Northern BC 2013/2014 Stoke, Conditions

[Angle Parking]

xxx/a.p.: any clue what the heli price would be for a triple crown type of day? definitely interested and something to shoot for for next season? whuddya guys think? I think Gary should leave his life for this mission too.

Not sure what the exact rules are but the gist of it is that the helicopter can drop you off once and only once (in a 24 hour period I believe). Basically, they can assist you by giving you one ride but any type of yoyo scenario becomes like heli skiing and your average heli op does not have the permits, insurance etc. to do this.

Your one ride would therefore have to very strategic. It's not hard to imaging linking 2 of the 3 lines Swiss mentioned in his triple crown together but all three enters epic category. Kathlyn Couloir + Toboggan = doable. Kathlyn + 5000 = doable. All 3 with only 1 drop (or no drops for that matter) = doable but very epic day and conditions need to be bomber because you'll be on stuff late in the day no matter what.

Other Triple Crown variations exist. You could do the 3 of the major lines on the Kathlyn Face itself. From far lookers right to left, King Louis (see page 7 of this thread), 5000, Cheesegrater (straight through the rock band), and what I call the Alfred variation (skiers right traverse after upper pitch into the main gully). The Alfred variation is the only one I have not done and my intent on birthday day was to ski this line but the temps compelled us to stick to the standard route.

You could even include Maya's couloir which is on the outside flank of the massif that guards the looker's right side of the Kathlyn glacier (classic, steep walled cooler). Closer to the ski hill you have the Ice Cooler which is also a local classic. There's lots of other really aesthetic, big mountain lines on Hudson Bay Mountain and they are all directly above town. Very cool and it is one of the things that makes skiing in Smithers so cool.

Like xxx-er said, if you are patient, you can bag them pretty much every year (even if you do resort to heli use ) For the record; I've done the 5000 and adjacent lines many times in my 7 years of skiing around here and only once did it involve a helicopter. Loved xxx-ers response to the haters on FB.

Highland Helicopters gave us our ride and their rate was very, very reasonable. They are trying to establish a heli tourism scene around here. They were giving rides to the ski hill during the season for $40 a person. I called them up and asked if they would be interested in doing my 5000 idea for a comparable price point and they agreed. They were keen and did a super good job. Hover exit and all. I was going to get another drop the following weekend and bag another line but the heat wave scuttled those plans.

My eyes were definitely opened to the potential of the heli drop thing. I have a whole list of big lines I want to ski and many of them are right here above town so the flights are short and therefore affordable.

[Angle Parking]

Here's a little vid I made of the Ice Cooler in 2013. We repelled the entrance which is not always necessary. It's skiable once it gets filled in. Not sure anybody skied it this year.

Glad you found some turns this weekend Swiss. Nothing doing around these parts. Heat sucks.

[swissiphic]

HBM sure does have sweet bigger line sidecountry when soft and stable. That ice cooler line...i remember oggling it through the window at Smitty's while eating breakfast french rollups with extra strawberries and whipping cream as a kid during our once a year spring break family ski trips to smithers. Or maybe i'm just make believing what i believe maybe it was on the drive from the aspen hotel to smitty's? In any case sweet line and ice cooler envy!

[XXX-er]

Carpathian and those telkwa ski club dudes did some tricky lines when he was still here, Jake said something about big lines were to be had cuz things are often stable so if you google "carpathian jake young" there are vids out there

the salomon freeski guys were also impressed, too bad they missed the weather but they are coming back next season for sure

btw smittys is history but the food/bar at the aspen is really good I think they have the local terrace sherwood mtn beer on tap

[Angle Parking]

Here's some pics of Maya's Couloir. Skied this one with xxx-er. The cooler (center right of pic) gets dwarfed by the massif on which it is located but it is a very cool line. Classic couloir feel.





Entrance pic



Taken from the notch you see on the lookers right of the line, about 1/3 of the way down.

[XXX-er]

Maya is actualy a little girl and her dad would feed her breaky everyday while looking at that line hence the name, ya that was a great day/great line AP!

My feet were so completely fucked from the 24 hr gig that i was in much pain,

at the bar ran into Tim the physio for a 30 sec consult ... ice baths work!

