Skinning and Skiing with Big Sky Mountain Products

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with the two folks behind the climbing skins at Big Sky Mountain Products, Jackson Keogh and Eric Haferman. These upstanding young men run the business from Bozeman, Montana, where they build their manufacturing equipment, and, yup, manufacture climbing skins. Many things drew us to the company, which we'll cover in the episode, but first and foremost, these are committed skiers who develop good products and ooze a genuine, down-to-earth, and very approachable vibe. They are the kind of folks I'd be psyched to run into on the skintrack.We explore the exciting world of climbing skins, how Eric and Jackson bonded on the slopes, and their early adventures sheltering from the elements in a Cooke City-based Airstream, and their exploration of the Beartooths. If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader- and listener-supported enterprise focused on human-powered turn-making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.We’d like to thank Patagonia, Blue Ice, and ATK for supporting us.  We are also excited to announce that you can subscribe to Issues 2 and 3 of our fine print journal (The High Route journal) on our site. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to start with.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Tina Haver Currin. Here’s some background. Currin is a crusher when it comes to long-distance thru-hikes…and that may be redundant, as we assume, lacking the background knowledge, that all thru-hikes are long. Currin has completed many epic hikes, including the Triple Crown: the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Appalachian Trail. She has also taken on some mighty tough trail running/scrambling FKT challenges of late. Which is to say that Currin is out and about in the mountains. She is, however, somewhat new to touring. If you have read Issue 2 of The High Route journal (if you haven’t, you should), she wrote a great piece on learning to tour, and about friendship, and partnership titled “Uphill Both Ways.” In it, she explores learning to tour while being mentored by the writer (and splitboarder) Jon Krakauer—he probably needs no introduction.Last year, we interviewed a Los Angeles Times journalist about his experience as a newcomer to the sport. That podcast was titled “A Beginner's Dilemma.” The takeaway, as far as I was concerned, is that hearing from a newcomer can be a great learning opportunity for those with more experience. So I was compelled to have Currin on the podcast and to learn some things. Which I did. And I hope you do, too. If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader- and listener-supported enterprise focused on human-powered turn-making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.We’d like to thank Patagonia, Blue Ice, and ATK for supporting us.  We are also excited to announce that you can subscribe to Issues 2 and 3 of our fine print journal (The High Route journal) on our site. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to start with.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Matthew Tufts, a touring focused ski journalist and storyteller and photographer. To be clear, he is Vermont-raised, but at least for some of the year, he calls Revelstoke home. Tufts has roamed the dirtbag scene as a denizen in what he calls a 'cab over camper Ford," and along the way has documented the scenes and his adventures. If you have had an opportunity to read or see his work, you're likely better for it.  On The High Route site, we have featured a few projects Tufts has been involved with. We’ve reviewed Painting the Mountains, a film that highlights Tufts and his approach to capturing moments in the mountains. And last month we commented on a video doc titled A Hundred Words for Wind that details an epic ski and backpacking journey, that involved a lot of wind, around Iceland. Tufts brings the full package to his craft: he is a fine writer and photographer. So, commissioning a piece from Tufts, which we did for our third issue in print, means the words and images both shine. In that piece, which we discuss on the podcast, he explores the why regarding his drive to take deep-dive trips seeking turns onto the Southern Patagonian Icecap. If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader- and listener-supported enterprise focused on human-powered turn-making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.We’d like to thank Patagonia, Blue Ice, and ATK for supporting us.  We are also excited to announce that you can subscribe to Issues 2 and 3 of our fine print journal (The High Route journal) on our site. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to start with.

In this episode of The High Route Podcast, we feature part two of our interview with Ptor Spricenieks, a noted adventure skier, cosmic traveler, and family man who resides in La Grave, France.   Be forewarned, for the best results, please listen to part 1 of our interview, because we jump right into it in this episode. Part II of the interview jumps off after we had been discussing Spricenieks’ relationship with Peter Chrzanowski, another iconic and timeless ski mountaineer—Chrzanowski was the first person to ski Mount Robson. Spricenieks grew up in eastern Canada, became restless, and moved to Whistler for a season, where his eyes were opened to the possibilities of mountain adventure. In part 2, we get the backstory of Spricenikes’ evolution into, using his words, a “shredding dirtbag.” During which, in this state of dirtbagdom, he and Troy Jungen made their bold first ski descent of Robson’s North Face in 1995. But, of course, since this is a part of Sprecnieks’ wrinkle in time, we detour into the metaphysical, the tension between selfishness and selflessness, the danger of a crowd mentality…and the 100% this-is-good-for-you mindfulness that is backcountry touring. Parts 1 and 2, in their entirety, are like the double rainbows of the ski mountaineering podcast scene.  And for those eager to read more from Spricenieks, he writes a free-spirited Substack.Below are some select profiles of Spricenieks written over the years:Pique News—A Special Seeker in a Special PlaceSki—Running From Babylon: Ptor Spricenieks Ski MountaineerIf you are new to The High Route, we are a reader- and listener-supported enterprise focused on human-powered turn-making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.We’d like to thank Patagonia, Blue Ice, and ATK for supporting us.  We are also excited to announce that you can subscribe to Issues 2 and 3 of our fine print journal (The High Route journal) on our site. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to start with.

