1,760 m · the questions you radio in
The questions guests actually ask
Straight answers to what people call and ask before they book: fitness, gear, weather, groups, food, money. If yours is not here, call the lodge at 1-250-555-0184 and a person will pick up.
How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough to ski or ride a full day of soft snow and get back up when you fall in it, which is more tiring than a resort day. If you can link turns on ungroomed intermediate terrain and you have a few active days a week in you, you will be fine. Cat skiing is gentler on the legs than heli because you ride up warm and rest between laps.
Snowboard or skis, does it matter?
Both are welcome and both work here. Snowboarders do best on the steeper, more open pitches; the guides know the low-angle traverses that keep a board moving so you are not unstrapping every few minutes. Tell us on the way up and we will plan the day around what you are on.
What happens if weather closes the flying?
The cats keep running. The A-Star only flies when the window is genuinely good, so heli days are never guaranteed; if we cannot fly, your heli add-on converts to cat skiing for the day and we refund the difference. You still ski. The mountain does not close because the helicopter stays in the shed.
Do you split groups by ability?
Yes. The 5:45 meeting sets the group board every morning, and the guides sort cats by pace and terrain so nobody is held back and nobody is pushed past what they want. If a group is not the right fit for you, we move you. It happens all the time and it is not a big deal.
Can I rent gear, or do I bring my own?
Powder skis and boards are available to rent at the lodge, and we recommend them: fat, floaty gear makes deep snow easy. Safety equipment (transceiver, probe, shovel, airbag pack) is supplied with every seat at no extra cost. Bring your own boots if you can; rentals are stocked but your own boots are always better.
Can the lodge handle dietary needs?
Yes. Tell us when you book: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergies, whatever it is. The lodge cooks for small numbers, so it is a kitchen cooking for you, not a buffet you have to pick around. Serious allergies are no problem as long as we know in advance.
What about insurance?
We strongly recommend travel and cancellation insurance that covers mountain sports, and rescue or evacuation coverage for backcountry skiing. We are not insurance advisors and we do not sell it; check that your policy names the activity you are coming to do. This is general guidance, not a substitute for reading your own policy.
The one everybody asks
Do you guarantee a powder day?
No honest operator can guarantee weather, and we will not pretend to. What we can tell you is that the basin refills all week: cold snow holds in the fir glades for days after a storm, and with twelve guests on a whole tenure, fresh lines last far longer than they do anywhere with a lift line. If a trip lands in a genuinely thin stretch, we run refill days rather than skiing out the good snow, and we would rather move your dates than sell you a flat week. That is the deal, and it is the honest one.
How do deposits and payment work?
A deposit holds your seat when you book, and the balance is due before your trip starts. We will send the exact amounts and dates with your confirmation. It is a deposit and a balance, plainly stated up front, nothing else.
I am travelling solo. Is that fine?
Very. A lot of our guests come alone and leave having skied all week with the same small group. Solo travellers get a spot in a cat group that matches their pace; the lodge is built for shared meals and a fire, so you will not be eating dinner by yourself unless you want to.
Is there a minimum age or experience level?
This is soft-snow, ungroomed terrain, so it suits confident intermediate skiers and up rather than first-timers or young children. There is no upper age limit; plenty of our regulars are well into retirement and ski better than people half their age. If you are unsure whether it is for you, call and we will tell you honestly.
How many people are in the operation on a given day?
Twelve guests. That has been the ceiling since 1978 and it is not changing. Twelve people, split across the cats and the heli, on a whole tenure with nobody above you.
What is included in a package, and what costs extra?
Your seat, guiding, safety equipment, and lunch are included on every day. Multi-day packages add lodging and all meals. Gear rental, the heli add-on, and travel to Muleshoe are the main extras. The packages page lists honest ranges for all of it, no hidden line items.
Still deciding?