2020–2021 Season Outlook
Ahoy, Powder-chasers!
I imagine I left this seasonal missive till the last minute, but alas, it’s nearly the end of 2020, and I know you’re used to last-minute by now.
Up here in the fresh flow, we’re ready to go! We’ve donned our custom PPE, and there’s twenty eager folks locked ’n’ loaded…for pow! Last season ended on a great tear, and we’ve geared-up big ever since: We’re going full-bore with avalanche classes starting today (Dec. 12), there’s a bigger fleet of fresh Polaris sleds, and a new, longer snowmobile tour. The cats were nicely redesigned for increased cabin air-flow, heli-skiing is “green light”—and now the whopper besides the chopper: our newest bff’s, The Powderchasers, say La Niña should bring us lots of pow!!!
I hope my note finds you well and healthy! Our family here at Selkirk Powder extends our sympathies to any and all affected by this horrific pandemic. May there be flow in our little spaces of powder this season.
Sincerely,
Ken & Ronnie, Alix, James, JG, JR, Hershey, Keen, Kevin, Kyle, Tim, Sage, Brock, John, Johnny, Ben, Carrie, Drew, Loyel, Ryan, and Emma Peel
(Visit our “About Us” page)
Flight-flow is a “green light”
We were stoked to get the call from our helicopter partner of 2019, South Coast Helicopters, pictured here with their Bell 205. They will be bringing a smaller, more agile, Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil light-utility helicopter up from California in mid-January. This airframe seats 4 in the rear plus guide and pilot. We will limit the customer group size to 8, and it will fly with as few as 2 paying riders when the ridership is low.
Since we are in a time of crisis for some, Ronnie and Alix in Reservations will be able to offer guests the option of turning small groups into privates with a “reasonable” up-charge. We’re ready to make 2021 special; are you?
Avalanche education
You can now take in-house Avalanche Rescue, Level 1, and Level 2 avalanche courses with us. After 4 years of getting guides trained and certified, we became an AIARE Provider (American Institute for Avalanche Research & Education). A “provider” designation is similar to a franchise and involves thousands of dollars and lots time for instructor certifications.
We are so proud of Kevin Stolbrock, our AIARE Program Manager, and John Reese and Jason Keen, our instructors. Please keep them busy!
Snowmobiling
We were accepted into the prestigious Polaris Adventures program! As a Verified Outfitter, we will receive 16 new—and most-dialed—Indy trail snowmobiles all with the backing of the team of adventure experts at Polaris. The new sleds will be a Christmas-time present, so to speak, so if you’re riding with us between late-December and April, you’ll have new sleds and smooth trails!
OBTW: We’re launching and selling through a new tour, our longest yet: The Mooseknuckle Rendezvous. This new adventure will get you all the way to the edge of Priest Lake, and just like the views and smiles, the hand-crafted burgers are huge!
Cat skiing
Our bread and butter is getting exposed, but it always remains fresh! We’ve decided to put our stamp on the Middle Fork drainage with a ski map of the 78 named runs that everyone has come to rave about but had no clue where they were or what to call ’em.
Speaking of more snowcat improvements: To increase the ventilation in the confined area of the snowcat cabins (100″ × 100″ × 100″), we have added big, opening windows, on the passenger side’s leading and trailing ends. In this season of the pandemic, please remember when entering cabins, and always in the presence of your guides, to don your ski masks.
La Niña
We’ve made fast friends with the pow meteorologists who are Powderchasers. The big-brainiac Steve out of Boulder is really a Vermonter; Luke in Bozeman is really another super-smart ripping rider, skier and scientist transplanted from…yep, New Hampshire! With pedigrees like Ken’s, we were told they’re to be believed! OK, OK—read their forecasts for yourself :) (and check out our current conditions)
Happy Holidays & Merry New Year!