Letter of Permission for Helicopter Landing in Bugaboo Park

Policy:

All persons wishing to access Bugaboo Provincial Park by helicopter must obtain a Letter of Permission by completing and printing the on-line form.

The on-line Letter of Permission form should be completed a minimum of 7 days in advance of your proposed date of entry into the park. Once you have filled out the form below and submitted it, print this page as your Letter of Permission (LOP). The leader of your group should carry this LOP on their person during the trip and be prepared to show it to a BC Park Ranger when asked. If you find your information is incorrect you may click your browsers back button to return to the form to correct it and resubmit. The helicopter company will ask to see this letter before flying the group into the park.

Any commercial air service provider wishing to land in Bugaboo Park requires a valid Park Use Permit to do so. Currently Alpine Helicopters (Golden Base: 250-344-7444) is the only helicopter company in possession of a Park Use Permit authorizing landings in the park. Canadian Mountain Holidays has a separate commercial recreation permit authorizing the provision of heli-skiing services in the park.

Landings within the park will only be authorized during the winter season, and at the following designated sites:

  • Applebee Dome Campground (516280 E 5621300 N) is the primary landing site for all parties, and is the ONLY permitted landing site for parties wishing to establish a multi-day base camp in the park. Groups starting the Bugaboos to Rogers Pass ski traverse are encouraged to begin the traverse in the Bugaboo Creek valley, as it was done originally; however, if a higher elevation start is desired two alternate landing sites have been identified which are to be used in the following order if poor weather prevents helicopter access to Applebee Dome.
  • Black Forest Ridge, on the park’s eastern boundary near Cobalt Lake (518100 E 5624500 N)
  • Below the toe of the Vowell Glacier (515600 E 5624700 N).

Standards which must be adhered to:

  • When camping in the main Spires Area (Crescent drainage, upper Vowell glacier), you MUST camp at Applebee Dome and make use of the toilet facilities located there.
  • It is strongly recommended that you use a self-contained human waste system or ‘wagbag’ when camping elsewhere within the park.
  • The Kain Hut is closed from November 16th to April 30th due to avalanche hazard.
  • Starting May 1st the hut is once again open to the public but the systems (electricity, propane, and water) are not operational until the end of June when the hut is staffed on a full-time basis. Contact the Alpine Club of Canada for more information or bookings.
  • You MUST pack out all garbage.

Please note:

  • Anyone considering visiting the park in the winter should be aware that the terrain is predominantly high alpine and very complex, with few safe options when avalanche danger is elevated. Rescue is not readily available and all parties should be self-reliant and well practiced in self-rescue techniques.
  • If camping at Applebee, please contact the Alpine Club of Canada to arrange for the payment of camping fees, which are used to maintain the toilets and the rest of the park facilities.

For further information, please contact:

Area Supervisor, East Kootenay North Region
Ministry of Environment – Kootenay Region
205 Industrial Road G, Cranbrook, BC V1C 7G5
Phone: 250-489-8540 Monday to Friday (closed holidays) 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (Mountain Time)
Fax: 250 489-8506

  • *All fields are required
  • YYYY slash MM slash DD
  • YYYY slash MM slash DD
  • Group Leader Information

    This person should carry the LOP on their person during the trip and be prepared to show it to a BC Park Ranger when asked.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
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By submitting comments to BC Parks, you consent to the Province’s use of your personal information for the purposes of monioring helicopter use in Bugaboo Provincial Park. Personal information will not be used by the Province for any other purpose. The Government of British Columbia is committed to protecting the privacy of people whose personal information is held by government through responsible information management practices. Any personal information provided to the government of British Columbia is collected under section 26(c ) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and is used and disclosed in accordance with this Act and/or other applicable legislation. If you have any questions or concerns about the privacy of this project, please contact BC Parks at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/info/feedback.html or by mail at BC Parks, PO Box 9398 Stn Prov Govt Victoria, BC V8W 9M9.