Tell a story about great man jim kuster

tundra twin track said:

I met Jim in January, 1986 at CC Cycle, when getting advice on sled setup. As I was making my maiden voyage to Valemount. I had two successful trips that winter and was hooked. In January 1987, Brad C., Murray L., and myself were headed to Valemount on a late Friday afternoon, but had to stop and get a belt at CC Cycle and asked Jim if he could join us. Jim said he had never been, but he'd like to come along. He said he would be an hour or so before he could leave, as his new 1987 400 Indy SKS was apart, receiving modifications. We walked in the back of the shop to see the complete front and rear suspension was dismantled and no track in the sled. Well, a few hours later, off we went.
We rode the first day in Miledge with deep powder and I can still picture Jim with wide open throttle jumping a nasty drainage. And, with a big grin on his face, he said, "The throttle is your best friend!!". I knew right then this was a wild man on a sled and he was hooked on the mountains.
After numerous trips together we became very close friends. December 31, 1988 we headed to Valemount again, with Jim on his 89 500 SP, Brad's 89 500 SKS and myself on a 82 TX-C fan 136. Alan Creek was the first ride for 1989. As we just got into the Premier, Jim dropped down in this bowl with a full set of paddles. Needless to say after numerous attempts Jim couldn't get out. With Brad and I still on the ridge, we knew it wasn't coming out! For six hours we inched the sled by hand up the slope, we ended up abandoning the sled due to darkness. Jim and Brad doubled out. When we got back to town, I was very ill due to being on the throttle side of the sled for six hours, breathing in exhaust. Once we got back to the Valemount Hotel, Jim and Brad were in Stan's shop in the back of the hotel. They doubled up the paddles on Brad's 500 and the TX-C, while I was on the the john and head in a waste basket for the next 12 hours!! The next morning the two of them went back with help. But, a storm had blown in and they could not even get close. So, we headed home less Jim's sled. Jim made two more trips back trying to retrieve it, but it had really dumped snow that month. Abundant snow fall made accessing the alpine a full days job.
On the last weekend of January, Jim and I headed back up. Jim took Carl's 1980 340 TX-C and off we went. Jim had decided to go to Yellowhead Helicopters and hire Gary F. When we arrived there we meet a couple of Air Force Pilots getting their chopper repaired. Jim asked them if they could lift out a sled. With a grin, they replied, "We'd love too!", but their lift hook had been replaced with a recon camera. So, Gary was the man, providing the weather improved. Jim and I headed up the mountain to meet Gary on Mt. Milton. Gary picked up Jim, Bob (from Athabasca) and myself and off we went. After several minutes in the air searching, we'd spotted the avy probe and the ribbon still visible. Gary dropped us off on the ridge above the sled and Bob stayed on the ridge to keep an eye on Jim and I as snow stability was sketchy. With shovels and slings in hand, we headed down the slope to dig it out. Gary came with the hook and grabbed the sled and set it on Mt. Milton. Quicker than expected he returned to the ridge to pick us up. Being we were only half way up and with the clock ticking and Jim's money burning ($10/min), he encouraged me to climb faster, "Beamer, get your fat ass in gear!" As quick and cost efficient as possible, we made it to the top!
Once back back up on Milton, we opened the hood to find any exact mold of packed snow in the shape of the hood. After cleaning all the snow from the engine compartment, it fired right up! At this time, the Air Force guys we talked to earlier flew over and seeing us, sat down their chopper. They were curious to see how we had made out. I don't recall the model of the chopper they were flying, but when they lifted off they put on a real show in the valley between Premier and Milton. Banking completely horizontal with very little daylight from the skids to the mountain side. It reminded me of the action movies!
Now with three sleds on top of the mountain, we found a girl doubling with her boyfriend. She agreed to ride the 340 down the mountain. Jim told her it was full of fuel, and with blue sky's above to feel free to ride it for the rest of the day. Back in the parking lot, we loaded up and waited for the young lady to show up. Finally she rode up with a grin on her face, as she had been kicking her boyfriends butt all afternoon with that little 340 free air, and he was riding 521 liquid. Jim and both laughed over that, but her boyfriend did not find the humour in it!
In the fall of 1993, Jim modded a Polaris 488 FC engine that I ran in both my custom Indy Lite chassis. The engine is still running today.
In the years to follow, we had countless adventures together. Some of the most memorable ones are the Wasp Creek Expedition with those two massive slides. The trip that Jim, Carl, Ivan, Dave and myself chartered a helicopter to scout out a safer route up White Feather Creek. And a trip into Howard Creek where we encountered a massive boxed end shaped wind tunnel about 800 feet long and 20 feet deep. Daryl (Ziggy) went first, side hilling 2/3 up and out of the tunnel. I followed, bailing out about half way up. We waited at the top for Jim on his Mod ZRT. He came wide open, right up the gut! And, to our amazement, Jim blew right out the end and pulled off a complete back flip! Wearing his tether, he bailed seconds before the sled landed. When we rode up, he had a smile on his face explaining, "That damn throttle is sticking again!"


I am going to miss you Jim
Thank You for the Memories


Dale B

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chadwik74 said:

This was the exact story I was trying to tell a few posts earlier Dale....Bob is my dad and I remember him telling me the story(I was 12ish).....I was blown away! I started heading up there with him shortly after, in the Wildcat days. I remember it was a good day when you made it to the cabin!! Stan was a great guy and awesome guide, many of us would hang out in his shop while people tweaked they're sleds. I also remember sitting in the hotel room with the 'other kids' while all the dads would shut down the bar.....Thanks for this and all the detail.

