B6 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 10, 1994

- SKEENA’ AN
ROB BROWN

Magic of Kitlope
FEW MILES from Kemano the
colour of the water changes from
green to blue green. The sea is flat.
The whaler glides across the sur-

face like it was greased.

There are no beaches, just rock walls and the
reflections of rock walls sticking up and down
from the glassy water that will soon turn to chop
in the afternoon winds.

There are twisted trees growing out of con-
crete. Streaming waterfalls cascade to salt.
Reeds to port, things are narrowing. We enter
an estuary.

**Oh, I forgot. There’s something we've got to
do.” Bruce kills ihe engine then leans over-
board to scoop up 2 handful of water -~ more
fresh than salt now — and washes his face.
Myron and I do the same. In seconds we’re off.

Cabins come into view. Boats are anchored in
front of them. Bruce throws out the anchor. We
transfer to a jet boat. The tempo slows for a
short time. Bruce fires up the engine and we’re
off, flying up the river, .

We're going too fast, I think. Too fast to take
everything im: rock walls, long gravel bars,
waves and waves of trees sweeping.up both
sides and up the valley to the vanishing point.
Much too fast.

There is a green slick where the river splits.
Like that we are out of turbid water and running
four feet above the black backs of spawning
chinook. They quiver, disappear. We're above
. sweed:beds waving sinuously in the.current.

“tise Tings:**Scal,.” yells Bruce to be heard over

the whine of the engine.

And there they are, brown sausage-shaped
crescents precariously perched upon snags al
the outflow, balancing on bellies filled with
sockeye, two, three, sometimes four to a log,

Bruce decelerates hoping io get close. Myron
steadies the camera. Before we get in range they
have rolled off and disappeared. We power
across the Jake. It’s as calm as the sea, with mir-
ror images too; a mirror image but smaller.

Red slains on the rock battlements are detailed
up close; petroglyphs, roadsigns, territorial
markers, art set down by the Henaaxiala.

We land on sand at the site of an ancient vil-
lage, now the site of a hunting guide’s camp.
Two men wearing camouflage stand out vividly
against the beach.

One glasses the rock walls, presumably for
goat. There is a calalogue of hunts open on the
makeshift table, in it pictures of bongo, grizzly,
rams, The men tell us they work for the man
who recently bought the hunting rights to the
territory. He tells how both their boats had
engine seizure, how their boss had gone for help
saying he would retum the same day, and how
they had been wailing for two days. The way
they talk tells us they’re glad for company.
They seem really out of place here.

_. At the evening fire James Robertson tells why
this place is special to him. The flames reflect in
his face_as he tells of the man of stone, of haw
his peoplé drove goats over cliffs, of the plagues
that reduced his people to 30 in number, of
being torn from his family and whisked off to
residential school, of the Alcan project.

When James speaks nobody interrupts.

Morning is filled with mist. For over an hour

it hangs motionless. After breakfast it begins to
change shape and slaris to climb the hillsides.
. This is a big river system — Tezwa, Gamsby,
Kalitan, and Kitlope proper are all sizeable
rivers, each with different personality. Today
we explore the Kalitan, swift, clear, bottom red
with sockeye, | make a cast looking for a trout.
The reflection of my rod ripples through the sal-
mon. I make another cast. Waves of red move to
the far side like leaves blown in a fall wind.

The heads of seals pop up at the junction of
Kalitan and Tezwa, The tracks of a grizaly mark
the edge of the lowest pool. I think of a great
bear lying in the alder shade of a side channel
and resolve to stick to the main stream.

The next day I’m eager to walk the rocky
shores of the Tsyatsis. Gerald wants to look for
the cutthroat ponds Cecil Paul has told him
about. We do that.

Bruce pilots the boat up reedy channels as far
as it will go. We're within the reach of tide; I
wonder oul loud if il is ebbing or flowing. No-
body is sure. I suggest a pick-up time of two
hours from now. Bruce blasts off to get things
done.

We enter the foresl, The trees are ancicnt, ihe
undergrowth thick. There is water everywhere.
We find dark, tca-stained ponds. Gerald’s lure
flashes through the dark water. A trout snatches
it.

Two hours clapse. The tide has gone out; we
slog a long way through muck to reach the boal.
We're tired, It’s hot. Laicr we soak in the hot-
springs and agree thal Killope is magic.

“Trout,’”:, says: Myron. pointing at widening..--|.,3

_ TERRACE

STANDARD

es

POISED FOR blast off. Trevor Gibson and Lori Knull, seen

above at the starting line during Grass Blast '93, will be back in

Countdown on to Blast off

By RON NIESNER
THERE IS no sign of snow on
the ground, the only ice is in the
shape of cubes and temperatures
are reaching the boiling point.

So it’s a safe bet that nobody is
thinking about snowmobiles,
‘right?

Wrong!

Race-mad enthusiasts will dely

_the odds August 28 when Grass
> HSL Od takes placein Te
S -3Ut's the third year the eveht fas‘
been beld here. The only dif-

co.
tata

ference will be the event will be
co-sponsored, by the Skeena Val-
ley Snowmobile Association. and
their newiy formed racing divi-
sion, No-Fear Racing. The event
is a B.CS.F. sanctioned points
meet and part of the 1994 Super
Series of Grass Drags.

The idea is quite straight for-
ward - rather than zooming along
on snow, Contestants will race on
an open grass field.

And like most racing, drag
racing is a simple concept:
whoever can go the fasiest froma
standing start in 500 ft. wins.

What complicates the issue is
that everyone wants to do it! Now
this would be okay if everyone
had identical sleds, but they
don’t.

