LEFT Aprés-boarding, Pemberton style. Jake Blauvelt unwinds in John Wright’s backyard. John’s children get to enjoy the simplicity of rural life an hour north of bustling Whistler Village. ABOVE Jake Blauvelt riding shotgun somewhere between Squamish and Pemberton, taking in the Sea to Sky from above. cabin. It’s the start of a warm spring day. As we lift off and make our way north past the Black Tusk and Whistler-Blackcomb, the landscape shifts from green to white. It’s still winter in the alpine. The rest of the crew meets us in a field north of Pemberton: fel-low all-terrain savant Austen Sweetin, Gabe, and drone operator Jason Fentiman. Gabe’s got jet fuel in the back of his truck. The field belongs to his friend, John Wright, as do assorted boats and trailers parked nearby. John brings his kids out to say hi. We gear up, refuel, and head north to find lines. Headsets on, Gabe, Jake and Dazza chat about lines and zones they’ve hit in the past—they’ve clearly spent more time than most flying in these mountains, and sometimes make multiple passes around a peak before settling on what to ride. By early afternoon, clouds will move in. We’ll park the helicopter at John’s, spend the evening at Gabe and his wife Leah’s beautiful prop-erty a few minutes south, eat a home-cooked meal, and fly again the next morning at sunrise. Austen and Jake will each ride a dozen lines. Jake will be back home with Kristin and Nella by dinnertime. But for 36 hours, we’ll travel in a world reserved for the few lucky souls who’ve built a life around flying high. PEMBERTON 037
The Snowboarder's Journal frequency 16.1: Page 37
