The mountains tower above the four riders, shrouding their miniscule frames in early morning mist. It’s a scene not uncommon in our sport’s annals of imagery, though the intention behind it is wholly counter to the ethos behind most modern, fast-paced media.

Seeking out a project without a defined timeline, veteran photographer Blake Jorgenson teamed up with pro riders Lucy Van Eesteren, Matt Hunter, Matty Miles, and Graham Agassiz to explore some of western Canada’s more remote terrain, accessed via old gold mining trails used by prospectors more than a century ago. The location, though, is hardly the point.

“Everything is so married to advertising in the outdoor space,” Jorgenson said, who was inspired by the slower pace of work that many of the world’s best directors abide by when crafting epic, feature-length films. “I wanted to explore taking more time.”

So far, the film project, known as “Made by Mountains,” has spread out over three years, with more shoots and trips on the books, weather permitting. The organic, relaxed nature of the endeavor has allowed for deep connections between the riders, who intentionally span a range of ages. Van Eesteren, now 21 years old, was introduced to big mountain freeriding directly through the project.

“I find myself thinking about freeride and what’s possible way more than I used to,” she says. “Now I have more of an eye for terrain.”

The challenge now, for Jorgenson and the rest of the crew, is deciding when they’ve eyed enough terrain to call the project finished. Like so much of navigating the mountains, it’ll come with intuition and a pure, internal sense for what should come next.

“This is generally an art project,” Jorgenson said. “We made this ourselves and for like-minded people. It wasn’t made to sell any advertising or anything like that. It’s gonna be done when it’s done.”