Kirkwood, CA – Kirkwood Mountain Resort will host the grand opening of Expedition: Kirkwood Outfitters this Saturday. Expedition: Kirkwood offers the California ski and snowboard resort’s guests a range of specialty clinics, private guiding and introduction to backcountry courses. The flagship product for Expedition: Kirkwood is a Powder Cat tour operation offering cat skiing right out of the resort.nThe new venue, located just across the street from the resort’s Mountain Village, provides E:K with a true hub of operation for all backcountry programs. The facility features a conference and education space, the latest technology in backcountry gear and high-end retail products as well as providing detailed maps and overview of backcountry skiing zones in and around the resort.

“We have always been leading the charge in introducing skiers and riders to the backcountry experience in a responsible way that is focused on education,” says Jon Copeland, Director of Expedition: Kirkwood. “The E: K Outfitters is another step forward for us in providing guests and guides a place to learn more, get the required information on backcountry conditions and safety and sign up for programs. This is an exciting step forward.”

While backcountry skiing and riding often comes with the stigma of “experts only,” Expedition: Kirkwood promotes awareness and skills development in skiers and riders of all ages and abilities. E:K’s array of avalanche awareness courses, ranging from a single day course to a multi-day AIARE certification, emphasize terrain evaluation and hazard recognition as the first step to backcountry safety and give first-timers and backcountry veterans the necessary knowledge to minimize risk. All-mountain clinics utilize Kirkwood’s in-bounds terrain to train skiers and riders for variable backcountry conditions.

Expedition: Kirkwood also operates Powder Cat Tours, Tahoe’s only resort-based backcountry skiing operation. Weather permitting, a passenger-ready heated snowcat transports guests from the Mountain Village to some of Kirkwood’s best untracked turns on Martin Point or Red Cliffs. While laps in the backcountry generally require one to earn their turns with long hikes on unpacked trails, each cat tour promises four runs with minimal effort. Expert guides accompany each tour, providing insight to choice lines and a watchful eye to minimize safety hazards.