Skinning and Skiing with Big Sky Mountain Products

Jackson Keogh and Eric Haferman: Dark Moon Couloir, Spirit Mountain, Beartooths—2020 Photo: Henry Coppolillo

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with the two folks behind the climbing skins at Big Sky Mountain Products, Jackson Keogh and Eric Haferman. These upstanding young men run the business from Bozeman, Montana, where they build their manufacturing equipment, and, yup, manufacture climbing skins. Many things drew us to the company, which we’ll cover in the episode, but first and foremost, these are committed skiers who develop good products and ooze a genuine, down-to-earth, and very approachable vibe. They are the kind of folks we’d be psyched to run into on the skintrack.

Eric Haferman with Beartooth Mountain in the background, Beartooths—2020
Photo: Jackson

Back to the truck (Jackson Keogh left) after a very long day out—2016.
Photo: Cy Whitling

The early days—Tom Jungst, one of the early touring gear designers and the mastermind behind Ascension skins and, eventually, the thread connecting Eric and Jackson and BSMP. Photo: BSMP Collection

We explore the exciting world of climbing skins, how Eric and Jackson bonded on the slopes, and their early adventures sheltering from the elements in a Cooke City-based Airstream, and their exploration of the Beartooths.

If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader-and listener-supported enterprise focused on human-powered turn-making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.

We’d like to thank Patagonia, Blue Ice, and ATK for supporting us.

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The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you’ve spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, “Beautiful Alien” is a good tune to start with.

Responses

Peter Vordenberg

March 27, 2026

There is a lot of stuff in the world, and so who makes it, how it is made, where it is made matters. Of course it has to be good and durable too. I can personally vouch for Big Sky Mountain Product Skins (they are found at skiskinsonline.com – was that site even mentioned?). The skins work great, they last, the tip and tail hardware stays put and keeps the skins on the skis, the mixed mo/nylon is fast and gives good grip. And, and these are the guys that make them, in Bozeman. Community came up a few times here. I think there is value beyond the value of the product when you can meet the people who make your skis, skins or pack or whatever. I just had the pleasure of drinking a beer with Michael and Tina from Igneous skis and talk about various southern Utah canyons. And, to go on and on about it, in like ’95 or ’96 on a very random beach half way down the Baja peninsula on the Sea of Cortez my friends and I ran into Rick who started it all. I am not talking anywhere near Cabo, this was remote, long dusty drive. And here was the dude that invented all this cool ski stuff. Random, and yet, in a way, not random at all. I was pretty star struck and later visited him in Ridgeway. It was amazing to see the garage he was working out of, there were pots of glue on camping stoves, sticky stuff all over, skins hanging here and there, skis in the corner, carpentry stuff. I was just a random dude he met in Baja and he was so generous to let me come hang out and check out his work space. To me, this stuff matters, the people, the community. When it comes to skiing it might even be the only thing that actually does matter.

Seth Holton

March 28, 2026

Met Eric in talkeetna and was sold on the brand and ethos.
Ordered a pair of skins after returning home and yes, Best skins I’ve ever had. Nice buying something designed for longevity and stands the test.