Can I ski with you?

[carpathian]

We started skinning in a snow storm. The weather around here is always in and out so we kept going with hopes that the sun would make an appearance.


Sure enough, the squall moved by and we had a window on the day.


I have not been to Transformer Ridge in over a month. The cornices have been growing.


We shredded into the valley not sure what the day would bring.


Some more bootpack action


Optimus Prime was choked over with cornices so we dropped into Thunder Cat.




We really wanted to get into Optimus so we opted for the bootpack right up under the offending cornice.



Time to shred!


And shred we did...

[carpathian]

Busy, busy this week. I feel like I have spent a lot of time peering over steep precipices. Skied Manana's again, but with pow this time.


Managed to point it through hanging crux...


Steep turns make me happy.


Aired off of this...


...onto a slabalanche. Don't worry, I made it all right.

[carpathian]

The next day decided to do some exploration. Sweet pow turns over exposure. Not sure what is below but the lure of more turns draws us deeper.


All right! Scoured, super steep and off camber terrain!


Managed to get through the gnar and find this gem of a line.


Bill at the bottom. Gonna ski that big line in the background...

[carpathian]

Before we could get to that big line known as the 'Ice Cooler', we made a summit bid! Scoping that steep fin in the sun. Solid 2000 foot face onto Kathlyn Glacier.


Chest deep and steep right to the top. I made a huge cornice settle by accident but it did not release, luckily.


Bill making turn off summit with 4000 feet down to the right. Smithers is far down on left.


All I can say is that this run made me seriously reconsider why I really wanted to move back to Alaska. Notice Bill in distance as we began simul-straightlining for what seemed like for ever.


Time to traverse back to the lifts.


Might as well ice the cake with a sweet run in Decepticon. Stump with his first Transformer run. I think he liked it!


I managed to ski the line in about 8 seconds I think.

[carpathian]

It only took about 6 years but we finally skied the 'Ice Cooler'. It is very steep and exposed entrance that is hard to see until you are right over it.


Jump turns on hard snow over 1000 footer.


Feeling safer now. This image gives no justice to the actual pitch steepness. I's say pushing 50 deg with hard chalky snow.


High speed power sliding now!


Sweet powder down below


When we got back to the lifts at noon, there seemed to be some sort of party going on...?



Wigs galore!


This is not a wig, she won the big hair competition though!


Hecklers


I think Rogue Killer Trout had a good time.

[Atrain505]

Sickbird...another camera filming the slabalanche per chance?

[carpathian]

Yeah there was. Pretty grey light though, I hope you can tweak it. Manana's in 3rd was money...

[carpathian]

It sure is fun when you from the super gnar of something like the Ice Cooler and back into more user friendly terrain like Crater Lake.


Hit a couple of nice doubles in the AM


We were pretty much skiing the last bit of snow that was not completely sun cooked. Getting sloppy...


... and we skied what could be the last run in Transformer for the year. The rocks are really radiating the heat and the snow is leaving quickly. Time to run for higher ground!

[carpathian]

I am still recovering from our Big Wednesday push. I didn't get hurt or anything, more of a like "Wow, we did it" sort of feeling.

The snow was already seriously cooked from the day before but we were hopeful that the snow had cooled off enough to ski our objectives, Hudson Bay Peak into Big Simpson Gulch followed by the Middle Peak.

The the kind folks at Hudson Bay resort were kind enough to offer their sled along with a skilled driver to help get the camera crew into position.
Tiny sled down on the prairie.


Bill with Riley the driver and Taylor, our camera guy. 1st objective in the background...



After 2 turns on the large steep face I realized that the snow was already done. Mashed potatoe snow that suction cups to the bottom of the ski. We managed to ski our lines and made our way to the base of the second run.

I was getting worried. It was hot and the snow had basically turned isothermal to the ground, less then two feet under. It became a game of cat and mouse as we negotiated our way the route under active hangfire. It was very hot and it felt like the whole slope might rip off at any moment.

After an intense hour of power hiking I made it to the safe saddle and contemplated our lines as the mountains shed their winter coat right before my eyes.


