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If heli-skiing is the pinnacle of powder pursuits, and the St. Regis epitomizes luxury, it’s only fitting that Colorado should combine the two into something that surely ranks as one of the state’s most enviable long weekend. The new HeliSki Package does just that by combining a four-night stay at the St. Regis Aspen Resort, two days’ worth of lift tickets, and one day of heli-skiing with Helitrax, which operates out of Telluride.
To reach Helitrax’s 200 square miles of permitted, high-alpine terrain in the San Juan Mountains, guests make a 40-minute flight from Aspen to Telluride, start skiing by 10 a.m., and shred six gloriously untracked slopes that sit within view of mighty Mt. Sneffles and other Fourteeners. Then you’re flown back to Aspen in time for après, which can be particularly lavish thanks to the $50 daily food and beverage credit that’s included with the HeliSki package.
It’s offered until April 20, 2014, and a spring booking means your legs will have the training benefit of a full season of skiing or riding. Because the elevations are lofty (drop-off sites are generally at or above 13,000 feet), the snow stays cold and light through April.
In any season, the St. Regis provides the softest of landings, with silky bedding to cushion weary limbs and marble bathrooms to refresh you for the following day’s adventure. The whole enchilada costs $4,999 for double occupancy, which seems like a bargain compared to the cost of your own helicopter—and this one even comes with a chauffeur.
—Image courtesy of Telluride Helitrax.