CBC Interviews Mike Weigele

[T-team]

Lund. With all due respect not sure how you can agree with him given that his radio interview was very short on specifics and long on anecdotal evidence, conjecture, heresay, all those things that someone trying to push an agenda that has no legs likes to use and Mike Wiegle is a master at that. One cannot blame him entirely as he is not a sledder and even one snowmobile track is a slap in the face to a wealthy heli skier paying top dollar to ski pristine powder. It is our job as sledders to hold his feet to the fire when he starts spreading unsupported bs on public radio. In the Valemount, Blue River SRMP there are a number of things that determine where one can and cannot snowmobile. Firstly there are the managed areas such as Chappel Creek, Allen Creek and the like where snowmobling is allowed and the area is managed with groomed trails, trail fees and then like. There are also the designated areas that are not managed such as Oasis. The areas where one cannot snowmobile are the certain specific areas designated for other uses such as heli-sking, ski touring, cat skiing, etc. and of course there are the caribou closure areas. Some of these areas closed for other uses are seasonal and some are year round but that still leaves a considerable area where one can snowmobile without restriction but is not within a managed area. Howard Creek below the headwaters, Canoe Mountain and Manateau come to mind but there are certainly many more such as the popular areas around Blue River which are not managed but do allow snowmobiling because there are no other use restrictions and no caribou closures. One must remember that none of these areas are restricted to the Mike Wiegle Operation as they can basically heli-ski everywhere without restriction, within managed and non managed designated snowmobile areas such as Chappel Creek, Clemina Creek, Oasis, etc., within caribou closure areas and of course within the specific zones that are set aside for them that sledders cannot use. If one overlaid all the areas where you are not prohibited from snowmobiling onto the map of the Mike Wiegle Heli-skiing runs you would see a considerable area where there is overlap. His runs overlap all of Oasis, parts of Clemina Creek all of Chappel Creek and certianly overlap a lot of the non designated areas that are not restricted. Mike did not get into any specifics on the radio but I would bet that a considerable number of the snowmobile tracks he complained about had as much right to be there as his ski tracks did. I am not stupid enough to belive that no one is dropping off the west side of Chappel into the caribou closure area or no one is dropping into Dixon between December and the end of April but from what I have seen it is not common and is certainly not large groups tracking out entire restricted areas so his spiel about hillsides with so many snowmobile tracks back and forth that they were creating a danger to heli skiers indicates to me he is either full of s**t or he was skiing in an area where snowmobiles are allowed. I would further suspect the number of snowmobile tracks he crosses that are in areas where absolutely no snowmobiles are allowed are few and far between and are certainly sparse enough they can be avoided. The fact that he is not giving specifics (i.e. In ?? days of skiing solely in areas where no snowmobiles are allowed we encountered snowmobile tracks on ?? of those days and on ?? days there were injuries to ?? of the skiers who were injured as a result of hitting set up illegal snowmobile tracks). Given where his interest lie and given the generalities in his interview I am prone to disagree with him.

There is no way im reading all of that Roy... But I'm sure its very smart. And good point.

 

[ferniesnow]

There is no way im reading all of that Roy... But I'm sure its very smart. And good point.

Aren't we glad Sean isn't as eloquent as his dad?

 

[VARDA]

VARDA has worked with Erin Hart (who was contacted by CBC) on a bit of a rebutal on the recent interview. I cannot find Erins interview for some reason, although I am sure he represented us well and I hope its posted. If CBC calls, we will talk, but our accuser is grasping at straws for anyone who will listen and this has gone on for years.....

There have been a few good points brought up in previous posts on this thread, but we need to remain on the higher ground. Laws are laws and we must obey them (regulations, boundaries etc), but that does not mean that while doing so, we cannot negotiate and fight to get things changed for the better of our sport.

Join clubs and for instance, lets support the group of hard working snowmobile club reps that are on their way to Victoria for a very important meeting on Monday morning.

Our clubs need our support and this needs to be the start if we want to see a positive change.

 

[Colin Day]

Seems like more of us should take up heli ski....be one less sled for every week of paying for that.....problem solved for Mike..!!!!!!! WOW...and that's after you get to his lodge. Hard to imagine he can't access enough area without getting in the face of sledders. He gets tenure on crown land because he pays the gov more than sledders do I suspect....

