SNOWBIRD, Utah - If you're a die-hard skier staying at the Cliff Lodge mere steps from Snowbird's aerial tram, which accesses 2,500 acres of steeps and chutes choked with 500 inches of snow a year, you might wonder why anyone would ever need a helicopter to access the goods.

But the moment you lift off the helipad atop nearby Wasatch Powderbird Guides, you stop wondering. A spectacular five- minute hop plucks you from the inbounds world and deposits you in a backcountry realm of endless powder possibilities.

Such a short journey is especially enticing during a low snow year in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah - a rarity that is occurring this season.

"They hunted out the powder for us," said Greg Orlinsky, a part-time Vail resident who flew with WPG on Jan. 17, nearly a week after a storm.

His previous heliskiing experience was with Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing in Blue River, British Columbia.

"They're so different," Orlinsky said when asked to compare Wasatch with the famed Canadian operation. "Wiegele is way more hard core, you're way out in the middle of nowhere, and this is much more laid-back. The skiing is very comparable, though."

The beauty of the Powderbirds operation: Its proximity to Snowbird makes it a viable day-heliskiing operation, requiring none of the week to 10-day commitment of most Alaskan or Canadian heliskiing operations.

WPG's Mike "Ole" Olson said his operation, which has been in business for 35 years, is able to fly about 60 percent of the time as opposed to the frequent weather- related groundings of Alaskan operations.

"We offer a little different experience than Alaska," Olson said.

"We're not necessarily looking for the gnarliest run every time out. A lot of our heli terrain is very similar to skiing Snowbird or Alta."

Except for the lack of ski tracks.

And if you are grounded because of high winds or low visibility because of heavy snow, two of the nation's most legendary ski mountains are right outside your front door.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides

• The terrain: WPG holds the only heliskiing permit in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, home to the majority of the state's best ski resorts and the recipient of about 500 inches of snow a year. WPG utilizes more than 300 named backcountry runs, some as long as 3,000 vertical feet at elevations up to 10,000 feet.

• The cost: Low season (Dec. 15 to Jan. 12 and March 26 to April 15) - $700 per person per day (seven runs a day). Regular season (Jan. 13 to March 25) - $910 a day. Includes breakfast and a late lunch at the end of the day. Extra runs are $100 each.

• The contact: Go to Powderbird.com, e-mail info@Powderbird.com, or call 1-800-974-4354.

• The deals: Airfares from Denver to Salt Lake City (29 miles from Snowbird) are for the most part below $200 round trip. The Cliff Lodge is offering a $109 a night American Express package that includes a Snowbird lift ticket. Call 1-800-232-9542 or go to Snowbird.com.