I discovered steep skiing when I was young. It was the era when Kris Erickson, Hans Saari, Andrew McLean, Alex Lowe, Doug Coombs and others were bringing a more twisted vision of what could be descended in the North American mountains. New gear and climbing backgrounds opened up first descents and creative new lines across the Rockies and beyond. The romanticism of this swept me up and grew into an obsession.
A ski mountaineer used to be judged by their tick list and the style in which they proceeded in the mountains, not by the amount of followers on social media. Through the years I’ve tried to become a disciple. I’ve chased after many of the “classics” and when possible added some first descents. I wanted to be like Hans Saari (resume). I’m still floored with what he skied in the short time he was in the game. I was fortunate to meet him in Chamonix in 2001 and spend some time hanging out at the Gite Belvedere. Unfortunately, he didn’t survive a fall down the legendary Gervasutti Couloir later on that trip. His death impacted my life and my steep skiing trajectory greatly. I saw first-hand the real consequences of fucking up and that even the best aren’t invincible. From that I toned down my ambition, and discarded many bad ideas even though they could have made great additions to the list. In fact, restraint, or lining up your desires with the right conditions is probably the hardest thing about steep skiing. I’ve hoped to make this a lifetime pursuit and been lucky enough to continue this far. I still love looking over chronological tick lists for motivation and inspiration and that has led me to compile some of my proudest and dumbest patches of snow that I’ve put edges on.
NOTABLE SKI DESCENTS
-2020-
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-2019-
Alaska Range, AK
West Kahiltna Peak, South Ridge (first descent)
Sultana (Mount Foraker), Archangel Ridge (second descent)
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Cascade Mountains, WA
Mount Rainier, Fuhrer Finger
Mount Baker, Watson Traverse
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North Cascades, WA
Mount Eldorado, East Ridge
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Elk Mountains, CO
Pyramid Peak, Landry Line
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White Cloud Mountains, ID
Castle Peak, South Couloir
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Wasatch Mountains, UT
Sunrise Peak, East Ridge to North Chute
Lone Peak, Northeast Face
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-2018-
Alaska Range, AK
Mount Hunter, West Ridge/Ramen Couloir (4th ski descent, only ascent of the season)
Mount Frances, East Ridge
Peak 12,200, Southwest Couloir
–
Sawatch Mountains,CO
Mount Holy Cross, Cross Couloir
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Absorka Range, MT
Baronette Mountain, North Couloir (complete free descent)
–
Glacier National Park, MT
Mount Stimson, Southwest Face
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Sawtooth Mountains, ID
Mount Heyburn , Petzoldt Couloir
Grand Mogul, Boy Scout Couloir
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Teton Mountains, WY
Mount Moran , Skillet Glacier
South Teton, Southeast Couloir
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White Mountains, NH
Mount Washington, Central Coulior Huntington Ravine
Mount Washington, Diagonal Couloir Huntington Ravine
Mount Washington, Tuckerman Ravine Headwall
Mount Washington, Dodge’s Couloir
–
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-2017-
Wasatch Mountains, UT
Mount Olympus, Hades (1st descent)
Odin (1st descent)
Mount Timpanogos North Peak, Bury The Hatchet (1st descent)
White Baldy, Northeast Face (1st descent)
Mount Timpanogos, East Ridge
Roberts Horn, East Face
Little Cottonwood Canyon, Triangle Couloir
Dromedary Peak, Firing Squad
–
La Sal Mountains, UT
Mount Tukuhnikivatz and North Tukuhnikivatz
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Sierra Mountains, CA
Mount Williamson, Giant Steps
Red Slate, North Couloir (summit entry onto north face)
Bloody Mountain, Bloody Couloir
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Ruby Mountains, NV
Terminal Cancer
–
Elk Mountains, CO
Maroon Bell, East Face/Bell Cord
Castle Peak, East Face
North Maroon Bell, North Face
–
San Juan Mountains, CO
Wilson Peak, Northeast Face
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Mount Hood, OR
Newton Clark Headwall (solo)
Northeast Face (solo)
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Mexico
Pico De Orizaba (3rd highest peak in North America)
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-2016-
Wasatch Mountains, UT
Big Cottonwood Ridge, Major Tom Couloir (1st descent)
Storm Mountain, The Complex (1st descent)
Storm Mountain, Spindrift Couloir (2nd descent, 1st ski descent)
Mount Nebo, Genesis Couoir (1st descent)
Broads Fork, Yonkers (1st descent?)
Cascade Peak, Grrr Couloir
Upper Mill B, Diving Board
Mount Timpanogos, Grunge Couloir
Lone Peak, NE Couloir
–
Yellowstone National Park, MT
Explored and skied possible first descents into the The Grand Canyon
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San Juan Mountains, CO
Completed first ski traverse of the Hardrock 100 (100 miles, 33K feet)
–
Teton Mountains, WY
Grand Teton, Ford Stettner Route
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Central Alaska Range, AK
Moose’s Tooth, West Ridge Route (2nd descent, 1st ski descent)
Mount Barille, Japanese Couloir (complete descent, no rappel)
Mount Crosson, East Ridge
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-2015-
Wasatch Mountains, UT
SLC Twin Peaks, “High Five”, (all 5 major lines off summit)
Mt Olympus to Wilson Pk “Wildcat Traverse” (16K feet)
Pfeifferhorn, North Ridge, 2:07 (winter FKT?)
