 Poster: A snowHead
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I recently took a 2-week trip to Alaska for heli-skiing, someone asked if I could put up a trip report and since I did not find very many when I was doing my research, hopefully some people might find this useful.
I'm a strong advanced skier, with a similar ability level to a typical recently passed BASI L4 instructor in the off-piste (although i'm only L3 myself). I was looking for some challenging skiing, in particular powder skiing as i've skied very few really great powder days during my seasons in France and Switzerland. I initially considered British Columbia but in the course of my research it appeared that most BC outfits cater more towards the wealthy but (strong) intermediate end of the market - luxury accommodation, and mellow powder runs. I don't care about luxury, I just want great skiing. Also due to time constraints the trip needed to be the first two weeks of April, which fits better with the later Alaskan season. I decided in the end to go with Points North Heli Adventures, based in Cordova which is around 50 miles from Valdez where most of the other Alaskan heli-skiing companies are based, although not connected by road. Points North has a largely exclusive area of terrain only used by themselves, although I believe some of their further stretches are also used by the Valdez operators.
First week: 29th March - 5th April 2014
I had obsessively been checking the weather for at least the last month previous to the trip, and the situation as I arrived was this: Bluebird and no fresh snow more than 2 weeks, and below average snowpack levels in the Chugach mountains for this time of year. After our arrival, it was explained that the snowpack had been ruined in January by unseasonal heavy rain up to high altitudes, which persisted in leaving a layer of "white ice" on some of the steep faces. For this and other stability/safety reasons, most of the classic Alaska-type peaks, runs and spines on the posters around the Lodge were not being skied this year. Since the forecast was for continued bluebird and fairly warm temperatures for the rest of the week, our mission would be Corn (spring snow) hunting, the best conditions for which are found late afternoon on sunny slopes.
Being flown up the mountains in a heli was amazing and never something I took for granted. Views were breath-taking and the whole experience is an adrenaline rush. The weather remained sunny and pretty warm with no wind all week. The snow the first week was a real mix-bag. We skied all kinds of crust, icy patches, spring snow, sastrugi, soft "leopard skin" deteriorating crust. No powder unfortunately and unsurprisingly with 2+ weeks of sunshine behind us. This aspect was pretty disappointing as i'd skied much better snow only a few weeks earlier in France. We skied a couple of steep (>45 degrees) runs but mainly fairly straight-forward stuff which again was disappointing.
There are around 50 guests in the lodge at any one time, with each of the 3 helis taking 4 groups of skiers. Each group is composed of 4 or 5 skiers. The small groups allowed for very quick loading and dropping times and we usually waited less than 10 minutes or so to be picked up by the heli after a run.
When the weather is good and the helis are flying, you have to use up your pre-paid heli hours. After that it's up to you whether you buy more heli-time or not. Everyone had used up their heli-time after 3 days of flying (end of Tuesday) and around 20 of the 50 guests decided to leave early on the Wednesday. Out of the ones that stayed, maybe 10-15 chose to fly the rest of the week, many for only 1 extra day. The decision was whether or not it was worth it to pay an extra $1250-ish per day for skiing this kind of snow. Personally I decided to save my second week pre-paid heli hours for week 2, as snow was forecast for the weekend.
My conclusion from the first week was that flying in a heli and the whole experience is really fun, but the quality of snow and the challenge level of skiing was not what I had hoped for.
Our guide out in front (he almost always skied first), about to test out the spring snow:
Another sunny slope of spring snow down to the glacier:
This was soft/cold winter snow, although not powder. We went skiers right, another group can be seen on the slope here:
Another group stopping on a ridge for lunch:
Second Week: 5th April - 12th April 2014
The weekend was miserable and rainy at sea level, which was great news as the mountains were receiving their first fresh snowfall for 3 weeks! It wasn't a massive Alaska style storm but by the first fly-day (Monday) we had received about 15 inches of dry and light powder up in "the zone". Everyone was very excited and raring to go, not least myself as i'd been sitting around eating and drinking lots and doing little for the last 5 days. There is not a huge amount to do on down days.
