There are some invitations you just can’t turn down, so when Matt Devlin invited me up to check out his new heli ski operation, Kingfisher Heliskiing, I had to say yes. Not only did he invite me, but he said, why don’t you bring your son as well?

Micah had just turned 9, was he ready to go heli skiing?  He is a strong skier, he can ski Highlands Bowl in Aspen and the Roca Jack in Portillo, but he hasn’t done a lot of deep powder skiing. Matt told me that many of his first time heli guests are just strong intermediate skiers and that Micah would be fine. We also decided that he could ski a run, stay in the heli for a run, and that we would be able to cater to his every need and concern. Ok, I said, we are in!

Not only were we invited to heli ski with Kingfisher, but the Sparkling Hill Resort had invited us to stay with them to experience their fabulous spa resort/hotel. I quickly got online at www.sparklinghill.com to get an idea of what was ahead. I drooled over their images and read about their quest to build North America’s first European body wellness resort. They hired top architect Andreas Altmayer to bring the vision of owner Gernot Langes-Swarovski to life. Mr Langes-Swarovski is the patriach of the Swarovski family and former head of the Swarovski crystal company. The resort incorporates 3.5 Million Swarovski crystals into most every facet of the property.

We booked out flights and before we knew it it was time to go. Since they didn’t have a lot of 9 year old heli skiers, I rented some Volkl Gotama Jrs. from Four Mountain Sports in Aspen so Micah would be set up for success. We packed our gear and flew out of Aspen direct to LA and then direct to Kelowna. We were picked up by VIP shuttles and whisked off to Sparkling Hill Resort. Our driver gave us the inside scoop on the resort and their world class golf course in the summer time that was bringing golfers from Asia and around the world. We checked in, Micah was offered some Gluten Free cookies and we settled into our room. It was luxurious, yet simple with a clean design aspect. The highlight for me was a large spa tub set right up against big glass windows. We went downstairs to meet up with Matt and the team and our other heli skiing partners. We sampled some fine Okanogan wine from Ex Nihilo that was beyond delicious and then ventured into the dining room to sample their fine cuisine. Tired and knowing that the next day would be big with an early start, we went off to our room and melted into their fluffy beds.