When the guys from Tourism Sun Peaks told me about all the activities that I would have the opportunity to participate in during my season here, I was psyched with the variety of amazing new experiences that were waiting for me. But among the countless winter activities they mentioned, one remained echoing in my mind: Heliskiing.
They gotta be kidding me! The only contact I had had with heliskiing was through those amazing Warren Miller movies, where extreme freeskiiers and boarders are left by a helicopter on the top of an absurdly steep mountain. Then they drop about 5000 vertical feet in seconds, doing only a few turns and sometimes with an avalanche chasing them.
But Monday afternoon came the great news: "Hey Thiago, we’ve got a seat for you in one of Mike Wiegele's helicopters, tomorrow you are gonna heliski!"
Tuesday morning I jumped out of bed at 5am and an hour later we were on the road, heading north to the small 260 resident forestry town of Blue River, where Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing is located. It's also the starting point for the 8 Peaks Experience that I was going to join. The 8 Peaks Experience is a new day package for intermediate skiers and boarders where you can experience quality powder a day at a time without having to commit to a 3, 5 or 7 day trip.
The place is unbelievable! From the valley you get views of the rugged Cariboo and Monashee mountain ranges, their glaciers and endless forests. And that is just a small fraction of the 1.2 million acres of skiable terrain accessed by Mike Wiegele's helicopters.
The excitement was just beginning. After watching a video and getting tons of information about all the hazards we may face while in the backcountry, we headed to the outdoors for training on how to use the avalanche transceivers. Knowing how to use this small radio gadget is one of your best chances to survive an avalanche.
Familiar with the new gear and with all the safety procedures, it was time for the real action! When I entered the helicopter and heard that loud noise, I had butterflies in my stomach. But the ride was surprisingly smooth and after a few minutes we were landing on top of a thin ridge in the Cariboo range. I never imagined that a helicopter could land in terrain like that. When I figured it out, the helicopter had flown away and we were on our own on the top of that mountain in absolute silence.
Our group consisted of four skiers and two guides: Chris was leading the team and Derek was behind us. We traversed into the trees for a few meters, ending up in a glade skiing paradise. The terrain was super fun! It was steep enough to let you get some speed, the trees were perfectly spaced and the snow... bottomless! To be precise, those mountains get more than 10 meters of snow per year and the fat skis made me float in a way I had never experienced before, it was like skiing on clouds!
After our first run I was totally hooked! The heli picked us up for two more fluffy runs and after the third, we stopped for lunch. The guides shoveled a lunch table on the snow and we all shared a great meal with outstanding views.
We had two more runs left and this time we headed to a different face of the mountain. More trees, logs and other natural obstacles that are always reminding you that you are backcountry skiing, and where every track is fresh, leaving a trail on the snow that will stay there till the next storm.
After our last run, I had a smile on my face and was absolutely sure that I must experience this sensation again. Thank you to everyone at Mike Wiegele's Helicopter Skiing for this amazing day and of course "Happy Anniversary" to Mike Wiegele who is celebrating his 40th year in operation this season!
No doubt for me, the sound of a helicopter will never be the same after last Tuesday.
Thiago,
the Snow Bum
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