 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone tried this?. It seems to be all the rage in Canada. You just hitch a ride on a big snowcat and up the mountain you go. Good for getting away from the skied-out piste and unlike heli-skiing these machines will operate whatever the weather conditions in the back country.
This story is from Michigen, where there are, let'e just say, some undulating hills presumably surrounding Lake Superior.
Link - here
Any stories relating to snowcat skiing experiences?.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hibernia, Haven't tried but I believe you are correct that they have the edge in bad weather over helos but obviously the uplift is slower. Also, I understand that they require slightly different topography.
Interested in giving them a shot sometime...as an alternative to heli-ing it.
I also believe the cost difference to be less than you'd imagine as the heli operators have nothing better to do in the winter whereas snow cats do...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Plenty of catski operations in BC Canada. Island Lake Lodge near Fernie is probably the most well known but there are plenty of places do day trips too. Other places I can think of off the top of my head:Powder Cowboy, Valhalla Powder Cats, Revelstoke Cat Powder, Baldface. No personal experience of any of those though I have skiied with folk who guided at ILL. Check the terrain carefully before you commit as some reports I heard indicate that sometimes day trips are aimed at powder virgins with pretty tame terrain.
In the US quite a few resorts seem to run add-on cat uplift at the edge of their ski area which is reasonably affordable.
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I have partaken of this in Fernie (not the Island Lodge outfit, Fernie Wilderness Adventures I think it was called). The snowcats used had cabins fitted, so it wasn't a case of "hitching a ride" on a normal pistebasher. An excellent day's powder skiing, combination of trees and open runs, and a great big bowl of hot chilli waiting for us when we returned to base.
Not steep enough for the likes of fatbob though I guess.
I'll see if I can find some pics.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Yoda,
I fancy the cabin version otherwise any decent vertical is going to be a hard drag in terms of height, I imagine... 
As an alternative with the price in mind it seems ok but there is no substitute for a heli at 4200m..!!!
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| Yoda wrote: |
Not steep enough for the likes of fatbob though I guess.
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Powder's always good. Some video footage I'd seen of people who went with FWA seemed to indicate that the terrain was no where near as steep as a lot of inbound stuff a Fernie. Island Lake is a whole different matter - you can see theirterrain adjacent to Fish Bowl.
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Does a Kassboher shuttle up the heather expanse of Meall Odhar to get to Coire Fionn at Glenshee count? 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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here's an article on this in today's sunday times
At £40 a pop it's great value!.
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hibernia, It seemed a bit stupid to me. If there was powder all over the place during the morning, why pay extra for the CAT ?
Leave that until the available stuff got tracked would be my approach - but then journalists are probably on a freebie anyway.
I think part of Snowbasin or Powder Mountain in Utah(can't remember which) is only available by CAT.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Latchigo, Do not disagree with you there, it's when there is no readily available powder that these things come into their own. Also, they go off the beaten track, takes a bit longer than a heli-trip though. Have not yet done it personally but it sounds a bit of an adventure!. And in the areas where this operates there are acres and acres of untracked powder bowls waiting for first track!.
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