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Tracks stolen from catskiing van in brazen theft

Black dually pickup truck with trailer sited at scene
powdermtn
Tracks, similar to the ones pictured here, was stolen Jan. 4 from a Powder Mountain snowcat.

You may have noticed the parked Powder Mountain Catskiing van at the Lucille Lake turnoff, (also known as Tricouni) on Highway 99 between Whistler and Squamish.

Last night (Jan. 4) at approximately 8 p.m. someone stole tracks off the vehicle while it sat in full view of highway traffic.

Witnesses reported seeing a black Ford or Dodge dually pickup truck with a white six-metre enclosed trailer attached at the scene. Powder Mountain staff noticed the theft at approximately 7:30 a.m. this morning and they immediately notified Squamish RCMP.

The van cabin was locked and the tracks were fixed with locking lug nuts that require a specialty tool to remove.

"With out air tools it would probably take an hour," said Gordon Calder, General Manager of Powder Mountain.

"It was a brazen theft, that's for sure," he said.

The tracks, which consists of reinforced steel "teeth" joined by rubber matting, are valued at approximately $30,000 though if the thieves decide to cut the matting and sell the steel as scrap the value will be greatly diminished.

"To be honest the tracks will be worth almost nothing in pieces," said Calder.

The vehicle is used to transport guests to heli-skiing take-off zones when there are low cloud layers in the valley. The van also serves as signage on the side of the highway, acting as a billboard for traffic passing by.

Anyone with information regarding the theft is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers on 1.800.222.8477.

Powder Mountain has announced on their Facebook wall that they offering "a ton of free skiing" to anyone who turns in the thieves.