Some call them the good ol'days. Why not make right now the good ol'days?! With all the late season snow out there in the BC backcountry, wouldn't it be great to have a few relaxing laps in a snow cat to enjoy the transition from winter to summer? At least the chance to hang on to the snow season just a little bit longer?

We know, there are snow stability issues and safety comes first. And that most people have been golfing for months and are out on their bikes and getting their boats ready. But come one, doesn't this photo make you yearn for some overtime in the BC catskiing country?

(Photo: Timberline Lodge - Oregon)

We haven't had the opportunity to visit BC's newest and most northerly catskiing operation - Skeena Catskiing - yet. However, a recent we received the report below from a very pleased guest on this, the anagural year at Skeena Cat Skiing:

"I skied two days with Skeena Catskiing this winter and it was fantastic. The terrain was great.  Great guide also ad I've never seen anyone drive a cat like Jevon.  I have not a single complaint and all the locals who skied with Skeena have nothing but positive things to say.  Deep snow, nice fall lines and we laughed our asses off to boot.  Check them out."

 - Eric Dufresne

Thanks for the report Eric! We hope to enjoy some of the northern powder, mountains and hospitality soon.

Here are some photos that Eric sent along from his 2 day trip to Skeena Catskiing:

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Skeena Catskiing is located in Northern BC near a little town called New Hazelton. You can get there by way of a few airlines that have daily flights to the nearest airport in Smithers. For more details on travelling to BC's great white north and Skeena Catskiign, CLICK HERE >>>

My birthday is on the 24th of March.  I often get some spring skiing in as part of the festivities. With spring skiing you expect sunshine and corn snow.  Good times for sure, but not the powder stoke.  This year British Columbia has been blessed with a lot of snow in March ( 2+ meters in some areas ), and not too many sunny days ( Don't want to ruin all that lovely snow). 

We lucked out my birthday with a special treat of tasty powder and some beautiful sunshine.   The Guides got wind of it being my birthday and lined up something special for us...  The Birthday Chutes!  A rocky corridor of fun that spits you out into a pristine bowl with some great natural hits too boot!  

We have always been impressed with the quality and variety of the terrain at Valhalla.  On our previous trips to Valhalla we had always visited early in the season.  This later trip gave us an opportunity to see more of there terrain.   Let me tell you... It just gets better and better.

A big thank you Josh, Nesbo, Clark, and the rest of the Valhalla crew for making our trip and my birthday Epic!

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Sometimes things come together just right. Selkirk Wilderness had us out this year in late March. The 19th and 20th to be exact. Usually we would expect spring-like conditions. Warmer temperatures and sunny skies are things that come to mind when thinking about skiing in the later half of March. But not this season. No, the mood swings of La Nina had something different in store for us on our visit to SWS.

We arrived on Sunday night after a warm and dry drive through the valley towards Meadow Creek BC, the home of SWS. Even in places like Revelstoke the melt was on. We were feeling a little discouraged when the road was all mud as we approached the meeting spot. There wasn't even any snow there. But what boggled our minds was that all the BC weather reports have been saying nothing but crazy snow storms, 100 + centimetres at a time... These are the reports that make a skier start to froth at the mouth!

As we started to ascend up the Selkirk Wilderness access road the snowpack started to deepen. And then the brown landscape of the valley became a distant memory in mere minutes. We rolled up to the SWS lodge and found ourselves in a winter wonderland. Cold air, deep snow and a feeling that good things we coming over the next two days. Guests who have skied at Selkirk Wilderness for decades commented that they had never seen the snowpack so deep at the lodge before. More frothing...

Day One – We wake up and it is dark and low cloud. Spirits were high though, the snow was deep and that is what we were there for. After a hearty breakfast prepared by Melissa and her crew it was outside for a safety briefing and beacon training. Then we were off. The first cat ride up is a little longer so we can get up to Meadow Mountain. Half way up we started to see a few breaks in the clouds and then pow, we were in sunshine. Yup, 100cms in a week or so and then we get sunshine. The skiing was fantastic and we got to soak in some of the view points from Meadow Mountain and the surrounding ridges.

We were able to ski somewhere in the neighbourhood or 10 or 11 runs that day. Our guides Jeff and Rob took us to varied terrain including open faces, tree runs, gullies and more. Each run offering a different personality and terrain features that kept all skill levels in our group satisfied. These guides really know there terrain and can assess a group early on in the day which makes the experience at Selkirk Wilderness all the better.

We ended up back at the lodge a happy bunch. We chilled on the deck with the group from the other cat as well as a film crew from Sherpas Cinemas. There is nothing like hanging out with people you just met talking about skiing powder and sharing a few beers. It is one of the things we really love about the SWS experience.

Day Two – We wake up and it is starting to snow. And  snow it did. At times it fell as if the clouds were falling down on us. Puking BC powder and we loved every minute of it! Jeff and Rob were itching to get out in the morning so they wrangled our crew together and got us out the door first. There was a method to there madness as they took us up to an area called Lightning Ridge. Our first run was Cadillac. It hadn't been skied in almost 3 weeks and I don't think the guides could have guessed how sweet it would be. After one run everyone was trying to put it into words. I am just glad that our guides knew what they had stumbled upon because they kept us there all day. We sessioned Lighting Ridge from one end to the next. As one of our guides put it, “ We are going to keep doing this till we get it right!” Well, they got it right and made Tuesday March 20th 2012 one of the best days we have had on skis.

