A wall of hot, dry air whips my hair into octopus tentacles as I hunker down and dash toward the loudly clattering helicopter. I take the co-pilot’s seat and buckle up. The cacophonous beast rises into the air and gains altitude, heading into British Columbia’s Purcell Mountain Range. I turn sideways and grin excitedly, giving a thumbs-up to my husband and 12-year-old daughter, who have settled in behind me.

My grin gives way to a wide-eyed look of anxiety as the craft is buffeted by a thermal, dipping and diving mere feet from the top of a steep ridge. Then we zoom over the remaining ridgeline and the ground falls out from under us; a valley with a thin sliver of river appears thousands of feet below.

Eric and Kirsten emit “yahoos,” as though riding a bucking bronco; I cower briefly before summoning up my courage and enjoying the rest of the scenic ride.

Our destination: the luxurious Purcell Mountain Lodge, situated on the slopes of Bald Mountain in the middle of the Canadian Rockies, and surrounded by one of Canada’s largest alpine meadows (12 miles/20 km long and a half-mile/1 km wide), with rolling hills, clear lakes and wildflowers.

The helicopter transport provides guests with an exhilarating experience.

The rugged peaks of the Rocky Mountains and Glacier National Park surround the plush meadow like the pointy tips of a crown. The lodge is reachable only by helicopter — there are no roads in this mountainous wilderness.

I’m elated at the concept of getting to the 7,200-foot (2,200 m) lodge in a 15-minute helicopter ride — a far cry from the usual sweaty uphill slog of high-country hiking.

I watch as bare-topped mountain ranges come into view, then recede beneath the helicopter. Finally, I spy a building in a verdant basin next to a stream, and we begin our descent. Lodge staff is waiting near the helicopter pad, waving in welcome, as we approach.

We’re ushered into the lodge and are assigned our second-floor room, a cleverly compact space reminiscent of a stateroom on a boat, complete with built-in beds, luxurious down comforters and mounds of pillows in jewel tones. The room is trimmed in rich blonde wood accents, and a large window opens out to the fresh mountain air and inspiring alpine view.

Just off the hallway, a cozy library with well-stocked shelves of regional nature books; a telescope; and sliding doors that open to a deck; will become our favorite retreat spot.

For now, though, guests are gathering in the first-floor common room to prepare for an introductory hike. Harmony, a doe-eyed young woman with a voice like honey, leads our group, which includes long-legged John and Claire, young parents celebrating their anniversary; a 50ish British couple; and a French woman in her 60s.

I’ve never before done organized group hiking, but it’s necessary here, at least until we learn bear safety measures, as this is grizzly territory. A few years ago, a female grizzly raised her three cubs in the meadows here, entertaining guests.

Whistling Pacific ground squirrels seem to be the primary residents of these meadows this afternoon, though. Their piercing, electronic-sounding whistles echo throughout the meadow as they race from hole to hole along Lilliputian paths through the heather.

Kirsten squeals delightedly at their antics, and I smile. Harmony points out other animal signs. Bears are evident by the large holes where they burrowed into the soil in pursuit of squirrels. Scat found on the trail belongs to either elk or mountain goats, she says.

The views in every direction are incredible, with sloping, flower-filled meadows dotted with gray metamorphic outcroppings and massive white quartz boulders. Copses of subalpine firs add accents to the celadon green of the vast meadow, which stretches for miles to the east and west.

We approach the edge of the meadow and gaze thousands of feet down into a river valley, and across to the dusty-blue, glaciated Selkirk Mountains. The air is fresh but thin, and what would normally be a short ramble feels like harder work than at sea level. My stomach begins to rumble, and I’m happy to return to the lodge for dinner.

Our guides join us for a family-style salmon dinner, and tell us about the unique infrastructure that ensures that the lodge and its guests have minimal impact on the fragile meadow ecosystem. All building materials, including the massive beams, were flown into the site by helicopter.

An ingenious hydroelectric project harnesses the natural flow of a small nearby stream to furnish the electrical needs of the lodge, and waste water is collected and processed in an elaborate, ground-breaking treatment plant located beneath the lodge building, before being released as water.