![]() ![]() The temps were a cool -14 so that meant light BC powder waited for us up top. It had snowed some more overnight and the stoke was high. It is funny how fast a group of skiers can move when loading a cat. The food spread was out to construct our lunches and we were off.ĭown the road we went to find the rumbling snowcats warming up for us. We were up early with a friendly wake up call from Carole and another fantastic meal to get our day started off right. Once we solved the world's problems we nestled down in the comfy rooms and tried to sleep in anticipation for the next day. The hot tub was all warmed up and the beer was all cooled off so we took the conversation outside. We would find out soon enough what early season at White Grizzly Catskiing was all about.Īfter a delicious home cooked meal we were able to relax and unwind. Many of them had skied the day previous so the conversation mostly consisted of them smiling like mischievous school children with a secret and us begging them for details. We gathered in the living room area after our tour of the lodge and started to get to know the other guests. Carole gave us the run down of events and then we were invited in for some beverages and appys. Each person gets a place to hang their gear and warm up their boots. They have the program dialed right from the first minute of your arrival. Carole, Brad's wife and business partner greets us and shows us the lay of the land. It is more like someone's house that has been designed with catskiing in mind. We parked the truck and headed into the inviting timbre framed lodge. Upon arriving at White Grizzly, you feel like you have just pulled into a long time friend's driveway. We all met in Kalso BC just south of White Grizzly's lodge and headed up for our first turns of the season. As for the other, I am sure he has his vehicle packed at all times waiting for our call. One, from just south of us in Idaho, did some creative scheduling with his boss (a natural skill of any powder obsessed skier). Two of our great ski buddies from opposite ends of the province dropped everything and joined us at White Grizzly. He also said that there would be room for two more skiers if we had anyone in mind. We were a little bummed but appreciated Brad's honesty.and foresight. Brad, being the powderhound that he is, recommended that we wait a week and come out during the upcoming storm cycle. Some storms had hammered the coastal range but powered out by the time they reached mid-province. As out mid-December tour date drew closer the weather systems had not fully engulfed the BC Interior yet. This is not a good thing for the psyche of a skier. The trouble was that we lived in the low lands of BC and over the years it has become quite brown and dry through November. As far as we were concerned, that phone conformation was the beginning of ski season. We had made arrangements with Brad, one of the owners of White Grizzly, sometime in late November. We had to make the trek and check the place out. Also the allure of an operation that runs only one cat and, for some reason, stays out of the lime light. Rumors of long tree runs and steep powder had piqued our interest years before. No one in our group had been to White Grizzly before but we had been wanting to check it out for some time. This particular season it was to be White Grizzly Catskiing. We were busy doing the early season rituals reading all the ski mags, watching videos from the previous season, going to the ski movie premiers and planning out our first trip of the season. It was November and anticipation for the season to come was high. ![]()
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