Imagine flying in to a remote location and touching down on a pristine mountain top. You unload your skis, don your goggles, and point your skis downward to begin carving into dry deep powder. There is no one else in sight. No trails. No markers. No sound. Just you and the blue sky and clean air. Spectacular breathtaking scenery is everywhere around you, reminiscent of the European Alps.
This is heli skiing. A world onto itself rarely seen by most skiers, heli skiing provides skiers the chance to do exhilarating backcountry ski treks that defy description. You can ski seemingly forever. You can ski anywhere you wish. You can find the deepest best untracked powder you will ever experience. And as long as you are not a beginner but are more of an advanced intermediate skier comfortable with most conditions on blue to black runs, you will be able to heli ski. You will be skiing in groups of four people with a guide, and skiers and boarders are both welcome to groups.
Located 30 miles south of the Canadian border in northeastern Washington State on the west coast of America is where North Cascade Heli Skiing is located. The North Cascades are in the North Cascades National Park, a rugged wilderness that is home to over 300 glaciers, rivers, wildlife, lakes, majestic mountains and gloriously empty valleys. The top elevation of the Cascades is around 10,788 feet with 77 peaks rising above 6,000 feet high. They get at least 600 inches of snowfall a year.
One of the runs North Country Heli Skiing can take you to is the one that starts at the very top of Silver Star glacier. It has open fields, steeps, chutes and very very deep dry powder. You feel as if you have been dropped on the very top of the world to ski down it in utter splendor.
The pilots/guides of the helicopters are seasoned veterans that make these trips every day as well as personally ski where they drop you so they know the conditions extremely well. Bring along a camera and leave it with the pilot when you go off to ski because the views from the helicopter as you swoop beside cliffs and up to the mountain tops are amazing.
North Cascade Heli Skiing offers heli skiing from late December or mid January through mid March, depending on the snow conditions. You need to book them well in advance as the demand for their services is tremendous. If you are unable to, it is still worth a try to see if someone cancelled. This is your chance to experience once in a lifetime skiing!
If you are traveling with people who won't want to heli ski, there are other activities in the region they can enjoy, including cross country skiing, snowmobiling and sledding. In the town of Winthrop, the nearest town, there are chances for wine tasting, visiting coffee shops, shopping and for visits to art galleries.
North Cascades Heli Skiing is located at Wilson Ranch in Mazama, Washington and most skiers choose to stay at the Freestone Inn on the ranch. Each of the rooms have a private deck and fireplace. You can also book individual cabins for your stay. All are decorated with wooden beams, Adirondack furniture, and the cabins have full kitchens. The dining room of the inn has a floor to cathedral ceiling massive fireplace made of river rocks and serves a menu of fresh local cuisine.