The powder on that Monday was great, just what i'd hoped for. Despite being not that deep, the skis I was using (Volkl Shiros, hired from them for $40 per day skied) floated well and it felt bottomless for the majority of my turns. I could ski faster and with more confidence than the previous week due to the consistent snow. Since it was the first snowfall for a long time, and an untested group, our guide was cautious and we didn't ski anything particularly steep or gnarly. Tuesday and Wednesday ended up being down days with several inches more snowfall - down to sea level at times. Spirits were high on Thursday but unfortunately so were the winds. We all got up for an 8.30am breakfast but were held "on standby" until 1pm due to gusty winds at altitude. We were the lucky ones - some groups didn't fly until 5pm! The wind had hammered the snow in the zone that we flew to, and the majority of what we skied was fairly low angle and crusty. Very disappointing. We did have one good run for the day called "Hidden Couloir" - a steep gully which widened out onto a sheltered powder field.
My hopes were not high on Friday as despite the sun shining and wind dropping, I feared more wind-affected crust on the last day would leave a dampener on my trip. My fears were unfounded though, we flew to a different area which was higher altitude and further inland and the snow was once again amazing. Almost every run we did that Friday was powder, and we got to do a couple of steep and scary Alaska-type runs which is what I really came here for.
Me checking out my tracks on "Lab Rat":
Down day snow at base:
"Nailed it", we skied the chute from the top left down.
"Oz", the narrow and long couloir on the far-right (50-55 degrees in the top section), and "Cougans" the wide chute in the middle, which we skied back-to-back.
Bergshrund which I jumped at the base of "Oz". A shame we didn't do any other runs which required this - it's a common feature of steep Alaskan skiing.
I enjoyed the second week more than the first, mainly down to the much improved snow conditions and the fact the we were allowed onto some more gnarly terrain on the last day. If the last day hadn't happened i'd have been disappointed with the whole trip - but now i've been given a taste of what's possible i'm keen to visit again.
If I do visit again i'd be keen to go with a group of skiers of a similar ability and outlook to myself. It helps a lot if you are looking to get onto the more gnarly terrain as the majority of guests were happy doing mellow, more chilled out powder runs and were not really looking to scare themselves in the same way that I was!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Great honest write up.
Thanks.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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musehead, nice write up, what kind of ballpark are the prices ??
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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cool writeup - Oz and Cougans in good snow look pretty special
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks for posting.
What the base like? Is it a small city/village?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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musehead,
| Quote: |
it appeared that most BC outfits cater more towards the wealthy but (strong) intermediate end of the market - luxury accommodation, and mellow powder runs
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I've done 3 heli trips now and more or less I think that's about it. One exception I know is CMH Galena which is marketed as quite a bit more hard core and the terrain is mostly through trees. It's pretty awesome and you definitely ski terrain that you wouldn't readily find in that quantity in Europe.
The downside I always hear about Alaska is the weather - lots of down days and precious little to do (not that there's necessarily much to do in any remote lodge...). But, those two steep chutes in good snow would make up for quite a lot of sitting around 
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musehead, great report, really interesting to read. Always thought about a heli trip, though not sure I want to stump up 1000's given the unpredictability factors, maybe I'll try a heli drop or two out of resort somewhere first. Your last day certainly seemed pretty special.
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| Quote: |
it appeared that most BC outfits cater more towards the wealthy but (strong) intermediate end of the market - luxury accommodation, and mellow powder runs
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I'd add Mica Creek (Eastern BC/ West slope of Rockies) as another place that caters for better skiers. It's a relatively small lodge with skiers in groups of 4 (A-star helis). But again, do need a whole group to be up for harder stuff. It's not AK though and the runs tend to be top half Alpine / bottom half fairly demanding tree skiing with a few pillow runs...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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waynos, the problem with only doing day trips out of resort is that the guides will have no idea who you are, how you behave or how well you can ski...
so it's all then tailored to the likely lowest common denominator.
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Interesting and honest report...such a lottery in AK.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| under a new name wrote: |
it appeared that most BC outfits cater more towards the wealthy but (strong) intermediate end of the market - luxury accommodation, and mellow powder runs
I've done 3 heli trips now and more or less I think that's about it. One exception I know is CMH Galena which is marketed as quite a bit more hard core and the terrain is mostly through trees. It's pretty awesome and you definitely ski terrain that you wouldn't readily find in that quantity in Europe.
