Where is Big Red Cats Located?

Big Red Cats is based at Red Mountain Resort near Rossland, in southeast British Columbia near the US border. Red Mountain is part of the Powder Highway of BC, which is renowned for great mountains and an abundance of quality powder, and is home to various cat skiing and heli skiing outfits.

Red Mountain is also central to the Selkirk Powder Triangle which includes Rossland/Red (and Big Red Cats), Whitewater and Schweitzer down in northern Idaho.

The meeting point for cat skiing with Big Red Cats is at the base of Red Mountain Resort (2/4430 Red Mountain Road in the Red Robs condo building). The snowcat staging area is about 15 minutes away from the office, and bus transport is provided (or you can drive yourself).

Gateway Airports

There are multiple gateway airports for Red Mountain, and you can search for flight options here.

Big Red Cats is just a 2.5 hour drive north of Spokane International Airport (in Washington State) which is serviced by multiple airlines, from where there are various shuttle services. If you fly in here and self-drive, you could include a little stop-over at Schweitzer Mountain Resort.

Trail Airport is 15km from Rossland and is only serviced by Pacific Coastal airlines from Vancouver.

Another close airport is at Castlegar which is only half an hour away and serviced by Air Canada Jazz with daily flights from Vancouver and Calgary. Flights here have the risk of being cancelled due to low visibility. Castlegar Airport is unaffectionately known as “Cancelgar”.

The other option is to fly into Kelowna International Airport, which is 3.5 hours away, and ideal if you’re also taking in some of the northern parts of the Powder Highway.


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Big Red Cat Ski Terrain

Big Red Cats has plenty of terrain with 19,300 acres (7,810 hectares) spread across 8 main mountains, which is about 8 times the size of the average for USA cat skiing operators. Whilst the size is a little under the average for BC cat skiing outfits, Big Red Cats has a massive network of 220km of snowcat roads, so all of the terrain can be skied. The size of the terrain is the equivalent of having access to 2.3 times the size of Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, and only having to share it with a small group, rather than thousands of other skiers who steal all your fresh lines.

Elevations range from 1,220 - 2,225 metres (4,000-7,300 ft) although most runs are in the upper two thirds, with an average run length of about 430 vertical metres (1,400ft).

The terrain varies significantly and includes mellow meadows, gentle gladed runs, steep trees, sub-alpine bowls, pillow lines, mushroom tripping, and plenty of other launching pads where you can get sendy. The amount of skiing/snowboarding depends on the conditions (so the amount of transport on the snowcat roads) and the speed of the group. An expert group typically gets 10-13 runs per day (15,000ft or more), an advanced group about 7-11 runs (10,000ft or more), and an intermediate group 6-9 runs (8,000ft).

Ability

The operation is large and with multiple snowcats operating each day, Big Red Cats can provide separate trips that specifically cater to strong intermediates, advanced riders, experts and also uber-experts (those that love to get cliffed out). These are ability levels for off-piste skiing and riding ie the ability to ride on a range of snow conditions which includes powder.

The first person to make a booking for a snowcat trip determines the ability categorisation of that cat. Enquire to check for availability by ability type and also to check that you’re the ability level you think you are!

The minimum age to participate in Big Red Cats skiing is 13, in part due to tree well risk, and those aged 13-15 must ski with a parent.

Snow

The Big Red Cats skiing terrain receives about 12.2 metres (40ft) of snow per season, which is significantly more than nearby Red Mountain Resort.

See the Powderhounds review of Big Red Cats for more information on the terrain and snow.

Safety & Guides

Big Red Cats put a lot of emphasis on safety and risk mitigation. Naturally with backcountry skiing there is always risk involved, but BRCs put a lot of effort into reducing this risk in the following ways.

• In addition to a lead and tail guide for each group, there is a mobile safety team on the mountain each day that assist with assessment of snow stability and weather observations, and can provide prompt support as required.
• All guides are qualified. Supervising guides are ACMG Ski Guides or Canada Ski Guide Level 3 qualified. Lead guides are Canada Ski Guide Level 2 qualified or ACMG assistant guides. Tail guides as a minimum have their CAA 1 and a 40 hour wilderness first aid, but often have CSGA1 and additional avalanche and first aid qualifications.
• BRCs has its own radio repeater to provide constant communications across the whole area, along with satellite phone. All guides and guests are provided with a radio.
• Big Red Cats are part of Infoex for the CAA so they share information with about 100 other operations in Canada every day in relation to avalanche and weather observations.
• Each snowcat has rescue equipment.
• All guests are provided with very high quality Mammut Pulse avalanche transceivers, along with a backpack with shovel and probe.
• The terrain and snowcat roads get to the top of the mountains so there are no large uncontrollable avalanche slopes hanging above the group.

