For years, I’ve traveled to far-flung locales and come home to regale friends, family and whoever reads my stories with tales of wild places, questionable judgment and remarkable people.

My Vermont skiing comrades had heard enough. A group of them, including my wife Sue, told me they wanted to come along for the ride. Nothing special – just a week that included epic lift-served skiing, incredible backcountry touring, an awesome hut, great food and classy digs.

“No pressure Dave,” my friend Chach assured me, “but this trip better be killer.”

The pressure was intense. One place to have it all, and the best chance for great snow? I thought long and hard, and kept coming back to the mountains where I’d almost always struck white gold: British Columbia.

I conjured a week-long tour of the greatest hits of B.C. We would start with a helicopter flight into Purcell Mountain Lodge, a backcountry hut famous for its jaw-drop scenery, deep turns and gourmet food. After that, we’d head west to Revelstoke, once home to a humble town ski hill that’s been made over into a world-class destination ski resort. We’d cap all this off with some backcountry skiing on Rogers Pass, a legendary Mecca for powder day tours.

With a little luck and lot of snow, I hoped this three-part meal would pay back my hungry comrades.

The helicopter buzzed toward the ridgeline of Kicking Horse ski area in Golden, B.C., and suddenly lurched up and over to reveal a trackless white expanse beyond. Fifteen minutes later, we touched down in a frantic swirl of snow in front of a three-level wooden lodge. This would be our mountain home for the weekend.

Purcell Mountain Lodge, a beautiful 10-bedroom lodge that sits at 7,200 feet overlooking the Canadian Rockies, offers a novel twist on a B.C. tradition. Until now, I've had, well, commitment issues when it comes to heli-hut weeks in B.C. Time and cash have been the sticking points for me as I’ve declined countless offers from friends who have invited me to join them for a week of skiing backcountry powder. Purcell Mountain Lodge changed the game by offering a bite-size version of this experience: fly in Friday and out Monday for a memorable 4-day weekend of powder skiing and mountain hospitality. Suddenly, I could commit.

The thermometer was pegged at -15 degrees F as we shouldered our day packs and headed out under a crisp blue sky behind Don Steedman, a veteran B.C. ski guide. A half-hour of skinning brought us to the top of a bald knob, where we stopped for snacks and huge views of 10,774 ft. Mt. Sir Donald, the striking Matterhorn look-alike that crowns the Selkirk Mountains. “It’s one of the most photographed peaks in Canada,” Don quipped as we snacked and pulled off skins.

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