![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fantasyofflight.com\/collection\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/Bugaboo-Spires.jpg\" "\\"Bugaboo")
<\/a>One of the Bugaboo Spires on the first run of a very cold morning!<\/p><\/div>\n
They originally began flying with Bell 47 helicopters (MASH-type) but now fly twin-engine turbine powered Bell’s. \u00a0The scenery is breathtaking and the famous Bugaboo Spires can be seen above the lodge\u00a0at the head of the glacier at the end of the valley.<\/p>\n
One of the great things about the Canadian Rockies is the altitude we ski at is lower than in the States. \u00a0The lodges are around 2500′ and the tops of the highest runs are around 8000′. \u00a0As a comparison, the bottom of the mountain I ski at in Utah begins<\/em> at 8000′. \u00a0This translates into more oxygen for the Heli-skiers and thicker air for the helicopters to operate more efficiently.<\/p>\n Our chariot arrives to take us closer to heaven and more fresh powder!<\/p><\/div>\n There are a number of lodges to choose from and several offer Heli-hiking in the summer, which I want to check out one day.<\/p>\n Everyone goes through safety training upon arrival and goes over the details of \u00a0the avalanche beeper training, which we all wear. \u00a0Everyone now carries a backpack with a radio, a snow probe, and a snow shovel in case of an accident. \u00a0 Once this is done, it’s off to the slopes for fun in the powder!<\/p>\n What it's all about!<\/p><\/div>\n We eat lunch out on the mountain, which is delivered by a second smaller helicopter. Guides also use this helicopter for checking snow conditions and occasionally blasting to set off avalanches under controlled conditions.<\/p>\n Lunch on the mountain!<\/p><\/div>\n Most lodges have four groups of 11 skiers and a guide per helicopter but a few have three groups. \u00a0There maybe a few times where you wait for a lift while the helicopter refuels but you then get the opportunity to take a rest and enjoy the scenery. \u00a0As long as the weather conditions are good, I’ve always gotten more than my share of great skiing.<\/p>\n Bored waiting for the helicopter? I made a face in a Snow Cookie!<\/p><\/div>\n Heli-skiing is not without it’s hazards. \u00a0One of the really fun aspects is tree-skiing. \u00a0To me, it’s the ultimate video game because every run is different and you never know what’s coming up next. \u00a0You follow the technique race car drivers use in a car crash. \u00a0Don’t look at the wall (or the trees) . . . look for the open spots! \u00a0Sometimes they’re a bit narrower than you’d like and you end up catching a thorny branch or two.<\/p>\n A hazard of skiing in tight trees . . . thorny branches!<\/p><\/div>\n There’s a basic rule they tell us that I’m pretty good at following,\u00a0“If you can’t see over it . . . don’t ski over it!” \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Of course, everyone<\/em> thinks about avalanches. \u00a0The weather and snow conditions can change quickly over the week but the guides are well-trained and alert to the current conditions. \u00a0They’ve learned much over the years and their knowledge has increased safety.<\/p>\n Several years before I began heli-skiing, some of my family came to the Bugaboos for their first ever trip in 1994 and witnessed the worst accident in CMH history. \u00a0They had just finished a run called Bay Street<\/em> as Group One and, while waiting at the bottom, watched Group Two begin to come down from the top. \u00a0Several of the skiers, with limited English, went a bit beyond where they were told to ski and the whole mountain slid from the top. \u00a0Fortunately, the slide stopped just short of Group One at the bottom but, unfortunately, nine skiers in Group Two lost their lives. \u00a0Out of respect, they’ve never skied the run again.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>