Join Tim McLean - Senior Lead Guide for a guest appreciation evening and information reception in Vail.
He is also visiting in Aspen, Denver and Crested Butte. He would love to meet you and talk powder.
We have just wrapped up the heli ski season in mid April, but we are looking ahead already to the next season. Our annual Guides Training will begin on November 22nd with our doors officially opening with our valued guests on November 27th. Have you booked for next season yet? It's not too early to begin planning.
Did you know there is a possibility to make your next heliskiing trip to Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing a tax deductible vacation? For over 10 years, Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing has offered American Educational Institute continuing education seminars at our Resort in Blue River, BC. This special program couples in-depth instruction on important topics with the luxury of learning in a relaxed and beautiful environment - with plenty of time left over to enjoy it. View the AEI website or contact a MWHS reservations coordinator for more information.
With increasing pressure from government, industry and the public and more research on avalanche dynamics, the Canadian Avalanche Association (the world leaders in avalanche training and certification) felt it was time to raise the bar and add a new level of certification. Last November, 20 of the top avalanche professionals in the country gathered for the start of the first ever Level 3 program. After extensive classroom training the students needed to do a 5 month case study, write a 30 page paper on this winters snow pack and resulting avalanches, do a 15 minute audio-visual presentation, and finally a one hour defense of their paper. This level of avalanche training is not matched anywhere else in the world. Congratulations to our very own Bob Sayer and Bill Mark. They have just completed the new Level 3 Certification in Avalanche Forecasting with the Canadian Avalanche Association.
For over 20 years MWHS has worked with the Canadian Ski Patrol System (CSPS). CSPS instructors like Marc Slabotsky and Bob Atkinson come to Blue River each fall to train and refresh our guides in the latest first aid and CPR standards. This summer Barry Widas, Mike Hainault, Bill Mark and Bob Sayer became CSPS instructors. The main CSPS training team will still come to Blue River each year but we now have our own in-house instructors to train with them and do recurrent training throughout the season.
This spring the CSGA celebrated the 20th anniversary of its very first guide’s course. In April of 1990 Bob Sayer and 3 students (Barry Widas, Victor Mascheretti, and Denis Ross) headed into the hills for a 10 day level 1 training course in Mechanized Ski Guiding. It was the first time a course like this had been taught. Since that time more than 500 students have been through the program. Barry, Vico and Denis went on to become some of the first level 3 graduates and helped form the instructor team that teaches today. Most of the guides you ski with today learned their craft from these original 4 guides. The CSGA has made these 3 original students Life Time Members. Congratulations to you all for your hard work and dedication to your association.
Remember those comment cards you filled out during your stay and ski with us this season? Not only are your comments valued, but we put each of those completed cards into a draw for one lucky winner to be rewarded. On the final evening of the 2009-2010 heli ski season, with a packed Silver Buckle Lounge of our spring skiing guests, we pulled the lucky winner of a 7 day Deluxe Heliski Package...congratulations to Joel Gonzales of Denver, CO. We look forward to seeing the Joel again next season and thank everyone for your comments throughout the season.
The successful 2nd annual Spring Kids Ski & Snowboard Camp was attended this year by 22 children aged 5-16 years. The camp was designed for children of all abilities and skills and they received personal training on backcountry mountain safety, environmental sustainability and ski & snowboard techniques. Fun was an important part of the camp and included a mountain Easter egg hunt with the use of the transceivers. The programs were instructed by Ski Guide and Ski/Snowboard Instructors with full CSGA & CSIA certification. All participants will be flown by helicopter to Saddle Mountain and then transported by Snowcats. Everyone left the camp a winner with certificates, prizes and the Sportsmanship Tiger Cup Award was presented to this year's recipient, Nigel Vlutters. View the photos and video here.
Transworld Snowboarding.com announces Johnny Lyall as the snowboarder who had the honor of opening the celebrations of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Johnny was also one of 4 riders who were featured in the epic big mountain footage that was filmed in our backyard last April that was televised to an estimated audience of 1 billion people. Read the complete story here.
Once again, Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing has captured the attention of media from all over the world. Visit our media room to find out what the international press has to say about the best powder skiing on earth.
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