The result is that each model
and size of snowmobile is clas-
sified into different ‘'classes’’.

So when you enter a race you
know you are going lo race an-
other machine that is close to the
same performance as your canary
yellow 727cc. Sno Pop XC Spe-
cial.

Who decides the classifica-
tions? International Snowmobile
Racing Inc., our umbrella organi-
zation, classifies all snowmobiles
for all types of racing.

They list sleds up to 15 years
old, so this is the last year you
will be able to race your 1979
Sno Pop.

How many classes are there?

There can be as many as 30 dif-
--ferent: classes at one “dfag Tacé"*

event ‘and: with-no limit on-th

number of entries in a class you'll ©

get lots of value for the price of
admission.

" What is it like to drag race?

First you go to the registration
desk and pay your entry fee, in-
surance fee and receive a bib
number. ,

action at this year's event. They'll be joined by snowmobilers
from across the north in vying for the title of King of the Grass.

most engaged, nod your head,
engines rev .., the start light goes
GREEN... and you're offl!

Hopefully you get a “hole shot"
on your opponents and arrive at
the finish line frst. As long as
you win you will continue to race
until all your opponents are van-
quished and you take home the
gold. .

At most B.C.S.F. events if you ,

ofice into the second round only -
the winners advance.

When all the sleds in your class
have Tun down to the final, the
next class starts. .

Sounds like fun doesn’t it? If
you are interested, ask your local
dealer about who races in your

You gradually bring the RPM up to the point
where the clutch is almost engaged, nod your

head, engines rev ...

the start light goes

GREEN... and you're offt!

Then you go to the pit area
where a safety inspection is done.
And wait...and wait... Suddenly
your class is called by the slaging
crew and you are off to the "Hot

Pit" area where you are grouped »

with the other racers in your
Class.

When it’s finally time for your
race you will be brought to. your
lane on the sturt line, and asked
by the starter if you are ready.
You gradually bring the RPM up
iw the point where the clutch is al-

town, then go pick their brain on
what you will need to get that
Sno Pop race teady.

“You will find that most racers
are more than willing to talk to
you and will be a great source of
inspiration and information.

Last year more than 500 fans
enjoyed the sunshine watching
snowmobile drag racing at the
‘Terrace event.

A list of classes ranging from
stock, improved stock, prostock,
modified, open fuel unlimited and

King of the Grass.

In addition there were a few
speciaity classes, VK540, junior
and ladies in the line-up as well.

We don’t expect to ste any
changes to the classes at this
year’s event but do expect to see
More entrants and spectators as
the sport has become quite popu-
lar in the northwest, Competitors
will be coming from as far away

fose"your first run, you will have ~ “asDawson,.Creek, 100 Mile
Pbortunity to run again, but"House and, ofcourse, Prince

George to Prince Rupert, Stewart
and Kitimat.

Terrace locals wili also be out
in full force to challenge the field.
- There will be a purse of $1000
up for grabs for King of the Grass
again this year and we expect to
see heavy competition in that
class. A other classes will be
100% payback plus trophy.

The event will be held on the
old grass airstrip in Thomhill
(same place as last year) Sunday,
August 28, Registration closes at
11 am. and racing begins at
noon.

Entry fees for spectators are
$5.00 for adults, $2.00 for chil-
dren 12-16 years old and children
under 12 years get in for free.

There will be a refreshment
concession and souvenir stand on
site.

Experience the exciting world
of snowmobile racing and be
warm at the same time. We warm
you though, this event will run
rain or shine.

Contact Ron Niesner (635-
9270) or Trevor Gibson (635-
2909) for more information.

Academy brings Brazil north

THE WORLD CUP camce to Ter-
race last week, but the players on
the Brazilian and Argentinian
teams were all BCers.

That's because this Cup was
part of the B.C. Northern Soccer
Academy, one of only two
residential youth clinics held in
the province.

This year’s cdition drew 46
players, both boys and girls, two-
thirds of whom were returnees
from the 1993 event,

Allhough most were from the
northwest, a few players cam

from as far away as Quesnel and’

Vancouver.

The academy was based at
Northwest Community College
which Jan Cousins described as
“an outstanding host’’.

The resident nurse for the
clinic, lower mainlander Cousins
praised Joc Paolinelli of Prince
Rupert for the work he had put in
to establish the academy and keep
it going.

With professional players and
Canadian national team menibers,
she said the level of coaching was
excellent, offering participants as
good as they could hope to get at
Shawnigan Lake, the other
residential academy.

One thing they were sure to get

was intensive training in the skills
of the game.

Breakfast over, the 12-18 year
old players gathered for a video at
9 am. which ran thrpugh the
aspects of the game they would
be covering that day.

Forty five minutes later, they hit
the field to Jeam those particular
skills, breaking at noon for an
hour long lunch.

Then it was back out on to the
NWCC pitch for more training,
sessions Which lasted until 5 p.m.
unless. they were golng to the
swimming pool in’ which case
they broke at3 p.m.

After dinner, the World Cup
ganies took place, giving them 4
chance to try out what they’d
learned in a game situation.

Cousins said the teams were
balanced to make sure the games
were close ones.

And there was another bonus to
being in Terrace: the cost of the
week long academy was just
$270 compared to Shawnigan
Lake’s $465.

Plus the players here went
home with a shirt, shorts, socks,
bag and ball.

Small wonder there were so
many returnees this  year..and
will be again next time

t

3

ACTION GALORE,

That was the order of the Rive

rede bia: 3

rboat Days

weekend as youth teams from Terrace and neighbouring com-
munities took part in an invitational tournament.

a

SECTION C
R 638-7283