| About 8 years ago, I got a call from the daughter an | | | | Snowcat rides are rarely more than 15 to 20 minutes |
| old friend. | | | | long, usually just long enough to enjoy half a |
| It’s Dad’s 60th birthday soon and | | | | sandwich and a drink, to rest the legs and to share a |
| the family wants to send him on a ski trip. We are | | | | couple of bad jokes with our companions. The |
| hoping that you and Bill and Owen will keep him | | | | Bombardier snowcats ( are warm and comfortable. |
| company. | | | | They accommodate 12 guests, two guides and a |
| Sure, I said, expecting a destination like Sun | | | | driver. The three cats move independently and are |
| Peaks or Rossland. | | | | usually out of sight of one another all day. |
| Where are we going? | | | | When skiing, the guide keeps the group together, |
| Cat Skiing near Fernie. | | | | while allowing everyone their own line in unbroken |
| What skiing? | | | | snow. There’s no pressure to farm |
| Cat skiing! | | | | snow. |
| What’s Cat Skiing? | | | | The speed of the group and number of stops |
| Its backcountry skiing from snowcats, sort of a | | | | depends on the group. Faster groups of expert |
| poor man’s heli-skiing. | | | | skiers may ski non-stop to the bottom. Groups of |
| Can I afford it? | | | | intermediate skiers may stop along the way, to |
| You can’t afford to miss this! | | | | regroup, rest, share experiences and take pictures. |
| That four-day trip was the start of seven years of | | | | Cat skiing is laid back and relaxed. The guests call |
| superb skiing. On that first trip, we had a marvelous | | | | the shots and determine the pace. The guides |
| time and powder skiing, the likes of which none of us | | | | concentrate on the preferences and needs of the |
| could remember. Run after run in fresh, untracked | | | | group and provide a tailor made skiing |
| snow. There were steep rollovers that put my heart | | | | experience. |
| in my throat, where the deep snow seemed to | | | | A favorite with many skiers is the tree skiing on the |
| support us like an invisible hand, letting us down the | | | | great ridges. A group can ski for many days on any |
| fall line slowly and gently. Wow! Face shots galore! I | | | | one ridge and not run out of fresh snow. Runs pass |
| thought, Life is too short not to be doing this | | | | through old burns with widely spaced snags, living |
| every year! | | | | forest with open glades and cut blocks with deeply |
| On the second day of that tour, I presented myself | | | | buried stumps that form pillows and |
| at the lodge office and requested a booking for the | | | | undulations of endless variety. |
| following year. | | | | Intermediate skiers who rarely ski the trees |
| Sorry, full up. | | | | not only find they can do it, but that it’s fun. |
| No! | | | | The snow in the trees tends to be deeper and |
| Yes! However, the year after has an | | | | unaffected by sun and wind. Snow is soft and |
| opening, and you could have a whole cat. | | | | consistent and there are no moguls and lumps. The |
| Done, I said, and thought, You fool, what | | | | short, fat powder skis that can be rented from |
| are you doing? | | | | Chatter Creek make it all pretty easy. Novices learn |
| After much effort, evening after evening of phone | | | | very quickly. Cat skiing does not require prior |
| calls, hounding old friends and a very long wait, we | | | | experience or special equipment, just boots and |
| were back two years later with twelve good men | | | | clothing and enthusiasm. |
| and women. Some were old ski friends of almost 50 | | | | Cat skiing at Chatter Creek is well suited for skiers |
| years. We had another wonderful trip with great | | | | and snowboarders having a wide range of ability. My |
| skiing, great snow and great company. | | | | group of expert skiers has enjoyed every trip and is |
| Now, years later, we are still at it. We’ve | | | | always challenged and experiencing new terrain. |
| changed venue from near Fernie to a spot near | | | | Chatter Creek recommends that guests be at least |
