We did it! Unfortunately, I'm not really even sure how to describe the day. Looking through the pictures I just see a bunch of mountains. They're pretty, but they're nothing too special and they certainly don't capture the overwhelming awe I felt as we soared over and around untouched peaks of snow. Standing on your board, looking down over miles of untouched powder is a hard feeling to capture on camera.
(If you want to look through the pictures I'd recommend starting here and work your way back to the first photo. I've titled all of them and even added a few descriptions.)
The day started off perfectly. We were split into groups of five (the helicopter can only hold 5 at a time) and put on a bus for an hour and a half ride over to the staging area. However the two snowboard instructors (Chris and Ben) asked me to join their group. Aside from getting to ride with the instructors, I also got to take the helicopter directly from the Queenstown airport. So instead of starting the day with an hour and a half in a bus I was treated to a 15 minute chopper ride!
I knew flying in a helicopter would be fun, but I had no idea it would be this much fun. Climbing slowly over a peak only to see the mountain drop hundreds of feet straight down below you is a breathtaking experience. And the places the pilot could land the thing were borderline insane. One false step getting out would quickly ruin your day.
The snow was great. It didn't break my all-time top ten best snow days, but it was far and away better than anything we've seen this year. And the thought that you're carving trails that have never been carved before makes everything feel special.
The instructors also brought along a video camera to capture the trip. I haven't seen it yet, but there are at least two personal highlights. First, there was a huge lip on the first run that we all jumped off. I was second to hit it and landed a good sized 180 right in front of the camera. Secondly, on the run into lunch we were individually taped coming through a large bowl. I had a nice run going and had picked up some speed as I approached the bottom. I must have hit some small undulation because before I knew it the nose of my board dove under the powder and I flipped straight over the front, sending powder all over the place. Two flips later I was back on my feet wearing a big grin and a white beard.
I think that pretty much covers the major points. Everyone in our block is walking around with a permanent smile on their faces. We don't have too much time to savor the experience, though; we're starting two days of avalanche training tomorrow. It probably would have made sense to get the avalanche training in before the heli-skiing trip, but the conditions were too good to pass up. By all accounts today's conditions were some of the best all season: recent snowfall, lots of sunshine and low wind. It's something I won't be forgetting soon.
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