Driving A Snow Cat?

[leroy jenkins]

Ok, so I'm thinking I need to find a bit better job, not looking to make a ton of money, but something that will at least let me save a little. I'm thinking driving a cat might be pretty good, but I have some questions for the collective.

1. How do you get a job like this? I have heard get a job with a construction company driving tracked vehicles, but what do you need to do this? Just a CDL? I'd imagine such jobs aren't easy to come by. Is it standard practice for companies to do apprenticeships? I talked to a guy a while ago that said he had a job driving a cat, not to groom, just to resupply on mountain restaurants. Do most resorts do this? Could be an easy way in. I've worked for the Aspen Ski Co as a grunt for a few years, and am planning on sending an email to someone in charge of groomer just to test the waters, but I would much rather get something in another town.

2. How well does it pay? I have heard at least some places pay based on experience/skill. What is standard starting pay? Sort of skilled pay? I make the park for the X Games type pay? How easy is it to get to that sort of level?


What about summer jobs that use the same skills? Pretty much the same questions about pay as above. Also, what kind of companies would be best to work for?


Basically, I'm thinking that if I slave away for a few years, get some seniority, skill, and better pay, and work something comparable for 60 hours/week during the summer, I'll be able to save some money, and still ski five days a week. I'm thinking this could be a "responsible" ski bum job. Hopefully in ten years or so I'll have enough money to work a bit less and be a bit more secure.

Anyone have any other ideas?

[Ole703]

I have thought about this as well I have tried getting a job running a cat up here in flat lame MN. I have encountered the following problems.
1. Most guys running those things have seniority and won't give up their job.
2. Job is hard to get. Experience will help you.
3. The pay is not that great. Starting would most likely be between 9-12 dollars an hour starting.
4. I have lots of landscape experience and I still did not get hired. All I do is sit in a bobcat and tracked vehicles all day at work in the summer.. Two different places wouldn't hire me. I know I could run one of those pretty easily. I even have my DOT health card, because I drive trucks work trucks on a daily basis in the summer. I know they will not require you to have your CDL. They most likely will just have a training day with you. I was running machines when I was 16 I just couldn't drive trucks with out my dot health card. I guess they just don't want a 20 year old doing their job.

[youkneebonger]

if he's outta lockdown, i'd recommend getting ahold of the legendary Alpental/CPG cat driver Eirik....

paging mofro261 for assistance.....

[The AD]

I met a guy last year who drives a snowcat at Vail. He's a manager/foreman whatever the official title is, so he does the scheduling and tells the crew what to groom, but also runs a cat himself. According to him it is not difficult to get a job. Kids come in with very little if any experience. Is this typical? Maybe not. Clearly Vail has a large grooming crew. I imagine a large resort like this would be a good place to try to get into to start. Mountains that only have a few cats probably also have just a few crusty old drivers who don't want to give up their jobs

[shirk]

Didn't easyrdr work as a cat driver while doing to whole legendary "heating a truck bed" stint.

Maybe dig into the old threads or pm him.

[L7]

Likely hard to get in a lot of better places and much easier at shit holes. It works out pretty well for skiing and be prepared for the pay at least to start to suck plenty. Getting on a snowmaking crew and proving yourself capable might be a good way in. Driving supply shuttle might just be a recipe to lose your mind and never really get at it.

Getting on with the summer crew at the hill and proving yourself capable might help as well. Any hydraulic equipment experience may help too. I got on years ago up here after a couple of winters in the lodges at the hill and then working trail crew for the summer. I lucked out with trail crew and ended up in charge of all the cutting for a few seasons of some major work. After the first season I got to walk into a cat job ( 3-11 5 days a week). 4 years at Lake Louise and one year driving at Blackcomb 'back in the day' as it were. Blackcomb was 4 on 4 off midnight to 11am. That was tough. I skied everyday after work but boy the sleep deprivation made the whole winter a fog and social life was close to nil.

It's good work in the right situation. They're easy as hell to drive but there is no limit to how much skill you can gain to drive them well. Launching down a steep bumpy run dodging trees in the dark with just your lights is pretty invigorating and lieing on the snow with the lights off watching northern lights on a mtn top ain't bad either.

[shirk]

Blackcomb was 4 on 4 off midnight to 11am.

What grooming goes on once the lifts open? I don't think I've seen a single cat operating while the lifts are running, only when returning in-bounds after tours after hours. Maybe a change in hours from previous to current.

