Powder Cowboy and Island Lake Catskiing have wrapped up their annual photo
shootout contest. The 3-day event saw 9 teams compete for $10,000 in cash and
prizes. Each team was comprised of 1 photographer and 3 athletes for a total of 36
competitors.

Mother Nature was kind to the competitors and provided 40-50 cm of fresh snow
over the 3-day event. Many of the photographers took advantage of the stormy weather
producing moody, atmospheric images that impressed the judges and crowd. An afterparty
followed each day of hard work, where prizes were awarded and a slideshow of
the photographer’s best shots were displayed. The event has given some
experience and exposure to up and coming photographers in Western Canada.
Island Lake General Manager Steve Kuijt said: “I was very impressed with the
creativity and talent shown by all of this year’s photographers…I thought I knew all the
great photo spots and angles up there, but I guess I was wrong!” Planning for next
year’s event has already begun.

Monday’s winners were:
Best Scenic: Kyle Hamilton
Best Composition: Chris Messervey
Best Athletic Performance: Sam Guther (shot by Aaron Whitfield)
Tuesday’s winners were:
Best Scenic: Mark Gribbon
Best Composition: Mark Gribbon
Best Athletic Performance: Mikel Witlox (shot by Ben van der Valk)
Wednesday’s winners were:
Best Scenic: Kyle Hamilton
Best Composition: Aaron Whitfield
Best Athletic Performance: Martin Gallant (shot by Mark Gribbon)
Best Overall Portfolio ($2,000) went to: Mark Gribbon
Best Overall Team Went to: Aaron Whitfield, Sam Guther, Marni Wilson and Derek Root
Sponsors for the event were: K2 Skis, The North Face, Smith Optics, Spy Optics, Peak
Performance, Hestra Gloves, Solomon and Icebreaker Clothing.

A Slideshow of the submitted images can be found at:
http://www.islandlakeresorts.com/winter/photo_video.html

There is plenty of good news to report at Mica Heli!  Fall has recently arrived, bringing fresh snow on the mountain tops and beautiful fall colors surrounding the lodge.  With overnight temperatures now consistently below freezing, another season of powder skiing is in the air!

Mica has been a buzz all summer with many projects. Most importantly we’ve opened more new ski terrain!  In total we’ve cut nine new helicopter landings in Molson, Harvey, Dawson and the Wood Arm drainages.  These new landings will add a wide variety of new ski terrain, including some beautiful, steep, north facing tree runs in Harvey!

I’m definitely looking forward to the first turns ever on the “Drive Thru”, only a two minute flight from the lodge!

After a very successful first season of our new Private Program, we’ve made the ultimate ski experience even better!  New for the 2009 season, the Mica Heli Private Program will be flying with the Bell 407 helicopter.  The Bell 407 has one more seat than the A-Star, which allows room for a second guide, giving our private groups the ability to safely explore the far reaches of our terrain.  This helicopter has incredible power and excellent fuel capacity which means more time skiing!

Although Mica Heli has quickly become known for consistent weather and quality snow, on those rare days when the snow is deep, but flying isn’t a safe option; we have an exciting new alternative!  As I write this we are putting the finishing touches on a new trail for our Pisten Bully Snow Cat. This will allow us to access the tree skiing directly above the lodge while we wait for the flying conditions to improve.

Returning guests will be sure to notice the renovations made to Mica Lodge including a full kitchen reno (complete with a sassy wall colour, new appliances and a wine cooler) fresh paint, new furniture and creature comforts. The next thing you’ll notice is the brand new beds and linens – if the skiing wasn’t so amazing you might not want to get out of bed! With a new roof and exterior stain Mica Lodge has never looked better!

Best of all your favorite team is back this year with Matt and Trevor flying, Shane, Rob, Ian, Rich, Terry, Eric and me guiding, and three new faces to Mica, but veterans to heliski guiding – Michael Cater, Cliff Umpleby and Mark Bender.  Nicole and Julie are back cooking up a storm in their new kitchen and Barbara, Val, Jonathan, Sam, Jen and Cathy are also back to make sure everyone has the perfect trip!

