Cat Ski 2011: Pow Day 5

Toe Pimp

Day 5 promised to be a new adventure in northern Idaho. It was our first time with Peak Adventures, and we had some early morning jitters as we drove the vehicles to the cat. There was a lot of dust and little snow, and we thought that mountain biking would have been a better choice than skiing. Lo and behold, we boarded the cat with three snowboarders from Washington and were pleasantly surprised to ascend into some pristine pow. Our three new partners in pow included a father/daughter boarder team from Seattle (Bob and Katie) and a solo boarder from Spokane (Tony). I was very happy to have three good boarders join our posse since I was no longer outnumbered by those salacious skiers. Tony the Tiger (as nicknamed by our crew) became my partner for the day and turned out to be an excellent boarder.

The Peak Adventures team proved to be very fun and professional. Ryan (owner and lead guide), Paul (guide), Ian (tail guide) and Phil (cat driver) showed us an unforgettable day on the mountain. The morning pow was light and fluffy, and although it got a tad crusty in the afternoon, we found lots of good stuff through the trees. I think all would agree that the best runs of the day were through an area dubbed “Ewok Village” which, like the name implies, was eerily reminiscent of the forest on the moon of Endor where the Rebels engaged the Imperial Army in “Return of the Jedi”. (Yes, I am a geek….May The Force Be With You!!!) The Ewok Village had perfectly-spaced trees that allowed each of us to rip hard and feel like a superhero (or at least like a Jedi on a land speeder). We did have some carnage that is partially captured in the photos. DK’s lips picked a fight with an evergreen branch and came out the loser, though DK’s fighting spirit was not diminished. Carl also took a spill that got captured on film by DK. As for the rest of us…..well, let’s just say that we were able to get back on our feet before a camera-toting onlooker could get a shot. The day on the slopes ended with some beers and good laughs on the cat ride back to the cars.

Back at the house, DK prepared an excellent salmon dinner (with Carl as sous chef), and we now look forward to our last cat day with our new friends at Peak Adventures. In addition, we want to introduce our official mascot for this year’s trip……DK’s adorable dog Cassie (see photo).

The last day awaits….