20 Search Results for "terrace"

• What to Bring for a Heli-Ski V What to Bring for a Heli-Ski Vacation

  • From: johnforrest
  • Description:

    What to Bring for a Heli-Ski Vacation

    Written by:  Aaron Whitfield

    Packing for any trip is a process that few look forward to and decisions need to be made about what to bring and what to leave behind. A heli-ski trip to Northern Escape Heli-Skiing in Terrace, BC, Canada, is no exception. With specific needs for skiing, snowboarding, and lodge life, here are a few recommendations from Northern Escape’s staff and past guests.

    The list of must haves is pretty simple: Ski/Snowboard Boots. They are the one essential item that you must have and are personal and difficult to replace. In fact we would highly recommend that you bring them in your carry-on luggage, and not to let them out of your sight! Everything else can be borrowed or replaced if the worst-case scenario of an airline mis-placing luggage were to occur.

    There are a few other items that is recommended to tuck into your carry-on, space allowing; a pair of goggles, ski gloves, a base layer, and any other personal items that you will need for your stay.

    For ski wear, we recommend dressing in layers. The average skiing temperature in Northern Escape Heliskiing’s terrain is around -6 degrees Celsius. Start with base layer and mid layers such as icebreaker long underwear. Icebreaker is made from Marino wool and on top of being warm, it is non-itchy, wicks moisture, and resists odors. An outer layer such as an Arc’teryx shell made of gortex that is wind and waterproof will keep you warm and dry. Another piece of attire that is nice to have under your shell is an insulated vest or soft shell for colder days to keep your core warm. A neck/face warmer or bandito is usually a good idea to ward off cooler temps or the deep powder spray that we are known for. It is essential to keep your head warm so modern helmets usually do double duty of protection and warmth, but a ski hat or toque will work as well. Sunglasses, an extra pair of gloves, and base layer never hurt either.

    If your luggage gets misplaced, or you forget anything, the gift shop at Northern Escape is fully stocked with brands such as Icebreaker, Arc’teryx, and Marmot.

    The lodge atmosphere at Northern Escape is outdoor casual, so jeans, and comfortable clothes are the norm. If space is tight, one pair of shoes should suffice.

    Northern Escape Heli-Skiing has a fleet of high-end powder skis and snowboards that are included in the price of your package. So unless you have a custom set-up that you want to stick with, leave your boards at home and save the extra baggage expenses the airlines love to charge. 

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  • 4 months ago
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• Small Group Heli Skiing; The W Small Group Heli Skiing; The Way Forward

  • From: johnforrest
  • Description:

     

    Small Group Heli Skiing; The Way Forward

    By Aaron Whitfield, Terrace, B.C.

    Small group heli skiing at Northern Escape Heli-Skiing in Terrace, BC, means you and three to five buddies are flying together in an A-Star or Koala helicopter. With nearly 1.8 million acres of terrain for your exclusive use, it’s a skier/boarder’s paradise.

    Imagine yourself at the top of a mountain on a blue bird day with fresh snow, your guide, your key group of ski buddies, and no one else. Your guide points out the untracked fall line below you. You scope it out and look at your buddies with a knowing grin; it’s all yours! You hit your epic line and look back at the sweet S-turns that mark the best run of your life. Welcome to small group heli skiing at Northern Escape. Over and over again, every run, all day. Fresh tracks, no crowds, just you and your buddies chasing your guide down the mountain. Get to the bottom and jump in the waiting helicopter for a short flight up to a new peak for the next, “best run of your life.”

    Northern Escape is exclusively small group heliskiing, which makes it easier to create cohesive groups with similar ability levels. With Unlimited Vertical, you ski as much as you can without the herd mentality. When at a Cat or Heli Ski operation with 12 guests per group, a commonly heard phrase at the bottom is, “Hey man, you stole my line!” That’s when you learn that it’s only your line when you are looking back up at it. With a small group, there are plenty of fresh lines for everyone.

    There is also the lodge experience to consider. At Northern Escape’s Yellow Cedar Lodge, they cater to a maximum of 18 guests at a time, leading to an intimate lodge atmosphere. There is a high staff to guest ratio, which results in great customer service where everyone knows your name. As many happy guests can attest, small group heli skiing is the way forward.

     

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  • 6 months ago
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• Heli Skiing - Easy Access – Wh Heli Skiing - Easy Access – What it Means to You

  • From: johnforrest
  • Description:

    By: Aaron Whitfield, Terrace, BC.

