The FIFTY - Line 24/50 - Mt. Shuksan, WA - "Pucker Factor 100".

Standing watch above the Mt. Baker Ski Area in Washington state is Mt. Shuksan, a towering mountain that steals your eye and sends shivers down your spine. Its glaciated terrain is always moving, letting loose torrential avalanches at a moment's notice. Its northern faces are steep, wild and fraught with peril. It takes perfect timing along with a union of perfect conditions to ski it. After ten years of waiting for that union, the time has come. Having spotted a solid weather and stability window, the Fifty crew camps out at the legendary Mt. Baker Ski Area parking lot and is joined by fellow Salomon athletes Stan Rey and Alexi Godbout for an attempt to ski the steep and heavily exposed Northwest Couloir. While conditions seemed perfect from afar, the mission gets thrown into jeopardy by a sudden shift in winds and a whole lot of question marks.
This is Episode 24 for The FIFTY, and line 24 completed by Cody Townsend. 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 journey's, 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 and the people that dedicate their lives to the mountains.
Title Screen Photo by: Jason Hummel Photography.
GEAR Used Throughout The FIFTY:
Salomon QST 106: alnk.to/6bRkaUX
Salomon MTN Binding: alnk.to/dLdUm1C
Salomon Carbon S3 Poles: alnk.to/87VEXX0
Yeti Rambler 20oz: alnk.to/gzS237q
Swatch BioCeramic: bit.ly/3gQhCzo
Hyperlite Porter 5400: bit.ly/3XJVCHC
Smith Summit Helmet: alnk.to/ehYjxBD
Smith Wildcat: alnk.to/d3ySqO7
Smith Pursuit Glacier Glasses: alnk.to/7M6hfmL
Smith Squad Mag: alnk.to/hDmzW2F
LeBent Cody Pro Sock: alnk.to/cHJmtdU
LeBent Base Layer: alnk.to/58mMi9D
Arcade Capture Belt: alnk.to/4MxozAr
Mammut Carbon Probe 280: alnk.to/cHJmtfT
Mammut Alugator Pro Light: alnk.to/8iQpWSn
Mammut Barryvox S: alnk.to/2uDpzVA
Pomoca Free Pro 2.0: alnk.to/aeUKJS9
Thule Duffle: alnk.to/9IatNqU
Thule Ski Bag: alnk.to/gKMN24C
Hestra Falt Guide Glove:
Hestra Overmitt:
Hestra Merino Touchpoint Liners:
Honey Stinger Energy: bit.ly/3sPpX9g
Strainge Beast Kombucha: bit.ly/3sK6vLj
TinCup Whiskey: bit.ly/3FvbSpb

[@jeffrochford2183]

Here's hoping you've actually secretly completed the 50 and will be releasing about 26 more episodes over the next few weeks. Preferably daily but will accept every other day.

[@CodyTownsend]

Here's hoping I did too!... Oh wait.

[@seand7603]

@@CodyTownsend lol :)

[@mountainman8129]

Dude, give him some time. Seems like a couple year journey at least. Cody, you rock, Bud! Huge balls!👍 Tap on my profile picture and check out my original songs. Playlist titled MountainMan has 13 originals and 1 Jimi Hendrix cover (Red House). All acoustic, no FX, one take, warts and all. 🙂 Give it a listen! Hope you enjoy them! ✌❤❄

[@mountainman8129]

@@CodyTownsend Read the above reply. Should have tagged you first. Sorry bro. Btw, I used to work at Copper, but A-Basin was my home mountain. Now I'm stuck in Ohio. 👎 Hope you're doing well and staying healthy! Good luck on the rest of your journey. I'll keep watching!

[@poty1]

Skill set of these pros is incredible. I like that they all are nervous when they set out. That means they’re human and respectful . The angles they’re working with are scary. Camera’s never do it Justice. Wind driven snow is lethal.

[@dmitryshusterman9494]

Skills are greater then average but not all that impressive. They are on cautious side, tho conditions are not the best

[@ameydav]

So nice to see a ski movie that shows the caution and calculations that go into skiing a mountaineering line and not just the “cliff notes”!

[@mrbalcom101]

Yes!!!! As a Bellingham local, and avid backcountry enthusiasts I've been waiting for this!!!!!

