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Thread: best catskiing operation in BC?
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11-26-2018, 06:55 PM #26Registered User
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You only have to beat the cat to the pickup, which is rarely an issue.
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11-26-2018, 07:20 PM #27
Wildhorse Cat Ski- thats my vote. he has vacancy for sure.
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11-26-2018, 07:30 PM #28
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11-26-2018, 07:51 PM #29Registered User
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I didnt even think about that, i just wondered how he went so fast without goggles and whats with all the white after labour day ?
In any case brother Bill was voted radest dude by his peers which won him the cat ski trip, great conditions, a strong crew of 12 much fun was had and we beat the cat down every time.Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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11-26-2018, 08:08 PM #30
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11-26-2018, 10:30 PM #31
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11-26-2018, 11:38 PM #32Registered User
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BUMP
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11-27-2018, 06:25 AM #33
Retallack is awesome. Partner with GHi if you can and you will access the goods
I need to go to Utah.
Utah?
Yeah, Utah. It's wedged in between Wyoming and Nevada. You've seen pictures of it, right?
So after 15 years we finally made it to Utah.....
Thanks BCSAR and POWMOW Ski Patrol for rescues
8, 17, 13, 18, 16, 18, 20, 19, 16, 24, 32, 35
2021/2022 (13/15)
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11-27-2018, 04:52 PM #34Registered User
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lot's of good advice in this thread... I have been fortunate to have visited many BC operations.
These are the top BC Cat Ops. Each are better in different ways.
-Island Lake Lodge - Best Tree ski/ride, alpine, high end lodge with private hot tubs.
-Baldface - Large tenure - stuff to jump off of, very snowboard friendly
-Retallack - most aggressive terrain, hut tub.
-Chatter Creek - never have been. heard good things.
Late March, I will be at Island Lake Lodge. Come hang.
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11-28-2018, 04:16 PM #35
My choice is a week of touring, used to go cat skiing every year but when the price went over $500/day switched to guided and catered tours. As you say a week of touring or 3 days of Cat skiing. Better chance that you won’t end up with a group of beaters on a tour since I have never met anyone yet on a touring trip who made it their first time skiing/riding powder, but I have in a Cat.
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11-29-2018, 06:53 AM #36
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11-29-2018, 10:05 AM #37www.skevikskis.com Check em out!
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11-29-2018, 10:19 AM #38
I'll take pow laps all day long and twice on Sunday over touring. More skiing with a cat.
Nonetheless, getting stuck with a bunch of beaters is a real thing. On our first trip with Monashee, half our cat was a bunch of gaper doctors from Cleveland or some shit. One guy was skiing on a pair of 174cm Volkl AC4s. FUCK THAT GUY. Similar with two others in that group. And I quote, "those fat skis are just toys for kids." Really old man?! Because you stuggle-bussing down in that tree well because your detuned slalom skis can't hack it... and my pow boards are for kids?
Fuckers...
That same group; a snowboarder on his fourth time snowboarding. Ever. He about died on his first run in a tree well.
Another time at Big Red Cats, a boarder showed up in a t-shirt and what amounted to no more than letterman's jacket because, you know, he only ever rode park. Mind you, it was nuking snow that day. FML
Or, in that same trip, the kid from somewhere in eastern Canada that popped for no less than $5k of top of the line Arc'teryx kit, AT boots, binding and DPS skis. He couldn't make it a run without beatering out of control and crashing. Or taking twice as long as everyone to get into his skis.
Be warned; getting stuck with gapers is a thing. Pick your cat, if you can. Or, choose an operation that isn't afraid to re-organize the groups or tell some joey to sit the fuck down or stay in the lodge.
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11-29-2018, 12:26 PM #39Registered User
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or bad conditions and a slow group , had the death crust up high, fog down low & a slow group on my first trip
The next trip was booked last minute in great snow, great weather and a more or less hand picked fast group of 12
I'm not booking anymore trips long range ... gona get on the standby list
the best cat ski op is the one you have the most fun atLee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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11-29-2018, 01:08 PM #40
Going solo? I've done a few in BC, but Island Lake Lodge I've done twice on a call in day prior: left them a VM telling them I was looking for anything next day and had a message the evening saying I was in for next day.
The place is effing incredible: the lodge and the terrain (but then I love the Fernie rockies areas).
Anyway, that was a few years ago. I'm sure demand and awareness must have changed things now. But I'm thinking if you're good with short notice you may well be surprised.
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11-29-2018, 01:25 PM #41Registered User
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the benefit to being stuck with a less skilled group.. you will have more fun stuff to jump off of. as with a whole cat of rippers, you are fighting for the lines.
Typically you beat the cat down anyways, so a slow group has less of an effect. With cat, having annoying folks in the group, would be more my concern than skill level. Go last, wait for the slow folks to get out of the way. , go hard left, keep tracks to your right in sight and rip the run. heli on the other hand, vastly important to have a cat of equal skill level or you will not be flying to challenging terrain.
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11-30-2018, 09:38 PM #42Registered User
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Can't find any available hut spots. Inquiry about a 3 day retallack trip sent!
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11-30-2018, 09:41 PM #43Registered User
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12-01-2018, 09:14 AM #44Registered User
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In my limited experience- a more experienced group will allow the guide to pick better terrain though
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12-02-2018, 04:26 PM #45
This, a group or even one or two people who can’t handle steep or gnarly lines will doom the entire group to terrain they can handle, or a group who doesn’t religiously follow the guides instructions and wanders off the designated line can cause the guide to dial the exposure back until it is totally safe. We once had a guy who came into our group, last minute, friend of a friend to replace a cancellation. He left a 3 day trip after the first day because he thought he was going to be able ski where and when he wanted, and when he was instructed to stay within certain limits proceeded to ignore the guide and dive down alternate drainages. We spent 1/2 hour at one point waiting for the tail gunner to find him, and bring him back to the group. Needless to say the guide was not amused, we were not amused and his reception turned distinctly frosty. He left that night.
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12-02-2018, 08:51 PM #46Registered User
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The group thing, regardless of whether or not they are good skiers, is a bit of a turn off for me when it comes to Cat Skiing in general. You're spending a lot of time in a cat with other people so it's a super social experience. I've only been Cat Skiing 3 times but I remember after all three sessions thinking, I would have had just as much fun getting 3 or 4 laps on a solo tour with my dog or a smaller group. Not that the folks I was with were bad dudes or anything. It's just that I was there to ski and it seemed like it was more of a social trip than I really wanted in a ski outing.
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12-02-2018, 08:58 PM #47Registered User
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you ^^ were not on the Rad Dude trip, that was a lot of fun !
But the time wasted waiting for a slow group to re-assemble at the cat is probably not that big a deal, maybe one extra trip but it still sucks to stand around waitingLee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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12-03-2018, 08:35 AM #48
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12-03-2018, 09:06 AM #49Registered User
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Catskiing is great for aging, inexperienced, and/or out of shape skiers who need to pay to access powder skiing, but otherwise feels like being herded around, between long periods of hanging out (which should be the primary reason for organizing a compatible group). Anyone who can, will get way better skiing and have a much more satisfying experience by ski touring. Fit and experienced tourers will even get similar vertical.
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12-03-2018, 09:09 AM #50
Has anyone tried Big Red Cats out of Red mtn?
I have trip there in JanHello darkness my old friend
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