COVER Big mountain legends Hilaree Nelson and Kasha Rigby hitch a ride back to town on the Kamchatka Peninsula, in the far eastern reaches of Russia, circa 2004. The two rising mountaineers were on the verge of quitting pro-fessional ski mountaineering when they ran into each other at a telemark skiing festival in Livigno, Italy, in 1997. That fateful meetup kicked off one of the strongest high-altitude partnerships in ski mountaineering, including a first descent off Udina in Kamchatka and India’s mighty Hanuman Tibba (along with Margaret Wheeler and Alison Gannett). For more, read Kit DesLauriers’ tribute to Nelson and her lasting legacy starting on page 036. Photo: Lee Cohen TIPS UP 01 • “The Coast Mountains around the Taku Glacier have all the ele-ments that make Alaska unique: steep spines with a rowdy exit, dramatic light and cold snow. After skiing this face I was sure Nic Alegre had captured some magic.” —Tim Durtschi Photo: Nic Alegre/Teton Gravity Research 02 • “Lauri Kivari (pictured) and Harald Hellström wanted to hit some weird spots in the forest of Helsinki, Finland. They sawed off the fallen trees so they could slide them, somehow. Unfortunately, Lauri hurt his knee on this first attempt, knocking himself out of the game for the rest of the season.” Photo: Arttu Heikkinen 03 • “Laurent De Martin (aka LDM) planting one at the end of the day in his home hills around Région Dents du Midi, Switzerland. When I ski with LDM, I give him nicknames, whether he likes it or not. As the sun was set-ting and the window of opportunity was closing, my mind kept bouncing between Salamander Steve and Don Prosciutto. With a mixed sense of priority and urgency, I settled on Salamander Steve as he caught the last sun ray, last chair and last handplant.” Photo: François Marclay 04 • Vasu Sojitra finds the line between sun and shadow while filming for The Approach 2 in Haines, AK. Photo: Taylor Boyd 05 • “It’s always a gift when the elements of snow, action, light and backdrop come together. While most people recognize Devon O’Neil as a world-class journalist, he’s also a ripping tele skier, seen here bringing his talents to a late-afternoon line in Norway’s Lofoten Islands.” Photo: Liam Doran 06 • “Temperatures were dipping to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit on this night in Joensuu, Finland. Harald Hellström tried this handplant a number of times before it worked—my flashes were inconsistent due to the cold, but the end result was worth the effort.” Photo: Arttu Heikkinen 07 • Griffin Post coming out of the ice section of the Chevy Couloir on a very cold and very deep day on Wyoming’s Grand Teton. The couloir is a super narrow and exposed shot connecting the Ford and Stettner couloirs and most often requires a rappel. Photo: Fredrik Marmsater 08 • “Sublime in the subalpine, Caroline Gleich and Rob Lea stretch their legs on a late-winter hike in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains while the forest’s shadows creep out ahead of them. The Wasatch is home to many aspen stands like this, including ‘Pando,’ a 108-acre grove derived from a single root system and considered the largest single organism on Earth.” Photo: Adam Clark The Ski Journal 015
The Ski Journal Volume 16, Issue 4: Page 15
