Back in the Day.
With pristine powder, miles of untracked lines, and the word’s single largest heli-skiing tenure, Last Frontier Heliskiing has no shortage of all the things that make heli-skiing good.
For heli-skiing enthusiasts it’s hard to imagine a time when all of this goodness wasn’t being skied. However, until 1996 when Last Frontier Heliskiing began its operation, that’s what it was – basically un-skied. But powder junkies, always seem to find a way.
Mike Wisnicki , along with several other pro ski patrollers from Whistler Mountain, worked as avalanche control for mining operations out of Stewart BC in the early 70’s. Mike remembers seeing the area nestled between the Coast Range and Skeena Mountains for the first time.
“I remember feeling really lucky and thinking I had died and gone to heaven,” Mike recalls. “So much snow, so much powder.”
Having a background skiing the West Coast, Mike said things were a little different in Northern BC.
“The mountains were bigger and wilder up north and the snow was phenomenal,” he said. “A little different from the Whistler cement that we called powder.”
Mike said going to work on avalanche control for Granduc Mines out of Stewart, was a rite of passage for many former Whistler pro ski patrollers.
“Some guys put in a few seasons others had to ship out before the season was done, it was a mining camp after all,” Mike said. “The one constant was Herbie Blueur, our boss. You couldn’t ask for a better boss.”
Mike recalls one of his fondest memories of his work as an avalanche controller.
“On my first day there, Herbie picked us up in Stewart and we drove up the road to the mining camp about 30 miles up the Salmon River. It was an absolute bluebird day and as we drove the mountains became more spectacular at every bend in the road. Finally we arrived at the summit. Herbie asks if we’d like to go for a few runs.
Well next thing the Allouette chopper arrives, Herbie asks us to pick a line we’d fancy and off we’d go tearing up a few chutes and glaciers around the Scotty Dogs and surrounding peaks. It was unreal … untouched lines and amazing snow, all on the first day of the job.”
And Mike’s first day working avalanche control wasn’t over yet.
“Later that evening Herbie asked if we’d like to go play a bit of hockey. So back down to Stewart we went and slapped the rubber for a while. I thought I’d arrived in heaven.”
Mike says it wasn’t all fun, and there was work involved at the mining camp.
“Occasionally we’d use the old excuse that the cornices were building up and they needed to get cleaned off,” he said. “A little heli-bombing and a few turns later we’d deem the road safe and drive back to camp with grins from ear to ear.”
Mike describes experience up North as something he will never forget.
“It is absolutely beautiful up there,” he said. “Definitely more than a job. I would describe it as an adventure.”