The downside I always hear about Alaska is the weather ... those two steep chutes in good snow would make up for quite a lot of sitting around |
I've been to AK a couple of times, and BC about 60 weeks or so heli-assisted, although I was "intermediate" for none of that.
You're right in the sense that in BC you get a lot of people who want to ski easy open slopes, or first timers, especially at this time of year, even in remote areas. I'm excluding "daily" heli which is a different deal completely and in which I have some commercial interest.
In BC, experts end up riding "private" heli, or they learn how to rig the system so you don't have to share a heli with slower people (especially important if you're on unlimited vertical). After that you need to get the right guide, for which you'll need experience and money. There are other ways to get what you want. You're unlikely to get that right unless you know how the game works. And of course you need a season when the avalanche risk is low, or all those intermediates will whine about not being able to ride mellow open slopes whilst the rest are playing in the trees.
Avoid spring, because you will get people who "don't like" trees (=> can't ride them => intermediate). Even then, short of people like Terje and Craig, you'll not find many first timers who don't find it hard work in their first week, unless something's badly wrong.
For sure if you want steep wet snow AK's the place to go. On the other hand the trees are in BC.... it's a question of what you want to ride, and when. I ride with a few people who do both.
A good write up. The weather's more of a risk in AK, and of course the snow is very different.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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kitenski, it's $5450 for one week, all inclusive, which includes 4 hours of heli time (about 3 days skiing).
Tom W, Cordova is a really small town and very isolated, the only way to get there is by plane or boat. The lodge is at the end of the road about 3 miles along the sea from the town. Points North lease the whole lodge for 10 weeks or so for heli-skiing, during the summer it's used for things like fishing trips.
philwig, Thanks for the info. It sounds like a lot of factors have to come together to make the perfect trip. I would like to try BC as well, I enjoy skiing trees and pillows. I'm fear i'm not likely to ever get enough experience to "learn how the game works" though! Where and when would you suggest a single skier like myself go in BC for the best chance of getting in an advanced/fast group?
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musehead, cheers. Have you considered a Japan trip at all?
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You know it makes sense.
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Great report, many thanks for sharing. Very honest.
Not directly related but this statement surprised me...
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| I was looking for some challenging skiing, in particular powder skiing as i've skied very few really great powder days during my seasons in France and Switzerland. |
But perhaps it's down to the definintion of a "really great powder day"?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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musehead, whats the best way to get up there from the UK?
Presumably overnight in Seattle?
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Poster: A snowHead
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You need to factor in the cost of flights out there - AK can be brutal on that. I've flown to Anchorage - I think via SEA although I can't quite remember.
For the heli specifically, BC is cheaper, but different as already noted. For that money you can score gear rental, unlimited vertical, accommodation, 4* food, everything except beer and massage. "Unlimited" is a risk, as the weather's not controllable. I don't ride garbage snow, and tend to average about 140k a week (they think in feet, it's for the Americans ...).
| musehead wrote: |
| ...Where and when would you suggest a single skier like myself go in BC for the best chance of getting in an advanced/fast group? |
It's rare to come across anyone short of competition professionals who can keep up with a fast group on their first trip, but then perhaps I have it dialled now.
Some ideas... - Avoid daily heli or anything where people don't have to make a serious commitment. Sure, I've ridden several times with Terje on a daily basis, and it's been epic, but your chances of that aren't high and you're more likely to get with a bunch of people who will enjoy the flying more than the riding.
- Rent your own heli (a "private"). I can't afford this, but I have filled seats for people many times and that's particularly sweet.
- Ride in the depths of winter. Bad riders don't like cold and dark or trees, all of which you'll find then. Avoid spring for the same reason: it's full of people who are scared of trees.
- It's easier to get 4 people who can ride well than to get 10, so try "small group heli" (eg A-Stars not 212s).
- Go to a big place (eg Wiegele) so they can "group" people better (getting 4 good people from 100 is easier than getting 12 from 44). Be assertive about the grouping: if they put you in a slow group, fix it: it's your money, and you won't be back if you don't get the goods.
