|
| )) MAKE A RESERVATION |
|
 |
|
IN THE NEWS" - RECENT ARTICLES
TELLURIDE HELITRAX - COLORADO 'S ONLY HELICOPTER SKIING SERVICE CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY TELLURIDE, Colo. (January 6, 2003) - On Jan. 15, 2003 when Telluride Helitrax, Colorado's only heli-skiing company, took to the air, it celebrated 20 years of unforgettable powder skiing in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. In the early 1900s Telluride was home to a thriving mining community. The town served as base camp for countless prospectors who dared to search for gold, even when the snows were deep on the mountainsides. Occasionally this passion for treasure hunting brought about tragic consequences. On February 28, 1902 three avalanches killed a total of 18 men at the Liberty Bell Mine north of Telluride. In 1983 Telluride was beginning to gain some notoriety as an up and coming ski destination. A long way from nowhere, the San Juan Mountains provided a tantalizing backdrop for the aspiring resort. The mountains were enigmatic, vast, complex and stretched across hundreds of square miles. During the winter months very few people dared travel off the rugged two-lane highways that wound their way under countless avalanche paths. Stories of snowy disasters still floated around the smoky bars, passed on by the last of the miners. The ski area's boundary marked the edge of civilization, and anyone who aspired to venture beyond its confines was labeled a renegade. Four local "twenty something" skiers decided to find out for themselves what was lurking in this terra incognita . One was a short order cook at the day lodge restaurant. Another bussed tables, while the other two cleaned restrooms after the lifts shut down. They had read all of the day's literature on avalanche safety, practiced with their escue beacons and ventured into the hills prepared to accept full responsibility for their actions. What they discovered changed their lives forever. It wasn't until the group was on a spring ski getaway to Snowbird, Utah that the idea of heli-skiing really took hold. Mike Friedman, former Helitrax Program Director remembers: "We were riding up Little Cloud Lift when the helicopter came roaring just over our heads after dropping off a ski group on Twin Peak . It sent a jolt of electricity down our spines. We looked at each other and knew that we had to get one of those ." When the team arrived back in Telluride they devised a seat-of-the-pants business plan. Each would kick in $86 to cover the costs of filing articles of incorporation, a Forest Service Study Permit, a hundred sheets of fancy stationery with envelopes, and one case of dynamite. It was Mark Frankmann, one of this original group of four, who came up with the name - Telluride Helitrax. The novice guides devoted themselves to studying local terrain and snow pack. They also raised the necessary capital to cover infrastructure and marketing expenses. With the help of experts from other already established heli-ski companies, they developed a sophisticated safety and operations plan to address the all-important issues of public safety and resource protection. After an exhaustive review by the Forest Service, Helitrax was awarded a commercial guide/outfitter permit in the winter of 1982-83, and its first paying customers boarded the helicopter. In those days the pilots were all Vietnam vets, and the first chopper was a tiny but powerful Bell 47. "It carried only two passengers plus the pilot," Friedman recalls, "which made it extremely easy to fill. All we needed was one guide and a client." Coincidentally, this was the same type of aircraft initially used by Canadian Mountain Holidays when that company invented the concept of heli-skiing back in 1965. Since Helitrax has guided thousands of enthusiastic riders down millions of vertical feet of untracked powder. With the advent of wide-bodied skis it has never been easier for an accomplished recreational skier to venture confidently into these vast backcountry bowls. Safety remains the company's number one priority and to this end each guest receives a detailed safety briefing prior to entering the field. With their state-of-the-art snow safety program in place, the Helitrax guides developed additional revenue sources that complimented the skiing operation. The Colorado Department of Transportation, Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and others contracted Helitrax to knock down avalanches with explosive charges jettisoned from its aircraft. The success and dramatic nature of these activities caught the attention of numerous TV documentary producers, and Helitrax appeared on National Geographic Explorer, NOVA and Discovery. Motion picture studios began calling and Helitrax coordinated high mountain winter action sequences. In 1983 Telluride had no commercial airport and the Town of Mountain Village was barely out of the ground. In hindsight, it can be said that Helitrax was ahead of its time. This cadre of devoted backcountry enthusiasts never wavered from their dream, carrying the Helitrax torch through two decades of challenges and unforgettable powder days. The future is full of new opportunities and everyday remains an adventure. |
LINKS I CONTACT US I REQUEST A DVD
email: POWDER@HELITRAX.NET
web: HELITRAX.COM
toll free:
(866) HELISKI (435-4754)
phone:
(970) 728-8377
address:
1500 Last Dollar Road, Suite #8
Telluride, CO 81435 USA
HOME )) THE PACKAGES )) WHO WE ARE )) QUESTIONS )) POLICIES )) LATEST NEWS )) HELITRAX STORE )) PRESS PAGE )) SINGLE DAY HELI SKIING )) ASPEN, VAIL & CRESTED BUTTE HELISKIING )) MULTI-DAY HELI-SKI PACKAGES ))
PRIVATE HELISKIING CHARTERS )) THE BEAR CREEK DESCENT (ONE RUN) )) DUNTON HOT SPRINGS SKI PACKAGES ))
HOT DEALS IN COLD SNOW )) OUR COMPANY )) WHY VISIT TELLURIDE )) TRAVELING HERE )) PARTNERS ))
OUR SPONSORS )) TERRAIN SLIDESHOWS )) GALLERY )) SLIDESHOWS )) VIDEO )) PAST SEASONS )) SITE MAP ))
site design by Telluride Websmith
|
|