No one knows for sure who, exactly, the first person to ski down a mountain after flying up it in a helicopter was. Most people point to Hans Gmoser, a mountain guide who exchanged the Alps for the Canadian Rockies and started a heli-skiing operation in 1965. However, there is conflicting evidence, as provided by photos in some old ski books that show heliskiing in Alaska, Wyoming, and Utah from the 1950s or early 1960s. Wherever it started, it ended up in British Columbia, where 95% of the world's helicopter and snow cat skiing takes place nowadays.
Now that you know how it started, the question is where to go. Given that nowhere else on earth beats the awesome winter conditions of B.C., the next question is where to go in B.C. That question has only one answer: Mica Heli Guides, located in spectacular Revelstoke B.C. The sheer immensity of the 170,000 acre tenure should be your first clue as to why Mica is known as the best. Secondly, the company only operates small tours consisting of 3-4 people, with a maximum number of 4 groups at a time. That means no waiting, period. Shelling out the cash to go backcountry heliskiing is worth it in and of itself, but why waste time waiting for everyone else, as you'd have to do with other operations.
The exclusivity doesn't end there. Mica’s remote mountain lodge is only accessible by helicopter during the winter, but that doesn't mean you won't be without the creature comforts of modern life. Heli skiing BC Canada. Enjoy fine dining, relaxing massages, and high speed wireless connection throughout the lodge.
Even though it's still summer, now is the perfect time to book your heliskiing vacation. But if you can't wait to visit Revelstoke, there is plenty to do and see in the meantime. For the die-hard alpine nature lovers, there are plenty of hiking and biking trails to explore.
