Cody Townsend Announces the End of “The Fifty”

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members!
Download the app.

“Not the last line, just the last episode,” Cody Townsend stated about halfway through episode no. 46 in his ski mountaineering series, “The Fifty,” which was released this morning (3/20).

And that’s pretty much the gist. This is the end of “The Fifty” as we know it—there will be no more regularly scheduled programming—but Townsend made it clear that he will continue his quest as conditions and opportunities allow.

If you haven’t been following Townsend and “The Fifty,” he’s a pro skier who punctuated his freeride career in 2014 by nabbing Powder magazine’s Line of The Year award. But in a surprise turn in 2019, Townsend pivoted. Inspired by the book “50 Classic Ski Descents of North America,” he endeavored to learn the art of ski mountaineering—Townsend was previously known for accessing big mountains via a helicopter. Townsend was a nascent ski mountaineer when he announced that would repeat all 50 lines and document the journey on his YouTube channel. He sought to use the objective and his connections in the ski community to gain skills and knowledge along the way.

       Also Read: Take a Deep Dive into “The Fifty”

The Fifty now has a cult following, with fans invested in Townsend completing the goal. Back in February, SKI published a commentary by longtime contributor and ski mountaineer Matt Coté titled “Cody Townsend Should Quit ‘The Fifty’ While He’s Ahead—and Alive.’” The article raked in both praise and vitriol from Townsend’s fan base, but Townsend himself admitted that he grapples daily with balancing his and his crew’s safety against completing the remaining lines, which are arguably among the most dangerous in the series.

Even back then, Townsend told Coté that he would not die for this series, and gave no timeline for finishing it, especially considering that the final four lines are rarely in skiable shape. He even hinted that he might not officially finish, which is where he seems to have landed with today’s final episode.

“Well folks, this is it,” Townsend said from the base of California’s 12,500-foot Bloody Mountain, which will be the location of the last official “Fifty” line, Bloody Couloir.  “The adventures aren’t over, I’ll definitely still be filming in the mountains and sharing cool stuff.” He urged people to revisit the channel, where he plans to continue posting content.

As for this last episode, Townsend said that it brings ”The Fifty” project full circle. Bloody Couloir was the first big mountain line he’d ever skied some 20 years ago. He ventured out with very little ski-touring experience, in race boots and 202-cm race skis. “We literally had no idea what we were doing.”

For this final installment, Townsend brings back Greg Lindsey, who was with him on his original Bloody Couloir excursion, but this time they do it right—well, “Fifty”-style-right, with a bit of slogging to the base via SUV, e-biking, and hiking. Using plenty of video footage from the original mission mixed in with the current trek, this episode brings home just how far Townsend and crew have come, and what they’ve gained in the process.

“It’s pretty cool to come full circle and do it again with the same crew and see where we’ve all been along this route,” Lindsey commented during the episode.

Needless to say, this iteration of the Bloody Couloir line went far smoother for Townsend thanks to a ton more experience, but the joy felt at the summit, and during the descent, remains largely the same.

“Skiing is one of the most magical sports in the world because it can provide a lifetime of adventures, challenges, friends, community, and joy,” Townsend mused.  “When I started this project, I said I wanted to learn the mountains in a whole new way, and after 46 lines I can easily say I’ve learned a lot, thanks to the people, the mountains, the places, and the communities.”

Musing on his journey, Townsend ends the “final” episode with a bit of mystery and intrigue, saying that he will continue to pursue the remaining four lines on his own timeline. “Whether Bjarne (Salen) and I complete all 50 or not, that is a question I continue to seek the answer to, and one day hopefully you all will know the answer too.”

Watch the Final Episode of “The Fifty”: Line No. 46, Bloody Couloir