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Powder play in British ColumbiaBy Evelyn Spence  On the western slope of the Rockies, the Mica heli-skiing range gets up to 60 feet of snow a year. SPECIAL REPORTYOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(Skiing Magazine And if you book a trip five years from now? Well, you'll still be able to put your mark on the map. Mica Heli Guides has explored 15 percent of the territory, which spans almost 2,000 square miles of glaciers and peaks in the northernmost Canadian Rockies. This place is big. John Candy big. When you hear the guide tell the pilot, "Let's try the next valley, eh?" remember that the next valley could mean Wood River (more than 30 bowls), Harvey Valley (4,000-foot bowl-to-gully-to-tree lines) or the Mount Clemenceau area (7,000-foot descents). In a single day, expect to hit steep ice fields that meander through 1,000-foot rock walls, carve rolling glaciers and plunder 40-degree tree runs. This outsize playground was a long time coming. After owner Dan McDonald's permit request spent a decade languishing in British Columbia's bureaucracy, the 2001 election brought in a new administration that processed his application within 140 days. It was worth the wait. Within a year, Mica Heli was up and humming. Today, its plush, million-dollar alpine lodge sits 2,500 feet above Kinbasket Lake, staring down the rival ranges of the Monashees, Selkirks and Rockies. Let the gratuitous powder surfing commence. Max elevation: 10,700 feet Max vertical drop: 7,000 feet Average vertical logged per week: 100,000 feet Prices: $4,750 in Canadian dollars for four days in the low season; $9,550 in Canadian dollars for seven days in the high season Getting there: From Revelstoke, follow Highway 3 to Mica Creek (98 miles) and the heli shuttle. SnowpackOn the western slope of the Rockies, Mica gets as much accumulation as the neighboring heli-skiing ranges -- sometimes 60 feet a year. But because it's higher and colder, the snow is significantly lighter. January and February bring the big dumps. March is tops for depth. Terrain highlightsWith territory that would dwarf a dozen Whistlers, Mica's variety is mind-blowing. Request the Kinbasket Valley for steep, 3,000-foot faces; the Dawson Valley for a consistent 35-degree, 5,000-foot highway straight down the Iroquois glacier; or the Harvey Valley for old-growth tree shots. WeatherStorms tracking out of the Pacific slam into the Selkirks and Monashees, which push them northeast into the Canadian Rockies and Mica's home turf. When there's nothing brewing in the west, Kinbasket Lake -- a 133-mile-long body of water that never freezes over -- serves up lake-effect snowfall like clockwork. If the visibility is soupy, the pilot just heads to another microclimate. GuidesMica's chaperones are all fully certified by one of Canada's two guiding organizations. A few -- such as lead guide Craig Ellis -- work with Mica all season, while the rest freelance in the Revelstoke area. LodgeThe three-story log homestead is remote but deluxe: Think heated floors, filtered glacier drinking water and a hot tub with a panoramic Rockies view. Most rooms have single beds and shared baths, but there are a couple of larger suites. ChowBeware heli belly: Mica doesn't scrimp on the grub. Expect slabs of French toast, prosciutto sandwiches on focaccia and mixed-berry mousse. The culinary trump card? Salmon in a ketchup/Coke sauce. (No, seriously -- it's good.) Bang for buckIf you're comparison shopping, don't just look at dollar signs. Rates here are stiffer than at CMH and Selkirk-Tangiers, but you get (relatively) quiet A-Star birds and small groups -- just four skiers per guide instead of a dozen. Must-knowPack light. The heli has to shuttle you, your gear, and the wine and steak. Don't hog the basket.
Copyright 2004 SKIING Magazine. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed 
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) -- If you book a trip with Mica Heli Guides this season, you could be making first descents: The newest operation in British Columbia's Revelstoke area has just one full season under its belt. 
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