This winter the program at Mica Heliskiing is going to be the best ever! We have only a few seats left in Jan, Feb and March so give Val a call at 1.877.837.6191 to book your spot today. We all look forward to seeing you and skiing with you soon!

Best Regards,
Paul Norrie
President

Darryn Shewchuk
Director, Sales & Marketing
www.micaheli.com | www.powdercowboy.com | www.islandlakecatskiing.com
1.888.CATHELI (228-4354) x2002
Mobile 250.814.1950

Experience the POWDER of the Canadian Rockies www.DeepPow.com

It’s that time of year again! The snow is on the mountains and the ski shows have started. Island Lake Catskiing, Powder Cowboy Catskiing and Mica Heliskiing will have a booth at some of the bigger shows this year. Drop by and get a free DVD, posters and cool stickers!

Vancouver Oct 4 & 5
Toronto Oct 17-19
London England Oct 22-26
Calgary Nov 7-9
Denver Nov 7-9
Portland Nov 14-16

Hope to see you there!

Revelstoke, BC Canada June 18, 2008 – Mica Heliskiing completed a full season (December 2007 to April 2008) using the new ABS Freeride Airbag and the new Barryvox ‘Pulse’ Avalanche Transceiver.

At Mica Heli skiing, a safe and enjoyable experience is our No. 1 priority. Our professionally trained and certified guides make every effort to reduce the risks associated with back country skiing. The new ABS Airbags and Barryvox Digital Transceivers are state of the art avalanche safety equipment and have added another level of safety at Mica Heliskiing.

ABS Packs: Each of our guests is now provided with an ABS backpack to wear during the ski day. The ABS Freeride is a lightweight dual balloon pack with room inside for an avalanche probe and shovel. In the event of an avalanche, the ABS pack helps a person stay on the surface of a moving avalanche, thereby dramatically decreasing the likelihood of becoming buried.

Barryvox ‘Pulse’ Avalanche Transceivers: Mica Heliskiing upgraded to a fleet of the new Barryvox ‘Pulse’ Avalanche Transceivers for our guests to use while skiing last season. The Barryvox ‘Pulse’ is at the leading edge of avalanche transceiver technology. Our guests were extremely pleased with these new units, which are without question, one of the fastest and easiest transceivers on the market to use!

Mica Helskiing Safety Program: Mica Heliskiing minimizes the risks associated with backcountry skiing in several different ways. On the first morning of your stay, each guest is required to take part in a formal Helicopter Safety Briefing and a Backcountry Safety School. These sessions include the use of standard avalanche safety equipment, including ABS Packs and avalanche transceivers. All groups are lead by professionally trained and certified guides. Each of our guides meets or exceeds the requirements of ‘a guide’ as set by the Helicat Canada guidelines and have been trained and certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and/or are members of the International Federation of Mountain Guides. Throughout the day your guide will work to choose terrain deemed appropriate for the current mountain conditions and the ability level of your group.

Mica Heli is a member of HeliCat Canada. HeliCat sets strict safety standards for operating a Helicopter and/or SnowCat Skiing area and as part of our membership we are required to have our safety systems and procedures reviewed on a regular basis. Mica Heliskiing is also a member of the Canadian Avalanche Association and subscribes to the Canadian Avalanche Association’s INFOEX. The ‘INFOEX’ is a daily information exchange between professional avalanche industry stakeholders and allows us to compare our mountain conditions and observations with those of our neighbors.

If you would like to learn more about our safety procedures, please do not hesitate to contact us and we’ll be happy to provide you with further detail.

Mica Heli Skiing near Revelstoke, B.C. is one of three operations in The Island Lake Resort Group; the others being Powder Cowboy Catskiing and Island Lake Lodge near Fernie B.C., For more information contact Darryn Shewchuk at  1.877.837.6191 x200