More ammunition for the resistance

[Bnorth]

Apparently helicopters don't bother Caribou and when sleds are around they even go to the skiers for safety That said respect closure signs, especially when well known anti-snowmobile activists are around!

Clearwater Times - Helicopter skiers monitor wildlife

 

[HRT Offroad]

Apparently helicopters don't bother Caribou and when sleds are around they even go to the skiers for safety That said respect closure signs, especially when well known anti-snowmobile activists are around!

Clearwater Times - Helicopter skiers monitor wildlife

My response to the article:

I would imagine that Mr. Wiegle does have a GREAT relationship with the Caribou. Have you ever taken a B.C. Caribou closure map and laid it over top a B.C. Heli Skiing tenure map? Almost line for line the same! Coincidence...I think not! It seems like caribou closures are an EASY means for heli ski operations to have our crown land shut down to motorized use and exclusivity for their use...padding their pockets Interesting.... Caribou also like snowmobile tracks, as it makes travel for them much easier. Not to mention that snowmobiles also keep predators away. Just a little info for those that are easily persuaded by the heli operations.

 

[etecheaven]

i was in blue river a couple weekends ago and saw wolf tracks following a skidoo track. No caribou thou.

 

[powderhoundbrr]

Wiegle has a hate on for sleds. He is always calling for closures due to Caribou or the fact that his guides have to rescue sledders that have been in slides. I have heard him on CBC more than once going off about sledders. He is just one of those hypocrites whose sh&t (in this case loud fuel guzzling helicopters) doesn't stink.

Don't let him fool you. He is in for the money and sledders who go into his tenure are his only concern. As always it is all about the dollar signs. If he could make money on it he would serve his guests exotic caribou burgers!

A slime ball if ever there was one.

 

[moyiesledhead]

Unfortunately the urban couch potatoes that are the bulk of the tree huggers support network eat this stuff up like candy.

 

[Modman]

Wiegle has a hate on for sleds. He is always calling for closures due to Caribou or the fact that his guides have to rescue sledders that have been in slides. I have heard him on CBC more than once going off about sledders. He is just one of those hypocrites whose sh&t (in this case loud fuel guzzling helicopters) doesn't stink.

Don't let him fool you. He is in for the money and sledders who go into his tenure are his only concern. As always it is all about the dollar signs. If he could make money on it he would serve his guests exotic caribou burgers!

A slime ball if ever there was one.

LOL Caribou burgers - totally the truth!

Business must be slow so he went out for some free advertising and stuck his nose in the local paper?....LOL
notice the first article commenter at the bottom - foreigner, like most of his clients from what I have heard, too bad they do not understand the gravity of the situation. Seems like the comment was posted pretty quick, they must have heard about it from somewhere.......LOL

Nothing but propoganda it seems, spewed by one of the biggest heli ski operators, why would anyone think any different? This sounds like a broken record..........Banning Backcountry Snowmobilers | Doglotion.com - Freeskiing Community......or how about

or ...https://www.snowandmud.com/forum/f14/here-comes-15071.html


Here is some propoganda right from the horse's mouth:
"Mike Wiegele has 10 helicopters to take you into the largest single heli-ski area in the world.

For such a huge ski area you also get a huge map to chart your progress. The ski area, measuring around 80 miles (128 km) from north to south and some 40 miles (64 km) from east to west, is divided into 24 named territories (15 Monashee and nine Cariboo) and there are 553 named trails."

Seems like he'd be happy to own all the public land in BC for his own private heli-ski army. How much does one man need? The gov't needs to step in and restrict this man's use of public land.

The article seems contradictory - in the first few sentences and photo caption they comment about how much the caribou like the heli-ski landings, then when they need to "re-open" a ski run, the caribou have magically "moved on"? bahahahaha - really? Why would they move on from a place they love so dearly? "The caribou love us and recognize when we need to cut some fresh tracks, so they move. We think they are linked to us telepathically." LOL

Sure they might not be scared of a chopper once they have become habituated to it, but they also become habituated to the sounds of sleds and I don't know many sleds that can travel in excess of 150 mph through the mountains. At least they have a chance to hear us coming from a long ways away.

I love the comment of about naming a run "Caribou Chase", is that where they chase them with the helicopter? been sledding 20 years, never seen a sledder chase a caribou or any animal......it is unreal the depths some people will sink to call down another sport that shares the same territory because they simply cannot share a PUBLIC RESOURCE!!!!!!

Individuals making accusations about sledders riding in closed terrain (apparently right beside a closure sign....) without factual evidence are truly unbelievable and totally unprofessional. Take a picture of the sled tracks beside the sign to back up your statement or call the fish and game officers immediately. Crying, oops I mean commenting to the newspaper 2 weeks later when the "tracks" are covered with snow doesn't hold much weight.

How about logging? Doesn't seem like he wants to take on a major economic driving force in the province, just happy to cut a bigger slice of the pie from sledders instead?

Boycott the newspapers who give shameless self-promoters with sled bashing agendas any face time.

