Page 21 - SVHS Ops Plan 2017_18

11. HELI-SKI TERRAIN
The first priority in the establishment of viable heli-ski terrain is the preservation of the natural quality of the territory while pursuing the parameters for best skiing.
The finite factors to consider when designating heli-ski terrain involve helicopter access from a staging area to viable drop-offs and pick-ups. Terrain features like slope angle, elevation, aspect, shape, and vertical drop contribute to the establishment of prudent routes offering a variety of skiing challenges that are relatively unexposed to avalanche hazard. Variable factors that define usable terrain from day to day and from season to season are snow cover, weather conditions, avalanche hazard, and conflict with wildlife and/or other backcountry users. In addition, the evolution of knowledge, equipment, and guests’ skill levels and desires continues to change the way we look at how historic terrain is used, at skier capacity (how many runs can be made in an area), and at new areas not previously recognized as viable.
It has become obvious over the years that the use of heli-ski terrain is an ongoing evolutionary process. There are a number of areas of closure to heli-skiing that are easily identified and mapped (i.e. big game primary habitat, population centers, Galena Summit touring area, and wilderness designations). There are also areas of concern that may need seasonal review or overflight before commercial use. Examples are where big game may wander in low snow years or are stranded in high snow years and where conflict with other backcountry users becomes a problem. It is SVHS policy that an alternate area is chosen daily as part of the morning guides’ meeting and that observations of wildlife and other backcountry users be noted at the evening guides’ meeting. It seems that conflict and impact can best be minimized if SVHS is given the flexibility to respond to changes by dispersing our use of the territory. In this regard, arbitrary boundaries for heli-ski terrain become stumbling blocks in an already complicated endeavor. Maps that detail areas or closure and concern accompany the helicopter during operations, as these are the areas that require strict attention.
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P.O Box 978 Sun Valley, ID 83353
Phone: 208.622.3108 E: info@sunvalleyheliski.com W: sunvalleyheliski.com