I double checked that my snowboard and boots were in my van before leaving the house. These will be my most treasured items for the next four days. I was headed for Fernie, BC, in mid-winter, which means one thing: powder…and the steep lines that the East Kootenay’s area is known for. Oddly enough the shotgun seat in my van is empty and I’ll be arriving solo to spend the next four days with eight complete strangers. I had to be in the parking lot for pickup by five thirty that afternoon. I turned right on a snowy road. My GPS didn’t know where we were headed, but I did. Island Lake Lodge is at the end of this road and I’m going catboarding.

Arriving at the parking lot I see people milling about and a huge red snowcat skiing grumbling down from the forest. I rushed to gather my belongings and triple checked to make sure I had everything. Getting up to the lodge is about thirty minutes and I didn’t want to be that guy at the top missing his boots. I jumped into the back of the cat and grabbed the last seat on the bench. Everyone seemed friendly enough on the cat ride up and people chatted with one another. Inside my mind though, I was quietly sizing people up according to looks and the cities that they came from.  This would be my new crew for the next four days after all, and I was planning on getting in as many fresh turns as possible.

Two large timber framed lodges came into view and the huge snow taxi ride was almost over.  Arriving at the base lodge was more than I expected. I jumped out into the soft snow and was directed towards the Red Eagle Lodge which was a smaller A-frame lodge tucked into the corner of the clearing. I walked past the Bear Lodge, which was the original lodge when the operation started in 1988.  I knew of it from photos and was told it was used as the guest bar and lounge now. I dropped my bags off and immediately walked back over to snoop around it’s legendary walls and have a soda before dinner. I entered to a rousing crowd of what was surely an all-American group: east coast US accents and NFL football on the TV, screams included. I did some more analyzing of potential riding partners and was almost one hundred percent sure that I might be the only snowboarder up there. Not a problem. Dinner was served and finished up quickly. People scattered to their assigned rooms to prepare for an anticipated first day out in the mountains of Island Lake Lodge

Good Morning I.L.L.
My room was ultra comfortable but that didn’t stop me from waking up more than an hour before breakfast.  It was day one after all, and I had some energy ready to unleash on the Lizard Range of the BC, Rockies. Island Lake has seven thousand acres of terrain at it’s disposal; high alpine bowls, steep gladded trees and thousand’s of little secret little features that you couldn’t even dream of, all waiting to be found and ridden. First things first though, everyone in the group, regardless of experience, will go through the avalanche safety training. This includes accident procedure, beacon training and use of the shovel and probe. The guides at Island Lake Lodge do an amazing job with the safety briefing since this becomes ultra important information if the guides aren’t available in a worst-case scenario. It’s a nice feeling when you know that everyone is on the same page and understands the risks in your group.

Getting into the catskiing at Island Lake Lodge you’ll notice nice comfy benches, iPod dock, water-beverage station and a cooler filled to the brim with the tastiest sandwiches and cookies. I’ll get back to this area later and give out some tips.

Riding The Lizard
As it turned out there was one other snowboarder in my group: a Canadian ex-pro windsurfer who just moved back to the country after being in Brazil for quite some time. Once again I was sizing up my group.  Is this guy going to want to ride the same lines as me? This is the first day and let’s be honest, it’s powder and none of us know each other. It’ll be every man for himself. Enough said.

he guides at Island Lake have the terrain on lock down and I was lucky enough to have veteran “Big Steve” as my lead guide. He mapped out an amazing day and we didn’t once see the other group of eight skiers in the other snowcat that Island Lake operates on a daily basis.

Under grey skies we tracked up the bowls and flowed through gladded runs down to the final snowcat pick up at the bottom of Geisha Bowl; a definite leg burner. One of the nice final touches to each day is that the guides radio in beer orders that are sent out to the bottom of the bowl. An amazing finale to the day.

Apres, Island Lake Lodge.
After a day out charging powder and riding fast deep trees you’ll be drawn into the Bear Lodge. You can just feel the energy in the place and can tell right away that it’s got the most character of any of the other three lodges. Island Lake was stomping grounds for many a pro snowboarder; pro riders Craig Kelly, Jason Ford and Jake Blattner, pro photographer Mark Gallup and skier Scott Schmidt were all share holders at one time. The lodge has a definite vibe to it. The main feature is an amazing, one-of-a-kind stone fireplace. The bartending staff will get you going and keep you going into the night if you’re up to it. Watch out for the “shot ski.”

Bed to Breakfast at I.L.L.
Sleep comes much faster after a full day of being out in the snow. Lapping more powder than the average person rides in a season will do this to someone. The morning still brings the same excitement though, and jumping out of bed into the gear is easy.