 

[tex78]

i chase yottees with my doo.............................................. they need the training to run away my house.....

 

[jpgmtech]

Well, intelligent people can read that article and take note of contradictory information, lack of presented evidence, and oversimplified statements contained within the article itself and write it off as useless bunk. How many intelligent people will read the article? Well if the prior post is any indication....

 

[BirdieO]

We all know what a hypocrite Wiegele is...now you can see it too!! For a guy that hates sledders and all that we stand for, all that we do (including building and maintaining trail systems), he sure doesn't have a problem using those trails when he needs/wants to.

 

[HRT Offroad]

We all know what a hypocrite Wiegele is...now you can see it too!! For a guy that hates sledders and all that we stand for, all that we do (including building and maintaining trail systems), he sure doesn't have a problem using those trails when he needs/wants to.

View attachment 125812

We waited a good 10 minutes on the trail that day waiting for his chopper to bugger off!! Maybe Steve should send him a bill for a trail pass

 

[Bnorth]

Well, intelligent people can read that article and take note of contradictory information, lack of presented evidence, and oversimplified statements contained within the article itself and write it off as useless bunk. How many intelligent people will read the article? Well if the prior post is any indication....

I think the issue is the fact that many people that read the article will take it as truth either because they don't know any better about backcountry recreation or choose not to question it. The public opinion of sledding is not overly favourable as we are well aware and articles like this serve to further blacken our image. We all know that it's propaganda and fabrication but the general public do not.

 

[struglin]

What about the economic impact sledding has on the small bc towns? I'd imagine its far more significant then heli skiing these closures to sliders not skiers is bs I don't know how they're getting away with it

 

[barleyfarmer]

I went on that guy's site and JESUS CHRIST how the hell do those skiers afford that!!!No wonder he wants the mountains to himself!!!Must be easy to get the animals to move out of a ski area when you do a couple of low fly buys when you 'monitoring' the caribou and goats!!What a bunch of BULLSH..!!!!I have relatives in Austria who never seen a sled before and this guy sounds like that how he wants it here!!Big business at work here I think!!!Maybe all the other sledding towns that rely more on sledding than skiing should team up against him!!Maybe then the government might listen if a lot more lively hoods are being affected than some spoiled rich people going heli skiing!!!

 

[lilduke]

i wish the companys that were making millions off sleders, would do a little more to help fight off guys like this, and other land use issues...

Ie where is BRP,Polaris,Yamaha and Artic Cat and all there millions$ and politacial pull during all this,,,having no where to ride isnt exactly going to help there sales... Not like they are giving away these new sleds for peanuts

 

[Johnny]

We mostly can agree that Weigele is a prick, and dealing with him is pointless as he's a noodle head. Perhaps issues should be take up with the parent company from my understanding is Intrawest, a huge $$$ corporation. I figure emails sent from people with issues or concerns to HQ there and their CEO's might get some attention and maybe even a reply. Certainly theyll get the message that Weigele's a public recognized ass hat and maybe shouldnt be running the show.

 

[deaner]

As the president of our local snowmobile club I just sent an email to the head of the ABCSC asking how they are planning to respond. I posed the same question after the Vancouver sun article, and he told me they werent going to respond. We will see what he says this time.

I also sent an email to the editor of our local paper requesting a meeting to sit down an discuss this. Hopefully we can put together an article pointing out the absolute hypocrisy driving these special interest groups and get public opinion to turn in our favor.

 

[catinthehat]

Quote :The heli-ski operator pointed out that the majority of his clientele are environmentally aware and would not tolerate any procedures that might be harmful to wildlife.

Some are even on the boards of well-known international environmental organizations. Quote

Perhaps this is why there is no opposition from the enviros to heli ski applications for expansions; they want more places to play and are quite willing to take them from us.

 

[HRT Offroad]

Perhaps this is why there is no opposition from the enviros to heli ski applications for expansions; they want more places to play and are quite willing to take them from us.

This is precisely what is happening. Heli Ski Ops have wealthy clientele that are willing to not only help fight, but fund their battles of application for expansion, caribou closure etc... I'm sure that many of these clients are also political figures that are willing to help for personal gain. These very same people are advocates for "GREEN" initiatives, but truly love the smell of jet fuel in the morning. HYPOCRITES!!!!

 

[maxwell]

i wish the companys that were making millions off sleders, would do a little more to help fight off guys like this, and other land use issues...

Ie where is BRP,Polaris,Yamaha and Artic Cat and all there millions$ and politacial pull during all this,,,having no where to ride isnt exactly going to help there sales... Not like they are giving away these new sleds for peanuts

good point...however there is also thousands of wealthy sledders and were letting 1 85 year old man walk all over us.

what to do....what to do.....


just did some math. if he runs those 10 choppers all day thats 17,500 litres of fuel LOL

 

[retiredpop]

Quote from the article: "Where possible, wildlife is photographed, although many of the pictures are not clear because the heli-ski company endeavors to keep a 500 m distance."

I think the reason for unclear pictures is because with a helicopter only 500m away the animals are running for their lives.​