Ski-porn impresarios like Matchstick Productions drop in here regularly. Ditto for Teton Gravity Research. Warren Miller Entertainment woos audiences with it as a backdrop, too. And why not? Bella Coola in British Columbia, with its unfathomably deep snowpack and thousands of square miles of steeps, chutes, and bowls, is a big-mountain skier's Shangri-La.
Located one hour, 15 minutes by plane north of Vancouver, Bella Coola is where those serious about logging six-digit vertical come to play. The Coastal Range here is one giant backstop that catches storms cruising in off the Pacific, which then dump their loads in the Bella Coola Valley, one of the most rugged and remote sections of British Columbia. Spend a week here and it's entirely possible to lay down over 100,000 vertical feet of big arcs through virgin powder.
Bella Coola Heli-Sports (604-932-3000, www.bellacoolahelisports.com) offers seven-day heli-ski trips throughout the winter. During that time no more than 15 skiers and snowboarders are divided up into three groups of five. Those groups then set out in a jet-powered A Star B2 helicopter to ski terrain best-suited to their abilities. The hardcore head for the chutes. Those out to get their first real tastes of powder stick to easier terrain. Guides with each group are experts in traveling through and assessing avalanche terrain, so you know you are in good hands.
When the day is done, take off the boots and kick back at the Tweedsmuir Lodge. This wilderness palace does not skimp on pampering despite its remote location. Hit the hot tub, get a massage, and send pictures back to your jealous coworkers via a sat-linked hookup (if you must). A seven-day package starts at about US$7,000 including lodging and some 100,000 vertical feet of skiing. If the skiing is so good that you have to keep going, you can buy extra helicopter time, or you can arrange for your own private tours for you and up to five of your closest powderhounds.
Bella Coola, British Columbia | 
