“Light The Wick” trailer by TGR.

TGR’s “Behind The Line” Patience is the name of the Game, Episode 5 Season 2

Came here as one man, leaving another! Petersburg, AK.

After a few weeks of more weather days than skiing days, we find ourselves coming to a close on the trip. Mother Nature has been in charge and always will be. Wally, the pilot that runs the hanger we base out of, put it best after living here for over 13 years, “I’m not the same man I was when I first came here.” This is very true of all the trips I have ever been on. Experiences coupled with being in a new place, accelerated that transformation in all of us.

Clear days have delivered the goods, but its never easy. Wind started blowing and made the game plan change. From looking at peak tops, to looking in the lower protected grounds. Wind limits tight landings for the heli, so its not safe to do.  Thats part of it though, doing what you can when you can. After some days of wind and sun we found ourselves hoping for weather to reset the zone. Its crazy to say, especially after the weather days we sat through. Having the rest is nice for the body, but bad on the mind.

From the locals that climb the mountains out there, to those that spend their time on dry land. They all say this is a low tide season. Makes you wonder what it would be like on a normal season out there. Would the crevices be more covered allowing the spine lines to death be a go?  Offering more. Would many of the spines just be gone completely?

You’ll never know what to expect when you’re exploring new terrain.  Uncertainty and the hopes of perfect conditions are a daily occurrence. Our limits have been tested and pushed into another level of team work.  Cutting away and realizing what its all about, all over again.  Thats why we love it, and thats why we will leave here different Men.  Thanks to everyone in the crew, check out TGR’s “Light The Wick” this fall or their site to see what has happened.  I’ll let the photo’s tell more of the story.

The Land of First Descents-Petersburg, AK.

Alaska!  This time around with TGR we (Sage, Ian, Dana, and soon Daron Rahlves) have chosen. Petersburg, AK no one has ever been here to film skiing with a helicopter. Over the years all of us here, have been to all the Alaska hot spots and were starting to feel like we were skiing the same old mountains. Along with that, those areas were starting to become over run with clients and other film crews. So it was time to take a chance and go exploring once again, just like the old days.

As a group we made a few choices and found out which of those would work best. Some of the TGR boys had been to Petersburg, earning money for the winter season years ago on fishing boats. They had seen the mountains from the water. While flying up to Alaska you go right over these peaks, but never really know where you are.  Unless on the milk run flight and were paying close attention. Lots of planning has gone into this trip, leaving us out of our comfort zone as to where to begin. Fixed wing flights have played a crucial roll in that.

Being here is quite a bit different than other AK trips. This is a full time fishing town and you notice that in the nice homes and trucks. Out in the mountains we have long flights in and complete silence, since we are all alone. No other film crews or client groups to get beta on snow pack stability in the surrounding areas.  Relying on ourselves for safety, there is heli back up, but that is an hour out at best if we had a problem.  We are GPS tracked and the heli calls in often.

Weather has been some of the worst keeping us down most of the time.  Skiing has been days apart to the next.  Down days are quickly forgotten when we get out. The mountains are all their own here, big dark brown spiky peaks shoot up out of the glaciers. It’s hard to show perspective since the glaciers are miles wide spreading out the terrain.  Peak’s with names like the Devils Thumb and Witches Cauldron fill the area, which has only been explored by ski mountaineers and climbers.

As far as it goes, every run is a first to be skied, from the flattest to the steepest of them. This is something that is harder to find these days. Thus far halfway through the trip (just over 2 weeks have passed) much has happened when we do get out. I don’t want to spoil the tale, I’ll let TGR’s new film “Light The Wick” and my photo’s tell the rest. Till the next Alaska Blog of Petersburg!

“Cutting Room Floor” part 4, Powder Awards Nominated “Line Of The Year” 2010.

“Cutting Room Floor” part 3

“Cutting Room Floor” part 2

Haines, AK another filming line first thing in the morning early April.

TGR “Re Session” Trailer

Haines AK Week 6

The last week of our trip proved to be the best weather of the trip, but the deep powder was quickly disappearing. Typical of late April, so choice of aspect was crucial for the hunt. Warmth and an afternoon of wind changed the game plan. Time for steeps and spines. The plan was get out early and come in late. Most runs would happen early and late in the day for the best snow on the North East and then North West aspects. Maybe even a mid day nap if it was appropriate for the days run menu.

At the end of the day it was a great trip. Too bad things didn’t work out with mother nature (Mt. Redoubt) and we could have been in other parts of AK for this 6th week as well as the 7th as was planned earlier in the season. I have learned plans never stay as planned. Staying in Haines wasn’t a shabby back up plan.

Thanks to everyone that made this trip possible, too long of a list to write out, everyone made it a blast.  Check out the pics in the photo’s as well as check out TGR’s site for teasers for the up coming film “Re:Session” as well as clips of “Behind the Line” from the filming of “Re:Session”. Till next season thats a wrap.

Haines AK Weeks 4 and 5

These past 2 weeks have been very challenging. Lots of weather and very little ski time. People have come and gone through our group and many people reading this have hung up the skis for the season, we still are hungry to shred the peaks. Lots of off the couch skiing for us when we do get out there. I was thinking on top of one film line how am I able to ski down this after a flat warm up run and have been sitting for 4 days? This is why we are here and what the whole season has led up too, its like riding a bike you never forget how to do it.

Nearing the end of the trip its time to gather what you have not been able to get out there for what ever reason. The snow is still deep on the Northern Faces and have never had so many face shots in AK for such a long period of time. At the same time the snow is starting to change in certain faces and one can see the transformation when the sun does stay out for a longer period of time. On one of our slow roast days we were able to get out on a boat for a few hours making our day. Thanks to all involved on that one. Check out the photo’s. Till the next AK blog, enjoy!