A Sea of Snow

An old archival film about the history of Canada’s Rogers Pass features a clip of an aerial flyover of the Selkirk Mountains, where the famous crossing is located. “The Selkirks are an enormous sea of rock, ice, and snow,” intones the narrator, solemnly, as viewers look down on an endless maze of peaks, glaciers, and steep slopes. To someone who isn’t a mountaineer, it might seem intimidating. To a skier, however, it’s the ultimate tease; all you can think is “How do I get there?”

If you’re seeking epic terrain and excellent snow, the Selkirks are indeed a main attraction. But what if you could not only explore this iconic range but also its similarly snowy neighbour, the Purcell Mountains, making for an unprecedented range of options for every occasion and ability? In that case, you’d likely be in the hands of Stellar Heliskiing, whose territory spans both. Located in the heart of British Columbia’s Kootenay region, the area is renowned for its friendly locals, laid-back nature and mountain heritage. There’s no flashy resort hype here—just skiing in some of its purest forms. 

On the final day of my first trip with Stellar, our guide sniffed the southwest wind and suggested we ski the Purcells, hard against the east side of Kootenay Lake. There, he said, it would probably be a few degrees colder than in the Selkirks, which backstop the lake’s western shore a mile distant. In that moment, I understood how well these professionals recognize the complex nature of the B.C. interior — and the microclimates that come with it. The day turned out to be a powder epic, with snow even reaching our waists and streaming up over our shoulders at times. The views were insane. The laughing and whooping contagious. A lifetime of memories.

None of this will surprise those who appreciate a grassroots vibe. Founded in 2005 by the late Jason Remple and Kerry Luckey, Stellar Heli began full-time operations in 2014. Remple, who grew up in Meadow Creek, a tiny hamlet at the head of Kootenay Lake, cut his backcountry-guiding teeth at a local cat-skiing operation. Over time, he guided thousands of skiers and snowboarders from around the world. He knew the area’s terrain intimately, and that it was a standout among the many offerings of B.C.'s busy backcountry—stellar even.

Stellar began on a modest scale, with gear stored in a ship-container in a dirt parking lot and guests signing waivers at the back of Remple’s truck. It was gritty, the guests few, and the operation irregular. But clients loved it. As word spread, Stellar gained prominence within the industry, a side-hustle transformed into a professional outfit with more guides, multiple groups each week, and, eventually, a solid reputation as one of the world's best heli-ski outfits. Still, the personal touch and grassroots feel remained.

The operation’s tenure spans 125,000 acres (320 km²) across two ranges known for their distinct and abundant snows—some 60 feet (18 meters) fall each winter on a wide range of pristine terrain. With peaks surpassing 10,000 feet (3,000 meters), there’s plenty of high alpine, open bowls, pillow lines and classic B.C. old-growth forests offering both steeps and mellower slopes for skiers of all levels.

Stellar is based in picturesque Kaslo, a town of 1,000 residents on the western shore of Kootenay Lake, an hour from the better-known Nelson. Guests lodge at the movie-set-worthy Kaslo Hotel, a historic structure renovated to four-star standards, with high-ceilinged, Chateau-style rooms with walk-out balconies that feature lake and mountain views — including some of the runs you ski in the Purcells. The hotel’s Waypoint Restaurant and Bar is the perfect place to après after a day in the mountains; you can unwind around a traditional fireplace with a handcrafted cocktail or local brew before dining on a regionally inspired menu and a selection of sharing plates that reflect fresh, simple West Coast ingredients. The Waypoint is also a place where Kaslo locals and heli-skiing clients mingle and share stories—a rarity for heli-ski operations, most of which are located away from towns in remote areas.

Stellar offers single-day, multi-day, and fully tailored heli-ski packages. With its small-group setup of four guests per guide and three groups per helicopter, you’re guaranteed personalized service and terrain tailored to your group's rhythm. Stellar uses the fast and powerful AS350 B3 helicopter. Often called “the flying Ferrari" and known for setting altitude records on Mt. Everest, this machine provides the speed and agility to reach more challenging terrain, giving guides wider options to suit specific group needs. Stellar is among the few B.C. heli-ski operators to offer single-day shredding—ideal for first-timers and those with limited time or budget. Multi-day packages, of course, allow you to explore these mountains more extensively than you can imagine. As Stellar emphasizes, whichever trip you choose, it comes with a lasting grin.

The location is also a bonus: having this kind of boutique heli-skiing along B.C.’s famous “Powder Highway” makes it convenient to combine heli-skiing in Kaslo with resort skiing at Whitewater outside Nelson or Red Mountain in Rossland. There are also several cat-skiing and ski-touring lodges in the area.

Over the years, terrain and convenience have made Stellar Heli a favourite for a who’s who of professional riders, including Travis Rice, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Sam Kuch, Austin Sweetin and Henrik Windstedt. The breathtaking terrain near Kaslo has served as the backdrop for numerous ski and snowboard films, boosting Stellar’s reputation as a bucket-list destination. Search any of these names on YouTube and see for yourself.

In keeping with the Kootenay ethos of doing better for the environment, Stellar has also made a commitment to sustainability that includes reducing overall energy consumption, purchasing high-quality carbon credits, supporting environmental stewardship and clean tech projects through data collection and financial aid, and tracking and sharing energy-use data with other operations in a bid to develop industry-wide goals.

On that first trip, our crew had spent the previous day skiing the steep Selkirks behind Kaslo, finishing on Stellar’s marquee peak, 10,000-foot Mt. Brennan, which offers some 5,400 vertical feet of skiing—a huge descent by anyone’s measure. But now, with warming clouds gathering to the west and drifting across the sky in disorganized flocks, heading east into the clearer-skied Purcells made sense. 

And the peaks delivered, with jaw-dropping high-alpine runs like Merino Man, Slick Willy’s, Ghengis, and a massive glacier-hewn apron called Big Boy that holds a day’s worth of lines we only had time and legs to ski a few of before the guides set up a snow table for a gourmet lunch overlooking the lake.

At day’s end, the helicopter crossed once more over the lake, landing just outside Kaslo, with the Purcells behind us and the alpenglow-lit Selkirks in front—looking very much like the “enormous sea of rock, ice, and snow” that they are.

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