“Light The Wick” trailer by TGR.

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.

TGR “Re Session” Trailer

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

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.