WHEN IT’S HAMMERING SNOW and the choppers are grounded, superstars like freeskier Seth Morrison head to Nelson, British Columbia, where they often find the best snowcat skiing on the planet. Nelson’s surroundings offer 3,000-foot shots of fall-line tree skiing, cliffs fit for backward off-axis flips, regular three-foot dumps that keep the landings downy soft, and eight operators less than a couple hours’ drive away. Here’s a look at Nelson’s best cat-ski operations. Oh, and did we mention you’ll spend an average of 70 percent less than you would on a week of heli-skiing?
White Grizzly 国产吃瓜黑料s
If crowds aren’t your thing but steep tree skiing is, head to White Grizzly, a five-bedroom log cabin tucked in a secluded cedar forest. The Jacuzzi out back and the single-malt Scotch in front of the fireplace might give the impression that the White Grizzly experience isn’t core. Don’t be fooled. Its 5,000-acre terrain is home to some of the most technical tree slalom in existence, and the 12-person groups mean more runs and an average of 18,000 vertical feet per day.
禄Where: 56 miles north of Nelson on Provincial Highway 31
禄Cost: US$527 per person per day,
including meals
禄SWEETEST STASH: Love Triangle is steep, tight, and full of small cliffs
禄Contact: 250-366-4306,
Baldface Lodge
Start off with a quick heli-ride from Nelson to this mountaintop handcrafted-timber lodge and seven surrounding cabins with a rock-star clientele, then go in search of fall-line freshies that stretch over 36,000 acres, followed by a feast of buffalo steaks, curries, and cedar-plank salmon topped off with bowls of chocolate souffl茅;. Bring your snowboard鈥攎any of the guides are uni-plankers and choose runs that don’t call for traversing.
禄Where: A five-minute heli-ride due north of Nelson
禄Cost: US$575–$700 per person per day, including meals
禄SWEETEST STASH: Go airborne at Lunch Lake, which offers multiple cliffs with perfect long, steep runouts
禄Contact: 250-352-0006,
Tracking Device: It’s not how you get to the top, it’s the ride down that mattersRetallack Resort and Alpine 国产吃瓜黑料s
Seth Morrison and fellow freeskier Dan Treadway filmed segments for a Poorboys Productions ski film in Retallack’s high-alpine powder bowls last January. With 3,500-foot descents that take you through three different climate zones and more open-bowl skiing than most operators deliver near Nelson, Retallack is for devotees of steep and deep. The lodge, which sleeps 24, is powered strictly by its own hydroelectric plant, so the three-story fireplace comes in handy on cold nights鈥攁s do the heavy German chicken-fried steak and green beans, fuel for the next day, when you’ll be arcing two-foot-deep turns down 30-degree faces.
禄Where: 62 miles northwest of Nelson off Provincial Highway 31A
禄Cost: US$443 per person per day, including meals
禄SWEETEST STASH: Big Woody, a forest of 100-foot cedars
禄Contact: 800-330-1433,
Valhalla Powdercats
Valhalla is one of very few single-day skiing options near Nelson, which makes it perfect for those who want an extra powder shot after skiing the groomers of nearby Red Resort or Whitewater Winter Resort. And with seasoned guides like Chris Moyle, who does harrowing heli-rescues in his spare time, you’ll feel right at home among the 50,000 acres of steep fluted stashes, elegant rolling bowls, and hike-up summits.
禄Where: Stay at historic Nelson landmark the Hume Hotel (doubles, $75; 250-352-5331, ) AND meet a shuttle west of town for the 30-minute drive to the snowcat
禄Cost: US$333 per person per day (cat skiing only)
禄SWEETEST STASH: If you’ve got a strong stomach and like big drops, Magic Nose is excitingly vertical, with no option but to go big
禄Contact: 888-352-7656,