MauiSkiBus.com has two dogs that were born and raised on Maui along on this journey. Franklin, a male, is the world’s strongest Dachshund mix. That is a challenge to any other Dachshund mix on the planet. During the winter on Maui, he goes whalewatching and dives in the ocean trying to fetch a 40 ton whale. He does not see the size differance, he goes swimming after the whale. In the Home Depot on Maui, he pulled a steel cart loaded with a 100 pounds of supplies when MauiSkiBus.com was being built. In Sun Valley, Idaho, he attacked a goat that was over 200 pounds. At the Washington ski resort 49degreesN, he pulled a ski patroller in the rescue sled around the base lodge. At A-Basin Ski Resort, he beat seven people at a game of soccor. One against seven. He guards MauiSkiBus to anyone that doesn’t look normal{Snowboarders! Just kidding!} He even barks like a seal! What is his weak spot? Brrr. Enough said.

The middle sister of the Canadian RCR resorts caters to a local crowd, however, a local crowd feel it is not.

Once upon at time, in far, far away land, lived this young peak of a lad called Haig, and had desired to have a king and his castle lie below his left flank. For what seemed an eternity of time, this desire was wished upon through the hardships of winters, through slides and slides of snow, and the scars of an evolutionary western wind. Just as hope was to diminish away, a man of a king stature arrived and created a castle, one the young peak Haig could admire. This castle also was to evolve, to be molded by more than the king. Multitudes of hands had an input and voice on the addition of wings to the castle, of mobile peasant quarters, and colorful lifts to send all to view the peak of the Haig. The king was to pass, his vision to live on, and success was to be shared to the youth under the Haig. The sun did rise, sending its rays to show all, that with a wish and a vision, all under the Haig can live happily ever after.

The King of Castle Mountain, Alberta, RIP, never wanted a tyrant rule here.

At the entry to this royal kingdom, herds of deer grazed and stared at the yellow bus on wheels pass by, while the canine guards of MauiSkiBus were licking and drooling in an appetite delight. MauiSkiBus was given a royal purple welcome to a modern day ski castle that caters to their peasants that ski or snowboard. Lookers left will reveal the Haig on the Mt., a snow cats delight, lookers left leads to the double diamonds, and lookers right leads eyes to see glades, perfect for those turns of upper class.

MauiSkiBus was approached by June, a travel writer from Ontario, Canada, at Castle Mountain, Alberta

Beginners here quickly become experts, as this Castle of a Mountain has the terrain to train by day and by night. Like what happens to all that snow from a plowed parking lot? At Castle Mountain, Alberta, it is molded into a night time terrain park, used long after slope side snow melts away. An Drew from the marketing dept. and  Sir  Dar Ryl from the current ruling court of the Castle 8, showed MauiSkiBus the royal corriders of the Castle kingdom. Bank account not full of gold?  Castle has quarters for a bit above a quarter of a C note. Expect to recieve lodging far above dungeon status, as Madame Belle, eyes creative and focused, will assure all of that.

Castle Mountain, Alberta, Canada, was the first of many ski resorts MauiSkiBus.com will visit on its adventure to attempt to ski 100 different ski resorts in the western USA/Canada during the winter of 2011/2012.

Mariko Belle makes yearbooks for all of the employees of Castle MT., Alberta

www.skicastle.ca

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

Facebook at Maui Ski Bus Steve

T0K 1W0

Phone (403) 627-5101

Fax (403) 627-3515

www.skicastle.ca

andrewr@skicastle.ca

March 13, 2012

For Immediate
Release

THE MAUI SKI BUS LANDED AT CASTLE MOUNTAIN
RESORT

Steve Fisher’s quest to ski 100 resorts this
season brings the Maui Ski Bus to Castle.

You might be saying to
yourself how do the words Maui, Ski and Bus end up in the same sentence let
alone the same phrase. Well, the folks at Castle Mountain Resort learned that
when you combine a yellow customized bus with two dogs and a true life
adventurer/explorer, who all come from Maui, you get the unique experience of
“The Maui Ski Bus.’

