Pacific Crest Snowcats

Overall Rating

Pacific Crest Snowcats

Pacific Crest Snowcats4.0/55
Pacific Crest Snowcats4.0 out of 5 based on 5 reviews
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Pacific Crest Snowcats

Overall Rating

Pacific Crest Snowcats4.0/55
Pacific Crest Snowcats4.0 out of 5 based on 5 reviews

Pacific Crest Snowcats

Pacific Crest Snowcats (PCS) is California’s only snowcat-accessed private backcountry ski area — 3,000 magical acres hidden in the heart of Tahoe where Pacific Crest Snowcats makes powder dreams come true.

PCS is made up of a small group of local backcountry skiers, former ski patrollers and veteran Alaska heli-ski guides sharing the private backcountry wonderland in their own backyard.

Situated on the North Shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe, their operation is tucked beside the Pacific Crest itself accounting for some of the deepest snowfall in the region.

PCS operate up to 2 snow cats daily with a maximum capacity of 12 guests per snowcats each with 2 guides.

You can book a seat on a snowcat as a solo, a few seats for you and a few friends or book an entire snowcat for a private group. If you have any questions or want to check about availability, you can make a booking request.

Location

PCS's terrain is centrally located in a hidden area in the heart of Tahoe between Squaw Valley and Sugar Bowl; it feels like you’re a world away!


How to get there

By Plane
The Reno-Tahoe International Airport is located approximately an hour away and offers flights from most major U.S. destinations along with rental car and shuttle services. Alternatively, the Sacramento International Airport is approximately two hours west of Lake Tahoe and offers flights from most major U.S. cities along with rental car and shuttle services. The Truckee Tahoe Airport is a community airport that offers service for private aircraft.

By Car
Detailed directions to the PCS trailhead meeting location will be given at the time of booking. Snowcat trips meet at 8 a.m.

Snow & Terrain

Pacific Crest Snowcats operates on 3,000 acres of private terrain located between Squaw Valley and Sugar Bowl resorts on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. This area along the Pacific Crest is blessed with some of the deepest snowfall in the region and legendary powder that lasts for days—sometimes weeks—after a storm. Combined with a high elevation of close to 8,000 feet and exclusive access to the area, the powder stays pristine long after the snow is tracked up at area resorts. 

Given the amount of north-facing terrain and perfectly spaced trees, PCS guides can sniff out untracked snow weeks after a legendary Lake Tahoe dump, and the stable Sierra snowpack allows guests to ski and ride aggressive slopes soon after a storm cycle. And although the temperatures in aptly named Coldstream Canyon do wonders for preserving their powder stashes, they do have a number of wide open south-facing bowls that make for great corn conditions in the late spring.

With seven distinctly different alpine zones at their disposal, PCS has the entire spectrum of terrain available for all types of skiers and snowboarders—from wide, open powder bowls to steep, technical lines. Their advanced terrain in particular tends to pleasantly surprise even the most accomplished powder hounds.

On average, runs are between 1,000 and 1,200 feet in length with a few of their longer laps closer to 1,500 feet. This means most groups can expect over 12,000 vertical feet by day’s end… more than enough skiing or riding to feel worthy of a cold beer on the ride back to the trailhead.

Guides & Safety

Guides
Pacific Crest Snowcats has handpicked its staff from the veteran patrollers, backcountry guides and avalanche forecasters who call Lake Tahoe home. You can relax and enjoy your day on the slopes in the hands of our professional guides, all of whom are first aid certified, highly trained in avalanche forecasting and control work, and experts in high and low angle mountain rescue techniques.

In addition to finding the best snow conditions, our guides are continually studying the snowpack to become intimate with its various layers and degrees of bonding.

Your guides will tell you what they are doing and explain each run as you go. Guests are trained in the use of an avalanche beacon (which is provided as part of the trip cost) and walk away from the day more knowledgeable about backcountry travel techniques.

"Happy" Dave Rintala
A lifetime guide and founder/head guide of Pacific Crest Snowcats, this reformed Squaw Valley ski patroller’s attitude is infectious to say the least. Happy serves as an avalanche forecaster and consultant for film and industry, and his skill set is overshadowed only by his enthusiasm for the alpine environment. Happy was one of the pioneers of heli-skiing in Alaska and helped developed standard backcountry protocols with other veteran Alaska heli-guides.

Ward Chesnut
Ward is a longtime Lake Tahoe local who has served as a patroller at ski resorts on both coasts. He is the current Operations Manager for Pacific Crest Snowcats and a mechanical wizard who knows how to make the cats purr. In addition to driving and wrenching, Ward is also a first-rate guide.

Robin McElroy
Robin McElroy is a veteran ski patroller at Squaw Valley and a professional skier with several extreme skiing contests under her belt. Her skill as a guide is immediately apparent to anyone who skis with her, and her personality and spirit elevate the fun factor on any adventure in the backcountry.

Ken Manuel

Ken started skiing at the age of four and was a ski patroller at Squaw Valley longer ago than anyone can remember. He has worked as a heli-guide in Alaska and managed backcountry operations there and elsewhere. We are extremely lucky to have him as a lead guide at Pacific Crest Snowcats.

Safety
Pacific Crest Snowcats has led trips on our Tahoe site since 2000, and has a perfect safety record. Every precaution is taken to assure your safe enjoyment of the backcountry.

They hire only the best guides and drivers in the business. These folks are first aid certified, and trained in avalanche forecasting & control and search & rescue techniques. Their snowcats are outfitted with state-of-the-art first aid and rescue gear.