- Go somewhere which is slated for experts, or pay for the "expert" option. So CMH Monashees, or Wiegele's "Elite" are worth considering.
- Tell them from the start that you're good, and that you're concerned that you may be held up by other people. The problem with this is that... pretty much all North American males will say the same thing. Once they've seen you make that first turn they will know, but until then it's just your word. If you have ridden serious heli before that should help.
- Bear in mind that they will always start "mellow" on day 1 as they don't want you where they can't rescue you if you're rubbish. Most operators will get quicker through the week (so if you stay for multiple weeks, you'll find it all seems slow the first day of a change-over). Maybe avoid those days if you care.
- If you find your group has people in it who can't ride top-to-bottom without stopping or getting lost, complain.
- Bear in mind that what you ride is dependent on the conditions as well as the group.
The way it usually works is that people find it a challenge to start with. By the time they're not sweating last into the heli any more, they have figured out how the system works and how to use it. You also pick up a bunch of contacts so you can arrange to be there when there are people you know can ride too: the repeat rate is high. Most people don't really have this problem.
Oh yeah, in my terms, a "really great" day is any where I'm getting regular over-the-head powder. Pillow lines help, steep is good, but trees are essential.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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philwig, Thanks again, very useful!
kitenski, Actually I am considering it for next year. I'm probably going to be in China for a bit late Jan-early Feb so it's an easy hop over.
norris, Yep best way seemed to be London - Seattle, overnight there and then fly up via Anchorage the next day. Was a long journey.
Layne, Good powder (light, deep, not wind affected) just seems to be very rare in the Alps, especially if you're in one location without much means of transport. Coupled with being free on that particular day, and friends also being free, we're probably talking less than 10 days in a whole season. Most of the snow that comes down in the alps is not powder unfortunately!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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thanks musehead - was wondering how you found it.
completely agree with philwig's comments. i have done around 30 days heli only (BC, Iceland and NZ) and the relatively high cost tends to give you a pool of older skiers who are looking for something different to an experienced and fit backcountry skier.
in BC we were looking at Bella Coola and Last Frontier (philwig may have comments on them?) because i thought that Wiegele and CMH flew the bigger helis (that may be wrong) and definitely prefer a star as per philwig.
a guide in Iceland also recommended a small operator in North Cascades for something a bit 'grittier' and with heli touring possibilities.
my approach has always to go with at least one other skier but I do think snowheads could be used to group up in 4s as that is best by a long stretch. I am 50 next season so may be up for it if anyone here has any plans that fit with other trips in the calendar already
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What he said. I've not ridden either of those two but have ridden with people who spoke well of Bella Coola. I'm not sure how dry the snow is out there, but I'd want to bag Powder King at the same time.
Japan: I'd like to ride there, although I've yet to see anything which looks steep. I know the snow's good, and easy to access.
Iceland: on my list, but when I checked the vertical costs were high.
NZ I'll grab if I'm there, but my mates tell me the snow's wet so I'll not make a trip for it.
Heli size: back in the day both CMH and Wiegele were oriented around 212s, but these days they have a mix and you can book what you want, albeit at a cost. You need to ask "how many seats" they have (it used to be always 4 for an A Star and 5 for a 407, but now you can get 5 in an A Star in some places). The other factor is "how many groups per heli". "Private" means just the one - it's your machine. "Semi Private" means you plus one other group, which is not an issue as you'll never see them if they're good. 3 or 4 groups again is ok if they're good, or if *you're in the lead group*.
Here's a video from Wiegele, in a 212 bus in late December. This is primarily "hero terrain" (above the tree line: "alpine"), although the second half has some trees. The slide risk wasn't great, and as this was the one or two days with any sun (hence the camera came out). At that time the rest of BC didn't have decent off piste; it wasn't an epic season start. https://vimeo.com/82657681
I tend to ride with people I've met out there, but if there are others here with similar goals that may work. I ride snowboards, but good skiers can usually keep up 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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philwig, but oh my word it's a right pain trying to fill a 212 group (and not have group members drop out... )
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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philwig, is late December - early Jan dodgy with regards to the amount of snow likely to be on the ground in BC? Or will they usually have a good amount of deep powder by then? Just in comparison to the Alps, i'd never book a holiday in advance so early season if I wanted a good chance of getting good snow.
