North Cascade Heli and the B3!

This has been the 3rd year we have been to NCH, weather is always an issue in the Pacific North West. Thats why we like it up there, it’s all about the Pow! New this year was as A-Star B3. This helicopter is by far the most powerful machine you can fly in, one landed on Mt. Everest. So having that and Seamus as our pilot, we were getting to the tops of the peaks like riding a high speed chair lift.

We got out everyday on our 10 day trip. NCH is located west of Spokane, WA in Mazama a sleepy little town in the winter servicing many cross country skiers on the weekends. You pretty much have the whole place to yourself. We had a variety of skiing from Alpine to pillowy trees. This year Erik Roner came to try some of the big cliff faces in the area. Sage and myself stayed entertained with some newer lines for ourselves on the shooter chutes, a classic we have skied each trip.

Big thanks to everyone at NCH. Its always fun to go off the radar(no cell phones) and shred the area and kick off the heli season there. The mountains are great (the most southern part of the Coast Mountains that stretch up into Alaska). Check them out, the best heli skiing in the United States. These guys have a laid back attitude. Look for more on tetongravity.com, enjoy the pics sorry not so many ski pics, busy trying to get into some places myself.

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

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvBeSKz-4Mw[/youtube]

“Cutting Room Floor” part 3

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjcsBtXvLz0[/youtube]

“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!

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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