VUE

HELI-SKIING THE ROCKIES F or some, a holiday mountainside retreat is an established tradition. To breathe a different air and see a different sky, and for most, to seek out the freshest powder no cannon or resort could offer. Skiing, as we know it today, experienced its beginnings in Scandinavia and was practiced as long ago as 600 BC in what is modern-day China. Until the 1850s, skiing was used as a primary form of transportation in nordic communities, with records of military ski competitions being held in Norway as far back as the 1700s. Skiing has surely overgone an extensive evolution since then, becoming a popular winter sport and recreational activity along the way; although certainly not without reason. Through advances in a range of factors, progressive methods of skiing have exploded in popularity during the past two decades. One, in particular, being sought out by enthusiasts the world over is called heli-skiing. This involves piloting a helicopter to areas a long distance from any resort and riding down unmarked and ungroomed natural terrain. For over thirty years, Telluride Helitrax in Colorado has ventured daily into the San Juan mountain range, seeking the most beautiful and untouched lines for their guests. Helitrax's Program Director, Joe Shults, took a moment to further explain some of the finer details pertaining to the sport. BY TED CHRISTODULIDIS P H O T O B Y J E F F C R I C C O V U E N J . C O M 50

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