Mountains can have a certain energy to them and the mountain called Split, located in the High Sierra Mountain Range in eastern California, has an energy with a dark side. Split Mountain is a 14,000-foot peak with a perfect couloir dividing two prominent summits. Visually, it’s a line that begs to be skied yet is guarded by a series of icefalls, rock steps, and blue ice patches that make it extremely challenging.

On top of that, the towering walls of the couloir present a significant rockfall hazard along with an upper basin that can create dangerous avalanche conditions. It’s a line that requires patience, perfect timing, and many, many attempts. Over the last 4 years, Cody Townsend, Nick Russell, and cinematographer Bjarne Salén have been waiting, trying, scoping, and learning about the history of this line, its moods, its conditions, and its energy to successfully, and safely, ski it.

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The FIFTY is a project following Cody Townsend as he attempts to climb and ski all fifty of the lines and mountains chronicled in the book, "The 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America". The series documents Townsend's journeys, travels, challenges, and each line and mountain listed in the book. It's a journey through the most majestic mountains and ski lines in North America along with a unique insight into how skiers make decisions in the backcountry, how they plan, navigate, and safely move through the mountains along with the people that dedicate their lives to the mountains.

Line #1: Messner Couloir

Line #2: Mt. Superior

Line #3: Terminal Cancer

Line #4: Hypodermic Needle

Line #5: Mt. Currie

Line #6: Aemmer Couloir

Line #7: Joffre Peak

Line #8 Attempt: The Sphinx

Line #8: Spearhead Traverse

Line #9: Giant Steps Couloir

Line #10: Grand Teton

Line #11: Landry Line

Line #12: Middle Teton

Lines #13-14: North Maroon & Holy Cross Couloir

Line #15: Mt. Tukuhnikivatz

Line #16: Wilson Peak

Lines #17-18: Meteorite Mountain & Pontoon Peak

Line #19: Watson Traverse

Line #20: Mt. Shasta

Line #21: Mt. Timpanogos

Line #22-23: Mt. Washington

Line #24: Mt. Shuksan

Line #25: McGown Peak

Line #26: The Sickle

Line #27: Mt. Moran

Lines #28-30: Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, & El Dorado Peak

Line #31: Mt. Stimson

Line #32: Castle Peak

Line #33: Mt. Whitney

Line #34: Devil’s Bedstead

Line #35: Silver Couloir

Line #36: The Patriarch

Line #37 Attempt: Mt. St. Elias

Line #37 Attempt: Comstock Couloir 

Line #37: 7 Steps to Paradise

Line #38: The Sphinx

Line #39: Uber Tour

Line #40: Bugs to Rogers Traverse Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3

Line #41: Combatant Couloir

Line #42: Skyladder

Line #43: Mt. Columbia