TR---- Monashee Powder Snowcats
Got back last night from a mid-late March trip to Monashee Powder Snowcats. We had unbelievable snow--- this may be just dumb luck but the guides said not totally out of the ordinary.
I'm posting this because I didn't find reliable info prior to my trip about exactly what to expect. Overall, the skiing was A+ due to the huge dump before and during our stay. The website calls for "advanced intermediates will be just fine" which I believe to be possible, but only if the rest of the group is willing to limit their experience to moderate stuff. Much if not most of what we ski'd would / should be classified as advanced-expert terrain with many very steep pitches and narrow runs through trees, tho most of the stuff had low density trees, not difficult for any advanced skier.
The big part: The lodging experience. While moderate in cost ($4,000 CDN for 4 days), I still consider it to be a pricey trip on a per-person basis. People who can spend this are definetly accustomed to a more up-scale experience than what they're about to receive here. All basic needs are met. The food program is OK. It's about the skiing, after all, however I was a bit surprised how "campy" it was. Guides / employees frequently walking around barefoot, finishes are very low-budget and you can tell Tom (owner) took pride in building the new lodge (2011?) in total budget style. Call me a snob if you want, I was surprised by the dirty dish bin and huge trash barrel (where you drop your dirty dishes etc) being placed right next to the food line. Not appealing. Also, when it's time to pay your bar tab at the end of the week, and your tip for the guides and staff, it goes straight into the owners pocket while you watch. Not exactly reassuring it will get distributed as hoped to the guides, but in his defense they all say he is very fair with them. Summary: The lodge and dining experience is far from 'gourmet' even tho they serve some gourmet-type items. The lodge is not super clean, the rooms are tiny and they have zero furniture other than beds. The basic needs are met, but this is a stripped-down program. AND THE SKIING IS FANTASTIC.
Not sure if I'll go back there, but will certainly go cat-skiing again. Maybe at MPS, maybe I'll shop around. If a budget-oriented experience is what you're after, by all means this would be the place. BUT--- don't be misled by the intermediate level dsicussion on their website, and if the snow sucks the lodge would be a long afternoon for sure. My gratitude to the guides who were amazing.
Enjoy it if you go, and share your thoughts here.
