About Us

The Chatter News is a ski Weblog (blog) that provides an independent client's perspective on snowcat skiing and boarding and lodge construction at Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges Ltd. The links at the top of this window open the Chatter News and number of related photo galleries and information sites.

From time to time the Chatter News may publish reports about skiing-related issues not concerning Chatter Creek. All content is selected at the discretion of the editor. The purpose of the Chatter News is to provide an informal glimpse of Chatter Creek not necessarily provided by the company Web site.

The editor of the Chatter News is a Chatter Creek client, an unabashed Chatter Creek supporter and a Chatter Creek group organizer who puts together an annual cat skiing tour for friends and associates (it's like herding cats). After taking his group to another cat skiing operation in BC for a number of years, he has settled on Chatter Creek for the past few years. To date, he is always able to attract a group that is happy to return to Chatter Creek, year after year. Our group has grown to 36, which fills Vertebrae and Solitude Lodges. We have agreat time.

Please read our disclaimer.

Information published in the Chatter News includes unverified reports supplied by Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges. However, most of the information published is based on the opinions and experiences of the editor and of other cat skiing clients.

The Chatter Editor's efforts in respect to the Chatter News are entirely voluntary.

The Chatter News originates in South Delta, BC, Canada. South Delta is a southern suburb of Vancouver.

Vertebrae glacier and part of the run home. On the left, the view looking down the glacier with the Sullivan Fault in the background. On the right, part of the return from the glacier, which is located beyond the far right hand portion of the ridge.   By the way, the area on the right is just part of a big, big hill with many lines.   

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Chatter Creek partner, Dave Markel, deep in thought during the construction of Vertebrae lodge. Dave has been the designer of all of the the Chatter Creek lodges.  In addition, Dave has been the sole author and maintainer of the Chatter Creek Web site.   Dave does more than just work on Chatter Creek.  He has has developed the interesting Sagebrush Web site dedicated to wood working.

Vertebrae lodge in action during dinner. Thanks to Dave Harvey

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Cleaning up the Site

We don't have many phtos of the site preparation for Solitude Lodge, but here's one of the new excavator earning its keep, getting rid of anything that might get in the way

Dinner at Vertebrae Lodge

Mark Gallup gives us a glimpse of Chatter Creek guests enjoying dinner at Vertebrae Lodge after a day of powder skiing and riding.

Here's another photo of an evening meal, but not to Mark's standard

Building up stock takes weeks of steady work, with the mill operators walking constasntly back and forth with the mill head.

The slab pile dwarfs Jevan, as tall as he is. Anyone got a match?

Here's Our E-mail Address. Please say, "Hello"

The Chatter News is the Web site of a long-time Chatter Creek client and supporter. It does NOT speak for the comapany. To contact Chatter Creek for tour and scheduling information, please contact the company at: Chatter1@telus.net

Readers, please feel free to write to the Chatter News at  chatternews@hotmail.com.  We would love to hear your comments about Chatter Creek, about our little Web site, about snowcat skiing, log construction or any interesting topic.  If you have no particular comment, just say, "Hello", and let us know where you hail from. 

We will do our best to publish your thoughtful comments and your photos on the Chatter News. We will attempt to answer your questions about our experiences skiing at Chatter Creek, and what we cannot answer, we will direct to the company for response.

Cheers,

Your friendly Chatter Editor


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The latest Word on Solitude Lodge

This will be updated during the summer of 2004, as we get news from the site.

July 27: Isabelle reports that the last logs are in place on the walls and their top sides have been cut flat to receive the plates that the rafters will be nailed to.  Construction of the roof starts next week.  The e-mail is down again, so the flow of pictures may be delayed.

July 24:  Merle McKnight reports,  "The log work for the walls is complete. The 2nd floor decking is finished and the 3rd floor is underway. The roof is next. Should have the roof complete before the end of August."

Return to Solitude Lodge Progress

Free, free at last! With the mud and the cimb behind them, its clear sailing to the building site. Dan and Dale celebrate.

When the treads fill up with mud, there is not much traction. Dale and Dan and Mike work on the extraction.

More mud on the Chatter Creek road

A "bumper hitch" with a difference. A WalMart "Father's Day" special. Specially made to take the "goose neck" on the trailer.

Finally, the load makes it and another two slings of plywood arrives at Chatter Creek.

A load of tubing and diffusers for the septic field being made up in Golden. Early the following morning, the truck will be used to drive the load the 90 km to the bottom of the Chatter creek road. Then the trailer will be hooked to the 4x4 farm tractor for the 17 km haul up to the building site.

In the autumn, it is critical that the load arrives at the Chatter Creek site by no later than noon, while the road is still frozen.  As the frost comes out of the road, the mud becomes too slippery for the tractor to haul the load up the steeper sections.

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