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Wildhorse Snowcat Skiing: The Kootenay Experience

October 23, 2009

Wildhorse Snowcat Skiing: The Kootenay Experience

Words and Photos by Brian VanDenBrand

The white peaks of Rainier and St. Helens rose through the clouds as our flight neared Seattle. It was late December of ’06, and a few hours earlier myself, Señor Wanrooy, and his wife Kathy had taken off from dreary Michigan in search of some snow. We would be skiing with Trevor Holsworth, lead wrangler at the Wildhorse Cat Skiing & Powder Mining Company in Ymir, British Columbia.

After a quick hop back to Spokane, we headed north for a scenic three-hour drive into BC. The landscape quickly transitioned from rolling hills with minimal snow cover to gorgeous forested mountains with plenty of fresh powder. After a stop at a remote Customs outpost that seemed like a scene out of a James Bond film, we rolled into the one-horse town of Ymir (pronounced “why-mur”). Cue the banjo music. Kidding! Ymir is a neat little town engulfed by mountains. In town you’ll find a bar, a couple of inns, a grocery store, and very friendly people. We checked into the recently renovated Ymir Palace Inn which, as a converted brothel, is the obvious choice. No word on how long ago the Palace functioned as a brothel, but rest assured that no funky smells linger. Belinda and Roscoe, owners of the inn, warmly welcomed us and suggested that we head to the bar/restaurant, about a 30 second walk down the street. After a burger, beer, and some chatting with a colorful local named Jay, we hit the sheets.

The next day dawned clear and cold. We filled up on a tasty breakfast and drank one of Roscoe’s patented (or should be) smoothies before piling into vehicles for the short drive to the trailhead. Once there, our group of about 12 skiers was shuttled further into the backcountry via sleds towed behind snowmobiles. To be honest, that aspect of the trip could have used a little work – a windscreen would do wonders to keep you warmer. However, it’s nothing you can’t handle for the 10km (or about a half hour) ride into Trevor’s operation area.

About the operation area – Wildhorse holds the rights to enough territory that even if not a flake of fresh drops for three weeks, everyone will still be skiing untracked lines. Impressive. The mountains in inland British Columbia are beautiful and heavily forested, with a few bare peaks jutting up above the tree line. The trees are absolutely perfectly spaced, giving you the confidence to rip down the descent knowing that you’re not going to get jammed up.

The operation area offers an interesting mix of steeps and glades, with the occasional cliff thrown in to keep you on your toes. The snow on this late December day was light, dry, deep, and sparkling in the sunlight. As we climbed into the snowcat and began our first ascent of the day, our excitement was building. After 10 minutes of enjoying the view through the window of the cat, we had reached the starting point of our first run.

We stepped into our skis and moved away from the cat to get our first view downhill. The sight that greeted us was perfect: a pure, unbroken blanket of white, interspersed by tall, skinny pines laden with snow, all under the gorgeous sky of a bluebird day. The typical run starts off with the guide explaining what the descent will encompass, what to watch out for, rendezvous points, and so on. After that, he lays down a set of fresh tracks (tough job) for the rest of the group to roughly follow. Once down, it’s usually just a short wait until the snowcat arrives, time easily passed by recapping the last run. Bill and I skied with Wildhorse for two days and hit north aspects, south aspects, steep trees, shallower glades, exposed faces, longer runs, shorter runs, cliffed runs that required a bit of caution, and everything in between. The snow couldn’t have been better, and I never felt the sudden jolt of frozen ground or hard packed snow beneath my skis. It was just pure powder, and some of the most enjoyable skiing I’ve ever done. I rarely crossed another ski’s track. There were many moments of excitement at the top of a new run when everyone was stomping into bindings and scoping out a line, just itching to feel the float of powder skiing again. The guides are open to requests, and will lead a bootpack if the group spies a peak that the snowcat just can’t reach. They truly want you to have as much fun as they can provide. A bagged lunch was provided, and much appreciated, each day on the cat. The nice thing about snowcat skiing is that the ride up gives you a chance to rest your legs for 10 or 15 minutes on the way up – a luxury you don’t have when heliskiing.

An added bonus to skiing at Wildhorse is the presence of Red Mountain Resort, about an hour’s drive away in Rossland, BC. It makes for a great getaway to spend a couple of days catskiing with Trevor, and then head to Red for 3000 feet of lift-accessed vertical. The base of the mountain was buried in clouds when we arrived. As the chair began to climb, the sky grew lighter, and soon we came out on top of the clouds and were treated with a gorgeous view of sunlit mountain tops rising above the cloud cover. Red is a lot of fun, and if caught on a powder day, you might have one of the best resort days you’ve ever experienced. It’s also easy to see where it gets its name – the colors the early morning sun bounces off the clouds and snow are breathtaking. Bring your touring bindings and skins and keep an eye peeled for locals ducking off the side of the trail. Besides firing up a doober, they’re probably leading the way to the great backcountry skiing to be had if you’re willing to work a bit for it.

Everyone should experience what Wildhorse has to offer. The skiing is fantastic, and the nights are full of sharing beers and stories with friendly locals. The Palace offers gracious hosts, good food, and most importantly after a long day of skiing, the hot tub. For those flexible with travel dates, keep an eye out for the last-minute specials that Wildhorse offers if the cat is not completely filled, because you can save a lot of money.

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