Heli Skiing in BC for the Soul
Tears streamed down my frozen cheeks as I skied down to my sister. There are certain moments that remind you why you ski, like deep down in your soul why you ski. This was one of them. We were both just cracking up as I gave her a big hug. “You have no idea how much I needed this,” I told her with tears in my eyes and a beaming grin. But she knew, somehow she always does.
We skied down to the landing zone and waited for the helicopter in blissful silence. We were about 60 miles south of Revelstoke in the Valhalla mountain range. There was no one in our vicinity for miles. We were alone in the mountains surrounded by the briskest of air and the most tranquil silence. There’s something otherworldly & oddly zen about being so far out there with no civilization in sight. After being constantly surrounded by people for the past month, I was finally able to breathe.
Skiing is one thing that has consistently & collectively brought the two of us joy, so to be there in that moment with my sister, was pretty fucking cool.
After weeks of chaos & corruption, everything aligned and Mia and I got to go heli skiing while filming for Warren Miller. The weather had been painfully, borderline dangerously cold in BC for a while. I had the Kicking Horse comp the week before, then after that, we skied a few days at Revelstoke. The conditions at Revy were variable and hardpack, so I was expecting the same in the Valhallas. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The snow was soft & fast & smoky- sleeper pow at its finest. The sun came out and the temps weren't as brutal as originally predicted.
Everything about the experience was new to me. I had only ever been in a helicopter to get dropped at the top of a comp venue. I’d never had consecutive days in the heli where you get to choose your lines from the air, and get multiple laps in. I was able to practice visual inspection over & over, which was something I really needed at that time. I also just haven’t filmed much, especially with a bigger production company like Warren Miller, so I learned a lot about that world and everything that goes into making films like that. The whole general process was fascinating and I left feeling eager to film more and create more. There’s this whole different, more creative realm of skiing that I haven’t experimented much with, but seems to fit my values, goals, & desires a whole lot more than comp skiing.
I hadn’t realized how much I needed those two days until I got them. My body was screaming for a reset, and somehow this lined up to be exactly that. I felt a special connection to the Valhallas and just that whole general zone in BC. It somehow feels both familiar and intriguing at the same time, so that usually means I need to chase it. Needless to say, that experience was one that I will never forget.
