Vail Powder Guides
Vail Powder Guides Cat Skiing
Summit County and Eagle County in Colorado have a high concentration of world class ski resorts. The only downside is that these ski resorts attract a high concentration of world class powderhounds who all vie for fresh tracks on a powder day, so virgin snow tends to only last for a milli-second.
Respite is available for avid powderhounds atop Vail Pass with Vail Powder Guides. The
cat skiing is divine and offers freshies in abundance, a sort of heaven where you can burn powder turns to your heart’s content! The snowcat provides transport to the top of the superb runs, and then once the cat’s away the skiers can play!
Vail Powder Guides is a small owner operated snowcat skiing provider, a true mom and pop type operation. Expect to spend time with Ben and Jenna, the owners and operators of this special ski experience. Don't be surprised if you get a hug or two if you are a fun group! The company’s operating policy is set up to guarantee a powder skiing experience that will be fondly remembered by all.
Where is Vail Powder Guides Located?
Vail Powder Guides operates from the summit of the Vail Pass on Interstate-70, about a 90 minute drive west of Denver Colorado. The meeting spot in the car park at exit 190 is about a 20 minute drive east of the
Vail ski resort,
Copper Mountain is about 5 minutes away, and other Summit County ski resorts are also really close by.
What Happens Each Day?
Guests start the day by arriving at the parking area atop Vail pass. The Piston Bully snow cat is already purring. The group receives a brief talk regarding the nuances of the cat, then loads into the kitty and there is a short ride to the top of the first drop. Guests receive a safety talk and sign waivers en-route to the first drop, and are also provided with beacons to wear during the day. After a beacon check the group begins skiing.
Snacks and lots of water are provided to each guest throughout the day. After a number of runs are completed, the snow cat arrives at the Vail Powder Guides yurt where a cozy fire is crackling in the wood stove. A lunch spread is available including hot soup, sandwiches of your own design, a variety of chips, cold drinks, coffee, tea, and fruit. The yurt and some food is a charming distraction, but there is still more skiing to be done! Several more powder runs are completed after lunch.
Vail Cat Skiing Terrain
Vail Powder Guides provide guests with an opportunity to explore 3,500 acres of White River National Forest surrounding Vail pass, which includes historic 10th mountain division training grounds.
The runs immediately remind the guest of the Vail back bowls, but with pristine untracked powder snow. Guests ski with 3 guides who happily share the local knowledge they possess of the area and its storied history. Expect to ski or snowboard high alpine bowls, and also some steep treed lines to keep you wiggling. The guides pick the runs to ensure that each client can ski the run top to bottom without crossing another track. An average ski run ranges between 700 to 1,750 feet of vertical, so it is not unusual to arrive at the bottom of the run breathless after having completed over 70 bouncy powder turns. Guests can expect to get 8-12 runs each day with Vail Powder Guides.
More Reasons to Cat Ski with Vail Powder Guides
Let’s face it. Powderhounds are most concerned about the quality and quantity of the powder, and Vail Powder Guides generally doesn’t disappoint in this department. The terrain receives an average of 400 inches (10.2 metres) of snowfall per season. And if the snow quality isn’t awesome, Vail Powder Guides will cancel your reservation and refund your money.
And importantly, guest safety is the primary concern of the Vail Powder Guides and they have an excellent safety record.
Contributions from Ed Rotthoff