Snowcat skiing 2017-2018 season

[Sno-Surfer]

You guys have it good out there! Looks amazing.

 

[Snowcat Pat]

Enjoying this thread! But requesting more images of the skiing/boarding please.
-Pat

 

[GlacierSean]

Sorry for the lack of skiing pictures, for whatever reason I almost never take skiing pictures. Here are a few from the past, not sure if I have already posted them. I'll try and take some ski pictures and post them next time out.
Justin hitting a cliff

Forum8fox hitting a cliff.

Forum8fox about to go off of a cornice

They don't know how to ski but they love to go. My skin track was so deep it was over the head of an 85lb golden retriever.

 

[Aaron Tucker]

looks like Vail Pass is fully open. happy birthday Jason! sorry we missed you guys

 

[GlacierSean]

Good morning from the top of the mountain, gonna try and get the personal cat out this weekend for a Christmas cat ski trip. Last year we got a bunch of snow just before Christmas and went out. If we get out again this year it's officially a tradition.

 

[Aaron Tucker]

we are going to do a new years trip. have to stay on the front range for Christmas.

 

[GlacierSean]

 

[Track Addict]

Stretching the thread again adding some snowmobiling which relys on cats for grooming. Today was equal opportunity Tucker mogul master and Pisten Bulley Mogul master groomed trails. Tucker won today.

Mt Washington Cog Base road area.

All this white is getting 50’s and inches of rain Friday. Natures reset. Already some muddy water bars.

Enjoy pics from Jericho Warming Hut New Hampshire. Not any of our sleds being repaired in background.

 

[GlacierSean]

Went for our Christmas cat skiing trip today on Vail pass. Mostly skied Ptarmigan hill. Here are the cat pictures, I'll post some skiing pictures next.

 

[GlacierSean]

 

[GlacierSean]

Went cat skiing Dec 29 with some employees and athletes from Liberty ski company. If you look at their Instagram they have some really good pictures. Here are a few pictures I took.

 

[GlacierSean]

At the end of the trip on the 29th of Dec I had some fluid come out of the left cog. MNOUTDOORS suggested greasing both. Along with the new grease zerk and grease we also fixed the seal and tightened the bolts with some thread lock. The bolts will need to be switched to studs this summer.

 

[GlacierSean]

Got out with the Colorado cat crew yesterday. We had lots of fun skiing and apres ski. Aaron got his box on his trooper, he was able to take 11 skiing and one driver. Pretty cool. The snow was really good, especially in the evening as the temp went down. As usual we were out until dark.

 

[DAVENET]

A question for you Sean- Obviously your first year there (Keystone), but does the snow pack really drop off so quick there that the mountain closes early April? I have to hit Denver for work the first weekend of April and am planning on working in a ski day, but was surprised at the close date.

 

[Aaron Tucker]

A question for you Sean- Obviously your first year there (Keystone), but does the snow pack really drop off so quick there that the mountain closes early April? I have to hit Denver for work the first weekend of April and am planning on working in a ski day, but was surprised at the close date.

The snow is still there but the resort has made its money by then for the year and they shut down. Arapaho basin will still be open tho. or come catskiing with us.

 

[GlacierSean]

The snow is still there but the resort has made its money by then for the year and they shut down. Arapaho basin will still be open tho. or come catskiing with us.

Aaron is correct, towards the end of the season the people who show up and buy a day ticket, get a hotel room, rent equipment, pay to park and eat at the restaurants stop showing up. The only people that show up are season pass holders that bring their own lunch, park in the free lot and go home at the end of the day. I have heard steamboat closes early because the elk show up and it's a dangerous situation but I bet they close because of money like the rest.

In my opinion you should ski Loveland instead of A basin. They stay open until the first Sunday in may. And they don't have as many pass holders as A basin so less busy.

But like aaron said just come cat skiing with us. Definitely your best option.

 

[DAVENET]

That makes sense. Everything listed above is still open that first weekend of April, but it is also the last weekend at Keystone, which prompted the question.

Would love to do some cat skiing, but logistics would be almost impossible. My son is stowing away for an 'excused' college visit. The hassle of getting gear for two out west would be a mild nightmare. I UPS'ed my boots out & back from the Cats Meow (because I wasn't missing runs on Mt. Hood!), but adding skis is silly. Hence my looking at local areas.

David

 

[mtncrawler]

Breckenridge just announced a May 27 closing date (summitdailynews). Every year is different but I've had good powder days in May.

 

[GlacierSean]

Was lucky enough to enjoy the lunar eclipse tonight while grooming. I couldn't get any pictures of it so here is a picture of the moonrise before the eclipse.

Did a little backcountry behind my house this weekend. It was windy and the snow was really deep.

 

[GlacierSean]

Last couple of evenings have been pretty spectacular. We had an epic sunset
You can see our counterparts over at breck grooming away.

Yesterday there was a huge sundog in the sky. I couldn't fit the whole thing in a picture. It was super neat and my first sundog.

 

[GlacierSean]

The Colorado cat crew got together for some cat skiing and apres ski. The snow was good and we got an impressive amount during the day. It was a great day.


We got ourselves into a little sidehill situation. The visibility was terrible.

 

[Track Addict]

Back in the east after a week of Colorado life!

5 solid days at Breck and then the Colorado Cat Crew got me out on an epic adventure for day 6.

Big thanks to Sean and Jason for backcountry guiding this flatlander in some amazing powder and terrain as well as Aaron, Travis and all their family and friends out yesterday.

Great group of friends and a playground that is tough to beat!

 

[Sno-Surfer]

Oh man that looks like a great time! I feel the call of Colorado catting.

 

[Pontoon Princess]

you guys are the center of the snow cat universe, fabulous !

 

[nikos]

COLORADO Snowcat Skiing

 

[GlacierSean]

Got out with the Nottinghams and friends for a special mission today. The weather was great, warm and sunny. Planning on getting out tomorrow as well.




Behind the cats you can see a very large avalanche. Not sure when this slide happened but it looked fairly recent. It probably slid 10 feet thick and down to dirt.

Me standing next to one of the blocks of snow in the avalanche debris field.

 

[GlacierSean]

Got out with the Nottinghams today. We explored the Sylvan to lede lake road. It was beautiful and we put in first tracks most places we went. The parks and wildlife guys were super surprised to see us up there. Made it sound like we were the first sno cats up there. They want to have it groomed but the feds won't let them.

We need one of these signs that has a sno cat on it instead of the ATV.

 

[GlacierSean]

https://youtu.be/fF8cNl7XX18
Here is a video of the 1643

 

[KT3survivor]

when I worked for xcel energy i did a ton of tree cutting for high voltage powerline clearance up there between sylvan lake and reudi res. really beautiful country. always wanted to go back when the snow was deep. roads for miles

 

[GlacierSean]

Got out for a full day of cat skiing. Forum8fox and another of my crew joined me. We skied cupcakes for the first half of the day. We tried another area but it was sun baked so we went back to cupcakes. Found some very steep pitches next to cupcakes on a recon lap and hit that until the end of the day.

First run of the day was a total white out. Looks like my cat is in a studio.



Halfway thru the day it was sunny and beautiful.