In this episode of The High Route Podcast, we connect with Ptor Spricenieks, a noted ski mountaineer, husband, father, cosmic traveler, guide, and Canadian of Latvian descent, who has lived with his family in La Grave, France, since 2007.There, Spricenieks has carved a life for himself with some consistent themes. And in learning about Spricenieks, who is a contrarian, anti-establishment, thoughtful, and bold thinker, one begins to wonder what exactly we’re doing on this big rock hurtling through space. And thus the name of this episode, which is part one of our interview, A Wrinkle in Time.And through time, Spricenieks has maintained a devotion to adventure skiing. Although his name is most often associated with a bold first descent of Mount Robson’s North Face with Troy Jungen in 1995, he has explored uncharted steeps across the globe. There were expeditions to Shishapanga, South America, and into the far corners of the mind. Fun fact, one which we are still exploring, Spricenieks was in the first class of inductees (2013) into the Action Sports Hall of Fame. Part one of our interview dabbles in the shamanism Spricenieks holds close and the more grounded pathway in his life, where he began skiing in Ontario, pursued an engineering degree for three years, and then the serious mind-expansion began... and with that, came a trip west to Whistler. And then there were mountains, the development of an under-the-radar style, a devotion to doing things in a minimalist fashion, and a commitment to his core values, which often collided with the ever-increasing commercialization of adventure skiing as he cut his teeth and evolved into a low-key but hard-charging pioneer.We are grateful for Spricenieks' time.And for those eager to read more from Spricenieks, he has an excellent Substack.If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader and listener-supported enterprise focusing on human-powered turn making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.We’d like to thank Patagonia, Blue Ice, and ATK for supporting us.  We are also excited to announce that you can subscribe to Issues 2 and 3 of our fine print journal (The High Route journal) on our site. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to start with.

Let’s put this out there up front. Before you listen to this episode, we don’t want any spoilers. We’ve got a conversation with Norway’s Nikolai Schirmer lined up, and we'll discuss, in some detail, his ski movie titled “The Greatest Ski Tour of all Time.” Although Schirmer is well known for his 10-15 minute short ski docs (they feel more than just YouTube videos), the movie referenced above runs a full hour and thirty-five minutes. Yes, a legit movie.We also discuss his YouTube vid “Cliff of the season, and the pinnacle of skiing,” so you might as well watch that, too. We don’t want to ruin the plot for you. If Schirmer is new to you, here are some quick facts. He’s a 34-year-old freeskier based in Tromsø, Norway. He completed law school. He is a phenomenal skier, with a penchant for accessing his lines by skinning and then, when it gets steeper, using an assortment of sharp climbing tools and sometimes snow plates. Beyond the skiing, which is usually stunning in itself, Schirmer has developed into a master storyteller. His editing cuts are anything but stale; they are crisp, embrace the full spectrum of pacing, and keep the viewer on their toes. He also understands that to keep the viewer interested, rad ski shots won’t do it alone. Viewers become invested in the human beings that populate his videos and his feature-length film. In other words, we begin to care about Schirmer and his good-natured band of friends as they romp around in the hills. Which brings us to “The Greatest Ski Tour of all Time.” The film is a meditation on Schirmer and his childhood friend, Vegard Rye, who is an IFMGA guide and medical school student. Both were upstart ski park groms, but somewhere along the way, Rye and Schirmer became motivated by different fruits: Rye sought solitude in the mountains, whereas Schirmer harnessed his creative and ski talents and became very much a modern professional skier. Someone, he claims, very early in the film, who sought awards.Well, that’s that. We don’t want to spoil the film for you, so think about watching it before listening to this episode. Lastly, we do discuss suicidal thoughts and depression in the episode. We’ll link to some suicide prevention resources in the show notes.  If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org . In life-threatening situations, call 911.If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader and listener-supported enterprise focusing on human-powered turn making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.We’d like to thank Patagonia, Blue Ice, and ATK for supporting us.  We are also excited to announce that you can subscribe to Issues 2 and 3 of our fine print journal (The High Route journal) on our site. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to start with.

In this episode, which comes fast on the heels of our last episode (we’re getting a bit ambitious over here), we explore some new research about the Safeback SBX system. The research paper we explore is titled "Respiratory Gas Shifts to Delay Asphyxiation in Critical Avalanche Burial." The research paper was published in the esteemed Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Our resident ER Doc and wilderness medicine expert, Dr. Patrick Fink, is our guest to help break down the research. Ok, what is the Safeback SBX system? Here’s how Fink explains it: “It’s a manually-triggered fan system that can be integrated into a backpack or vest that directs a flow of fresh air around a rider’s face during an avalanche burial."We have a few articles about the Safeback SBX system—you can find those stories here. If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader and listener-supported enterprise focusing on human-powered turn making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.We’d like to thank Patagonia, Blue Ice, and ATK for supporting us.  We are also excited to announce that you can subscribe to Issues 2 and 3 of our fine print journal (The High Route journal) on our site. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to start with.