[@shustyrackleford_710]

ooooOOoOoooOo

[@jaymorf7374]

Watched the while thing through fascinated, felt like I was there. So superior to watch a content-full low-key high adventure doc as opposed to the usual 95% hype to see the five seconds you were interested in. Thanks for keeping it real.

[@katatat2030]

Exactly. I love these cause the tone is so different from most ski/climbing films out there. I've gotten tired of the super dramatic voiceover style, though it does have its place

[@janefreeman4121]

Hi. I worked at Mt. Baker ski area for years ages ago. It was great to see the view from on top of Mt. Shuksan! At the time only staff could stay over at the lodge. We cross country skied on moonlit nights often and once skied from the lodge thru the woods some miles and had arranged a car. Mt. Baker was family run by some really great folks. The chairlift operators had their tuition and books covered at WWU in exchange and it was a homey atmosphere. There were other legends at the time. Zop and an old German man who had been an Olympian. Nice memories!

[@Alex77439]

Love the tabarnak 🤣. Great video

[@robertzorromansby4129]

"taking these mini golf-shredders into something....MASSIVE"

[@somewhat7]

TABERNAC, cracked me up! never been so puckered in front of my screen at home. awesome stuff guys

[@brianharder7714]

So sweet. Hilarious to see such a classic ski mountaineering line go down on giant skis and platform bindings. Times are changing.

[@CodyTownsend]

Yup, so different than the tele bindings and skinny skis of yesteryear that used to take this line down

[@brianharder7714]

@@CodyTownsend Indeed. Can you imagine standing there getting ready to drop onto that variable wind board with your heel free, leather boots and 75mm underfoot? Catch that "NOPE train" right on out outta there.

[@mikesandydotnet]

I needed this. Pandemic, closed ski areas, closed everything really, and then a 5.7 earthquake hit SLC today. Thank you so much for this.

[@daleunroe6074]

had a beer at the end just to celebrate virtually on an epic decent ...thanks for filming and sharing the adventure

[@Bossdixon]

I need some more Bjarne in my life! Keep up the good vibes and runs!

[@dlevi67]

Yes. The real unsung hero of this series!

[@bengordon2330]

Great timing - I was beginning to get overwhelmed with the doom and gloom until you brought a glimmer of joy to the day. Thank you Bjarne and Cody. Stay safe

[@CodyTownsend]

Cheers Ben, stay safe out there.

[@UnitedElectric]

Wait to go! So great to see the decision making and go or no go calcs. Makes the trip real to us viewers. Amazing series.

[@erik.reinert]

Fantastic - that feeling when you're so amped at the bottom of the line that all you can do is babble because the lizard brain is firing so hard.

[@AuroraBoarder1]

"April blizzards bring May lizards." I've been wanting to say that since the days when snowboarders were nicknamed lizards.

[@dlevi67]

@@AuroraBoarder1 May lizards bring you April blizzards!

[@CodyTownsend]

It's a damn good feeling brought on by those lizards.

[@acpulse]

Haha, this feeling! The little run through the trees and over the hoppers into the valley after a biggun. I love that feeling, still have the adrenaline from the serious stuff and then you can play around.

[@daveemery788]

@@AuroraBoarder1 hahahahahahaha, well you got your chance. My palms are sweating after watching that line. Damn.

[@condoti]

If your episodes were even longer, I wouldn't be mad.

[@CodyTownsend]

It's a tough balance between full entertainment that seems to short and stints of boredom that make it feel too long! We've been definitely getting longer and longer overall though.

[@AuroraBoarder1]

It has LONG been a fantasy of mine to snowboard Mt. Shuksan! Now, I have an idea of what to expect. Thank you for this video!

[@BenMercer]

My son and I watch these before bed. He's never been skiing (3 years old and live in Texas) but he is already a huge fan of Cody's. Keep up the content, we love it down here!

[@iaincampbell5177]

10:54 Jimmy, you know Jimmy? Oh you don't? Just my Oscar winning pal Jimmy! My not a name-check good friend ultra legend Jimmy...

[@ratta_tat]

Haha! I caught that too!

[@scha0306]

Great filming! The alternations between first-person and super-distant zoom shots of the same moment are stunning.

[@christopherorman5769]

Great episode. There is so much that can be learned from this series about checking snow, safety, and working with your team.

