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Ski Conditions Holding Strong in and Around Revelstoke, British Columbia, Despite Warmer Weather on the West Coast

The Staff of Mica Heli Guides, One of Canada’s Premier Heliskiing Outfits, Reports Excellent Ski Conditions for the Area Surrounding Revelstoke, B.C., While Warm Weather Patterns Continue to Affect the Coastal Areas of British Columbia.

Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, February 26, 2010 – With this year’s Winter Olympics coming to a close, temperatures in Vancouver have been as high as fifty degrees Fahrenheit in the last few weeks, prompting some people to redub the event the “Spring Olympics”, while others joke that the official drink of the 2010 games should be the Slushy. Organizers have been trucking in snow for weeks as heavy rains accompanied by fog and exceedingly warm temperatures have made conditions all but unbearable for the scores of athletes who have gathered here from all four corners of the globe in order to participate in the world’s most important winter sporting event.

But while temperatures on the coast continue to rise, ski conditions in the area surrounding Revelstoke B.C. are holding, making this one of the best seasons ever for Mica Heli Guides, British Columbia’s premier heliskiing outfit. In fact, with temperatures below freezing, a snowpack of nearly three meters and 16 cm of fresh, dry powder having fallen over the last week, conditions at Mica’s vast backcountry tenure simply couldn’t be better. In the words of one guest, who was knee deep in powder just yesterday: “Take the best skiing you’ve ever had and multiply it by 3-that’s what today was.”

Mica Heli Guides is a world class heliskiing company located near Revelstoke, British Columbia, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, unquestionably the world capital of heliskiing as well as heliboarding. Mica specializes in transporting small groups of skiers and snowboarders into the some of Canada’s best backcountry ski terrain, where they can enjoy their fair share of natural steep fall-line tree runs for snowcat skiing, picture perfect pillow lines, dramatic alpine ridges, deep bowls and adrenaline pumping glacier runs, without having to share the fun with anyone except Mica’s guides and a few of their closest friends or family members.

Mica’s impressive tenure consists of nearly 178,000 acres of phenomenal backcountry ski terrain and encompasses eight distinct valleys that range in altitude between 1900 and 5900 feet above sea level. The unique location of this vast territory, which sits on the Western slopes of the Canadian Rockies, is consistently home to some of the best ski conditions on the planet, with mountains of deep, dry champagne powder falling there each season. In fact, conditions at Mica are so good, so often, that the company’s powerful A-Star and Bell 407 helicopters have an average of only 1.5 down days per season and are in the air almost every day between December and April of each year. Although January is typically one of the best months for catskiing in the Rockies, Mica sees an average of 42-66 feet of snowfall each year, much of which is the result of the winter storms that hit the area in late February and early March.

Skiers and snowboarders from around the globe come to Mica for one reason and one reason only: powder. Because Mica’s tenure is situated on the western slopes of the Rockies, nestled between the Selkirk and the Monashee mountain ranges, it typically gets a copious amount of deep, dry snow, often referred to by skiers and snowboarders as champagne powder or cold smoke. This is the kind of stuff that skiers dream about, and hundreds flock to Mica each year in order to make those dreams a reality.

Because Mica caters only to small groups, the only obstacle for many is being one of the lucky few who actually get a chance to ski Mica’s tenure each season. With a remote, but comfortable backcountry lodge that sleeps only twelve guests, Mica specializes exclusively in small groups and the guest to guide ratio is an astonishing 4:1.

With snowfall deeper and more abundant than ever, 2010 has proven to be a great season for Mica Heli Guides. And with conditions holding and more winter storms expected to hit the Canadian Rockies in March, it doesn’t look like the staff at Mica will be getting a break any time soon.

ABOUT:

Mica Heli Ski near Revelstoke, B.C. specializes in small group heli-skiing. It is one of three operations in The Island Lake Resort Group, the others being Powder Cowboy Cat skiing and Island Lake Lodge near Fernie B.C.. For more information, contact Darryn Shewchuk at 1.877.837.6191 x2002.

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Snowpack at Powder Cowboy Reaches Its Greatest Depth of The Season After A Long, Cold Winter in The Canadian Rockies

A Long Winter Season Has Brought Mountains of Deep Dry Powder to Canada’s Rocky Mountain Range and the Staff of Famed B.C. Catskiing Resort, Powder Cowboy, Is Gearing Up For More Storms, Expected to Hit the Region in Early to Mid March .

Fernie, British Columbia, Canada, February 26, 2010 – While spring is in the air at some of British Columbia’s lower elevations, the snowpack is at its greatest depth of the season in and around Fernie, B.C., and the folks at Powder Cowboy Catskiing report some of the best ski conditions of the season. Furthermore, according to many Fernie locals, more snow is on the way, with some of the biggest storms expected to hit the area throughout the upcoming month of March. The B.C. ski season usually runs from December through April, however, by late February the snowpack is typically quite deep as a result of heavy snowfall throughout the early winter months.