Steve Fisher and his
dogs Gykaia (I am not sure about the spelling) and Frankie all live in Maui,
usually. However, this winter Steve is on the quest to ski 100 ski resorts in
one season and the dogs are his tireless co-pilots in the pineapple powered bus.
Castle Mountain was stop number 73 for the Maui Ski Bus and within minutes, no
seconds, of arriving at the resort, Steve had made some new friends. It is tough
to keep a low profile when you have license plates from Hawaii and there is a
piece of a surf board hanging out the back of the roof rack that converts into a
dance floor.

Steve arrived on a day
that had Mother Nature working hard to confuse everyone. There was 33 cms of
fresh powder up top yet the bottom was receiving snow that was about 0.005 C
away from being rain. The wind was grooming the mountain and causing havoc in
the operations of the Red Chair. So there was EPIC powder in spots at the top
and spring like conditions in the base while our night-time grooming machine
(the wind) was working all day. He was able to get to the top to experience what
was described as “one of the best runs of the season” by our new friend from
Maui.

As quick as they showed
up, they were on the road again to get to resort number 74 and the next day
resort number 75. If you are interested in checking out the Maui Ski Bus website
go to www.MauiSkiBus.com or you
can contact him via email at mauistyl@maui.net.

For more
information contact:

Andrew
Rusynyk

403 627-5101 ext.
223

andrewr@skicastle.ca

Time. Dripping away the moments that make up a dull day. You fritter and melt the hours in an offhand way. Kicking around on a piece of frozen ice high in your hometown, waiting for someone or something to slow your diminishing way. Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to dread the rain. You were young and now life is not to be long and there is no time to kill today. And then one day you find ten years got behind you, no one told you when to freeze, you missed the starting gun. Get to Glacier National Park before it is just a National Park with out the glacier.

Leaning out of the way so to see Glacier National Park

Downsize. You do not get to take it with you anyways. A fancy home is awesome, with fancy walls to put up paintings that will never have a story or memory as the real visual sights your eyes send to your brain. A pain pill for your eyes will not be needed at this mountain that has visuals down and out. Far down and far out. Like so far out, that melting glacier to your left of Glacier National Park can be seen, the lake straight ahead of named Flathead, or the lake to your right named Whitefish. Whitefish Mountain, in the northern reaches of Montana, was the last resort that MauiSkiBus.com was to visit before venturing into Canada.

MauiSkiBus passed out many Maui goodies to the crowd at Whitefish Mountain, MT.

MauiSkiBus.com arrived late at night, with fine directions to an exact prime parking spot, by the Riley PR princess of Whitefish Mountain. The nearby lift attendants had a thousand questions, such as “What is that yellow bus from Maui doing here?”, “Why does it have Hawaii plates?”. Photos were taken, interviews were given, and MauiSkiBus shared many Maui goodies.

www.skiwhitefish.com

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

Facebook at Maui Ski Bus Steve

Pounding on the moguls deserve stretching upside down

Pride. Is it slipping away with some? Reality TV shows seem to end with a bunch of bickering and crying. Is that real life? From the loggers fighting on the west coast to some east coast show about a NJ family, from being stuck on an island to traveling around the world, these shows are not real. maybe parts, but not real in the sense of being called “Reality Shows”. Bicker, fight, act tough, then cry, and this is supposed to be what we want our youth to be?   Pride, this is not the true sense of pride. More on this to come…… after a comercial from our sponsor.

Creative, one of a kind, and of course, a "nice" hut at Blacktail Mountain, MT.

Driving up to ski resorts, anticipation will be to look up and see slopes, peaks, and chairlifts. One resort overlooking the real shore of a flat lake, has the lodge at the top of the peak. This gives all a bird’s eye view the extends for miles and miles in all directions. The snow here is white, the name has a black, and behind is a tail, and all have a family bond, high above the west shore of the flat lake. Blacktail Ski Resort, a stones throw south of Kalispell, MT., and high up a gravel road, past the grazing deer at the entrance.

