Heli Skiing or Heli-Skiing? To Heli Ski!

If you're just discovering the sport, heli skiing is all the activity surrounding utilizing a small helicopter as your transportation to access remote backcountry ski terrain and then skiing (hopefully) deep, untracked powder, with a small group of skiers.

To  "Go heli skiing" can evoke different thoughts, different imagery and different memories for different skiers.

I still have one heart-pumping memory of my second heli-skiing trip...on a VERY gorgeous February morning...

9:00AM, mid-February, somewhere deep in British Columbia's Selkirk Mountains, a ten minute helicopter flight from Revelstoke...

Just imagine yourself being in the heli...

The heli-pilot makes a surprisingly hard-banking turn, and the rotator wash sound gets much, much louder as the rotors fight the air's friction. Winning the battle, the aircraft continues to maneuver, circling a super crisp, very narrow ridge at 8,500 feet. You, your best bro and two other friends look out the large windows of your A-Star AS350 Eurocopter...and then at each-other...all four of you across the back seats have wide, goo-goo eyes and big "Oh Shit" grins, and you're all thinking the same thing...

Is he REALLY going to land there?

Then, like he could do it in his sleep...the pilot re-centers the stick, straightening the aircraft's approach...as he expertly lines up the red flags...and then he gently sits the bird down, deep into the snow. You're heart is starting to pound - you know it's the adrenaline surge that you signed up for...months ago...and now it's happening...

It's the first run of the day on your second day of heli skiing. You've built enough confidence in your guide's mind about your mountain acumen & skiing abilities. So...as he takes his headphones off, opens the door and steps out, he turns back to you and firmly gives you a "caution sign." He extends the fingers of his glove, putting his palm flat, and he bounces his hand up and own a bit, so the first heli-skier out of the aircraft knows to be cautious and stay close the the heli. He then moves around the nose to unload the basket. Each skier witnessed the guide's instruction and shares a glance in understanding - you all get it. This isn't an EXTREME drop that you see pro snowboarders make in Alaska, but it's still the real deal, and you all know it.

Four guys ease their way out of the bird...the last one closes the door, secures the door lock and with calculated movements, takes his place in the snow. You're all on your knees, waist-deep in powder, doing the "heli-huddle," just a couple feet from the heli's skids. But you're keenly aware and uneasy about turning to look over your shoulder at the decreasing radius of the slope that drops off into the abyss behind you. You really can't assess the critical distances-danger points behind you...but you know it's a cliff...so you keep your eyes on the bird...and it's about to lift off.

Your guide has been unloading your gear from the basket and moves back around the nose to give a thumbs up through the window to the pilot. On que, the pilot acknowledges and increases power to lift your air-taxi up...and out of the snow. At about eight feet in the air, while slightly rotating the craft away from you and towards the cornice, he prepares to make his exit with some flair! He yanks the stick to pivot the craft 65 degrees on edge and masterfully executes a tight, arching turn and spins the tail vertical, as he nose dives off the ridge, disappearing underneath the horizon and down into the bowl you're about to ski.

All of you are thinking...damn this pilot can f'ing fly!

Behind you lies the unknown...which turns your gut, so you crawl forward...then carefully adjust your weight to stand up...

...then you begin to truly absorb your surroundings...taking it all in...the 125 miles of visibility - it's an immaculate, bluebird day...a turquoise sky embraces the mountain peaks as far as you've ever seen...

It's a surreal moment...you're in AWE...

It's your best bro's FIST TRIP. You invited him along for the adventure, and he looks at you with his jaw about two inches lower than normal. He lifts his goggles onto his helmet, just for a brief moment, so you can witness his full expression, before he puts them back down to cover his eyes from the overwhelming light. Then he let's let's out a boisterous, laughing, "We're on top of a cliff!"

You're still a little tense...as you let out a LONG exhale to begin settling yourself. You've actually...momentarily...become speechless...your breathing pace continues to decelerate...

...and then you bark out, "YEAH BABY! WE'RE GOIN' HELI SKIING!"

All four of you curiously take twenty short, cautious steps to the edge of the bowl. Scanning the surreal landscape below, you witness about a thousand acres...an undulating sea of steep, immeasurably-deep, perfectly un-touched and untracked, glistening and pristine puff-powder, reflecting back at you...

....and you remind yourself, it's just you...your best bro, two friends...and a guide...and no one else...

...and that's how your second day on this of heli skiing trip begins. It's a TEN...a 10.0. And it can't get any better than that.

Unless it does...

On the next run.

And that's heli-skiing...half the fun of it captures you whole...in the moment...before you even make a turn.

That is exactly the way my second day started with me and my bother on my second trip!

You too can easily design your own adventure and make your own memories that will last a lifetime...

If you're a veteran at this, thanks for enjoying the story...you know exactly what I'm talkin' about!