Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing, which pioneered development of backcountry skiing in British Columbia with its operations in the Cariboo and Monashee mountains, has been sold.
The sale of Wiegele’s five-star mountain skiing operation based in Blue River, B.C., to Denver, Colorado-based Alterra Mountain Company is expected to formally close in late 2023. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The sale is a “very emotional” step, said Michelle Wiegele, daughter of company founders Mike and Bonnie Wiegele and the company’s current president. Wiegele said she spent her life in the arms of the mountains her father loved so much.
“I worked side by side with my dad, growing up skiing here. My 17-year-old son, Charlie feels this in his blood as much as I do,” she said in an interview with Black Press. “I’m working on some special projects to honour this legacy. Our hearts are here in the valley, in the mountains that we love. For my son, Charlie and myself, those feelings won’t ever change.”
Mike Wiegele died in July 2021 at age 82.
Michelle and Bonnie Wiegele have been leading the business - which has been been in operation since 1973 – since then.
The company said in a statement announcing the sale that current staff will remain in place and will keep things running as smoothly through the transition to come.
Bonnie Wiegele said she and her husband were always committed to an enduring future for the business.
“A future that would honour our commitments to mountain safety and stewardship, to an exceptional powder skiing experience, to our committed guides and staff, and to the relationships we have formed with partners and guests from around the world,” she said in a statement released Wednesday. “The sale to Alterra ensured Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing will continue to be one of the most unique powder skiing experiences in the world for the next 50 years.”
Michelle Wiegele praised her parents for their years of devotion to establishing the luxury resort, a dream of her father’s, supported by her mother. She said Bonnie’s strong business skills inspired her to be involved in the overall operational management of the business from an early age.
Wiegele said she is looking forward to being able to share more of the family history and plans to preserve her father’s legacy in a special museum display once the final details of the sale are formalized. In the meantime, she asked for understanding from the public because there are so many emotions involved when dealing with a sale of this nature.
Alterra is a global company that already owns 12 heli-ski operations, including CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in the B.C. Interior and Blue Mountain in Ontario, as well as Mont Tremblant resort in Quebec.