[@stephenr3010]

My goodness gracious thank you for sharing 🙏 sounds crispy and sketch. Keen for any snow and/or dodgy crusty sleet after 1.75 years locked away from it in Oz!!

[@tekrunner987]

Watching this while in lock-down, thanks for the breath of (very) fresh air!

[@CodyTownsend]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@deraldgoyette1100]

Personally my favorite so far...the Peak Obsession episode was pretty hard to beat but i felt that this one was so candid and pure! absolutely felt like i was there with you guys, loved it!!! I live in the valley and have been starting to back country ski around Tahoe. I think the comments and showing of what concerns you and Bjarne when deciding to go or not is awesome! i have often told my kids (7 of them all over 22) that the talent God gives you, no matter what it is, skiing or being a brain surgeon, is for everyone else in the world your enjoyment of your own talent is a bonus...thank you for this project and sharing it with us!

[@anderslangoks3813]

I know you're safe when the background music starts playing. Thanks for a great video.

[@joemaxie4468]

super sweet line....always pumped to see a new episode...even more so now....great film work Bjarne...when pro skiers say they're "puckered" you know it;s steeeep.....love the show....makes me want to load up the gear and head West....Namaste

[@ballhockey10]

These episodes just keep getting better and better! Showing the mini-golfers how to do the big lines - hilarious.

[@dirtbagseth]

Our party actually ran into you on the arm the day you were "checking the snow" as we headed for the salmon. That hike out of the bottom never gets easier! Cheers to a great adventure! NWC still in the cross-hairs.

[@keshibi]

Epic, as always! Love the crew

[@gregreynolds391]

Bjarne outdoes himself! Maybe best episode yet and yeah, the freestylers can ski :)

[@7stanimal]

Greg Reynolds Im an ex ski racer.How insulting. Haha

[@brunospasta]

That looked like a great day out. That feeling at the end of a big line is just unreal and the video captured that feeling once again!

[@jakoblevantinus9113]

11:54: "We did it! From here on, it is just a regular triple black diamond!"

[@alexanderdinnebier8975]

Your Videos bring me so much joy! I would love for a series like this in the alps where I live...

[@DrM-1985]

So invigorating...keep on sharing these great conquests!

[@MrMimichel]

"Tabarnak" represent !

Oh yes sir, totalement haha!

[@ml242]

@ malade!

[@renaudnormand3246]

D'ou vient ce fond québécois ? Estie de criss, est bonne celle là!! À12:55...

[@alexisbeaulne9692]

@@renaudnormand3246 alexis godbout est quebecois

[@lukaleroy]

Thankfull to be able to follow your adventures! keep pushing and stay safe! Thanks Cody

[@valhellion]

You know you’re alive when The pucker factor is @ work.

[@xpez9694]

The audio score when they were checking out the snow condition at the top was very effective at creating a feeling of uncertainty.

[@paultrigger3798]

man I really love these videos. They feel so real and with amazing shots.

[@morenonesense]

That's a proud line, congrats Cody & team!

[@kevindudd3225]

Pure boss mode. Day two (of fourteen) in self isolation and that was exactly what I needed!

[@oregonroadwarrior]

Damn, Nice work. Loving all your episodes Cody

[@scotthorns5576]

Such a great highlight and distraction to view at the end of the day! Keep it rolling!!

[@scnomad3626]

Great episode. It’s not always about charging perfect snow, sometimes there’s a bit of survival skiing to get to the goods. Nicely done!

[@klubstompers]

Favorite episode!!! Especially being a WA resident. When you are up top looking south 4:55, there is just an endless amount of peaks that could be skied, most of which have never been.

[@CodyTownsend]

Agreed. The Cascades and North Cascades in general are so stacked, so deep and so inaccessible...there is lifetimes of lines out there.

[@dominikd4775]

Man this is why I love your videos. The perfect DAY. Sweating, yeehawing and beers in the end.

[@Trailsthatflow]

Great job Bjarne and Cody...love the stoke and vibe you guys put out !

[@CycleKat]

I love seeing your decision-making and Bjarne's mentorship of you and the whole crew. Such a rad line, too!

[@colinbuxton9752]

I was snowboarding baker resort a few weeks ago and saw a group on Shuksan. I like to think it was you guys! Keep up the awesome work and stay safe.

[@Jerroldjorgen]

Cody, loved it! Would also like to see a mini interview with you on your decision making on each line after completion/ group dynamics, and maybe specific gear selection. Keep up the great work!

