Imagine coming across a skiing tenure that hadn’t been used in years, stretching across an area roughly 15% the size of Switzerland, deep in the massive mountains and huge snowfalls of northern British Columbia.

 

What would you do with it?Finding that unused giant ski tenure?

 

That’s what Brian McCutcheon came across, and in 2026, he launched his first season in the heli-skiing business with Gold Rush Heli Ski.But how do you turn 648,000 acres of wild mountain terrain into a working business?

 

We get into the challenge of building an operation from scratch, why Brian chose small groups and long runs over a cookie-cutter experience, how partnerships with helicopter operators help keep the business nimble, and why sometimes the smartest move is to grow slowly, hire great people, and let the customer experience do the selling.

 

We also talk about designing packages around busy customers, managing weather risk, and the surprising summer opportunities hiding in a business built around deep winter snow.

 

Now let’s fly up to Atlin for a chat with Gold Rush Heli Ski Co-Founder Brian McCutcheon.