Maine Ski Area Reveals New Trail Map

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Months earlier, Smith posted an initial sketch of BigRock Mountain. The bones of the ski area are visible, but in this stage, the flourishes Smith is known for—colorful trees, the surrounding landscapes, detailed base lodge structures—are absent. Those touches come later.

Then, Smith shared his next step, a thorough sketch of the ski area, which resembles a black-and-white version of the finished painted piece. He wrote that he would use this sketch as a reference throughout the painting process.

With the sketch completed, it was time to paint. Smith, when painting, starts from the sky and works his way down the slopes of whichever ski area he's working on.
 
"You'll notice the cooler hues and tones help to better define the various aspects of BigRock Mountain's terrain," Smith wrote of the partially painted map. "In creating a new trail map for the ski area, it's my goal to ensure guests will more easily navigate around the resort using cues I've incorporated into the painting."

Smith follows in the footsteps of his mentor, James Niehues, a prolific ski map maker and painter who, over the years, created the maps and views of more than 350 resorts, tourist bureaus, golf communities, and outdoor sports-related entities.
 
If you're a skier, you've almost certainly seen the handiwork of Niehues, and the odds are increasing that you've found the next trail you plan to ski, thanks to the paint of his mentee, Smith.

"I'm really proud of what he's doing," Niehues said in a short documentary about the pair shared by Keystone Resort.

For BigRock Mountain, Smith's map will be a significant upgrade. The ski area's current map is a simple, digitally produced rendition that presumably works to get skiers from point A to point B. But it doesn't have the heart associated with Niehues and Smith. They may be mapmakers, but their work is about more than finding the quickest way back to the base lodge; it's art.