Ski Sundown closing expert terrain?

[Highway Star]

Saw this on nelsap forums and thought it was worth reposting here:

http://www.snowjournal.com/page.php?cid=topic15861

http://teachski.com/brochures/sundown/sundown5.jpg

While I've never skied Sundown, I noticed on their 1985-1986 trail map from Teachski.com : Ski Sundown Trail Map that an expert trail called Horn went underneath the two summit lifts near the top. On Google Earth it appears to have snow made on it in the early 1990s, but the recent images show it grown in. Their 2009 Trail Map does not have this trail.

For anybody that has skied there, do you remember this trail, and why it was closed?

Jeremy

Not because of the brutal hacking, but interesting regardless.

 

[severine]

That trail hasn't existed for many years.

ETA:
I would say the first response in that first link nailed it:

Trail has been closed since the early 90’s it was at one time the only way to get to gun barrel nothing black diamond about it, just that it lead to a black diamond . anyways pretty grown in but they still use it for snow cats and getting equipment form one side of the mtn to the other.

 

[Highway Star]

That trail hasn't existed for many years.

That's too bad...they should add it back on the trail map and claim to double their black diamond trails for '09-'10.

 

[severine]

So Killington and Sundown now have one thing in common - lost trails.

It wasn't really a trail...just an accessway. Trust me, you're not missing anything.

 

[Grassi21]

I think the reason that trail closed was due to the height of the chairs when they replaced one of the lifts. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[bvibert]

Not that I think HS cares for anything more than to try to cut down another mountain, I'll answer anyway.

As told by Chris in one of the ski area challenges:

The Horn exist because when the ski area first opened the horn was the only access to Gunbarrel. The top of Gunbarrel as we see it today was not there. Now, it creates an unnecessary intersection and the newer lifts are lower than the older ones.

It's not much of a trail at all, and was only rated as a black because it was the access to a black trail. The Stinger end is completely grown in and no cats can get through that section. It is still accessible from the Gunny side, probably for access to the lifts for maintenance or evacuation purposes. There's also no snowmaking on it, so it wouldn't be open very often anyway.

 

[JimG.]

Not that I think HS cares for anything more than to try to cut down another mountain, I'll answer anyway.

As told by Chris in one of the ski area challenges:

It's not much of a trail at all, and was only rated as a black because it was the access to a black trail. The Stinger end is completely grown in and no cats can get through that section. It is still accessible from the Gunny side, probably for access to the lifts for maintenance or evacuation purposes. There's also no snowmaking on it, so it wouldn't be open very often anyway.

Sounds alot like Launch Pad at Killington. Accesses great terrain, a bore to ski

 

[Highway Star]

Not that I think HS cares for anything more than to try to cut down another mountain, I'll answer anyway.

As told by Chris in one of the ski area challenges:



It's not much of a trail at all, and was only rated as a black because it was the access to a black trail. The Stinger end is completely grown in and no cats can get through that section. It is still accessible from the Gunny side, probably for access to the lifts for maintenance or evacuation purposes. There's also no snowmaking on it, so it wouldn't be open very often anyway.

Wow, and here I was thinking I was posting some major revelation about vast lost terrain at the mighty Sundown. Should have known your guys were all over it.