Whisper Ridge weighs expansion from heli-skiing into heli-mountain biking
Eli Harik, lead trail designer for Whisper Ridge, on one of the outdoor operator's remote mountain bike trails in Cache County in mid-June 2019. Whisper Ridge, which hauls skiers to remote locations via snowcat and helicopter in the winter, is now looking to expand into heli-mountain biking, hauling mountain bikers via helicopter to otherwise inaccessible areas for off-road riding.
EDEN — A backcountry skiing operator affiliated with Eden-based Powder Mountain is now exploring expansion into heli-mountain biking and heli-fishing, giving outdoor enthusiasts more opportunity to explore northern Utah’s hidden corners.
The plans — to ferry mountain bikers and fishers via helicopter to and from otherwise remote, inaccessible locations in Cache County — have already shown signs of moving forward. Whisper Ridge, with offices in Eden and the Cache County locale of Paradise, had featured the offerings on its website, whisperridgeutah.com. Powder Mountain tweeted about them earlier this month.
“In partnership with Whisper Ridge, we are excited to offer heli-biking, heli-fishing tours, and UTV tours this summer!” reads Powder Mountain’s July 2 tweet. The heli-mountain biking operation would be the first of its sort in the continental United States, joining existing operations in Alaska and Canada, according to Powder Mountain spokesman J.P. Goulet.
Photo supplied, Whisper Ridge
A Whisper Ridge helicopter, photographed in mid-June 2019. The firm, which hauls skiers to remote locations in Cache County via snowcat and helicopter in the winter, is now looking to expand into heli-mountain biking, hauling mountain bikers via helicopter to otherwise inaccessible areas for off-road riding.
But some of the preliminary efforts, including helicopter rides launching from the Cache County side of Powder Mountain, which straddles the boundary dividing Weber and Cache counties, have caused grumbling among some. And a Cache County planning official said Whisper Ridge hasn’t gotten all the needed permits to launch its heli-mountain biking operation.
The permits Whisper Ridge has with Cache County are “specific to winter operations,” allowing the transport of skiers to remote drop-off locations, said Chris Harrild, a planner in the Cache County Planning and Zoning Office. The firm would have to submit its new plans to county planners for review, he said, and possibly get additional permits to expand the helicopter-ferrying operation to mountain biking.
Rick Grover, director of the Weber County Planning Division, said his office received six or seven complaints about ferrying of mountain bikes via helicopter out of Powder Mountain earlier in the week. The complaints, he said, centered on dust and noised caused by the helicopters, which were actually operating from the Cache County side of the ski resort’s grounds.
Whatever the case, Whisper Ridge said in a statement Friday that initial response to its plans and testing “has proven overwhelmingly positive and is far exceeding our expectations.” The efforts, while still being fine-tuned, are moving forward.
Initial feedback “furthers our proof of concept for a viable commercial Heli-MTB program here in the state of (Utah), inspiring us to expand our terrain offerings and double our trail-building efforts,” the statement said. “With this level of enthusiasm and support in mind, we’re energized and driving forward as we continue to refine the program and plan our official launch.”
Goulet said a 5.5-mile mountain biking trail network in a “very inaccessible” area northeast of Powder Mountain around Sharp Mountain has been developed. The Whisper Ridge website put the cost of a drop-off at $200, with a subsequent ride to another drop-off point or out of the zone at $100.
“Really, we’re lucky to live in a place where there are these untouched areas,” Goulet said.
An event introducing the network had been planned for Saturday, but it was put on hold after the questions emerged from Cache County about possible permit requirements.
’RIPPING THE HIGH COUNTRY ON TWO WHEELS'
Weber County is home to three ski resorts, Powder Mountain, Nordic Valley and Snowbasin, and the outdoor winter activity is a big focus for boosters promoting the zone. Whisper Ridge formally announced its backcountry skiing operation in cooperation with Powder Mountain late last year. It offers access via a fleet of snowcats and helicopters to some 70,000 acres of land, largely privately owned and located in Cache County, for skiers seeking something outside the traditional resort experience.
Plans to offer summer access to mountain bikers and fishers via helicopter to the rugged zone represent the next step in the business’ plans, underscoring the efforts of many ski resort operators to find ways to drum up business in the summer months, after snow has disappeared.
Photo supplied, Weber County Planning Division
A sign photographed Tuesday, July 9, 2019, promoting Whisper Ridge’s heli-mountain biking operation on the grounds of Powder Mountain, the ski resort that straddles the boundary between Weber and Davis counties. Whisper Ridge, which hauls skiers to remote locations via snowcat and helicopter in the winter, is now looking to expand into heli-mountain biking, hauling mountain bikers via helicopter to otherwise inaccessible areas for off-road riding.
“There are not many things that compare to the rush of flying in a helicopter and skiing the greatest snow on earth … except maybe swapping seasons and ripping the high country on two wheels!” reads the Whisper Ridge website.
Even so, not everyone is apparently as enthusiastic about the initiative, as shown by the calls to Grover’s office. A pair of Weber County Planning Division representatives visited Powder Mountain to investigate, Grover said, and the officials observed a helicopter operating there. They didn’t notice an excessive amount of dust, however, and didn’t have a device to measure the sound put out by the helicopter.
Since the helicopters were flying out of Cache County, Grover said he forwarded the complaints to Cache County officials. Until advised of the complaints coming from Weber County, Harrild, the Cache County planner, hadn’t heard of Whisper Ridge’s summer plans.