Heli-boarding in the US west?

I'm planning a trip in for March 20th and wanted to include some heli-boarding (in addition to a great regular snowboarding mountain)....anyone know where to go?

[killclimbz]

Heli outfits in the lower 48 are limited at best. Helitrax operates out of Telluride Colorado. You have the Wasatch Powderbird operation out of the Cottonwoods in Utah. There is also the Ruby Mountain Heliskiing out of Elko Nevada. I am pretty sure there is an outfit or two out of the Washington-Idaho states.

Wasatch Powderbirds are nice and close to a lot of resort in Salt Lake. The thing is you'll be riding the same mountains I have accessed and 100's of people do by hiking in. It's the same terrain that earn your turns backcountry users get. If I am going to drop money on a heli trip, I want it to take me to terrain that isn't easily accessed by hiking, skinning, or snowmobiles. The locals take great pride in nabbing the terrain they like to take their clients too. You will definitely not get prime untracked.
Helitrax operates out of the San Juans and that terrain is remote enough. Maybe some bilers getting back there, but probably not so much. The snowpack is a different thing. I would hazard a guess that most "Oh my god" terrain is not safe to ride most of the time. The continental snowpack here is the most avalanche prone in North America. Even a heli outfit has to be conservative. Telluride ski area is one of the few I haven't visited in the state, but it looks amazing.
The Ruby mountain guides are out of Elko Nevada. One of the oldest and most succesful heli operators in the states. Looks like fantastic terrain and they do all inclusive packages. No other resorts nearby. Something like 6-8 hours to Tahoe, 4-5 to Salt Lake City.
Alaska or BC Canada have outfits that get you to much bigger terrain.

Also if it's untracked you are looking for, why not look at snowcat access too? Snowcats are not grounded in bad weather and get you about the same vert for a about half the cost.

[Suburban Blend]

Untracked powder skiing in Jackson Hole Wyoming

and a good read here if you've never been in a heli:
Untracked powder skinng in Jackson Hole Wyoming


Alyeska , AK - my newest dream trip.......
Helicopter Skiing in Girdwood, Alaska

eaheliskiing is the biggest option out there because they cater to wherever you are. The company is owned and run by French guy named Lucas Chamon and he caters for beginners to pros worldwide, they have a niche in every country that heliboarding is legal. He works by refferal only but I can point you towards him if you want. He and his ex wife Isabel Davies are legends out ofthe Chamonix area. Now that heli anything is illgal in France they are based between CO and Switzerland.
This is as extreme as it gets for heliboarding if you are up for it. I boarded with them in th eCarpathians last season.

[hayden907]

Originally Posted by Suburban Blend

Untracked powder skiing in Jackson Hole Wyoming

and a good read here if you've never been in a heli:
Untracked powder skinng in Jackson Hole Wyoming


Alyeska , AK - my newest dream trip.......
Helicopter Skiing in Girdwood, Alaska

Not to knock on the guys at CPG at all, but if you are going to Alaska and want the full heli experience you should go to either Haines (some of the biggest most extreme lines there is) or go to Valdez (325 inches average of snow in town, 550 inches average at Thompson Pass), or if you can afford it CPG's Tordrillo lodge is supposed to be absolutely amazing (unfortunately a week long trip will set you back $9500). My personal opinion, go snowcat skiing, you might not get as much vertical in and it doesn't have the sheer awesomeness of heli skiing, but its about a third of the price (a full day heli skiing will put you back $1075 and cat skiing is only $325 or if you are able to hop on standby $285).

[hayden907]

Ya cat skiing is probably the best deal you'll get for your money, It's amazing riding for just a fraction of the price of heliskiing. I haven't ever gone before, but I would like to sometime in the future. I never realized you could do 15K vertical, I always thought it was 10K or less usually.

[hayden907]

Nice, it sounds like a lot of fun, I'll probably go when they start back up next year in december. When did you go that it was -26? I've lived in Anchorage my whole life and rarely ever experience -26 in that area.

[hayden907]

Ya I remember that 08-09 cold. I had been riding at Aly and it was -15, it gets absolutely brutal when it's that cold, you think you have every inch of your body covered but the cold still manages to get in