[swissiphic]

Salivating like pavlov's dog at your coulie pics...here's a local project...calling this one the 'Black Hole'....yet undone on skis...buddy ice climbed it years ago thinks we're fucked in the head for considering skiing it, so, it must be fun...perhaps we should plan a joint venture for next season? A cross border tour of smithers and terrace steep techniques? I draw the border line at kitwanga; we get the seven sisters...fyi...teeheehee. Not dick swinging here, just showing off with pride some of our 'raison d'etre' of terrace skiing life.

[Angle Parking]

The Black Hole, what an awesome name! Is this yet another of the treasures of the Shames Backcountry? Looks very nice and very narrow. Love the entrance pic!!! I'm all for Smithers Terrace cooperation. I kind of feel bad about not making it there this year. Life got in the way. Next year for sure. What about summer skiing spots? I'll be hitting Sweeney this summer for sure. Does Terrace have anything worth while as far as summer options are concerned.

And no worries about dick swinging Swiss. Please post more cool shit you've done or plan on doing. Let's call it a reflection on the season instead. Here's me with the Salomon Freeski Boys when they came to my class. As you can see, I am a very important person and keep some pretty impressive company




From left to right; Stan Ray, Chris Rubens, Mathias Fredriksson, Mark Abma, me , Anthony Bonello.... Very, very cool guys.

[XXX-er]

Yeah sitting around in the hut they ^^^ were really very chill so it was like ya we are all just skiers, not at all like these assholes we have to put up with that regularly post on NSMB

Guido, I would like to point out that I made the effort to do the cultural exchanges out west these last 2 years to terrace where i got really messed up at the sausage party on the very fine local Sherwood mountain ale, look at the watch and its 10-pm next time i check ... its 3am

IME from cutting runs, touring, skiing,drinking, AP is fucking nuts and he fits right in to the neighborhood

[LeeLau]

Salivating like pavlov's dog at your coulie pics...here's a local project...calling this one the 'Black Hole'....yet undone on skis...buddy ice climbed it years ago thinks we're fucked in the head for considering skiing it, so, it must be fun...perhaps we should plan a joint venture for next season? A cross border tour of smithers and terrace steep techniques? I draw the border line at kitwanga; we get the seven sisters...fyi...teeheehee. Not dick swinging here, just showing off with pride some of our 'raison d'etre' of terrace skiing life.

That looks like a blast!

[tacklebox]

Yeah sitting around in the hut they ^^^ were really very chill so it was like ya we are all just skiers, not at all like these assholes we have to put up with that regularly post on NSMB

Ouch.


I like AP and am truly inspired to get back out there....If only I could find some tip loops......

[carpathian]

So what do you call it when you do the ramp off Hudson Bay then the main face of the middle peak and then the 5000 to bottom. 9000? I always called it the Triple Header…

Here is shot looking down Ice Cooler in pretty typical conditions i.e. stable.

It is way steeper and longer then it looks from town. Damn I miss that place, this is 30 min skin from top of lift and 30 min back to bottom of of lift if you boogie. Yiou can see Little Simpson way down on the right

[carpathian]

Trip down memory lane. You can see that house I am trying to rent out in the valley waaay down there. Steep and hard and solo. It was one of those where you are turning but inexplicably still accelerating



Lower Crater Lake aka Transformer Ridge



Any one ever ski the main line off the top of Hudson into Kathlyn? Not the Y but the face with the flutes and spines to the left. On the to do list



Nice little dog leg into this



Horrible mash potato ski cut across Middle Peak



From below, rotten snow pack. I snuck into the little shot on the left



Evasive ski tactic



One of my favourites, south side Hudson bay



Oh stuck in a tree again, trying to get into Big Simpson drainage from Treed Ridge



Just another lap on Transformer

[carpathian]

And if it happens to be blowing 150mph in the alpine as it often does there endless tight, steep tree lines to nicely balance the broad expansive runs from up high







It is weird because it may not snow very much in smithers but the wind will blast the snow out of the alpine and deposit it in the north facing trees down low. This is what 2cm of fresh in the alpine looks like and these are lift serviced.









In the Toegnars (totally gnarly) you have to do a lot of Stomp to Stop moves.







