# Best Snow Cat Area/opertation ??



## WhiteLightning (Apr 21, 2004)

Think about Silverton as an alternative to snowcat skiing. Also, I haven't been there, but I heard the snowcat skiing at Steamboat is really good and has some good steeps.


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## durangoskiier (Sep 23, 2004)

San Juan Snowcat is a great operation. The terrain is awsome and the guides are really flexible. They let us pick out a cliff and they drove up there and let us huck. We did 11 runs and they privide a nice lunch.

I think Silverton Mtn is the biggest rip off in the state. $125 for four runs and a shit load of attitude. 95% of everyone I talk to says the same. Even the ski patrol will tell you that they hear way more negative than positive. We started skiing at 11am and stopped at 2:30pm, I felt like I had my stereo stolen. The terrain is sic but the attitude and operation is a joke. Don't go unless you are a ready to kiss Brills ass. :roll:


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## WhiteLightning (Apr 21, 2004)

How much does a day of cat skiing run for San Juan?


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## Don (Oct 16, 2003)

*Snowcat*

I went to Monarch last season and it was great. I booked the entire Cat and brought along 11 friends. Worked out to be $100 per person. Awesome price. We skied 12-14 runs all different lengths and they based the level off our crew. We had the cat packed with and expert group, so it made for a great day. Lot's of fresh tracks with 14" of new china white the day before we showed up.

Monarch is great, we stayed in Salida the night before. And, that made for perfect stay.

Here's a list to check out for a complete list of options.

http://freeskier.com/freeskier/news.php?news_id=267


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## ENDOMADNESS (Jun 21, 2005)

*san juan*

The San Juan gig was actually the one our buddy was thinking about. Its $225 an individual or if you rent the whole cat i believe its $200 for 10 people. Thanks for the info!!!


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## durangoskiier (Sep 23, 2004)

$225!!! I paid $100 two years ago. Did it go up that much?


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## ENDOMADNESS (Jun 21, 2005)

yeah looks like $220 for high season (till end of march). Thanks for the insight, guess its between Monarch and San Juan. 
I need some mechanized steeps!!!!! Don, 14" of China White....now thats a party!! bet the skiing wasn't bad either.

http://www.sanjuanski.com/index.html

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## El Flaco (Nov 5, 2003)

Definitely check out the Blue Sky West / Steamboat Powdercats operation. The snow up there is super light and the terrain is fantastic. First-rate, although maybe a bit more expensive then some of the other folks around the state. Gets cheaper when you hire the whole cat....

Still, one of the best days skiing in my life:

http://steamboatpowdercats.com/images/Gallery/March1/

Very, very bottomless.....


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## Jaxxon (May 19, 2005)

Mt. Fun , Idaho Springs . Been three years in a row , Havn't had a bad trip yet . Decent vert , plenty of pow , and very cool guides . Reasonable price too . Around $175 .


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## Mut (Dec 2, 2004)

This is the link for El Diablo cat skking on Molas Pass outside Silverton. The terrain is mixed between open rollers, nice trees and desent steeps. 

The people who run this are very cool. They are kayaker/rafter folk who know how to treat customers and have a great time. I don't know the price but it is worth checking out. It is a couple thousand feet higher than san juan cat skiing so it holds snow better and the runs are longer. 

http://www.snowcat-powder.com/


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## riojedi (May 23, 2005)

Endo-

There are 2 San Juan outfits the one you're looking at in Durango and the other is in Creede.

http://www.sanjuansnowcat.com

These guy were way cool when I went a few years ago. Didn't even mind when we busted out the green wax.  Even hit the bar in Creede with them after the trip.

Don't know about the Durango tour.


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## vardaddy (Jun 14, 2004)

Go with one of the cat operations for sure. 
I second to comment on Silverton being a rip off. Felt the same way about the one trip I had there, sick terrain but felt like I got robbed for the ski time. 4 runs started late and finished early. I'm all for safety and making sure everyone is on the same page before skiing but they need to get a faster start and go later. 
I did about the same amount of vert the next day on red mountain pass with my skins.
Poach Silverton if you ever get the chance on one of their off days.


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## Phillips (Feb 19, 2004)

I've only done monarch. Our group got 23 runs in for 85 bucks a head back in 1997. At that point we shattered the runs record. Don't know if it still holds. Steamboat looks good, but we can you can get to all the sic terrain via a sled real easy. So if you want fresh, you should go rent a sled and backpocket your SM local buddy. I think you'd be bummed if you were in a cat up on SM and not a sled.

Mr. Baker, do you concurr?


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## JCKeck1 (Oct 28, 2003)

If you have a 5mtn pass you should check out the Keystone Adventure Tours kat. It's around $70 for the full day if you have a lift tix. Be looking for it to start running into the back side of independence (awesome vert) in late december/early jan.


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## ebaker (Oct 14, 2003)

Why yes Kent, I do....and by the way, where's my free nookie you powder monkey?


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## Phillips (Feb 19, 2004)

I got yer copy. . . there good buddy. Gimme your address and I'll shoot you one. Powda snow all day!!!!

K


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## El Flaco (Nov 5, 2003)

Phillips-

There's a big debate about sleds in the area that Steamboat Powdercats operates in (Buffalo Pass). The problem lies in the fact that the area would not be very accessible for sleds if the cat operation didn't spend the early season prepping the trails in for tours, and packing the snow down throughout the season. There's also a problem with sled groups not knowing how to take safety precautions in the backcountry, so they wind up following the guides down all the safer lines. It ends up taking away from the experience for the paying cat customer, and sometimes puts them in danger- the guides know that a certain side of a slope is safer, but the sled skiers don't know that and might set off a sketch line on everyone. 

The sled guides are worried that if too many folks start cutting up lines in that area, the operation will lose customers and not be able to sustain operations. They pay a substantial fee to the Forest Service to take customers back there, as well as preseason prep work, and they could wind up closing up if the area is overrun by sleds. Then, of course, the area wouldn't be that accessible to a lot of skiers because the relatively long drive in via cattrack wouldn't be there anymore (at 400" snow up there per year, taking a sled through deep powder for that far is pretty risky). 

I think the cat operation is not looking to shut the Buffalo Pass area off to sledders, but looking for a compromise to keep the groups separate and to maintain the uniqueness of the experience for the paying customer. They also have an interest in keeping the enterprise profitable and therefore keeping their jobs. I don't think it would be as big a big deal if the sledders didn't poach the cat groups' lines, but we had that problem when we were up there- a couple of dipshits without any safety gearhad basically dropped in on a manky slope directly above us, after following us around all day. The guides were pissed- they told the guys to go find there own lines, there's 100's of acres out there to choose from, and if they didn't have the skills to ski safely alone, they shouldn't be back there. That incident was not just unique to our group- the guides say they deal with that scenario almost every time they head out.

It's an interesting discussion, and I'm not saying that the sledders don't have a right to be back there. Sled owners pay taxes and it's public land, of course. But I think if someone decides to go up to Buffalo Pass to shuttle sleds, they should give the cat groups lots of space, dig your own pits and ski your own lines... and appreciate that clean cat track leading up to all the great skiing that's back there. Or, better yet, get an alpine start and ski in yourself- the cat guides will cheer you on.

Enjoy


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