[PNW Skier]

What grooming goes on once the lifts open? I don't think I've seen a single cat operating while the lifts are running, only when returning in-bounds after tours after hours. Maybe a change in hours from previous to current.

It's been a few years but I do remember seeing cats running up and down some of the cat tracks back in the day.

[L7]

What grooming goes on once the lifts open? I don't think I've seen a single cat operating while the lifts are running, only when returning in-bounds after tours after hours. Maybe a change in hours from previous to current.

It never made any sense to me either, in fact I fucking hated it. We're talking '85 and these rocket scientists thought it was REALLY important that the cats paraded around in formation for first lift so everyone saw how their ticket dollars were being used. To me it meant the weaker the skier the closer they had to ski to the cat and the set up snow that would last a day in high traffic areas was now soft and would be fucked by noon.

Not likely you'd see a cat on the hill these days since liability settlements finally set them straight on what should have been totally obvious.

At Lake Louise I know 2 guys who hit cats in about the same spot 7 years apart. They were skiing together when the second guy did it and both had massive injuries. A guy hit my cat when the day shift driver was operating at lake louise in about '84. An Austrian orthopedic surgeon with the national team hit a cat at the '88 olympics and got really dead. Maybe only 10 years ago a top judge in ontario was run over by a cat digging a trench at a private club in ontario and got real dead. Yep, cats and open ski runs don't mix. Don't even get me started about snowmobiles burning up open runs with inexperienced operators.

[funkendrenchman]

I'm not really sure what the benefits of this job are. It seems like low pay for a lonely job that could involve awful hours. Why not drive for a cab/limo service or a hotel?

[gomer]

I'm not really sure what the benefits of this job are. It seems like low pay for a lonely job that could involve awful hours. Why not drive for a cab/limo service or a hotel?

So far from the truth. I just got home from work and saw this thread. There's no other mountain job (or any job, IMO) that holds a candle to running a cat. The sunset from Ptarmigan Point was incredible tonight. Blizzard conditions the last few days have made for pretty thrilling stuff too. Running the machines is like playing GTA for 10 hours. The previous poster remarked that there isn't a limit to how skilled you can get -- 'tis true. I'm on my 5th winter and learn new stuff all the time.

A cool thing about working at a large resort like Vail is that we get the newest, sweetest equipment. Our oldest groomer is 4 years old. Then they move on down the chain. Say what you will about the skiing here, but our grooming department is a serious operation.

Lonely? I'd say there's a difference between loneliness and solitude. When I'm blasting butt-rock on the stereo and mashing the pedal on 350 hp/1100 ft-lbs of turbocharged Caterpillar, I don't mind.

We just got 2 of these this year -- ridiculous:






Oh yeah, the pay does suck. Unfortunately, working for the man is pretty much the only way to do it, unless you want to drop $0.5 million on one of these and go freelance.


Edit to add: Here is my Google Earth map w/placemarks of our grooming universe. Pretty cool playground.

[sonic reducer]

hey gomer, how did you get your foot in the door? any pointers on doing so?
I too have always wanted to drive a cat. looks fun as hell. Ive driven a few pieces of heavy machinery but not extensively.

[MarkoInTheBoat]

Getting a job as a groomer is as simple as getting your foot in the door at the Slope Maintenance department. You dont really need any experience driving heavy equipment, the boss just want to make sure you're not a total dipshit before he puts you in a half million dollar cat.

Get a job on trail crew in the summer, or be a snowmaker in the fall. Even if you dont operate equipment, both these jobs will work you right into a snow cat.
The on-mountain experience you will receive will look much better on you're resume than just knowing how to operate heavy equipment.

The pay really sucks, you could make 3X as much plowing or running equipment anywhere else around town. You would have to get a year-round job as an equipment operator for slope maintenance for 15 or 20 years before you would start making what you deserve.

But you do get a free pass, great parking spot, and chicks dig groomers... at least the chicks that will be hanging out at the bar when you finish your shift in the middle of the night.

When the winter is over, quit working for the ski area and go make a lot more money by working for an excavation company.

[Dam Skier]

Most openings are on Grave Yard Shift(10 pm to 8 am). You might have to work on that shift before you can get onto the Swing shift(4 pm to 2 am) which is much more desirable. Let us know where, and if, you get a job, so us mags can get a ride up to the creamy corduroy goodness at sunset/ moonlight sessions.

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

Most openings are on Grave Yard Shift(10 pm to 8 am). You might have to work on that shift before you can get onto the Swing shift(4 pm to 2 am) which is much more desirable. Let us know where, and if, you get a job, so us mags can get a ride up to the creamy corduroy goodness at sunset/ moonlight sessions.

