That`s horrible. People are dying everywhere in the mountains these days. Maybe the Heli-skiing outfit should have a better idea of avalanche danger or do they just drop you off as long as you pay. I have snowmobiled lots in the mountains and believe me, right now is an extremely dangerous time. We haven`t had enough proper freezing and thawing to stabilize the snowpack. I am not blaming the heli-skiing outfit, I just wish people would stop getting themselves killed this way.

Heli Ski companies as well as their guides are subject to rigorous training &
expectations before they even set a board to the snow. They test snow conditions daily & are far more knowledgeable about
mountain travel than ...well, most anyone out there. That doesn't make them infallible though. Freezing & thawing doesn't necassarily stabilize a snowpack.
Depending on what type of snow has fallen,
snow pack depth, temperature gradients
within the snowpack, ambient temperature,
whether a slope has been wind loaded or slabbed, the prescence of hoar frost as depth or surface hoar, time between snowfalls. These are some of the factors that one must take into account when trying to make a sound judgement.
As long as there are mountains, snow & gravity people will continue to die.Sad
reality.

Detoe43
Very well said.
I have heli-skiied many times and all the ski touring companies take extreme measures to prevent such accidents. The guides for those taking people into the mountains are extensively trained.
But SHIFT happens. When Mother Nature rolls the dice even experienced partiipants can die.
The only people who knowingly place their lives and their friends on death's door are the snowmobilers who try for bragging rights by climbing an avalanche chute!!!!
Is that not like playing Russian Roulette with five out of six chambers loaded?
And don't all you snowmobilers come rushing to the
Keyboard giving the worn out phrase"that they died doing what they loved".
Tell that to the grieving and see how much solace that brings.