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Still owned by ski bums, just new ones.

As of May 2023, High Sierra Snowcat is under new ownership.

Discover the Eastern Sierra

Professional backcountry ski guiding and snowcat access to backcountry yurts in the Mono Lakes region of the Eastern Sierra.

2

Backcountry Yurts

2

Snowcats

4,231′

Vertical Terrain

9,000

Acres of Terrain

350+”

Annual Snowfall

Good Times

Statistics

2

Backcountry Yurts

2

Snowcats

4,231′

Vertical Terrain

9,000

Acres of Terrain

350+”

Annual Snowfall

Good Times

Blower Powder in the eastern sierra
big mountain line off black peak
Ski tour Green Creek to Twin Lakes-51
Backcountry skiing Virginia Lakes
Clients stoked about High Sierra snowcats
Hanging out at the Backcountry Yurt in the Eastern Sierra

Choose Your Adventure

Join us for a professionally guided multi-day experience with snowcat shuttles, big lines, great food, our newly remodeled yurt, and exceptional service.

Now offering summer bikepacking, backpacking, and hiking excursions within the Stanislaus and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. 

High Sierra Snowcat & Yurt operates under a special use permit with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Stanislaus National Forest. 
usfs logo

“After a decade in the ski industry with experience from New Zealand to Alaska and everywhere in-between we realized;

We love taking people skiing. We love the Sierra Nevada. We love our cozy yurts ready to welcome you after a epic day in the mountains. Can’t wait to share this incredibly unique experience with you!”

Drew Layman & Tessa Andrzejczak
Owners/Operators

Overnight Yurt & Snowcat Assisted Backcountry Ski Touring

This is a unique experience, different from any other guided backcountry snowcat skiing. Our guides will take you uphill with a hybrid of mechanical and human-power to help you experience the best skiing in our 9,000 acres of terrain. This approach allows us to ski more vertical than you could possibly get solely on foot, while still feeling the sweet satisfaction of "earning your turns".

It’s the purest way to enjoy backcountry skiing and our guides are here to help keep you safe while we chase powder. This is an experience for the skier or rider who wants to explore the mountains in the most unfiltered way.

Afterwards, your group will stay at one of our two fully-equipped backcountry yurts. Our staff cooks up delicious meals for dinner, breakfast and your lunch for the next day.

Ready to explore the East Side?

Come ski terrain like the Green Creek Zone (pictured here) it has multiple chutes descending almost 3000` to the valley floor. The best cold powder can be skied here in January from the alpine right through the tree runs out of the photo lookers left.

Don`t forget use the code SKIMOREPOW at the checkout for 10% off trips in January
#HighSierraSnowcat #CatSki #YurtSki #BackcountrySki #BigChutes
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We think that Black Friday should last a whole month! Use code SKIMOREPOW at the checkout to get 10% off trips throughout the month of January!

Why wait for spring corn when there`s cold powder all January! Grab your group of 4 or 8 and book now to experience cold smoke in the Eastern Sierra. That means $495 per person for groups of 4 or $450 per person for groups of 8.

#HighSierraSnowcat #SkiCalifornia #SkiMammoth #CatSki #backcountryski
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THIS IS JANUARY! January at High Sierra Snowcat means cold snow and more options for high quality steep powdery cat laps on terrain that warms up later in the year.

#backcountryski #catski #skicalifornia #highsierrasnowcat #skimorepow
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So are we cat-skiing or ski-touring?

Really we are constantly combining both which makes High Sierra Snowcat unique! Some of our terrain is straightforward, allowing you to get dropped off and picked up by snowcat. But to access some of our steeper terrain this photo really sums up the flow. A high cat-drop with a short hike to the goods! Sometimes a short skin might be required instead of hiking. Such as the 20-minute skin to reach the north facing, mega classic Green Creek Couloir!

As we work with new techniques, such as snow-fencing in the alpine, we aim to be downhill only in the future. But for now bring your skins, and enjoy the big mountains of California’s Eastern Sierra!

#justgoskiing #skicalifornia #catski #backcountryski #yurt
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As winter nears, we’ve all got powder turns on our minds.

Trips are selling quickly and we are officially more than HALFWAY to being sold out this season! Our permit with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest allows us to bring a set number of guests into the backcountry each season and those spots fill up real fast, despite there being plenty of space available on the calendar.

Book now to reserve your crew’s High Sierra Snowcat and Yurt experience!

#justgoskiing #skicalifornia #catskiing #backcountryskiing #yurt
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We’re getting close! Midwinter is our favorite time of year at Virginia Lakes smashing powder in our easy to access cat terrain!

Due to its east aspect, January is the best time to get the maximum amount of deep powder turns in the trees! While spring lines are great too this is certainly an un-beatable feeling!
#highsierrasnowcat #skicalifornia #snowcatskiing #skimammoth #backcountryskiing
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What do you get from a trip with High Sierra Snowcat?

Our team of highly experienced and qualified guides are here to use the mechanical advantage of our Snowcats combined with a brief bit of skinning to get you to some of the most epic lines in the Eastern Sierra. After skiing all day, our trips include overnight lodging in our luxury yurt. Each guest will have a double bed with linens provided, a fun hangout space, room to dry your gear, and a sauna tent to unwind before another day in the backcountry! Our chef-designed menu provides your group with restaurant-quality apres and meals, along with snacks to carry to carry in your bag so you never go hungry.

Our trips cost $4000 per day for a group of 8 people, or $500 per person. If you don`t have a group of 8 skiers or want to make some friends, we have trips open to individual enrollment in January and February!

We get many questions about our `price increase`, so we`d love to discuss that with you! We have not changed the per-person pricing from last season ($3000 per day for 6 skiers), we have simply added two more spaces to the trip. To compare and give some perspective, a private lesson at Mammoth Mountain is nearly $1380 per person per day. If you look into the one other Snowcat Skiing operator in California, although they offer an amazing product, you`ll find that they ask for a higher price for a day trip without any meals or lodging!

We are proud of the experience that we provide and hope this clears any questions about the value of our trips.

Book now and secure your dates for this season! #highsierrasnowcat #skicalifornia #skimammoth #catskiing #skitouring
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With this incredible snowpack, our yurts got to stay out much longer than usual. Finally got a chance to take the yurts down and get ‘em in storage for the summer!

The process was just as easy as this reel makes it look 😉 Just kidding, we couldn’t have done it without the help of our friends @leveyez & @anzook

#yurtlife #yurt #highsierrasnowcat #skicalifornia #summer
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The cats might be put away! But we’re still getting out to play! The corn skiing after this record year has been amazing. Let’s hope that next year let’s us play just as long!

Keep an eye on your emails bookings should open very soon! #skicalifornia #highsierrasnowcat #yurtlife #justgoskiing #summerfun
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