Jonesing for powder? Think KAT skiing

Kate Bongiovanni

3/22/2011 1:52 PM

Six hours. Give or take, depending on how quickly your group assembles, debriefs with a backcountry and beacon operation lesson, and gets set up on state-of-the-art powder-perfect skis.

Zero lift lines. Talk about the best tour to be taking on a fresh-snow day when all the powder hounds are hitting run after run. Forget waiting in line—you have your own semi-private chariot, a snowcat, to drop you at the top and meet you at the bottom.

Twelve passengers, plus a driver. You’ll only find room for a dozen, the number of seats in the snowcat’s cab, on this backcountry tour. And that includes your guides. Imagine all the privacy and fresh tracks.

One bowl. Whether you’ve considered hiking into one of Keystone’s bowls—Bergman, Erickson, Independence, North, South—or you’ve decided those were best reserved for someone else, you’ll get that far-away bowl experience minus the hiking. 

300. The number of acres you’ll have access to that you wouldn’t otherwise.

One gourmet lunch. Who doesn’t get hungry when you’re skiing, especially when you’re hard at work in the powder? Your mind may not want to part from the terrain, but your body will thank you for this respite, complete with warm soup, make-your-own sandwiches, build-your-own salad, and a slice of cheesecake that I didn’t give second thoughts to eating. Hey, my body needed it after a morning full of powder shots.

Eight runs. More if you’re skiing fast and taking short breaks, less if you’re a little less of a speed demon or throw down a few yard sales, according to the guides. Those eight runs sound easy, almost relaxing, especially if EpicMix tells you you’ve ridden 20 lifts in a day’s work. But experience those eight with KAT and you’ll be singing a different tune. They’re steep. They’re powder plentiful—some of the deepest and longest runs at Keystone. And they’re exhausting in a good way—unless you fall, you’re advised to ski to the frontrunner guide’s break spot, which can be a lung burner.

$225. The price of admission for this write-home-about, bragging rights experience. Or, you can always wait in line for the $5-per-ride snowcat at Outback.

Two If By Sea. If the conditions are right, you could visit this run twice in a KAT outing. Why? Because it keeps going…and going…and going. The powder is amazing, the expanse is wide, and your legs are ready for a break only a quarter of the way down. It’s true—you want that seat on the cat when you finish that run.

Memorable? Yes. Skiable? Most definitely—even for the powder-shy like me. Workout worthy? Hands down—whether you’re only acclimating to the elevation or you’ve lived there for years, your legs work harder in this powder than they do on groomers.

Need more convincing? Check out this video for the real deal.

--Kate Bongiovanni