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Dave and Cindy run an excellent operation. it was just as nice and clean and well run as SME and Sorcerer Lodge, where I have skied out of recently. The Mistaya Lodge backcountry ski terrain is in the remote Wildcat Basin, with a 40-mile Heli flight from Golden BC at 2040 meters near tree line. You get the entire Tenure to yourself of course, and the guides will know where to go. The food is too good to be true. The bedrooms were really clean and nice, with some privacy and even some full-size beds. There are two bathrooms on the same floor as the bedrooms, which have hot and cold water plus full-service toilets. We took showers in a really nice sauna room building, which Dave and his staff kept supplied with the wood burner and water on tap. You go in a private shower stall with a bucket of hot water and drop a pump in the bucket. Flick the switch and the shower head serves the water.
The Mistaya Terrain is huge, holding every slope aspect to choose from. There are mellow tree runs all around the lodge, and many summits above them with unreal views of only more mountains in every direction. There were at least 5 major active glaciers within an hour skin of the lodge, which were really wide and served up that perfect 30-degree slope angle for the most part. Of course, there were steeper roll overs on the glaciers, but we didn’t get too rowdy. The snowpack this year was shallow with a fat layer of Facets stuck at the bottom for the entire season. Luckily, we had over 8′ of snow depth on the glaciers and got to travel unroped the whole time. And as you can see from my pics, the end of the trip really got that clear blue sky. We enjoyed the stormy days too however, and the visibility while skiing wasn’t as bad as these pictures may seem. I spent 7 weeks in BC this season, including 4 different lodge weeks.
Here is copy paste from their website:
Guests at Mistaya Lodge have guided skiing included in their vacation package. Each day, our ski guides and guests discuss terrain, snow characteristics, weather forecasts, and the group members’ interests and abilities. These discussions provide the basis for planning a fun, safe ski touring day that suits the weather, the snow conditions, and the guests. It is common to climb 4 different summits during a week’s stay, and your daily vertical will depend on that day’s terrain. On average, daily verticals range between approximately 3,000 to 5,000 feet. With one or two certified ski guides and an experienced apprentice skiing, every day we can accommodate differences in skiing abilities and individual interests within a group, depending on group numbers. We can also offer clinics in ski touring, powder skiing techniques, snow science, glacier travel, geology or other topics of interest when requested. Avalanche transceiver instruction and practice is provided for all guests before we hit the slopes on the first day!
Mistaya Lodge, sitting at 6700’, provides convenient access to intermediate to advanced powder skiing, including open tree skiing and spectacular glaciated terrain. The extensive alp lands and glades on the west-facing slopes near the lodge are relatively gentle and free of avalanche hazard, ideal for intermediate skiers with limited back country experience. The north and east aspects feature varied terrain, providing many exciting options for intermediate to advanced skiers, whether on telemark or Randonnée (alpine touring) equipment. Several of the peaks over 9000 feet (2700m) which surround the basin are accessible via straightforward ski and scramble routes. On those snowy days when visibility is limited on the glaciers the basin is blessed with abundant and varied tree skiing. The Wildcat Creek Basin is a Mecca for backcountry skiers from mid-December until early May. During the winter, moisture laden storms tracking eastward across British Columbia release most of their moisture content as they are forced to rise up the west slope of the Continental Divide. These frequent up slope snowfalls in the Wildcat Creek Basin provide us with abundant dry powder, averaging between 6 and 11 meters of new snowfall each winter. Although we certainly cannot offer guarantees regarding the snow conditions during your stay with us, we have found they are very good to excellent the majority of the winter, and the powder is all yours! No helicopter skiing or snowmobiling takes place anywhere in the Wildcat Creek Basin during your stay.
Looking for awesome ski and splitboard tours in the Sierras? We’ve got write ups on many common and uncommon tours curated by the owner of the BackCountry, Mike Schwartz.
