# Big Red Cats



## thecadgod (Nov 2, 2010)

Tight trees, variable snow, and a really fast group made it really hard to get footage, but I was able to throw something together. If you are ever in the Rossland area, BRC is a GREAT operation, they have an tremendous amount of terrain.


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## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

Too bad you missed the big dumps we had in late Dec, but looks awesome


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## thecadgod (Nov 2, 2010)

kalev said:


> Too bad you missed the big dumps we had in late Dec, but looks awesome


Maybe next season, we will get that nipple deep cold smoke.


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## ctoma (Aug 9, 2011)

Looks like a lot of fun.

Neon pants dude almost backsided you @ :54


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## GregT943 (Apr 1, 2019)

Was this their intermediate or advanced terrain?


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## thecadgod (Nov 2, 2010)

GregT943 said:


> Was this their intermediate or advanced terrain?


The stuff in the video would be considered beginner to intermediate. I was lucky enough to rally 12 really strong riders, one of which was up there competing in the Freeride World Tour at Revy and KH. We did some very steep, very thick treed terrain. Started with some nice 5 foot drops and worked our way up to 10s. It sounded like if conditions are right, the group can hang BRC will take you all the way up to 20-30 foot drops. They had some great pillowey runs with small kickers. I cant ride with the GP on that stuff, plus it was acting up. Getting 2 days back to back with the same strong 12 riders was key Private cat is sooooo much better then a random mixed group...


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## RallySoob (11 mo ago)

looks awesome man, good job


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## thecadgod (Nov 2, 2010)

RallySoob said:


> looks awesome man, good job


Thanks! I see you are getting back on the wagon. Hopefully with this awkwardly short season there are some good deals on gear.


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## txb0115 (Sep 20, 2015)

Go to Baldface, Retallack or Chatter Creek and you won’t think quite so highly of BRC. Glad you had fun, but I went there once, was gonna do 3 days, bailed after the 2nd day. They were the most unprofessional, sloppy guides I have ever been with in more than 20 seasons of cat boarding in BC. Never bothered to go back on the “credit” they gave me for the third day I skipped. I value my safety far more than the $$ I lost.


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## thecadgod (Nov 2, 2010)

txb0115 said:


> Go to Baldface, Retallack or Chatter Creek and you won’t think quite so highly of BRC. Glad you had fun, but I went there once, was gonna do 3 days, bailed after the 2nd day. They were the most unprofessional, sloppy guides I have ever been with in more than 20 seasons of cat boarding in BC. Never bothered to go back on the “credit” they gave me for the third day I skipped. I value my safety far more than the $$ I lost.


They under new ownership now, not saying that changed much, but I had a great time and felt safe. I got Baldface coming up in a couple weeks, hoping conditions improve. BF, Ret and CC are all multi-day operations, I don't know why but I like day ops... Any good recommendations for spots that offer single days?


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## txb0115 (Sep 20, 2015)

Baldface Valhalla is a day op. Other than that, no, I’m on the opposite side of the spectrum. I hate wasting time driving to the op in the morning and the usually long initial cat ride to the first run. If I haul my ass all the way up to BC, I prefer the all inclusive, you get more runs per day, don’t need to be up as early, and generally don’t need to worry about anything. Getting up in the morning, taking a minute walk to coffee ready to go from the staff along with breakfast at your leisure and then stepping outside at 8:30 into a waiting cat and then doing your first run 10 mins later is much more appealing than all the extra steps that come with day ops. Plus, at all inclusive multi-day ops, I’ve met a lot of life long friends, when you spend 4 days at a lodge in the middle of nowhere you get a lot of time to chat a get to know the other peeps. Then you all rebook for the same trip next year and then next thing you know you’ve been snowboarding with those peeps for a decade or so every year, and then meeting up for other trips or summer time things like Mexico or cruises.

YMMV


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## GregT943 (Apr 1, 2019)

The reset never happened. It hasn't snowed in Rossland for 6 weeks. Red mountain is rock solid with barely edgable hard pack. Red mountain is bad right now even by East coast standards. Big Red Cats contacted me yesterday and highly recommended I pushed my reservation to a different day/season. Everything is just crusty wind blown refrozen garbage. I wish they just canceled and told me they weren't going to refund me so that my travel insurance would just cover it. So now I have 2 cat spots I have to use within the next 3 seasons. Luckily it snowed a bit up in Nelson and they are much better off than the Rossland area from what I was told today.


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## thecadgod (Nov 2, 2010)

txb0115 said:


> Baldface Valhalla is a day op....other trips or summer time things like Mexico or cruises.
> 
> YMMV


Going give BF a go this season, hopefully conditions improve up there.



GregT943 said:


> The reset never happened. It hasn't snowed in Rossland for 6 weeks. Red mountain is rock solid with barely edgable hard pack. Red mountain is bad right now even by East coast standards. Big Red Cats contacted me yesterday and highly recommended I pushed my reservation to a different day/season. Everything is just crusty wind blown refrozen garbage. I wish they just canceled and told me they weren't going to refund me so that my travel insurance would just cover it. So now I have 2 cat spots I have to use within the next 3 seasons. Luckily it snowed a bit up in Nelson and they are much better off than the Rossland area from what I was told today.


