Christmas Greetings from Chatter Creek

We have been asked by the good folks at Chatter Creek to extend to you their best wishes for a very merry Christmas. Your Chatter Editor joins Dale, Dan, Matt, Dave, Merle, Mike, Isabelle and Lori and everyone else at Chatter Creek in wishing their clients and friends a safe and happy Christmas Season and very happy New Year.

This past year has been an eventful one at Chatter Creek with many new clients having enjoyed great powder skiing, three new babies, and a new lodge to accommodate twelve more guests for 2005. The New Year promises to be another great year.

From the Chatter News and everyone at Chatter Creek..............

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The view of Megahoop and Jo-pal from the Clamshell. The road to Vertebrae glacier crosses the far slope. The glacier itself lies beyond the highest point on the horizon.

Powder skiing in Wonderland, on the way down from the Vertebrae glacier.

It won't be long before we are powder skiing on the mellow slopes of Vertebrae glacier. Chatter creek opens it's doors during the week after Christmas. At almost 10,000 ft, vertebrae glacier offers magnificent views of the Rocky Mountains and North America's continental divide. Look at our "Glacier Skiing at Chatter Creek" photo gallery for a sampling. At lower elevations, down to about 5000ft, Chatter offers huge alpine bowls and slopes, tree skiing, skiing in old burns and skiing in open cut blocks. There is endless variety.

Tour Opening Available

Powder Skiing Opportunity!

Your Chatter Editor has openings in his Chatter Creek tour starting Jan 28 and ending Feb 1. (a total of 4 days skiing). Anyone interested should contact us by email to: chatternews@hotmail.com

We have one cat set aside for "couples", so if you wanted to take your wife or girl friend to Chatter Creek, here's an great opportunity. Members should be at least strong intermediate skiers. Good company guaranteed!

Skiing the East Ridge at Chatter Creek. This is an area of old burns, living trees and open cut blocks. Click on the links for more shots from the East Ridge.

Photographer Dan Hudson catches rider David Pitachi carving the powder at Chatter Creek.

For more great ski pictures, check out our Ski Photography by Mark Gallup

The Road to Vertebrae Glacier is getting lots of snow. There are a number of improved, extended and new cat-roads this year, giving more access to great powder skiing.

Flight to Powder Skiing

Chatter Creek's Vertebrae Lodge is located about 95 km north of Golden. It is in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 5450 ft. Access is by helicopter from Golden Airport. There are two transfer days a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our "Flight to Chatter Creek" photo gallery offers a peek at this scenic flight.

Meeting time at the Golden Airport is roughly mid-afternoon on the transfer day. However departure time changes as the season advances and there are more daylight hours. The flights take in arriving clients and bring out departing clients. The flights must complete in daylight, so there can be no delay in the flight schedule.

Luggage space is very limited. Most clients wear their bulky ski clothes on the helicopter and pack only a few casual clothes for evening wear. Use a small soft-sided equipment bag that can be crammed into tight spaces. Don't forget your swim suit for the hot tub.

Chatter Update

Great news from Chatter Creek.

The high freezing level that hit many West Coast areas last weekend did not adversely affect Chatter Creek, which received nothing but fresh snow. There is now over two meters at the lodge elevation and about two weeks left before the start of operations. This is a good accumulation for this time of year.

The construction crew is still working long days finishing the new lodge and making upgrades to Vertebrae lodge. Carpeting is going down and the electrician and heating contractors are finishing up. The drywall in the guest bedrooms in Vertebrae lodge is receiving finishing touches and fresh paint. The bar and games room is being expanded and the drying room has been moved to the new lodge.

There's lot's going on!

Wes, from Mercer Island has sent us a couple more photos from his powder skiing tour last year at Chatter Creek. Here he is jumping around near the Clamshell. For other views in and around this area, look at the "Sking the Clamshell" photo gallery. It includes some photos of others with a craving for "air time". There are lots of alternative "lines" that keep your feet in the snow.

Wes has also sent along some photos of his mates performing various parlour tricks. Check out the Happy Campers at Chatter Creek photo gallery ............>>

Skiing the Cut Blocks at Chatter Creek. Just as many bumps and "features" as your legs can handle. Click on the link above to see more.

Passing over Kinbasket Lake and Bush Arm on our way home from powder skiing at Chatter Creek. The "Flight to Chatter Creek" photo gallery has more information and views from this scenic 20-minute trip.

It's almost that time again! The first day of a new tour and guide Don Steedman gives a safety talk and conducts transciever training before heading out for a day of powder skiing.

For the past few years, our group has included an ex-heli-guide and SAR leader who has lead us in refresher training every morning of our tour. You just can't be too good at this.

The view of Mt Columbia and the Snow Dome from Chatter Creek's Vertebrae glacier. The Snow Dome (on the horizon, at the center of the photo) is the hydrographic apex of north America. It's snowmelt flows into three oceans. The Snow Dome is also the source of the Columbia Icefield.

For views of the powder skiing on Vertebrae glacier, click this "Glacier Skiing" link. For other views of powder skiing at Chatter Creek, select from the links at the top of this page. Chatter Creek offers great powder skiing from December through mid- April. For booking information, refer to the Chatter Creek Web site.

Scroll down to see more photos of life and skiing at Chatter Creek

We're back after 10 days of hard work setting up safety systems, shovelling snow and other "course prep" for the first FIS World Cup downhill of the season held last Saturday at Lake Louise. Scroll down for more info or check out the Whistler Weasel Worker Web site.

November Cat Skiing Archive

End of the December cat Skiing posts.
Click here to see all of the November posts.
Click here to see the most recent posts.