Old Article, But Good Reading

I've just noticed this article by writer and film producer, Peter Chrzanowski. It dates from 2001 (sounds more like 2000) and a whole lot has changed since then. However, it's interesting reading.

Glacier Skiing at Chatter Creek

A favorite place to visit at Chatter Creek is Vertebrae glacier. Visit our Glacier Skiing at Chatter Creek Weblog to view the spectacular vistas from the glacier and the powder skiing that it offers.

At about 9600 ft elevation, the Vertebrae glacier is perhaps the highest and most extensive glacier in North America that is regularly accessed by snowcat skiers and snowboarders. The glacier skiing is mellow and the mountain scenery is amazing.

Thanks to photog Dan Hudson for this shot.

Cat Skiing in Chile

We've heard from Caimin Roycroft who is a guide at Ski Arpa at Los Andes near Santiago, Chile. It's the first cat skiing operation we've heard of in South America. Caimin is an ex-Kicking Horse Resort skier.

Ski Arpa is three years old and does not yet have accommodation at the ski hill, but something is planned for next year. The road to the area is "basic" and 4x4 is suggested, but not usually necessary. Most clients are Americans who take day-trips from Santiago. It looks as if this is basically a ski hill that uses snowcats for uphill transportation. The terrain size is over 4000 acres (16+ sq km). Weekdayday skiing is by reservation and weekends run on a first come, first serve basis. The company encourages the hiring of guides, but it does not seem to be mandatory. Caimin says there are guides with most groups and, when there is avalanche risk, they just don't operate. He says, "Being a coastal snowpack it is fairly dense and easier to predict".

Sounds like Caimin's working hard to promote the place and to build up the ski and guiding programs. Good luck!

Here's a Globe and Mail article about Ski Arpa.

Chatter Creek Announces Terrain Additions

It's Official - after months of waiting, Chatter Creek is now able to announce an increase of 108 sq km (42 square miles) to it's snowcat skiing tenure north of Golden BC, in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

This increase brings the total size of the cat skiing terrain to 238 sq km (92 sq mi.). The increase comes in two parts, the Lakeside Addition and the Spruce Pass Addition. The Lakeside Addition includes the huge Oyster Bowl that some lucky guests got to sample last year. It also includes the Game Creek drainage that has been shown in some of our Chatter News photos (West Side Terrain). We don't have any information yet on the Spruce Pass Addition, except that it lies north of Spruce Pass

How big is BIG? The Chatter Creek cat skiing tenure is now over seven times larger than Whistler/Blackcomb. It is twice the size of Whistler/Blackcomb, Heavenly, Vail, Squaw Valley, Mamouth and Lake Louise combined. At any one time, this enormous area is shared by just 36 guests and their six professional guides.

The Cat Skiing Terrain Web log provides a photo tour of this wonderland of powder skiing. Skiing at Chatter Creek occurs between the elevations of about 5000 ft and 9600 ft. Chatter Creek is in a productive snow belt and the alpine skiing is relatively high, yielding good quality snow that resists warm weather trends.

Please tell us at the Chatter News if you know of a snowcat skiing operation anywhere with more usable terrain. In five years of trips to Chatter Creek, your Chatter Editor and his friends have never "set ski" in any of the South Side terrain. Now we have twice the "new" area to explore.

The full news release can be found in this .PDF document or on our News Releases Weblog.

Powder Skiing near Lakeview

Cat roads and cat skiing tracks near Lakeview at Chatter Creek Snowcat Skiing. There's abundant powder skiing here. This is one of many bowls in the original Chatter Creek tenure. For a tour of the whole area, look at our Cat Skiing Terrain Weblog. Scroll down to view our recent postings to the Chatter News. View the Archives for earlier entries.

Lakeview lies inder the usual path of the helicopter flight between Golden and Vertebrae Lodge. This is one of first or last views guests have of Chatter Creek as they arrive or depart from Chatter. See the "Flight to Chatter Creek" for shots of Lakeview and MCO Pass from the helicopter.

The Chatter News has hundreds of ski photos by Chatter Creek clients and other contributors as well as ski photography by professional photographers, Dan Hudson, Mark Gallup and John Dougall.

Where is Chatter Creek?

Our brand new ski Weblog, Where is Chatter Creek provides maps and satellite imagery showing the location of Chatter Creek in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Click the link above to view more 3-D satellite images from "Google Earth".

What's Cat Skiing?

What is Cat Skiing? Find out if cat skiing is for you and just how much great powder skiing you can get in a day. Do you need backcountry experience or special equipment? Are you good enough? The Cat Skiing Articles weblog tells all about backcountry powder skiing from snowcats.

Cat skiing terrain at Chatter Creek

South Side and West Side ski terrain at Chatter Creek. The top of Oh my Gord in SX3 is visible beyond MCO Pass, at the far left of the photo. MCO slopes down to the right from the pass to the trees in the center left. Beyond the MCO trees are the draws containing RUZM (Right up ze middle) and Elbow Drive. Beyond Elbow Drive, South Park is partially visible sloping down from the highest point at the left of the photo. Lakeview is visible in the background, beyond the foot of South Park. To the right of this collage, a cat road climbs in the shadow through the Clamshell to the Pearl and Oyster Bowl in the new Lakeside Addition. To the right of the Clamshell, the Plank and Forbidden Fruit drop into Fruit Loops, which is accessed from Oyster Bowl, beyond the ridge. This terrain lies in the Kitchen Range of the Rocky Mountains.

At any one time, only 36 guests and 6 guides share the Chatter Creek cat skiing terrain, of which, this photo shows perhaps 20%. Chatter Creek offers boundless powder skiing!

Click on the image to view the names of ski runs. Make your viewing window as wide as possible. Use the browser's "Back" button to return to the Chatter News. For photos and information on all of the Chatter Creek ski terrain, look at our Cat Skiing Terrain photo gallery.