| Golden, B.C., where the skiing is a little higher and the | | | | strong intermediate skiers. However, I have |
| snow seems to be a little more reliable. Our host is | | | | organized friends and family groups that have |
| Chatter Creek Snowcat Skiing ( a partnership of four | | | | included skiers of lesser ability and everyone got on |
| personable young men who run an excellent | | | | fine. Good physical condition makes up for a lack of |
| operation, about 20 minutes by helicopter north of | | | | experience. Ages have ranged from the 20’s |
| Golden, on the western flank of the Rocky | | | | to 70, with most group members in the 50 to 65 |
| Mountains. | | | | year range. |
| The 130 sq. km. tenure includes a large glacier at just | | | | As the ski-day wears on and people may begin to |
| under 10,000ft. elevation, huge open alpine slopes and | | | | tire, guests are welcome to sit-out a run and ride |
| bowls and a number of enormous ridges that offer | | | | back down the hill with the snowcat driver. If |
| superb tree skiing. After many trips to Chatter | | | | someone wants to call it a day, a staff |
| Creek, we have yet to ski the entire area. Each | | | | member will drive the guest back to the lodge on a |
| summer, snowcat roads are extended to open up | | | | snowmobile. |
| ever more terrain. An application has been made to | | | | Runs can vary from about 800 vertical feet to over |
| increase the terrain size by about 85%. See Cat | | | | 2000 ft. Typical runs drop 1200 to 1500 ft. The |
| Skiing Terrain ( for a photographic tour of the | | | | amount of skiing done in a day depends entirely on |
| Chatter Creek tenure. | | | | the strength of the group. Daily vertical usually |
| Skiing on the Vertebrae glacier is mellow and | | | | varies from 9,000 to 14,000 feet. Very fast groups |
| the views are spectacular. From the highest point, | | | | may do 16,000 ft, or even more. Our group has |
| the view spreads to the west, over nearby peaks | | | | always worn itself out, day after day. |
| and ridges to the distant Adamant Range and Selkirk | | | | The perfect end to a day at Chatter Creek is a run |
| Mountains. To the east, much nearer and in clear | | | | on Lodge Ridge, ending at the door of Vertebrae |
| view, are countless peaks and snowfields of the | | | | Lodge. ( We step out of our skis and boards and into |
| Continental Divide, including the Clemenceau Icefield, | | | | the bar, dropping into soft couches, with cold beers |
| Mt Columbia and the Snow Dome. The latter is the | | | | in hand. After some laughs with our mates and |
| source of the famous Columbia Icefield and contains | | | | browsing on the afternoon snacks, we stumble off |
| the hydrographic apex of North America. As skiers | | | | to the outdoor hot tub to enjoy another beer or a |
| ski on the glacier, the unusual squiggles of the | | | | Caesar and to watch the sunlight disappear from the |
| Sullivan Fault fill the view and forms the backdrop of | | | | peaks. |
| many a guest photograph. See Glacier Skiing at | | | | In 2004, Chatter Creek built a second 9000 sq. ft |
| Chatter Creek ( for many photos from the | | | | lodge and expanded to 36 clients. All guests enjoy |
| Vertebrae glacier. | | | | double occupancy bedrooms, each with a private |
| On bluebird days, the guides usually head to the high | | | | bathroom. Our group has expanded to fill the lodge |
| alpine for a few runs on the Vertebrae glacier, or in | | | | and we have 36 enthusiastic skiers and |
| one of the many large bowls or slopes such as the | | | | snowboarders all signed up and waiting patiently for |
| Clamshell, upper Lodge Ridge, Super Spruce, South | | | | next year. Some of the old-boys are now taking |
| Park, Lakeview , and Oyster Bowl. After a few of | | | | along their grown offspring, and one cat is set aside |
| runs, the group will move on to nearby areas, skiing | | | | for two entire families. It’s going to be a |
| here and there on the way, never staying long in any | | | | great party, with great skiing! |
| one spot. Every run in untracked snow! | | | | |