent cuisine, a games room, a well stocked bar, hot tubs and massage facilities.  The first run of the day is nearby and guests often ski to the lodge door at the end of the day. 

 The informality and peace of remote lodges helps guests relax and enjoy their vacation.  Hot tubs, complete with bar service, ease tired joints before or after a massage.  Dinner is a time of joviality, impromptu speeches and awards, good humor, good food and fine wine.

 Most cat skiing operators cater to 12, 24 or 36 clients who ski from independent snowcats.  Skiing tenures are sufficiently large that groups often won’t see one another in the course of the skiing day, even at a distance.  Each group determines its own pace.

 Clients should be at least “strong intermediates”. However, some operators can accommodate less experienced intermediate skiers that have good physical fitness. Clients should discuss concerns with operators. The short, fat “powder skis” that operators rent are forgiving and easy to turn.  Skiers having little “off-piste” experience find they learn very quickly.

 The amount of skiing done in a day depends on the group.  Typically, 9 to 15 runs will be skied for a “total vertical” between 9,000ft. and 16,000 ft.  Individual runs vary in vertical drop from about 800 ft and 2000ft.

The Chatter News Web site provides a client’s view of snowcat skiing at Chatter Creek, in the Canadian Rockies.  This photo journal has many pictures and descriptions of different aspects of cat skiing and boarding.

 In Western Canada, the BC Helicopter & Snowcat Skiing Operators Association lists snowcat skiing tour operators who operate under its stringent safety guidelines.

* Author Lockie Brown is a cat skiing client who has organized annual tours for friends to number of British Columbia cat skiing venues.  He has written articles about snowcat skiing that are published at (http://www.backcountrywintervacations.com/ski-articles.html ).