Why the Fifty Classics Captures Our Imagination
There’s something irresistible about a good list, especially when it includes some of the most beautiful, challenging, and storied ski lines in North America. While there's certainly room to argue the merits and raison d'être for each of the lines on the Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America there is no arguing that it's a source of inspiration for skiers and riders who love the adventure of skiing interesting, challenging and hard-earned lines.
The 50 Classic Ski Descents pulls from all corners of the continent to capture the wide range of feelings we get by skiing some of North America's gems. Many of our home ranges are represented on the list, from the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, the Tetons, and Wasatch, to the Coast Range and Canadian Rockies to East Coast classics like Tuckerman's Ravine. Wilder, more remote ranges from Alaska to Baffin Island also make appearances to feed our imaginations and push our dreams.
First published in 2010, the book was put together by ski legends Chris Davenport, Art Burrows, and Penn Newhard. Stunning photography, thoughtful route descriptions, and contributions from some of the most accomplished backcountry skiers in the skiing made it much more than a list.
So, What Makes a Descent “Classic”?
This isn’t simply a list of the steepest or most difficult runs. Each descent in the book is included for a combination of reasons: aesthetics, historical significance, challenge, and sheer mountain beauty. Some, like Mt. Superior in Utah or the Grand Teton in Wyoming, are well-known icons. Others, such as Polar Star Couloir on Baffin Island or Mount St. Elias in Alaska, are remote, rarely repeated, and truly expeditionary.
What they all have in common is how memorable they are. These are the kinds of lines that stay with you, won't leave you alone and electrify your dreams. Whether you’re recounting a descent you've made or you're still fantasizing what it would feel like to lay tracks down a line like Polar Star.
The Polar Star Couloir is situated on Baffin Island, the largest island in Canada and the second largest in the Americas. As ski lines go, it's in line with the size of the island it sits on!
The Fifty Project
The Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America quickly became a household name when pro skier Cody Townsend set his sights on skiing all 50 Classics. Beyond simply skiing the lines, Cody created a massive video series, The Fifty, that documented each pursuit, complete with successes and failures in HD video. Cody's approach as a professional big-mountain skier-turned-ski-mountaineer drew views from a massive range of skiers who were able to visualize what these descents involve - from the trailhead up, and back down!
Cody's The Fifty highlights not just the skiing but also the planning, logistics, decision-making, and occasional failure that go into tackling big objectives. It really brought home the level of skill and experience required to tackle these massive objectives. Some lines required skill acquisition for Cody and his humble and serious (with some lighthearted humor) was a highlight of the series for a lot of people.
The most impactful revelations of The Fifty were watching elite skiers like Cody and his partners to navigate weather windows, tricky approaches, and avalanche hazards. This realistic look at what it takes to ski iconic and often very hazardous lines was refreshing, educational and just fun to watch!
To date, Cody has completed 46 of the 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America. And he's stopping there. At least with The Fifty Project. He is putting the last 4, the most involved and dangerous, on his personal tick list and removing the pressure and human factors of documenting these lines on video. I for one, applaud that as a highly responsible decision. His last 4 are doozies - South Face, University Peak (AK), Mira Face, Mt. Saint Elias (AK), Comstock Couloir, Mt. Dawson (BC), and the North Face of Mt. Robson/Yuh Hai Has Kun (BC).
With over 10,000 feet of descent, more than most Himalayan peaks, Mount Robson's North Face in the Canadian Rockies is widely considered to be the hardest of the 50 Classics. The Descent line is in red. Photo: Dylan Chen
Here's the
Complete list of the 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America
starting on the West Coast of the USA.
🐦⬛ = Routes guided by Blackbird Mountain Guides
California/Nevada
Pacific Northwest
Canada Coast Mountains
Columbia Mountains/Rockies
Alaska
Idaho/Montana
Utah
Wyoming
Colorado
The East
Looking to Get Started?
If you’re thinking about taking on your first big line, or even your first “classic,” we’d love to help. At Blackbird, many of our guides have skied descents from the book and can help you move toward your goals. Whether you’re building glacier travel skills, dialing in steep skiing technique, or looking for the right objective based on your experience level, we’re here to support your progression.
The mountains are calling. The only question is which one comes next.
About the Author
Zeb Blais is an IFMGA Mountain Guide and AIARE Avalanche Course Leader based in Truckee California. He loves all the disciplines of mountain guiding - ski, rock and alpine climbing - but skiing is his first love. In the winter he enjoys backcountry skiing, guiding local and international ski trips, and teaching avalanche courses across the west coast, from Bishop, California to Mt Baker, Washington.