The latest news from the catskiing / snowcat industry. Where to ski, who has snow, whats happening. We also post reviews of the latest gear, skis, and some general interest stuff. Be sure to check for last minute deals to make your winter vacation the best.
Mike Douglas and Dane Tuder stop by Big Red Cats this season
The Salomon Freeski TV Season 5 trailer hit the web last week to much excitement. After watching this teaser we can see why. The had one heck of a season to shoot last year. One of the biggest, most consistent La Nina winters we have had and as with other ski vids set to release this Fall, more catskiing ops have been featured.
This time it is Big Red Cats in the spotlight on Salomon Freeski TV. Kieren and Paula from BRC called us the other day to fill us in on their visit from Mike Douglas and Dane Tuder this past March. Here is what they had to say:
"Mike Douglas and Dane Tuder and the guys came out filming with us in March 2011. These guys were really good. They brought with them a miniture helicopter - which needed 2 people to operate it. One person to fly it and the other person to operate the camera. This allowed them to get some amazing camera angles.
I was amazed how good these guys were. Going off jumps and hits that had never been skied before and doing some all sorts of tricks double backs - multiple spins - all into fresh powder with no takes. Pretty awesome."
As you will see in the teaser and the episodes to come, Big Red Cats new terrain is looking pretty sick and will be worth checking out this season. Kieren and the crew have been working hard on their summer glading and we are shopping for a remote control helicopter to get some of those sweet shots!
A behind the scenes look at a massive kicker build in the BC backcountry
Check out this behind the scenes teaser of Mike Riddle, Tom Wallisch, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Mark Carter and Dylan Hood building a massive kicker in the mountains surrounding Baldface Lodge. This is part of the Teton Gravity Research Almost Live series where they show bits and pieces of the making of their latest film One for the Road due out this Fall. We think it is pretty awesome to see more and more catskiing operations like Baldface Lodge getting the international attention they deserve.
Oh, and don't wory, it looks like this was shot in the spring so they weren't wasting any perfect BC powder!
Icebreaker raises the bar yet again with the all new RealFleece 260
So it is August and we are in the midst of a heatwave here in BC. What better time to have a box full of new merino wool goodies show up from Icebreaker Clothing! We decided that we would head to the mountains to see what we could find and test out the new product.
As expected, our enthusiasm far out-measured the abundance of snow as you can see by the greenery in the accompanying photos. None-the-less, Todd decided to practice trudging through creeks in the new Icebreaker GT200 zip. He seems seems to be the one to end up in them when we are on skis so the practise is good for him...
Next up was the new for this season Icebreaker RealFleece 260 Full Zip Top. Now this comes in hooded and non-hooded versions and is quite the sharp looking piece. It has refined, articulated stitching and fits amazingly. It is a little too warm out there in the BC backcountry to give you a full review of the latest offerings but when the snow starts to fall, be sure to check back for our point of view.
In the meantime, get down to your local Icebreaker Dealer and check out the new threads. Especially the RealFleece 260, the original release of RealFleece 320 sold out real fast last season.
Enjoy the rest of summer because winter is coming!
A more intimate experience with you and 5 of your friends
We all likely started skiing at the local resorts. That was good, for a while. Then the line-ups and crowds started to get to you so you starting looking for somethings else. Catskiing was your next step. The open powder runs, fresh tracks every run, no signs, no ski patrol, just you and 12 other guests. Well, maybe now skiing with 12 others is just too crowded. For that, Big Red Cats has the answer...
Small Group Catskiing is now available at BRC. They still will have their standard cats running groups of 12 but now will offer a cat that will take two smaller groups of 5-7 skiers at a time. Yes, the cat ride up will still be full, but once on the slope you will be skiing terrain in your own small group with your own guides. You will then meet up at a pre-arranged location and do it all over again.