Great video btw!
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That sounds right. If you go at a quiet time of year, which you can tell from the prices, then you'll often get a "semi private" or private heli just because there's no one else there. Americans in particular tend to stay home at Xmas, so it's about as far from "peak" as you can get.
Snow: I have to take xmas off as my customers do that, so it's dead time for me. Hence I need to find somewhere with 100% guaranteed snow. In the last 25 seasons at that time in Blue River I've always had snow. In a poor year you may have to fly further to get it, or you may pick up higher in the valleys, but there's snow. You can still get stopped ("down days") from heavy fog or freezing rain or very high winds, but they're relatively rare. I think they quote 1 day per week on average. The down side of late December/ early January is short days, and... it snows. So you will be in the trees. Novices tend to be scared of trees, so they don't go then.
Yeah, I too would never *book* the Alps at that time of year, and I think the seasons have been moving later in Europe generally (I'll be riding there in a couple of days to prove it). I'm happy with booking BC heli for the above reasons though. In truth, if they could not deliver, they'd "pull the plug". That has never happened to my knowledge in Blue River, but I've known CMH to have to do it, and in Whistler they do it all the time. If there are no fresh tracks to be had, they won't / don't take your money, as you'd not come back.
If you're limited to resorts, then it's more of a gamble... the same rules apply as the Alps I think. That's one way I justify using helicopters
That video shows a brutally bad start to the season in BC. You can see bits of rhubarb (trees and vegetation) sticking out of the snow in the clear cut (00:40). Usually that stuff would just not be there. So the snow requires more care than in a good snow year, but there's still enough of it especially in the trees. There are some other videos there which are from the same place, same time, for previous seasons. That's all xmas snow.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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jedster, how much was Mica as they don't put prices on the website?
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| philwig wrote: |
Japan: I'd like to ride there, although I've yet to see anything which looks steep. I know the snow's good, and easy to access.
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This might interest you philwig and musehead
Japanese Alps, Honshu
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/277093-Japanese-Terrain-Photos
No heli. Lift or skin access.
The Hokkaido Backcountry Club started a heliski operation out of the Niseko Resort Area this winter.
This season it was Shiribetsudake only. 30-40 deg tree terrain. 500-700 m vertical.
They're hoping to get into the Kariba Mountainous District which will offer longer, steeper and more technical descents, most of it above treeline.
Here's a sense of what could be on offer. I skied a very small section of it a couple of weeks ago.
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=2522316#2522316
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Howabout catskiing folks? It would kill me to book a year ahead, pay the cost of transatlantic flights, salivate during all those months of waiting....and then have down days or cancellation and end up piste skiing in resort.
In summary:
- No down days.
- Just as much vertical.
- Relaxing ride up between runs.
- Operations that cater for everyone from beginners to couloir skiers.
- Some amazing lodges.
- Half the price of heli.
I've never heli skied - but have had 8 absolutely epic catskiing days out of 8 on 3 separate trips to BC. The only glitch was when we stayed at a wilderness catskiing lodge that was accessible only by heli. We missed our first day skiing (& night at the lodge) - as it was unfortunately too snowy for the heli to fly....Have to say, that put me off helis a bit.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| philwig wrote: |
| musehead wrote: |
| ...Where and when would you suggest a single skier like myself go in BC for the best chance of getting in an advanced/fast group? |
It's rare to come across anyone short of competition professionals who can keep up with a fast group on their first trip |
Why? Can't be any harder than lift/skin accessed powder and trees, if anything given the likelihood of more consistent/untracked snow it should be easier than resort skiing..?
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Catskiing is a different deal. I do that too, but it is much slower. Depending on how you do it, the price differential isn't as large as you may think. But that's a good option too.
Being extremely picky, they do have "down days" though: it requires a certain amount of snow to build the roads needed, and this season for example that was problematic for some operators as the snow came late. The cat doesn't have the range of a heli, so if you have a dry year, you may find you're running out of lines. Agreed, these are much rarer than heli down days.
