Wasatch Powderbirds

So, a week and a half ago, with a lot of luck, I fulfilled a lifelong dream of heli skiing. My brother Dave, accompanied by sister Meredith and youngest brother, James, and I (Eric in China on business) drove down from Park City to the bypass road to a place I never figured I'd enter... Wasatch Powderbird Guides.  It was a miracle we even had a chance, as the weather called for snow and wind, both things that helicopters don't seem to agree with.  The storm just never showed up, but the storm the day before left 6-12 inches of new snow, just for us to enjoy.
After a quick orientation, we got our gear, and took off... literally.  Half of the experience was the thrill of riding in a helicopter, but the other half was pretty incredible too.  The guides have everyone take a pretty tame slope for starters, to judge the ability of the group.  Good thing we were all pretty solid skiers, otherwise it was going to be powder skiing on intermediate runs all day.  As it turns out, we were a pretty strong group, and they put us in terrain that most groups don't get to ski.  The guides were super cool, in a different world than the cat skiing guides I met in Brundage.  What a life those guys have- skiing several times a week via helicopter, powder everyday.  Anyway, not gonna happen for myself, but doesn't hurt to dream of that life.
After taking our runs, we made it back to base camp, where a late lunch was awaiting us: Applewood smoked salmon, smoked steak, and side dishes to make a complete, quality meal.  I had a big chunk of salmon and two steaks- had to take advantage of the good food, of course.  I'll get some videos and more pics posted, but here's a start: