Christmas came early for us skiers and boarders in BC
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best pow lines in the New Year! The 2016 season is shaping up to be one for the record books. If you have a trip planned, have an incredible time...if not, make it a New Year's Resolution and get after it!
Save big on deep powder skiing before Christmas. Just $299 (around $215 USD) for standby seats. Photo was taken this week! and snow continues to fall in the Kootenays.
Check out BIG RED CATS.
Powder, powder and more powder!
This little video is from today, December 18th, 2015 up at Powder Mountain Catskiing near Whistler. The coastal mountains have been having an epic early season!
Are you around the Vancouver/Whistler area for Christmas? Seems only right for you to scoot up to Powder Mountain and go get some of these goods!
Conditions are exceptional and more snow is on its way this weekend.
We just got back from two days of epic powder skiing at Big Red Cats near Rossland BC. The conditions are exceptional with a storm forecast for Friday. There is a tonne of snow up in their tenure, great stability and tonnes of terrain open. If you are aching for some early season powder, Big Red Cats has the cure! They are up and running and have room from now through Christmas.
Treat yourself to an early Christmas present and call BRC and book a seat.
Select dates: Dec 31st, January 1st and/or 2nd
Book 4 or more seats at Valhalla Powdercats for these select dates and save 10%!
Select dates: December 31st, January 1st or January 2nd
With the Canadian Dollar at an 11 year low this is a perfect deal for our American friends. Valhalla is only a 2 hour drive from the Spokane Airport!
The powder is stacking up nice and deep making for an epic early season so act fast before these seats are booked!
A view from above at K3 Catskiing
Here is a shot of lone snowboarder Tyler cruising down a natural open glade. This run was near the end of the day on November 26th. We were up checking out how the pre-season snow was stacking up. As you can see from the above video, it doesn't look like early-season up at K3 Catskiing.
After Tyler, who happens to be a tail guide at K3, was finished shredding this line, he had the biggest grin on his face. A look that said, "I made the right decision to come work here this season!"
We love the perspective of drone video and will be trying new set-ups throughout the season.
Enjoy.
The snow is piling up and the sun is shining in the BC Interior
This week we had the chance to go out and do an early season snow check with the crew at K3 Catskiing. Although the opening is weeks away, they are off to a great start and coverage is looking amazing with over 150 cm of snow up at 2000 metres. Having this kind of snow on November 26 makes us excited to see how the rest of the winter stacks up.
We drove in with a cloudy haze hanging overhead and our hopes for a sunny day were dashed. But just as we climbed up to the cat staging area, we broke through the valley cloud and into the sun.
On a ridge near the top you can see all the way from Sun Peaks (Tod Mountain, Kamloops) in the West, to the back of Mt. Begbie (Revelstoke) to the east.
The terrain at K3 Catskiing is an impressive looking mix of peaks, open bowls, meadows and steep trees. Each run seems to offer up something new so whenever you step out of the cat it is like unwrapping a present everytime! The team at K3 really know how to read a group and make sure that the runs are taylored to the style of the group. This is probably why they have returning guests coming back year after year.
Talking with K3 Owner/Operator David Moore, he says low valley cloud is a common occurrence in the that area over the winter. The lake effect cloud hangs in over the Shuswap valley, and you still get some great sunny days up top.
So it is November right? You wouldn't think so. We have a theory about this early season snow. Operators in BC had a tough go last season. They slogged it out in the warm temps and thin snow. They did their best to show their clients the best of what their terrain had to offer despite the challenging conditions. We think that this epic early season snow is a bit of payback from ol Mother Nature for sticking with it last season.
At the end of the day we got to ski down into the sunset. The lighting was stunning and we sqeezed out every last flake of powder we could. There is nothing like a day above the clouds skiing in fresh early-season powder with your friends and excellent hosts.
Want a big pow filled smile like this guy? K3 Catskiing has some great spots still open in December and January, give them a call and book one in before it's gone.
Check out: www.k3catski.com
The New Icebreaker MerinoLoft Stratus Jacket
I have had it with summer, and I'm so ready for the cold weather to start. And just in time, as my patience wears thin, the ski hills around British Columbia are starting the process of opening. That means one thing...that catskiing is just around the corner! As I sit here at the computer, constantly checking the forecast and willing it to snow, I see the temps drop day by day. If there is one thing that will get you thinking about warm clothes, it’s that first blast of winter and being outside wearing something suited more for your fall adventures.
Fleece and shell layers are great, but nothing compares to a good puffy jacket when it comes to all out warmth. But, if you get caught out in any weather you may end up cold and smelling like a wet goose. Stink and loss of performance when wet are just a couple things that make you consider the conditions when using your puffy coat. New from Icebreaker over the past couple seasons is MerinoLOFT, bringing the goodness and multipurpose of merino wool to the insulated loft jacket world.
The MerinoLOFT Stratus Jacket is made with a re-purposed highly insulating wool loft for extra warmth when you need it. A recycled polyester exterior sheds the snow flakes, and a merino lining maximizes the good feeling and minimizes the stink. That is always a big plus for the sweaty types like us that don’t want to a smell like we just joined a non-showering hippie revolution. Throw in some cool features like internal wrist gussets and a shaped hooded for when the cold and snow pushes in, and you’re all set.
Check out the full line of new Icebreaker MerinoLOFT products for yourself and then get out on the snow!
Checking the Powder Levels at K3 Catskiing
A little pre-sesaon powder check up at K3 Catskiing. Things are looking great with 150cms of cold Monashee pow at 1940 metres. 62cms of that fell in 2 days! Can't wait.
Oh, and here is a pic of the cats lying in wait...