This episode goes deep with Andy Lewicky. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, you’ve likely, over the years, come across his ski touring blog, SierraDescents, which, as the name suggests, covers touring and ski mountaineering in California, and more specifically, in and around Southern California. If Lewicky is new to you, his writing and thoughts are well worth the time. We ran an interview last winter, shortly after Lewicky and his family lost their home in the Palisades fire. What was clear at the time was that Lewicky has a fondness for his adopted SoCal home (he’s originally from Flagstaff), and he has stories to tell. You’ll have to read it in print, but Lewicky has penned a fine post-fire essay titled "How the Story Ends," that melds touring, fire, and finding beauty in life.Which is to say, we are psyched to have Lewicky on the podcast.  If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader and listener-supported enterprise focusing on human-powered turn making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.We’d like to thank Patagonia, Blue Ice, and ATK for supporting us.  We are also excited to announce that you can subscribe to Issues 2 and 3 of our fine print journal (The High Route journal) on our site. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to start with.

On this podcast episode, we are going all in on... ZipFit liners. Specifically, we’ll be speaking with Jeff Colt, marketing and design go-to for the company. I’m going to lead with this and then make a quick exit. This November, ZipFit will release a new touring-specific liner called the Espresso. Ok. The exit. ZipFit: What does it stand for? And what is it good for? The easy part first. Evidently, the Zip stands for Zero Pressure Injection Fit. Ok then. ZipFit liners are traditionally foamless high-end liners constructed from neoprene, microfiber, and leather. ZipFit liners also have strategically placed pouches (the tongue and left/right side of each ankle, respectively) where a cork composite can be added (and removed) to customize the fit. From my experience, the cork composite is somewhat like the cork-soled Birkenstocks: the cork molds to each individual’s specific anatomy over time. Although I spent one full season in a pair of ZipFit prototypes last season, in my experience, the cork composite does add the ability to customize and fine-tune fit. In the past, ZipFit has catered more to the list-serve community than pure ski tourists. The company does sell the GFT, a robust and +500g boot liner. Too heavy for some. Enter the Espresso—the company’s first true touring liner. As this episode’s title suggests, “The Espesso Episode,” is all about the Espresso. If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader and listener-supported enterprise focusing on human-powered turn making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.We’d like to thank Patagonia, Blue Ice, and ATK for supporting us.  We are also excited to announce that you can subscribe to Issues 2 and 3 of our fine print journal (The High Route journal) on our site. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to start with.

In this episode, Chris Kussmaul is our guest. I’ve been aware of Chirs for a few years—a friend of a friend kind of thing. He is based in Bozeman, Montana and for the part of the year when snow is not on the ground, which is actually a limited time of year in Southwestern, Montana, he works as a geology consultant. When he’s not officially working during the late fall and winter, he’s ski touring, and trying to keep his work schedule limited to almost none. But that is not to say Kussmaul isn’t keeping his eyes open, and maybe doing some work, too. He’s the author of the Peaks and Couloirs of Southwest Montana—A Guide to Backcountry Skiing in the Gallatin, Madison, Bridger, Tobacco Root and Montana Absaroka Mountains. Yes, this is a guidebook. Yup, a traditional guidebook, not an atlas, which are guidebook adjacent, and can be supremely useful, but maybe lack the leave it on the coffee-table and pick up and just read it, every now and then.Peaks & Couloirs, the short title for the book, is now on its second edition, and if it hasn’t been released by the time your listening to this, it certainly is available for order. The main reason I wanted to interview Kussmaul, is that in a very noisy digital environment regarding apps and sites and the socials, it is rare that a touring guidebook comes along that seems to hit a sweet spot. He includes, in my opinion, a good balance between disclosing information and allowing for readers to have their own adventures. This book might help you find a trailhead, understand the human context of a line/objective, it will not get you up or down or back home. That is up to you. I appreciate that a person took the time to organize this information and make a real-deal guidebook: one, I assume, that will stand the test of time. So bottom line, I wanted to learn about his process, his drive to craft an in depth guidebook that is worthy of the mighty Greater YellowStone landscape, and how he handled the pushback from those in the community who desired to keep this type of touring beta under wraps.   If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader and listener-supported enterprise focusing on human-powered turn making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.We’d like to thank Patagonia, Blue Ice, and ATK for supporting us.  We are also excited to announce that you can subscribe to Issues 2 and 3 of our fine print journal (The High Route journal) on our site. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to start with.