Now this is a ski lift snow sculpter, what a master at work.

When MauiSkiBus arrived at Blacktail MT., the ski patrol duo team of a Fletcher and Cory were there to do a formal greeting, with a sense of pride in their gait. The day was spent with the duo, Flechter the “boss” of Cory in the winter and Cory the “boss” of Fletcher on the raft rapids in the summer. This opposite work situation shows in the pride and respect the Blacktail ski patrol duo have for each other, their work, and the beautiful landscape they get to play in.

When work is at the top of the mountain, it nice to have a bus for a home. Sweet!

This is a local resort, nestled high above the tourists, that do not know that above them, is a ski location, that has views, an atmoshere, and slopes, to satisfy all in your traveling party.At Blacktail Mountain, locals will invite and share storys of how this real ski location came to be. Just take a moment to see the Spence, or a John, and maybe Mike might have just the right brew for you. Blacktail Mountain, Montana, a ski resort not to miss when a lodge on top is on your bucket list.

www.blacktailmountain.com

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

Facebook at Maui Ski Bus Steve

This is just one wall of champions that train at Bohart Ranch, MT.

The most popular restaurant chain in America has no formal name. No logo to recognize. No uniforms with a nametag on it. No sponsorship of any sports team, Nascar race, or media advertisement. They all have a common smell, one that starts from deep in the earth, transports through a pipeline, and then goes into a vehicle tank. On nearly every busy corner there is one of these popular restaurants. Every year they get fancier and fancier, offer more and more, and Americans are hooked. The convience store, with gas pumps outside as fuel and mainly junk inside as human fuel. Don’t Bogart your Heart here, but work you Heart at this BoHart.

Heartbeats. It is said that a lower resting heart beat adds years to your life. One way to get a lower heart beat is to stay away from that restaurant chain on the corner with the gas. One of the other ways to lower your heart rate is to increase it with exercise. Some exercise will really raise your heart rate and the best in the winter is a real session on a Nordic ski course. This one, #69 on the list, happenesd to hold the 2012 NCAA Nordic skiing Championships and the neighbor Alpine resort down the street had the 2012 NCAA Alpine skiing Championships.

A simple sign next to a sexy grill.

Cash is king at Bohart Nordic Ranch and so are quarters.

When an high heart rate athlete is in their peak performance condition, the thought of dinner at a convience store turns their heart sideways. Sleek form, low body fat, strong hearts, and a mindset for proper nutrition all was experianced by MauiSkiBus.com at Bohart Ranch, a short drive up the Bridger Valley, to epic cross country skiing. Strong hands can be had by a sailor, construction worker, or a Jean, the mighty mite goddess owner of  Bohart Ranch.

www.bohartranchxcski.com

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

Facebook at Maui Ski Bus Steve

Vertical. The measurent of the distance between up and down. Stand here, look up to there, that is the vertical. Stand up there, look down here, that is still the vertical. High tech resorts can measure how many vertical feet one skis in a day. Some resorts advertise their vertical, their up and down. A big vertical in the ski resort world is 4,000 to over 5,000 feet. What about that other measurement? Horizontal. The measurement between side to side. Stand here, look over there, that is horizontal. Stand over there, look over here, that is horizontal. What about a horizontal that is over 10,000 feet?

Jokers are not welcome at Bridger Bowl. This is the real deal type of skiing.

In the heart of Montana cowboy country was a man, the man was named Bridger, from the Boze man land, that had a valley, a valley with a western ridge. The ridge was up, up there, where the cloud lived, the snow cloud, the one that lived in a horizontal direction, from one side to the other, over two plus miles across. Beginners and intermediates were teased riding up any and all chairs, as there are requirements to elevate oneself to this ridge above the valley of the man, the Bridger man. Easy to look up, a sweat to get to, and once there, thousands and thousands of horizontal feet to choose where to go down, the vertical down, the drop into the bowl, the Bridger Bowl, often hidden in the snow cloud.

