E Tickets

I am on a special QTR trip this week.

I am helicopter skiing in British Columbia, Canada with my ski buddy of over 40 years.

Powder skiing is my passion. And if you love powder, there is nothing quite like helicopter skiing. No lift lines. No crowds. Just a machine that drops you onto a remote mountain and then disappears, leaving you alone with gravity, mountains, and choice.

Today I was reminded of something from childhood. E Tickets.

Do you remember when Disneyland did not have a single entry price? Admission was free, but rides required tickets from a booklet. “A Tickets” were for the gentle rides, the ones for little kids. “E Tickets”were reserved for the very best rides. The biggest thrills. The ones you talked about on the drive home.

Today was an “E Ticket” day.

The snow was deep powder, knee deep most of the time and waist deep in places. Stability was just one level below the most stable, which meant we could ski steep terrain with confidence. We dropped into steep slopes with fun pillows, natural rollovers, and even a few legitimate cliff drops. The snow was so soft and forgiving that it invited you to go a little bigger, a little faster, a little freer.

One run, called Corkscrew, felt like free falling between turns. Floating. Weightless. Pure flow.

Our guide, Emma, was exceptional. At one point she carefully found a snow bridge over a creek, then waited below a sizable drop to make sure all 4 of us made it down safely. Calm. Focused. Fully present. Exactly who you want guiding you when the stakes are high and the rewards are even higher.

The day added up to 14 runs of pure adrenaline and powder bliss. Every one of them an E Ticket.

And the helicopter rides themselves are E Tickets too.

Mike, our pilot, is a master. Every liftoff feels like an adventure. Snow swirling. Rotors thumping. Mountains sliding beneath you as you rise into the sky. It is impossible not to smile inside your helmet.

So what does this have to do with QTR?

Everything.

QTR reminds us to maximize fun and adventure while we can. Life has a way of having us believe the future is infinite. It is not. None of us knows how many days we have remaining.

It is tempting to think of life like an amusement park with unlimited rides.

That is not how it works.

In reality, each of us has a limited number of tickets to trade in. Limited time. Limited energy. Limited money. Limited opportunities. We just do not know the count.

So the real question becomes this.

How will you spend today’s tickets?

How will you spend this precious day?

Choose the ride that lights you up.

Find your adventure. QTR!