photo: Sun ValleySun Valley, Idaho

Celebrating its 45th anniversary, Sun Valley Heli Ski is the oldest helicopter-skiing operation in the U.S. Its sprawling 750,000-acre permit area includes three mountain ranges: the Boulder Mountains, the White Clouds, and the Smokey Mountains. There's a large variety of terrain, everything from mellow to steep, open bowl to glades. And the small groups of four guests plus a guide make it easy to burn a lot of vert. Sign on for the "heli pro athlete experience," and you and Olympian Tommy Moe can hit the Eagle Creek Headwall for 3,000 vertical feet of steep, Alaska-style terrain. Or pro skier Reggie Crist can lead you through the burn area from the 2007 Castle Rock fire, where you'll zip past charred black timbers. The heli can drop you off atop Bald Mountain at the Sun Valley ski resort so you can link up with your friends and ski back down to the base area.

$1,100; epicquest.com