In The News – New Heli-Skiing tours unlock access to remote mountains between Tahoe and Mammoth
December 4, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 12/04/2025, Written by Petra Molina
On a winter roadtrip up Highway 395, it’s hard not to stare out the window and imagine carving lines down the untouched peaks that rise beyond the road. This winter, that daydream edges closer to reality. Sweetwater Heli, a new helicopter-skiing operation, is launching with a promise to deliver skiers and riders into some of the most remote mountains between Lake Tahoe and Mammoth.
“It’s almost like the opportunity to create a ski resort without the chairlifts,” said co-founder Mark Johnson.
The Sweetwater Mountains provide more than 180,000 acres of exclusive terrain for the operation — a 184,320-acre range spanning about 288 square miles. Its highest point, Mount Patterson, is an 11,673-foot volcanic peak, surrounded by five additional summits rising above 10,000 feet. Most of the range lies within the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest.
Photo: Sweetwater Heli