Special Info for the 20/21 Season Related to Covid 19

As of 10th October 2020

If you need to cancel due to COVID, your payments are transferable and reschedulable to the next couple of seasons, but they are not refundable.

The Canada/US border is closed to tourists, one month at a time, and this closure has been extended each month, every month, since April. As we are now within 90 days of the start of the season, we are no longer accepting bookings from people who are not able to commit and pay in full, so we do not recommend that non-Canadians book until they know that they will be permitted to cross the border without quarantine. That may not happen this season, but we will send out a newsletter as soon as it is announced, if it does happen.

Liability waivers are mandatory, and will be done online in advance instead of meeting in the office in the morning. You will be advised of your group number in advance, so that you can meet your guides at the staging area or bus without going into the office.

Masks will be required while inside the snowcat.

In order to keep masks on in the snowcat, all food and drink will be consumed outside the cat, and there will be a lunch break incorporated into the day to facilitate this.

Mixed-groups will use a snowcat with clear vinyl installed between the front and back rows, with separate access doors, in order to compartmentalize groups into separate social bubbles and reduce contamination. Heaters will be installed.

Private groups will continue to use a snowcat without the vinyl divider unless requested.

Mixed group guests are requested to drive their own vehicle to the snowcat staging area in order to minimize interaction with others. Private groups can self-drive as well or take our shuttle bus, but masks are requested on the shuttle. Each group has its own separate bus.

In order to limit the number of people, a staff photographer will no longer be assigned to groups. Private groups who would like to request a photographer may do so in advance, for $375.

Our "Fresh Clubhouse" restaurant will have dinner by advance RESERVATION ONLY, and though we are licensed for 85 persons, we will only have up to 30 at a time this year (two snowcat groups), and priority will be for our cat ski guests. We will provide a 3 or 4-course set menu online in advance which will change each week. This way we can ensure the freshest ingredients as possible, and arrange staffing effectively. If we have more than 30 requests, we may have two dinner sittings, 5:45 and 7:15. We will be minimizing the amount of time that people are exposed to others by eliminating overlapping reservations. The restaurant is licensed, but if you prefer, you can bring your own wine, with a $10/bottle corkage fee. Take-out meals will also be available. Breakfast will also be available, with breakfast burritos and bacon and egg rolls and coffee available for take-out, or dining-in available by reservation, as tables will be limited.

Big Red Cats Terms & Conditions

Waiver

All guests are required to sign a liability waiver and assumption of risks document on arrival.  It essentially eliminates the ability for you to take legal action on anyone for any reason, so it is important to be aware of that.

Deposits, Refund Policy 

A 30% deposit is required at time of booking to reserve your seat.  The remainder will be billed to the card you authorized 90 days prior to your trip.  There are no refunds.  You may change the date of your reservation any time 90 days or more in advance of the trip, provided that space is still available.  After that time, date changes are only permitted if we subsequently fill the cat.

Your payment is for a cat skiing or package RESERVATION.  It is NOT REFUNDABLE IF YOU CHOOSE TO CHANGE PLANS, IF YOU ARE OFFERED, AND ACCEPT TO CHANGE DATES DUE TO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS, OR IF SOMETHING OUT OF THE CONTROL OF BIG RED CATS, SUCH AS AN INJURY, CANCELS YOUR TRIP.   Your reservation is NOT locked in until after we have received your payment.  Once payment is processed, you have the reservation, and the payment is irrevocable.

In the event that the weather renders the skiing conditions hazardous, you may be given the option to reschedule to another date in the same or following season.   If you evaluate your options and do not want to opt for a rain check, that is fine, we will take you cat skiing, though the terrain on offer may be limited, and the experience may be less than desirable.  However, if we do offer a rain check, it is transferable, and it is likely that is a good choice to ski at the resort instead, and return another day.  We understand that when there is a widespread melt/freeze crust, skiing on groomed runs is a better use of your time and money.  Please understand that we cannot control the weather and we will always try to operate, but the option to ski at the resort instead and change your date is the best "ski guarantee" we can offer.

If you have a full cat booking, and you would like us to consider moving your whole group to another date, and running 5 cats to maximize a powder day or avoid a weather disaster, ask us.  It may or may not be possible, depending on our staffing, but it is worth asking, if you're in the area anyway.  We normally don't schedule 5 cats in advance so that such changes can be possible.

