Snow Cat Skiing in the San Juan Mountains Durango, Colorado
For the extreme skier or snowboarder Snow Cat Skiing in the San Juan Mountains will enlightened them on what truly is epic Colorado skiing. This is a true adventure that requires great skill on the snow as well as knowledge of the back country. The guides at San Juan Skiing Company, will take great care of you, and they can lead you into whatever terrain you desire: steep chutes, tree skiing, or intermediate terrain.
As our team gets prepared for our day,
laughs and jokes are not sparse. Once stepping onto the terrain
and as the snow cat chows its path to pick us up, the atmosphere becomes
one of seriousness and excitement.
Mark, one of our guides shows us how it's
done as he bounces through 4 feet of deep snow. Molly's smile is
covered in snow. Snorkels were later given out.
(Above twotaken in succession) Brian
Bates represented the snow boarder in our group, dropped this 18 foot
cliff with authority and earned a big picture (below) on the site.
Brian Bates
(next four shots are in succession) Mark,
our guide, too laid down some air and brought down the house with it.
He too made it look easy and earned
his spot on the site.
(Picture 1) A close up reveals
that Mark will soon be buried in snow.
A nice sight at the end of the day,
as one is exhausted, the recovery wagon is a nice warm treat.
There are many acres of terrain to ski, it really seems endless. Throughout the winter, the best bet for skiing is January through April, with much of the better skiing in the spring. The guides at San Juan Ski Company will provide you with avalanche beacons and or any other gear you might need to evaluate or be safe in their back country. Trips are very reasonably priced and are worth every penny, making this adventure one of the most memorable. We can't say enough great things about their service, terrain, guides and overall experience.
*Feature written and photographed by Phillips, January 2003. All information was provided by Durango Mountain Resort.
GUIDE NOTES AND DIRECTIONS:
Juan Ski Company is located in Durango Mountain Resort. (See Durango Mountain Adventures for specific directions regionally). To get in touch with them via phone call: (970) 259-9671. To reach them via the web go to:http://www.durangomountainresort.com