Breakfast at Island Lake Lodge starts early and the spread is amazing with something for everyone.  There’s lots of space in the main Timber Lodge to join in with others or maybe just relax at your own table to recharge for the day. Pass the syrup!

Back into the Box
The next day brings more terrain and an amazing surprise. We are told that it might be possible to climb into the alpine terrain to the peaks of the Island Lake area.  We float through some thick clouds decorated with a lovely golden hue, right before we break into the blue ocean of the peaks. Nothing but cheers and smiles from everyone in the machine.

We all pile out to take photos and scope the terrain we are about to ride.  At this point it becomes a case of what we can ski as a group. I’m no longer concerned with sizing people up or worrying about who’s the fastest. It’s now more of a team effort and I have nothing but encouraging words for everyone in the crew.  The guides talk over options: steeper lines for some and options for people that just want to cruise and take in the view.

Everyone meets down at the cat after an amazing run down from the sunny alpine and into the misty magic of the Lizard range. An extremely stoked group gets into the cat, revisiting the refreshment area, cooler and the iPod dock. The rides up in the snowcat are tons of fun. Heli ski. This is where you’ll share stories, take care of foggy goggles, laugh and hopefully not cry from leg burn. The drink coolers are located in the back corner of the cat, so if you’re sitting there you’ll be playing bartender. Don’t sit there if your not into being Tom Cruise from Cocktail or if you hit the “shot ski” hard the night before. Next, the iPod dock. If you brought your own playlist and have been planning the music for a month, be prepared to let everyone have there own turn with their music. Get ready to tolerate all kinds of music. The food cooler is just like the drinks. You’ll be throwing sandwiches across to people all day; just remember to save some cookies for the guides.

The snowCat was crawling it’s way back to the alpine and the sunny ocean of powder that lay above it.  The doctor on my left seemed to be skiing faster and more aggressive.  The insurance broker and his retired ski buddy were all smiles and had the Bob Marely pumping on the iPod. The oldest skier in the group that was seventy and had already skied more vertical powder than all of us combined before he was fifty, was ready for anything. The surfy Canadian-Brazilian transplant who turned out to be the life of the cat (and my only snowboarding companion), is ripping.  All these people I had judged as strangers were becoming more and more like my normal crew as each day came and went. It was my turn to request a song and I got the Metallica queued up. I had my eye on a sweet line up top.

Despite The Heat Wave That Had Organizers of the Winter Games Literally Trucking in Snow and Competitors Complaining of Less Than Ideal Conditions, The People at Mica Heli Guides in Revelstoke  B.C. Are Still Enjoying Mountains of Fresh Powder.

Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, March 6, 2010 – Many a sigh of relief was heard in Vancouver as this year’s Winter Games came to a close last weekend. Organizers finally had a chance to relax after weeks of trucking in loads of snow in order to try to maintain some semblance of winter at what will long be remembered by many sports fans as the warmest Winter Olympics in decades. While many fans poked fun at  an event that  has been widely been referred to as a complete fiasco, one competitor even went so far as to display one of her perforated skis during an interview on a well known national television news channel, confirming that it had been damaged before she even reached the starting line, by a rock that was jutting out from beneath the surface of the thin layer of slippery slush.

Meanwhile, the locals chuckled and did their best to refrain from shouting “we told you so” as they found humor in the fact that while temperatures as high as fifty degrees Fahrenheit seemed to come as a complete shock to international fans and members of the Olympic Committee, that sort of weather is actually quite common in Vancouver during this time of the year. So, while some of the world’s top athletes battled it out on inches of slippery slush, many more savvy skiers and snowboarders took to the hills in search of several feet of powder.

Those who visited Mica this season managed to find what they were looking for, and some of them are still getting the rides of their lives at one of British Columbia’s premier heliskiing destinations. In fact, conditions at Mica’s vast backcountry tenure remain so good that the company’s powerful mountain helicopters haven’t seen much downtime since late last November, as people continue to flock here in search of a ski experience that is simply unrivaled.

Nestled on the western slopes of the Canadian Rockies near Revelstoke British Columbia, Mica Heli Ski impressive tenure consists of nearly 180,000 acres of some of the backcountry ski terrain on the planet. Because of its strategic location, this area is consistently home to some of the deepest driest champagne powder in the world, perfect for living out even the wildest of skiing or snowboarding fantasies.

Known as one of the best in the business, Mica Heli Guides uses A-Star and Bell 407 helicopters to speedily transport its guests to some amazing backcountry locations, where they get a chance to lay fresh tracks in heaps of dry champagne powder as they enjoy  run after run of adrenaline pumping Canadian heliskiing. Mica specializes exclusively in small groups  and has a well established reputation for employing only the most skilled and experienced helicopter pilots and ski guides in all of North America.

