Why Cat Skiing is Right for You + 7 Great Guides

January 5th, 2015 • BY Morgan Tilton

It was 9:04 a.m. My right foot was strapped into the snowboard binding. Airy, grape-size snowflakes steadily plopped down around us. I pushed off the snowpack, waved to the snowcat and sent myself sliding along the flat, carved-out ski track—which snaked through 13 inches of deep powder.

Our backcountry crew, a dozen skiers and snowboarders, reached the edge of the steep and untracked 1,000-foot pitch. Steamboat Powdercat guides Luc Strickland and Brynn Gotchey gave us the rundown of the upcoming terrain then one skied ahead to lead the pack.

Turn by turn, we dropped into the slope—each of us getting a chance to plant fresh tracks. I took off, floated through some lofty ‘S’ turns and realized the necessity of deep breaths: Tufts of snow flew over my powderboard’s nose and caked itself across my face, nostrils and mouth. This had to be one of the best days of spring skiing I’d ever had.

Why Cat Skiing is Awesome

For veteran and novices alike, guided cat skiing is an ideal way to experience backcountry skiing and powder turns outside of a resort. Sure, it’s luxurious (Steamboat Powdercats provides you with a gear setup, delicious lunch, snacks, water, post-ski brews, a DVD of images, and heated transportation), but it’s also an efficient way to experience a powder day.

With Powdercats—the only snowcat operation licensed to operate on Buffalo Pass—you sneak in 8 to 16 untracked runs in 5,000 acres of skiable terrain. There are zones facing every cardinal direction, which means you can still find powder stashes on a north-facing slope five days post-storm. And, without hiking, you can save your legs for shredding deep snow.

“Buffalo Pass is notorious for snow and powder. Ten miles north, 330 inches per year is recorded at Steamboat Ski Resort. Buff pass averages nearly 500 inches per year. It’s a snow factory,” said Steamboat Powdercats’ 14-year guide, photographer and marketer Kent Vertrees. It’s true: In 2011, Buffalo Pass accumulated the deepest snow pack ever recorded in Colorado history.

Plus, cat skiing is cost-effective: The price of a single day heli-ski trip equates to multiple days of cat skiing and the latter can boast greater vertical feet. (For example, 16 average distance runs with Powdercats can accumulate triple the amount of vertical feet than a standard day trip with Telluride Helitrax.)

All Experience Levels

Guided trips can help riders of all experience levels gain confidence with powder conditions and backcountry terrain. To support the experience, Powdercats designed three trip categories based on riding ability and terrain preferences:

Level I- and II- trips are similar to a green or blue resort run and skirt lower elevation terrain that’s mixed with forests and meadows. Level III is comparable to a black diamond pitch that’s steeper and has fewer glades. Having levels to choose from helps riders feel more comfortable and at ease, explains Kent.

“A guided trip is very orchestrated, which helps people to face fears of the unknown, not wanting to hold others back, and misconceptions of powder,” Kent said. “One reason we’ve built the three levels is to help people realize that the terrain isn’t that intimidating. Then, people can experience a true powder day.”

To cover the safety bases, Powdercats also gives guests a crash course on avalanche safety and provides everyone with a beacon and probe.

Where to Stay in Steamboat

If you stay overnight in Steamboat Springs, Powdercats offers a morning shuttle pick-up. I recommend lodging at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort & Villas, which is at the ski mountain’s base and .3-mile down the street from Powdercats’ office. The resort’s recent revamp (a $16 million renovation) includes the Mountain Suites, which have full kitchens with modern appliances—an awesome option if you prefer to cook in. The suites’ washer-dryer combo mean there’s no need to drag smelly ski clothes home. Plus, the resort’s spa offers a ski-specific massage: a sports massage meshed with a hot stone foot massage. —Lastly, one of the hotel’s ultimate features is the rooftop hot tub’s panorama!

Cat Skiing Companies

In Colorado alone there are close to 10 cat ski companies, pointed Tony Clapp, Executive Director of Cat Ski U.S., a nonprofit that certifies the standards of U.S.-based snowcat skiing operators. (Yes, Powdercats is certified and on the list.) Those cat ski businesses are either stand-alone operations or ski area affiliated.

Beyond Powdercats, here’s a grab bag of cat skiing operators throughout the west:

Colorado: San Juan Untracked

Montana: Great Northern Powder Guides

Wyoming: Grand Targhee Resort

Idaho: Selkirk Powder

Utah: Park City Powder Cats and Heli-Ski

Washington: Cascade Powder Cats

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