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Saturday, September 10, 2005

Chatter Creek News Releases

Click on the following links or scroll down.

1. Chatter Creek Expands Terrain
2. Chatter Creek Builds New Backcountry Lodge

Ski Photography by John Dougall

Friday, September 09, 2005

Chatter Creek Expands Terrain

Golden (BC), Canada - August 2005
The Government of British Columbia has awarded Chatter Creek Snowcat Skiing of Golden BC, a 108 sq. km expansion to its recreational tenure for snowcat skiing in the Rocky Mountains. This increases the total area of mountain terrain available to Chatter Creek guests to 238 sq. km. (92 sq mi.). At any one time, this vast area is shared by no more than 36 skiers and boarders plus their six guides.

Chatter Creek is known for virtually limitless powder skiing and its ability to provide fresh tracks every run. The expansion makes Chatter Creek one of the largest cat skiing operations and helps to guarantee an abundant supply of unskied snow, even in long periods of drought.



Imagine sharing all of Blackcomb/Whistler with just 42 other skiers. Now think about seven Blackcomb/Whistlers side-by-side, all under a thick blanket of powder snow. Or, imagine a ski area that is twice the size of Whistler/Blackcomb, Heavenly, Vail, Squaw Valley, Mammoth and Lake Louise combined. That’s what cat skiers will now enjoy at Chatter Creek Snowcat Skiing.

Located high in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Chatter Creek offers powder skiing between elevations of almost 10,000 ft and about 5,000 ft. Guests ski on the Vertebrae glacier, on long alpine slopes and bowls, on open cut blocks, in old burns and in forest glades. The relatively high terrain has a history of good skiing in times of “difficult” weather and the location just east of Kinbasket Lake places Chatter Creek in a very productive snow belt.

This is the second major announcement for Chatter Creek this year. The first was the January opening of Solitude Lodge, a 9500 sq. ft bedroom annex to Vertebrae Lodge. The combined living space for guests and staff at Chatter Creek’s remote Rocky Mountain site now exceeds 20,000 sq. ft. The lodges are large comfortable side-by-side log buildings hand-crafted from local materials. They accommodate 36 guests in double-occupancy bedrooms each having a private bathroom. Solitude Lodge provides a huge drying room for outdoor clothing and boots and Vertebrae Lodge provides a spacious dining hall, cozy sitting areas, a games area and a well-stocked bar that serves two hot tubs.

The expansion to the cat skiing tenure goes hand-in-hand with the expanded accommodation and the addition of a third 12-passenger Bombardier (Camoplast) Snowcat. With 12 additional skiers and riders pounding the slopes, the added terrain will permit Chatter Creek to maintain its exceptional standard of skiing.

The expansion to the cat skiing terrain comes in two parts, each lying adjacent to the original tenure; the "Spruce Pass North Addition" of approximately 16 sq. km and the "Lakeside Addition" of approximately 92 sq. km.

The Spruce Pass North addition opens up a new drainage to the north of Upper Lodge Ridge and Spruce Pass. This area comprises alpine and sub-alpine terrain between upper Lodge Ridge and the northern extension of Vertebrae Ridge. Chatter Creek clients are familiar with the south side of Spruce Pass. Now they will ski the steeper terrain of the northern drainage as well.

The Lakeside Addition lies in the Kitchen Range, west of the original tenure, extending almost to Kinbasket Lake. To the south, it extends to Bush Arm and, in the north it extends beyond the Chatter glacier, almost to the northern limit of the new Spruce Pass addition. The Lakeside Addition provides huge alpine bowls and a large amount of sub-alpine terrain.

Chatter Creek continues to enjoy the enthusiastic support of its clientele. In 2005, in a very difficult year, weather-wise, it adjusted well to the 50% expansion (from 24 to 36 clients) and filled the increased capacity. Over 800 Chatter Creek clients passed through Golden. Most spent at least one night in Golden and many partook in other Golden outdoor activities.

The owners and staff of Chatter Creek wish to thank their clients and friends for their loyal support and encouragement. We look forward to sharing with you the exploration of our exciting new terrain.

For more information, refer to the Chatter Creek Web site (www.chattercreekcatskiing.com)or visit the Chatter News photo journal (www.powder-skiing.blogspot.com). The Cat Skiing Terrain Web site (www.cat-skiing-terrain.blogspot.com) provides a detailed photographic tour of most of the 238 sq. km Chatter Creek tenure. To locate Chatter Creek, look at the Where Is Chatter Creek Web site.


Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges Ltd
Box 333 Golden B.C. V0A1H0 Canada
Phone: 250-344-7199 Fax: 250-344-2229

Glacier Skiing at Chatter Creek Snowcat Skiing

Chatter Creek Builds New Backcountry Lodge

Golden (BC), Canada - Monday, September 13, 2004) – Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges Ltd. (CCML), operating as Chatter Creek Cat Skiing, is competing a new ski lodge at its remote Rocky Mountain site, about 100 km. north of Golden B.C.

Solitude Lodge stands adjacent to the existing 9300 sq. ft. Vertebrae lodge to provide double-occupancy bedrooms and a lounge area for an additional 12 guests. All guests will share the dining and recreation facilities of Vertebrae Lodge, which will be renovated to expand its bar and games areas. The new 7600 sq.ft.lodge will be in operation in time for the 2005 snowcat skiing season.

CCML. provides backcountry snowcat skiing and snowboarding tours for powder snow enthusiasts. The addition of Solitude Lodge will permit Chatter Creek to host groups of 36 clients who will ski from three independent Bombardier snowcats. Two tours of 36 skiers will be hosted each week, during the peak season. Photographs of Solitude Lodge can be seen on the Internet at: www.solitude-lodge.blogspot.com

In conjunction with the construction of Solitude lodge, CCML will expand access to its 130 sq. km. tenure area by developing new winter roads into regions not previously accessed. This will provide ample new terrain to accommodated the additional skiers and boarders. An application is underway for doubling the size of the present land tenure to over 260 sq km.

Dale McKnight, President of CCML says, "Our guests will not only enjoy the high glacier skiing that Chatter Creek is famous for, but also have access to a significant expansion to our alpine and sub-alpine terrain. There will be more than enough untracked powder snow for everyone."

Solitude Lodge has the same rustic "round log" construction used in Vertebrae Lodge, with bedroom and ensuite washroom facilities built to the same high standard that guests have enjoyed in the past.

Next winter, CCML will host over 900 skiing and snowboarding guests. Most of Chatter Creek’s clientele come from BC, Alberta and the western USA, with significant numbers traveling from as far away as eastern Canada and the eastern US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Most guests book their Chatter Creek tours up to a year ahead and many guests return year after year. Guests visit Chatter Creek expressly for its well-known powder snow skiing, the homey atmosphere of Vertebrae Lodge and the friendly, high-energy staff.

McKnight estimates that 70% of his clients spend at least one night in nearby Golden, BC and many spend at least one day skiing at the local Kicking Horse Resort. CCML engages Alpine Helicopters Ltd. to provide approximately 100 return helicopter flights, transferring clients between Golden and the Chatter Creek lodge site.

For more information, please telephone 250-344-7199 or email information@catskiingbc.com or reference Chatter Creek's Web site at: www.chattercreekcatskiing.com
On behalf of Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges Ltd.
Box 333 Golden B.C. V0A1H0 Canada
Phone: 250-344-7199
Fax: 250-344-2229
Email: information@catskiingbc.com

Thursday, September 08, 2005

From SX3 and MCO to the Clamshell on Chatter Creek's South and West Sides