SHAMES 2012 - Not Utah, Not Colorado

**raisingarizona13** · 03-11-2012, 01:16 AM

That place looks like it's pure soul. If I could just take off and had plenty of money I would love to spend a month or two skiing there. Thanks for sharing, please keep it coming.

**LeeLau** · 03-11-2012, 10:53 AM

The very same Alcan powerline building earlier in the year when the techs could somewhat keep up with snow clearing. Some 10m of snow fell thereafter

**gramboh** · 03-11-2012, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by LeeLau

50m skin for 250m down then back to the T-bar cat-track

That's my kind of touring. Definitely a big regret on my part for never making a Terrace trip happen when I was living in PG for two years.

**Spark** · 03-11-2012, 07:16 PM

Had a great chat with a gal in Fernie who was just there a couple weeks ago. Definitely will be back to Smithers for a winter visit and then to Terrace.

**LeeLau** · 03-11-2012, 08:13 PM

Congrats to MMC/ Shames!

$175,000 from Rio Tinto Alcan

This is on top of the $ 50,000 from the Prince Rupert Port Authority and $ 15,000 from the City of Terrace. The hill now breaks even on its operations so all of this goes to capital infrastructure.

Not condos, but things like a new cable for the lifts, building repairs etc. Looks like Shames will be around for a long time to come!

**wicked_sick** · 03-11-2012, 09:08 PM

That's great news for Shames! I hope support continues into the future.

That buried powerline building... Is that on the powerline between Kemano and Kitimat? I remember reading about how difficult a construction project that was in the '50s through some of the msts challenging conditions possible.

**LeeLau** · 03-11-2012, 11:04 PM

^^ that's the same one. going to try to get some bombing pictures

**fattwins** · 03-11-2012, 11:52 PM

Matt is back already that was quick. He would not be happy on the couch.
Planning on coming in May next year for a week to maybe 10 days if the wife
can handle me being away for a while.
Nick

**LeeLau** · 03-12-2012, 01:23 PM

Christian Theberge is a maniacal Montreal Canadiens fan in a province of Canucks worshippers. Now living in a city which won the inaugural Hockeyville title, he's found that Terrace welcomes everyone; even Habs fans.

Christian was the mountain manager of Phoenix in a small Kootenay interior town in Grand Forks BC. He responded to the Shames general manager ad posting and figured he'd be a good fit since he came from the background of managing community-owned not-for-profit hills and didn't fit in with big real estate ski resorts. Christian admits that he was pretty surprised when the hill got hammered with snow and had to delay opening till Dec 16th (Shames opened with a 1.5m base and 2.5m of snow at top).

Since then Christian's had a pretty rocking good (but hectic) time as he's dealt with the logistics of a record snowpack which has seen Shames lead the world in skihill snow depth for over a 100 days in the 2011-12 ski season. He's been blown away by the community support from both the person-on-the-street (the Terrace, Rupert, Kitimat and BC Co-op owners), private (Rio Tinto Alcan, Prince Rupert Port Authority and many other local businesses) and government (City of Terrace) sectors. The vibe and stoke on Shames is pervasive and its hard to not feel how proud the people are of "their" ski hill as you ski the runs and use the facilities (cue the people who showed up to shovel metres of snow off the chairs before opening day). It's also not hard to sense Christian's pride and the genuine omnipresent good feeling as he greets many patrons by name.

As Christian takes in the crowd on Rio Tinto Alcan day at Shames and the enormity of the company's donation sinks in (the money will be used for new cable and chairs for the double lift) that he's and the patrons believe in the ski hill.

Christian wondering how much higher to relocate the diesel generator shed (its already about 1m or so above ground and they're lucky there's been some melt so they no longer have to probe for it)

The most scenic t-bar in the known universe

Rio Tinto Alcan days

The community believes

Cut up powder on the black runs - the lift-accessed backcountry is the backdrop

**mntlion** · 03-15-2012, 10:32 PM

will be skiing shames on sat with skibee, Just finishing 4 days with northern escape, so ski shames for a day, then start the drive back to banff on sat/sun

**garyfromterrace** · 03-15-2012, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by mntlion

will be skiing shames on sat with skibee, Just finishing 4 days with northern escape, so ski shames for a day, then start the drive back to banff on sat/sun

Sweet! I'll bet John and Clare got you some goods, conditions pretty sick round here. Look for me on the hill sat - loud short fat old guy with blue helmet and red NF jacket on some black S-3's skiing with a skinny teenager with silver helmet and black w/ colored panel jacket. Love to show you guys a line or 2.

**ak_powder_monkey** · 03-16-2012, 02:12 AM

so ummm is there ever a pressing need for high school science teachers there? I will renounce my US citizenship.

**LeeLau** · 03-16-2012, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

so ummm is there ever a pressing need for high school science teachers there? I will renounce my US citizenship.

I believe so. Not sure about the qualifications transfer. But AK looks like a fine place too

**anemic** · 03-16-2012, 12:42 PM

oh my land. This thread may have just changed my life! what the heck - Shames? Never heard of it. Mark the day 3.16.2012 The Day LeeLau shared the legendary Shames with me on a tgr thread. I will go to Shames. These pics are beyond description.

**LeeLau** · 03-16-2012, 04:35 PM

Shames is the anti- gaper-all-year. This was written by a 24 year local

http://backcountryskiingcanada.com/i...%20Backcountry

**garyfromterrace** · 03-22-2012, 12:12 AM

A few local gals with some pros from JH, Revy, SLC & a nomad named Molly.

edit, note the upturned toe on local Katerri. The spirit of the GSA is indeed among us here.

**garyfromterrace** · 03-23-2012, 12:45 PM

Yesterday skied a great line with my buddy Mark. Toured up Happy Valley and climbed an unnamed peak. Then skied a line into the Valley of Certain Doom. Likely not skied before but will get confirmation before we name it. First time in this area for me, the VoCD is a daunting name, however conditions yesterday were such that doom was not a certainty.