    Many heli skiing operators out there are offering Easy Access, but what does that really mean? Some of the worlds best skiing is accessed only by helicopter in the remote regions of British Columbia, Canada. Heli ski lodges are spotted all over the province and some are easier to get to than others, so getting to them becomes a major factor. With eager powder skiers and boarders coming from all over the world, the common denominator in access is an international airport.

    The beauty about a heli skiing lodge such as Northern Escape Heli-Skiing in Terrace, BC, is that it is only a two-hour flight from Vancouver International airport. The lodge is located with an easy thirty-minute drive from the regional airport that has recently been upgraded with a modern radar landing system. This helps keep the airport open and the flights on schedule reducing delays and cancelled flights.

    Most other heli ski operations are also accessed through Vancouver, BC, but others, it is from Calgary, Alberta. From Calgary, you then have to rent a car for the duration of your trip and drive west through the Rocky Mountains into BC, usually a four to ten hour drive, or get on a bus for an arduous journey. Getting to the lodge, or a meeting point, requires driving over two or more big mountain passes which often get treacherous and have closures during winter storms. Many of the lodges that are accessed from Vancouver, require a flight to a northern regional airport then a lengthy drive or bus ride from there to arrive at the lodge. The commute adds cost, plus time to your trip and usually cuts into the precious ski day.

    When you are heading to Northern Escape Heli-Skiing and arrive in Terrace, you are greeted by Northern Escape’s friendly staff and whisked off to the lodge. No rental vehicles, no lengthy white knuckle drives through mountain passes, no overnighting, just sit back relax and enjoy the sights. Most guests are enjoying dinner at the lodge the same day they leave the comforts of their home. With the accessibility of Northern Escape Heli-Skiing, you are guaranteed a full day of skiing/boarding everyday of your package. Once at the lodge, it is a glass of champagne and great memories in the making. Plus, with Northern Escape’s huge terrain and huge annual snowfall, it is skiing/riding the deepest most consistent powder imaginable for the duration of your trip! 

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  • 6 months ago
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• News: Fatal Avalanche Sweeps S News: Fatal Avalanche Sweeps Surveyor Over Cliff In British Columbia

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    Via CBC News: A surveyor working on a mountainside was killed when he was swept off a cliff by an avalanche in a remote region of northwestern British Columbia on Tuesday.
    
    RCMP say two men at the camp, which is located about 50 kilometres of north of Stewart near  were taking GPS readings on a steep slope when they were swept away by the avalanche.
    
    One of the men was able to get free of the avalanche, but the other man — Pat Lawrence Desmarais, 50, of Telkwa — was carried over a 300-metre cliff to his death.
    
    “Avalanche technicians and search crews from a neighbouring mine assisted in the search and located the 50-year-old deceased male,” said a statement issued by Const. Lesley Smith.
    
    A coroner from Terrace, B.C., is investigating.
    
    B.C. coroner Barb McLintock says it's very early in the season for an avalanche to claim a life, noting the first fatality last year was reported in mid-November.

    

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  • 7 months ago
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• Yvan and the Rockstars Yvan and the Rockstars

  • From: johnforrest
  • Description:

    Posted by Ann Hofer

    The past heli season at Northern Escape Heli-Skiing saw the return of celluloid and the antics of a strong crew of filmers, riders and athletes or proskiers. There were familiar faces from Standard Films Travis Robb and Ondo filming as well Mads Jonsson, Lonnie Kauk, Torstein Horgmo, Mathieu Crepel all familiar with the style of riding and snow conditions of the Skeena Mountains. It is always a relief to see familiar faces cause our guiding job includes developing a profile of each individual rider. This allows us to chose appropriate terrain that meets their style. I’ll talk about terrain later so for the moment I’ll mention the newbies that showed up. Mark Carter, Sammy Luebke, Aaron Bittner, Blair Habenacht and lastly perhaps the most performing rider Kazu Kobiko. Yes, as Mads stated and proclaimed he has a new found belief that Kazu may be the most talented rider he’s witnessed of any style. Honestly we were all taken aback by Kazu’s choice of lines, be it tech pillows or big mountain spine freestyle. Wow! To be present and witness 80 foot trick airs to stomp. Individually these riders are all world class and the NEH team had the their work cut out for them.

    The synergy between the riders we met this season was exceptional, as the senior or more experienced riders often shared opinions on terrain choice. This exchange builds confidence in per say a line choice as quite often unknowns are always present. The key element for a rider is to remain calm and not get frustrated in times when things aren’t falling in place perfectly. A perfectionist that is hard on himself can often fall out of balance if too critical of oneself.

