The Man Behind the Maps

by James Niehues (Author, Illustrator), Chris Davenport (Foreword)

Featuring over 200 ski resort trail maps hand-painted by one legendary artist, this beautiful 292-page hardcover coffee table book is the first and definitive compilation of the art created by during his 30-year career. Eight geographically themed chapters form the heart of the book, offering you full-page images of the world’s most iconic ski areas including Alta, Arapahoe Basin, Aspen, Breckenridge, Big Sky, Deer Valley, Heavenly, Jackson Hole, Jay Peak, Killington, Kirkwood, Lake Louise, Mammoth, Mont Tremblant, Mt. Bachelor, Park City, Revelstoke, Snowbird, Squaw Valley, Stowe, Sugarloaf, Sun Valley, Taos, Telluride, Whistler Blackcomb and other renowned resorts. In engaging narrative that complements the maps, Niehues reveals his exacting technique, which demands up to six weeks to complete a single painting. He then walks you through the step-by-step process for mapping Breckenridge, sharing everything from aerial photographs, to numerous pencil sketches, to in-progress builds, to the final trail map illustration. The magic of the finished product is captured in both a foreword by pioneering big-mountain skier Chris Davenport and the perspectives of other ski industry insiders. Every detail was taken into consideration: Italian art-quality printing, heavier weight matte coated paper and a lay-flat binding. A pencil sketch of Big Sky, Montana, graces the cover and features anti-scratch protection. The book is 11' 5” tall and opens to a spread of 24” wide, the perfect size to showcase the biggest ski mountains in the world.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Coffee Table Books, Nature, Outdoors

292 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Benjamin Uke]

Ever been to a ski resort?
This is the guy who likely made the map.

A coffee-table sized book has eight geographically themed chapters form the heart of the book, offering you full-page images of the world’s most iconic ski areas.
The first and definitive compilation of the art created by James Niehues, featuring over 200 ski resort trail maps hand-painted by the legendary artist during his 30-year career.

[John Lamb]

A beautiful book with interesting prose about the creative process.

[Jack Batchelor]

Jess said I didn’t read this book. She is right, I looked at the photos.

This may just be the best coffee table book of all time (if you like snow, skiing, having fun, powder, early mornings, apres ski, and blizzards). While the art is enjoyable, the memories and stories that it brings you back to are irreplaceable. Simply put, I wouldn’t have a map of squaw valley on my coffee table, however, if I open to the California section and go to page 77, you can take a look at KT-22 and remember when you were 7 and your sister was six and she started crying as you skied down the liftline.

Or maybe it is skiing in the back bowls with your now fiance, in a whiteout, hoping you find the lift and don’t lose her in the process.

Or maybe it is when you were in park city and you wiped out in the woods, and your dad lost you, only to find you sipping cocoa with ski patrol in a yurt.

Every skier needs this book. End of story.

[Monty]

Excellent book for the visuals alone, but provided a lot of interesting insight into the process the author used to create the maps. I have a whole new appreciation for the difficulty of turning a 3D landscape into a 2D map that is both aesthetically pleasing and useful to people trying navigate the area. Absolutely floored by the fact that each tree was placed where an actual tree exists/ed. Highly recommended for the skier/snowboarder in your life.

[Erin]

Excellent quality book and illustrations (ski maps) from the preeminent ski map artist whose life’s work is featured. Good narrative where present, though content was primarily dominated by visuals. Quick page-turner: finished in one sitting over Christmas break.

[Marlise]

What a beautiful book, encapsulating the 30 years of work by topography artist James Niehues. It’s so fun to glance through the pages and see the familiar maps and the slopes we’ve skied and the ones we still want to ski.

[Jeanie Cavenaugh]

Glorious and stunning pictures of a master painters work.

[Joelle]

This is a beautiful book that we gave my husband for Father’s Day. As an avid skiing family, it is fun to see and read about the original ski maps of so many mountains that we have visited!

[Kati]

Gave this as a gift and it is beautiful!!