[@neilbower123]

Well gnarly at the top of that traverse, but excellent run thereafter. Lucky boys. Great vid

[@patferris3640]

I always wondered what it would be like hiking up that and looking down. My hands and feet were sweating and my heart was racing watching this! Awesome video!!

[@itsJames0311]

These videos are my absolute favorite!

[@gratefulmedhead9816]

Did you just say "Tabernacle"??? You must have spent some time in Quebec, Canada!!!! love it!!

[@elmerroth]

Good for you guys!!! I am a regular up at Mt. Baker Ski Area and look at that glacier with awe every time I’m there. Just amazing to see the view from the other way!

[@donnelly5757]

The skiing was beyond exceptional! This video is a near perfect example of the life I dream of. Having the ability to ski steep and exposed lines would be awesome, but more importantly, being able to have the ability to establish and maintain relationships with a good group of friends to share life with would be way more awesome, which remains more elusive than ever.

[@CodyTownsend]

Agreed, the community of skiing is truly what makes it special.

[@jamesbruce2007]

Amazing line, great video Cody!!

[@alessandro.migliardi]

Great episode Cody! That was rad!

[@andrewshepherd188]

Loved the wide shots of the whole mountain while you went down

[@toastymctrigger6061]

12:56 Québec 💯 Thanks for uploading, this was very refreshing to watch.

[@rachelbishop7290]

The Bivy maps are amazing. I saw a comment about including metric measurements but even as a Canadian the visuals still make a huge difference in understanding the scale of what you're doing. Keep those in!

[@scottlink1693]

Nice job Cody and Bjarne!!!! You two are lighting the fire under a ton of asses!!!!! Thank you

[@VRR]

one of the best episodes this year! great line!

[@gwlund09]

So rad Cody...The most photographed mountain in the world that few have seen up close. As a Baker local, we've all stared at those lines wondering what they would be like. Thanks for charging it and giving us all inspiration to explore.

[@TheGomer321]

I've never skied a day in my life but these videos are beyond inspirational! Keep up the amazing stuff Cody, you are the man!

[@dlevi67]

Give it a try, you may be surprised at how fun it is even at the start. Doing stuff like this is beyond the pale of mere mortals, but it is definitely inspirational.

[@carolinehayhurst8192]

Such beautiful skiing. Amazing to hold your nerve with that exposure and crust. Looking forward to the next one, please drip feed some pleasure into sad times. Also second the call for more gear episodes on ski/binding set up - something for the down days ahead.....Stay safe

[@bigwave7207]

Wow Cody! Nice job completing such a committed line! Maybe it’s out of the scope of a short KZbin video, but it would be cool to know more about any snow stability assessments, seasonal snowpack history, and important weather trends over the course of the season in the north cascades you considered to rank your avalanche risk on that classic route.... especially since a slide would have been so consequential on those upper sections. Cheers on your success!

[@JamesJackson-jv4pf]

Gnarly Line Gents! Glad to have a glimpse of your time on the mountain. That snow did look intimidating-- especially above the exposure, but I'm glad it had some more give to it! I'm dying to head to this zone! Maybe this year, maybe not.. We'll have to see how things go. Cheers

[@lronbutters5688]

Crazy awesome!! So beautiful

[@kstark2298]

For the 3rd time I'm watching this massive effort while watching the markets(on my other screen) that have provided my living since I left ski bumming(and the adrenaline junkies I climbed with) behind in the late 80s. As always when watching your videos I get that old exposed feeling in my stomach that I left behind for a suit and tie and low angle BC efforts these days. Love the work!

[@Grizzwald720]

Glad you are keeping those edges sharp!

[@sandbox390]

Sweet crew! Stan and Alexi always bring the stoke.

[@fernandog.aguirre2791]

Stan always brings that extra energy! Well done guys, amazing and experienced skiers! This was no joke, a real legs burning experience. Great job and thanks for sharing! Cheers from Maui!

[@CodyTownsend]

Our pleasure!

[@georgemyers8750]

Mt Shuksan One of the best ski area parking lot views. Cody, awesome to see this video, thank you. Sporty line. Nice to see the mid-line consult with Bjarne. Shows how solid of a partner he is with all of his steep skiing experience (chamonix and worldwide)...Just go there on the left next to the rocks..

