Adding a bit of colour to the landscape @kimberleyalpineresort. (greatgramsofgary/ Instagram)

Gary the cat shreds the gnar in Golden

January 25, 2023 // by Jen Zielinski

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He might be a better skier and influencer than any Gen Z could imagine, possibly cuter too.

Gary the Cat, a nine-year-old rescue, is back adventuring in the Rockies. Most recently the feline made the trip west from his hometown of Canmore to ski at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.

Great Grams of Gary has more than 487,000 followers on Instagram and spends his time skiing, hiking and paddling with his human, James Eastham, a former ski patroller at Nakiska Ski Resort.

Gary started off January touring Kimberley Alpine Resort and Fernie Alpine Resort before heading to Golden.

But the goggle-wearing cat is no stranger to Kicking Horse. He once made headlines when he visited in 2021.

Two years ago Eastham told the Golden Star that Gary’s journey as an adventure cat first began when he persistently tried to escape their home in Canmore.

He said 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 and Gary has his balance dialled in. Perched on Eastham’s shoulder, the cat barely bats an eye at any double black diamonds.

This time around the duo only spend the day on the mountain near Golden before heading back to Fernie, to see what the snow valley has in store for them.

The latest video posted to Gary’s gram garnered more than 7,000 views of the cat enjoying a bluebird day at Kicking Horse.

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A post shared by Gary The Cat (@greatgramsofgary)

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