Most challenging greens

[hiroto]

One more permutation off http://forums.alpinezone.com/23066-most-challenging-blues.html

All greens off double-double chair at Attitash (Councilor's Run, Inside Out, Far Out).

Upper part of those trails are pitched constantly around 15 degrees or more and quite narrow. Only green trails they have beyond magic carpet is the very short "The Learning Center" and those trails. (I don't count other greens which start from middle of mountain and not directly accessible by chair). I feel those trails are intentionally under rated to give impression of being accessible to beginners than it really is. As much as I like Attitash, I would not recommended it to beginners (drive 15 minutes west to Bretton Woods).

Here is my daughter, now 6, skiing on Far Out.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3079515216957193057

 

[Warp Daddy]

I agree Attitash is not a great place for beginners or folks who've only tried it a couple of times .

 

[BushMogulMaster]

Lower North Star at Mt. Ellen. The headwall (and yes... it's a headwall) would probably even make the Most Challenging Blues thread if it were blue. Not sure of the actual pitch, but it's got to be nearing 18-20 degrees at the top.

Walt's Trail (also at ME) also has some tricky spots as far as greens are concerned.

 

[riverc0il]

Polecat at Wildcat for sure. Novices will certainly enjoy the trail but a lot of the bends feature steep drop offs. Polecat is one of those trails that the skier or rider can made as challenging as they want to (up to a certain point). If you cat the corners hard on Polecat, it skis more like an easy blue than a green.

 

[millerm277]

Great Northern at Killington-Possibly the worst beginner trail imaginable on a busy day. By my count, it crosses at least 8 trails, and has many dangerous intersections and merges.

 

[Hawkshot99]

On most mountains I find the greens to be much scarier than blues. They get scraped very fast, by all of the traffic, and are always crowded. But the scariest part about them is the people that are on them. There is no predicting what they will do. On a higher trail I can predict what better skiers are going to do. On the greens, the skiers make random turns, and stops. It is real difficult to not get taken out.

 

[wintersyndrome]

There is a summit green at Ascutney that is listed on the trail map as a green for it marks the easiest descent from the summit. this happened to upset some extended family members when skiing there and the easy way down took nearly an hour to complete...they were wishing they went to Okemo that day.

 

[hiroto]

There is a summit green at Ascutney that is listed on the trail map as a green for it marks the easiest descent from the summit. this happened to upset some extended family members when skiing there and the easy way down took nearly an hour to complete...they were wishing they went to Okemo that day.

That looks pretty strange on trail map. Green trail surrounded by double blacks and blacks. How steep actually is it?

 

[Sky]

Great Northern at Killington-Possibly the worst beginner trail imaginable on a busy day. By my count, it crosses at least 8 trails, and has many dangerous intersections and merges.

You beat to it. Additionally, GN "carries" lots of higher level traffic to other trails, so lower level folks are certainly not alone. So between the carrying traffic, the trail crossings and the (in places) narrowness...it's an awful Green trail.

Easy Rider off the Okemo summit is close for similar reasons. Doesn't cross as many trails but it does cross some, narrow in spots, flat in others...tough for a true beginner.

 

[WWF-VT]

Another vote for Walt's trail at Mt Ellen. It's a natural snow trail that is often not groomed and the snow can set up for more challenge than a gree skier would expect

 

[hiroto]

Great Northern at Killington-Possibly the worst beginner trail imaginable on a busy day. By my count, it crosses at least 8 trails, and has many dangerous intersections and merges.

Great Eastern is much better in that respect, although the section between Bear Mountain peek and Dream Maker is significantly more dangerous ever since they put terrain park in Dream Maker.

 

[millerm277]

Great Eastern is much better in that respect, although the section between Bear Mountain peek and Dream Maker is significantly more dangerous ever since they put terrain park in Dream Maker.

Even with that section, Great Eastern is a great trail, especially the lower section that winds it's way through the woods. Great Northern is terrible, for the reasons I said before.

