Nature Science

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ACCOUNTS OF BEAUTIFUL SNOW NOW

by Jeff Curtes. Image from Chasing Epic: The Snowboard Photography of Jeff Curtes.

We kick off our week of Beautiful Snow with a curated collection of 9 new books and 1 new film on the subject. From rapturous ski slopes to snow art, cozy up next to the fire with a cup of cocoa, and enjoy!

1. CHASING EPIC: THE SNOWBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY OF JEFF CURTES

Photographer Jeff Curtes’s gorgeous snowy images were first published in 1992, and he’s been shooting masterpieces ever since.

Chasing Epic: The Snowboard Photography of Jeff Curtes, is a collection of some of the most incredible photos of snowboarders as they carve and catch air amidst the most remarkable snowy slopes and half pipes.

The principle snowboarding photographer of Burton Snowboarding until 2012, Curtes lives and breathes snowboarding, and his images reflect his beautiful passion.

AMMO Books (2014)

2. ALPINE EXPOSURES

Photographer Jon Griffith has compiled ten years of stunning photographs of the magnificent snowy mountains of the Alps, Patagonia, Alaska, and the Himalayas in Alpine Exposures.

Vertebrate Publishing (2014)

3. POWDER: THE GREATEST SKI RUNS ON THE PLANET

If you’re a skier, then Powder: The Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet, by Patrick Thorne, will totally delight you. A beautiful guide to the most heavenly runs on the planet, this book is sure to inspire you with its collection of both well known trails in Chamonix, Whistler and Jackson Hole, and little known ski runs in the Himalayas, the Atlas Mountains.

Put these snowy slopes on your bucket list: Mt St Elias, Alaska; Whitehorn 2, Lake Louise, Canada; Inferno, Murren, Switzerland; Tortin, Verbier, Switzerland; Aiguille Rouge, Les Arcs, France; Klein Matterhorn Descent, Cervinia, Italy; Lyngen Peninsula, Norway; Sochi Olympic Downhill, Rosa Khutor, Russia; Mizuno no Sawa, Niseko, Japan; Everest, Mt Everest, Nepal; The Motatapu Chutes, Treble Cone, New Zealand; Fast One, Mt Buller, Australia; Mt Vinson, Antarctica.

Quercus Publishing Plc (2014)

4. ALONE IN ANTARCTICA: THE FIRST WOMAN TO SKI SOLO ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ICE

In modern times it sometimes feels as if the age of exploration is over. Felicity Aston disagrees. The first woman, and only the third human, to ever ski across Antarctica, Aston tells her beautiful story in Alone in Antarctica: The First Woman To Ski Solo Across The Southern Ice.

Aston, a physicist and meteorologist, did not use parasails and kites, as her predecessors did, to make her solo journey. She simply skied, alone, for two months. She was challenged not only by the physical difficulty, but by constant hallucinations brought on by the vast whiteness. Her story is beautiful and powerful.

"A quick-reading account of a spectacular and appalling journey." —Kirkus

Counterpoint (2014)

5. FIFTY PLACES TO SKI AND SNOWBOARD BEFORE YOU DIE

Fifty Places to Ski and Snowboard Before You Die, by Chris Santella, is sure to satisfy your craving for ski nirvanas. A perfect compiled list of the fifty best locations for downhill adventures, this book provides expert testimony as well as stunning photographs.

The book includes looks at the Chugach Mountains (Alaska); Aspen, Crested Butte, and Steamboat Springs (Colorado); Tuckerman Ravine (New Hampshire); Rusutsu (Japan); Chamonix (France); Portillo (Chile); and Whistler Blackcomb (British Columbia).

Based on interviews with leading experts, including Tommy Moe, Jonny Moseley, Billy Kidd, and Greg Harms, you’ll get a beautiful sense of each location and a burning desire to hit the slopes.

Stewart, Tabori and Chang (2013)

6. SIMON BECK: SNOW ART

Environmental artist Simon Beck makes incredible art with snow, using his feet.

A graduate of Oxford University Engineering, Beck creates gorgeous and complex geometric shapes in the pristine snow, wowing his fans. Ten years of his work is collected in this volume, Simon Beck: Snow Art, and you don’t want to miss it.

Beck’s drawings cover an area of 1 to 4 hectares (corresponding to 2 to 8 soccer fields) and take up to 12 hours to complete and demand a walk of 20 to 30 kilometers in the snow - wearing snowshoes.

Check out more of his work in our post here.

S Editions; 1st edition (2014)

7. ICELAND

Iceland, by Dawn Goulde, is a gorgeous photographic read. Goulde takes the reader across the entire country with her breathtaking photography. With stunning landscapes and of course incredible snow, you’ll feel like you’ve left your seat with this amazing find.

Blurb (2014)

8. THE LOG OF A SNOW SURVEY: SKIING AND WORKING IN A MOUNTAIN WINTER WORLD

The Log of a Snow Survey: Skiing and Working in a Mountain Winter World, by Patrick Armstong, details a survey trip in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where mountain snow provides the greatest source of fresh water.

The men and women surveying regularly ski across 12,000 foot passes, through some of the most stunning mountain terrain found anywhere in the world. At night, they must dig into rock and log cabins for shelter.

Armstrong brings his reader into this beautiful world with his detailed account and practical advice, ranging from avalanche assessment to wood stove cooking.

If you love snow, you won’t want to miss this.

Abbott Press (2014)

9. THE FALL LINE: HOW AMERICAN SKI RACERS CONQUERED A SPORT ON THE EDGE

For years, American skiers were unable to compete with Europeans. The competition was just too intense.

The Fall Line: How American Ski Racers Conquered a Sport on the Edge, by Nathaniel Vinton, tells the story of the skiers that changed the game, putting America on the map and changing downhill racing into a much more exciting event.

As the sport grew more dangerous with new technology and higher speeds, racers such as Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn led America to new heights, electrifying the competition. Nathaniel Vinton combines over a decade of research and interviews to create this beautiful snow story.

W. W. Norton & Company (2015)

10. ALMOST ABLAZE

Almost Ablaze won the Film of the Year at the 2014 International Freeski Film Festival, and its no wonder why. With gorgeous cinematography and thrilling athletes, Almost Ablaze brings the viewer right into the shoes of the most incredible skiers on the planet. Each athlete is miked to further enhance the closeness.

You’ll feel like you are right there, along with the best of them, on the most spectacular snowy peaks .

Read more about Beautiful Snow, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Snow in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 02.8.15. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photo: by Jeff Curtes. Image from Chasing Epic: The Snowboard Photography of Jeff Curtes.
Image: Courtesy of Ammo Books. Chasing Epic.
Image: Courtesy of Vertebrate Publishing. Alpine Exposures.
Image: Courtesy of Quercus Publishing. Powder: The Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet.
Image: Courtesy of Counterpoint. Alone in Antarctica.
Image: Courtesy of Stewart, Tabori, and Chang. Fifty Place to Ski and Snowboard Before You Die.
Image: Courtesy of S Editions. Snow Art.
Image: Courtesy of Blurb. Iceland.
Image: Courtesy of Abbott Press. The Log of a Snow Survey: Skiing and Working in a Mountain Winter World.
Image: Courtesy of W. W. Norton & Company. The Fall Line: How American Ski Racers Conquered A Sport on The Edge.
Image: Courtesy of Teton Gravity Research. Almost Ablaze.
Photo: by Jeff Curtes. Image from Chasing Epic: The Snowboard Photography of Jeff Curtes.
Photo: by Jeff Curtes. Image from Chasing Epic: The Snowboard Photography of Jeff Curtes.