When you get tired of risking life and limb you can find more civilized runs



Take a breather

[swissiphic]

Awesome pics. As for your question: "Any one ever ski the main line off the top of Hudson into Kathlyn? Not the Y but the face with the flutes and spines to the left. On the to do list"

Was totally checking out that feature on your carpathian youtube vid and wondering the same thing. Nice salt and pepper face...another potential worthy addition to a triple crown day in the kathlyn glacier zone? Helidrop and knock off the lines one by one...

that face looks like smithers version of another shames project line I couldn't get the stars to align on yet...

[XXX-er]

Thanx for all that Jake how about that line you did in hideous shmoo with " welcome to the jungle" for background music ?

[Angle Parking]

Carpathian, great pics. Random observations;

Your Ice Cooler entrance pics are very cool. The angle allows you to see all the way down to the lone rock on skiers right where the fan starts. Intimidating line. Legitimately steep. Lothar tells stories of skiing down to the pinch at the top and realizing it's unskiable. So they used to toss their skis down and hope for an auger into the snow. They would than down climb / jump down. Your second ice cooler pic really shows how filled in the pinch gets.

It's too bad the terrain to the lookers left of the Ice Cooler is so cliffed out. Between the Ice Cooler and your Treed Ridge Big Simpson pic there isn't much skiing.

The 'middle peak' pics are very cool as well. Your line is very cool. Your Triple Header route is the most linear way to bag 3 big lines. You could even do a heli assist drop to the top of the Ramp and proceed from there. It would mean going up through the hour glass twice, but xxx-er can give you some sage advice about that. One of my buddies calls this peak the Materhorn. And isn't this face the hideous schmoo line you mentionned in one of your vids?

I know the Telkwa Ski Club dudes were interested in that area spine and flute area the Glacier you mentioned. Not sure they ever skied it however.

Thanks for the pics. Very enjoyable.

This place is very interesting when the skiing sucks and we are all jonesin' for turns. Heard it was good above Crater this morning.

[swissiphic]

So, serious question...can a guy in a real 4x4 truck drive up the green tee/prairie and bull low gear it up the ridge towards hbm summit area? Is it a protected non motorized zone or good to go with old mining roads, quad trails etc? google earthing the kathlyn zone and perusing summer pics on internet...looks like some lines (kathlyn couloir) remain skiable well through the summer. driving a ways up the prairie would sure beat hiking up the twin gulch/glacier, etc...

[XXX-er]

non-motorized

People use sleds around the eclectic cabin colony to haul water fire wood & beer but high marking is frowned upon

[XXX-er]

Ouch.


I like AP and am truly inspired to get back out there....If only I could find some tip loops......

not the nartherners cuz we all seem to get along, AP & I often have the conversation where wonder about the rest of TGR who rag on one another?

I got a set of tip loops that would work altho I've had them so long they are like fuckign vintage eh?

[carpathian]

Yeah that MIddle Peak is the same photos as from video. More photos anyone?

Transformer Ridge transformed my opinion about skiing in Smithers. Aiming to climb Optimus Prime, the main chute looking thing.



Ski into the basin





"Going UP on a tuesday"



Ski down, got stuck up under cornice.

[carpathian]

This is Decepticon Left



Decepticon Right



Slab action mid face



This is the entrance to that dog leg chute. Called run Mañana because Mañana the dog had first decent accidentally the week before. (so it can't be that steep)



Steepish, don't fall left

[carpathian]

Powder leading off of Treed Ridge before getting stuck in cliffs.



After getting through cliffs, looking back up to Ice Cooler and Big Simpson on right



Topping out on Hudson Bay Peak



Dropping in south face on right, ramp to Big Simpson on left



Edge deep chalky pow



Closer look at the Hudson Bay Proper line. Does not look so bad, eh?

[XXX-er]

hey Jake its all pretty damn good narthern stoke, bring it !

[swissiphic]

Right on Jake, a.p. and xxx; your pics and reports paint a whole new picture of what smithers skiing is all about. Us arrogant, condescending "west is the best" stewart, rupert and terracites thought it was all dry snow groomers and pretty little moguls. teeheehee.