Travel Cloud nine. RockyMountain high. Whatever it was, we felt as if we were on top of the world as we sat on sun-warmed pencil slate, admiring the 360-degree panorama. In front of us, the saw-toothed Bugaboos raked the sky above two emerald lakes. Behind us, glaciers whitened the Selkirk peaks. To our left, a slender path led to a lookout. A red-and-white helicopter waited for us and nine other hikers at the opposite end of the narrow ridge. From our vantage point, it looked like a miniature dragonfly. It was our sole means of transport to and from this Shangri-La. Here on a ridge called Vertigo in British Columbia’s Purcell Mountains, we were just two hours west of Banff, Alberta, but it seemed like a galaxy away. To reach this hiker’s heaven on foot would take weeks – if you could find it. “Awesome,” we uttered, as we shot a dozen more photos. Pictures, we hoped, would help convey the overwhelming splendour when words were inadequate. DANCING PEAK-TO-PEAK Explore British Columbia’s Purcell and Selkirk Mountains on a guided, lodge-based, heli-hiking trip designed for all ages and abilities. Story and photos by Barb & Ron Kroll 16 | www.snowbirds.org
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