Editor, The Times:
Re: “Helicopter skiers monitor wildlife” in Mar. 19, 2012 issue
I am a backcountry snowmobiler.
Wiegele seems to toot his horn once a year and it always ends up in a campaign against snowmobiling.
First of all, just one of his helicopters burns 120 liters of leaded fuel an hour. His company does not support the local economy. There is minimal local community support, while he charges wealthy clients $10,000 a week.
Wiegele tells stories of us snowmobilers riding in closed areas. While there might be a case of that happening, there are thousands of snowmobilers every day that obey the rules. The whole snowmobiling community suffers and gets shamed from one incident. Unfortunately we have no control in this.
My sport is recreation, and I do it with my friends and family. His is business.
All the local associations and snowmobiling clubs work hard with the heli-skiers and government to come up with agreements to protect the mountain caribou, allow business tenures, and also create “peace” in the backcountry.
Wiegele has 191 mountain peaks to do his business. We, as recreational sledders, are not so lucky and have a handful.
I ask you to interview Blue River Powder Packers or VARDA (Valemount Area Recreational Development Association). See what they say about sledding and their community. I would guarantee they will not bad mouth heli-skiers. We have more class than that. Plus we also give to the community. We buy food, fuel and property and rent hotel rooms. In general, we spend our hard earned money to support the locals. The Blue River and Valemount communities would be ghost towns if it were not for us. We are not monsters.
Keith, please don’t fall into this Wiegele’s trap.
Mark Knodel
Edmonton, Alberta
Editor’s Note: VARDA replied that they were aware of the article but would not respond at this time. An interview with Blue River Powder Packers president Bill Karas appears elsewhere in this issue plus there are comments from the provincial government in another article. An interview with Al Hodgson, president of the Association of BC Snowmobile Clubs, will appear in a future issue of the Times.