A girl I worked with had a boyfriend who did this at Snowmass but quit after a season and half because he was still working the graveyard shift and hated it. The swing shift is wear its at. Having worked graveyard shifts when I worked at a newspaper I can tell you they suck and are not for everyone. If you can get the swing shift that could be sweet, but otherwise I'm with Funken. Just get a bartending position.

[The AD]

A cool thing about working at a large resort like Vail is that we get the newest, sweetest equipment.

Is Mark still there? He's the guy I referred to in my previous post.

[Tye 1on]

Agree on most of this. Midnight shift [i've done it with a couple jobs] just fucks up your system, nukes your social life, and has you eating breakfast a lot. I remember getting off work on non-pow days, deciding to go out to eat, which would be dinner, and having an omelet [and a pitcher of beer]. Swing shift is great, but goes to the seniority dudes. When I used to groom at big sky, they required 50/50, one crew started the year swing, one late, then they switched mid season. Not sure if that's still the system...

However, there is nothing like climbing up to the top of the mountain, taking a break at the top of the hill surveying your kingdom with the rest of your crew, then moving along, leaving perfect corduroy everywhere you go. It is an amazing combination of skills, never does get old. Great camaraderie with the crew too. Not the way to make big $$, but it's pretty fun...

[P_McPoser]

Come work 14 days a month at the mine. Starting pay is hell of a lot more than anything you'll make as a snow cat operator. I think we are starting inexperiened equipment operators at around 17 an hour

[gomer]

Sonic reducer - Leroy - Ole,
I don't know how it works at other resorts, but we have spots open all the time since our crew is large and we have so much turnover. You can call up in October and pretty much get a job guaranteed. If you really want to go above and beyond, you could shave before your interview and pull your pants up past your ankles.

You must have a CO driver's license and valid work visa. Vail will help you out with that, even. We have loads of guys from Australia, Czech, etc.

Or you can check Vail's job line -- http://skijob1.snow.com/. I see there's an opening at the Beav right now.

Do it up! PM me if you want to get in touch with our crew.



of course, it's not always so glamorous:



The AD -
Yes, Mark is my foreman, I work with him all the time. He's a blast.

[ninjashoes]

man those things are so cool, best of luck

I remember that one from the xfiles movie

[ODHGABFE]

My brother just got on this year at Breck. He worked park crew the last 2 seasons and did trail maintenance last summer. A spot opened up, someone recommended him and he jumped on it. Pay isn't phenomenal, but he's stoked to have insurance. I would be, too.

[Truckee Joe]

Ya i loved driving a piston bully, i did it at squaw for a season. The best part is you will always be the first person on the moutain.

[leroy jenkins]

I'm not really sure what the benefits of this job are. It seems like low pay for a lonely job that could involve awful hours. Why not drive for a cab/limo service or a hotel?

Yea, I hear ya, I've driven for the gant, and I just hate driving in traffic, and I am too much of a misanthrope (well I don't hate everyone, just loud, drunk, idiots, which I think are a cab driver's main customers) to be a bartender/cabbie.

Honestly, the solitude is one thing that appeals to me about it.


So I know the starting pay is going to suck, and it sounds like I can probably get my foot in the door somewhere if I whore myself out to enough different resorts and do it early next fall, but what I still want to know, is what is the best pay you can expect to make driving a cat?

Someone mentioned they knew someone who was a shift manager/foreman at Vail, what does he make?

This might not be the job I'm hoping it is, but I am looking at it more as a long term plan. Whether I'm going to pursue this or not depends on what I could be making in five years or so, not just starting off.

[brannen]

wow, i will send you a PM
i didnt bother looking at where you are from, but if youre in SummitCo, you are in luck
i work for FoodandBev in breck driving cats at night, which is the easiest way to get hired as a groomer for the next year
we work 4-12 6 nights a week and are DESPERATE to hire more drivers since all the visa people we thought we were getting fell through
no, the pay isnt good and loading boxes gets boring after awhile, but i get to ski every single day (when im not too hungover)
anywho, anyone who is interested in this job can PM me for the number to call
no CDL needed, just a valid DL with no serious outstanding tickets
hopefully this stirs up some interest, it would make my job a whole lot easier to hire a few more people
B

[Eluder]

Bumping this old thread up. Pretty much all the info I need is here but interested in other peoples input or more input from you guys.