While other operations have already shut down for the season, Mica’s dedicated staff is still hard at work as excellent ski conditions persist with a snowpack of over two hundred and fifty centimeters and some fresh snowfall in the last week. One thing that makes Mica’s terrain so special is that it is strategically situated between the Monashee and Selkirk ranges, in Canada’s Rocky Mountains. This is an area known for producing exceptionally deep, dry powder, which is a result of moist storms from the west colliding with cold arctic air that blows in from northern Alberta. The ski season here typically lasts through early May and  snowfall often exceeds 60 feet per year.

ABOUT:

Mica Heli Skiing near Revelstoke, B.C. specializes in small group heli-skiing. It is one of three operations in The Island Lake Resort Group, the others being Powder Cowboy snowcat skiing and Island Lake Lodge catskiing near Fernie B.C.. For more information, contact Darryn Shewchuk at  1.877.837.6191 x2002.

The Staff of Mica Heli Guides, One of Canada’s Premier Heliskiing Outfits, Reports Excellent Ski Conditions for the Area Surrounding Revelstoke, B.C., While Warm Weather Patterns Continue to Affect the Coastal Areas of British Columbia.

Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, February 26, 2010 – With this year’s Winter Olympics coming to a close, temperatures in Vancouver have been as high as fifty degrees Fahrenheit in the last few weeks, prompting some people to redub the event the “Spring Olympics”, while others joke that the official drink of the 2010 games should be the Slushy. Organizers have been trucking in snow for weeks as heavy rains accompanied by fog and exceedingly warm temperatures have made conditions all but unbearable for the scores of athletes who have gathered here from all four corners of the globe in order to participate in the world’s most important winter sporting event.

But while temperatures on the coast continue to rise, ski conditions in the area surrounding Revelstoke B.C. are holding, making this one of the best seasons ever for Mica Heli Guides, British Columbia’s premier heliskiing outfit. In fact, with temperatures below freezing, a snowpack of nearly three meters and 16 cm of fresh, dry powder having fallen over the last week, conditions at Mica’s vast backcountry tenure simply couldn’t be better. In the words of one guest, who was knee deep in powder just yesterday: “Take the best skiing you’ve ever had and multiply it by 3-that’s what today was.”

Mica Heli Guides is a world class heliskiing company located near Revelstoke, British Columbia, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, unquestionably the world capital of heliskiing as well as heliboarding. Mica specializes in transporting small groups of skiers and snowboarders into the some of Canada’s best backcountry ski terrain, where they can enjoy their fair share of natural steep fall-line tree runs for snowcat skiing, picture perfect pillow lines, dramatic alpine ridges, deep bowls and adrenaline pumping glacier runs, without having to share the fun with anyone except Mica’s guides and a few of their closest friends or family members.

Mica’s impressive tenure consists of nearly 178,000 acres of phenomenal backcountry ski terrain and encompasses eight distinct valleys that range in altitude between 1900 and 5900 feet above sea level. The unique location of this vast territory, which sits on the Western slopes of the Canadian Rockies, is consistently home to some of the best ski conditions on the planet, with mountains of deep, dry champagne powder falling there each season. In fact, conditions at Mica are so good, so often, that the company’s powerful A-Star and Bell 407 helicopters have an average of only 1.5 down days per season and are in the air almost every day between December and April of each year. Although January is typically one of the best months for catskiing in the Rockies, Mica sees an average of 42-66 feet of snowfall each year, much of which is the result of the winter storms that hit the area in late February and early March.

Skiers and snowboarders from around the globe come to Mica for one reason and one reason only: powder. Because Mica’s tenure is situated on the western slopes of the Rockies, nestled between the Selkirk and the Monashee mountain ranges, it typically gets a copious amount of deep, dry snow, often referred to by skiers and snowboarders as champagne powder or cold smoke. This is the kind of stuff that skiers dream about, and hundreds flock to Mica each year in order to make those dreams a reality.

Because Mica caters only to small groups, the only obstacle for many is being one of the lucky few who actually get a chance to ski Mica’s tenure each season. With a remote, but comfortable backcountry lodge that sleeps only twelve guests, Mica specializes exclusively in small groups and the guest to guide ratio is an astonishing 4:1.

With snowfall deeper and more abundant than ever, 2010 has proven to be a great season for Mica Heli Guides. And with conditions holding and more winter storms expected to hit the Canadian Rockies in March, it doesn’t look like the staff at Mica will be getting a break any time soon.