Can't be any harder than lift/skin accessed powder and trees, if anything given the likelihood of more consistent/untracked snow it should be easier than resort skiing..?
That's why some of us are concerned about "grouping", so we won't be slowed down by people who turn up thinking like you do, but who are wrong.
I suspect that the reason some people find it hard is that "resort powder" has a skier-pisted base, on or off piste, where as back country stuff is bottomless. You also have a lot of mountain terrain to deal with, trees and wells, route finding, and some interesting run outs. If you fall you'll burn a lot getting up. If a snowboarder sits or loses momentum, you can't walk. Breaking trail is a work out. If you can't ride top-to-bottom through a forest without getting lost, you're going to slow everyone down and burn yourself out walking even a few meters. Once someone starts to fall it tends to get exponentially worse. You're going ride a dozen or more runs a day, which is harder work than a full day at a resort (assuming you can ride resort runs top to bottom, which most people can't/ don't anyway).
These days the equipment means it's easier than it's ever been. In the last few seasons modern skis mean people with "park stance" - a kind of upright approach - can ride deep stuff, albeit not particularly well.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I think I may have ridden a cat with philwig a few years back... I like cat skiing if I am visiting somewhere (for me, it's usually Whistler cos I have family round there) during a holiday period and have a specific day when I can go. The cats run almost always (subject to philwig's caveats), so I feel reasonably comfortable booking well in advance and I've always had some fun skiing. It's not super-gnar but the snow's always been good for me and there have been some fun lines. And you can't expect super-gnar when you are just showing up on the day with a bunch of other punters and the guides haven't skied with you before
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Poster: A snowHead
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| philwig wrote: |
Can't be any harder than lift/skin accessed powder and trees, if anything given the likelihood of more consistent/untracked snow it should be easier than resort skiing..?
That's why some of us are concerned about "grouping", so we won't be slowed down by people who turn up thinking like you do, but who are wrong.
I suspect that the reason some people find it hard is that "resort powder" has a skier-pisted base, on or off piste, where as back country stuff is bottomless. You also have a lot of mountain terrain to deal with, trees and wells, route finding, and some interesting run outs. If you fall you'll burn a lot getting up. If a snowboarder sits or loses momentum, you can't walk. Breaking trail is a work out. If you can't ride top-to-bottom through a forest without getting lost, you're going to slow everyone down and burn yourself out walking even a few meters. Once someone starts to fall it tends to get exponentially worse. You're going ride a dozen or more runs a day, which is harder work than a full day at a resort (assuming you can ride resort runs top to bottom, which most people can't/ don't anyway).
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That doesn't sound any different to a good resort powder day to me, and the only difference between it and skin-accessed powder is the number of laps you do. It's easier to ski bottomless than it is to ski 30cms on a bumpy, inconsistent base.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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These days the equipment means it's easier than it's ever been. In the last few seasons modern skis mean people with "park stance" - a kind of upright approach - can ride deep stuff, albeit not particularly well.
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My first trip (~2001) there was an older chap who was quite game but I doubt he skied much off of pisted blues and certainly had never skied powder before...  - group logistics meant our (the most mixed group, - a schoolboy error) was more or less fixed for the week but the guides just put him on fatter and fatter skis until he could keep up (more or less).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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norris,
It was back in 2006 so out of date but I think we paid CDN$4k for the four days in the lodge. January so probably a bit cheaper than other times
The office were friendly so they'd give you an idea if you drop them an email
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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FAQ
don't get it. Maybe you're comparing resort accessed tree skiing in NA to heli-skiing in NA. But from a European view I can't see how that holds true. I love nothing more than accessing tree skiing, quite often without even having to tour. Very few people ski off piste where I hang out and so the tree skiing is certainly off piste , as in not so tracked there's a base. Obviously whether it's bottom-less depends on current snow conditions. I've also cat skied in BC and don't recall conditions being suddenly different to resort based tree skiing in similar snow. If you can ski powder in tress then you can ski powder in trees?Please explain. I guess you could be doing more vert in day so people tire out or you've just been grouped with people that can't actually ski powder in trees very well.