Anyone ever Heli with Valdez and Silverton in AK?

[Z]

Indeed, no experiences with them in AK. Their area looks cool and I would love to check it out.

[covert]

All I know is that if you want to find your upper limit and shit your pants, Skylar Holgate from Silverton is your dude.

if only he would brush those teeth...

[LongShortLong]

Ask the operator about the snowboarder. My impression is snowboarders can get to most lines. Generally, there's no uphill (or extreme sidehill) traverses. Just unload, heli leaves, click in, guide tells you which way you'll be going, wait while guide checks the run, call comes over the radio, and you go (usually one at a time). I had a boarder in the bird on day 2, and there were no problems. His fall line skills were equal to the skiers. Look at a boarder as one guy who won't lose a ski.

If you decide to go solo, consider storm-chasing. The last-minute plane flight costs an extra few benjamins, but worth it to guarantee good conditions. AK gets blown out, snowed out, rained on, etc. The guides will find the best conditions, but why not do it on the best day, too.

[heliski.com]

Group congruence is a challenge with single-day heli-skiing. But in my experience, it is much less of an issue in Alaska than in resort-based operations. AK being a haven for dirtbags who can hang. There are usually down-days, with the ancillary benefit of giving you the opportunity to put together a group of your own.

Having said that, I'm surprised CPG didn't re-configure groups on the fly (pun intended). I think most operators do.

Resort operations often serve first-timer/bucket-listers. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Everybody has to have a first heliskiing experience. At a resort operation the variance in ability is much greater, so the risk of a weak link is greater. I think SPG may be an exception for a few reasons including location, attention to screening and clientele.