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!

Haines AK weeks 2 and 3

More days out and hunting. Many clouds but we have had luck with 2 full days of blue in a row and the rest a game of setting yourself properly in the blue hole pattern of movement. With 9 feet of snow falling in the 3 weeks that we have been here. This trip chalks up as being one of the deepest that I remember. Now it seems some zones are stacking up, but boney factor is still there on others. Lots of off the couch skiing going down as well as lots of snow assessment. Some days we have been staged for lines and then have to pull away in fear of getting locked into the zone by clouds. One group will fly out, while the other waits with the survival bag. Hoping the heli won’t get closed out after a quick crew relocation to safety. Plans always change with the weather. Slowly getting into the zone with all that has happened in the recent weeks. Stay tuned for more, new crew this next 3 weeks, Sage, Dana and Tanner. Check the photo’s for some action of the past 2 weeks.

“ALMOST LIVE” North Cascades, WA Shooter Chutes from TGR’s “Re:Session”

Haines, AK week 1

Ahhhh, back to Haines, AK. Been looking forward to this since I left 10 months ago. Up here with Erik Roner, Ian McIntosh, Tanner Hall and the TGR Crew filming for “Re:Session”. First things first, weather. This is always and continues to be the topic of conversation. We have had mostly cloudy window shopping conditions this season. Really tough to predict what’s going on, so you have to take it as it comes. One noticeable difference this season is the dryness of the presnowfall. Snow came in cold, so it hasn’t stuck to the faces like in past years. Lots of snow in town, and in the peaks, steeps are boney and seems like one could run out of skis with the rock damage incurred. Looking to see some pastey dumps to cling to the lines, its still good skiing just got to be on the lookout for clipping a rock in your line that could send you tomahawking, which has happened to some of us, but hasn’t slowed us down. Check out the other pics and stay tuned for more to come, 6 more weeks. Till next time.

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Bell 2 Northern, BC Canada

More filming time.  We made the journey North to Bell 2 Lodge.  Nestled between the Coast and Skeena Ranges, offering amazing terrain of all sorts.  An Oakley group, Tanner, Dana and Kye are my skiing partners on this TGR film seg.  Super cool to come to terrain you have never been to before.  Our guide from this operation has helped make it easy to find what we are looking for.

Thus far we have just scratched the surface here.  The weather has cooperated and been clear, but that has brought cold as well, -4 f without wind chill.  Lots of base here, down in the lodge compound it’s a maze of tunnels to get to the chalets.  With a few days left you wonder what will be missed out there.  Hope to get back next season.  Check out the pics in the album.

North Cascade Heli

Just returned from the first film trip of the season with TGR.  Skiing with Tanner Hall and Sage Cattabriga-Alosa on a week film only trip.  I was calling it the “TGR tryouts”, which it was far from with this crew.  The mountains are the beginning of the Coast Range, which stretches up Canada through Alaska.  There was lots of talk before the trip from others that the skiing wasn’t going to be that great.  It was far from bad.  The conditions were not that for big cliff hucks, but we made the most of it and adapted to the conditions quickly.  North facing held powder, we found great snow in the morning light time of day.

This was my 3rd time to NCH, last year being ultra deep.  We looked at places we had been last season and we surprised we had even ridden those areas, since now they were rock faces.  There was lots of ice showing this year and the couloirs we the most lines out there, this place is stacked with them.  Super mellow setting and not many people out there client wise, just a few BC touring folk and thats it.

Had a great time getting in the zone again.  Want to thank all the staff at NCH, they are a great team and a good bunch to hang out with.  Check out the other pics.  Can’t wait to go back next year.  Till then next week heading to Northern BC.  Check back then.

A Clip from TGR’s Under The Influence