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Opinion: Best run(s) at Sugarbush

Slidebrook87

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I would say my two favorites are Semi-Tough and Lower FIS at Mt. Ellen. Many people don’t like L-FIS because of the runout, but I love how tucked away it is from the rest of the mountain.


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Tonyr

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My favorite is Rumble and the woods just to the left of Paradise.
 

Slidebrook87

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My favorite is Rumble and the woods just to the left of Paradise.

Nice, my goal this year is to ski Liftline. It doesn’t look to difficult (possibly easier than CR run). Paradise is also on my list of trails that I want to ski.


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nhskier1969

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So many options. All depends what you are looking for. Here are some of my favorite on map options.
1. Spillsville, normally first natural bump trial in NE to open.
2. TTB Jester, Valley house traverse, snowball to lower snowball. When of my families favorite.
3. Going to castlerock, great warm up run is Domino shoot, domino, lower domino
4. skiers left on Sunrise
5. Lower FIS, one of my favorite runs at Ellen. Not many people because of the run out
6. Black Diamond, same pitch as FIS, holds the snow much better
7. Semi-tough
 

WWF-VT

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Nice, my goal this year is to ski Liftline. It doesn’t look to difficult (possibly easier than CR run). Paradise is also on my list of trails that I want to ski.

You definitely have lot to learn if you think Lift Line is easier than Castlerock Run
 

Slidebrook87

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So many options. All depends what you are looking for. Here are some of my favorite on map options.
1. Spillsville, normally first natural bump trial in NE to open.
2. TTB Jester, Valley house traverse, snowball to lower snowball. When of my families favorite.
3. Going to castlerock, great warm up run is Domino shoot, domino, lower domino
4. skiers left on Sunrise
5. Lower FIS, one of my favorite runs at Ellen. Not many people because of the run out
6. Black Diamond, same pitch as FIS, holds the snow much better
7. Semi-tough

Good list. I’ve never skied Spillsville or Black Diamond. Looks like quite the trail!! I may get around to skiing Upper FIS this year, but it kind of scares me, not gonna lie.


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cdskier

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You definitely have lot to learn if you think Lift Line is easier than Castlerock Run

Thought the exact same thing...

The reason I think that is because it’s not as moguled up as CR run and it is clearer.

It generally is quite moguled up. Not sure what you mean by clearer. It is certainly rockier (with rocks often poking through particularly the top 1/3 or so). And certainly much steeper than CR run.

Good list. I’ve never skied Spillsville or Black Diamond. Looks like quite the trail!! I may get around to skiing Upper FIS this year, but it kind of scares me, not gonna lie.

Before even thinking about Lift Line you should probably do Spillsville, Black Diamond, and Upper FIS. If Upper FIS scares you, definitely make sure you tackle that fear before hitting Lift Line.
 

nhskier1969

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Good list. I’ve never skied Spillsville or Black Diamond. Looks like quite the trail!! I may get around to skiing Upper FIS this year, but it kind of scares me, not gonna lie.


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Upper FIS isn't worth it. The true pitch to the trial is the ice cliffs on skier right. If you are coming into FIS, easiest way is thru the small trees skiers left. It Holds the snow much better in there, play in that for a few turns then migrate onto the trail.
 

Bumpsis

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Any run with at least an intermediate pitch with fresh powder will be my instant favorite, providing that it's not crowded. But if I had to name a trail it would be Middle Earth with moguls just turning from firm into dry corn under the spring sun.
 

Slidebrook87

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Here’s why I think I would find liftline easier than Upper FIS. Upper FIS looks like a nightmare to me because of the sheets of ice coating the trail. Liftline on the other hand usually has better snow (from what I’ve observed on the lift). Castlerock Run has moguls “the size of Volkswagens” and there is generally quite a bit of ice. On Liftline, the moguls look to be more spread out and less deep. I will try Liftline before I try Upper FIS.


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nhskier1969

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Here’s why I think I would find liftline easier than Upper FIS. Upper FIS looks like a nightmare to me because of the sheets of ice coating the trail. Liftline on the other hand usually has better snow (from what I’ve observed on the lift). Castlerock Run has moguls “the size of Volkswagens” and there is generally quite a bit of ice. On Liftline, the moguls look to be more spread out and less deep. I will try Liftline before I try Upper FIS.


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Good idea.. So when you fall off the first or second head wall on lifeline, at least the snow will be soft to brace your fall 10 ft below.
LOL
 

Slidebrook87

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Good idea.. So when you fall off the first or second head wall on lifeline, at least the snow will be soft to brace your fall 10 ft below.
LOL

That’s nice... I’m actually looking forward to skiing Liftline. It’s nice to have goals each ski season.


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Tonyr

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Here’s why I think I would find liftline easier than Upper FIS. Upper FIS looks like a nightmare to me because of the sheets of ice coating the trail. Liftline on the other hand usually has better snow (from what I’ve observed on the lift). Castlerock Run has moguls “the size of Volkswagens” and there is generally quite a bit of ice. On Liftline, the moguls look to be more spread out and less deep. I will try Liftline before I try Upper FIS.


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To me Liftline is more challenging than Upper FIS. Sure the second half of Liftline is much tamer than the top half but that top section of Liftline is no joke. When you factor in the vert it is the same between the two hardest parts of each run. Black Diamond Rush over at Mt Ellen is the toughest non gladed run on that mountain. Its tighter than Upper FIS with less outs plus you have everyone on the lift above watching you! In my humble opinion the top 5 toughest on the map non gladed runs at Sugarbush are Rumble, Black Diamond Rush, Liftline, Paradise, then Upper FIS.

Tony
 

Slidebrook87

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To me Liftline is more challenging than Upper FIS. Sure the second half of Liftline is much tamer than the top half but that top section of Liftline is no joke. When you factor in the vert it is the same between the two hardest parts of each run. Black Diamond Rush over at Mt Ellen is the toughest non gladed run on that mountain. Its tighter than Upper FIS with less outs plus you have everyone on the lift above watching you! In my humble opinion the top 5 toughest on the map non gladed runs at Sugarbush are Rumble, Black Diamond Rush, Liftline, Paradise, then Upper FIS.

Tony

Interesting. I’m hearing a lot of this. I don’t really have a desire to ski FIS so I might just commit to skiing Liftline at some time this season. I skied Middle Earth last year which certainly wasn’t the best experience...


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Boxtop Willie

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Always condition dependent. Have skied Sugarbush for 25 years and have skied every trail...and many of the trees. Most memorable run was 3-4 years ago, Easter morning. It was snowing pretty good that morning. Lots of people having trouble getting across German Flats road. Did the early morning service at Allyns. When finished, headed across the traverse to Snowball. Did Snowball/Spring Fling at Mach 4 in 6 inches of fresh on top of groomed corduroy with my 3 kids (all high school and college racers). One of those moments that you can't plan, just happens. At Thanksgiving dinner last night someone asked my daughter what her best memory of skiing was. She talked about that run. Couldn't believe Dad woke her up early, it's cold, why's Easter important anyway, I just want to sleep. (she was 15). Great day, great conditions, great run and she beat Dad to the bottom.
Any run at Sugarbush can be the best run ever.
 

Tonyr

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I got on to Middle Earth last year thinking it would be a breather from skiing Rumble and Liftline. Other than the start, the whole run is a sea of non stop moguls, it kind of reminded me of a tighter version of Outer limits at Killington. I'm still not sure why they haven't rated all the runs at the top of Castlerock double blacks, maybe Win could answer that one.........
 
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