A new cat-skiing operation is opening in British Columbia this winter with 16,000 acres of terrain and a surprisingly small number of skiers and snowboarders sharing it.
Flowline Lodge is preparing for its first full winter in the Southern Monashees, where the rider-owned operation has secured a 16,000-acre tenure spread across nine peaks. Despite the enormous terrain footprint, Flowline plans to host a maximum of just 12 guests during each session.
The operation was co-founded by professional snowboarder Bjorn Leines along with Sean Beddoe and Yan Bai. Flowline describes the concept as intentionally small, with the same group of guests, guides and lodge staff spending several days together rather than rotating large numbers of riders through the terrain. Its first sessions begin in late December and continue through early April.
16,000 Acres Across Four Cat-Skiing Zones
Flowline’s 16,000 acres of cat-accessed terrain are divided into four main zones across the Southern Monashees. The tenure includes open alpine bowls, old-growth glades, steep couloirs and high ridgelines, with nine peaks reaching as high as 7,910 feet.
The amount of terrain gives guides room to move between different aspects and elevations as snow and weather conditions change. Flowline says terrain selection will be based on the snowpack, weather and ability of each group rather than following a predetermined set of runs.
That could mean wide-open alpine terrain when stability and visibility cooperate, or dropping into protected tree skiing when storms move through. Flowline says some runs within the tenure already have names while others are still largely undeveloped as established ski routes.
The operation is based around a lodge sitting at approximately 6,400 feet in the mountains rather than requiring guests to commute from a resort town each morning.
Only 12 Guests At A Time
The 12-person limit is a central part of Flowline’s model.
Rather than splitting visitors among multiple large groups, Flowline plans to host one group of 12 guests with a dedicated crew for each session. The same guides stay with the group throughout the trip, allowing them to learn how individual skiers and snowboarders move through terrain and adjust the experience accordingly.
Flowline is offering three-day and four-day sessions, with the first four-day trip beginning Dec. 24 and the first three-day session starting Dec. 28. The season is scheduled to continue into early April.
Lodging, guiding, snowcat access and meals are included. The lodge also includes a wood-fired sauna, hot tub, cold plunge, drying room and bar, keeping guests in the mountains once the cats stop running for the day.
Snowboarder Bjorn Leines Is Among The Founders
Flowline also has significant snowboard history behind it.
Co-founder Bjorn Leines has spent roughly three decades as a professional snowboarder and was a member of the influential Forum 8 team during one of snowboarding’s defining eras. He later co-founded Celtek Gloves and currently serves as CEO of Cardiff Snowcraft.
Flowline describes its origins as a group of longtime skiers and snowboarders looking for a place of their own to ride rather than starting with a conventional resort-business model. That eventually led the group to the Southern Monashees and the 16,000-acre tenure that now forms the operation.
Leines will also host several sessions during the inaugural winter. Flowline is planning additional athlete-hosted trips with professional big-mountain snowboarder Jason Robinson and skier and snowboarder Ian and Neil Provo.
This Is Backcountry Terrain
The scale of the operation does not change the fact that Flowline is operating in uncontrolled mountain terrain rather than inside a ski resort boundary.
Guests are expected to be at least strong intermediate skiers or snowboarders who can confidently ride black-diamond terrain. Everyone is provided with a transceiver, shovel, probe and airbag pack, and Flowline requires guests to complete a safety and equipment drill before heading into the terrain.
Guides assess the snowpack each morning before choosing where the group will ski or ride. Flowline says guests will also be included in those discussions so they understand some of the reasoning behind the day’s terrain decisions.
The operation specifically warns that wilderness skiing and snowboarding involve risks and hazards that cannot be eliminated, and guests are required to carry travel insurance that covers cat skiing.
British Columbia’s Cat-Skiing Scene Keeps Growing
British Columbia has played a central role in cat skiing since the activity began developing into a commercial industry in the 1970s. The combination of deep interior snowfall, large undeveloped mountain ranges and extensive forest access has helped turn the province into one of the world’s major destinations for snowcat-accessed skiing and snowboarding.
Flowline’s arrival adds another large operation to that landscape, but its 12-person format gives it a different identity from higher-volume cat-skiing businesses.
It also arrives during a winter when cat skiing is expanding elsewhere in British Columbia. Baldy Mountain Resort is adding cat-accessed skiing above its existing lift-served terrain for the 2026-27 season, although that operation is considerably different from Flowline’s multi-day backcountry model.
Flowline is located roughly 2.5 hours from Kelowna International Airport to its staging area. From there, guests head into a lodge surrounded by a tenure that extends across four zones and thousands of acres of the Southern Monashees.
For most ski areas, 12 people barely fill a chairlift queue. At Flowline, those 12 guests will have 16,000 acres to work with.
