(light music) - When I first started getting into back country skiing and ski mountaineering it was definitely for the pure fun hog sense of life.

I just wanted to ski more powder, I wanted the exhilaration of skiing these beautiful lines.

(whooshing) I really enjoyed the beauty of the places but I was focused more on the objectives themselves.

I liked figuring out terrain, figuring out routes up peaks, figuring out routes down peaks, taking on things that people hadn't done before.

I think we gain a lot as humans getting that feeling of being a pioneer.

It's very rewarding, it creates a lot of confidence and self-worth.

I am definitely drawn to places where there's less traffic.

I like spending time where there's no people.

It's just you, the mountains, the rivers, the birds, and the surrounding wildlife.

And it's a very special, unique thing to be that deep and that quiet and in that protected environment.

And it's irreplaceable.

I think as humans, we're walking a fine line because as back country skiing grows in popularity and expands to greater reaches of the skiing public it's the fastest growing segment of skiing right now and has been for the last 10 years.

That everyone is seeking this beauty, this freedom of the hills.

If more people are gonna go into the wilderness and we want it to stay pristine we need to be very, very aware of our environment.

(light dramatic music) - You know, as a person looking up at the Teton Range in the winter time, who would think that there's, you know, 100 or so animals eeking it out up there.

We've lost the majority of the winter range that bighorn sheep in this mountain range used to take advantage of, and we're left with just a fraction.

For me, it's hard to think about cherishing a place and being enthusiastic about it without the health of the wildlife there being like a key part of that.

And I imagine most people who are recreating in the Teton Range share my perspective on that.

(water trickling) - You know, what really inspires me about bighorn sheep is you know, look at the places that they live in.

And in studying the sheep we get to visit these places and see the sheep doing the things that sheep do on a day in and day out basis.

And, you know, they live in some of the most little rugged pockets of the Teton range.

And particularly in the winter time, I find what they do just incredible.

I mean, these sheep have lost their migrations to low elevation winter ranges, and as a result they winter now at high elevation.

And the conditions on those high elevation winter ranges are pretty extreme.

(wind whistling) - [Carson] They're at 10,000 feet, 9,000 feet, sometimes actually up to 12,000 feet.

We all know it's a lot colder up there.

The crest of the Tetons where they live is a windy place and that's actually what they need to survive.

- [Sarah] They are just trying to move as little as possible and whatever we can do to help them out in that regard will go a long way to helping them persist in the future.

- In 2008 to 2010, I believe, there was field work done by a masters student at the University of Wyoming.

And they GPS-collared bighorn sheep and got permission from back country recreationalists, mostly skiers, to carry GPS units.

And the findings from that thesis indicated that the sheep are being displaced by skiers and recreationists.

(light dramatic music) Yeah, but the fact is, is we're viewed as a predator whether or not we wanna be.

- If there was a written code of back country ethics I think we would all mostly agree what a lot of it would be and how we approach the day when we go out and so forth.

Wildlife protection and conservation is an offshoot from that and so is protecting and conserving the wild places in which we roam.

- Skiers need to consider not just the weather and the snow pack and the avalanche hazard, but the impact that we have as humans traveling through a wild ecosystem.

And that includes being aware of what animals exist and where and how to give them the space that they need.

- I think the way we wave to look at it is just that we're not hunters, we're not skiers, we're not climbers, we're not dirt bikers, we're outdoor enthusiasts.

And we need to be a team and do everything we can to protect this environment that we go in.

Because it's not about our sports, it's about our connection to the mountains while we're out there and it's up to us to protect it.

- And I think that's keys.

We don't just want to be a user of the back country, but a steward so this place exists, including all the animals.

- We all wanna ski in these remarkable places.

So by no means is my approach that we shouldn't go skiing, because I love skiing, it's my job, it's my life, it's my family's life.

I know for sure that I want my child to be able to see all these animals.

I want her to know that it's important that wildlife is respected and allowed to thrive and co-exist with humans.

But I also want her to enjoy the natural environment and go skiing, and back country skiing, and get the joy and the reward and the freedom that traveling in the mountains gives you.

(rhythmic upbeat music) - [Max] The way for back country skiers to become good stewards of the places that they visit is to be just open.

Open to the fact that you might be interrupting a herd, open to the fact that maybe you oughta go somewhere else or come back a different time.

I don't think there's any right way to be a steward, but I think if you're open and willing to evolve then you're on the right track.

(rhythmic upbeat music) (light rhythmic music)