Heli-ski operation flying smoothly

Tahoe's only heli-ski operation, Pacific Crest Heli-Guides, has taken to the skies for its first year, and owner Dave Rintala reports business is flying smoothly.

"Business has been great and very exciting," Rintala wrote in an e-mail. " We're exploring new terrain each day, expanding our run offerings. Our customers have really enjoyed naming new runs."

The business, with offices in the Lake Tahoe Airport, launched this year as an offshoot of Pacific Crest Snowcats and in partnership with HeliTahoe. The A-Star helicopter typically flies skiers and snowboarders into 100,000 acres of privately-held terrain on the north side of the lake from Truckee Tahoe Airport, but it's willing to pick guests up from the South Shore.

"Basically anything is possible, and we love to create custom adventures," Rentala said.

The conditions have been up and down this year, said Pacific Crest marketing manager Daniel Pistoresi.

"It's been a bit of a mixed blessing this year with the huge dumps at the start and then kind of a high and dry January," Pistoresi said. "But now we're back into a more traditional Sierra weather pattern."

Tahoe weather is exceptional for helicopters compared to somewhere like Alaska, said Pistoresi.

"It's one of the great locations to start a heli operation because it'll dump and then be predictably sunny for so many days," said Pistoresi. To average 400 to 500 inches of snow per year and to get 300 days of sunshine is kind of the dream situation for a heli operation."

Flying in the mountains is no easy task, said South Lake Tahoe resident and Pacific Crest pilot Claudio Bellotto, who's been flying helicopters for six years and currently does tours and flight lessons through his business HeliTahoe.

"I would say that heli-skiing is the ultimate step in a pilot's career," Bellotto said. "There is nothing more challenging and advanced in flight."

The technical flying techniques required to pick up and drop off skiers and snowboarders are difficult, Bellotto said, but the environment can play an even bigger role.

"Our main concern as pilots is to misjudge or miscalculate the wind direction or wind velocity."

Rentala said the lease of the A-Star helicopter opens up a number of year-round options for the business. He'd said he like to take guests for gourmet mountain-top dinners, weddings and wine tasting. Heli-biking, heli-fishing, heli-camping and heli-hiking will also be available, Rentala said. They're also prepared to use the helicopter as a taxi between Tahoe and Reno or Sacramento or between the North Shore and South Shore.

Pistoresi said he anticipates they will be doing a lot more flying on the South Shore later in the year.

"I think we'll have a stronger presence (on the South Shore) in the spring and summer with the backcountry adventures," he said.

For more information, visit pacificcrestheliguides.com or call (888) 792-9222 or (530) 581-1767.