The chair goes up vertical, but you own feet will get you to the horizontal.

Montana has an easy bowl of snow to get to, however it is not easy to experiance the vertical here, as a hike up is a must with proper avalanche gear. Bridger Bowl has  a ridge to ski, not a peak. From left to right, there are chutes to challenge any and all of the best skiers in the world. As a community owned and operated ski resort, there is a pride here that starts from the bottom up, the vertical side of a business, and from side to side, the horizontal side of a community. This creates many “hoku’s”, stars that share in the stellar experiance to be had here, from the marketing duo of a Doug and Mike, to the ski patrol that may tote your skis up to the ridge hidden in the snow cloud, on their own private lift.

www.bridgerbowl.com

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

Facebook at Maui Ski Bus Steve

There is plenty of challenging terrain here for the ones that fear that horizontal ridge in the snow cloud.

MauiSkiBus was used as a shuttle bus at Bridger Bowl for these two stranded skiers.ed

This is where true silence can be had alone at Lone Mountain.

60,000,000. One estimate of what there were of these. Then down to a few hundred. The cause of this decline? A certain powder mixed just right, behind some lead,  ignited with a hammer of a trigger mechanism, aimed at the heart. Down, the furry beast went, to rot, to bleach, to waste. A pity, a slaughter for no particular reason, partially to starve the Indians of the west, partially for fur and horns, partially for bones to grind, no matter, a shame was done throughout the West. A park named Yellowstone saved the buffalo, the bison the Indians respected with pride.

A Maui winter snow volcano on Lone Peak, MT.

Yesterday’s news does not have to be todays story. The wrongs of a century plus ago are past, done. Move forward. A similiar story can be said of the western wolves. They lived here in harmony for ions, in balance, a balance nature made perfect. We must admit this, must accept this, must allow harmony in nature to flourish.

Awesome views in the foreground and background.

Being in the mountains alone allows nature to share its secrets, its sounds of harmony. Sitting by a mountain stream, in the middle of winter, when it is so silent, one can hear the snow fall. This is a unique symphony of nature the greatests masters could never reproduce. Lone Mountain, a nordic winter playground, close to the heart of Big Sky, offers all of this and more. Beginner to expert advanced cross country trails, winter huts, horse drawn sleigh rides, and the pride to be #67 on the list of MauiSkiBus.

Once past the classic western entrance, smells of nature greet you at the lodge. Keep a watchful eye on the elk that like to crash the horse’s hay feeding corral. The best of the best gear is available inside, future first graders will want to race you around the course they call their own, and Denise, Nancy, or Amy will set you up and direct you to the trail to match your ability.

Enjoy some silence. Slow the pace. It is easy to go too hard, hard to just sit and look. Just try, Lone Mountain will deliver.

www.lmranch.com

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

Facebook at Maui Ski Bus Steve

What would you think about if you were sitting here?

MauiSkiBus.com’s  attempt to ski 100 different western USA/Canada resorts is more than a fun frustration of being a ski bum living on a tropical island. The Livestrong Cancer Foundation and the Maui United Way are both receiving national exposure and financial support through the sponsors of MauiSkiBus.com. The ski resorts themselves are getting needed positive exposure in an off snow year. Numerous people have expressed an interest in doing something similiar to this adventure, and then there are the MauiSkiBus.com stickers. 5,000 0f them. Unique. Cherished. Many smiles when kids and adults recieve one.

Pam Cornelius, a Big Sky angel, showed MauiSkiBus.com around and the cross under Lone Peak.

The marketing department at each resort recieves theirs to use however, ski patrollers recieve one, some individuals in the lift lines get an easy one, and some individuals have to work for one. Often I ask people to spell their name backwards and if they pass, a MauiSkiBus.com sticker is theirs. Ski resort #66, 2/3rds of the way to the goal, is not backwards, however the name above may be.

