From: bep1@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (bentz.e.puryear)
Subject: Re: yearly heliskiing note
Organization: AT&T
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 14:21:03 GMT

From article <1992Aug13.165654.21434@nas.nasa.gov>, by eugene@wilbur.nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya):
> In article <daved.713718294@convex.convex.com> daved@convex.com
> (David Dorfman) writes:
>>>Heliskiing is without question, one of the most hazardous sports on earth:
>>>the bird can crash, you can have avalanches since the skiing is in a less
>>>controlled area, you can hit trees (most frequent lethal until recently),
>>>you can fall into crevaces, off cliffs, etc.
>>
>>I'll second that , For a true perspective on Heli Skiing check the back issues
>>of sports illustrated for a long article on heli skiing.
> 

This article in Sports Illustrated was trashed by the net last year. The guy
that wrote it, in my mind was not a good skier. I have been heli skiing and
would go anytime my budget could afford it. But it is not for everyone. If
you really like powder you have to be willing to get up early and be there
when a lift opens, you have to be willing to ski in the worst weather
(snowing hard, wind whatever...) and you have to be a good skier. This guy
did not understand what he was getting into. I ski the second week of Jan.
at Mike Wiegele's in B.C. Canda. The real temp was 40 below 0. It was cold
but the skiing was unbelievable. Of the hazards you list above the only one
I would not have to worry about skiing in Colorado is the bird crashing.
I was very impressed with the pilot of the helicopter and I did not worry
about it. I would go heli skiing before bungee (sp?) jumping or free climb
a tall rock face just to name a couple. But in free climb or skiing you 
are testing your abilities aganist nature, sometimes you lose. I enjoy the
test.

>>Most days are overcast and have very low visibility which drives the skiers
>>into the trees for the required visibility. Once in the trees the major
>>danger is hitting the trees or getting stuck in the tree wells
>>( depressions in the snow under trees ) and suffocating to death. 
> 

My best skiing days have come in weather like this. I love the trees and ski
them all the time. The steeper and deeper the better.

> My one real close meeting with a tree well resulted in a broken arm,
> a broken leg, two cracked ribs, and "LOG."  That was at a resort fortunately.
> I have an idea what its like to suffocate as well.  But those are
> individual fatalities.  I have also seen a bird autogyrate down at a resort.
> 
> A pilot hitting a slope or tree can kill from 1 to 14 people depending on the
> size of the chopper.  As a passenger, you have no control.  Your odds
> of survival diminish as other factors enter in
> (time of day, nearness of other helicopters, etc.).  I had a friend who wasted
> a helicopter in Alaska (the NSF foot the bill).  The flying (frequent
> temporary white outs) is among the hardest in the world (maybe a night landing
> on an aircraft carrier is harder).  Heliskiing is not for the weak at heart.
> 

Yes and a lady at work got sucked out of a 747 going to Australia on vacation.
You take your chances.

>>Still, I'd try it.
> 
> When one gets good enough, and if the price of fuel isn't too high, it's
> not bad.  There are little compromises which provide advantages.
> It's obnoxious to X-C'ers in many areas and it will get even more interesting
> when it reaches $1,000 a day.
> 

I just got the new ski guide for Mike Wiegele heli skiing. The price for
one week (7 days) the week of Jan2-9 is $3770.00 Canadian dollars. But you 
have to add %7 for Canadian Goods and Services tax. This is unlimited 
vertical helicopter lift (the last week of this ski season for this). The
next week $4270.00 three weeks later $4600.00. Price includes 100,000 feet
of vertical lift. The week I want to go will cost total $3429 US dollars.
This includes as much vertical lift as your group can ski or 
at least 100,000 feet, food and lodging, transportation from Kamloops B.C..
I think that Wiegele's is a first class operation and would give it my
best recommendation. I joked with the single women in my office that that
is were I would go to find a Rich husband. There was a guy there when I
was that spent over $250,000 on heli skiing that season. He bought three
friends and rented his on helicopter. Now that is what I call a real friend.
He came six or seven times that year. I can only wish.

I am taking donations for this year's trip please send money to my address
below. Any questions feel free to e-mail or call.

> --eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@orville.nas.nasa.gov
>   Resident Cynic, Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers
>   {uunet,mailrus,other gateways}!ames!eugene
> Second Favorite email message: Returned mail: Cannot send message for 3 days
> A Ref: Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning, vol. 1, G. Polya
-- 
====================================================================
Bentz Puryear (303)488-6120  (ncsc8!bep)     AT&T TSC
8300 E. Maplewood Ave.
Englewood, Colorado 80111        POWDER SKIING THE PATH TO SALVATION
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