    The man Finding new lines such as the Samurai Spines and revisiting Hell’s Gate a pillow zone that has epic sized drops that are hard to comprehend until your standing in the drop zone. The other challenge we faced was of course the weather. We started the month long tour with some clear, cold bluebird conditions which made for long days. This high pressure system blew in from the North with some severity which affected most every piece of exposed terrain so we were forced to move to sheltered tree runs. Here’s a couple tricks the riders use to maintain there energy on icy cold days. Pack and extra pair of goggles and mitts instead of gloves, snack often and stay hydrated.

    What makes Northern Escape so desirable to film crews is the diversity of terrain. In any condition we can get into the mountains and put together a day of filming. Mark Carter stated “ It’s like being in AK but you have the advantage of having reference points so things aren’t so scary.” The guiding policy when things are tough and we are getting pushed around by weather is to break the terrain down and isolate features instead of looking at a whole mountain.

    TB20 will be released for premiere viewing in Sept. so stay tuned for the trailer. Standard Films has always been known for putting together solid productions with a compliment of great music and historical footage. This DVD will be a must for your library.They have also made a huge production change and are shooting mostly digital, so your wide screen TV will transport you to the scene. Riders were also shooting POV with Contour so you’ll feel vertigo all in the comfort of your couch and bowl of buttered popcorn.

    Our season was just about done and we were down to the last couple of weeks when John was contacted by Matchstick Productions. Alaskan Ranges had been subjected to the same cold fronts we experienced in
    Terrace although they were severely short of snow and spines and the mountains were wind raked. After crunching a budget John told us it’s on. Two weeks of film with producer cinematographer Scott Gaffney and Mattias Fredriksson, Swede shooting still and Fred Arne Wergeland from Norway shooting RED.

    My first question to John was okay who is skiing? That question wasn’t answered until I was at the airport picking up the crew and delivering them with there private chef from Crested Butte Colorado. Kevin this dude can cook ribs and has inspired me to make my own rubs and make the best breakfast sandwich on the planet.

    Back on track, I could easily turn this blog into a foodie column, Cody Townsend with his oversize mustache was familiar to me, as he skied with Team 13 and had the opportunity to be in the Skeena Range for one bluebird day during our premiere season back in 2005. We actually got his segment done in one day production quality was more of B Movie style at Team 13. Also at the airport I greeted Henrik Windstedt from Sweden, as the pro male model... He does the role justice. I’m talking about skiing, he is a Big Mountain Free ride skier to the bone. He and Cody met on the World Free ride Extremes circuit in Europe some years ago and have been doing segments for Matchstick for the past couple seasons. For the first week our crew consisted of two skiers and three crew. Quantum Helicopters flew a B2 A Star for us. The last member to join us was Rory Bushfield , he had been here in Terrace twice before. Rory is big on freestyle tricks, jumping off structures such as bridges into freezing cold rivers or crashing through some kind of inferno.

    The highlight of the trip in my eyes came down to the crunch. It was like a play at a baseball game. The base were loaded and we had the star batter in the box. The pitcher had a huge wad of chewing gum and was a cool player under pressure.

    So let me summarize a day in the life of a Rockstar skier. The guides made arrangements to lift early with the heli as the weather was the most promising we’d observed in two weeks. We lifted to the sunrise morning glow inbound to Umpa Lumpa Spines while the skiers discussed line choices. I flew with the pilot to establish landing zones on a knife edge ridge at the entrances for Henrik, Rory and Cody. This ridge is notorious for having huge cornices so it’s actually a invaluable to observe conditions without pressure from the skiers. It was a go, with skiers in place and filmers ready a cloud built between skiers and filmers obscuring the view so we played the waiting game. All the skiers acomplished the lines after some patience was practiced from ridgecrest. Just over the ridge in the adjacent valley I was able to keep an eye on the weather pattern so we moved to Wonderland Spines and slaughtered the zone. As filming was about to end we went for a check flight to the north which led us to the Star Creek headwaters. West Hustler Peak and a new zone waiting for a 1st descent was in perfect light so line choices and logistics were the task at hand.

