HOME / THE APPROACH

In loving memory of Hilaree Nelson, 1972–2022.

In the spring of 2022, four athletes, Brette Harrington, Christina Lusti, Emily Harrington and Hilaree Nelson embarked on the trip of a lifetime. Their expedition to climb and ski epic first descents on Baffin Island, Canada became a celebration—of their accomplishments, of their friendship, and of their lives.

Upcoming Screenings

11.21.2023 | Kennet Square, PA

Trail Creek Outfitters

2.24.2024 | Intervale, NH

Synnott Mountain Guides

2024 | Lake Tahoe, OH

Public Lands Summit Event

w/ Christina Lusti

2023 MountainFilm Q+A

The North Face Athlete Team:
Emily Harrington | Climber
Christina Lusti | Ski Mountaineer
Jim Morrison | Ski Mountaineer

     
Moderated by: Timmy O’Neill

Timmy O’Neill: Tell us about Hilaree’s experience on the Baffin Island trip. What did she do there? How did she feel about it?

Jim Morrison: They were on this trip and had amazing, world class conditions with perfect snow… I stood at the kitchen counter with Hilaree and she tried to describe the emotion of the trip, it wasn’t about the lines they skied or the powder, it was about the women she went on the trip with.

Hilaree made many first descents, not first female descents, but first descents. And she went on this trip and she watched these women. She watched what Christina and Brette did that day. It wasn’t even something she would have considered. She didn’t even look at that line. She says, holy shit, we did it. We’re there. We’re making headway. She stood at the kitchen counter describing that to me and her emotion was spectacular. She just loved what happened on that trip.

Timmy O’Neill: Hilaree was a bridge to doing these things that no one had done before. Can you speak about your goals, or what it is that you’re looking to do personally… What are you thinking about for the future?

Christina Lusti: I grew up ski racing and once I retired from the competitive sport, I became a ski guide and learned the ways of the backcountry. I remember a quote from Hilaree to never be satisfied with the status quo. And this desire to progress and drive and challenge yourself and thrive in these uncomfortable situations and so I think for me as a skier or a mountain traveler I just want to combine everything that I’ve learned and follow the passion or the inspiration I see in the mountains. Seeing that line from the airplane just immediately sparked this desire to go there and work through that terrain and I want to continue doing that, you know, A lot of the inspiration that I’ve found in the place where I’m at is because Hilaree did the legwork. She was the first woman to go on the expedition solo with a bunch of dudes. And what I think was really amazing was that we went on this expedition to Baffin and it was four chicks. Amazing and incredible chicks that all brought such strength from their sports. And we weren’t competing against each other. We weren’t jealous we were just there with such huge admiration. And I think that admiration was earned. Admiration is the biggest thing that I’ve taken from that trip.

Timmy O’Neill: That concept of being inspired is beautiful and we ask ourselves, what are we inspired to do. I know you spoke about becoming a mother with Aaro Storm being out in the world, what are your thoughts on risk and adventure?

Emily Harrington: Obviously that’s at the forefront of my mind a lot now. With our baby, who is now 6 months old, and just sort of wondering what he is going to be gravitating towards as he gets older. And, you know, what we expose him to is a lot of mountain adventure. He’s already been to several climbing areas, been skiing, been exposed to the mountains in a lot of ways that many babies his age haven’t yet. I think there are two sides. I’m excited and terrified for him to embark on a life that emulates ours in the mountains. Obviously, we all deal with a lot of risk and a lot of loss, but like Hilaree was saying in the film, we are so passionate about it, it’s so important to us, that it is worth it to us. I hope he can find something that he is so passionate about as well. If it entails risk, we can teach him to think very thoughtfully and very carefully about it. I don’t think risk should be eliminated from our lives. I think it’s very important to learning about who we are so I just want to teach him to think about it carefully and move through the world with passion. Of course, I’ll be terrified, but my parents were terrified as well. So it comes full circle I guess.