By Shannon Hurst
You stir from your sleep before the alarm and as your body starts to wake, your mind has you leaping from your warm bed to the window to peer out into the early morning light.
Suddenly your heart starts to pump feverishly as your eyes focus on the railing you cleaned before retiring for the night. It is now boasting at least 10 inches of new, beautiful white snow. These are the days dreams are made of...
You can't believe your luck as you quickly get dressed and leap down the stairs to the smell of coffee and find breakfast already cooking. Several of your friends and your host are already gathered around the table and talking excitedly about the possibilities and the adventures of the day ahead.
Everyone is smiling.
"Can you believe it?" someone says.
"It's supposed to keep snowing for the next two days too," adds the host.
You can feel the excitement welling up inside you and the electricity in the air. Within minutes you have a hot cup of joe in your hand and you are eagerly discussing which of the many highly sought-after slopes you will have the opportunity to shred down first. Do you start with steep and deep or do you start off a little more leisurely with a run through the beautiful glades? There are so many options. You tell your best friend it's his choice because you know anything will be incredible today.
As you wolf down your delicious breakfast and thank the cook you can hear the helicopter starting up. Everyone is eager to get geared up, checking their equipment, avalanche beacons and for some, making sure their cameras are ready to roll.
It doesn't take long before everyone is outside loading their skis or boards onto the helicopter. Everything seems to be going your way today as you're one of the lucky ones and you are getting on the first chopper. Not that it really matters, the round trip is less than 12 minutes so others don't have long to wait. But right now, you are totally stoked to be climbing on the first ride.
The doors close and within seconds you're airborne. The pilot shares your excitement as he talks about the amazing conditions that lie before you and assures you the avalanche conditions are minimal. Yet he reminds you to still be aware. As the chopper arcs towards the peaks you have dreamed of, your mind is challenging you.
Can you hit that 40 footer? Can you drop into that tight chute? Are you going to shred the wide open glades or try that tight tree run? Then before you know it you're touching down on the peak. You all unload quickly and in minutes the whirlwind from the blades has quieted and the chopper is gone. You, two friends and your guide are stepping into your skis. Your heart is racing, the excitement is building and the adrenaline is exploding as you look down the insane couloir before you.
You take a minute to look around and your breath is taken away. While snow is still lightly falling, you can see several peaks around you. The resort is way down to the left and you can see the helicopter landing to pick up the next load. You are on top of a mountain and it's amazing. Working hard and saving all your money for this year's trip is suddenly all worth it.
You realize the guide is talking — he tells everyone he is confident the slope is pretty safe and explains the optimal lines. Then he turns and smiles saying "So who's up first?"
"I guess it's your turn today, shred it hard and we'll see you at the bottom," your friend says.
You're smiling so hard it almost hurts. Your heart is pounding so fiercely you feel like it's about to erupt out of your chest. You turn, point your skis toward the drop in and adjust your goggles. What an adrenaline rush!
You let out a loud "wahoo!" and then it is all you, the mountain and the angel dust. The rush is incredible as you effortlessly float through the air and land with a poof into deep, light, fluffy snow. You start flying down the mountain. You have to remember not to shout out your excitement as you will inhale too much powder and might have to stop. You become one with your surroundings and you rise and drop into your next turn. You feel the euphoria of floating. Face shot, after face shot, after face shot, these are the moments you live for.
You reach the treeline and glide to a stop to wait and watch the rest of your group descend down the pristine mountain slope. You start to laugh as you shake off some of the snow. What a great day to be alive! This is what heli skiing is all about.
After an impeccable day of playing in epic amounts of powder and racking up thousands of vertical feet, you all stumble back into the lodge. There is a warm fire crackling in the eloquent stone hearth and the aroma of a delightful dinner simmering reminds you of how much of a hunger you have acquired.
It's agreed that a hot tub is in order and your friends and you change out of your ski gear, grab a drink and head for the whirlpool on the deck. While relaxing and revitalizing your exhausted body, your friends and you take turns telling of your adventures and boasting of your phenomenal moments from the day. Despite a long day, you are all still pumped as the snow is now falling so hard you can't see the other buildings in the dusky light of the day.
Tomorrow is going to be another unbelievable experience. After a wonderful dinner, a few drinks and a lot of laughs you say your goodnights and make your way to your bed that your body longs for. As you lie there watching the snow fall, your mind goes over the day's events once again. Dreams of tomorrow's adventures help you drift off to sleep. Your last coherent thought, there is nothing like heli skiing in British Columbia.
The popularity of heli skiing has steadily increased since it's inception in the 1960s. An Austrian immigrant to Canada, Hans Gmoser, is generally credited with starting the new form of recreation in 1965. His first real documented adventure took place in the Bugaboo Mountains in British Columbia. Although he did experiment with accessing extreme skiing locations with a helicopter in the Canadian Rockies for a few years previously.
Essentially, heli skiing is identical to downhill skiing with two major differences, terrain and cost. It is also all about skiing in a natural and yet, carefully selected environment without a ski lift that is required for exploring the backcountry by ski touring.
It is recommended that skiers or snowboarders should be able to easily ski intermediate and advanced runs at ski resorts. They should also understand avalanche safety and have all the necessary gear including avalanche transceivers.
With that said, you don't have to be an expert to try heli skiing. All outfitters have a guide which can not only offer easier, intermediate runs but can also provide some protection against the risks, allowing the less experienced skier a chance to enjoy the wilder side of backcountry skiing.
Most heli skiers are seeking specific conditions that are hard to find at a ski resort, in particular, powder snow. In addition to the snow, skiers get longer descents, old-growth tree glades, steep and extreme slopes as well as natural terrain contours and features.
With the intense terrain reached by helicopters, reputable resorts employ full-time guides as well as pilots who are trained and experienced in evaluating snow stability, conditions and risk management.
Due to the high costs associated with helicopters and remote resorts, heli skiing is not cheap and is often considered a recreation for the wealthy. However, there are many who save all year for that week of amazing skiing. There is also the option of snowcat skiing which is on the rise in B.C. and many Canadians are lining up for it.
So for anyone who has had the pleasure of skiing a little powder or has been drawn to the majestic peaks and the treasures they hold, heli skiing is an adventure you might just find yourself saving for year after year.