When conditions are deteriorating, we may be going day by day, or even hour by hour, but as long as it is safe to ski, we will make every effort to do so.  Full rain cheques aren't generally offered until the night before - or sometimes the morning of - the trip.  If you need clarity several days before the trip, in order to change flights, we will sometimes grant rescheduling in the SAME season, or the following low season, several days in advance, so that you don't have to travel here.  Note that in most cases, lodging will NOT be rain checked into a separate season - it is usually possible to come and ski at the resort on groomed runs if cat skiing is not safe.  So be aware that if you choose not to come because of conditions, the lodging payment may be forfeit if you don't come in the same season.  Ask your lodging provider at time of booking for written clarification.

In the event that conditions deteriorate DURING the day, here is the policy:  If you ski 1-3 runs, and the entire group is offered, and chooses unanimously to depart, there is a 50% credit for a future day of cat skiing.  4-5 runs and there is a 20% credit.  If the group skis 6 runs or more, there is no future credit.  If the group isn't unanimous, it will keep skiing.

There is a 4-person minimum in high season and a 5-person minimum in low season.  If there are fewer than that booked on a day in all cats, Big Red Cats may not run that cat.  In that case we will ask if you can go out on another day, or if not, this is the only case when we will refund a booking, as it is a business decision.  (ie if there are 2 people in one cat and 3 people in the other, the group will be merged and we will operate.  If, however, there are only 2 people booked in total, the day will be cancelled and refunded).  The easiest way to avoid this, especially in low season, is to book a group of 5.

We do not require deposits for any expressions of interest in cat skiing before Christmas, until the snow is actually on the ground and conditions look favourable, as it is 50/50 whether we can take you out in mid-December.

We strongly recommend that all guests from outside BC have in place their own travel and medical insurance, including trip cancellation and evacuation. Remember that YOU are the only one who is responsible for your safety (and you'll be signing a waiver to acknowledge that), so if you fall over onto a buried tree stump and need to go to hospital, if you don't have insurance, or if you have a huge deductible, the buck stops with you.  We try to keep you safe and manage risks as best as we can, but some accidents are unforseeable, and accidents do happen. Hospitalization can quickly run into the tens of thousands of dollars.  It happens very rarely, but it can happen.

Note:  Cancellation insurance will generally NOT cover if we recommend that you reschedule your trip due to unsafe conditions or mechanical, but it will help if you need to cancel due to health issues, etc.  IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO RESCHEDULE YOUR TRIP WHEN THE WEATHER IS BAD WE WILL STILL TAKE YOU.  In that case we may ask you if you would like to mix things up with things such as on-mountain BBQ and bonfire, and airboarding, if the skiing is sub-par, but we will not cancel the day if you don't want to reschedule.  It is meant as an optional courtesy, and is not mandatory.

Average Vertical & Vertical Guarantee

On most days, intermediate groups will get 6-8 runs, advanced will ski 8-12 runs, and experts 9-15 runs.  There is no daily maximum, so you'll get more runs in in March than in January because the days are longer.

There is a vertical guarantee of at least 6 runs: A $30 future credit will be placed on your account for each run less than 6 if we need to cancel due to mechanical failure to help to lower the cost of a future trip.  If the day is slowed because someone is lost or injured, the vertical guarantee does not apply, as our safety focus cannot be compromised.  If you are asked to sit out runs because you overestimated your own ability and booked yourself into the wrong ability group, this will not apply.

Alcohol and Drugs

Alcohol and drugs are strictly forbidden while you are still skiing and riding, and you will be "benched" if you are found to be drinking from a flask or toking up behind a tree.  There is a $50 fee if you need to return you to the resort early.  Safety is our first priority and we want all of our guests to have all of their faculties while out on the mountain, and we don't want anyone putting the rest of the group in danger, or disregarding instructions, getting lost, and ruining the day for the rest of the group.

If you are prone to motion sickness, we strongly discourage you from drinking very much the night before cat skiing, as the cat ride can be quite uncomfortable for the hung-over.

You are quite welcome to bring some cans of beer or a plastic bottle to enjoy after the last run of the day while the cat is heading back to the staging area.  A cool beverage after a hard-charging day in the pow can be a beautiful thing - but do remember that there are 12 people in the cat...

Powderhounds Review Big Red Cats

The big powder hounds have set out a few times to review the big red cats. Cat skiing with BRC definitely got our powder hound tails wagging – it was difficult not to have a fun time! Big Red Cats is a fabulous all-rounder and we love it!

