50 Classic Ski Descents

Just in time for the seasonal trifecta of holiday shopping, pre-ski-season powder lust, and (maybe?) a year-end bonus at work comes “50 Classic Ski Descents of North America,” a coffee-table tome with hundreds of color photos and more than 200 pages filled with words of worship to the best backcountry runs North America can offer. From classic Colorado lines and expeditionary descents in Alaska to Tuckerman Ravine out East, the book includes dozens of drool-worthy lines to put on a must-do list.

Authors and accomplished skiers Chris Davenport, Art Burrows and Penn Newhard picked several of their own favorite lines. But the book goes beyond just three guys’ opinions. The contributor list — including ski-mountaineering veterans and icons like Eric Pehota and Glen Plake — is broad enough to capture a geographic spread of a variety of epic lines throughout the United States and Canada.

Photos make this book pop to life, including aerial shots of mountains and skier’s-eye-view vantages staring down the maw of a couloir. The contributing photographer list includes Christain Pondella, Scott Markewitz, Jordan Manley, Brad Washburn, and many more.

“Fifty Classic Ski Descents,” a large-format book that costs $59, will be available from its press, Wolverine Publishing, and in book stores this month.

—Stephen Regenold