park city powder cats

PC Powder Cats is a great operation...knowledgeable and friendly guides, beautiful ranch setting, comfortable cats and good breakfast/lunch/snacks. We were lucky enough to be able to go soon after a storm, so conditions were great (and apparently the guides can usually find good snow weeks after a storm). With that said, here are the reasons why I only gave it 2 stars....1) Don't expect long runs; the longest of the day for us was around 900', with the average being closer to 500'. 2) It takes a LONG time to get to ski-able terrain; around 45 minutes plus. Admittedly this was a very poor snow year, so I assume that with more snow you could start skiing sooner on at lower elevation, but then the runs would be even shorter. 3) Do not expect extreme terrain. The most difficult lap of the day would be comparable to a Snowbird black. 4) Don't get there too early; it says 8:30, but we weren't driving off in the cats until 9:30. 5) Make 100% CERTAIN that you are paired in a cat with people with similar ability levels. The company advertises 7-10 runs, but due to poorly paired skiers we only got 6; lots of crashes and lost skis. Bluebird day, no difficulties driving, FRESH powder and a stable snowpack; I hoped for 7 at the VERY least. SOOOooo, to sum it all up; my experience at PC Powder Cats involved more waiting than skiing....not for the snowcats, but for the poorly matched skiers. BTW, they run multiple cats; so even though they operate on 40,000 acres, all of the most desirable terrain (upper elevation, North facing, steep) gets tracked out FAST. It was tough sitting waiting while watching all the lines my friend and I wanted getting shredded by other cats. TIP - Make sure your guide / cat driver takes the early left turn...it leads straight to the upper bowls...if you take the later left you start the day with SUPER short laps and lower angle terrain. Also, be prepared to keep your lines tight and neat....most of the day we were skiing in between the other groups' tracks, and sometimes over them; so it is NOT untouched powder all day. Basically, don't get your hopes up if you are an advanced skier....beginners and intermediates would have a blast. Our legs weren't even CLOSE to tired by the end of the day.

First, the employees were very nice, but we got there at 8 and were supposed to get going by 8:30. At 9:30, people were still standing around undressed and waiting for instruction. Considering this adventure costs $500 per person, I would have liked a little more urgency in getting the adventure started. Once in the cats, the snacks offered were stale - but plentiful. You certainly won't go hungry or thirsty on the ride. That day, it had snowed 20 inches after a month of drought - so everyone was excited to hit the powder. We were told we would not go to the highest elevation due to avalanche danger, but eventually, we went anyway. The skiing was wonderful, but the terrain is unchallenging as far as I'm concerned. The runs were so short, that I felt that I spent most of my time in the cat instead of on my skis. The skis, additionally, should be fat for powder. One man in our group had skinny skis (75 under foot) and we waited for him to dig himself out of the snow repeatedly before our guide offered him a spare pair. Most other cat companies offer skis up front on powder days. Finally, the lunch was decent...but eaten standing up outside the cat, and guests are expected to relieve themselves feet away from others who are eating. Quite disgusting, really. At the end of the day, I found the employees to be very distant and aloof. There is no desire for customer service here. The general attitude is that they are the experts who are obligated to show you a decent time, and they aren't happy about any of it. Save your money and spend your powder day at the resort - or hiking to your own levels.

Seriously, there aren't words to describe the experience. If you like sliding on snow on one or two planks then you will love PC Cats. The guides are excellent and they'll find you good snow even in less than optimal conditions. Incredible.

Despite having a low volume of snow this year in Utah our 3rd trip to PC Cats was awesome as usual. There is an emphasis on safety and the crews make sure the customers aren't over their heads when considering ability and the conditions. It's a bit of an investment but you'll get more powder runs in 1 day than you will get in 10 days at a resort.

We arrived to a simple, but very nice continental breakfast of yogurt, bagels, fruit, cereals, and drinks. The first cat-ride is lengthy to get into the mountains, possibly even 30 minutes. But with over 40,000 acres of ranch to choose from, the odds of good snow are excellent. Our guide said they have 11 bowls to choose from. They had been having a bad snow-year, but miraculously, they received enough snow the night before, and during the day that we encountered frequent pitches over one foot deep. The guides are very positive, and good at finding terrain that is appropriate for the group. We skied open bowls, open trees, and the occasional steep and deep. Lunch was simple but good, snacks and water were also served on the cat during rides up. Afterwards, there was a sushi plate and cookies (and hot coffee, cider, and chocolate). It wasn't cheap, but it was a great experience. They say you really need to go by mid-March. Do make sure to bring powder skis.

Although Park City hasn't had much snow this year, there was more snow than I could handle at PC Powder Cats. Last summer we booked a Sno-Cat trip for early February 2015. As the date approached we were apprehensive about the conditions, but that was silly. There was SO MUCH snow. The folks at PC Powder Cats will find the snow and they have a 43,000 acres to work with. Johnny, Becka, Kieth, and Jimmy were so nice, professional and kept us safe. Be careful though. This is not for most resort skiers. This is hard core skiing. You should be an experienced powder skier with advanced skill. We did bowls, trees, ravines, shoots, lips and flats. I highly recommend this company. It is all you could hope for and only a short drive from Park City. Thank you Johnny, Becka, Keith and Jimmy! You made it a lifetime experience.

Skied with Johnny and Eric last weekend and had an incredible time! Despite little snow for about 2 weeks they got us into some beautiful untracked pow all day! The terrain is awesome with glade, bowl and chute runs, and some breathtaking views. It's a high quality run organization that makes it fun and safe all at the same time.

Our group of ten, including 3 16 yr old boys, 5 men aged ~50, 1 man aged 38 and one woman aged ~50 had an excellent experience with Megan, Jason and Nick at PCPC. The snow has been fair/average in Utah, but this 43,000 acre private reserve was an extraordinary powder experience. It is an advanced skiing adventure and by no means appropriate for the beginner. We had 9-10 runs coming off nearly 11,000 foot peaks. The service was great, the staff extremely professional. Megan is a trained EMT (among a long list of other skills) and we just could not have felt any better about her and the rest of the staff. This is a 7-8 hour adventure that is well worth the begin investment. PCPC is highly recommended.

If you love powder skiing, or even if you have yet to experience it, this is the place. The terrrain, snow, staff, food and fellow skiers/boarders are first class. I've heli-skied in Salt Lake City and Revelstoke B.C. and this is hands down, the better overall experience. Yes, the scenery in Revelstoke is imcomparable, but riding in the cat is actually more relaxing between runs. You get to a chance recover between runs in a very comfortable enviroment. Have beeen here the past 5 seasons and plan to continue to do so. The staff are all very well trained, laid back and fun loving. This makes for a really unforgettable day.