    Light was moving quickly on the east face of the new spine zone so we chose to get this in the can. Establishing a new zone is always exciting, the unknown always has a certain appeal although this piece of terrain I’d been observing and photographing for several years already. Present conditions being stable from avalanches and daylight being optimal although fading due to moving shadows we had to be hasty and get the job done. Cody dropped in from the highest landing and skied an obvious spines in classic big mountain style and transfered onto a lower angle spine to hit a couple pillows off the main spine. Minimal sluffing occurred on his descent so we had good information about the face so with greater confidence we proceeded with Rory’s descent which was more face skiing with a trick feature. The next skier was Henrik who was posted on a pillar landing with terrain falling away from him in all directions. His line choice was an esthetic, spine to short couloir to another major spine and a final transfer to a third spine to the valley bottom. Naming rights always come in the event of a first descent. Saucerboy Spines is the newest film venue at Northern Escape. If you don’t understand who or what signifigance Saucerboy has in this game you should watch the film called Gnar. Soon to be another classic film production from MSP visit skimovie.com for to build your DVD collection.

    Scott Gaffney made the call to shoot from the heli for this feature so you’ll be on the edge of your seat watching this production. POV headcams are a mainstay so check out the action packed trailer called - La Nina The Bitch is Back.

    BY THE WAY! I CAN’T BELIEVE CODY TOWNSEND IS A PRO IN THIS FILM. I’m a way better skier than him.

    Yvan is a founding guide at Northern Escape Heli-Skiing and has been instrumental developing and guiding the film program and ensuring the evolution of the sport and film productions..

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  • 2 years ago
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• One of the Helis One of the Helis

  • From: johnforrest
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  • 2 years ago
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• Droping Droping

  • From: johnforrest
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  • 2 years ago
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• Shredding Shredding

  • From: johnforrest
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    In the mids of making a Trailer.
  • 2 years ago
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• Video: TB20 Teaser By Standard Video: TB20 Teaser By Standard Films

  • From: media-75233
  • Description:

    Standard Films is proud to present the 20th film from the legendary Totally Board Series, TB20! Originating in 1991, the “Totally Board” movies pioneered big mountain snowboarding and revolutionized action sports movie production in a way that captured the essence of the sport. Fast-forward two decades later to TB20, where the legacy lives on through the ultra extreme snowboarding of today's most talented pro shredders on the planet!

    Starring: Halldor Helgason, Sammy Luebke, Blair Habenicht, Mark Carter, Xavier De Le Rue, Kimmy Fasani, Ryan Tiene, Torstein Horgmo, Lonnie Kauk, Raewyn Reid, Gulli Gudmundsson, Gjermund Braaten, Mathieu Crepel, Leanne Pelosi, Kevin Jones, Eiki Helgason, Mads Jonsson, Aaron Biittner

    Locations: Haines AK, Whistler Backcountry, Terrace BC, Alpine Meadows,Squaw Valley, Stockholm Sweden, Stranda and Oslo Norway, Akureyri Iceland, Jackson Hole, Calgary, Mammoth, Sierra at Tahoe, Tahoe Backcountry, Helsinki Finland, Silverton Colorado, Switzerland, Chamonix, Dolomites

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  • 2 years ago
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• News: Shames Mountain Ski Area News: Shames Mountain Ski Area, Canada’s First Non-Profit Community Ski Co-Operative

  • From: media-75233
  • Description:

    by Tania Millen

    Imagine a town where you can buy a nice house for $200K then turn around and buy yourself a ski hill for $1.3 Million. Think it doesn’t exist? Think again. Terrace, BC, Canada has some of the cheapest homes in the province, and Shames Mountain Ski Area, located only 30 minutes west of town, is on the market for $1.3 M.

    A steal? You bet. Especially considering this hill has the highest annual snowfall of any lift serviced Ski Area in North America. North America! Think it gets skied out? Nope, not with that much snow and season pass sales averaging 1,000 per year. Plus, the hill only covers 7% of the skiable area, so the backcountry is huge. It has a great bunch of bowls, chutes and tree runs, multi-day routes and a cabin just over the range. The best part? The backcountry is right off the T Bar.

    

    Don’t have $1.3 M, but wanna buy the hill? You can. For $299, you can join Canada’s first non-profit community ski co-operative, My Mountain Co-op. A group of Terrace-based professionals and ski enthusiast have spent the last 2 years conducting feasibility studies and figuring out the best business model to purchase the hill. The Co-op is the result.

    What’s a Co-op? Each member gets one vote, input on how the hill runs, member-priced season passes and more. A business plan including terrain expansion and development of on-hill cabins is ready to roll, but it’s Co-op members (you and me!) who will decide what happens. Your lifetime membership fee has no strings attached. There are no bills to pay, but no dividends either. It’s non-profit after all. 

