As for the other, I am sure he has his vehicle packed at all times waiting for our call. One, from just south of us in Idaho, did some creative scheduling with his boss (a natural skill of any powder obsessed skier). Two of our great ski buddies from opposite ends of the province dropped everything and joined us at White Grizzly. He also said that there would be room for two more skiers if we had anyone in mind. We were a little bummed but appreciated Brad's honesty.and foresight. Brad, being the powderhound that he is, recommended that we wait a week and come out during the upcoming storm cycle. Some storms had hammered the coastal range but powered out by the time they reached mid-province. As out mid-December tour date drew closer the weather systems had not fully engulfed the BC Interior yet. This is not a good thing for the psyche of a skier. The trouble was that we lived in the low lands of BC and over the years it has become quite brown and dry through November. As far as we were concerned, that phone conformation was the beginning of ski season. We had made arrangements with Brad, one of the owners of White Grizzly, sometime in late November. We had to make the trek and check the place out. Also the allure of an operation that runs only one cat and, for some reason, stays out of the lime light. Rumors of long tree runs and steep powder had piqued our interest years before. No one in our group had been to White Grizzly before but we had been wanting to check it out for some time. This particular season it was to be White Grizzly Catskiing. We were busy doing the early season rituals reading all the ski mags, watching videos from the previous season, going to the ski movie premiers and planning out our first trip of the season. There was not one disappointed passenger on board.It was November and anticipation for the season to come was high. Our bear was so close and so active and so at ease with our presence there, that the captain chose to stay with this one animal for the length of our stay. There were professional photographers and even a guy with a disposable camera. EVERYONE, got long easy views of the bear. The grizzly looked up from time to time to check us out but eventually he focused on eating the grass along the shoreline which is what he'd come out of the forest for. All the cameras on board clicked and whirred for what seemed like an eternity. Because of the deep water of the fjord, the captain was able to bring the boat to within a few yards of the shoreline. Everyone outside was dead quiet - all we heard were birds in the trees. Within a few minutes of arriving in the Sanctuary, the crew spotted a bear moving near the water just under the tree line. They explained that the bears were accustomed to boats in the water but were often frightened off by human voices - even quiet ones! My fellow passengers were very cooperative: we all wanted to get our pictures of a wild grizzly bear. Before we arrived in the Sanctuary, tour staff explained how important it was to be absolutely quiet outside, once we arrived. This is easily the most comfortable tour boat I've ever been on. It has huge windows for inside viewing and lots of outdoor space to get close nature. We moved through the islands and coves quickly, quietly and comfortably. It sure looked like it was purpose built for this tour company and the waters around Prince Rupert. The "Inside Passage" is a brand new, state of the art double hulled, 3 level vessel. Had seen some mixed reviews elsewhere - boy were they wrong. Took a chance on this tour on our cruise stop in Prince Rupert.
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