So as I said, sometimes things come together just right. Our entire crew was able to work this trip into their schedules, we arrived after the biggest storm cycle of the season, we got sunshine on day one and we got serious powder on the second day. Put that together with the hospitality of the people at the SWS lodge and the new friends we met and you have a recipe for a story to tell over and over again any chance we get.

We hope you enjoy the photos below that we got on this season's trip to Selkirk Wilderness. We definitely recommend booking a trip with this outfit. They treat you like family and show you what skiing powder and enjoying the mountains is all about.

Thanks SWS.

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We just got back from a two day adventure to Selkirk Wilderness Skiing in Meadow Creek BC and it all seems like a dream. Day 1 was amazing, full of powder, sunshine and a mixed bag of snow, cloud and...did we say powder? We went to bed expecting more of the same the next day but to our surprise it has snowed even more!

Our guides Jeff and Rob had us organized and out the door early so we could get to a place that hadn't been skied in almost three weeks: Lightning Ridge. (Remember, it has been storming in the BC interior all March) Our first run down Cadillac off the ridge was mind blowing. The snow was light and thigh deep. Since it was so good, Jeff insisted on another lap...and then another and then we just decided to session the whole ridge for the rest of the day!

Definitely one of our best days in the backcountry. We will have many more shots to show you over the next few days, but for now these will have to do...

Oh, and there may be a few spots left from now until the end of next week. Get it while the getting is good!

Call 1-800-799-3499 to fullfill your powder dreams.  Make sure to tell them Catskiing.ca sent you.

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It's the end of our first day here at Selkirk Wilderness Skiing in the interior of BC and the day brought us a bit of everything. We arrived here at the tail end of a BC storm cycle that brought somewhere in the neighbourhood of 100cms in the last week. Add that to the in and out sun all day and you could say it was rather epic.

If you are a valley dweller, you may be seeing rain, warm temperatures and a few flowers popping up here and there. You would never know that there is a crazy amount of snow up in these hills...with more on the way.

We are now sitting in the lodge resting after another great hand prepared meal by Melissa and the SWS staff about to enjoy a few apres ski beverage and prepare for what tomorrow brings us!

Here are a few pics of today with many more to follow.  

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As I sit here and write this post, it is currently sunny outside my office window. However, there is white stuff all over the hills. It is a sign of the snow storm activity that is hitting British Columbia right now. My phone has been buzzing all morning with reports from Whistler adding up to 75cms in the last few days, my old hill Manning Park Resort stacking up 48cms in 48 hours. But if you look at the image above you will see where the crux of the precipitation is right now. It's the Kootenays.

In particular the snow is dumping on the Selkirk and the Purcell mountain ranges. Reports from Big Red Cats say 'Out of the Office, will return calls tomorrow'. Stellar Heliskiing reports another 20cms on the 80-something they got last week. Selkirk Wilderness Skiing is reporting tonnes of March snow with more pounding down right now!

And that is what gets up particularly excited. The report from SWS makes up jump up and down in our office chairs because we are headed their this Sunday for a little 2-day adventure. We went their last year and were blown away at the foot of snow that dropped the day before we got there and now this storm looks like it is hitting just right!

We will let you know how it is :)

Oh, and if you are interested in checking this powder out for yourself, SWS has a 3-Day intro package on for the end of March. Save 20%! Click here for more details.

Never tried catskiing or boarding, but have always been curious? Or perhaps your spouse or friend has always wanted to join you catskiing but needed some extra instruction? Then Selkirk Wilderness Skiing got the answer for you! The SWS Intro to Catskiing and Boarding vacation package is now 20% Off for either March 25 – 28 or March 28 – 31, 2012 if you book after March 11th.

This unique 3-day, 3-night package is designed specifically for those new to powder skiing or snowboarding, or for those who want to learn for the first time. Certified CSIA instructors will provide you instruction on powder skiing/boarding techniques including how to enjoy tree skiing, how to fall and get up and how to pick your line down a mountain. Guests will stay at the luxurious Selkirk Wilderness Mountain lodge situated at 1280m (4200ft) that offers panoramic views of the Selkirk and Purcell Mountains and all the comforts of home. Plus, this package wouldn’t be complete without our legendary cuisine - hearty breakfasts, scrumptious lunches and mouth-watering dinners each day.

Book after March 11th to receive this last minute deal! Call 1-800-799-3499 or visit www.selkirkwilderness.com for more info.

We are between catskiing trips here at catskiing.ca and we were looking for a way to have some fun.   We had scouted this cut block earlier in year and were waiting for an opportunity to try it out.  Then came along a great excuse, Adam's birthday.  Check out the results of Redneck Cat skiing below. *Remember that heading out into the back country presents different hazards than resort skiing.  Please make sure that you have the proper gear and experience using it.