So why small groups? Well, according to Kieren Gaul of Big Red Cats, expert guests will get to experience different terrain such as narrow chutes and drops with more personal attention from their guides. “Having smaller groups of expert skiers in the cats will allow small groups to move through the terrain more quickly” says Kieren. That means more vertical and more powder in a day than a larger group.
Who is this for? As mentioned above, this program is intended for expert skiers looking to ski harder, faster and search out more challenging terrain. According to Kieren, “The idea behind this is to offer our guests a more intimate experience. It is also great if you have 5 friends that are really close in ability and want to try some really cool lines.”
If this is making your ski legs tingle a day of small group catskiing can be yours for $425/person/day in the low season and $475/person/day in the high season.
For more details, contact Kieren or Paula at Big Red Cats today. Word is they are starting to book up...
If you end up booking a trip, be sure to let em know Catskiing.ca set ya!
Time to get your wool on with Icebreaker and start those quad building exercises
Icebreaker comes through with some great new additions to the Realfleece line, like the Sierra Hood shown at left. The entire 2011/12 winter line is not out yet, but we got a sneak peak at some of their new gear. They are expanding the Realfleece collection for Fall 2011 with three new 260 Realfleece outer layers for men that are lighter weight than their 320 Realfleece brethren, but equally soft and cozy. Some features like articulated raglan sleeves, zippered front hand pockets, and a zippered stash sleeve pocket make it a welcome addition to your ski clothing lineup. Available in hooded and non-hooded models to layer on a cold weather day, or wear around town and sport your awesome New Zealand Merino presence.
Men's models only you say? No. Icebreaker delivers awesome lines of products for the ladies as well. Everything from base layers to jackets to keep Ewe warm this coming catskiing season.
Stay tuned to Catskiing.ca for updates and specials as we rev up for fall 2011.
Which means tomorrow we begin the descent into WINTER!
Some people think we are sick. Not because of all the powder skiing we do while they are working, but because it is the first day of summer and all we can talk about is our next powder adventure. That's right, it is getting hotter and all we can think about is predicting when the season will start this winter. In fact, the Catskiing.ca crew were all together on the weekend having a BBQ with our families and it only took half of a beers worth of conversation before we decended into talking about our catskiing adventures for the upcoming season.
So I am sitting here in the sunshine having a coffee and the image that keeps popping in my mind is the one above from one of our epic days in the BC mountains last season. This particular image was taken by our resident photographer Geoff Holman on a run that Jason and Leila led us down at Selkirk Wilderness Skiing. The instructions at the top were to ski this one from top to bottom, so that is what we did!
Here's to summer and to the days getting shorter as we slide into winter!
Warren Miller's 62nd film . . .We are pretty sure there is some BC pow in there!
Warren Miller Entertainment released the trailer to their latest film today and it looks like they are stepping it up a bit for next season. It is hard not too with the amount of powder that blessed us this winter. Especially here in BC where we set some records in some areas! This is the 62nd film from WME and I have to say, we are looking forward to this one. In past year's films from MSP and TGR have over-shadowed the classic interpretations from good ol' Warren and his band of merry skiers. Check this trailer out and leave us your view in the comments. Enjoy!
On what has developed to become one of the best snow seasons in recent history – Tanner Hall and Co. will take you on a ride of pure powder bliss. Retallack Lodge has cultivated a unique ski culture — rich in history, salt-of-the-earth characters, and laid back vibe. Retallack’s legendary terrain features a wide variety of aspects, elevation, fall-line pitch, and pristine backdrops — allowing the production crew and cast to demonstrate what skiing means to them. Featuring huge backcountry jumps, seemingly endless pillow lines, mind blowing deep powder, epic tree skiing, and unique new highlights yet to be seen in the backcountry. Follow Tanner after his two year recovery, taking his skiing into a new realm with a comeback segment that won’t be forgotten. The Retallack Movie will feature visually stimulating scenery, history, culture, soul, and flawless skiing action and conditions.
Directed By: fxq7gh Finbow / co-created by Ian Provo, Neil Provo and Tanner Hall Edited By: fxq7gh Finbow
