Diva Ski Tips

Ski good or eat wood. That’s only one of two mottos for White Grizzly Adventures , a cat skiing operation based in tiny Meadow Creek, British Columbia.  The other motto is considerably less family-friendly. I was a little excited to see the lodge sign... I should say, this was my first time ever cat skiing – it’s quite the splurge but can truly make a ski vacation a vacation – no worries, just lotsa skiing and eating (yes, we had sushi for lunch in the snowcat one day!). Appetizers.  Seriously.  The first question Carole asked when I called to give them my credit card - I’d already filled out about 3 pages of forms online! - was whether I’m an expert skier.  Did I know they ski steep, tight trees most of the time?  Did that sound fun?  Am I fit enough to ski a whole day without getting exhausted and increasing my chance of injury?  Um, yeah!!!  Epitome of a 'tree bomb'. Without a lot of wind, snow piles at the top of trees can be a pr...

I almost don’t want to write this.   I had so much fun that I want to keep these places secret.   But in reality, I recently got back from one of the best ski trips I’ve been on in a while. And I don't even think it was because we had such a short and marginal season in the East. Where I was and why you should go: It’s easy to fly into Spokane.   Make sure you have your passport to cross the border on the 2 ½ hour drive to the picturesque yet lively town of Nelson, British Columbia.   They love their coffee and food here.   Perched on an improbably beautiful lake – Kootenay Lake, in the mountain range of the same name, the locals resort – Whitewater - is a mere 20 minutes from town.    You’ve never heard of it, right?   Me either before I started my planning in February. Kootenay Lake I love Whitewater.   With three somewhat rickety lifts - all repurposed (read-as – bought from other resorts), a beautiful day lodge, reasonable...