Getting Sendy with Steep Shots and Pillow Drops

In Heli-Ski

Photo: Shannon Mahre-Skouras

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Words by Shannon Mahre-Skouras | Posted April 16, 2016

THERE ARE A FEW THINGS that set CMH Kootenay apart from other CMH locations: the lodge is situated in the little mountain town of Nakusp, BC, the hotel is casual and funky and this location is home to programs like the Steep Shots and Pillow Drops. Area Manager and ACMG-IFMGA Mountain Guide, Peter Macpherson embraces these differences and so do the rest of the guides and staff at CMH Kootenay. From small groups of five to larger groups of 10, CMH offers four to five day heli-skiing trips that explore the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges. Trips usually start in the beginning of December and run through the middle-end of March.

Photo: Zach Doleac
Photo: Zach Doleac

Part of CMH’s Freeride Program, Steep Shots and Pillow Drops is for skiers and boarders whose ultimate goal is to ski steeper, more playful terrain. From cliff drops to pillow lines to steep big mountain descents, this program attracts a more advanced demographic. Athletes attend each session – to give advice, and to help clients learn how to hit features and terrain options that they may never have thought possible. Andy Mahre has been helping out during these sessions for the past three years and always looks forward to his trips to CMH. From helping clients get past their fears, to giving them the knowledge needed to accomplish a new drop or pillow line, Andy truly enjoys playing a role in the Steep Shots and Pillow Drops program – he just wishes that his days at CMH Kootenay didn’t fly by so fast. You know what they say though: time flies when you are skiing epic, untouched, never-ending pillow lines and cliff drops… Well, at least that’s what we say.

Video: Marty Schaffer |  Learn more: CMH Freeride Programs