Lone Peak/Chipman/Box Elder link up (12K feet)
Wasatch Powder Keg, (8th place overall finish)
–
Beartooth Mountains, MT
Glacier Peak, Catch a Fire
Glacier Peak, The Patriarch (3rd descent?)
Courthouse Peak, The Gavel (1st descent?)
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Teton Mountains, WY
Middle Teton, Glacier Route
Middle Teton, Ellingwood Couloir
Middle Teton, Becky Couloir
–
Sawtooth Mountains, ID
McGowan Peak, North Chute
Horseman Peak, Sickle Couloir
Devil’s Bedstead, North Face
–
Cordillera Blanca, Peru
Failed attempts on Artesonraju and Shaqsha
–
New Zealand
Mount Cook, East Face
Mount Aspiring, Northwest Ridge
Mount Dixon, East Ridge
Mount Walter, Southeast Ridge
Mount Green, East Face
Mount Hamilton, North ridge
Mount Ellie DeBeaumont, Southeast Ridge
Mount Darwin, Southeast Face (1st descent)
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-2014-
Cascades
Mount Rainier, Success Couloir
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Teton Mountains, WY
Mount Teewinot, South Couloir
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Wrangell St Elias Mountains, AK
Slotterhouse Expedition, (several 1st descents)
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Tushar Mountains, UT
Mount Blady North Chutes(2) and South Chute (solo)
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Wasatch Mountains, UT
Central Wasatch Traverse, (35 miles 11K feet)
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-2013-
Cascades
Mount Rainier, Success Cleaver (solo)
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Yellowstone National Park
West Yellowstone to Mammoth traverse, (40 miles, solo)
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Wasatch Mountains, UT
Mill B, Rampage and Diving Board (solo)
Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Link-up (WURL)
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Central Alaska Range
Ruth Gorge Expedition
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Tordrillo Mountains
Skiing/Filming expedition for Powderwhore
–
Cascades
Holden Village, Copper Couloir (1st descent)
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-2012-
Missed season due to surgical repair of ACL/meniscus (torn while skiing at fucking Deer Valley of all places)
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-2011-
Wasatch Mountains, UT
LCC, Great White Icicle
Cardiff Fork, Lightning Bolt (solo)
Pfeifferhorn, Northeast Ridge (3rd descent)
Devil’s Castle, The Ribbon
Mount Timpanogos, North Peak East Face (1st descent)
Kessler Peak, “4X4” – (Every major line off peak) (14k feet)
Completed “The Chuting Gallery” (1st person after Andrew Mclean)
–
Lost River Range, ID
Bad Rock, North Ramp (1st descent?)
Mount Church, Northeast Face
Mount Donaldson, North Couloir
–
Svalbard, Norway
Sailing expedition, (several 1st descents)
Camping expedition, Pyramiden Peak (1st descent)
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Antarctica
Mount Victoria, South Face (1st descent?)
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-2010-
Wasatch Mountains, UT
Pfeifferhorn, Plinko – (1st descent, not repeated)
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Central Alaska Range
Revelation Mountains Expedition, (12,1st descents)
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Haines, Alaska
Skiing/Filming expedition for Powderwhore
–
Ruby Mountains, NV
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-2009-
Wasatch Mountains, UT
LCC, Monte Cristo Direct, (solo)
Alta to Lone Peak, Stupor Tour
Lone Peak Triple Overhang to NE Couloir (failed attempt)
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Central Alaska Range
Mount Foraker, Archangel Ridge (failed attempt)
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Haines, Alaska
Skiing/Filming expedition for Powderwhore
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-2008-
Uintah Mountains, UT
Kings Peak, Standard Route (11hrs) (solo)
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Wasatch Mountains, UT
Thunder Ridge, Dresden Face (solo)
LCC, Lisa Falls
Mount Olympus, Medusa’s Face (solo)
Mount Olympus, Apollo Couloir (solo)
LCC, Triangle Couloir
Mount Olympus, Memorial Couloirs (5 in one day)
LCC, White Pearl (solo)
LCC, Y- Not
BCC, Powerhouse and Generator link up
LCC, Wolverine Cirque in one day (16 chutes) (solo)
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Thompson Pass, Alaska
Skiing/Filming expedition for Powderwhore
–
Selkirk Mountains, Canada
Hut trip
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Sawtooth Mountains, ID
Bench Lake hut trip
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Patagonia, Argentina
Ushuia
El Chalten
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-2007-
Chugach Moutains, AK
Expedition, (several 1st descents)
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Mount Shasta, CA-
West Face Gully (solo)
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Mount Hood, OR-
Hogsback (solo)
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-2006-
Wasatch Mountains, UT
“Wasatch Supercoaster” First and only completion (14K feet)(solo)
Mount Timpanogos, Grunge Couloir
–
Central Alaska Range
Denali, Orient Express
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-2004-
Baffin Island, Canada
Expedition to Sam Ford Fjord (1st descents and several second descents)