With more than 431 thousand followers on Instagram, there鈥檚 no cat more recognizable through the Canadian Rockies than Gary the Cat, who took a little trip west of his home of Canmore to ski Kicking Horse Mountain Resort this past weekend.
Gary is a seven-year-old rescue who can be spotted through the Rocky Mountains for the past several years skiing, hiking, and paddling with his human, James Eastham, a former ski patroller at Nakiska Ski Resort.
Eastham and Gary took in some views at the resort, which is a part of a larger tour of Resorts of the Canadian Rockies mountains, which includes Kimberley Alpine Resort and Fernie Alpine Resort.
鈥淲e got to meet quite a few of the staff up at the hill, everyone was pretty stoked to meet Gary and say 鈥榟i鈥�,鈥� said Eastham.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not every day that you get to see a cat on the ski hill, plus he is pretty cute.鈥�
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Eastham says that Gary鈥檚 journey as an adventure cat first began when he persistently tried to escape their home in Canmore. He says he had his concerns over the life expectancy of free-roaming cats in mountain towns, where many pets can run into wildlife like bears or other cats, which is when he decided to start leash training.
Initially, he started with shorter walks around the neighbourhood until Gary got comfortable and slowly progressed to longer adventures.
Now, the duo is a staple of the Rockies, with other adventurers reacting with glee when he鈥檚 spotted on the trails.
鈥淣ow he screams at me if we don鈥檛 get enough outside time,鈥� said Eastham.
鈥淧eople love to point him out on the chairlift or grab a selfie-and give him a little scratch, and I鈥檓 always happy to stop and chat with people and Gary is pretty willing to say hi.鈥�
Eastham says the duo enjoyed their time at Kicking Horse, despite the cold weather.
鈥淭he snow is amazing and the hill is wonderful,鈥� said Eastham.
鈥淎nd Gary makes a pretty good scarf out there.鈥�
Gary wears a dog coat to stay warm, and a special pair of goggles that are also intended for canine companions, as shredder cats are still few and far between.
When he鈥檚 on the slopes, Eastham says that Gary likes to stay engaged and take in the world.
