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Photo Journal: Cat Skiing Monarch Mountain

Many folks think of Colorado’s Monarch Mountain as the least crowded ski area in the state. It’s tucked away along a remote section of the Continental Divide,  further from major travel corridors than anywhere in Vail Nation, and it receives 350 inches of snow per year. Pretty dreamy. But like the nearby town of Salida, which was a lonesome railroad outpost when several of Monarch’s current employees started work, the mountain has been put on the map by expanded opportunities for prime recreation. Namely—cat skiing.

Monarch’s snowcat accesses around 1,000 acres of backcountry-style terrain beyond the resort’s Mirkwood area. The Powder7 crew scored a prime day for our trip to Monarch at the end of March. Storm skiing in the morning gave way to bluebird soul turns in the afternoon. Out here, chutes, tree runs, bowls, and faces drop you to a number of pickups. The vertical is typically short—runs range from about 400-1,400 feet in length. But with the schedule, routes, and road maintenance dialed, plus a high-powered and surprisingly nimble snowcat, cat skiing Monarch means possibly scoring your best-ever day of hot laps.

The Powder7 crew scored a prime day for our trip to Monarch at the end of March. Storm skiing in the morning gave way to sunny soul turns under bluebird skies in the afternoon. In our giddy group-joy, we did manage to stop and snap some highlights.

The Gallery

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
Monarch’s cat skiing yurt serves as meet-up point, office, cafeteria, gear lab, and basecamp.

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
Inside the basecamp yurt, guides brief you on weather, snow conditions, and safety for the day. You salivate over your run possibilities.

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
Your day begins with a lift ride to the entrance to the Mirkwood area. Here, you check beacons and board the chariot.

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
Before each run, the guides talk you through conditions, boundaries, and the gameplan.

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
For the first couple runs, the guides get a feel for the group on shorter runs. For us, these runs were just as fluffy and raucous as the rest. | SKIER: Blake

 

cat skiing at monarch mountain colorado
The wind blows powder into a series of steep chutes. These runs kick things up a notch while still being wide enough to easily navigate. | SKIER: Chris

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
We party-skied our way through a stormy morning. | SKIERS: Sarah (top), Mike (bottom)

 

cat skiing monarch mountain
When the sun came out in the afternoon, we spooned soft turns down steep shots by Powerline. | SKIER: Justin

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
Monarch has been unable to open much of its cat skiing terrain this season due to lack of snowfall for cat roads. We didn’t mind. | SKIER: Justin

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
There’s enough terrain at Monarch for you to find somewhere to open the throttle and hit Mach 5. | SKIER: Blake

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
The snowcat stole the show on our day. Ask the driver for the machine’s special sound effect.

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
Powder7 people can be reasonable. We had so much fun that we let Mia get away with single-planking for the day. | RIDER: Mia

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
The chariot, in all its glory.

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
Along with open bowls and chutes, Monarch offers up some prime hippy-pow tree runs. | SKIER: Matt H

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
Dropping.

 

cat skiing monarch mountain colorado
What’s not to like about group vibes, party skiing, and machines that make cat noises?

Plan Your Trip

Learn more about Monarch cat skiing, and start coaxing your friends to join.

Want to see more highlights from the Powder7 team’s mountain exploits? Watch the video from our company ski-treat to Wolf Creek

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