James Niehues: Trail Map Maestro
I’ve always loved skiing, and one of my favorite parts of any ski trip growing up was studying the trail map meticulously to figure out exactly how I wanted to tackle the mountain. Last year I got interested in the art of resort maps, and after a little digging online I confirmed a long-held suspicion: most of the maps I liked were painted by the same artist. I contacted James Niehues to learn more about his trade, and he kindly agreed to an interview. It was awesome to hear from him, and it really gave me an added appreciate for the landscapes that had fascinated me for so long. Unfortunately, in my typical indecision about what exactly to do with the piece, I completely forgot about it! Time to rectify that oversight. Instead of letting it sit in “My Documents” any longer, I figured I’d share it here on Highsnobiety. Hope you enjoy.
Anyone who has skied extensively in the Northern Hemisphere has probably experienced a feeling of déjà vu upon reaching the mountain for a day on the slopes. Is it a chemical response set off by the smell of pines, the whir of the chairlift, and the smoke rising from the lodge chimney? Or is it the familiar anticipation of the first run?
Those sensations come into play, but the source of that familiar feeling may also be as simple as the trail map. Search through the minutely detailed trees and, nine times out of ten, you’ll find the unmistakable block signature of James Niehues. Since 1986, the Colorado-based artist has hand-painted over 130 resorts, including a majority of the most popular ski mountains in the US. In the process, he’s placed a lasting stamp on the aesthetics of the ski industry.
It’s safe to say that even if they don’t know his name, most skiers recognize a Niehues when they see one.
[Hit the jump for the full interview]
When someone looks at the sheer number of maps you’ve drawn, it’s impossible not to wonder how you came into this line of work. Was there an apprenticeship?
Prior to working at an ad agency doing graphic design and photo retouching, I was an artist and print shop manager for an after-market automotive products company. And prior to that a lithographic pressman. [When I moved my family] to Denver, I sought to become a freelance illustrator. It was a hard market to get into and my wife Dora worked to keep food on the table. I quickly realized I had to take on a full time job. After several disappointing print shop and graphic design positions, I decided to look up Bill Brown, who lived in Denver. He was the present trail map illustrator for the ski industry. My luck was about to turn to the better.
Bill had become interested in producing Narrow Gauge Train documentaries and wanted to move in that direction. He turned over a project to me. When I had finished the project he presented it to the client Winter Park, and my career officially was off the ground. I continued to work full time and seek trail map work. Through the next couple of months I had several new projects and Bill had referred a new magazine, Snow Country, to me. They wanted him to do full page spreads of featured ski resorts. This was the break that I desperately needed. Now I was working a full time job, had several projects in the works and an assignment for a major magazine in the industry. I was getting up at 2:30 in the morning to do the illustration work before going into my 9-to-5 job. About a month of this and it became obvious that I would have to jump into the self-employed field and trust that projects would continue to come in. It was a scary time with four kids and debt that I was not comfortable with when I gave my notice to my full time employer.
Who made trail maps before Bill Brown? Did you always admire those type of landscapes?
Hal Sheldon was the illustrator that first illustrated a ski area, then Bill Brown took the reins.
I wanted to be a landscape artist since I was in the 9th grade. I had become ill with nephritis (a kidney disease) and had to lie flat on my back for three months. Since I was always interested in drawing, my Mom bought me an oil painting set and I copied many magazine scenes. I always enjoyed the detail work of drawing and working the color in painting, so when I met with Bill Brown I knew I had found my calling. Mapping was right down my alley and it was to become my passion.
Alta, UT © James Niehues
What is the process of completing a map?
I start a project with reference material from the resort including old trail maps and topographical maps with the trails and developments. Then I will visit the area, ski it and rent a local small plane and pilot to get the aerials I need for the job. With quite a few smaller resorts, the budget is not there for a personal visit, so I will work with a person at the resort to get the aerials that I need. Once I have the aerials, which is various angles and many detail shots, I will proceed to a sketch and email it for approval before rendering the final illustration. Once that is approved it is taken to a photo lab for an 8”x10″ transparency and a scan to be made from it. I will personally scan the image and spend two to four hours making some color shifts in certain areas that will improve the image. The client receives this scan and has a graphic designer or someone in their computer department work up the layers of type and symbols. The actual painting time for a medium- sized resort is a good week; most projects are in the process for over a month.
Do you have any favorite maps over the years?
It is hard to pick out a favorite ski map that I have done, but the western areas are naturally much more dynamic. The projects that I am most gratified with are the ones that require a great deal of creativity to show runs on opposing slopes in one view while maintaining the steepness of the runs. I have painted over 130 ski resorts but perhaps my favorite projects are the regional views such as the National Parks. The single most memorable project was Turtle Island, Fiji. Dora and I visited the island, got to know the people and really enjoyed our experience. Other great trips included New Zealand and Australia. I have a pretty good job, get to visit dynamic places, fly, photograph and experience some of the prettiest scenery and then get to paint them.
Are you a skier yourself?
I do ski, though not as much as most people would think. I am an intermediate skier and feel pretty challenged on some of them. Most important to me when approaching a complicated mountain is the actual photo flight. I make many observations from the plane as it circles the slopes from different altitudes. As we get to summit elevation and even mid-mountain altitudes I take in all the mountain’s attributes and detail.
Do you have a favorite mountain?
I did a trade with Sunlight Resort in Western Colorado. The boys learned to ski there and became quite good. Since we lived in Grand Junction at the time we also skied the local resort Powderhorn.
What do you see in the future for trail map making as the ski industry struggles, global warming looms, and technological advances like Google Earth change our standards of accuracy?
In 1988, some mountains were showing me computer generated elevation perspectives of their slopes and generally quite excited about it. But one problem kept coming up: no matter how they turned the view, slopes were still hidden. Some were saying that someday the computer would be doing their trail maps…and indeed, some maps have come out, but the producers of these computer-generated maps have only traded software for actual brushes and paint. The end product is far from the spectacular scenery they are trying to capture, and the total slope inclusiveness is still formed from the mind, not some all-encompassing program. When I turn runs on the opposite side [of the mountain] to the viewer, I must be creative in using distortions and what I apply to one segment of the slope will probably not be applied to other segments of the same slope. This has to be done in a way that looks and skis natural, as if nothing has been altered. If the viewer interprets the view as unaltered it becomes credible. If it is credible than it has more value to the resort because it’s image is for “real”… And it is for real, because our minds interpret all data in a relative way.
That is why a satellite image does not make a good trail map. The skier is not in space. And, it is not accurate; the vertical margin of error is 20 to 40 ft! Therefore, many surface features are smoothed over if the sun is not casting a shadow. And, since the image is from straight above, no cliff or building character is represented. If the mountain is multi-sloped then the same problem occurs. To see all slopes one has to be at a high viewpoint that flattens the runs. Which brings us right back to why a good ski map has to be hand-designed and painted! As impressive as Google Earth is, even with its inaccurate elevations, it cannot capture the vertical surfaces which make up a great deal of the visual impression.
