Join us on the Chicago Ridge Snowcat Tours and
experience the adventure and excitement of backcountry powder
skiing and snowboarding. We have over 2400 acres of treed slopes
and open bowls, terrain suitable for the advanced to expert skiers/riders.
We will take you as high as 12,600 feet in elevation atop the
Continental Divide. The slopes vary from 3000 to 10,000 feet in
length with vertical drops up to 1400 feet per run. Check in is
at the Ski Cooper day lodge. Please bring appropriate gear for
snow and changing weather conditions. This is a great opportunity
to rent powder fat skies from our rental shop.
Days of Operation
Mid-December to early April, snow permitting.
Hours of Operation
All Day
9:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.
Reservations
Advanced reservations are required. Young people under 18 years
of age must be accompanied by an adult and have the skill level
to handle the backcountry terrain. Full payment is required
at the time reservations are made. You can reserve your seat
online right now by clicking the dates you want to go on our
calendar below and clicking submit. Our reservations are easy
and safe. You deserve a powder day of skiing or riding!
Riding
in the snowcat is great! You can watch the scenery out the windows
or skylights, you can socialize with others, and you can listen
to music. The interior of the cat is comfortable and warm.
Minimum Age
No Minimum Age
All Snow Cat guests need to meet at Ski Cooper, the 2nd floor
of the lodge at 8:30 a.m. for orientation, and to sign a liability
release form.
Snowcat Tours
Fee Per Individual
Price
$275
Rentals $20.00 Rosi B-3 Skis or Snowboards (please be 15 minutes
early to get your ski rentals)
Due to deep powder, snowboards should be 160 in length for most
riders
All skiers should be on fat powder skis
Beacons are provided, shovels are carried by the guides
Color coding of our calendar:
Gray areas are dates that are currently unavailable.
White check boxes are for a one day trip/reservation.
Once you booked your dates for this trip, you will get a confirmation
email from the Chicago Ridge Snowcats Tours for your trip.
Road Map to Ski Cooper
You can use our Google Maps on the right side of this page for directions and drive times or these directions:
Ski Cooper is located at:
* 125 miles from Denver International Airport via I-70 and U.S.
Highway 24
* 135 miles from Colorado Springs via Highway 24
* 30 Miles from Summit County via Highway 91
* Approximately 35 miles from Vail This Backcountry
Adventure requires that you be
A proficient skier or snowboarder - comfortable on intermediate
runs.
In good physical condition.
Prepared for a variety of high mountain snow and weather conditions.
Meeting Time:
Meeting time is 8:30am or 8:15 if you need to rent fat powder skis. Please anticipate winter driving conditions and traffic to make sure you are on time.
What
level of skiing ability is required?
You should be a comfortable intermediate skier or above and
able to ski in control. We suggest wide powder skis for this
trip. Powder skis will make the skiing easier and even more
fun. Powder skis and larger snowboards can be rented the morning
of your Snowcat Tour.
What happens if some skiers are better than others?
We ski as one group with two ski guides. If there is a difference
in skiing abilities within the group, the sweep guide will do
his or her best to find an easier route for those that need it.
If you know how everyone skis/boards, you won't have to worry
about the pace. Less proficient skiers may skip runs as an option.
Weather
The weather can vary quite a bit from day to day and even hour
to hour. Please come prepared for the worst weather conditions.
The Snowcats are heated and will protect you from the elements
after each of your runs.
What is the terrain like?
We have 6 natural bowls to ski. We are best known for our deep
powder. We have open bowls above tree line, open gladed runs down
in the trees and lots of tree runs as well.
How big are the groups?
Minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12.
How many runs per day?
10 to 12 depending on the groups ability and fitness levels.
Food?
A fantastic hot lunch is provided during the day and at the days
end, we have a ap re' ski snack at 4pm.
This lunch is grilled swordfish, salad, rice, bread and gatoraid.
You can search all the trips that we offer:
Refund Policy
A full refund will be paid for any cancellation if called twenty-one (21)days prior to the trip departure. Shorter notice will be subject to forfeit of entire deposit. Please notify us of partial cancellations as soon as possible. Unused reserved seats will be charged 100% per seat.
For directions and driving time from where you are to where the Chicago Ridge Snowcat Skiing/Boarding is located/meets at, enter your starting point as:
City, State or Zip Code or Airport and click on our button.
What type of vertical can we expect?
The average vertical per run is about 800 feet. But we have runs
between 400 and 1800 feet.
How much snow do you get?
We average 250 inches or more than 20 feet.
Riding
in the snowcat is great! You can watch the scenery out the windows
or skylights, you can socialize with others, and you can listen
to music. The interior of the cat is comfortable and warm.
What
level of skiing ability is required?
Food?