ABOUT:

Mica Heli Ski near Revelstoke, B.C. specializes in small group heli-skiing. It is one of three operations in The Island Lake Resort Group, the others being Powder Cowboy Cat skiing and Island Lake Lodge near Fernie B.C.. For more information, contact Darryn Shewchuk at 1.877.837.6191 x2002.

Conditions Continue to Hold  in British Columbia as What is Proving to Be a Phenomenal Heli-Ski Season Gets Under Way.

Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada,  February 11, 2010 – Skiers from the around the world are flocking to B.C. in droves as the Canadian winter ski season progresses. During the past week, there have been particularly favorable conditions in and around Revelstoke, British Columbia, an area that is known as a haven for heli-skiers who come here each year to heli ski, cat ski and take advantage of the mountainous terrain, consistent snowfall and breathtaking natural surroundings.

The area surrounding Revelstoke, which was recently named among North America’s top ski destinations by Outside Magazine, is home to Mica Heli Skiing, one of the world’s premier heli-skiing and catskiing outfits. Mica’s impressive tenure consists of nearly 178,000 acres, a vast expanse that contain a seemingly endless number of alpine ridges, deep bowls, fall line tree runs, pillow lines as well as some extraordinary glacier runs. Because this far reaching territory is located on the Western slopes of the Canadian Rockies, the area boasts consistently deep, dry champagne powder, which is enough to make any skier’s wildest fantasies a reality.

Mica’s skilled staff specializes in transporting skiers and snowboarders into hard to reach  backcountry locations via helicopter. Over the past seven seasons they have averaged only 1.5 “no fly” days per season, which means they are in the air practically every day between December and April of each year. It is for that reason that they are able to produce accurate winter ski condition and weather reports on a daily basis.

Over the last week, Mica’s guides and helicopter pilots have reported excellent conditions with approximately thirty centimeters of snowfall in the last seven days alone and a total snowpack depth of about  three meters at two thousand feet. One of the reasons that Mica’s territory is home to some of the best ski country in the world is the fact that it is strategically situated between the Monashee Mountains and the Canadian Rockies. Typically, the moisture that comes in from the Monashees combines with the cooler dry air of the Rockies resulting in an abundance of dry, powdery snow, which is  perfect for skiing and snowboarding.

According to Mica’s trained experts, the prognostic for the rest of the heli-ski season is quite positive and as they are quick to point out, the Farmers Almanac for 2010 calls for cooler temperatures and deeper snow than usual. That comes as no surprise, given the fact that this winter season coincides with an el El Niño year. This periodic climate phenomenon, also known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), involves a global shift in ocean temperatures and atmospheric pressure, which can in turn lead to unusually severe weather patterns such as heavy rain fall and flooding at lower latitudes and especially heavy snowfall in the Pacific Northwest.

These weather patterns are especially favorable for the Revelstoke area because that region and Mica Heli Ski’s territory in particular, enjoy unusually heavy snowfall during most winter months anyhow, which means that El Niño will only serve as an added push to an what is already a normal phenomenon. It is also true that one of the big advantages that heli-skiing has over traditional skiing is the fact that it allows skiers and snowboarders to access particularly hard to reach locations. This means that heli-skiers have a much wider variety of runs to choose from, allowing them to select the areas that have the best conditions at any given time. With the help of a skilled guide and an experienced pilot, heli-skiers can usually find some fresh powder to ski, even when conditions at traditional ski resorts are quite poor.

The 2009 Cat and Heli Ski season has come to a close and WOW did it ever go out with a bang! All through March, Mother nature dumped deep dry powder on the BC Rockies – conditions were epic!

All three operations had a safe season, seats were full, the skiing and boarding were fantastic and our guests were stoked with their experience!

The main message from our guest comment cards was that Island Lake Resort Group (Mica Heli, Powder Cowboy and Island Lake) have the best staff in the industry offering great guiding, fantastic food and top shelf service.

We are happy to report that the pricing for Catski and Classic Heliski tours has not increased for 2010 however the value continues to improve on our tour packages. US guests have the added bonus of 20% on current exchange rates!

Another positive note is that bookings are already stong for 2010. Our Catskiing deposits have been lowered for 2010 and early booking specials are in effect.

Mica Heli Guides has added a new Premium tour so guests now have the option of skiing in one, two or three groups of four per helicopter.

There are still some prime seats available so give us a call toll free, send us an email or visit our websites to reserve your spot for 2010.

From all the staff here “thank you for skiing or boarding with us!” We welcome you back for some more deep dry powder next season.

Now Booking 2010

US residents save 20% with current exchange rates!

Catsking 1-888-4CATSKI (422-8754) info@islandlakeresorts.com
Helisking 1-(877 or 250)-837-6191 info@micaheli.com