Powder Cowboy, a western themed Catskiing resort, located near Fernie B.C., sits on roughly six thousand acres of prime British Columbian backcountry ski terrain. Although the area includes a wide variety of different environments, it is most well known for tree skiing and happens to be home to some of the world’s most impressive evergreen glades. Powder Cowboy’s tenure offers some steep vertical runs as well as a number of less extreme slopes that are perfect for intermediate skiers.

The resort is situated in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, the catskiing capital of North America, in a mountainous area known as the Lizard Range. This region is known for producing between 40-60 feet of deep, dry champagne powder, annually, which attracts skiers and snowboarders from all around the globe. One reason that Powder Cowboy has recently become such a popular heli ski destination is the fact that it is less expensive and offers more availability than other catskiing resorts, such as its sister operation, Island Lake Lodge, which is typically booked solid for at least a year in advance.

In addition to various snowcat skiing packages, Powder Cowboy also offers day skiing from time to time, allowing the locals to get a taste of some of Fernie’s best ski terrain. Some of the operation’s special offers include a family package as well as an all girl ski tour, which needs to be booked in advance. Every so often, there is a last minute opening and seats are offered at a discount rate.

Powder Cowboy is British Columbia’s only western theme ski resort and it also doubles as a dude ranch during the summer months. Some of the things that visitors most enjoy about this particular facility are the rustic but comfortable accommodations, excellent cuisine and the down home hospitality of its staff.

Powder Cowboy is home the Bull River Guest Ranch, which consists of 10 separate log cabins, eight of which serve as lodging facilities for the resort’s guests. Among these are a recently constructed 4 suite cabin and the newly renovated Honeymoon Cabin. In addition to being equipped with in-floor heating and a wood burning fireplace, each of the cabins comfortably sleeps at least two to four people. There is also a main cabin, called the Big Horn Saloon, which includes a kitchen, dining room, bar and massage rooms, as well as a hot tub and sauna cabin that is also equipped with showers.

While the Guest Ranch itself is situated below the snow line, Powder Cowboy’s tenure is home to a number of high alpine ridges and drops with lines that descend in virtually every direction. Throughout the winter season (December-April), this terrain is consistently covered in deep, dry powder. At present, there is approximately two and a half meters of snow on the ground at 2000 feet. With more fresh powder expected to fall in the upcoming weeks, conditions are perfect for some world class catskiing.

ABOUT:

Powder Cowboy Catskiing near Fernie B.C. boasts 6000 acres of big bowls, steep chutes and is famous for world class gladed tree skiing. The white gold on the Western Rockies is legendary for quality and quantity, with over 10 meters (over 30 feet!) of dry champagne powder falling every season.

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GMC WORLD OF SKIING PAYS A VISIT TO ISLAND LAKE LODGE AND TWO IF ITS SISTER RESORTS

Canada’s Premier Sports Network, Rogers SportsNet, Recently Aired The Last in a Series of GMC Episodes Featuring All Three of the Island Lake Group’s Premier Ski Resorts

Fernie, British Columbia, Canada, February 18, 2010 – Last week’s episode of GMC World of Skiing featured some exciting coverage of Mica Heliskiing, a member of the famed Island Lake Resort Group. The Island Lake Group is comprised of three separate operations including Powder Cowboy Catskiing, Mica Heli Ski Guides and the Company’s flagship resort, Island Lake Lodge, located near Fernie, B.C., in the heart of the Canadian Rockies’ famed Lizard Range.

Island Lake Lodge is one of the oldest and most well respected catskiing operations in British Columbia. Over the past quarter of a century, what originally started as a small company called Island Lake Tours, has grown into an impressive resort whose facilities are comprised of four separate lodges and a full service spa, complete with six treatment rooms, a large wellness room with a Japanese soaking tub as well as changing facilities and several relaxation areas. Island Lake is situated on a large piece of privately owned property that encompasses much of the Cedar Valley. Guests at the resort have access to approximately 7000 acres of private bowls, deep valleys and gladed forests, which together make up some of the best ski terrain on the planet.

Rogers SportsNet recently aired an episode of GMC World of Skiing that featured Island Lake Resort. That show, which aired last month, included some impressive footage of one of western Canada’s most fantastic catskiing resorts. The program was the second in a series of three GMC episodes, the first of which focused on Powder Cowboy Snowcat skiing, Island Lake’s sister catskiing operation, and the most recent of which was featured Mica Heli Guides, the third in the Island Lake Resorts group.

