Idaho has nine 12,000+ foot peaks: Borah, Leatherman, Mt. Church, Diamond, Mt. Breitenbach, Lost River, Mt. Idaho, Donaldson, and Hyndman. In the winter of 2016-17, Teton Valley resident Mark Ortiz skied all of them, and evidence indicates he’s the only person ever to have done so.
All but two of the peaks are in the Lost River Range in central Idaho. The Lost River Range is home to Borah, Idaho’s tallest mountain ,and has distinctive geology that creates layer-cake-like bands of cliffs on its peaks. Diamond Peak is in the Lemhi Range just east of the Lost River Range, and Hyndman is a bit to the southwest in the Pioneer Range.
Ortiz, who migrated east from Boise half a dozen years ago, said that at the start of every winter he throws together a list of ski objectives to whittle away at through the season. The nine peaks found their way onto his list, and the weather proved to be ideal for chasing big lines when the snowpack stabilized in the spring. Last year’s list had 41 ideas, most of which he described as “a little outlandish.”
He documented his mission and edited it down to a 12-minute slice of big mountains and raffish charm. The film will be featured at the Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival at the Wildwood Room, at 7705 Lupin Drive in Victor, this Friday, Jan. 12.
Ortiz had partners for only a couple peaks and attempted the majority of his missions solo.
“I didn’t want to drag people along for a misadventure,” he said.
There was limited beta available for most of the peaks. Borah and Leatherman are skied relatively often (for mountains in sparsely populated areas of Idaho, anyway) but the others required a lot of research and a good deal of wandering around.
“It added to the allure of the mission,” Ortiz said about the uncertainty.
He said Mt. Idaho was the coolest ski line, one he would actually recommend to other skiers. Some of the other peaks were a little less enticing. Mt. Church, the last summit on his checklist, required a 15-mile bike ride to the trailhead because Ortiz’s minivan didn’t have the clearance to attempt the access road. Then he faced an eight mile walk through grasslands and scree fields, in spring when river crossings were at their highest.
Several peaks took multiple attempts. He finally skied from the summit of Lost River Peak on his birthday, after three tries.
“It’s a good thing I’m stubborn as s---,” he said.
Ortiz, who can often be found throwing 360s at Grand Targhee with dreadlocks flowing from underneath his helmet, works at Anicca Bags and skis on Segos.
His priority isn’t stellar filmmaking or a bigger message.
“It’s about skiing first and foremost,” he said. One word of caution: there may or may not be nudity in the film.
He will continue making short edits and films and plotting out more peak bagging and general shenanigans.
Admission to the film festival, which is sponsored by NOLS Teton Valley, is $10, and the doors open at 5:30 p.m. Films start at 7. Beer, wine and dinner will be available for purchase. Proceeds support Teton Valley Trails and Pathways in its human-powered recreation and conservation efforts.
