Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25232
People go to Jackson Hole for the technical terrain, rugged beauty and big dumps of the fluffy white stuff. The same conditions that make the resort so good are even better in the backcountry. And, of course, uncrowded. Which means that no one will snake your pow. And if you don't stick a Corbett's-style couloir launch, you won't have a whole trainload of people laughing at your garage sale. High Mountain Heli, 307-733-3274, www.heliskijackson.com. In conjunction with Teton Pines Resort, High Mountain Heli offers pack- ages with three days of heli-skiing and five nights accommodation on the slopes of Jackson Hole for $1,878 to $2,015 per person. One six- run day costs $590 per person. BUGABOO MOUNTAINS, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA Up in the great white north, the Canadians have more mountain ranges and snow than they know what to do with. Fortunately, someone real- ized that there was powder in them thar hills and set about mining it heli-style. The whole heli-sking revolution began in the Bugaboo Mountains in 1965 and once you see the terrain it is obvious why- huge glaciers, towering rock spires, countless peaks, thousands of feet of gladed runs and bowls big enough to swallow your average Colorado resort. The mountains top out over 10,000 feet, even higher if you count the 40 plus feet of snow the region gets on an average year. British Columbia is the perfect place for the first time heli-skier- dependable, high-quality and relatively afiordable for American visitors thanks to the strength of the US dollar. Canadian Mountain Holidays, 800-661-0252, www,cmhskLcom. One- week packages including double occupancy accommodation and meals range from US$3,100 to $4,500, depending on dates and lodges They guarantee 100,000 vertical feet on a seven-day trip. CMH doesn't offer one-day trips. CHUGACH MOUNTAINS, ALASKA, USA A heli-skiing trip to the Chugach Mountains is as close as the average per- son can get to being in a ski movie. The runs are steep and deep and, when the skies are clear, the near-vertical mountain ranges provide a stunning backdrop. And then there's the snow. The moisture-laden air dumps 600 to 700 inches of snow on the mountains and the wet stuff manages to cling to the 40, 50 and even 60 degree faces. But that is just the beginning of the magic. The sub-zero nighttime temperatures converts what would be Sierra cement (18 percent water) into the fluffy powder (eight percent water). Ride Alaska's famous, wide-open faces until you drop. And then do it again. Down days--{)f which there are many-will test your patience. Good days will be epic. Chugach Powder Guides, 907-783-4354, www.chugachpowder- guides.com. Chugach offers seven-day packages for $3,950, including seven days of heli-skiing, eight nights double occupancy accommoda- tion and unlimited skiing at the Aleyska Resort. They anticipate 100,000 vertical feet on this trip and guarantee 80,000 feet. One day costs $575 per person. They also offer cat-skiing, $190 per person per seven-run day. 29