I was having seriously second thoughts about going through with the planned run. It was point releasing on its own and I worried about a more catastrophic and unpredictable release to the ground. After looking and thinking for a bit I made the observation that even though there was tons of sloughs coming off most aspects in front of me, none of them were propagating to the ground on their own. That made me feel good enough to get back on track and see about skiing the steep, hanging face.

This could be the gnarliest ski cuts I have ever made. 2 feet of sludge on rocks and it all wants to go DOWN!


This is from Bill's camera, one of five in the field that day.


Every turn wanted to slough off under foot and suck you over the rocks...




^^ I was nervous making these turns because I knew the snow was coming from behind and I had to make it to my side exit ASAP



Exit = more moving snow...


Holy Smokes, I was glad to get to the bottom of that one!


What's next? Maybe some spring No Boarding tomorrow and then some AK action in the near future. Stay tuned!

[carpathian]

One last kick at the can on good ol Hudson Bay Mountain.
I rigged up the Chariot on top of another kid sled, see how it goes...?


The plan is to skin across the prairie and then make some sweet no board turns. That baby is heavier then she looks


Vesna is laughing because I am the one dragging the baby across the endless expanse.


We are trying to catch those people in the distance to share a few beers.


Look at these party goers!


Rosie is thinking "What the hell are we doing here, dad?"


We're here to shred, little baby!


I even wore my special No Board sweat suit.


In the end the sled started to fall apart so I had to push it all the way back to the car. So the lesson is, if you want to make any simple trip EXTREME, bring your baby

[XXX-er]

So I was walking around on top of the ridge at the bamboo pole where the camera guy had filmed from enjoying a good brownie buzz

I see these people way down on the prairie towing a couple of sleds across the prairie which is WAY unusual ,but they are yelling my name ... SO I drop down and into crater lake

TO a birthday party at crater lake with a guitar ,bongos,party favors ... beer (ummm) ,canned mojitos (yuck), and more " combustables " ... only in smithers eh?

It was Dave's BD ,the guy in the orange & grey jacket with the "don't eat yellow snow " patch on his jacket

That morning had been a blue bird day and pretty hot which is why i was up there ... too bad it clouded over

[LeeLau]

So I badly want to check out the alpine bike trails in the Babines in summer. Are you guys due for an early melt/? Looks like my time coming in early August is safe for that

[XXX-er]

I think so ,the week before was bluebird and hot as you can see in Jake's previous post ,it was fucking hot up there an hour before Jake took those picts,lots of whumping and collapsing of the snow pack which was about aft thick on the praire


Also the ice came off Tyee & Kathlyn lakes last week which is I think a little early and there was really not much snow this year only 130cm at the hill BUT ...actualy the skiing was great

I have hiked but not ridden in the Babines , I would talk to the guys at COB

heres a good link for ya

http://www.smithersmountainbike.ca/

EDIT: IF you didnt know about it,in the link look in trail updates ,it lists all the trails around town and specificaly cronin pass in the Babines

[carpathian]

I have three pairs of skis on the go and have them staggered by order of operation from left to right:

^^ Unfinished core and base w/edges; pressed ski with no tip and no power plate; skis with tips and maple * S.T.O.M.P.P. Pad; finished ski after a season of big mountain slaying.

Damn, those black skis look mean! The three new pair or of a new design. Basically a small version of the Big Dippers with no sidecut and slight taper. One pair has the coveted 'camber/reverse camber' combo... see how they work soon enough.

While the epoxy cures there is a bit of time to shred the dirt!

Section of one of the trails we built last summer.


Good old fashioned skinny:


* Super Teched Out Mountain Power Performance

[carpathian]

My six year canadian vacation is officially over.

I am in Girdwood for the summer to build a DH bike park at Alyeska and build another cabin on my raw property.

Heading out to Latouche Isalnd for the month of may to work on a cabin for another guy. Bringing gun, fish pole and skis.

Shit is gonna get crazy!

[rogue killer trout]

america sucks.

[carpathian]

(Sorry for all the offline images. The site I upload to has been on the fritz.)

