San Juan Snowcat
San Juan Snowcat, Colorado Cat skiing in Colorado, USA, is a fantastic opportunity for powderhounds to get the fresh tracks they dream of. If busy, glitzy ski resorts are not your thing, then make cat skiing with San Juan Snowcat part of your next ski holiday. You won’t be able to wear your Prada ski outfit - this is a spot for
real powderhounds.
Where is San Juan Snowcat Located? San Juan Snowcat is away from major civilisation, which is part of what makes this cat ski operation so attractive. It is located near the town of Creede in the southwest corner of
Colorado, USA. Wolf Creek ski area is one hour south (37 miles) of Creede, and the Silverton ski area is 85 miles to the west.
Cat Skiing Packages San Juan Snowcat offers single day packages for only $275 per person ($245 off-peak), which includes the guiding and lunch. What a bargain! Compare this to Park City Powdercats who charge $475 for a day of cat skiing.
You can go cat skiing for one day or multiple days, and combine this with some resort skiing at nearby Wolf Creek, although Wolf Creek isn’t really a “resort”. It’s a ski area that’s not grandiose or ostentatious - one of those fantastic gems off the beaten track.
Accommodation The cost of lodging in the area is also a real bargain. SJS can organise lodging on your behalf or you can DIY.
Accommodation is available in either Creede or South Fork in the form of motels, B&Bs, lodges and cabins. These towns are only small with a combined population of less than a 1,000 people. The positives of the towns are what they don’t have – no crowds, no attitude and no pressure.
Cat Ski Terrain A standard day with San Juan Snowcat incorporates 9-14 runs with 8,000 to 18,000 feet of vertical. Like other cat ski operations, the vertical covered on any particular day is dependent on conditions as well as the ability of the group. The terrain is suited to advanced and expert riders, with much of the terrain consisting of fabulously steep tree runs.
The size of the playground is 10 square miles (2,590 hectares) and you only have to share all that powder with a maximum of 11 other powderhounds. Commonly there are fewer than 12 guests, and on days when there are less than 6 guests they sometimes use snowmobiles as an alternative mode of transport. Not only is this novel, but it’s much faster which means more vertical skiing in a day. Awesome!
Some of the terrain is at dizzying heights (up to 4,039 metres), but this keeps the powder in pristine condition. The average annual snowfall is 10.2 metres, and they have quality as well as quantity. The snow in the area is award winning!
More Reasons to Go Cat Skiing or Cat Boarding with San Juan Snowcat The mission of San Juan Snowcat is “to make our guests smile from ear to ear”. You will definitely be grinning considering the great terrain and freshies in the dry powder. However considering the cat skiing and nearby accommodation is very reasonably priced, chances are that you’ll be beaming.
BTW – “San Juan” is pronounced San “hwan”, “wahn” or “won” and not “jewan”. The locals may look at you strangely if you don’t pronounce it correctly!
The Powderhounds are visiting San Juan Snowcat soon to review the operation. In the meantime, for more information and bookings visit the
SJS website.
Check out our
USA cat skiing comparison to see how San Juan Snowcat compares to other cat ski operations on cost, size, snowfall and vertical.