Ski Resort offers Snowcat driving classes to guests

[Melensdad]

Yup, you too can come to a ski resort, pay out big bucks and learn to drive a snowcat. What better way to take out your aggression on those damn kids who ski circles around you on the bunny slope than to run them down with $400,000 Prinoth slope groomer!

Snowcat Driving Experience

Crested Butte Mountain Resort, in conjunction with Prinoth, launches the Snowcat Driving Experience. Beginning March 7th, 2009, participants learn the basics of driving snowcats, grooming, pushing snow, and experience one of the best ski resort jobs on a closed course. The school incorporates initial classroom time for safety and operational instruction then students get out on the course to maximize the driving time.

“We take everyone on a ‘full tour’ of the machine,” says Chris Corliss, CBMR’s Mountain Operations Manager. “We do a complete walk around, discuss the parts and functions, then get going with live drive time. It’s a totally different experience and a ton of fun, too. Our instructors are the real folks on the mountain doing real work, so it’s not a watered-down version for people who do this.”

The Snowcat Driving Experience is one-on-one instruction in a fully-functional Prinoth 275 Snow Cat as used in Crested Butte’s grooming operations. Classes will run twice daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. four days a week (Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday) for the rest of the ski season. Group bookings are available by request.

Cost for the program is $275 and includes transportation from the Lodge at Mountaineer Square, some classroom time, and an hour of actual snow cat drive time. Family and friends are welcome to observe from our on-site tent (please mention at time of booking). Drivers must have a valid drivers’ license and be over 18 years old.

To book your Snowcat Driving Experience call or visit the Adventure Center in Mountaineer Square
970.349.4554

 

[SnoFarmer]

In 1980 I was a lift opp at CB, I attended the grooming school that year. The next year I was hired as a rookie cat opp.
You had to apply as there was only so many openings for the school.
It was 40hr of classroom and 40hr in a cat.

Most who attended wanted a job not just to go
joyridingin a cat. This is an "watered-down version" of the school I attended in 1980. When we got the reputation for Colorado's best corduroy.

I think I paid $60 and it went to the crews party fund.