Steelhead & Spines!

Just over a decade ago, my brother Neil and I began a new life in Utah and started down a path that we knew would someday lead us to places like British Columbia and Alaska. This spring we have a plan to travel further north on the path than we've ever been before, to experience the greatest big mountain riding and steelhead fishing the world has to offer, in one journey. 

Sometime in March we will begin our long drive to the mountainous spine riding capitol of the world, Haines, AK. Our goal here is to make our first turns down an Alaskan mountain, while participating in an expedition with six others who are also on the same path ( more on this expedition later... ). 

After what is hopefully a successful ski trip, we'll begin part two of the quest and hopefully bring another lifelong dream to reality. This part involves taking a ferry from Haines down through the North Coast of B.C, eventually arriving in Prince George, British Columbia. It is here where we enter the most fabled steelheading waters on the planet. We will explore the Skeena and its tributaries, and our timing should be perfect for the spring return of the wild steelhead. 

I'm really hopeful that this will evolve into our greatest film project yet, but with any self supported project there will certainly be obstacles along the way. We're going to need all the help we can get! feel free to contact me (ijprovo at hotmail.com) for more information...

Armada SKis @ Retallack Lodge 2012.... like a dream

Its been like ground hog day in Utah for the last 3 months. Wake up, not a cloud in the sky, and absolutely no snow anywhere in sight. I couldn't have been more excited for this annual trip to Retallack, where I knew it was firing and I could escape this devastating drought. The trip was a major tease, and it was kind of like a dream, for more reasons than I could ever describe. It's like I went to sleep in Utah, arrived in this snowglobe winter wonderland in the Interior of BC, skied blower snow for three days without a cloud in the sky, and then my dream turned into a nightmare when I woke up in Utah again. No snow. It was a very surreal trip, maybe not sleeping much for 4 days has added to the illusion. But I know for sure it definitely happened, there were photos on my leica when I got home....


^Goat Range, BC, its on the list, believe me.


What was crazy about this trip, was that I spent over 65 days at this very place last winter, and I never saw one bluebird day like we saw on day 2 of this trip. Lucky we were.


^Johnny Five, master of the joke, keeper of the stoke. Rockin the same toque as last year.


^ Pretty strait forward here, bounce all the way to the end and hope there's a nice place to land. Skiing on the all new Armada Bubba's here. I feel like the mayans prophesied that in the year 2012 I would have these ultimate skis to sacrifice snow pillows for the good of man and to bring even more prosperous snow falls. Maybe not, but these are next level.

randoms...

^wake up from nap, look out window, "HOLY SHIT"




2 month old recycled ice grains. Not even really snow at that point.

While I wait...

I've been watching the dogs a lot lately, while my family members are out having way more fun than me. First it was my moms dog, while she enjoyed a distant beach on an island near Madagascar for nearly a month. Than my younger brother left for a ski bumming road trip leaving me fully in charge of our dog. And most recently I have acquired my older brothers animal while he's away in Costa Rica doing whatever it is one might do in paradise.

So I've been firmly planted, unable to travel away for more than a half day, patiently waiting for my chance to move. Typically this would be a non issue in Utah, but with the sad state of this winter I have been getting antsy. Luckily I live in an area where I could never get bored, a little fishing and biking here and there, and more days skiing flat groomers than I care to admit.

dogz....


1st time biking in january, ever...