Thats BS that he pays more to the government, Think about everyone who buys a new $15,000 sled year after year. A lot! think about all the taxes on the sleds, and gear, and fuel, and restaurants, and hotels in the riding areas. Times that buy thousands of sledders riding every weekend they can durning the season. Snowmobiling is an extremely expensive sport that heavily uses the services of other businesses. Ask the hotels in the area's what group provides them with more business.
Why should the thousands of tax paying, Canadian snowmobilers suffer at the expense of one man who caters to a small portion of people. (I'd be surprised if he had 100 customers in 1 season)

 

[maxwell]

Thats BS that he pays more to the government, Think about everyone who buys a new $15,000 sled year after year. A lot! think about all the taxes on the sleds, and gear, and fuel, and restaurants, and hotels in the riding areas. Times that buy thousands of sledders riding every weekend they can durning the season. Snowmobiling is an extremely expensive sport that heavily uses the services of other businesses. Ask the hotels in the area's what group provides them with more business.
Why should the thousands of tax paying, Canadian snowmobilers suffer at the expense of one man who caters to a small portion of people. (I'd be surprised if he had 100 customers in 1 season)

he is also not catering to canadians let alone citizens of british columbia. a large % of his clients come from around the world. sure there are still some that come from canada but alot of european clients

 

[OOC ZigZag]

I wanna get hammered and have a bonfire with his lodge

 

[tex78]

I wanna get hammered and have a bonfire with his lodge[/QUOTE

Baaaaaaaaaaaa


Inside voice dude lol

sent while I should be drinking tea's

 

[Caper11]

When I buy my trail passes I've never been asked if I wanted to purchase a club membership in that area (Blue, Vale, Mcbride Etc. Has that been tried, or just never considered?
Sometimes it's inconvenient to run around in the town looking for a place that sells them, I know in one town I went to two places and was told there was none left.
Increased memberships may help fund a issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HotShotHarry]

Lund. Click on the link that Murimator posted[#12] on page 2. You will see all the areas that MW accesses. There is no reason at all for Mike to be putting people down to ski next to sledders other than to show the skiers what a mountain looks like or sounds after it has been sledded upon. I too have been dusted out by a chopper while in a sledding open area. I sled and talk with a lot of people in the Blue River area. I am also a member there and in McBride. Mike Weigle gives nothing to the community and is despised by the residents who live there. This man is a foreigner who feels that the mountains are for his sole use only. Roy Maxwells comments [he lives in Valemount] are very true. Please read them . I know that you are a very involved and caring person in the snowmobile mountain world and that your comments are heartfelt directed. In our sledding areas,there is very little intrusion on MW's skiing places but rather more intrusion of MW in our relatively small sledding areas. Thanks. Ken.

 

[Summiteer]

When I buy my trail passes I've never been asked if I wanted to purchase a club membership in that area (Blue, Vale, Mcbride Etc. Has that been tried, or just never considered?
Sometimes it's inconvenient to run around in the town looking for a place that sells them, I know in one town I went to two places and was told there was none left.
Increased memberships may help fund a issue.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Look at selling memberships at the liquor stores. Everyone goes there.

 

[imdoo'n]

What do you care if some dink "owns" that meadow and you arent allowed in there to enjoy it? Closing and purchasing area's for the purpose of keeping people out is just as bad as destroying it in my opinion... Nobody can enjoy it either way.

hmm i'm confused were you not beotching out a couple sledders crossing a private farm field. that was perfectly legal,{ by the way} and now your ok with going into a private heli skiing tenure area, because no one is enjoying it? seems just a little ok for me but not for you rhetoric. hmm again i thought no one needed to tell you to stay off private property. lol, just an observation from what i read in your posts. i may be wrong.

 

[DaveB]

hmm n you were beotching out a couple sledders crossing a farm field. that was perfectly legal, something just don't add up dude. looks like it's ok for you though, to acess private tenure to a snow area. lol, kinda funny,

"Tenured" isn't "owned". It means the gov't has given permission to a person or organization to profit from that land.

 

[imdoo'n]

"Tenured" isn't "owned". It means the gov't has given permission to a person or organization to profit from that land.

yes, all depends what type of tenure he has, and how it is worded, no arguement from me just find it a little funny t-team is saying it is not right for the sask sledders, put for him it is ok as long as no one is using it, good to go. unless i read it wrong.

 

[GRD]

Its worth the read! Well wrote Roy!

How was the Kuster ride?

There is no way im reading all of that Roy... But I'm sure its very smart. And good point.

 

[oler1234]

Not sure if mike weigele owns cmh but I know I had a encounter to with them as well. So it's not just one chopper company it's multiples. 2 yrs ago out at the silver mines in "our" zone I had a cmh chopper come bombing down in front of me, bout a 100ft away. Couldn't see **** really. Decided to flip me the bird with a head shake and flew away. Some locals around golden have very similar stories. These guys are just out of control sometimes in my opinion!

