Guests team up in pairs in the trees and the guide keeps a watchful eye. No one gets separated. When a guest ?augers in?, his partner or the tail guide or someone else is close at hand to assist.

The speed of the group depends on it?s ability. A group of good skiers may ski non-stop to the bottom; perhaps 1800 or 2000 ft. of pure joy, with lots of ?whoops? and hollers?. Slower groups will stop more often to rest, share experiences, take pictures and ?smell the roses?.

Guides are very responsive to the needs of the group. The guests set the pace. There is no pressure to maximize equipment usage. Each group has a dedicated snowcat that moves at the pleasure of the group. Guides are expert at providing for different skiers in their group. Stronger skiers may enjoy some ?steeps?, ?drop-offs? or other challenges, while others are guided down more ?mellow? lines.

By the end of the day, everyone is tired out. Guests who tire early can ?sit out? a run and keep the driver company on the way back down the hill. If a guest wants to quit for the day, a staff member will shuttle them back to the lodge on a snowmobile. It?s all very relaxed and very friendly.

Packed lunches are eaten in the snowcats, as guests feel hungry. It?s possible to browse all day on a selection of sandwiches, wraps, cakes, cookies, buns and drinks. ?Hip flasks? are definitely NOT welcome. Guides are extremely safety conscious and they want guests to be alert and functioning well at all times.

At 4:00pm, guests are welcomed back at the lodge with special snacks or hot soup. Guests then have over two hours to relax, shower, read, play pool, soak in the hot tub or hold up the bar. Other diversions are possible. Guests might have the opportunity to try out a snowmobile for the first time, to learn how these machines are driven, and to do some exploring.

Dinner is served at about 7:00pm and is of very high quality. Most operators provide gourmet cuisine with extensive wine lists and will carefully cater to guests with allergies and special needs. No one ?dresses? for dinner. It?s a relaxed, laid-back and friendly affair. Staff mingles with guests and share tales of the day?s conquests. Amusing speeches and special ?award? ceremonies are common. Everyone gets to know one another. There are no ?loners?.

After dinner, guests disperse to read, watch a video or to congregate in the bar or games room for some friendly darts or pool. At about 9:30 PM guests start to depart for their beds. The bar usually shuts down by 10:30 PM. Everyone is tired and looking forward to the next day!

Some photos of cat skiers at play can be found by following the links located at the bottom of the Chatter Creek Cat Skiing photos Web page at: www.backcountrywintervacations.com/snowboarding-pictures.html

About The Author

Lockie Brown lives in Vancouver, Canada and skis on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. He also organizes cat skiing trips for groups of friends to Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges, located about 120 km north of Golden, BC, in a snow belt in the Canadian Rockies. Chatter Creek has an informative Web site at http://backcountrywintervacations.com/
lockiebrown@hotmail.com