I just spent an amazing QTR week on a back country Heliskiing adventure with Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing in Blue River, BC Canada. Those of you who have read the QTR philosophy paper know my passion for powder skiing. My ski partner of 38 years and I had planned a Heliski trip for 2022, but it was cancelled due to Covid-19 protocols. We chose to postpone until this year.
A big part of the QTR philosophy is to go on adventures to make memories, to build fun stories, and to make amazing memories. And, in particular to do these adventures sooner rather than later while your body can support the adventure. Helicopter skiing is a sport that requires being in top shape to take advantage of the back country skiing opportunity.
There were 5 of us including our guide, Emma Jonsson, who spent the week together. Besides my ski partner and I, we didn’t know each other at the beginning of the week. But, people are at their best when they are having fun, and we had a lot of fun skiing the Cariboo and Monashee mountains together. We created lasting memories and I expect to me telling stories of this week for the remainder of my life. It was an epic experience and we skied some amazing runs with deep smooth powder. One day, the temperature was minus 38 and I was wearing every piece of ski clothing I own. We were close to having what we call “blower powder” where you can walk/ski through chest deep powder and not even feel it.
We skied 130,000 vertical feet of powder, and it seems to me that we hit the bullseye for QTR – “to make every day meaningful and memorable, to maximize fun and adventure, and to make the time for things that bring us joy!”
Here is what I wrote to explain what Powder Skiing means to me:
On Power Skiing:
Powder Skiing is something that brings me joy and is a passion of mine. I have been fortunate to have enjoyed many days of powder skiing with some of my ski buddies. My first real experience of true powder skiing was at Jackson Hole, Wyoming during a high school ski club trip. I’ve been addicted ever since. I guess if you are going to have a vice, this is a good one. It is difficult to describe deep powder skiing. It is a magical feeling of floating through the snow in silence. There are no sounds to hear, but your skis gliding across the surface of the snow and your powder cloud shimmers as frozen flakes come back down behind you. It is like floating on clouds. Powder days bring smiles to my face, especially if I am getting face shots of powder. Laying out a big powder turn on an untracked slope leaves me in total bliss.
Helicopter skiing takes powder skiing to an even higher level. If you ask me, the best mode of travel for skiing is via helicopter. The helicopter provides so much freedom and convenience. It gives relatively safe access to remote areas offering the best powder runs and pristine slopes. The thump thump thump of the helicopters as they fly from their heated hanger into the resort to pick you and your group of skiers up. It is the sound that lets you know you are about to have a full day of unforgettable powder skiing. It gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. What to expect? Well, buckle up, and watch the trees fall away as you lift off. Then it touches down, you hop out, and find yourself in the middle of a sea of mountains and perched above thousands of feet of untracked power. You are about to enjoy the greatest guilty pleasure of all time. Nothing but smiles and laughter. It is cold smoke powder. After a run, frozen crystals drift through the air like sparkling diamond dust, unaffected by gravity. I describe it as freedom, the best feeling ever, or the closest thing to flying without leaving the ground. Endless amounts of world class powder that is deep and delightful, and always has me coming back for more. The feeling of leaning into a turn as a cloud of powder flies into the air above me is indescribable. It is simply unforgettable. I am the artist and the mountain is my canvas to leave powder tracks. Flying through the snow-covered peaks never gets old, and deep powder days keep me smiling from ear to ear.
The helicopter ride reminds me of an “E-ticket” ride at Disneyland. For those my age, you might remember that there were ticket books for rides at Disneyland. E-Tickets were for the best most fun rides. Well, even before you go powder skiing, you ride the helicopter, and it is an “E-Ticket” ride! Flying through the snow covered peaks never gets old. It is an amazing feeling when the helicopter lands and you look outside and you can’t think of any words to describe the feeling of where you are, the experience you are enduring, and the thoughts of the run ahead...it’s incredible!
One year, I think it might have been New Year’s Day (or maybe the 2nd of January), I had negotiated to get another half day out on the helicopter. We skied several runs in the morning. Then we landed at the top of the mountain for the next run. The helicopter took off. The guides told my friend Scott Pinheiro and I that we were to stay there and wait for the helicopter to come back and pick us up to take us back to the resort base. The guides and skiers skied off. And we were just standing there looking out into the vast never-ending views of mountains. It seemed like we were alone and miles and miles away from anyone else in the world. And we were waiting for quite some time for the helicopter to come back. And after a while we talked about what we would do if some how they never came back. It really makes you realize how far out we were in the wilderness. But, standing on the top of a mountain, with only snowy peaks as far as the eye can see, and pristine powder without a single track in front of you...this is a feeling that is unimaginable until you have experienced it.
Every time the helicopter takes off, very briefly, it goes silent after the rotor wash ends. Then, within a few seconds the hoots and hollers start at the realization of what comes next. This never gets old! The mood is great, because there is another lap of joy pending!
Some days are boot top, some days are waist deep and others are neck deep. Every day is amazing! There are days that are just too good! These are the days that you will remember for the rest of your life. And after you ski down a section, you look back and say, “those are my lines” and the feeling again is unexplainable. At the end of the run, you and ski buddies just had the best run and you know the heli is coming back to pick you up for another lap. Then, the Bell 212 helicopter comes roaring through the sky to gather you and all of your gear and lifts you weightlessly into the vast sparkling immaculateness of the most beautiful mountain range you have ever seen, all to do it again and again for the rest of the day.
Is there more? Yes. You would think that linking together 100 or more consecutive powder turns in a row would be enough, but it isn’t. It is simply unforgettable. It is silky, smooth, quite endless heaven on earth. It can’t be described. It is my happy place. It is floating on the clouds, or even floating above the clouds. Then, you turn around and watch a friend skiing down towards you, and all you see is a hand or a head coming towards you. It’s magical.
There is nothing like spending a day heliskiing fresh snow with friends. It is hard to beat a good powder day. Is there any better feeling that skiing through waist deep or chest deep low density fluff? Deep and delightful keeps bringing me back for more. These are some of my memories that will last a lifetime. These are some of the best days of my life. If you haven’t experienced the thrill of being dropped off on an untracked peak, then it is something you need to do...and soon.
Just like the quote in the movie, Jerry Maguire...Powder, “you complete me”. Never change.
What is your passion? What gives you joy? I recommend doing it soon and often.
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