So sorry to hear that Greg.


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## txb0115 (Sep 20, 2015)

thecadgod said:


> Going give BF a go this season, hopefully conditions improve up there.


Valhalla or Lodge?


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## thecadgod (Nov 2, 2010)

txb0115 said:


> Valhalla or Lodge?


The OG Lodge, that you need to heli to from Nelson... Pretty excited been on the waiting list for a decade.


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## txb0115 (Sep 20, 2015)

thecadgod said:


> The OG Lodge,


You're gonna be stoked. Baldface always delivers. 

Here's a little longer edit from my trip this year. I only took video one day, so not the best ever, but still shows what it's like..


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## GregT943 (Apr 1, 2019)

So Nelson was awesome. They had plenty of snow. I highly recommend Kootenay Backcountry guides. Judson, the owner actually contacted me a few days before we were going out with them and had to cancel one of my days due to the guide who was scheduled to take us out coming down with Covid (he gladly refunded me the one day, unlike Big Red Cats). So we ended up doing some back country split boarding with Judson himself and tail guide Max. We had an awesome time and got some great tree runs in untouched knee deep + powder. My wife definitely struggled with the learning curve of snowboarding in deep powder and Max was amazingly patient with helping her back up many times. They also guide on splitboards. If the clients are on splitboards, then so are they, which is cool. I will definitely return to Nelson and go with them again. White Water is a really cool mountain as well. It's a small mountain by west coast standards, but tons of awesome terrain, great snow, no lines, lots of easily accessible awesome terrain. I will definitely return to Nelson.


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## thecadgod (Nov 2, 2010)

GregT943 said:


> So Nelson was awesome. They had plenty of snow. I highly recommend Kootenay Backcountry guides. Judson, the owner actually contacted me a few days before we were going out with them and had to cancel one of my days due to the guide who was scheduled to take us out coming down with Covid (he gladly refunded me the one day, unlike Big Red Cats). So we ended up doing some back country split boarding with Judson himself and tail guide Max. We had an awesome time and got some great tree runs in untouched knee deep + powder. My wife definitely struggled with the learning curve of snowboarding in deep powder and Max was amazingly patient with helping her back up many times. They also guide on splitboards. If the clients are on splitboards, then so are they, which is cool. I will definitely return to Nelson and go with them again. White Water is a really cool mountain as well. It's a small mountain by west coast standards, but tons of awesome terrain, great snow, no lines, lots of easily accessible awesome terrain. I will definitely return to Nelson.


Glad you had a good time after all!!!


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## GregT943 (Apr 1, 2019)

Also if anyone is interested in 2 spots for Big Red Cats that can be used anytime in the next 3 seasons let me know. I'll sell my 2 spots for a discount to you. No restrictions on dates, can be used for any group cat.


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## Powdertrax (Jan 28, 2018)

Speaking of Red Cats anyone else ever hit up Steve at Peak Adventures in northern Idaho. Here’s a pic of one of his first cats, hella good times for a number of years at Peak


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## smellysell (Oct 29, 2018)

Powdertrax said:


> Speaking of Red Cats anyone else ever hit up Steve at Peak Adventures in northern Idaho. Here’s a pic of one of his first cats, hella good times for a number of years at Peak
> 
> View attachment 162255


That's not too far for me... 

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk


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## Powdertrax (Jan 28, 2018)

Peak is sadly no longer in business, Steve and his family decided to sell the business to a young couple from Colorado or Utah and part of the deal was that Steve would show them how to run the business for one season.

Well after that season the state of Idaho shut them down because of a “endangered“ badger or something. Steve mentioned that in all 16 years of owning the business he never even seen foot prints much an animal.

I felt sorry for the couple because they invested a ton of money because it wasn’t only the business they bought. The sale included Steve’s house, huge shop, couple cats and on top of that the couple had purchased a newer high end cat.

I sure wished it was still there, Steve being a former pro rider for Burton and toured the world with Craig Kelly he knew what it took to run a fun backcountry business.


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## smellysell (Oct 29, 2018)

Powdertrax said:


> Peak is sadly no longer in business, Steve and his family decided to sell the business to a young couple from Colorado or Utah and part of the deal was that Steve would show them how to run the business for one season.
> 
> Well after that season the state of Idaho shut them down because of a “endangered“ badger or something. Steve mentioned that in all 16 years of owning the business he never even seen foot prints much an animal.
> 
> ...


Sad

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## Powdertrax (Jan 28, 2018)

Yes 


smellysell said:


> Sad
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk


yes it was, some of my best days riding were on our trips to PEAK. Steve’s policy was you get a minimum of eight runs but depending on the group if you can ride longer we will. It wasn’t uncommon for us to get 15+ runs in and the last one being at sun down.

One year there was about 7-8 of us boarders and 3 beginner/intermediate older skiers. We had just finished our fourth run and the three of decided they were done for the day and we’re going to sip on some beers until we’re all done. When we reached the top of our next run I mentioned to the group that if they think we’re leaving early cause they’re done, it’s going to be a long day for them and it was, we made 11 more runs and they were pissed but they weren’t going to ruin our stoke 🤙


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