Imagine sharing all of Blackcomb/Whistler with just 42 other skiers. Now think about seven Blackcomb/Whistlers side-by-side, all under a thick blanket of powder snow. Or, imagine a ski area that is twice the size of Whistler/Blackcomb, Heavenly, Vail, Squaw Valley, Mammoth and Lake Louise combined. That’s what cat skiers will enjoy this year, at Chatter Creek Snowcat Skiing. Located high in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Chatter Creek offers snowcat skiing on a wide variety of terrain including a high glacier, broad alpine slopes and bowls, open forest glades and cut blocks and tree skiing in living forest and old burns. At any one time, this vast area is shared by no more than 36 skiers and boarders plus their six guides.

This is the second major announcement for Chatter Creek this year. The first was the January opening of Solitude Lodge, a 9500 sq. ft bedroom annex to Vertebrae Lodge. The combined living space for guests and staff at Chatter Creek’s remote Rocky Mountain site now exceeds 20,000 sq. ft. Vertebrae and Solitude Lodges are large comfortable side-by-side log buildings hand-crafted from local materials. They accommodate 36 guests in double-occupancy bedrooms each having a private bathroom. Solitude Lodge provides a huge drying room for outdoor clothing and boots and Vertebrae Lodge provides a spacious dining hall, cozy sitting areas, a games area and a well-stocked bar that serves two hot tubs.

For more information, refer to the Chatter Creek Web site (www.chattercreekcatskiing.com) or visit the Chatter News photo journal. The Cat Skiing Terrain Web site provides a detailed photographic tour of most of the 238 sq. km Chatter Creek tenure.