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Great Northern Powder Guides

Whitefish, MT, United States

Great Northern Powder Guides (GNPG) is a family-run backcountry cat skiing and snowboarding Operator based about 20 miles north of Whitefish, Montana. Their custom snowcats access more than 20,000 acres of terrain in the Stillwater State Forest, in Montana's Northern Rocky Mountains, where peaks reach 7,500 feet, descents run up to 3,788 vertical feet, and snowfall averages 350 inches a year. The terrain is varied: evenly spaced glades, natural pillows, rolling meadows, steep tree runs, and tight, technical chutes, plus burn zones where summer wildfires have left a mix of open slopes and tree runs. GNPG holds an exclusive lease on the area, and because prescribed burns and logging in the Stillwater State Forest keep opening new runs, the terrain is still growing. A portion of that lease revenue supports Montana's public schools. Day trips run on two cats: the Powder Cat, for advanced skiers and riders, and the Steep & Deep Cat, for advanced-to-expert skiers and riders after bigger lines, tighter trees, and steeper chutes. Groups can also book a cat privately. For a longer stay, GNPG offers two lodge-based Adventures: The Ultimate Montana Cat Ski & Ranch Stay, based at The Ranch in Whitefish and billed as Montana's only cat skiing and ranch stay package, and the Powder House Backcountry Adventure, a private, off-grid yurt stay with a dedicated cat and guides who stay on-site. The season runs from late December through mid-March. GNPG was founded by the Sandelin family, several of whom still work in the operation, and is now owned and operated by year-round Whitefish residents Bill and Barbara Wetzel. It's a local outfit, not a corporate one. It's also easy to reach: Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell is 45–50 minutes from basecamp, Whitefish Mountain Resort is nearby, and many guests add a few resort days before or after their cat trip. For U.S. travelers, that means Northern Rockies cat skiing with no border crossing.