 

[snopro]

Not sure if mike weigele owns cmh but I know I had a encounter to with them as well. So it's not just one chopper company it's multiples. 2 yrs ago out at the silver mines in "our" zone I had a cmh chopper come bombing down in front of me, bout a 100ft away. Couldn't see **** really. Decided to flip me the bird with a head shake and flew away. Some locals around golden have very similar stories. These guys are just out of control sometimes in my opinion!

Here's how you deal with that...buddy of mine crop sprays, he has a buddy that crop sprays for a competitor. Both of them used to dive bomb each others place and drop marker paper on each others property as a joke. One day his buddy is visiting with a cop at the strip and Cal flys in low and bombs them with paper. The cop took offence and charged him with dangerous flying. 2 years of litigation later and a bunch of money he beat it. It really soured him on life. Maybe we should be reporting these chopper pilots to authorities for dangerous acts over crown land? It might be worth a try.

 

[RGM]

[h=4]Minimum Altitudes and Distances[/h]

• 602.14 (1) [Repealed, SOR/2002-447, s. 2]
  
• (2) Except where conducting a take-off, approach or landing or where permitted under section 602.15, no person shall operate an aircraft
  
  • (a) over a built-up area or over an open-air assembly of persons unless the aircraft is operated at an altitude from which, in the event of an emergency necessitating an immediate landing, it would be possible to land the aircraft without creating a hazard to persons or property on the surface, and, in any case, at an altitude that is not lower than
    
    • (i) for aeroplanes, 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle located within a horizontal distance of 2,000 feet from the aeroplane,
      
    • (ii) for balloons, 500 feet above the highest obstacle located within a horizontal distance of 500 feet from the balloon, or
      
    • (iii) for an aircraft other than an aeroplane or a balloon, 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle located within a horizontal distance of 500 feet from the aircraft; and
  • (b) in circumstances other than those referred to in paragraph (a), at a distance less than 500 feet from any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.
    
    
    
    Unless he is taking off or landing needs to keep 500ft away. Just take a pic and send it in to Transport Canada.
    

 

[pano-dude]

I believe Intrawest(whistler Blackcomb and more) owns all or a part of cmh heli.

Not sure if mike weigele owns cmh but I know I had a encounter to with them as well. So it's not just one chopper company it's multiples. 2 yrs ago out at the silver mines in "our" zone I had a cmh chopper come bombing down in front of me, bout a 100ft away. Couldn't see **** really. Decided to flip me the bird with a head shake and flew away. Some locals around golden have very similar stories. These guys are just out of control sometimes in my opinion!

 

[Modman]

Gotta start documenting this sh!t you guys. If choppers are buzzing you at low alt, take camera phone out of pocket and take pics/video. That is total BS. I'm guessing if it was in Silver Mines then it may have been from the hut just SW of there if it was local, I would be paying them a visit before I headed back to the truck to inform them they will be receiving a call from TC.

The excuse of skiers being hurt by skiing over sled tracks has been around for a lot of years, its BS. I saw this on a tenure application about 5 yrs ago as a potential reason for the cat ski operation to conduct "Deactivation" of the forestry roads in the proposed tenure area. I think one skier got a twisted ankle 15 yrs ago and its been used to beat up sledders reputation every since. I disagree with the statements about these operations staying closer to the lodge to burn less fuel. I've been wayyyyyy the hell and gone from anywhere close to society (like 70+ kms off the grid in some gnarly terrain) and we had a heli ski outfit flying over us steadily to their remote lodge that was probably close to 100 kms back. I've got another theory about what the driver is, but its speculation without seeing the terrain maps and what the avy rating would be in these areas vs distance.

Here's some points that this interview maybe should have addressed:

- "His slopes" - first off....they are not "his"
- Interview should have focused on the now IMO, and how many times he has found tracks in the TENURED area that he OPERATES in. Provide proof, photos, GPS coordinates, dates, amount of area disturbed, etc.
- Referencing an "issues" letter from 4 yrs ago that was not provided for anyone else to read doesn't validate anything.
- Statements about Cat ski or heli ski operators areas being "trashed the next day" if they speak out, so this is why they would say they haven't had conflicts with sledders - fear of retaliation? Is there proof this has happened or is this just speculation? Cmon. You've got a chopper, back track them to the their vehicle and call the cops, not so hard, no need to land, no need to have any sort of confrontation.
- When there is a fatality there is an immediate drop in cancellations? WTF? Sledder fatality or skier? Please provide proof of this statement and revenue lost.
- Duty of care - I don't even know why this was brought up as a topic discussion. I agree with Weigle - sledders have no burden with respect to duty of care. The main reason: because we are not being paid to monitor safety of others. If you are running a commercial operation on public tenured land, you have a duty of care because you are a commerical operator, not because you are on public land.

 

[Pistonbroke]

That foreign f##k is so full of outright lies it's unreal.