Due to the restrictions of shooting with film companies, I like to use remote-triggered cameras that can capture the skiers innocently. There are many ways to drop into the intimidating S & S couloir, named after the two infamous ski patrollers Charlie Sands and John Simms, who initially acid-dropped the entrance. Todd Ligare preferred the casual wall ride while I captured two angles, with the POV winning over the long shot. Shot on location with TGR.

Finding the Angle

Greg Von Doersten’s visual journal of Jackson Hole

Framed

Photos by: Greg Von Doersten

Words by: Heather Hansman

The h is the height of the pile of powder, and the d is the diameter. Using a scientific calculator, multiply the height by two and divide this value by the diameter. Then, hit the inverse tan key or tan 1, and the answer is calculated. This will give you the angle of repose. In snowsports, 38 degrees is the slope angle when it starts to be extra exciting for skiers and snowboarders to enjoy. Various factors, including water moisture, temperatures, and wind, determine if the snow will adhere to a slope. For instance, wet maritime snow will stick to near-vertical faces, making it possible to ski slopes exceeding 50 degrees. But skiing beyond the angle of repose adds danger if you’re skiing in the backcountry.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the angle of repose.

It’s the maximum angle that a slope will hold snow, the degree where avalanches start to slide, and where skiing gets exciting — a flash point of physics and weather. It’s also the name of Jackson Hole-based photographer Greg Von Doersten’s premiere fine art coffee table book, an artistic exploration of life in the mountain that captures the gravity-fed feeling of skiing.

On June 15th, 1971, Bill Briggs claimed the first descent of Grand Teton, Wyoming’s iconic and highest peak with its 13,775 feet (4,199 meters). Briggs, portrayed in his original ski and climbing gear, is considered the father of extreme skiing in the United States. He went on to make the first descents of other mountains in the Tetons, including the Middle Teton, South Teton, Mount Moran, and Mount Owen. His first descent of the Grand Teton is often noted as the single crystallizing moment in American big mountain skiing. Originally shot for a story by Powder Magazine in the October 2003 issue (Volume 32, Issue 2) “Mountain Men, North America’s best ski mountaineers.”

Doug Coombs captured in my makeshift studio/bedroom with natural light and one reflector at my house in Jackson. It was shot on a white seamless backdrop using a Mamiya 645 medium format camera with T-Max 400 pushed to 800 ISO for a personal project on ski mountaineers back in the Spring of 2002. The late Coombs was a legendary force in the skiing world and a regular of the big mountain skiing scene in Jackson Hole, helping to found Valdez Heli-Ski Guides (and the heli-skiing industry) in Alaska in 1994 and twice winning the World Extreme Skiing Championships in 1991 and 1993.

Fifty-eight-year-old Von Doersten has been one of the preeminent photographers in the outdoor world for more than three decades. He says the angle of repose also functions as a tipping point for his philosophy about photography. “I think it’s like a lot of my work — coming up with something that’s a solid foundation, which has an angle, theme, and narrative, and then seeing where it fell,” he says.

Angle of Repose, the book, was assembled by a crack team of ski media luminaries, including Powder Magazine former editor Derek Taylor, book designer Tyler Hartlage and longtime photo editor David Reddick. “He’s one of the hardest working photographers I’ve ever met,” Reddick says, who worked with Von Doersten for 30 years on various Powder Magazine assignments. “He always wants to get a shot that hasn’t been seen before from a place that hasn’t been seen before. Nothing is off limits for him.”

The book is both a philosophical commentary and a love letter to Jackson Hole, a place that’s shaped Von Doersten as a photographer and a person. He first came to the Tetons as a 10-year-old camper. “Coming to the mountain and the rivers of Wyoming at an early age left an indelible impression on me,” he says. “For me, it just really brought the sense of adventure and taught me self-confidence.”

After college at the University of Montana, GVD, as his friends call him, returned to Jackson and jumped into the world of guiding and outdoor sports. He’d picked up his first camera in school, which became an asset when he headed out on big adventures, like the cowboy days of heli-skiing in Alaska and the first foreign film trips by Teton Gravity Research. In the ‘90s, he started taking photos of pioneering big mountain skiers like Doug Coombs, Jeremy Nobis and Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, documenting expeditions to far-off places. That led him to regular work for brands like The North Face, Patagonia and Red Bull, as well as publications such as Powder Magazine, Outside, The New York Times, and National Geographic.

I had never heard of “Front Flip Bob,” but his name and legacy of dropping into some of Jackson Holes’s heaviest lines were unprecedented with his signature front flip. I met Bob (Kilmain) when a mutual friend introduced us. We sized up this air in less-than-ideal conditions, and within 30 seconds, Bob asked if I was ready. He casually floated his perfectly laid-out front flip into a 45-degree firm landing and skied away flawlessly. From that day onward, I will never forget Front Flip Bob and his legendary abilities.

Before drones changed the game, some athletes called me the G.O.A.T. because I’m always searching for an angle that uses land features to create unique, never before seen angles. Remembering our friend, the late, great Bryce Newcomb flashing a beautiful line in the Jackson Hole backcountry, this is one of those occasions.

But Jackson, with its range of spiny mountains, tight community, and deep pool of outdoor athletes, kept pulling him back. Jackson has changed significantly over time, but he still sees the good parts and tries to find the light. “I’m always looking for stuff out of the norm,” he says. “The one thing I didn’t want to do was repeat the angles my predecessors had used. I’m looking for something that hasn’t been done before — and that’s challenging in Jackson.”

He’s found those original perspectives through a relentless drive to experiment and find new ways to see the mountains. Greg uses his climbing background to set up angles that look like they could be shot by a drone. He says there’s no secret formula, just hard work, linking up with great athletes while trying to be unique and authentic in his approach. That takes patience and time. “You’re going up and getting skunked a lot,” Von Doersten says. “But after a while, you know the atmospheric conditions — you know where you’re going to find the light. You’re seizing the moments.”

After three decades behind the lens, Angle of Repose is a culmination of those moments and a new way for him to think about storytelling. “The last thing I want is for my career to feel static, so I’ve been trying to push my photography in more of a fine art direction.” A photo book felt like a way to get people to slow down and sink into the stories that his photos tell.

Von Doersten has achieved his objective. Even if you have never been in the mountains, you will be transported by the light, geometry and drama on the page — a compelling experience that is individual and personal — the ultimate goal of art. But GVD’s work also brings the mountains alive for those who know them intimately — which is equally impressive. You will find your fingers reaching to feel the texture of the Tetons, and the verticality of the faces will induce an elevated heart rate anticipating the lines, or perhaps a few whispers of vertigo.

Big Air maestros, Julian Carr and Owen Leeper are renowned for their cliff hucks. I wanted to mix things up and directed them to attempt a unique double cliff drop, taking off from two different points simultaneously. The boys nailed the timing with perfect form and vapor trails of snow following them for this unique image.

Mikey Marohn is a Wyoming native and one of the best non-sponsored snowboarders I’ve had the pleasure of documenting. He’s one of the hardest-working athletes I’ve met, rides under the radar and prefers to let his riding speak for itself. Shot during the 2019 Arcteryx Jackson Exposed photo contest, where I placed 3rd.

The world of photography is changing quickly, as digital cameras and smartphones give everyone a lens, and shuttered magazines mean fewer platforms. “The book is my way of being able to take charge and produce a high-quality publication that I think will be a testament to snow sports photography into the future.”

You can order the book, or some of Von Doersten’s fine art prints, at: www.gregvondoersten.com or at retailers like REI, Backcountry, and Teton Village Sports.

Through guiding rivers and skiing, I found my lifestyle and occupation through photography. Rivers are like skiing; they are the liquid equivalent of snow and require skill and decision-making to successfully negotiate the lines. Like ski photography, rivers have taken me around the world to some of the most remote parts of the globe on far-flung expeditions with some of my finest friends to witness some of the most beautiful and intense experiences of my life. Often, it’s the rivers and mountains in your backyard that are the most rewarding due to the connection and intimacy you share with them.

Raft pilot: Marissa Bobkowski Location: Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, Colorado

GREG VON DOERSTEN has been a professional photographer since the late 80s and lives in Jackson, Wyoming. Greg has done it all, from documenting the world’s largest rapids on Africa’s Congo River to sailing the Drake Passage en route to ski mountaineering in Antarctica, climbing, and skiing on some of the highest mountains on all five continents. His work has appeared in a wide spectrum of outlets and for clients, including National Geographic, Outside, Powder, Forbes, The New York Times, American Express, Microsoft, and Molson Beer. Some of Greg’s most fulfilling work has been while shooting on home soil in the Teton Mountains.

gregvondoersten.com | @gregvondoersten

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