 

[deadheadskier]

Snowshed at Killington

5 acres with a couple of thousand NY joey's on it :-o

 

[roark]

Stugger's Chute @ Snow. Rolls and undulates, along with the steeper pitch at the end.

 

[kickstand]

I nominate the Jordan-to-White-Cap traverse at Sunday River. It's something like Kansas - Lights Out - Downdraft (easy blue) - Tourist Trap (blue) - Roadrunner. The Kansas - Lights Out part is the worst, but the whole traverse is definitely a challenge.

Polecat at Wildcat is also up there. That could be a blue at many other mountains.

 

[Paul]

There is a summit green at Ascutney that is listed on the trail map as a green for it marks the easiest descent from the summit. this happened to upset some extended family members when skiing there and the easy way down took nearly an hour to complete...they were wishing they went to Okemo that day.

That looks pretty strange on trail map. Green trail surrounded by double blacks and blacks. How steep actually is it?

Cloudspin. It doesn't have any sustained pitch, and the very top and bottom are somewhat flat. However, there is a spot midway down where there is a relatively precipitous drop-off that is immediately followed by a 90 degree turn. If a beginner gets any momentum snow-plowing down the steep part, and can't engage enough edge to make the turn, they're off the trail. It also gets scraped down to hardpack by 9:00am.

I agree Attitash is not a great place for beginners or folks who've only tried it a couple of times .

For all the crap Attitash takes from the "I'm too good a skier to go there" crowd. Attitash is definitely a steep place for a beginner. Even a novice/low intermediate. I love it though.

Dreamweaver at Okemo. I still don't get the difference between this one and Off the Rim and Stumpjumper. They all seem the same.

Easy Street at Cranmore can be a little intimidating at times for a n0ob. It starts with a small drop, then has some fairly steep trails cross it, and gets narrow and slick in one spot.

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

Polecat is right up there.

Magic Carpet to Wand has been billed as the "easiest way down" Magic for quite a while (which I disagree with) and the Pitch on Sunshine Corner could be a black at Stratton.

Outside the NE:
There's a lower elevation bowl at Snowbird (Female name, can't remember it) that amazed me was marked green.

And nominated in the "worst design" category, the academy chooses Sierra Blanca at SKi Apache in Ruidoso, NM

 

[RISkier]

Polecat is right up there.

Magic Carpet to Wand has been billed as the "easiest way down" Magic for quite a while (which I disagree with) and the Pitch on Sunshine Corner could be a black at Stratton.

Outside the NE:
There's a lower elevation bowl at Snowbird (Female name, can't remember it) that amazed me was marked green.

And nominated in the "worst design" category, the academy chooses Sierra Blanca at SKi Apache in Ruidoso, NM

I believe it's called Big Emma. Never been on it but have read descriptions of it on Epicski that compare it to Eastern blacks. I doubt it's an Eastern Black but I've read enough descriptions of it that it probably is not a trail for near beginners.

 

[KevinF]

I believe it's called Big Emma. Never been on it but have read descriptions of it on Epicski that compare it to Eastern blacks. I doubt it's an Eastern Black but I've read enough descriptions of it that it probably is not a trail for near beginners.

Yes, it's called Big Emma. And yes, it really is steeper then a great many Eastern blacks. This is a picture of it:

It is extremely wide (by Eastern standards !), but those trees on the edge should give you an idea of how steep the entrance is.

 

[BeanoNYC]

On most mountains I find the greens to be much scarier than blues. They get scraped very fast, by all of the traffic, and are always crowded. But the scariest part about them is the people that are on them. There is no predicting what they will do. On a higher trail I can predict what better skiers are going to do. On the greens, the skiers make random turns, and stops. It is real difficult to not get taken out.

We have a winning response. I tell my wife constantly that, on a busy day, she's safer on an easy blue than any green.