Montana. The name itself is strong. The reputation is fierce. The land is big and varied. The sky is open and clean. Lone Peak is EZ to stand on. The way down is not. Miles and miles of open ski slopes. Miles and miles of vision delights. A cross is high up here, a preacher stands beneath, a song is sung, a sermon is shared. Sunday is the day to worship here, every day is the day to worship the big sky above. Montana.

High above are numerous huts, some for warmth, some for a wine, some for the patrol, and all peer down to the base, so far away. Over 4,000 feet straight down, multiple miles by slope, is the 3rd floor marketing pad of a Jones and Bruen, as in Chad and Elizabeth, stepping up with a VIP for MauiSkiBus.com. Pride they must have, as Big Sky, Montana has plenty to share, plenty to shred, plenty to explore. If vertigo persists, skiers right will heal, softer on the down, closer to the jacuzzi, always with the view back up to the Big Sky.

MauiSkiBus.com had a full day at Big Sky, Montana.

The smell of the air is alive here, the pace of life here is at peace. No need to loose warmth and romance in a bus line, the coals of the wood on fire will share some heat, warm the blood that did its duty on those chutes under the lonely peak, high above, surrounded with the rays of the setting sun. Above the sky, the heavens did send, a Big Sky angel, disguised as an ambassador named Pam. Hopping like a mature bunny of grace, down the slopes, from left to right, having MauiSkiBus play follow me.

Big Sky, Montana. White is the color of snow, blue the color of the sky, and yellow is the color of the stone down the road. Bison, wolves, elks and bears all live there, but the pres Teddy bear is the real reason why. Big Sky, big adventure.

A new tram delivered MauiSkiBus.com to Lone Peak.

www.bigskyresort.com

Contact MauiSkiBus.com at mauistyl@maui.net

Facebook at Maui Ski Bus Steve

Aloha to the Chutes of the Headwaters

Star Wars. Have you seen it? The first one, or second, or third, more? Is it real? On Maui, it almost was. Close to being real without Hollywood’s help. On top of a 10,000 foot high crater called Haleakala, is science city, not really a city, but a controversial location of telescopes and lasers. The laser came from the Regan era, nicknamed “Star Wars”, to be used to shoot down ICBM’s, missles from space. The orginal idea was abandoned, but the laser is still there. One of the things that astro-physicists and astronomers use the laser for is space distance measuring, like the distance form Earth to  the moon. So accurate, it can measure from these dots     .                                   .   , as in one inch to the 250,000 miles the moon is from Earth.

Happy recipients of MauiSkiBus.com stickers.

This is the same distance that this resort is to another resort sharing Lone Mountain, Montana. Add the inch, get two ski locales, 5500 acres of slopes, never to ski the same one, never to get bored. No matter what your level is, the previous statement holds true. From the massive extremes chutes, tough enough to hold the World’s Freeskiing Champoinship, to manicured groomed, so easy on the legs. It is as simple as adding an inch, the preciseness of that laser to the moon, but this Montana moon will light up this ski basin.

What a way to enjoy your own bottle of red wine at Moonlight Basin.

These two ski resorts seperated by an inch are different and at the same time compliment each other. One is bigger in the sky and this one has light shining down from the moon, to mean Moonlight Basin, Montana. MauiSkiBus.com was able to take a backroads shortcut on its drive here and did some romantic kissing of a snow berm, however is kiss is just a kiss, and all ended well. It was as simple as an inch too close.

A downhill snowy corner + a little extra speed = a snow berm kiss!

Thanks go out to a Campbell, a Stephanie, and a Moonlight Greg for the warm welcome that MauiSkiBus recieved. With these three and a simple pairing of the laser precise inch, Moonlight Basin has a rolling stone level of “Satisfaction”.

Tug and a tug and out MauiSkiBus came.