The Island Lake episode was hosted by Whistler local and famed Canadian shredder Joe Lammers, whose boyish looks and keen Northwestern wit are surpassed only by his amazing prowess on the slopes. Joe had more than enough chances to put his skills to the test at Island Lake this winter as he hopped off the snow cat and into some deep, dry powder on numerous occasions.

After all, that’s what catskiing is all about: oceans of deep, dry, champagne powder as far as the eye can see. And because of Island Lake’s unique location, the conditions here are almost always ideal for powder skiing. The resort’s enormous property is home to some pretty diverse terrain, consisting of everything from deep bowls to classic ridgelines and perfect mountain glades.

One of Island Lake’s most well known spots is Geisha Bowl, which stretches all the way from Spineback Ridge to Faceshots. Geisha is one of the resort’s largest bowls; it would take a person weeks to ski all the fabulous lines it has to offer. The Three Bears are also home to a number of great runs, which start at the some of the resort’s highest drop offs and lead all the way into the depths of the Cedar Valley, spanning some 3000 thousand vertical feet. Upper Hunter’s, Thirst Quencher, Nonstop and Stump Fluff are a few of the Bears’ most classic lines.

Other favorite locations include Cabin Bowl, which marks the eastern boundary of the Island Lake property, Lizard Pass, the Wolverines, Faceshots, the Front and backsides of Mount Baldy and the world renowned, Mt. Fernie, home to some of the best glades and most ideal tree spacing on Earth. All in all, Island Lake is a catskiing paradise, where cold smoke and champagne powder abound and the breathtaking beauty of the Canadian Rockies is enough to mystify even the least impressionable traveler.

ABOUT:

Island Lake Lodge is a back country resort located on 7,000 acres of mountainous terrain near Fernie B.C. Canada, just beyond the Mount Fernie Provincial Park. Island Lake Resorts consist of Island Lake Catskiing in addition to Powder Cowboy Catskiing and Mica Heliskiing.

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ROGERS SPORTSNET AIRS GMC WORLD OF SKIING’S COVERAGE OF MICA HELI GUIDES

Canada’s Number One Sports Network Broadcasts an in Depth Feature On British Columbia’s Top Heliskiing Outfit.

Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, February 18, 2010 – SporstNet Viewers were treated to an extra dose of adrenaline last week as the network aired the latest edition of GMC World of Skiing, which featured exciting footage of some premier BC heliskiing action, courtesy of the world famous Mica Heli Guides. This well known group of talented helicopter pilots and guides has a reputation for being the best in the business. When it comes to heliskiing, these guys are at the top of the food chain.

Mica Heliskiing is based near Revelstoke British Columbia and specializes in flying small groups of skiers and snowboarders into the some of the best backcountry ski runs on the planet. The company uses Powerful A-Star and Bell 107 helicopters to access nearly a quarter of a million acres of prime British Columbian ski terrain, in the very heart of Canadian Rockies. Mica’s select group of clients stay at a remote mountain lodge and chalet located some 1140 meters above Lake Kinbasket. This remarkable facility, with room for 12, offers spectacular views of the surrounding Rocky, Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges and provides easy access to some of the most fantastic alpine locations on earth. Mica’s tenure is known for its consistently deep, dry champagne powder and is considered by many too be the best place in the world for backcountry skiing.

In the latest episode of GMC World of Skiing, one of Canada’s most popular ski shows, the program’s celebrity host and former Canadian Alpine Ski Team (CAST) member Edith Rozsa goes straight to heli-heaven, courtesy of Mica Heli Guides. Mrs. Rozsa proves to be the perfect host for this exciting episode. After all, who better than a 9 time North American Slalom and Giant Slalom champion to show the folks at home just how awesome an experience heliskiing in British Columbia can truly be?

Rozsa, who came to GMC World of Skiing after years of skiing at the World Cup Level, is, without a doubt, one of the show’s most popular hosts. She consistently keeps viewers coming back for more as she explores some of the most fabulous catskiing locations on earth. With years of professional skiing experience behind her and a talent for broadcast journalism, Rozsa is not only entertaining and informative, but also impressive to watch as she takes to the slopes and gets knee deep into fresh powder.

GMC World of Skiing, which began as Ski Base TV show in 1978, is now a nationally syndicated program, broadcast on over 30 different television stations throughout Canada. The show features in depth coverage and impressive footage of a different exciting ski location each week and boasts a combined viewership of over 100,000 loyal fans.

GMC World of Skiing is broadcast nationwide by one of Canada’s top television networks: Rogers SportsNet. SportsNet is an English speaking Canadian sports channel launched by CTV in 1998 and subsequently purchased by Rogers Media in 2001. The network operates four regional standard definition feeds, each with a corresponding high definition simulcast. SportsNet services the Ontario, East, West and Pacific regions, respectively.

