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Ungroomed Black Diamond Question

dblskifanatic

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Someone posted on facebook that they were at Greek Peak lapping Hercules because it was groomed. The question in their post was - what is your favorite groomed double black diamond trail in the East?

When it gets groomed it is no longer a double black diamond! I also prefer the simple single black diamond designation like at Jay Peak and Cannon.
 

JoeB-Z

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What so called double black diamond trail in the east is groomed? I think it would be impossible at Magic. They have done a great job of grooming Sorcerer and Talisman this year including last night which made the day! The bottom pitch of Talisman is quite steep. Those two are single black with no rock bands or small cliffs. I guess they use a winch cat.
 

deadheadskier

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I'd say White Nitro and Gondiline extension at Sugarloaf are fair to call double diamonds even when groomed. I see people petrified on those trails because of the pitch.

I'm not sure I agree with only a single diamond designation. A diamond like Hairball at Wildcat is an order of magnitude significantly more difficult than say Lift Lion.
 

2Planker

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Hairball YES

Also like Black Hole at SR & "The Pig" aka White Heat, althogh I much prefer the ungroomed skier's left.
 

Zand

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Upper Spruce at Stratton or Goosebumps at Sunapee. Big scary double blacks!
 

skiur

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What so called double black diamond trail in the east is groomed? I think it would be impossible at Magic. They have done a great job of grooming Sorcerer and Talisman this year including last night which made the day! The bottom pitch of Talisman is quite steep. Those two are single black with no rock bands or small cliffs. I guess they use a winch cat.

Cascade at K is double black and groomed most days.
 

Ski2LiveLive2Ski

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What so called double black diamond trail in the east is groomed?

Often the case in the PA. Blue Mt's Challenge and Razor, Camelback's Cliffhanger, Montage's Smoke, Whitetail's sole non park double black.

Hunter often grooms Upper K27 and Claire's Way.
 

icecoast1

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What so called double black diamond trail in the east is groomed? I think it would be impossible at Magic. They have done a great job of grooming Sorcerer and Talisman this year including last night which made the day! The bottom pitch of Talisman is quite steep. Those two are single black with no rock bands or small cliffs. I guess they use a winch cat.
Ripcord at Mount Snow used to get groomed every once in a blue moon. Never had the chance to ski it after though. Personally I prefer my blacks ungroomed
 

shadyjay

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Sugarbush regularly grooms its Ripcord, and on occasion, grooms Stein's, both double blacks. FIS has been known to be groomed as well, but its rare. [Upper] Paradise, Lift Line, Rumble, and Black Diamond [Rush] have never been groomed.... ever, as far as I can tell. They're too steep, narrow, and rocky. Quite a bit of the challenge goes away when a double black gets groomed, but that doesn't change the pitch... they're all steep trails! And Stein's has a double fall line to boot!
 

ss20

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A minute from the Alta exit off the I-15!
I hate groomed blacks/double blacks. I despise skidded turns...probably the only part of skiing that does nothing for me. When it is a groomer day I stick to the low-angle blues that I can get on edge and just rip effortlessly. Unless I get 9m radius Slalom skis for $1,000, and drastically improve my ability, I have zero desire to ski groomed steeps.
 

ss20

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A minute from the Alta exit off the I-15!
Is Stratton really calling Spruce a double black? Thats pushing it... World Cup or the pitches of Upper Downeaster maybe, but Spruce??

Yes, they call it a double black. It'd be a blue square at K, SB, or 70% of other major mountains. Second most blatant trail inflation I can think of...Exhibition under the Solitude lift at Okemo takes the cake on that though! 50ft Okemo-black "headwall" onto a near-green pitch.
 

parahelia

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The top pitch of Tight Line on Saddleback also fits the description. Groomed and wide (by Saddleback standards), it made for some fun laps this week before the naturals softened up. There were frequently large clots of people waiting at the top, getting up their courage before heading down. Reminded me a lot of the top of Gondi Line at Sugarloaf or the steep part of White Heat at SR.
 

foofy

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What so called double black diamond trail in the east is groomed? I think it would be impossible at Magic. They have done a great job of grooming Sorcerer and Talisman this year including last night which made the day! The bottom pitch of Talisman is quite steep. Those two are single black with no rock bands or small cliffs. I guess they use a winch cat.
Tali is steep? Not. Groomed or ungroomed, it is not a "difficult" black.
I hate groomed blacks/double blacks. I despise skidded turns...probably the only part of skiing that does nothing for me. When it is a groomer day I stick to the low-angle blues that I can get on edge and just rip effortlessly. Unless I get 9m radius Slalom skis for $1,000, and drastically improve my ability, I have zero desire to ski groomed steeps.
This. Leave the blacks ungroomed.

I like the French model where Red is roughly equivalent to our groomed blacks, and a Black trail is the real deal.
 

snoseek

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I like to get all tunaspeed on avalanche first thing in the morning. Ripping groomers is a bigger part of east coast skiers than we like to admit. When that's all you got it works. Vortex at Sunday river used to be a good one I liked too
 

FBGM

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Trail ratings are subjective and borderline useless.

Grooming steep trails is great. When done right. A fantastic method to help/bring/get a mid level skier onto steeper terrain.
 

Slidebrook87

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The top pitch of Tight Line on Saddleback also fits the description. Groomed and wide (by Saddleback standards), it made for some fun laps this week before the naturals softened up. There were frequently large clots of people waiting at the top, getting up their courage before heading down. Reminded me a lot of the top of Gondi Line at Sugarloaf or the steep part of White Heat at SR.
I was shocked to see how steep the head wall was when I skied there back in February. I rarely ever see groomers that steep.
 

JoeB-Z

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Tali is steep? Not. Groomed or ungroomed, it is not a "difficult" black.

This. Leave the blacks ungroomed.

I like the French model where Red is roughly equivalent to our groomed blacks, and a Black trail is the real deal.
I did not say Tali is steep. At all. Just the bottom left. Lift 1 at Loveland to the right is steep. Pitches where a fall means to the bottom are steep.
 

urungus

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Yes, they call it a double black. It'd be a blue square at K, SB, or 70% of other major mountains. Second most blatant trail inflation I can think of...Exhibition under the Solitude lift at Okemo takes the cake on that though! 50ft Okemo-black "headwall" onto a near-green pitch.

Middle section of Liftline at Stowe is rated double black and is pretty easy.
 
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