At the start of every day guests are walked through a discussion of safety and proper beacon use. This includes familiarization with the snowcat, loading/unloading procedures, rescue scenarios and backcountry protocols. Then you can just relax and enjoy the ride knowing you are in good hands.

Pacific Crest Snowcats Terms & Conditions

All reservations require a 50% advanced deposit with the remaining balance due the day of your scheduled trip. Deposits are not refundable but may be applied toward future days or toward other adventure services offered by PCS.

Although unlikely, if PCS must cancel a trip due to weather, avalanche hazard, mechanical concerns or any other reason, a "snow check" will be issued for the unused portion of your deposit. Full credit will be applied for all unused deposits except in the following cases: No credit will be given if you do not show up for your scheduled trip or if you decide not to go for personal reasons. If you need to cancel your trip due to an injury or other family emergency, please let us know as far in advance as possible as full credit may be considered for rescheduling with the submission of a medical report.

PCS policies are the friendliest in the industry. Because we value our returning clientele, we reserve the right to be flexible in interpreting our policies due to the individual circumstances involved.

party bus

Jackson Murphy
19/01/2023
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • RiderType
    N/A
  • Rider Level
    N/A
  • Rider Age
    N/A
  • Home Country
    US
  • Admin Rating
    3

party bus

Jackson Murphy
19/01/2023
I agree with Brock's review -- this is not a tour for experts. I had a very large, very slow group. We got two runs in before noon (the tour started at 8). The terrain was so flat it was everything I could do to not arrest. They have better terrain but you may be limited by the ability of the group. I felt it was also quite overpriced for the experience.
See our video here

Not the best value for Expert skiers/riders

Riley
18/03/2017
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • RiderType
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    18-35
  • Home Country
    USA
  • Month:
    March
  • Admin Rating
    4

Not the best value for Expert skiers/riders

Riley
18/03/2017
I struggled with what to rate my experience because some of the factors/variables are not within the control of the organization. I opted for 3 stars (Average) because I enjoyed my experience, lunch was good, at the end of the day i am happy I gave it a try, but i would not do it again with this organization.

I found that the guides for our group were not overly personable (Scott and Brock i think). They did not make an effort to learn any of the names in the group. On our first run there was a miscommunication between the guides which resulted in a huge delay. But instead of owning their part in the mistake, we received a lecture on how we need to follow the lead guide more closely.

I am, what i would consider, an expert skier and spent 10 years teaching children, teens, and adults. Prior to booking my tour i did some research and from what i read i was under the impression that if a group had 2 guides there was a possibility for multiple line options to satisfy various ability levels. This was not the experience i had. I was hoping to be able to ski some more challenging lines. I think if you are in a large group of similar abilities and able to book the whole cat you might have better luck being taken to the more challenging terrain. Although if you are traveling solo as an expert skier and looking to have an adventure this might not be your thing.

They do encourage tipping. As a former ski instructor/customer service worker, i feel that a tip is not necessarily something that an individual is entitled to if they do not meet necessary service criteria.
See our video here

Cat skiing

Robert jeacocke
11/03/2017
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • RiderType
    Snowboarder
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Home Country
    Scotland
  • Month:
    March

Cat skiing

Robert jeacocke
11/03/2017
Great day out with a great bunch of guys.
See our video here

Awesome day of off trail skiing!

Carrie Hansen
06/12/2016
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • RiderType
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Home Country
    United States
  • Month:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    3

Awesome day of off trail skiing!

Carrie Hansen
06/12/2016
My 14 year old son and I had the most incredible mother/son time with Happy and
his crew! We skied all day on some incredible, untouched terrain, had an amazing lunch and ultimately enjoyed the company of some great people and crew. You can't go wrong when you do a day of snowcat skiing with Pacific Crest Snowcats! My goal from now on will be to get at least 3 days a year in of snowcat skiing with Happy and his team! My son is already asking when we are booking and the season has barely started.
See our video here

It'll change your life so be careful

Kaarel Kaljot
18/11/2016
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • RiderType
    N/A
  • Rider Level
    N/A
  • Rider Age
    N/A
  • Home Country
    USA
  • Admin Rating
    2

It'll change your life so be careful

Kaarel Kaljot
18/11/2016
Why would you ski anywhere else at Tahoe? Your own private resort, a chill lift back up after each run stretched out in the cat, your own untracked line each time and the company of the new best friends you didn't know you had. The only downside--you're not gonna like chair lifts any longer and after hanging with Happy and Ken you'll be making plans to follow them to AK in the spring. Which is not a bad thing either.
See our video here
Pacific Crest Snowcat Packages
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Pacific Crest Day Cat Skiing DETAILS
Price p/p From price based on per person if booked 2 weeks prior to trip.
Base/invoice currency is in USD inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 549

LAKE TAHOE | DAY CAT SKIING TOURS
8 - 12 Runs | Over 12,000 vert feet

Location: USA | Tour Focus: Guided | Terrain Focus: Backcountry
Ability: Intermediate to Expert
Price p/p From price based on per person if booked 2 weeks prior to trip.
Base/invoice currency is in USD inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 549
Escape the crowds in Lake Tahoe & come and play in the 3,000 acre private powder playground with Pacific Crest Snowcats. Book a seat for yourself, a few of you or a whole cat for a private day with your ski buddies! Seats book out early so be sure to book soon. More
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Custom Booking Period: Dec 08 - Apr 15, 2025
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