Sammy Carlson drops his latest film project Vision and this time is purely POV. Turns out he’s still the king of the backcountry.

10/10/23 - This week’s stoke:

What we’re watching:

• Cody Townsend vs. The Split Couloir - Some technical ski lines just take time, and the Split Couloir deep in the High Sierra is one of them. Cody teams up with Bjarne and Nick Russell to take on #44 out of 50 on his list in the newest episode of The Fifty.

• Jim Ryan and Sam Smoothy Ski Spines in New Zealand - It’s been a good year for skiing in the NZ alps, so Jackson’s Jim Ryan went to visit his buddy Sam Smoothy and kicked off the trip shredding a rarely-in-condition spine face on Malaspina, a peak near Mount Cook/Aoraki.

• Red Bull Rampage 2023 - It’s not skiing, but it’s the closest thing to riding in Alaska that’s not on snow. Red Bull Rampage returns to Virgin, Utah on Friday the 13th for its 22nd year.

The Beta:

• Vivian Bruchez and Co. Ski First Descent in South America - French ski mountaineering icons Vivian Bruchez, Aurel Lardy, and Jules Socié are in Patagonia right now and on 9/22/23 made the second descent of a historic Andreas Fransson line named the Whillans-Cochrane on Aguja Poincenot, calling it one of steepest and scariest things any of them had ever skied. It involves 50+ degree skiing above 3000 feet of exposure. A day later, they headed back up to make the first descent of the Mini-Whillans next door.

• Snow Falls Across The Western US - Some of the first snow of the season fell across multiple states. Some have managed to get a few turns in, including the stokers over at Silverton mountain and some folks in the Sierra. Snow has also started to accumulate in the northern ranges including the Tetons.

Elevating the Craft:

• Billy Haas and Adam Fabrikant Share How to Pack For An Expedition - Gavin Hess checks in with his buddies Billy Haas and Adam Fabrikant on the The High Route podcast about efficient packing for ski mountaineering expeditions, from what skis and ropes to bring, to planning on-mountain entertainment options.

Sidetracked:

• Vermont Officially Recognizes The Birthplace of Burton Snowboards - Burton Snowboards has got to be one of the most recognized names across the snowsports industry, so much so that the state of Vermont just put up a historic marker sign commemorating the original Burton factory in Londonderry. Snowboard Mag has more.

• Freeskiing Legend and Pioneer Robb Gaffney Remembered - Dr. Gaffney passed away on September 22, 2023 after a four-year battle with cancer. He was a practicing psychiatrist, author of the the famous “Squallywood” book, and friend to many in the skiing community.