RED Mountain Resort will expand its in-bounds ski experience for the 2014-2015 season with the addition of nearly 200 acres on Mt. Kirkup. This new cat skiing operation will act as a shuttle from Grey Mountain to the peak of Mt. Kirkup with seats sold on a first come, first served basis for only $10 a run with the purchase of a lift ticket or season pass.
“Backcountry cat skiing is typically around $500 a day,” says RED’s GM, Don Thompson. “We will be giving RED guests a taste of that deep powder experience for the price of a beer at some other resorts. Cheers!”
This cat shuttle will access nearly 200 acres of gladed tree skiing, inclusive of an additional three newly cut runs on the south side of Mt Kirkup. The terrain expansion has 1,600 feet of vertical drop, previously only accessible by hiking and ski touring. This area will be considered in-bounds terrain and be swept by the RED Mountain Ski Patrol. Rest assured, some of the patrollers will have icicles in their beards and big smiles on their faces.
Mt Kirkup is located just north of Grey Mountain, home to the massive 1,000-acre lift-serviced expansion for 2013. Terrain accessed by our snowcat will be a powder lover’s paradise, with intermediate to advanced runs delivering riders back to the new Grey Mountain Chair. Mt. Kirkup’s elevation is 6,772 feet, making it the second highest peak of the four that make up RED Mountain’s primary patrolled terrain: Red, Granite, Grey and now Kirkup.
“We are thrilled to offer this amazing new ski experience” says CEO Howard Katkov. “The Kirkup expansion will offer our guests a world class adventure, providing more unspoiled terrain for passionate skiers and snowboarders, including families.”
This is yet another significant expansion of RED Mountain Resort, adding 195 acres of new terrain which grows our inbounds and uphill serviced terrain to 2,957 acres (1196 hectares). Our expansion in 2013 was described as “staggering” by USA Today. The new cat-serviced terrain helps solidify RED’s reputation as one of the finest and least crowded resorts in North America.
The legendary Powder Magazine rated RED in the Top Ten for acreage of powder per person, and that was before this second significant terrain expansion.
RED now is ranked #7 in Canada in total terrain and in the Top 20 of all resorts in North America. RED has been on a major roll lately, receiving the World Snow Award for the most improved North American snow resort and best global upcoming resort in 2013. The Telegraph in London named RED “Canada’s hottest ski resort” and this year The New York Times chose RED as the lead story in its Travel section for the ski season.
