This fourteener project is of a truly unique scope. Not only are the peaks singularly difficult in and of themselves, but the logistics of getting to them and skiing them safely, given Colorado's excellent snow year, is fairly mind-boggling.

According to Chris' press release..

There are 54 rugged mountain peaks in Colorado over 14,000 feet, and in 2006, professional freeskier Chris Davenport plans to be the first ski them all in a single season. Two-time World Champion Davenport's work in ski films and success in big mountain contests ranks him among the best alpine athletes on skis today. He's also made a career out of leading first descents in mountain ranges around the world. But now the Aspen/ Snowmass based Davenport is turning to his own backyard in search of his greatest challenge yet: to ascend to the highest points in Colorado and ski down through some of the most demanding backcountry in the Rockies.

Davenport is a uniquely qualified explorer who will draw upon his backcountry savvy to assess avalanche danger and impending weather conditions before making his ascent. Once he reaches the summit, he'll work with a team of cinematographers and photographers to capture amazing, undiscovered lines in heart of Ski Country, USA. During the often-dangerous winter months, Davenport hopes to ski four to seven 14ers a month. Then, with the deep spring snowpack working in is favor, Davenport will embark on a ski mountaineering marathon and ski an unprecedented succession of steep 14-plus peaks. Descending just one of these mountains presents incredible risks: a single misstep or miscalculation about the snowpack can lead to injury and death. As a husband and father of two, Davenport doesn't take the dangers lightly. But like so many, he can�t resist the allure of these wild peaks.

Colorado's 14ers are some of the highest, most remote corners of the Lower 48. Hiking these peaks in summer has become a national passion as thousands of outdoor enthusiasts flock to Colorado searching for what you can only find way above tree line. By skiing these peaks in a single winter, Davenport will heighten awareness about these natural treasures. Each 14er is a high-alpine refuge, and Davenport's hopes that his journey into these backcountry ski sanctuaries will inspire a new generation of snow-sport mountaineers.

Only one other ski-mountaineer has laid tracks from the summit, down all 54 mountains over 14,000 feet in Colorado, the legendary Lou Dawson. Lou took fourteen years to complete the task. Davenport plans to start skiing these formidable peaks on January 1, and continue making descents for as long as the snow holds out.

The 'Ski The 14ers' project will be documented in several interesting ways. Davenport will be authoring a 'coffee table' style book on the project, with the contributions of various professional photographers who will accompany him on the mountains. To date, no one has documented these peaks from a skier's perspective, and Davenport hopes to inspire others with the imagery and writing in the book. Chris is also working on www.skithe14ers.com his personal blog and information site for the project. The site will have photos, maps, routes, and updates from each ski descent during the project. People will be able to register their email addresses to receive email updates each time a new peak is descended. Skithe14ers.com will remain after the project is completed as a resource for anyone wanting information on skiing 14ers, and will have the first-of-it's-kind ski descent registry, where skier's can log their ski descents for others to see and reference. The third creative element of this project is a documentary film, shot in 16mm, and directed and produced by award-winning cinematographer Ben Galland, of Santa Cruz, CA. The crew will produce separate versions for television and the film festival circuit.

There is no doubt that this is not a feat to be taken lightly. As was mentioned above, only one person in history has skied all 54 fourteeners. It took Lou Dawson over 13 years to accomplish his quest, however, Lou certainly didn't have the sponsor support that Davenport will receive. Check out last year's interview with Lou Dawson here..

This promises to be a banner year for Colorado fourteener skiing. Not only is Chris' project on center stage, but more quietly, fellow Backcountry Access athlete Sean Crossen is trying to become the second person to ski all the fourteeners as well. Sean has skied over fifty of the peaks in the last few years.

As Biglines' USA home is in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, we are really stoked to see how Chris' project and subsequent movie comes out. There is no doubt that Colorado has some incredible backcountry skiing to offer, and a project of this magnitude is likely to bring some serious attention to a fairly untouched area.

I spoke with Chris, and while high winds and avalanche danger have pushed back the start past January 1st, he plans on getting things rolling at his first opportunity. Keep an eye out on Biglines and skithe14ers for updates on the project.