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.
We just got back from Selkirk Wilderness Skiing and the three most epic days of powder catskiing we have experienced. It was a trip we will be talking about for years to come. Everything seemed to come together just perfectly: the snow started Sunday afternoon bringing 30cms of fresh fluff, the sun poked out each morning, the crew we skied with were an incredible amount of fun, and the food and beverages topped off the trip just right!
We want to thank our guides Jason, Lydia and Todd and the rest of the staff at SWS for an unforgettable time. They make the experience at Selkirk one that makes you want to keep coming back year after year.
Below are a few shots from our trip. They are of us and the other guests enjoying the latest powder offering from the dry Selkirk weather systems. Stay tuned for more photos, videos and articles chronicling our epic trip to SWS. > Click here for the Guest Photos <.
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on Thursday, 10 February 2011.
Posted in Powder Skiing
Thumbing through the pages of a buyer's guide for the 2010/2011 ski season and one thing is quite obvious: there seems to be a plethora of new ski companies designing the latest and greatest new skis. We love this new movement in the ski industry where small manufacturers are developing new shapes, using interesting materials and building a story into every ski. Ski Logik is one of the many new kids on the block and by our accounts, have the product to stay around for a while.
On a recent trip to Wildhorse Catskiing and Valhalla PowderCats, Dave Ellison (local Kootenay skier and Ski Logik rep) slid us a couple of sets of skis to try. Armed with a pair ofHowitzers and Dave personal set of Bomb Squads we hit the cat aiming at discovering what makes these skis special.
First things first, these skis are beautiful! Ski Logik hand-makes each pair of skis putting a little sweat and custom artwork in each pair. They don't have a traditional screened top sheet either. Instead, the have a unique wood veneer artwork placed on top of the full wood construction (sidewalls included!). I didn't want to scratch these babies, I just wanted to sit and stare at them. The style reminded me of my custom cedar guitar with darker wood inlays and mother of pearl up the fret board. Seriously, they are on to something with the look of these skis.
But looks can only get you so far...The real question always is: What do they ski like?
Let's start with the Howitzer. First impressions where light, quick, nimble, yet with tremendous powder to the edge. For skiing the steeps and deeps all day long there are wider options out there, but the Howitzer would be hard to catch on the skin up. (Plus, you would look damn good waiting at the top with your hot looking skis!). The Howitzer really felt like an all mountain machine. A one ski quiver if you will. It definitely held it's own in the powder and also had characteristics that would make it a wicked touring ski as well as an all round ripper at the ski resort.
Now, the Bomb Squad is a different story. This ski lives up to it's name. It is bomber tough. Skiing through the trees they begged me to go faster. Upon coming into an open powder field I had to let these babies run. And run they did. I spent the entire day trying to find the top end of the Bomb Squads and never found it. You can bet I want more days on a pair! Even though the Bomb Squad is a bigger profile it didn't feel big and cumbersome. It still had a hint of the nimbleness of it's younger sibling which I think separates it from alot of the other independent skis out there.
The hard facts:
The Howitzer
Size: 186 cm Tip: 137 mm | Waist: 110 mm | Tail: 131 mm Weight: 3900 g
The Bomb Squad
Size: 188 cm Tip: 148 mm | Waist: 122 mm | Tail:143 mm Weight: 4300 g
Would we ski em?
Heck yes! The Bomb Squad was the overall favorite for the powder hound and definitely the ski of choice if you are packing some muscle. The Howitzer suprised us and would be the perfect ski if you do some skinning or just want a super nimble and light set up. The wood construction is very tough and looks fantastic. Dave had about 40 days on his already and they looked almost new. It feels kind of cool skiing on a piece of art!
A short clip from Big Red Cats on December 30th 2010
There is a lot of talk about how awesome the powder conditions are out there, especially in the Kootenays. This guest-shot 7 second video clip will be enough to make you want to call in sick and then call Big Red Cats. Word on the street is they have some seats avalible over the next few days...
$260/day or $199/day for multi-day:
Jan 5th: 5 seats | Expert Cat Jan 6th: 2 seats | Advanced/Expert Cat Jan 7th: 4 seats | Advanced/Expert Cat Jan 7th: 2 seats | Expert Cat
The crew from catskiing.ca will be out in the Kootenays this week visiting Wildhorse catskiing, and Valhalla Powdercats. Stay tuned for the latest updates, pictures, and videos. Early season is drawing to a close in the next couple weeks, so check out our catskiing directory for all the places you can go for a last minute getaway.
on Monday, 27 December 2010.
Posted in Powder Skiing
Selkirk Wilderness and White Grizzly show off their hometown
Selkirk Wilderness Skiing and White Grizzly Catskiing were recently featured in Westworld Magazine. The article was written by Mitchell Scott, with Photography by Dave Heath. Westworld is a publication of the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) and it's a great source for travel tips, once-in-a-lifetime adventures, day trips, and more things to do in British Columbia. This feature article focused on the town of Meadow Creek, which is the home of these two catskiing operations. Also, as you may or may not know, Meadow Creek is the birthplace of catskiing. This took place nearly 40 years ago with catskiing pioneer Allan Drury. Read the article online here (page 32), and find out why Meadow Creek is a tucked away town that you may want to see this winter.
on Tuesday, 21 December 2010.
Posted in Powder Skiing
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on Thursday, 16 December 2010.
Posted in Powder Skiing
The cats are running and the 2010/11 season is off to a snowy start. Catskiing.ca kicks off it's season tomorrow with a trip to K3 Catskiing in Revelstoke. We have heard updates from a few operations, and we're glad to hear what this season is serving up already.