For a long time we stared longingly at this zone, painting tracks in our heads. In 2010 we finally added it - and its extra 1000 acres - to our tenure. A run down Railroad will see you ski or ride approximately 2000 feet of vertical down steady fall-line, and that’s before you’ve even hit the subalpine tree zone, one of the longest tree runs at Backcountry Snowcats.

High elevation, north facing, more terrain features than you’ll know what to do with: this is the radical Dental Basin. The peak tops out at 2300 metres (7546 feet) and the zone has snow that is colder, drier, and deeper than the rest. When nowhere else in the region has been getting snow, this stash will still have the goods.

On a bluebird day, the vast alpine bowls of the Lone Tree zone are the place to be. The zone boasts over 2000 acres and five bowls full of deep, frequently replenished pow. Easy cat access makes for lap after lap of good times on a sunny day, ripping down the open bowls or slashing one of many gully walls along the way.

Likely to be one of your most unique ski or snowboard experiences ever. The Black Forest or “Badlands” zone is 500 acres of loosely spaced dead trees, the result of forest fire. Especially good on stormy powder days, weaving through the jagged trees, gullies, and pillows of the Black Forest is a memorably surreal experience.

When winter storms are raging, Detonator Ridge and its epic tree runs offer amazing skiing conditions. You’ll find gladed runs, gullies, chutes, drops, and pillows, all just waiting to be shredded. This zone is a favourite amongst Backcountry Snowcats regulars.

With an impressively varied mix of terrain, Sunset Glade offers natural glades, rolling ridges, and some unreal lines, not to mention dreamy snow. It’s the best on sunny winter and spring afternoons.