Snowcat Adventures

This story was sent in by AdventureDad Doug and his son.  Once again, the two of them have mastered the art of finding opportunities on the slopes!

An Opportunity to Ascend

“Hey Dad, can we ride the Storm King lift and make some turns in Spaulding Bowl?” That was the request of my son Jordy, a 12 year-old who likes to ski steep, ungroomed terrain, just like his dad. I agreed to his plan and we headed up the first lift, and then the second, only to learn that the surface lift was out of order. Bummer. But wait, it was Christmas weekend and the Copper Mountain Ski Patrol was not about to disappoint us or the rest of the eager skiers seeking this prime part of the area. To our delight, we found them running two snowcats up Spaulding Ridge, and we hopped in line for this rare treat of an enclosed trip to the top. When the huge machine showed up, we stowed our skis in the rack on back, and climbed in to the comfy seats for the five minute rocking ride. My smile and excitement fed Jordy’s, and we piled out, put on our gear, and skated to the cornice of a run called “Patrol Chute,” the steepest on the mountain, to celebrate our first-time up via a snowcat, and our first run of the day in honor of the crew who made it possible.