Transmission From Delaney Zayac

A couple evenings ago I found myself scrambling to put a plan together and find partners for the next day. It was suppose to be sunny and the snowpack was tightening up, so really it was sort of “on”. Problem was my regular shred-partners were not around; Ian is in Japan, Joe was there too visiting Ian, Dave B was busy and Sam was injured. Going down the list was a bit futile, I had to scratch the first 4 people I would normally call. I started wondering how tomorrow would pan out. Its funny how it can be just as much about who you go out into the mountains with as it is about where you go or how the conditions are. I thought to myself, I have no friends, I am a solo Goat, but still I must get out there and ski!

I had been talking with Dave Treadway a bit about some potential missions and we started to come up with a bit of a plan. Then out of nowhere, as if some psychic connection had been invoked, PY (Leblanc) called up and said he had found puffy unchapped powder way up in the mountains north of Pemberton, and was looking for a crew. Me and Dave were in and all of a sudden tomorrow was looking good again. It was 11 pm and we were meeting at the parking lot at 6 am.

We roared through the trees and towards the alpine on our sleds in the dark, trying for that magical morning light. We managed to get on top of some nice lines while the sun was still golden and started working it.

PY lined this cliff up for breakfast, which I though was fairly impressive, no? Elise and PY have been working closely with Dendrite Studios so Elise was filming most of this days adventure. Capturing motion in a fluid format tends to add a certain dynamic to the selection of lines. The sun was lighting sloughs up and everything was looking great.

Dave skied this line.

PY lined up more lines with drops scattered throughout. Unfortunately on one of his airs PY bounced his chin off his knee and cut his chin open. He had to call it but he was happy with his day none the less.

Lunch time in the alpine.

So PY and the Dendrite crew left for the hospital to get PY stitched up. Dave and I had to stay and get our fill of the goods

Wow!

This might have been a magazine shot but Dave forgot to put his goggles on!

Skiing is fun.

The daylight started to wain and we made our way to the last slivers of light we could find. This line seemed too good to be true.
Ahhh! Yes, yes.

- Over and out from Pemberton.

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It is no secret we have been battling conditions in the Kita Alps. A mega month of snow ended with nasty warmth and rain in the high alpine. Instead of just cooling off it decided to cold snap and every inch of  new snow located it self on a questionable layer. This has been a bit of an issue. We have still managed a good time but a lack of sun and a meter of snow ready to release has made things a mental fuck.

Finally the skies cleared long enough for a run at something bigger. Joe and I hoped for a run of the undeniably handsome Kaerazu. It is a face I dream of often and since Joe arrived he also dreams of it on many days. With a full day of sun forcasted we set out. In our heads we knew the odds were stacked against us and that the conditions would likely keep us at a safe distance. The savior to a 4 plus hours walk out there is that when we actually get close enough to make a call there would be a few options if it didn’t work out. So with that in mind we headed out

Usually you can skin up to here. But the snow was so hammered and the temps had been so nasty we actually had to abort the skins and start using crampons about 45 minutes in to the mission (locals will know it as the trees just past the second caren). The decision came quick as I slid backwards for about 20 feet and a tree saved me from going further.

The Happo ridge for the first half was untouched. Post-holing was a bitch. We finally let a few guys following take over and suffer. A few other groups came charging up and past us. Joe and I were really occupied with what Kaerazu was doing and started enjoying the others hard work while sorting out our day.

This is the upper face of Kaerazu. As you can see it has been abused by weather. Two large crowns had our heads guessing. The problem was these slides happened last week mixed with light dusting made everything even more of a brain ache. We were hoping for the unslid lookers right of the picture.

Every step after the last two pics until here was mentally challenging. We ended up passing all the groups that took us over except for 1 solo guy. He turned back just before the summit. There was a knife edge he refuse to walk. He was spooked and as I spoke with him about it another fellow on his own went for it and continued on. Joe and I kept our pace but just a few steps in also got spooked as we could not tell what we were standing on. Our axes would not bottom out and it freaked us too. We backed up and discussed the situation. Then a 50+ year old Japanese mountain man casually strolled up and walked the ridge like he on a run way in paris. He kindly turned back and yelled ‘daijoboo’, we had brief conversation in Japanese. He assured us it was all good. It took us another 10-20 minutes to make a move but I finally put my head down and walked the line. As it turned out it was still gnarly and an absolute no fall zone. It wasn’t an over hang but a slip either would have sucked. When the knife ended it turned into glare ice and every step was ‘live and in the moment’. I thanked him when we saw him again.

Off the summit looking back.

We ended dealing with so much weather effected hiking that it started taking it toll on our shred plans. By this point we had been walking for the last 5 hours and 40% of that with an intense focus on most of our foot steps. Her Joe down climbs some crap just before I would fall into the first of 2 holes.

As we talked with the fellow who summit’d first, a stranger popped out of nowhere. This man above had come from the opposite direction as us. We were all startled and wondering how only 3 of us made the peak and suddenly there was four of us. As it turns ‘the legend’ was on day 14 of a trek he began at the sea of Japan. He was simply amazing and humbled any ideas about ourselves.

Our skier friend dropped in, he had a great run and time.  Joe and I pushed on to one of the back up plans. At this point we were mentally spent and didn’t have the gusto to continue tip toeing around the backs of the sketchy peaks. We opted to drop in here. It was thigh deep and a little on the glorious side.

If we made our plan we would have ended up dropping from the light in back and somewhere through the lower mid-left rocks. It was a great day with a lot of unique moments and special people.

