Every powder skier dreams about hopping in a helicopter and flitting up to the top of a snow covered peak, only to step into their bindings and slash turns in perfect snow all the way to the valley floor.  I’ll admit, I knew I was going to go heli skiing at some point in my life, but with a meager income from raft guiding during the summer months and living out of my van to cut corners on bills, I didn’t expect my first flight to happen anytime soon.

Thanks to the Powder Highway, my first flight in a ‘bird’, as it’s known in the industry, came much sooner than I could ever wish for.  On January 19th, 2010, with recent snowfall and decent conditions in the backcountry, I found myself driving East on the Trans-Canada Highway towards the Purcell Helicopter Skiing heli-plex near Golden.  Only a ten minute drive from Golden’s city center, Purcell Heli is a good option for skiers visiting nearby Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and looking for some untouched powder turns.

I arrived at 8:30 in the morning and by 9:30 am we were loading the helicopter after a quick beacon training session and helicopter etiquette.  This is a routine practice, and for many of the guests, it is their first time ever using an avalanche transceiver or probes and shovels.  Even with a background in backcountry skiing, I found the training very informative and useful; it serves as a great introduction to the mountains for any guests new to skiing outside the resort boundaries.

My guides for the day were Daniel and Derek, and right from the start, it was obvious that they were experienced pros with safety on their minds.  The other eight guests on the trip included two Japanese men, a German, an Austrian family, a Slovak, a Canadian lodge owner, and me.  For most of us, it was our first time flying in a helicopter, and you could smell the excitement in the air…or was that jet fuel?  We loaded up, careful to follow the proper procedures, and in no time, the twelve-seater Bell helicopter lifted off.

A ten minute flight left us at the top of a ridgline completely surrounded by a sea of mountaintops deep in the Purcell range.  The weather conditions that day were good, and Daniel was excited to let us get some long runs all the way to the valley floor.  Our group clocked in four runs that day, and no one had to cross any tracks from first run to the last.  The snow was deep and dry, and every run we skied hadn’t been skied yet this year.  If you’ve never skied powder snow like that before, it can be difficult to comprehend how effortless it can feel.  Click here to watch the footage from a helmetcam I wore all day and get stoked.  Highlights of the day were hitting some airs with Niklas, the group’s sole snowboarder, into such unbelievably soft snow.  High-fives were thrown all around, and everyone in the group seemed tired but satisfied by the end of the day.

If you’ve ever considered trying something outside the resort experience, think about calling Purcell Heli Skiing.  Golden is a small town with a rich history, and a couple laps in a heli can be just the right motivation to go out and sample jam night at Golden Taps Pub, one of the local bars.  If you’re lucky, Rudy, the owner and founder of Purcell Heli, might just hop in the bird with you and tell you stories from his 40 years of experience in the Canadian Rockies.  He’s a strong skier, and his infectious laughter will have you grinning all day long.

A big thanks to Rudy and his fine staff, Daniel and Derek for showing me some fun stuff to ski, and of course the other guests in the group for all the high-fives and laughs.

Accomodations:

If you’re looking for a place to stay in Golden, try the Highland Lodge up at the base of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.  It’s a nice bed and breakfast situated a quick 4 minutes from the lift, and only a 20 minute drive to the Purcell Heli Skiing heli-plex.

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