Often referred to as “the poor man’s heli-skiing,” snowcat tours are by no means the neglected stepchildren of the backcountry skiing experience. Whether managed by ski areas or operated independently, cat outfits offer powder-hungry snow riders a heli-like backcountry experience—for as little as one-tenth the cost (anywhere from about $100 to $300 per day). Not … Continue reading Snowcat Tours Make Skiers Purr
Glenshee, Scotland – When hiking in Switzerland several years ago, we had the unusual experience of our Swiss guide, Ruidi, giving all affirmative answers as “Aye” rather than “Yes” or the German “Ja.” It turned out that he had been married to a Scottish woman and had been a ski instructor in Scotland for several … Continue reading Skiing Scotland
Burn. Heaven & hell are one; in beautiful white hot flaming forests. Waste no time in contemplation. Leap into the dream. n Author Matt Duffy feels the force in the Vermont woods of Smugglers’ Notch (photo Gary Duffy) Rush the glitter. Blow it up & out and send it swirling behind. Don’t look back. Charge … Continue reading Feel the Force
Kaprun, Austria – Like a growing number of Brits, I’d been traveling to the other side of the pond for my annual fix of the white stuff recently, but decided I needed another holiday, this time a bit closer to home. I’d planned to go with my sister and her friends to Kaprun in the … Continue reading Kaprun-Kitzsteinhorn
Banff (AB), Canada – Go ahead. Tell your friends that you’re going skiing in western Canada. What will you hear? "Oh, so is this your first trip to Whistler?" Be more specific. Tell them you’ll be skiing in the Banff area. "Yeah, I hear Lake Louise has beautiful views." Then tell them all … Continue reading Sunshine Village: A Slice of the Alps in Alberta
Panorama (BC), Canada – There might be prettier vistas than the ones we had of Invermere, the 20+mile-long valley lake, nestled between the Rockies and the Purcells, the one Panorama’s literature calls “charming.” Perhaps lakeside splendor was just down the road, around a bend; or perhaps we were jaded. Several hours before, we’d been clamboring … Continue reading Panorama: Intrawest’s Other B.C. Ski Giant
Large snow removal trucks sped across the Calgary International Airport tarmac as a number of reporters piled into a small twin-prop for a quick, 30-minute flight to Golden, British Columbia, home of Whitetooth Ski Hill. The story which held everyone’s attention was the unveiling of a $200-million undertaking: the Canadian Rockies’ first new ski resort … Continue reading Watch Out for the Kicking Horse!