Typical Day

A typical tour at Chatter Creek starts at the heliport in Donald. Alpine Helicopters provides transportation to and from the lodge. Enjoy a spectacular flight and 20 minutes later you are greeted by Chatter Creek staff. After a brief orientation, start relaxing until dinner is served at 7:00 pm.

The First Day of Skiing

Guests awake at 7:00 am to the smell of our homemade bread and can enjoy our freshly roasted coffee or gourmet tea. A breakfast buffet is served from 7:15 am.  At 8:00 am, a safety briefing starts on how to use avalanche safety equipment, safety around the snowcat and on the slopes. The snowcats head out at approximately 9:30 am for a great day of skiing and snowboarding. Lunch and snacks are packed on the snowcats and can be enjoyed at your convenience through the day (we don’t stop for lunch).

For the majority of the season, the snowcats arrive back at the lodge at about 4:00 – 4:30 pm. At the beginning of the season with shorter days, the return time is slightly earlier to provide a reasonable safety margin. Upon returning to the lodge, you’ll be free to enjoy drinks in the bar, apres snacks, a hot tub, a sauna, relax with a massage or read a book in a quiet corner.* A delicious meal prepared by our chef will be served at 7:00 pm.

The Remaining Ski Days

Considering there is no morning safety orientation for the rest of your trip the snowcats depart at 8:30 am. Otherwise, the schedule is the same as the first day. We encourage guests to be prompt for departure and efficient with loading and unloading the snowcat. Being organized at pick-ups and drop-offs can make a significant difference in the amount of vertical a group achieves. Typically we’ll average between 12,000 and 20,000 feet per day.

On the final day of the tour, guests check out of their rooms before going skiing for the day. The snowcats arrive back at the lodge in the afternoon and guests fly back to Donald.