Last Frontier Helicopter Skiing
Words By Kevin Hjertaas

The Ride Guide headed north to Last Frontier Heli for the first week of April. Just 15 minutes from the Alaskan border, Last Frontier is in the middle of nowhere and right in the middle of some massive mountains.

I flew into Terrace, BC to pick up a rental car for the group. Thanks to Air Canada, my luggage was late of course and I got to take in the local flavor around town for an afternoon. When the skis showed up at 8pm I hit the road for the 3-4 hour drive to Bell 2, home of Last Frontier. It’s beautiful, rugged country up there and the drive was easy in our Yukon XL (yeah Ride Guide!).

The next morning our crew gathered. Cameraman extraordinaire Cory Horton had flown in with Utah ripper Rachel Burks the day before. It was a clear morning and we had our own private A-Star, so we wasted no time getting geared up and out the door.

Flying around in the A-Star was almost as fun as the skiing. Cory needed to get some shots of the other groups in their helis so we would fly around the mountains with the door open and circle a peak while the groups unloaded at the top. It was pretty fun, but Rachel and I were chomping at the bit to ski something.

We got a couple warm up runs in fantastic snow, then hiked a ridge to a line the heli couldn’t land on. It was a fin to a rolled-over chute and the snow was perfect. It was the kind of line that makes all the day’s efforts and hiccups worth it, so after a few more shots we headed home.

We spent the rest of the week doing much the same. On days that were too cloudy to shoot, Rachel and I would go ski with the groups. On blue days, we’d rack up the heli time flying around glaciers and huge peaks and skiing lines for the camera. Rachel ripped a few good lines and nailed the biggest air of the week while I looked for the easy way down beside her usually.

The dinner scene back at the lodge was as good as it gets (I think we all put on weight). The staff and guests were both a lot of fun to hang out with and we’d all share a drink or five every night.

When it came time for the 4 hour drive back to civilization, I didn’t want the vacation to end. I guess I’ll just have to wait to see it on TV and relive it all that way.

Thanks for the good times R.G.