All Images: Weston Shirey
Cody Townsend is one of the most recognizable names in skiing at the moment. He’s been a regular in Matchstick Productions’ annual flicks since 2005’s The Hit List, has wowed mass audiences with his fast, fluid approach to big-mountain skiing and won over the hearts of ski enthusiasts the world over with his low-key demeanor and charisma. Last season, he announced his most ambitious project to date, the goal to ski all fifty lines in the beloved book, 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America, by Chris Davenport, Art Burrows and Penn Newhard.
In episode 18, Cody Townsend ticks off line 16 on the most famous mountain in the world that no one knows about. Just outside of Telluride, Colorado, sits Wilson Peak in the heart of the San Juan Mountains. Thinking this peak looks familiar? Probably because you’ve seen it hundreds of times on the side of Coors Light cans. That’s right, Wilson Peak is the mountain that turns blue when your brew is cold.
Wilson was the last objective of a month-long slog bagging some of the hardest lines in the United States, and Townsend and videographer Bjarne Salén were gassed. With Telluride local, Greg Hope, Anton Sponar and Weston Shirey along for the mission, Townsend and crew looked forward to a nice warm spring walk in the San Juans. But, as the team learns, a sunny day doesn’t necessarily equate to toasty temperatures.
