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.

In early Jan The Ride Guide TV show came to Island Lake Catskiing to film and episode for their internationally known show. Salomon skiers Mike Henetiuk, Megan Gunning and Brandon Kelly ripped some awesome lines in the thigh deep fresh powder. Watch for the episode next season on various channels.

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

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

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