As a guide to the review ratings below, a 5/5 equates to absolutely phenomenal, 4/5 is excellent, whilst 3/5 is still a very good score. You can check out our cat ski ratings to see how Big Red Cats compares to other mechanized backcountry operations.

Pros

• Big Red cat skiing can cater very well to differing ability levels due to the separate snowcat trips. You can ride the terrain that’s most appropriate for you at a speed that suits you. This is a phenomenal stand-out feature of this operation, because getting stuck with guests of a different proficiency can ruin your cat skiing day (of course there’s no guarantee that someone won’t embellish their ability level!).
• BRCs is fantastic for strong intermediates, mostly because of the ability stratification. Despite this, don’t believe any rumours that all the terrain is a bit gentle for advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders – it’s not true! There are plenty of steep slopes and some “sweaty palm” lines and treats to huck off.
• This is a large and slick operation that is tightly and professionally managed.
• Safety is a priority. The guides are highly experienced and qualified, and use of guest radios that clip onto the backpack strap also make communications between guides and guests just that bit easier. In addition to 2-3 guides per group there is an extra snow safety officer on a snowmobile for backup. This guide assists in scoping out appropriate runs, snow testing, and support in the event of any incidents.
• Multi-day cat skiing packages that include accommodation provide great value for money.
• The flexibility is fabulous. You can choose a level of accommodation that suits your budget, and decide how much cat skiing versus resort skiing you want to do.

Cons 

• The area around Rossland receives a little less snowfall compared to some other regions in BC, and the top elevation is a little lower than the average for BC cat skiing. On the plus side, BRC will be honest about the snow conditions. They won’t BS you that there’s awesome powder when there’s not, and they offer “snow checks” when required.
• Unlike some lodge based BC cat ski operations where it’s only 20 minutes to your first run, with BRCs it’s a 15-20 minute bus trip from the office to the snowcat staging and then the cat ride. However it is significantly quicker to the first run compared to nearby Valhalla Powdercats.

Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective

• This isn’t one of those cat ski operations based in a remote backcountry lodge where you can really get away from it all. The major upside is that the lodging is significantly more affordable and you can enjoy the delightful town of Rossland (and the flexibility outlined above is possible).

