August 22, 2024 | Words by Tyson Newell
Lucas Catania, lifelong skier and GoPro ambassador, made his way north last winter to sink his skis into the softness at CMH Purcell. Along with a cast of shredders keen on making some squiggles, Lucas spent two days day-tripping in the Purcells.
Fortunately for all of us, he captured the goods, immortalized in videos for you to enjoy. You’ll see creamy turns, follow-cams, backflips, absurdly ridiculous scenery and a raucous St. Patrick’s Day celebration–need we say more?
DAY ONE – STOKED SQUAD GETS STOKED
Early was the alarm for Lucas, but a day spent heli-skiing beckoned, and that’s enough to get even the sleepiest whipped into shape. Before the rotors started spinning, however, the crew chatted through protocols and procedures, and worked through all the safety briefing. Oh, can you hear that? Thud, thud, thud. It was time to hop in the helicopter and go skiing.
DAY TWO – SO GOOD THEY HAD TO DO IT TWICE
As Lucas and the team wrapped up their day poking around the Purcells, the sky was still blasting a brilliant shade of blue. Creamy, soft snow had been served up all day, with a sprinkling of fun, playful features making for a delectable heli-skiing sundae. What to do tomorrow, you wonder? Well, sometimes you need to go back for seconds.
SUBHEAD: Blue skies + soft snow + skis and boards = a day etched into one’s memory for a long, long time
THE GATEWAY TO HELI-SKIING
For those short on time and high on stoke, day heli-skiing offers the powder hit you so desperately crave. Want to give heli-skiing a crack, but don’t have the time to commit to a week-long trip? We got you. Already planning on venturing this way to ski the resorts of the famed Powder Highway and want a taste of that mythical Purcell Powder? Hello, friend. And did we mention that our day trips included unlimited vertical? Well, we did now.
Just two hours from Banff, CMH Purcell is based out of Golden, British Columbia. It’s a small mountain town with a big backyard. Nearly half a million acres, for those counting. So, are you ready to click into your skis yet?