Conditions Report
Working for a heli skiing outfit has its perks. A few times a year I have the opportunity to leave my desk and travel North to enjoy some fresh turns with guests from around the globe. My experience this February was a little more special than usual. I traveled to Bell 2 Lodge with two long-time friends Greg Foster and Dave MacDonald [check out Dave’s video below] – both first time heli skiers. Our main objective was a photo mission to capture imagery from Bell 2 lodge, but we also managed to take advantage of some stunning days in the mountains.
In a year where snow conditions have been marginal at best throughout North America, we were fortunate to experience the rewards of 100 cm of fresh powder. Last Frontier Heliskiing’s location in the far North of British Columbia has advantages and this week illustrated them perfectly: cooler temps resulted in snow at Last Frontier where rain was falling from the South Coast Mountains to the Rockies. While we have had some outlying Pineapple Express effects earlier in the season, it has been much more muted than other parts of BC.
The skies cleared on the first day just as our regular snow and helicopter safety briefingsconcluded. We quickly jumped into our group and emerged ourselves in waist to chest deep powder in the trees. I’ve spent a good portion of my life heli skiing and I can say after 20 plus years the feeling remains as special as day one. Agile B2 and B3 A-Star helicopters whisk you effortlessly through the vast terrain. Small groups of 5 guests give you ample time to take in the scenery, snap a few photos and interact with the group. The combination of small groups and small helis makes you that much more aware of the vastuntouched wilderness around you. Plus, you get to ski a lot more.
The next few days were just as memorable. Whether it involved skiing perfectly spaced old growth trees in enchanted forests or carving big turns in pristine alpine bowls, the allure of being in the mountains is intoxicating. It’s hard to describe the sense of peace and serenity, so here are a few photos from my trip to bring the experience to life.
PHOTO TOUR:
