For the latest instalment of The Fifty, Cody Townsend’s web series dedicated to ski every descent from the Fifty Classic descents, Townsend teams up with Salomon Athletes Stan Rey and Alexi Godbout to tackle a mountain that anyone who has skied at Mt. Baker is more than familiar with. Mt. Shuksan, standing tall at 9,131 feet above sea level, isn’t the tallest mountain around—but it’s one that is etched in your mind from the moment you pull into the White Salmon lot.

Even for an experienced big mountain rider, there is no strikingly obvious line down the iconic peak—but if you look closer, you’ll notice a couloir and a few hanging faces that can be linked together to make what is called the “Northwest Couloir”, a true big mountain ski descent with 4,570 feet of descending in perfect powder on a good day.

For Stan Rey and Alexi Godbout, this type of big mountain riding might be a bit out of their comfort zone—the two are known more for their pillow skiing and ability to huck huge cliffs. Follow along as the team attempts to tackle the iconic peak and they encounter unexpected conditions along the way. —ML