Silvertip Lodge, BC, Heliski Report: Stop Wishing for Snow; We've Already Got Too Much... - SnowBrains

"Once the clouds cleared, we got two fantastic runs on our first afternoon (Friday). It was waist-deep. When you jumped out of the helicopter at the drop-off, you sank to your waist in soft and light snow. The 116mm underfoot K2 Crescendo skis they recommended I use were exactly what I needed. Our fearless lead guide, Dale, used 140mm underfoot as his daily driver."

"The terrain we were accessing was just below treeline-the high Alpine our group craved just wasn't ready this early in the season. We were in a burn zone, an area devastated by wildfire in 2017, offering us wide-open tree runs, surrounded by eerie black, still-standing, charred tree trunks. The pitch was just right; steep enough for us to make easy work of the waist-deep powder; the guides encouraged us to make our own tracks, get fresh lines, and just stay within the boundaries they set."

"The guides were fantastic; Dale in front, leading the way and knowing the 1,000s of acres of remote terrain like the back of his hand, never going too far that we lost him, and always putting in the leg-burning, breaking-trail-traverses through waist-deep snow back to the chopper at the end of our runs. And Deanna bringing up the rear, making sure we were all where we were supposed to be, and picking us up if the snowsnakes hiding in the snowpack managed to grab us."

Silvertip Lodge heliski experienced nine feet of recent snow, prompting guides to hope for a break so pilots could fly in clear visibility. After clouds cleared, the group completed two afternoon runs in waist-deep, soft and light powder. The writer used 116mm underfoot K2 Crescendo skis while lead guide Dale preferred 140mm. The accessible terrain sat just below treeline in a 2017 burn zone with wide-open tree runs and charred standing trunks. The pitch allowed easy travel through deep powder while guides encouraged fresh tracks within set boundaries. Dale led and Deanna rearguarded, managing long traverses back to the chopper. Overnight snowfall added a few more inches.

Read at SnowBrains