Big Red Cat skiing in Rossland, B.C. ,Darryl Leniuk
WHAT'S THE DEAL?
Ride a snowcat up a mountain and step out onto a pristine, untracked slope.
WHERE'S IT AT?
The sport of cat skiing was born in the mid-seventies when tour operators in southeastern British Columbia began outfitting snowcats, the Zamboni-like machines that groom ski hills, with extended cabs to shuttle skiers up remote backcountry slopes.
Today, dozens of cat- and heli-ski operations are based in the province's "powder highway," a region blessed with annual snowfalls of 12 metres or more, cold temperatures that keep snow light and airy, and big mountain terrain.
Head to the town of Rossland and book a trip with Big Red Cats, an operator specializing in deep-powder tree skiing. Run by Kieren Gaul, a friendly 42-year-old Aussie and former member of the Australian National Ski Team, and his wife, Paula, Big Red has 78-square kilometres of exclusive terrain (more than double that of Whistler-Blackcomb) that includes eight mountains and more than 400 ski runs. It's located at the base of Rossland's Red Mountain Resort, and most guests combine a few days of cat skiing with a resort ski holiday. With package prices from $350 a day and standby rates as low as $199 (compared with other remote cat-ski lodges which can cost up to $950 a day), Big Red is probably the most affordable and accessible place to try the sport.
Ski runs start above 2,000 metres in elevation, where trees are small, sparse and glazed white. Step out of the cat on a bluebird day, and take in views of the Selkirk Mountains to the east, the Monashees to the north and the glistening slopes beneath you. Follow your guide into the glades and feel like that dude in a ski-resort brochure as "face shots" - cool puffs of powder - blast up onto your cheeks on every turn. You'll quickly find your powder legs and discover something else: The combination of fat skis (rent a pair of Big Red's Rossignol S7s) and deep powder make this easier than edging down a groomed ski hill; your skis are platforms and the pace is slower and more forgiving. At the bottom, homemade cookies and sandwich wraps await in the cat, and 15 minutes later you get to do it all again.
WHO'S IT FOR?
Skiers and snowboarders who want to feel like they're in a ski-resort brochure.
bigredcatskiing.com; redresort.com; tourismrossland.com.
Special to The Globe and Mail