[@mikepeters4962]

Love the work up on these lines. Nice work boys! Bagged the NWC! Have enjoyed following!

[@donziperk]

Great line guys. The west coast mountain range has some most epic lines. It is so rugged from Alaska to Washington. I spent 40 years all over the backcountry around Whistler just epic. Would have loved to ski those areas around Baker. It was in the view from my house in White Rock.

[@bc527c]

Wow. Excellent work, the skiing and the film.

[@CodyTownsend]

Thank you very much!

[@mattbobsong680]

That’s some incredible stuff

[@marki7275]

That was cool. Nicely done.

[@alpinejonny]

Goddam.... this is the best series ever produced for youtube. I'm not even biased.

[@CodyTownsend]

I agree and I'm super biased.

[@WhiteRockBoy]

looked up there for years, love seeing it up close!

[@CodyTownsend]

Cheers!

[@fxo1024]

Great vid! Superbly shot, thanks for letting us ride along.

[@CodyTownsend]

🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@olympiclinic]

"Just keep skiing until it doesn't make any sense."

[@alancrawford7407]

Great series that has inspired this older meadow skipper to do more exploration and enjoy the Type 2 days! Really like the uphill focus. Oh, and the Le Bent touring socks are great. Highly recommended. I have two pairs with combined 70+ touring days this season and no sign of wear (socks or feet).

[@rsnowdozer]

Always believe in your dreams cause it's possible, one day, that one of them becomes true. Obviously the hit the jackpot Cody ! :-) Well done, this mountain looks awesome to ride on. As we're locked in due to COVID19 these images make me escape from this sad reality. Thanks a lot for that and all these dream lines you show us. Take care (and hello to Elyse and TheoTheBrave). :-D

[@Creeder991]

This is spectacular. Great job guys. The videography is awesome. I like that you guys were commenting and describing the run while going down, capturing the slope from many cameras and different angles, not much music either. Thank you for sharing

[@CodyTownsend]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@swladimirov]

Epic... Amazing lines that pnw has to offer, unbelievable...

[@AlbaAdventures]

And we have to say it was so cool for us to meet with Stan and Alexi last year at IF3. We hope to be back there this year with a segment of our family series.

[@mpreiss7780]

Cool, climbed up it couple times in winter in the 90's and thought of the ski down it but as I was scraping my crampons hitting rock on that upper traverse I thought not. yeah that's a very exposed section and fairly steep (50-55) One of the great mountains of the cascades

[@DanyRivard]

Tabarnaque, it's awesome!

[@nickkoszewski6467]

Found “The Fifty” last fall by chance and love the episodes. Takes on more meaning since our sole week-long trip out west to ski this year has fallen prey to covid. Just hope we get a shot to go next season. Keep the episodes coming.

[@pagehenkelchance4508]

Nick Koszewski May take a literal shot but hope you get to do everything you desire.

[@nickkoszewski6467]

Page Henkel Chance Thanks. Have no illusions about what may lie ahead for our country but certainly hope that one day folks can again feel the excitement of being on-piste and carving a turn on a sun-splashed slope. Stay safe.

[@jimross8101]

I really appreciate this video... It made my morning watching this while stuck at home. It is also the reason I tell people not to follow random ski tracks, you never know where you will end up. Keep up the great work and hopefully we will all be back skiing soon.

[@CodyTownsend]

it's a golden rule of Europe...never follow tracks.

[@TonyCorsaro]

Fun! Bjarne rocks. I’m guessing one more b4 you had to shutdown. Bummer. Adding the couple minutes of tech talk with the satellite overlays is a winner. Keep it up boys!

[@zcektor5365]

thank you so much for this video

[@pakaskwa]

I’ve been to Baker many times and I know Shuksan is tough! You guys are crazy! I enjoyed the ride on my sofa!

[@CodyTownsend]

So good. Thanks!

[@AlbaAdventures]

Hey Cody this another amazing episode!

[@juliomonasteriobacarizo3629]

UN MAGNIFICO REPORTAJE Y GRAN TRABAJO FOTOGRAFICO.

[@kwokdog]

Videos getting me through the quarantine man. Thanks. Also didn't know you were from Squaw. See you on the slopes!

[@endurok39pnw]

Awesome! Looks like a great time. The shotguns at the end. Classic.