Canada Part 1: Momma, I’m going fast!

Your ride is here.

Wow, it has been such an amazing few days I don’t even know where to start.  One thing I’ll never get used to is how freakin cool just RIDING in a helicopter is. Much less getting out of it to shred thousands of verticle in untracked, bottomless pow! My imagination runs wild like I am a special agent on a top secret mission to rip… I can’t stop giggling from the moment I hear them coming in the morning until I pass out at night. Even my dreams are awesome here.

Where Should we go next?

1,000,000 acres of territory. That means Vail’s “huge” footprint is one half of one percent of the terrain we have access to here. Our first day was especially lucky, being blessed with bluebird conditions. These “brochure cover” days are few and far between and allowed us to ride high-alpine peaks with perfect visibility. The Heli can perch on a ridge the size of your couch, and drop you on top of the most breathtaking views.

Trusty sidekick.

Today, around mid-morning the blue skies began to cloud up and visiblity got a little flat. I had no idea how great the alternative to the high-alpine would be. The tree skiing here is just as good. Steep steep pitches, deep snow, and hundreds of mushrooms, rocks, and ledges to jump off.

Our Austrian guides are a trip, and mimicing their accents provides a lot of fun in the heli. Yesterday after watching me and a buddy roll into a blind 15-20 footer, our guide skied up lauging and said…(best if said in your best Schwatzenager/Deter voice) “Ooohhh ve finds a leetle supriizze down here, don’t vee? He he.” 

Have you seen that SNL skit where they keep asking, “Do you like luxury?”  I’ve been saying that a lot too. This whole operation is top-notch. I had curry shimp and the best soup I have ever tasted on a galcier yesterday. I know, I know, I’m the luckiest jerk ever.

Bye for now. I think I have to go have some beef wellington, soak in the hot-tub and drink a few “Piley’s”

2 comments February 4th, 2008

Cumberland Transit – Nashville, TN

With every outdoor sport, there are outdoor retailers, and I bet you have your favorite. Even though you have been there a thousand times to look at gear, clothing, or other odds and ends, you probably will end up there when the river is blown out with excess rain, or on just a plain lazy slow weekend. I too have my favorite outdoor store or in my case fly shop. Nashville has three fly shops and on some days, I make it to all three to hang out and talk “shop”. Since there are three fly shops, consider this part 1 of a 3 post series.

Cumberland Transit is a variety outdoor retailer, they carry fly fishing, camping, backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, and mountain biking / road biking gear. As for fly fishing gear, Cumberland Transit carries Orvis, Temple Fork Outfitters, Winston, Cortland, Bauer, Hardy, Titon, Tioga, Fishpond, and Korker. Cumberland Transit has a wide variety of fly tying materials, tools, and vises to tie your favorite midge, nymph, streamer, bass, or saltwater pattern.

They are located at 2807 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN. Their phone number is (615) 321-4069. Ask for the fly shop and you will end up talking with Ronnie, Leo, or Don. All the guys are knowledgeable about fly fishing and can answer any questions about fishing the local waters. Ronnie is CT’s in-house fly fishing guide, so if you are interested in a guided trip on one of Tennessee’s best tailwater trout fisheries, give him a call.

3 comments February 4th, 2008