Powder Snow
The snow quality and quantity at Big Red Cats is very good, but it’s not stupendous like it is with some other British Columbia cat skiing operations. The volume of annual snowfall is slightly below average for BC snowcat skiing. The top elevation is only 2,200 metres (versus an average of 2,370 metres across BC) and they seem to have more wind events and warm temp episodes than some other BC cat skiing further north. On the plus side, the terrain has a variety of aspects so the guides can generally fossick around if it hasn’t snowed in a while, and there are plenty of trees to protect the snow from the sun.
Overall Terrain
The size of the terrain is a little under average for BC cat skiing outfits, however many snowcat operations can’t access all their tenure because they don’t have the snow roads to get you there. This is not the case with Big Red Cats. The BRCs terrain size is generally more than adequate, but with up to 4 snowcats going out each day, it only becomes a problem if there hasn’t been recent snow. Whilst we always had fresh lines at the top of the runs, there were times when further down we had to ski over tracked snow. Having 14 guests (unlike many operators that only have 12) can also have a tiny impact of likelihood of freshies. The variety of terrain was excellent, in terms of the type of terrain, the length of runs, as well as the degree of challenge it provided. The unique characteristic of providing different snowcat trips for different ability levels is a major advantage. This gives intermediates an opportunity to go cat skiing, whilst experts can definitely go for it without being relegated to mellow slopes or a slow pace. Despite being a day operator where you can’t ski to and from the lodge, expert groups are still able to cover a decent amount of vertical.
Alpine Terrain
The “alpine terrain” is really mostly sub-alpine terrain, which is typical for most Canada cat skiing. Big Red Cats has a decent amount of sub-alpine terrain and it is generally pitchy and littered with lots of treats such as chutes, jumps and other rocky features. Even if the avalanche risk is somewhat high, the shape of the terrain and the presence of various ridges tend to allow access to parts of the open areas.
Tree Skiing
BRC has plenty of variety with respect to the tree spacing. Some areas have sparse vegetation where you can let the boards fly, some areas have tight trees to make it adequately challenging, whilst other zones are a happy medium with gladed trees. The pitch also varies significantly. Generally there was negligible traversing into runs, whilst often the egress involved a little bit of “transport” in tight trees. This is somewhat common with cat skiing (although there are a few cat outfits where the consistent fall line suddenly puts you onto the cat track).
Strong Intermediate Terrain
Big Red Cats has a decent range of mellow terrain with sparse vegetation that’s perfect for novice powder hounds. The segregated trips by skill level are an absolute super bonus for intermediates. The only downside is that the majority of the trips are allocated to advanced and expert riders with only a handful of intermediate trips per season. This is only the product of who books in first, so intermediates, get in and book your cat skiing nice and early!
Advanced Terrain
There is an abundance of fantastic tree skiing and sub-alpine terrain for advanced riders. It’s absolute ecstasy!
Expert & Extreme Terrain
Because Big Red Cats can cater so well to intermediates, it seems to attract a reputation amongst some cat skiers as having lame terrain. All fool them because this rep is eons away from reality. BRC has an abundance of steep terrain that will adequately challenge experts, but possibly not if you are (or think you are) a pro. Some short pitches fall into the “holy fxxx” category, and there are chutes and lots of features for air-time. The only downside is that the steeps are over all too soon, and many of the runs mellow out to a commute back to the snowcat road. Once again, the ability delineation is fantastic for experts. Sure there’s the chance that some bloke will overestimate his talents, but the chances of being disadvantaged by slow skiers or boarders is pretty slim.
Guiding
Big Red Cats have a large number of guides and they all differ somewhat. The old hands know the terrain intimately and all the nooks and crannies, and exactly where the leaping features are. The guides are generally fantastic at picking the right lines dependent upon the conditions of the snow and snowpack. We’ve had high levels of confidence in the lead guides with regards to safety aspects and provision of clear and concise instructions. On our last trip, the addition of guest lapel radios made it so easy for the lead guide to continue to provide instructions after he’d skied down, and for guests to speak to the guides. The tail guides barely had anything left to do, although Josh did a great job of adding some instructions and traffic management.
Snowcat
The snowcats are powerful and without heavy arses on them, they purr very quickly up the hill. The cat roads are also efficiently placed which contributes to a faster uphill commute. The cabin interior had a few rows of seats so some guests had to sit facing backwards. Another minor shortcoming was the side entrance so you had to get in and out via the tracks (which is hard for those us with short legs!), but there were two doors which adds to efficient loading/unloading. There was a little bit of storage, but more spots to put backpacks and helmets would have been handy. The cabin was bright and airy with great windows to appreciate the views, and the snowcat had insulation so we could chitchat to our heart’s content.
Avalanche Mitigation Strategies
As is common with high profile BC cat skiing operators, the emphasis on safety and avalanche risk minimisation at BRC was very apparent to guests in the field and openly discussed. Having at least one guide out there on a snowmobile testing snowpack stability is really impressive (and the snow pit analysis doesn’t cut into precious skiing time).
Safety Briefing
The safety briefing was very comprehensive, especially for a day operator, and the beacon, shovel and probe section included time for everyone to practise. To use time effectively, the other components of the briefing were conducted on the bus, and posters and cups in the snowcat re-emphasised the key points. And to supplement all that, BRCs have 7 safety videos that guests are encouraged to watch before arrival.
Frills
BRCs is not a glitzy cat skiing operation and there aren’t that many frills – you’re there to ski, not be pampered! The food is very basic and includes a simple sandwich, 2 cookies, a piece of fruit, and water (including hot water to make tea). If you like to snack a lot, you may need to BYO. The rental pool of skis is reasonably extensive and they have Rossi skis which seems apt in Rossland! It’s nice that there’s the option of heading to the restaurant next to the office for après ski drinks and if the guide has taken photos, you can check these out on the screen whilst chilling out.
Value for Money
The rates for day skiing are about the same as other comparable operators in BC, and you have to pay for any additional frills you want such as ski rentals, ABS backpack, breakfast, après ski drinks and snacks. Where BRC really comes to the fore with respect to value for money is with multi-day packages. Firstly the skiing is significantly discounted for 3 days or more, and the accommodation rates vary from budget to deluxe. Either way, the accommodation value is much better than what you get with a backcountry cat skiing lodge. The other bonus is that you don’t necessarily have to rent a car to get to BRC, unlike with some cat ski operations where self-drive is the only way to get there, and the rental car may sit around for days not being used.

Notes Regarding Review

The review is largely based on our experience, but also on discussions with staff, former guests, and information available on their website. Our review has some limitations as it’s not possible to ski every run and in all possible snow and weather conditions. Every guide is somewhat different and we acknowledge that everyone’s experience will be slightly different. The ratings are from our perspective only.