Not only is SportsNet Canada’s premier sports television network, it is also one of the country’s most well known sources of sports information on the web. Sportsnet.ca, the online version of SportsNet TV, features up to date scores and headlines as well as opinions, videos, RSS feeds and a full listing of the network’s TV broadcast schedule. Sportsnet.ca is also a great place to sign up for different fantasy games and contests including Hockey, Soccer and NFL Football; the site also has an online community, where fans get together to talk about their favorite teams and exchange information or opinions.

ABOUT:

Mica Heli Ski near Revelstoke, B.C. specializes in small group heli-skiing. It is one of three operations in The Island Lake Resort Group, the others being Powder Cowboy Snowcat skiing and Island Lake Lodge near Fernie B.C.. For more information, contact Darryn Shewchuk at 1.877.837.6191 x2002.

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JOE LAMMERS AND GMC WORLD OF SKIING VISIT POWDER COWBOY CATSKIING AS PART OF A THREE PART ISLAND LAKE SERIES

World Class Skier and GMC Host, Joe Lammers, Stars in the First of a Three Part Series That Features All Three Island Lake Resorts.

Fernie, British Columbia, Canada, February 18, 2010 – GMC World of Skiing Host and Famed Whistler bad boy Joe Lammers is at it again. Prior to his recent visit to Island Lake Lodge, which aired on Rogers SportsNet just last month, Joe and the crew of GMC visited the one and only Powder Cowboy Catskiing, located just outside of Fernie B.C., in the heart of the majestic Canadian Rockies, catskiing capital of the world.

Powder Cowboy is one of the well known and respected catskiing operations in all of North America. Located on some 6000 acres of prime catskiing tenure in the south east corner of British Columbia, Powder Cowboy is home to the Bull River Guest Ranch, which is comprised of ten separate log cabins. The largest of these is the Long Horn Salute, whose facilities include a dining room, bar, kitchen and massage rooms. Powder Cowboy’s world class catskiing resort also doubles as a dude ranch in the summer.

Because it is located on the western slopes of the Canadian Rockies, Powder Cowboy’s terrain gets a particularly impressive amount of deep dry powder each winter. In fact, the resort’s tenure enjoys 40-60 feet of powder each year, making it a Mecca for ski junkies from all over the planet.

Nevertheless, despite the enormous size of its tenure, Powder Cowboy is by no means a mega resort. In fact, its terrain is serviced by only two snow cats, with a capacity of 12 passengers each. This means that Powder Cowboy’s lucky guests get to enjoy uncrowded slopes and lay fresh tracks on virtually every run. Small group size in addition to personalized service and outstanding lodging facilities are just three of the factors that set Powder Cowboy apart from the competition.

Powder Cowboy is also the only BC catskiing resort with a western theme, and its rustic but comfortable accommodations added to the down home hospitality of its friendly staff are simply unparalleled. The main lodge is both spacious and inviting. It is the perfect place to enjoy a gourmet meal, expertly prepared by the resort’s talented kitchen staff, which is made up of qualified red seal chefs.

But what truly draws world class athletes and amateurs alike to Powder Cowboy is the prospect of skiing fresh dry Champagne powder, while surrounded by some of the most awe inspiring natural scenery on the planet. As the resort’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Darryn Shewchuk, is quick to point out, Powder Cowboy is primarily known for tree skiing. Its tenure is filled with an abundance of glades and steep tree lines that go right up to the ridge tops themselves. These make for a variety of tree runs that start at the very tops of the ridges and lead directly down into the valley bottoms and meadows below.

Tree spacing is also ideal, providing just enough room for skiers maneuver as they make their way through the glades and while there are some open bowls to ski here is as well, tree skiing is what Powder Cowboy is most famous for. The terrain is divided into several different areas. The Cabin Zone features open slopes and spacious tree glades that are perfect for warm-up runs. The Backside of the cruisers on the other hand is home to some really steep chutes and bowls. The Lizard Zone is the place to be for tree skiing and is home to some impressive old-growth forest made up mostly of spruce and fir.

Powder Cowboy has an abundance of long ridges and peaks with lines dropping in virtually every heli ski direction. This makes it easy for the snowcats to access the drop zones. Nevertheless, for the more adventurous, there are also some other spots, which require a little boot hiking and provide access to some incredible and otherwise inaccessible lines, such as those found on Yeti Backside, Snakes and Ladders and 3G.

ABOUT:

Powder Cowboy Snowcat skiing near Fernie B.C. boasts 6000 acres of big bowls, steep chutes and is famous for world class gladed tree skiing. The white gold on the Western Rockies is legendary for quality and quantity, with over 10 meters (over 30 feet!) of dry champagne powder falling every season.

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