 There aren't many cat skiing operations as dialed as Cariboo Cat Skiing. Photo courtesy of MEGAN GIBSON |
VALEMOUNT, BC — AC/DC is Terry Cinnamon's favourite band. He has taken his kids to see them twice. He is also the owner and operator of Cariboo Cat Skiing, a first class cat skiing operation in Valemount, BC. Terry has been in the ski business over 20 years and has two BR 275 snowcats that he operates (and named after his two oldest kids, Tat and Harry).
Terry greeted me in the dark parking lot after a short drive from Jasper. We basically arrived at the same time we left, with BC being an hour behind Alberta. He lead us to the back of his family's beautiful log home. I was greeted by Matt Reynolds, Terry's lead guide, who handed me a beacon and asked if I needed fat skis for the day.
After a quick safety talk, I was out recovering the beacons the guides had buried for the benefit of the guests. Terry was sporting his tie-dyed Robson Rafting shirt, another family business, and a winter international trucking hat. His eyes sparkled, because he knew there was an epic day ahead of us and he was stoked to take us to the endless powder that lies in the Mica Mountain range.
 Can you tell if Megs (as we call her) had a good time?. Photo courtesy of MEGAN GIBSON |
I hopped in the truck with him and we barreled up a logging road to the lease of 19,760 acres of varied terrain, tree skiing, and wide open bowls. I have been fortunate enough to have skied with Terry for the past three years and every year I ski a different part of the mountain that blows my mind.
This year it was the North East Side of Mica Mountain and a run called Tiny's Dream, a long open bowl that continuously opens more and more until you reach the bottom and ski onto the cat track. This run is named after a friend of ours, Chris Doyle, who died too soon in life due to cancer. I saluted the heavens as we took a much needed break half way down the run.
The snow was incredible! It felt like dancing on clouds. Even now, writing this, I'm giddy like a little girl on Christmas morning and can't imagine any place I would rather be.
Each time we finished a run I high-fived Terry, who was driving the snowcat and grinning from ear to ear. Terry and the guides loaded us into the cat and we journeyed along the cat track to the pizza hut. Yes, a pizza hut in the middle of the backcountry!
 Pizza. In the cat. No, that's not a typo. Photo courtesy of MEGAN GIBSON |
Terry made his own pizzas for his guests, served hot out of his portable pizza oven and eaten right inside the cat. A pizza party was just the deluxe touch to an already perfect day. We climbed to our final descent, smacking our lips and laughing about the moments we had that day.
Our final run was the North Bowl. It has the grandaddy of all the terrain and offerred us a beautiful view of Mount Robson in the backdrop, the tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. We skied steep and beautiful undulating terrain right to where we parked the trucks that morning. There, Terry greeted us, carrying a snowmobile on the front of the snowcat. Just another of the many cool contraptions he has that makes his operation as smooth as it is.
We cracked a beer in the parking lot with former strangers, now friends, through the incredible bond of powder skiing and laughs. With a beautiful wife, three kids, two dogs, too many cats, and chickens, Terry knows how to live. He has a gem here in the Valemount valley, and if you are in the area, stop in because there is nothing Terry would love more than to take you cat skiing. It will change you somehow, and make you appreciate the fact that you can shred.
Visit www.cariboocatskiing.com for more.
Nelson's Whitewater Ski Resort is one of our favourites, and this episode of the Snow Show will demonstrate why. Read More
Rossland, British Columbia, home to Red Mountain Resort, is a town that is stoked in ski history. Read More
Our digital coupon book saves you money on accommodations, gear, restaurants, and more. Also available in our app! Read More
Not sure what resort to visit next? Our Resort Recommender will tell you where to go, based on what you want. Read More
SITE FEATURES
19046 cm
YouTube
LinkedIn