The Bacon-ator officially became my nickname for the last 10 days. I got coined with the nickname while filming with the television show Ride Guide at Chatter Creek Catskiing operation and Great Canadian Heli Skiing. Ironically, before this trip I was a self proclaimed vegetarian however, the tantalizing meat filled meals and endless days of powder skiing transformed me into a carnivore. I was not alone in my powder and meat consumption because right by my side was Josh Pearson from the Ride Guide, freelance photographer Dave Silver, professional trapper and snowboarder Justin Baun.

It was apparent from the moment our crew met at the Chatter Creek helicopter base that we all shared the zeal to explore the infamously mystical terrain of Chatter Creek. As it turned out 4 days was not nearly enough time to explore Chatters 15,000 hectare tenure. However, under guidance of Andrew Procer we indulged in pillow lines, powder, cliffs and even had the opportunity to jump over the snowcat. As some of the photographs from the trip may document me jokingly drawing “I heart Justin Baun” on the snowcat windows, I think my heart now belongs to skiing pillow lines. This being said we captured some quality footage and bitter sweetly left Chatter and head to Golden to transition our trip over to Great Canadian to go Heli skiing.

Our night in Golden was a haze of eating peanuts at the Mad Trapper, doing chin up on snowboard bindings at the River House and purchasing the Powder photo annual at 2:00am. All in all putting us in fine form for the next days adventure out to Heather Mountain Lodge home of Great Canadian Helicopter skiing.

Our three days at Great Canadian molded into one fancy experience, this being my inaugural heli skiing experience I was unaware of how blissful untracked terrain and 5 star cuisine could be. Lamb beet stew, freshly smoked salmon, crispy duck salad, bison roast where great side dishes to the figure eights I got to link for the camera. With a mix bag of weather conditions we enjoyed everything from open glades to exploring fire ravaged forests and slopes speckled with beautiful white spruce trees. More however, following on the meat theme we filmed a hilarious après shoot in the hot tub, with Justin reading “snowboarding know-how” and myself eating a rib in the hot tub, that had the crew in stitches.  

From this trip I realize two things:

1.That my carbon footprint in outrageously large for 2010

2. That I set the bar high for skiing conditions, but as a Chatter Creek staff member said “Powder skiing it’s like sleeping with a supermodel, nothing is going to be as good”. Let’s hope I can prove him wrong and find supermodels in Revelstoke.