Catskiing at Island Lake Lodge was on the agenda for the last day of our BC road trip. Also known as a cheap version of heli-skiing, cat skiing involves being transported to the most beautiful peaks in the remote backcountry by a snowcat with a passenger cabin.
The Island Lake Lodge, around 10 kilometers outside of Fernie, is one of Canada's best-known cat skiing providers thanks to its magnificent and extensive terrain. Scenes from countless ski movies have been filmed here and every year you can find a large number of pictures in magazines that were shot here.
We set off at seven o'clock sharp. A Pistenbully picked us and a few other day skiers up from the parking lot. The drive to the lodge, idyllically situated in the backcountry, took around twenty minutes. After an extensive breakfast together with the house guests, who usually spend three to seven days in this paradisiacal place, we jumped into the snowcats and off we went.
Unfortunately, we didn't have blue skies that day, but we did have Canadian Champaign powder par excellence. It must have been 30 centimetres of fresh snow when we started at 9am. Due to the visibility conditions, our guide Nick rightly decided to spend the day below the tree line. Right from the first run, our entire group went full throttle. The motto was to keep your distance, firstly because of the increased risk of avalanches, but above all because of the fluffy snow spraying up from the person in front.
The sparse forests, lots of tree trunks lying across and countless pillows make the terrain at Island Lake Lodge a real playground for ski maniacs. We completed around 12 runs that day. As soon as we arrived at the bottom, bully driver Mimi was already waiting to chauffeur us back up.
What else could you wish for? Powder, backcountry, a snowcat as a private cab and a nice cold final beer for a successful day and our road trip through British Columbia.
Conclusion for those who have followed all the reports of our road trip:
Kicking Horse: Small, but lots of short, steep runs.
Revelstoke: A gigantic mountain with 1700 vertical meters and a gigantic view.
Whitewater: A very special freeride flair: short runs, but numerous couloirs can be reached via one-hour hikes.
Fernie: The best ski area for anyone who wants to combine piste skiing and freeriding.
Island Lake Catskiing: A must. Legendary days of skiing with like-minded people in the BC backcountry.
Tip: If you want to embark on this road trip, you should allow at least 12-14 days. Then you can enjoy British Columbia to the full.
Text: Martin Hesse | Photos: Jessica Haupt
