Trails that have lost Character!

[skiadikt]

Does anyone know of a site that has old ski maps and/or pics of ski areas it the 70's and 80's or older? I did a quick google search and came up with nothing.

this should get you started. it's for vermont only:

http://teachski.com/brochureindexes/vermontbrochures.htm

 

[Greg]

this should get you started. it's for vermont only:

http://teachski.com/brochureindexes/vermontbrochures.htm

Another cool ski history site:

http://www.chairlift.org/

 

[wa-loaf]

this should get you started. it's for vermont only:

http://teachski.com/brochureindexes/vermontbrochures.htm

That's perfect! If you go up a level it's got a whole bunch more: http://teachski.com/brochures.htm

Nice to make comparisons when you are talking about before and afters of trails. I also think I found a picture of my dad in a 1968 Sugarloaf brochure. I sent it to him to confirm, so we'll see. I'll post a link if it really is him.

 

[Greg]

That's perfect! If you go up a level it's got a whole bunch more: http://teachski.com/brochures.htm

Nice to make comparisons when you are talking about before and afters of trails. I also think I found a picture of my dad in a 1968 Sugarloaf brochure. I sent it to him to confirm, so we'll see. I'll post a link if it really is him.

Just an FYI. Our very own teachski runs that site.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

I've got tons of old Sugarbush maps and pix over at my Bush history site. Very Sugarbush specific, but cool stuff.

www.sugarbushhistory.com

 

[wa-loaf]

So I'm pretty sure this is my dad on this Sugarloaf brochure:

He doesn't remember the brochure, but it sure looks like him and it's the same time period that he was an instructor there. I need to ask him about the hottie he's with, cause she's not my mom . . . :lol:

Thanks to Teachski for an awesome website!

 

[Greg]

I need to ask him about the hottie he's with...

I was gonna say!

 

[JimG.]

So I'm pretty sure this is my dad on this Sugarloaf brochure:

He doesn't remember the brochure, but it sure looks like him and it's the same time period that he was an instructor there. I need to ask him about the hottie he's with, cause she's not my mom . . . :lol:

Thanks to Teachski for an awesome website!

Ouch!

Busted by a 40 year old ski area map.

 

[skiadikt]

So I'm pretty sure this is my dad on this Sugarloaf brochure:

I need to ask him about the hottie he's with, cause she's not my mom . . . :lol:

damn i miss women in stretch pants

what are those skis ... 215's??

 

[Newpylong]

I hit Teachski's site all the time. The chairlift one and the Bush site are grea too...

Thanks to all those who maintain them!

 

[wa-loaf]

Getting back to the subject at hand check out this old photo of Sugarloaf. The trail all the way to the left from the summit is the old widowmaker trail. And you can see Tote road all the way to the right. To the left of Tote road is Double Bitter. Both Largly untouched. DB is a great trail if anyone goes up to the Loaf, it kind of gets lost in between all the big trails off the Superquad.

They really need to bring that goggle guy logo back too. :grin:

 

[mattchuck2]

Gregs revival of that character thread made me think of all the trails that used to have character, but have been widened and flattened over the years.

My nomination is Widowmaker at Sugarloaf. The trail used to be tight narrow and had all gnarly dips, drop-offs, no grooming, and very much lived up to it's name. Now it's mostly a blue square.

What trail(s) do you miss?

Excelsior at Whiteface . . .

 

[SIKSKIER]

Middle Cannon used to be a fun/scary bobsled ride before it was"tamed".The last turn was called suicide corner for a reason.There is no remnents of this classic trail even barely recognizable today.At least they left Upper C alone.

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

I've got to agree with the whole Double Dipper/Downdraft fiasco at Killington.

My nominee would be Wilderness at Whiteface for two reasons:

1) the trail was widened by between 2 and 3 times to make way for a World Cup-quality mogul run, thereby eliminating one of the more fun and challenging trails on Little Whiteface; and

2) by making a Wold Cup-quality bump run, management has seemingly decided to over-groom the rest of the mountain's terrain (excepting the Slides, of course).

 

[Geoff]

Yes, East Fall was widened. I can't recall if this occured as part of the Canyon in '92 or not.. it always had snowmaking as did Cascade and Downdraft though... Before the installation of tower guns in the past few years it was always an incing skating rink.. since then there has been decent snow and its a nice bail out of the bumps on Downdraft or Double Dip.

That's untrue. I remember when Downdraft was the best glade trail in the east. Perfect spacing. Perfect pitch. Perfect northern exposure.

I think Stratton was the greatest travesty. They originally cut the trails to take advantage of every (limited) terrain feature they had. No snowmaking so everything was narrow and twisty-winding. Nothing but double chairs so the skiing surface was usually pretty good. It's now a tilted dance floor.

 

[nycskier]

this should get you started. it's for vermont only:

http://teachski.com/brochureindexes/vermontbrochures.htm

Cool site! Thanks for the link. The old Killington map from the 80's is like the one I had on my wall at home as a kid. Ah, memories......

 

[Newpylong]

That's untrue. I remember when Downdraft was the best glade trail in the east. Perfect spacing. Perfect pitch. Perfect northern exposure.

It's true as long as I've been skiing there, since around '87. I assume it was gladed before my time as you speak, as were most runs.

 

[SHRED HEAD]

Gregs revival of that character thread made me think of all the trails that used to have character, but have been widened and flattened over the years.

My nomination is Widowmaker at Sugarloaf. The trail used to be tight narrow and had all gnarly dips, drop-offs, no grooming, and very much lived up to it's name. Now it's mostly a blue square.

What trail(s) do you miss?

The killer for me has to be the Big Dipper at Killington. What a travesty, total destruction of a New Engalnd classic glade trail in the name of High speed Quads and American Skiing formula snow. The fall line sucks now and the trail has zero character. it was the beginning of the end for Killington as far as I'm concerned and it has gone downhill from there. the last straw for me was when they put ALL the glades on the trail map and made herb zones out of every one of them. Oh well, forced me to explore other options and I've been better off because of it, I never go back there anymore.

 

[Newpylong]

The killer for me has to be the Big Dipper at Killington. What a travesty, total destruction of a New Engalnd classic glade trail in the name of High speed Quads and American Skiing formula snow. The fall line sucks now and the trail has zero character. it was the beginning of the end for Killington as far as I'm concerned and it has gone downhill from there. the last straw for me was when they put ALL the glades on the trail map and made herb zones out of every one of them. Oh well, forced me to explore other options and I've been better off because of it, I never go back there anymore.

?? The lift that was installed isn't high-speed, and this was done 3 years before the American Skiing company bought Killington.

All the glades aren't on the map.. but the ones that are for the most part remain good.

But yes, Double Dipper sucks. The woods are getting worse every year because of wind damage there.

 

[wa-loaf]

Bump: Narrow Gauge, not so narrow anymore, curves have been carved out.