With just one day left for Joe and Ulla, we headed back to where we saw a fellow ride the day before. He shredded the boobs off the ‘Vacuum’. It looked to wicked for us not to do it our selves. So we did.

As this day would be a lot less on the gnar, Ulla got in some crampons and also packed up hill for 2.5 hours.

Joe went first. The Vacuum is a huge steep ramp that has few swerves for direction. The snow was really good. In the backdrop you can see where rode the day before.

Ulla dropped in with a nice view of Karamatsu peak in the back.

As with all these upper Happo ridge runs you get dumped out in to one of the best run outs ever. A long valley of gentle pow. Riding it today was really special. Tailing two good friends trading endless pow turns is one of the best feelings a snowboarder can ask for. It is rare you get to share that kinda stoke in this type of terrain. It made me happy.

Again, there is captain caveman Kaerazu.

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So many Japanese boards still use this shape for powder. Terry Kidwell’s “round tail” up for sale. Check out the method!!!!!

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A deep Whistler pack, has spined the terrain up earlier than usual, so we are taking full advantage. The billygoat spines, or what I refer to as the Brian Savard spines, were good to go. This is a late light line, a springtime classic, but since it was still January, we rocked it in the shade. Jack Hannan got a couple turns in the sun on the skiers left spine. Good protected snow, made for the run of the season, so far.

Sam Casavant and Jack Hannan skinning the ridge. Jack scouting a redneck ride home.

Jack Hannan dropping the skiers left spine, spooky entrance with a nice payoff.

Joe dropping in, Windy storms have created some cornices, making easy entrances spicier. Scissors cuts paper, so I am up.

Sam had a spine to himself to my left, so he’s not a loser afterall.
(use your imagination- no pic)

Sweet spine that flows for longtime, reminds me of the time I got barrelled in Jindoneisa. oi!

All upper pictures by Chris Ankeny.

Joe is actually in Hakuba right now where things are not so exciting…

But eyes are still on the prize.

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…has been a strange one. For the first few days it did not deliver like expected. Although we still managaed the deep, delicious and blower in the preserved and reserved areas. The actual hill and common zones were still crufty with crunk and ice. Strangely it just seemed like it only snowed in the less obvious zones. That ended last weekend when it snowed a good 40cm over night in valley and blanket all of the hill with much more.

We made a brain busting decision to go to Sakka as the winds were shaking the house. When we arrived only one other car decorated the parking lot and the chair was not running and not a chair was hanging from the line.  We waited and struggled with the decision made,  I got a call that the Gondi was running. Oh well can’t win them all. That was until the Sakka chair opened and the Gondi shut at the same time.

Sakka slayed as good as it could with very little crowds for most of the day. As it turned out most never made the journey over and reported less than a stellar day. Other resorts never even opened the upper powder accessing chairs. Sakka was all time. Blower and so deep. Joe and Ulla found out why I live here… One of those days.

During this last cycle the mountains have been dropping its walls of snow like nobody’s business. Giant class 2 and 3’s have been dropping behind the clouds and during the heavy snow storm. It wasn’t until the skies broke for a bit that the damage showed. Luckily the weather went warmer for a half a day then snapped back cold. As the clouds broke and sun came out. It would seem as the nasty layer with the meter of snowfall over the week started to get a grip. Steep north facing lines were visited during the storm and after, they turned out to be insanely good.

It has been reported that the recent cycle has been rare and one of the nastiest the town has scene. During one run after the Silkwoods an Oji met us the bottom of the exit. With a smoke dangling from his lips he recalled when the Silkwoods slid in 1981 and took out 2 condo’s near the base of the slide path. We actually joked about it the day before as we rode by a home at its base. Weird times in the mountains with such a fine line between heaven and hell.

Joe and Ulla are in town and it has been some good fun riding with the ambitious Joe Lax. North face pillows and the Silkwoods have been in all time form, one run in the Silks was really silly. Treading through sensitive terrain and seeing the mountains come to life has made for an interesting and rewarding time.

Not a lot of media as the snow has been heavy and riding has been nonstop.

Zenkoji Temple in Nagano, about one hour before being lost in a snowstorm driving down the wrong road. Fun times.

Air Lax bashin’ some bush.

This was during the storm, the sluff scene was pretty special.

Joe respects a good pillow line and felt the need to show his love.

I respect a good photo and decided to shoot this one out of focus.

Next day was at Cortina where Matsumodo once again proved why he is my mentor.

This is at Sakka Chair on Happo where our new friend waited with us for first chair. He says to us in a cute Japanese accent “My name is Beer Skier”.

A day later Mount Jindynesia was pumping. Every crocodile hunter in town was out grabbing a white wave.

A nice Happo staff member in a red outfit waited to greet them with honor. He greeted about 40 of these snowwave riders.

Ulla’s first line down the Silkwoods.

The snowbanks grew a few feet during the storm.

This is Bender(note the tree up top). Bender deceived us and made me realize I am soft and rocks are hard. That steep doesn’t just mean steep and can mean flat. And good size airs to flat can be landed with a wheely bar but wrists and ankle will not appreciate the lesson.

We rode these in shaded light but at 1pm they go happy time.

Joe drove his old Mazda from Pemberton, he brought some snow for this rail he wants to hit.

Joe Tahoe does some powder dance on Sakka.

Here Joe takes on off the head. Volume required.

The Leafs also got Dion Phanuf. What a week.

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A couple days back it snowed and left some knee deep and grey skies, next day was sunny as previously posted. Matt Watkinson took some nice pics…

Likely the best run of the day. Tsugaike kogen Resort.

A random shred on the south faces of Happo.

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