Cody Townsend’s The Fifty – Episode 32, Silver Couloir, Mt Buffalo, Colorado
Mountainwatch | Video
In this episode of The Fifty, Cody Townsend’s project to climb and ski all the lines named in the book, The 50 Great Ski Descents of North America, Cody and filmer Bjarne Salen head to Colorado to tick off the 35th line from the book, Silver Couloir on Mt Buffalo.
Mt Buffalo is located in Summit County near Silverthorne and is easily visible from town. The summit is 3889m, the climb is 1063m , leading to a constant fall-line descent of just under 915m and it is a popular line for aspiring ski mountaineers.
In the Chillfactor podcast interview with Chris Davenport, one of the authors of the 50 Great Ski Descents of North America, Chris said they included a few “green runs” in the book, lines that are easily accessible and not overly demanding climbs. Silver Couloir may fit that criteria and that may be why Cody and Bjarne switch roles in this episode, Cody taking over the filming for the day while Bjarne is the subject.
They are joined by local ski mountaineer Teague Holmes, for a pretty straight forward tour, but the episode gives a great insight into how Bjarne and Cody work together and the strengths and weaknesses of each person’s role … although I doubt Bjarne would forget to take off the camera’s lens cap.
Stay tuned for the next episode of the Fifty in a couple of weeks.
The Fifty documents Cody Townsend’s journeys, travels, challenges and each line and mountain listed in the book, The 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America. 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. Stay up to date on Cody and filmmaker Bjarne Salen’s progress on The Fifty Instagram page.
