I'm organizing another heli-hike charter with Blackcomb Helicopters to get into a remote alpine area that we'd otherwise not explore. The plan is to fly in from their Pemberton airbase on Saturday morning, July 24, and fly out Tuesday afternoon.

We would be dropped off just outside the western boundary of Stein Valley Park; specifically, an alpine spot south of Caltha Peak, near Figure Eight Lake.

I was in this area for 4 days two yrs ago and it's simply breathtaking. There is so much more there to explore and rather than spend 2-3 days on the trail (the hike in/out on the long, over grown road from Lizzie Lake is as mind-numbing as it is muddy), spending some vacation money buys us hiking and scrambling time almost exclusively in the alpine, ease of access, and the privilege to bring gear, food and drink not normally possible.

Make no mistake, you'll still be busting your ass every day - there's a lot of elevation to be gained - however we'll be doing it efficiently and being rewarded with elevation and views. With this being an economically=placed camp, we'll be able to go at a moderate pace - no need to rush and beat traffic. We'll also be above the tree and hopefully bug line the majority of the time. This will be similar to some past BCMC summer camps in that respect (Overseer, Lake Lovely Water...), but several days shorter.

While we can stick to scrambles or hikes, I'd bring some basic glacier crossing gear (helmet, crampons, ice axe, harness) if you want to get up beyond Skook Jim. I don't expect anything too technical, but there should be some pocket-glacier travel needed over moderate inclines. Since we are flying in & out, go crazy with weight, gear, fresh food... I'm not saying to 'glamp' per se, but you wouldn't be judged if you bring a watermelon, 'refreshments', boil-in-bag curries, a guitar and chairs

I spoke recently with Christina W. who did the same trip last year and her insights are very encouraging: Skook Jim was straight forward with minimal time on concave glacier (pocket glacier) near the top that was not too steep. Good intel on bagging other easy peaks nearby too. They used the same campsite I'm proposing as their drop off/pick up.

Agenda of the trip is flexible as well as the goals. Nearby peaks range from easy ridgelines to technical glaciated terrain. My proposed (and open to input) itinerary:

Saturday: Caltha, Tundra Peaks (did Tundra last year - amazing views)

Sunday: Mt Skook Jim 

Monday: Pyramid Peak and part cross into the Stein Valley trail

Tuesday: Mt Cline 

Confirmed cost: $600 pp All-In (max) for the flight in and pick up flight out (assuming a full load of 5 people)