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tundra twin track said:

I met Jim in January, 1986 at CC Cycle, when getting advice on sled setup. As I was making my maiden voyage to Valemount. I had two successful trips that winter and was hooked. In January 1987, Brad C., Murray L., and myself were headed to Valemount on a late Friday afternoon, but had to stop and get a belt at CC Cycle and asked Jim if he could join us. Jim said he had never been, but he'd like to come along. He said he would be an hour or so before he could leave, as his new 1987 400 Indy SKS was apart, receiving modifications. We walked in the back of the shop to see the complete front and rear suspension was dismantled and no track in the sled. Well, a few hours later, off we went.
We rode the first day in Miledge with deep powder and I can still picture Jim with wide open throttle jumping a nasty drainage. And, with a big grin on his face, he said, "The throttle is your best friend!!". I knew right then this was a wild man on a sled and he was hooked on the mountains.
After numerous trips together we became very close friends. December 31, 1988 we headed to Valemount again, with Jim on his 89 500 SP, Brad's 89 500 SKS and myself on a 82 TX-C fan 136. Alan Creek was the first ride for 1989. As we just got into the Premier, Jim dropped down in this bowl with a full set of paddles. Needless to say after numerous attempts Jim couldn't get out. With Brad and I still on the ridge, we knew it wasn't coming out! For six hours we inched the sled by hand up the slope, we ended up abandoning the sled due to darkness. Jim and Brad doubled out. When we got back to town, I was very ill due to being on the throttle side of the sled for six hours, breathing in exhaust. Once we got back to the Valemount Hotel, Jim and Brad were in Stan's shop in the back of the hotel. They doubled up the paddles on Brad's 500 and the TX-C, while I was on the the john and head in a waste basket for the next 12 hours!! The next morning the two of them went back with help. But, a storm had blown in and they could not even get close. So, we headed home less Jim's sled. Jim made two more trips back trying to retrieve it, but it had really dumped snow that month. Abundant snow fall made accessing the alpine a full days job.
On the last weekend of January, Jim and I headed back up. Jim took Carl's 1980 340 TX-C and off we went. Jim had decided to go to Yellowhead Helicopters and hire Gary F. When we arrived there we meet a couple of Air Force Pilots getting their chopper repaired. Jim asked them if they could lift out a sled. With a grin, they replied, "We'd love too!", but their lift hook had been replaced with a recon camera. So, Gary was the man, providing the weather improved. Jim and I headed up the mountain to meet Gary on Mt. Milton. Gary picked up Jim, Bob (from Athabasca) and myself and off we went. After several minutes in the air searching, we'd spotted the avy probe and the ribbon still visible. Gary dropped us off on the ridge above the sled and Bob stayed on the ridge to keep an eye on Jim and I as snow stability was sketchy. With shovels and slings in hand, we headed down the slope to dig it out. Gary came with the hook and grabbed the sled and set it on Mt. Milton. Quicker than expected he returned to the ridge to pick us up. Being we were only half way up and with the clock ticking and Jim's money burning ($10/min), he encouraged me to climb faster, "Beamer, get your fat ass in gear!" As quick and cost efficient as possible, we made it to the top!
Once back back up on Milton, we opened the hood to find any exact mold of packed snow in the shape of the hood. After cleaning all the snow from the engine compartment, it fired right up! At this time, the Air Force guys we talked to earlier flew over and seeing us, sat down their chopper. They were curious to see how we had made out. I don't recall the model of the chopper they were flying, but when they lifted off they put on a real show in the valley between Premier and Milton. Banking completely horizontal with very little daylight from the skids to the mountain side. It reminded me of the action movies!
Now with three sleds on top of the mountain, we found a girl doubling with her boyfriend. She agreed to ride the 340 down the mountain. Jim told her it was full of fuel, and with blue sky's above to feel free to ride it for the rest of the day. Back in the parking lot, we loaded up and waited for the young lady to show up. Finally she rode up with a grin on her face, as she had been kicking her boyfriends butt all afternoon with that little 340 free air, and he was riding 521 liquid. Jim and both laughed over that, but her boyfriend did not find the humour in it!
In the fall of 1993, Jim modded a Polaris 488 FC engine that I ran in both my custom Indy Lite chassis. The engine is still running today.
In the years to follow, we had countless adventures together. Some of the most memorable ones are the Wasp Creek Expedition with those two massive slides. The trip that Jim, Carl, Ivan, Dave and myself chartered a helicopter to scout out a safer route up White Feather Creek. And a trip into Howard Creek where we encountered a massive boxed end shaped wind tunnel about 800 feet long and 20 feet deep. Daryl (Ziggy) went first, side hilling 2/3 up and out of the tunnel. I followed, bailing out about half way up. We waited at the top for Jim on his Mod ZRT. He came wide open, right up the gut! And, to our amazement, Jim blew right out the end and pulled off a complete back flip! Wearing his tether, he bailed seconds before the sled landed. When we rode up, he had a smile on his face explaining, "That damn throttle is sticking again!"


I am going to miss you Jim
Thank You for the Memories


Dale B

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pete gads said:

PS Did you get to ride the turbo. what did you think

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Roy Maxwell said:

Don't know Jim or Carl but ride with guys who rode in Valemount with Jim and young Carl back when it was considered a good day if you made it to the Allen Creek Cabin. Reid Perkins who may not be on this forum talks about Jim quite often when we are riding. He said Jim is an amazing rider (better than Carl in his day with all due resepct to Carl) who loves to explore and was always looking for new ways to get from here to there. Said Jim would head down into untracked tight trees while the rest of them hung back waiting for his return. After some time Jim would return after being stuck several times, branches sticking out of his sled and Jim would say "it's a little sketchy down there". The boy's knew if Jim thought it was a "little sketchy down there" there was not a hope in hell they were going that way.

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tex78 said:

X2, know Carl but not Jim


I used to go to elementary school in westlock with Carl I think, left when I was 10

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