    

    Here’s the deal. The Co-op has to raise $2 Million by April 30, 2011 to make an offer to the current owners. $2 Million includes the purchase price, necessary upgrades to the lodge and lifts, 5 years of planned capital improvements, plus some ‘cushion’. So if you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own Ski Area that’s blessed with some of the best white stuff on the planet, now you can. How many people do you know who own a ski hill?

    Join at http://www.mymountaincoop.ca

    
    

     

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  • 2 years ago
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• hames Mountain Ski Area, Canad hames Mountain Ski Area, Canada’s First Non-Profit Community Ski Co-Operative

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  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 227

• hames Mountain Ski Area, Canad hames Mountain Ski Area, Canada’s First Non-Profit Community Ski Co-Operative

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  • 2 years ago
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• hames Mountain Ski Area, Canad hames Mountain Ski Area, Canada’s First Non-Profit Community Ski Co-Operative

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  • 2 years ago
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• hames Mountain Ski Area, Canad hames Mountain Ski Area, Canada’s First Non-Profit Community Ski Co-Operative

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  • 2 years ago
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• Terrace, BC Terrace, BC

  • From: snowseekers
  • Description:

    A short profile of Terrace, British Columbia's winter adventure scene. 

  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 29
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• Terrace BC: Sammy takes over t Terrace BC: Sammy takes over the airport snack bar!

  • From: ToddJones
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  • 3 years ago
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• Terrace BC: Sammy takes over t Terrace BC: Sammy takes over the airport snack bar!

  • From: ToddJones
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  • 3 years ago
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• Shames Shames

  • From: snowseekers
  • Description:

    This is a great shot at the top of Shames Mountain, Terrace, BC.

  • 4 years ago
  • Views: 217
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• Igloos Igloos

  • From: snowseekers
  • Description:

    This was my first scope at a real half ass igloo hahaha. Shames Mountain in Terrace BC. 

  • 4 years ago
  • Views: 200

• Winter Madness! Winter Madness!

  • From: DanaFlahr
  • Description:
    This winter has been sick. Dumping in BC, dumping in Jackson, dumping beyond fathomable in Baker, and I was lucky enough to have experienced a little taste of it all.
    
    Recap- December, Whistler: Snow, ski, sleep, hike, snow, ski, sleep, hike, sun, ski, sleep. Eat, ski, sleep. The ski legs are back.
    
    January: Ian McIntosh, Kye Petersen, Victoria Jealouse and I start chippin' away for 'Under The Influence', the '08 TGR ski film.  It's definately winter, and it's deep and cold. After a week of down time, we headed to Baker for 4 days of true realness. Don't bother going there though, it wasn't that good.
    
    February: Still goin at it. The ball is rollin' and we are stoked. We've discovered tons of new terrain, and discovery alone keeps everything real exciting. The energy is high. After a week of no snow or sun, my spoiled nature of the season catches up to me. Like a true fiend,  I fly to Jackson 24 hours later for another fix. Surprise: it's deep as shit and epic. Pumped to see all the Jackson boys, especially in the cold smoke!
    
    March: A few more days in the BC backcountry and the shots are rollin' in for everybody. I'm heading to Terrace in a few days, then straight to AK for 6 weeks. The bags are packed: Ski gear, a few changes of clothes, passport, and music. It's life on the road for the next two months... so stay tuned.
    
    
    
    
    ** Some sickness awaits...Ian poised and ready to send it. Numerous lines on this face would go down.**
    
    
    ** And more...**
    
    
    ** Rick Johnson’s got a tough job...sometimes you gotta unwind eh?!**
    
    
    ** Rallyin’ to the next spot!**
    
    
    ** A couple airs in the can...**
    
    
    ** ...usually pays off to stay for last chair on Blackcomb!**
    
    
    ** The snow and sun ceased up...so we hit the road for Mt. Baker. Surprise surprise, more snow!**
    
    
    ** Baker love! 40 inches in 4 days while we were there. **
    
    
    ** Ski buddies-Austin Ross and Shane Treat.**
    
    
    ** When you’re in Baker at night you gotta make your own fun. Taylor keepin it fun.**
    
    
    ** Some casual apres-ski beverages.**
    
    
    ** Some goods in Jackson Hole. That was another little escape from BC. This line alone made the plane ticket worthwhile!**
    
    
    ** I almost rolled my sled off a 30 foot cornice. That would have sucked with no insurance. Rick and Curtis Croy to the rescue.**
    
    
    ** A sick double I’d been eyeing for a few months. It finally got light in March, so I ticked it off the list at 8:30 am, warm-up style!**
    
    
  • Blog post
  • 5 years ago
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