San Juan Ski Co
San Juan Ski Company Snowcat Skiing, Colorado
If you’ve had enough of skiing groomed runs and Volkswagen-sized bumps at
Durango Mountain Resort and need to get out in the backcountry amongst fresh powder, it’s time to go
cat skiing!
San Juan Ski Company provides great cat skiing trips and an opportunity to ski or board pristine powder – the stuff powderhound dreams are made of. Cat skiing is a great way to fuel your appetite for skiing powder. The only problem is that your craving for fresh lines will increase the more you go cat skiing. Eventually you’ll never want to go back to resort skiing ever again!
Where is San Juan Cat Ski Located?
The snowcat skiing operation is based at
Durango Mountain Resort (DMR), formerly known as Purgatory ski resort, in the West San Juan Mountains. San Juan Ski Company is 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of the town of Durango in southwest Colorado. This corner of the state has been dubbed as the “powderhounds corner of Colorado”. If Canada can have a powder highway, then SW Colorado is definitely worthy of being the powderhounds corner! Also in this region is the infamous
Silverton Mountain, only 30 minutes away from San Juan Ski Co.
Wolf Creek, a great powder resort, is also not far away.
Snowcat Ski and Cat Board Packages
Day Cat Skiing -
for strong intermediate to advanced riders
San Juan provide single day cat ski packages, which affords great flexibility to combine cat skiing with some resort skiing. This suits the budget conscious, and with some very inexpensive lodgings in the area, your ski trip will definitely be very easy on the hip pocket. Of course, once you go cat skiing for one day, you’ll be hooked and want to go again. That’s what credit cards are for!
Day packages includes the guided skiing and riding, beverages, and avalanche safety gear.
Family Snowcat -
adults & accompanied children
This is one of the only cat ski companies we know of that provide a special family deal. Kids up to the age of 16 get to come too for just $100 (1 per full paying adult). There must be a minimum of 4 full paying adults plus 4 kids for this tour to operate.
Snowcat Charter -
for your personal group
If you have a group of up to 12, why not hire the entire snowcat and tailor the day to your group's abilities and speed (and with 12 guests, you save over 15%!).
Backcountry Day Tours - for strong intermediate to advanced skiers
Earning your turns has never been so rewarding. Access terrain where the snowcat can't reach using snowmobles and skinning. SJSC provide AT skies, skins & avo safety gear. You just need boots (which can be hired), your own backpack and lunch. At a guide ratio of 1:4 and the minimum of 2 guests.
Steeps Clinics -
for advanced & expert riders
This is perfect for skiers & snowboarders wanting to ride steep alpine terrain, huck cliffs and perfect their big mountain skiing/snowboarding techniques. Using a combination of snowcat, snowmobiles and your legs, you will access steep chutes openning into powder bowls above where the normal cat skiing operation goes. If conditions in the alpine are too dangerous, you will ski steep trees with cliff drops. Hikes are generally less than 15 mins. Avo gear and safety briefing are provided. The best time for this tour is in March/April when the snowpack is most stable. Minimum of 4 guests per tour.
Learn to Ski Powder -
for strong intermediate riders
Ideal for skiers & boarders who may have little of no experience skiing deep powder and/or tree skiing. This tour is not about maximising verticle but learning at your own pace. A qualified ski & snowboard instructor will be on-hand to help you develope your skills. The cost of the instructor and powder ski hire is included.
Cat Skiing Terrain
San Juan Ski Company has a vast area in which to play. You can expect six to twelve runs per day with about 8,000 to 12,000 vertical feet of skiing or boarding. The terrain includes alpine bowls, tree skiing, mellow meadows, a natural half pipe, and challenging terrain such as cornices and chutes. Naturally the choice of terrain on any given day is based on the snow conditions and the ability of the group, and generally the terrain skied is well suited to strong intermediate and advanced riders.
More Reasons to Cat Ski with San Juan Ski Company
Some boys say that size doesn’t matter, but we all know it’s a lie! Bigger is definitely better! With 35,000 acres (14,164 hectares), this is the biggest cat skiing area in Colorado and the 2nd largest in the United States. With that much space there is extensive choice for the perfect snow conditions and more than enough fresh lines for everyone.
San Juan Ski Co is also cat skiing suited to the ski bum. The cat skiing is really reasonably priced and the area provides lots of very inexpensive accommodation options. Combined with Durango Mountain Resort, this is a great place to come on an economical powder holiday.
BTW if you want to fit in with the locals, “San Juan” is pronounced as san “hwan”, “wahn” or “won” but definitely not “jewan”.
See our
San Juan Ski Company review for more information.
Bookings & Information RequestsIf you have any questions or would like to enquire about a specific date
click here.