So far America has been pretty good to me.

Within 48 hours of rolling into town I found this nice little chalet and bought it for $3000. The current owners want to build a new house on the foundation and basically were going to have to pay to demo the place until I came to the rescue. It is going to be a pain to move it but heck, it is a $3000 house.


The next day it was time to go to work. We hit the 8:30 tunnel to Whittier and started loading the boat.


Our ride


Our Captain, setting shrimp pots on the way out


600 hp should get us there alright


I've always wanted to ski this cleft


Knight Island is amazing. 3000 feet of crazy alpine right to the ocean


Pulling into Copper Bay for a piss on the beach


Po the dog is trying to drink salt water again


Montague Island in the distance. Lots of options over there. Huge brown bears too


Our destination


Loading the cub


Time to go to work building a log house


Captain got one of his toys stuck


Just pull it out with the other toys


10pm, time to do some fishing on the open north Pacific


I can see Hawaii!


Now some hunting. Lots of bear and deer around


That was a good work week, time to head back to town. Culross Island


These shrimp ain't so shrimpy


Lots of birds

[carpathian]

Oh yeah, doing some high speed skiing on Alyeska with Abe on the weekends.

[Chugachjed]

I need a boat shrimpin is calling to me. Welcome back to AK.

[carpathian]

KZ125-120200-
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
400 AM AKDT TUE MAY 11 2010

...STORM WARNING THROUGH TONIGHT...
.TODAY...E WIND 35 KT INCREASING TO 50 KT THIS MORNING. SEAS 7 FT
BUILDING TO 13 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT...E WIND 50 KT DIMINISHING TO 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 13
FT SUBSIDING TO 9 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN.
.WED...E WIND 30 KT BECOMING SE 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 6 FT
SUBSIDING TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
.WED NIGHT...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT.
.THU...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT.
.FRI...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 6 FT.
.SAT...E WIND 15 KT. SEAS 3 FT.


Believe it or not, the Sound is not always fun and games. We are trying to squeek back out wednesday afternoon. Could be ugly...

[Chugachjed]

If you're staying on the west side of the sound you can stay in protected waters almost all the way out to the Gue. I love the sound But nobody needs a captain in Whittier. Valdez is too much of a commute from Anchorage. Good luck getting out Wednesday 6' isn't so bad.

[carpathian]

WEEK 2: Incredibly shitty. Rained over a foot over the week. High winds and heavy seas.



Wind blowing boat and dragging anchor. Connor paddling out to retrieve. One problem with Latouch Island, no good harbor aside from Horseshoe Bay over a mile to the south west.


WEEK 3: Shaping up better. Nice looking spines above Whittier Tunnel


Nice lines everywhere


More shrimping. Getting sick of shrimp actually


Po hates shrimp almost as much as goats


Porpoise en route to the island


Beer supply and Frappacinos


Time to go for a drive




Abandoned bulldozer after pushing town into ocean. Abandoned hotel in back ground.


Hiking around in Old Girwood (not a miss spelling)


Nice waterfall


Mt Beatson, 2000 feet


Knight in the distance, 3000 footers


Knight up close


Montague, 3-4000 footers


Old tailing pile, 150 feet


Homeward bound, 10,000 footers

[XXX-er]

WEEK 2: Incredibly shitty. Rained over a foot over the week. High winds and heavy seas.

NOW thats the AK I remember !

[carpathian]

Another beautiful week in the Sound. Looking south to Cochrane Bay.


Look at these lifelong Alaskan tourists!


Porpoise off the starboard bow!


Yarr! There be Latouche dead ahead!


Nice day to put up a ridge pole.


Getting there...


I call this one "Studs at Sunset"


Some foot skiing with dogs


Journey to the center of the earth. This crack opened up during the '64 earth quake. We could not see the bottom...


Time to build some bike trails.

[carpathian]

New self edit filmed in Smithers, BC.

Thanks Hudson Bay Resort! And Taylor and Bill and Greg!

http://www.youtube.com/carpathianski.../0/9vu6xSvIdjs

Couldn't get it to embed...?