Backcountry with the Park City Powder Cats
Fancy a snow-venture that’s a little off the beaten? Destination Utah gives two very enthusiastic, gloved thumbs up to Utah fave Park City Powder Cats and Heli Ski.
The Park City Powder Cats calls 40,000 acres of family-owned land in the Uinta Mountains home. In the summer months 10,000 head of sheep and 3,000 cattle get their roam on, and in the winter months powder hounds rule.
For advanced skiers, here’s how cat skiing works. You’ll be hauled uphill in heated, comfy snow-cats with up to nine of your fellow thrill-seekers, passing terrain that will make you want to bust out your very best dance of giddy joy. Once you reach the summit you’ll be dropped off with your very own guides to ski the best untracked powder in the United States. For realz.
Now Destination Utah loves us some Park City Powder Cats, but we’re yet to find anything about skiing Utah we DON’T like. To redress the bias, we roped in international snow enthusiast Leanne, who’s pretty much skied the four corners of the globe. Here’s her low-down on the experience…
Destination UT: Hi Leanne, you were lucky enough to visit the Park City Powder Cats and Heli Ski last time you were skiing Utah. Tell us about the overall standard of your group.
Leanne: Everyone was of a high-intermediate to advanced/expert level. No beginners to be found.
Destination UT: And what sort of terrain did you cover?
Leanne: Unfortunately it was a low snow year and high avalanche danger when we went, so we couldn’t access a lot of the steeper terrain.
That said, the skiing covered a vast area which included large open bowls and skiing through the trees. We also had 15 inches of fresh Utah powder the day we skied, which was really nice as a top layer.
Destination UT: The 40,000 acres the Park City Powder Cats cover is home to cows and sheep in the warmer months. Don’t suppose you spotted any sheep on skis in your travels?
Leanne: Ha ha, no we didn’t spot any sheep on skis. It was actually really nice being out there in the Uintas, apart from a couple of snowmobiles and another group cat skiing, we were all alone in this awesome mountain range.
Destination UT: What advice would you give to fellow advanced skiers wanting to give Powder Cats a try?
Leanne: I think they should get out there and have a go. It was fantastic. If you want to do some backcountry skiing where you are completely isolated, yet in the hands of experienced guides, this is the place.
It’s a really great day out. You get good skiing in, feel 100% safe and get a similar experience to heli skiing for half the price.
Destination UT: You also sampled some of Utah’s resorts while you were in that neck of the woods. How did the experience differ from Powder Cats?
Leanne: The main difference was being surrounded by impressive mountains, with a handful of people around you and not having a lift in sight- true serenity.
Obviously all of the skiing is off piste, which is the type of skiing I really enjoy. You’re in completely untouched terrain and the cat takes you where no one else has skied so you can be skiing fresh powder all day. You also get a great buzz from accessing your next run via a cat, we had the tunes blasting which pumped everyone up.
Destination UT: How did skiing backcountry Utah with the Powder Cats compare to your other backcountry experiences?
Leanne: I’ve always eyed off the backcountry in Utah and wanted to get out there. However, without good avalanche knowledge, training and equipment you just don’t do it.
Skiing with the Park City Powder Cats meant I could experience the backcountry and feel confident and safe at the same time. This made it a really enjoyable day and I couldn’t recommend these guys enough.
Destination UT: And finally, we’d like to finish with a hard-hitting, serious journalist-type question… How was the food?
Leanne: [It] far exceeded my expectations. It was nice to sit amongst the aspens and enjoy the fresh soup and sandwiches.
Think the Park City Powder Cats sounds right up you street? Ask Destination Utah to incorporate it into your next Utah ski adventure.