'Kinda like Whistler': Yukon entrepreneur builds portable village for rugged ski backcountry

A Yukon heli-ski company says its high end, portable chalets will offer "five-star" Yukon accommodations to international clients paying $15,000 a week or more for the ski experience of a lifetime.

The tiny, deluxe chalet houses are self-contained, and are designed for the most demanding clientele.

"We have really gone to town on these things," said Peter Wright, owner of Yukon Alpine Heli Ski Ltd. in Haines Junction.

The cabins measure three metres by six metres, with 200 square feet of space on the main floor and another 100 in the loft. Each cost $60,000 to $70,000 to build, and features high-end appliances like Danish and Norwegian stoves.

"They are definitely five star Yukon, if you want to compare them to cabins and lodges in the area."

Wright describes the Saint Elias mountains — where Alaska, B.C. and Yukon meet — as some of the most untapped backcountry heli-ski terrain in the world. Clients from all around the world are willing to pay for a premium package — and they want premium accommodations.

"On average, it's $12,000 to $15,000 for a week experience. Then you move up to private heli-skiing, which is what we are specializing in more," he said, "and your experience could be from $50,000 to $100,000."

Wright hopes to have six of the tiny homes, for what he is calling a tiny town, ready for this ski season. He plans to put them on a truck and deliver them to the White Pass summit and Haines Pass this winter.

"We have the sauna spa facility, we have a little dining hut, and we have these little individual cabins," Wright said.

He plans to arrange them all in a row, and maybe even install LED lights and a street sign, "kinda like Whistler," he joked.