First a little history … Mrs Bear and I have been looking to do this for over twenty years. We first became aware of CMH as a company that offered backcountry ski experiences … They transported guests to remote lodges and then took them by helicopter to high mountain vistas to ski untracked powder slopes. In the 1970s, CMH began utilizing their lodges in summer to transport guests into the high mountains for a day of hiking … This was a more attractive option for us because we were not the best powder skiers.
Many years passed by and Mrs Bear’s sister was fighting a third occurrence of breast cancer which had become very aggressive … We were talking about the possibilities that would give her a goal for the future, and I mentioned our interest in Heli-hiking … She loved the idea and we booked the trip for Summer 2022. Unfortunately, she passed away, but we, and my brother-in-law, decided to do the trip anyway. We drove out to Banff, posting a series of blog entries about our drive out, but Mrs Bear and I both got COVID. So the trip was rescheduled to 2023 and grew to eight participants.
The above photos are the view of the Bugaboos from the lodge, and a pic of the lodge itself.
This time, we did what most travelers do and flew into Calgary, Alberta. We stayed overnight at the Calgary Airport Marriott, a pick up hotel for CMH. There are three backcountry lodges, and CMH will pick up for reserved trips to any of these options. We picked the lodge in the Bugaboos Mountains, which are just over the border into British Columbia. Our pickup time was 5:00 AM, so flying in the day before was a must !!!
We all arrived, had dinner, and wearily got on the bus in the wee hours of morning. CMH was very organized and provided a boxed breakfast and water. There was another stop to pick up more travelers in Banff, which was about 100 miles into the ride. AND this is your second option. Banff is a lovely mountain town, well worth 2-3 days of your time. It is possible to come early or stay late, and arrange drop offs with CMH. I have a series of Blog entries about Banff and Lake Louise if you are interested in this possibility. Finally, you can do what we did, which is to arrange transport from Calgary Airport.
The transport dropped us at their Heli-pad at around 10:30 AM. There was a safety briefing, followed by our first helicopter ride of about 12 minutes to the lodge. Luggage is transported by truck and involves about a 60 minute ride. Lunch was served, we changed into hiking gear, and went into the high country about 1:30 PM. CMH provides complimentary hiking shoes, waterproof pants and shell for the possibility of rain, and a water bottle. They even lend you a backpack if you don’t want to use your own.
This takes care of the preparations. Review of the mountain hiking in the next entry.
The Adventures of Barry Brink 