Day in the Life
Below is an approximate outline of your time with Steamboat Powdercats. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Essentials to consider
Before your trip, please review the below logistics. This will remind you what to bring and what to expect.
Some critical things:
- We have complimentary skis, snowboards, tele skis, poles, transceivers, shovels, and probes for everyone. There is no need to reserve these with us as we have a large fleet to pick from.
- We do not have boots for you.
- Bring a water bottle of some sort.
- We have breakfast, lunch, snacks, and a post-trip party waiting for you.
- If you wish to bring some post trip beverages to have once we get done skiing and riding, you may do so. A beer, soda, or something else can be a nice end of trip touch. We have beverages at our office but nothing at the end of the day up on the pass. Please note, you cannot drink anything of this sort in our vans on the way down the Pass, so don’t bring too much. If you are on a private cat you know how many folks you have so plan accordingly. If you are on a mixed cat, maybe bring some to share with the other guests who you met during the day. It’s all up to you. You don’t need to bring a cooler as we have a place for this and lots of snow to keep beverages cold.
- Before 4 PM the night prior, everyone must let us know your diet requests, your morning arrival details (do you need a pickup?), and if you have any health issues or medications the guides should be aware of.
- There is parking at our office but as of the 22/23 season, it is paid and $30-50 per day.
- We start our shuttles at 7:25 AM so please be ready at that time if you are requesting us to pick you up.
- Come to our office with your street shoes on and change into your ski/snowboard boots here.
- We should have run your final bill a week prior to your day. Bring $ to purchase SPC softgoods and to give the staff a gratuity for their hard work.
- Bring a positive and fun-loving attitude. Going cat skiing is a great adventure and a bucket list experience. Come stoked and spread the love.
Days prior to your trip
We will be sending several emails to you leading up to your trip with us. Make sure you complete the registration for yourself and your group if you are a trip leader. This includes any diet restrictions, medical history, pick up needs/location, etc. Click here to update your reservation with these details.
Before you come, you can see what the snow and weather is like by checking out our Social Media blasts, or our daily images on our photo site, and our website’s weather page.
Call us at 970-879-5188 with any questions you may have. Email works as well.
7:30 a.m.
Arrive at our office
Doors open at 7:30 am and the majority of guests are here at the office by 7:40 am. Most guests self-shuttle to our office either walking, driving themselves, or getting dropped off. As of 2022/23 season, we do not have any complementary parking at our office. There now is metered parking here for $30-40 per day.
For those who need a shuttle, we can send a van to pick you up. Just make sure you let us know where you are staying. Click here to access our online portal to update your shuttle information.
Directions to our office are located here.
Remember to bring your own water bottle. We have SPC logo bottles for sale here but you can also provide your own, just don’t forget.
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
While at our office
At our office, check in with us and we will point you to where you will be gathering. You will meet your guides who will help you get ready for the day with us.
Fill out an Assumption of Risk and Liability participation release form when you arrive. This will also include a ski and snowboard rental form.
We provide complimentary Atomic powder skis and Never Summer snowboards if you don’t have any powder specific, snow sliding gear. Most guests use our equipment. We also have tele ski’s and a wide assortment of poles with larger powder baskets that we suggest you use.
WE DO NOT OFFER ANY BOOT RENTALS. There are ski shops nearby if you need to rent a pair. Please arrange this prior to arriving at our office.
There will be a light breakfast snack in addition to ample hot beverages here at the office. If you require something more substantial, please take care of this prior to arrival.
Gear up, put boots on, organize your stuff, and then your guides will issue avalanche beacons and do a short exit briefing. We will have have shovels and probes for the groups also. If you bring your own beacon that is okay, just make sure it has 40% or more battery power in it before hand. If it is lower that this, you’ll have to use ours (BCA Tracker S)
Leave anything you need to at our office as we will be returning here at the end of the day.
8:30 – 8:50 a.m.
Load up in our van and head out to Buffalo Pass, just a 20 minute drive from our office.
8:50 – 9:00 a.m.
Once we reach our snowcats at the Dry Lake parking lot, meet your other guide, transfer all equipment from the vans, and load up into the cat.
Before you enter the snowcat there is a Forest Service toilet located at our staging area if you need another pit stop.
9:00 – 9:30 a.m.
In the snowcat, as we continue up the pass, one of your guides will review all our safety protocols and procedures, how we ski and ride together as a cohesive group, and re-introduce all of you to one another.
9:30 – 12:00 p.m.
Ski and ride powder! Depending on the ability level of the group, the snow conditions of the day, and the choice of terrain, we will typically average 4-8 runs, or more, before lunch.
12:00 – 12:45 pm
Have lunch at our cozy, mid-mountain cabin. We serve a 3-course, hot lunch, which consists of soup, bread, a main entrée, and a basic desert. We accommodate all dietary considerations so please make arrangements for any special requests before hand though our pre-trip online reservation process. Lunch at the cabin is brought up by one of our guides via snowmobile and is catered by the Steamboat Meat and Seafood Company.
This is a good time to dry off, refill your water bottle and further get to know your crew. We have a porta potty at the cabin for all those guests who may need another pit stop.
For those guests who will be participating in our Level III ability level snowcat you will be too far away from this cabin so you will be having a sack lunch in the snowcat or an on-mountain picnic. Sack lunches are catered by the Yampa Sandwich Company.
12:45 – 3:45 p.m.
Ski and ride more powder! We typically ski and ride an additional 4-8 runs, or more, after lunch. In the end, your trip totals 8 – 16 runs and anywhere from 8,000 – 14,000 vertical feet of skiing and riding.
4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Transfer all gear back to the vans and head back to the office.
4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Back at the office during some post trip festivities, we will showcase the photo’s taken during the trip. See our daily image blog to view the types of images we capture. We upload all images to Photos.SteamboatPowdercats.com. Here you can watch your slideshow from the day, purchase and download high resolution images and order image art from us that will make any future birthday or holiday present special.
5:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Sadly, we have to say our good-byes. Allow us to drop you back at your lodging or self shuttle back to your lodging.
6:30 p.m. -?
Visit with you guides and new found friends at the local pub or restaurant and continue your epic day.
