Heli-Skiing; Chugach, Alaska
You won’t look as cool as James Bond did when he jumped out of a helicopter, but then again, that was a movie. Alaska’s 10,000 foot peaks are totally real, and you can hit up the slopes via helicopter-drop. Chugach averages over 50 feet of snowfall each year, so you can ride the best powder, sans the tourists and ski lifts that come with skiing in the lower 48. Plus, if you’re brave enough to take the jump, you’ll whip through its natural obstacle course of rock and tree littered terrain.
YOU NEED
Ski or snowboard boots, sunscreen, sunglasses, and mountain-appropriate apparel. You can rent skis up there to save you hassle in the airport.
HOW TO DO IT
Valdez Heli-Camps has a heli-skiing trip (all-inclusive except booze and ski rentals) that promises a total of 80,000 of near-vertical feet of snow to ride. If you want to take it to the next level, check out its expert-only Ultimate heli-ski package—half boat trip, half extreme skiing down Chugach’s most perilous slopes. (Multi-day heli-ski packages start at $4,900; valdezhelicamps.com)
