BY KAREN BOSSICK
“The Redline Traverse” takes on the tallest and longest ski tour in the Sierra Nevada. “What If? offers a countdown into the mind of a backcountry skier as he contemplates the balance between risk and reward.
“109 Below” traces the story of how an attempted rescue on Mount Washington in 1982 changed the course of two climbers’ lives and the rescuers who attempted to save them, along with the future of prosthetics. And “Beyond Begbie” explores the indigenous heritage of a mountain climb that is a rite of passage for many contemporary residents of Revelstoke.
These are some of the films you’ll be able to see on Saturday during the 19th annual Backcountry Film Festival.
The festival, presented by Winter Wildlands Alliance and hosted by the Nordic and Backcountry Skiers Alliance of Idaho, will take place Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Sun Valley Opera House. Doors open at 6 p.m. with an opportunity to buy raffle tickets for outdoor gear and take advantage of free giveaways.
The films start at 7 p.m.
Tickets, which cost $20, can be purchased online at www.ticketstripe.com/bcff-SV-2024 and at the door, pending availability. Proceeds from ticket sales will support the Nordic and Backcountry Skiers’ Alliance of Idaho and will include free membership to the Alliance, an advocacy group.
The Alliance is a not-for-profit organization formed 20-plus years ago to preserve and protect a quiet, non-motorized winter recreation experience for backcountry skiers, track skiers, snowboarders and snowshoers. Locally, it helped hammer out an agreement between skiers and snowboarders to prevent user conflicts along the Nordic trails in the Baker Creek area and other areas north of Ketchum.
The Backcountry Film Festival features cinematic stories of outdoor stewardship, backcountry adventure and snow cinema by human power. Films are shown in a hundred-plus cities every year and the funds raised stay in the local community to support human-powered recreation and conservation efforts, winter education and avalanche/safety programs.