Few features define coastal Alaska skiing like its runneled spines—sharp, distinct features that blanket the mountain like curtains. Within CPG’s heli tenure, a handful of these faces exist, and each carries a near-mythic reputation. When the weather, snowpack, and light align, they become the ultimate prize for both athletes and photographers.
In the spring of 2022, that alignment happened. A film crew working with CPG found themselves staring at a perfectly lit, well covered face known as Velvet Curtain. The air was calm, the snow stable, and the light spilling across the face revealed every subtle contour of the slope. After a calculated assessment, the team elected to ski the face, and photographer Katie “Lo” Lozancich captured a sequence of Michelle Parker that was later selected as the cover of the 2023 Backcountry Magazine Photo Annual.
Meet Katie and Michelle
The Project: Nexus
Katie: This photo was shot for the Nexus ski film, a feature film that showcased the stories of five groups of female skiers. It wasn’t the first all-women’s ski film out there, but it was the first all-women’s ski film directed and shot by a female creative team—which was pretty groundbreaking. My role with the film was producer and photographer.
Michelle: We were on location in Girdwood with CPG (my choice Alaskan Heli Operation) filming for Nexus. Nexus felt like the first of it’s kind. Full female crew behind the lens and in front. The film captured relationships in the mountains and to the mountains beautifully. We were in town with high hopes of scoring stable snow and sun while shooting in one of my favorites ranges.
Katie: We dreamt up the film over beers, then decided to make a pitch deck, and just kept at it for two years. Our initial hope was to have enough support to do something like a heli-skiing trip so that our film could be on par with “stereotypical” ski films. Looking back, it’s meaningful that all our hard work came together, allowing us to film in Girdwood with the Chugach Powder Guides team.
“We flew around the corner and saw Velvet Curtain in all her glory.”
Michelle: We had gotten out on numerous days leading up to this day and that is always a lucky thing. Getting the opportunity to warm up and wrap our minds around skiing in Alaska again is super helpful for the day of all days. Fortunately, we got that opportunity and when we flew around the corner and saw Velvet Curtain in all her glory looking absolutely stunning I knew I was ready to ski.
Katie: When I saw the line, I knew I wanted to shoot it from the barby angle—head-on—that way it would look as it skied: steep and gnarly. When you shoot a line like this from the bottom up, it can sometimes make it look less steep and distort the perspective.
Michelle: We landed on the shoulder looking directly across at the slope. From that angle, I remember the slope appearing to be incredibly steep. I studied the line and in doing so decided where I would shed my slough from each turn. I was initially super intimidated. We then bumped a camera person to another ridge that had a perfect view of the slope. From this additional angle, I felt confident. It was clear that you could ski this clean and that the slough wouldn’t be a problem as the exit was a huge shield that would protect you from any moving snow above.
Katie: It had some beautiful cross light from the setting sun, which helped backlight the photo, really making the highlights and shadows pop. We posted up until the athletes dropped, and it was this little exposed ridgeline with a small section for us to walk around on. With this line, I was drawn to the crazy textures in the snow and decided to shoot vertically to emphasize the repeating vertical lines. I’ve never seen snow make runnels like that before, so I wanted that to be a major part of the story in this image.
“If I’m not feeling nervous at the top, it’s a good sign that the line might not make the film.”
Michelle: With my newfound confidence in the line, I was pretty fired up to get on top. Part of my approach, is taking my time. I like to shoot photos from different angles if possible, study where every turn will be with the knowing that it will look different from the top down. I make mental notes of textures in the snow, maybe a small feature that marks a good entrance, etc. so that I know where each pivotal turn will be made. I study hard while the filmers get into position and once I get to the top I double check my work from the new angle. Make sure that I can see all of my landmarks. If I’m not feeling nervous at the top of a line, it’s a good sign that the line might not make the film. Not to say that we are adrenaline junkies, but if the line is too easy to execute it will probably show on film. Thankfully, I’m a nervous nelly up in those mountains, haha. I like to feel the nerves because it means that what I am looking at, I know that I can ski. It’s a combination of nerves and stoke, excitement, focus, awareness and presence. It’s truly a beautiful combination of emotions…it makes you feel so alive.
Katie: Holding the camera vertically and panning to keep up with the athlete feels more awkward, so I sat and practiced following Michelle’s line 20 times to make sure I got the motion right before she dropped. I also didn’t want Michelle to be teeny tiny that you couldn’t see her, but I wanted to really showcase the line, so it was a fine balance finding the right focal length of 300 mm. When she dropped, midway through, I was able to flip my orientation to horizontal, and I ended up getting another shot that I equally love—and it became a semi-finalist for Red Bull Illume 2023. I think it speaks to how big and crazy that line was, the fact that I was able to get two distinctly different frames from it.
Michelle: I try to never drop in unless I am 100% confident in my ability to ski the line. In this case, I truly was. I try to ski in Alaska as fast as possible in control, fully committed. I find that committing to lines keeps you out of harms way more often than not. You beat your slough, you ski better for the shot, and you are hyper aware of the snow and what is moving around you. In this case, the snow couldn’t have been more perfect. The slough was running, but not too fast. My line was beautifully diagonal up top and then shielded at the bottom, I was able to shed slough in all the right places. The snow was unlike anything I have ever skied. The small spines that formed were soft and very ski-able. It was beautiful and I was present, but also so amazed at each turn. I’ve never really experienced that. You think you are going to be skiing scared, pinned and full throttle and then it was like a dream. It was epic in every way and a very unique personal experience to feel that joy mid run….normally that comes at the bottom once the line has been skied, but I was smiling the whole way down.
“The saying ‘never meet your heroes’ does not apply to Michelle Parker.”
Katie: I’ve long been a fan of her skiing and the way she shows up as a leader in the ski industry, so it was incredible to get to work together. She’s such a kind and down-to-earth person, and watching her ski in real time was surreal, too. She is an extremely powerful skier, and it was wild to see her in her element.
Michelle: Katie aced this shot. I knew that she was about to get gold and that it might blow her mind a little bit. Having worked with Katie that whole week and seen what she was capable of, I knew that she was about to nail the shot, as she did with flying colors. Afterwords, I pressed her to send it in as a cover. Like just tell the magazine that it’s on the front page. I knew it was worthy. I remember her being a little surprised by that, but I knew we had it. Apparently, female photographers don’t typically state that to the magazines up front, but a lot of male photographers do. So I was extra proud of Katie for pressing and I think we got the cover so deservedly as a team. We still have to pop a bottle of champagne to celebrate!
“Definitely a top three line in my lifetime.”
Michelle: These types of runs don’t happen often. To be in the right place at the right time for a face to look and ski this perfectly is such a gift. It’s been years since I skied the line and yet I can recall most of the turns with ease. It was a spectacular feeling of elation, joy, fun, and a bit of speechlessness at how special the whole experience was. Definitely a top three line in my lifetime, but it might have been the most fun line I have ever skied because everything was just so perfect.
Katie: It’s definitely one of my all-time favorites. This photo will always hold a special place in my career, and snagging the Backcountry cover with it is the cherry on top! I’ve looked at AK shots for years, dreaming of capturing something like this one day, and it feels incredible to have reached that goal.
Thanks to Katie and Michelle for reliving this day with us. The issue will always have a special place on the hangar coffee table.
