500 Adrenaline Adventures (Frommer's) - Lois Friedland [93]
Snowkiting attaches skiers and snowboarders to a kite that billows out like a parachute and allows them to ride across and above the snow propelled by wind power. Nature is the guide, and though you help navigate, you’re really just along for the ride.
Snowkiting in Sun Valley, Idaho.
You can ski in the powder for miles, explains Andrew Monty Goldman, who runs Sun Valley–based Snowkite Soldier (see below). Snowkiting is an exciting eco-friendly alternative to skiing and snowboarding on lift-served mountains because while others are hitching a ride up the mountain on a ski-lift, skilled kiters can be swept by the wind along backcountry terrain at speeds up to 50 mph (81kmph), sail up 40 to 50 feet (12–15m) in the air on flat ground or up to 100 feet (30m) in the air while ascending a hill or mountain.
This crossover sport, which was born from kite surfing (p. 146), is growing in popularity. Anyone who is an intermediate skier or snowboarder should be able to go snowkiting. (You must be at least 8 years old.) Snowkite Soldier offers a variety of programs ranging from basic kiting techniques and safety to backcountry-guided service. During the 11⁄2-hour basic training course you learn about wind theory, the power zone, the wind window, launching, landing, and safety all before you fly a trainer kite. During your first mission, you learn about setting up and handling your kite, controlling your speed, how to climb hills, and maneuver through obstacles. By the end you’ll be kiting through the powder. During the advanced course, experienced riders start to jump, ski, or board up mountains, tack upwind, and ride in deep snow—all a thrill.
Snowkite Soldier’s instructors take beginners to a scenic area near Sun Valley, centrally located in Idaho, not far from the Sawtooth National Recreation area. More advanced snowkiters are taken to an area near Fairfield, Idaho, to the southwest of Sun Valley, to a large, open section of backcountry, where one can snowkite for many miles. The company also offers all-inclusive 4-day/3-night adventure camps.
Sun Valley has been a popular resort with the rich and famous since the 1930, but community—rife with galleries, restaurants, and shops in addition to the incredible surrounding wilderness—has enough riches of its own that there’s plenty for visitors of all walks of life. —LF
Heli-Skiing Hot Spots
Avid skiers and snowboarders live for a chance to fly to unpopulated mountaintops in a helicopter and have abundant downhills all to themselves. Deep powder, unparalleled views, and a dearth of people make this a sport hard to resist. All this privilege and privacy doesn’t come cheap, though. Be prepared to shell out for heli-skiing adventures. Contact individual outfitters for exact pricing. —LF & CL
Canadian Rockies in British Columbia, Canada: The Bugaboo, Moonashee, Purcell, and Selkirk ranges are excellent areas for first-rate heli-skiing. Canadian Mountain Holidays ( 800/661-0252;www.canadianmountainholidays) flies skiers on a variety of trips, ranging from Powder Intro, for first-time heli-skiers, to Powder Max, for fit, strong, experienced skiers. Mike Wiegele Heli-Resort ( 800/661-9170;www.wiegele.com), in Blue River, on the shore of Eleanor Lake, flies snowcats skiers and snowboarders daily to extraordinary ski sites. First-timers and women’s trips are available. Both outfitters have lodge accommodations with first-class dining and international clientele.
Ruby Mountains, Nevada, U.S.A.: The rugged mountains and grand landscapes here make the Ruby Mountains a heli-skiing haven. The powdery peak conditions for heli-skiing in this narrow, 60-mile-long (97km) range are usually in February and March. Our choice for outfitters is the Ruby Mountain Heli-Experience ( 775/773-6857;www.helicopterskiing.com), which offers packages that include