There might not be a more iconic backcountry ascent/descent in California’s Eastern Sierra than Bloody Couloir. And this celebrated route now falls square in the sights of the Jeremy McGhee Drop In Project.
Bloody Couloir is bagged by dozens every spring… So what makes this attempt any different? Everything.
Jeremy McGhee, a San Diego native/Mammoth Lakes perennial, lost the use of his legs in 2001 as the result of a catastrophic motorcycle accident. Rather than treating this as a loss Jeremy has revered his disposition as a gain, fueling his passion to live life to the fullest as never before.
Spend much time on the slopes of Mammoth Mountain and it won’t be long before you catch sight of Jeremy in his adaptive ski-chair tackling the steeps, slashing pow or sending it in the park. Yet, per usual, Jeremy has always relished the question, “what next?”
Well, Jeremy’s next mission is nothing short of pioneer-status for the sport of adaptive sit-skiing. Those of us in the know have been wowed by paraplegic athletes dropping cliffs, ripping big mountain lines, charging hard in skier-X… even popping back-flips in the park. Yet, I certainly can’t think of any other athlete without the use of his/her legs to attempt to ski a 2,500’ long, 50° pitch couloir AFTER having climbed it under his/her own power. Well, that’s Jeremy McGhee for you… Tell him, that something’s not possible and he’ll show you it is.
Yes, the “cat is out of the bag,” Jeremy McGhee is determined to bag Bloody Couloir, up and down. Stay tuned as the Drop In Project continues to document Jeremy’s epic quest.