'Dacks vs. Greens vs. Whites Smackdown

[AdironRider]

Arider: sounds like you really got all the points nailed. Hit all those ranges and have settled in on the 'dacks as best terrain and town that is tops too. Maybe when I wonder over to LP and WF you can show me around the hill some. Also, even though I am an old guy (over 40) I think I could probably struggle through those long approaches into the slides that you speak so fondly of. So, it would be great if you could show me some of that beta. I'll make sure I have a couple extra sets of touring skis with me so just in case your's are in the shop, you won't be out of luck and have to just go lift served. Yep, and I'll even throw in my buds splitter so we got all the bases covered. Also, I'll toss in a couple extra transcievers/shovels/probes and that way if a couple of the other Ad boys want to join (or Riv would like to come--I can always pick him up in the lowly greens on my way over) they won't feel left out. Looking forward to you showing me what all the hype is about

Id be down. Sometime in lat Feb early March should have good snowpack. I went those times last year.

 

[JD]

Who cares. I do live in Stowe however.

 

[Dacksdescents]

Anyone have a photo of people actually skiing the Slides? I haven't seen one yet.

www.dacksdescents.com

 

[Greg]

Anyone have a photo of people actually skiing the Slides? I haven't seen one yet.

That looks pretty lame. I don't think I'd ever want to ski the slides.........

:-o Oooff. Nice pics, Dacksdescents!!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome! :beer:

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Here's some I have. No where near as good as the awesome pixs Dacksdescents put up.
I'm going to make a point to take more this season.

 

[JD]

Dust on crust in most of those pics. They look like they see alot of wind action.
The Daks are huge, but they just don't get the snow. I wish they did. They are a much more dramtic range then the humble old Greens.

 

[Dacksdescents]

Nope sorry to say that there is no dust on crust in any of my shots.
All but one was from 1 foot plus blower days.
Please resume to armchair backcountry skiing.

 

[dmc]

Nope sorry to say that there is no dust on crust in any of my shots.
All but one was from 1 foot plus blower days.
Please resume to armchair backcountry skiing.

Backcountry... Cool... How was the skin up...??? I've had friends that have done them.. Requires some climbing up some ice falls at some point...

I think you can also "slackcountry" from the lifts too...

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

OK let's stack it up:

Back-Country:

ADKs: No contest. Adirondacks dwarf any and all competition from NH or VT

BIG EDGE: ADKS 2 pts
......

The 'Dacks certainly have some great BC oportunities, however, let's give credit where credit is due:

"Don't smear New Hampshire"

 

[dmc]

Back-Country:

ADKs: No contest. Adirondacks dwarf any and all competition from NH or VT

WHAT???!? You are on some serious drugs..
The Presidentials offer tons of amazing BC opps...

 

[riverc0il]

one of the biggest issues with discussing what range has the best BC is most folks here come from a rather biased perspective (myself included. myself especially). also, it is hard to be unbiased with limited experiences. who has skied a representative sampling of BC from the mountains of the dacks, greens, and whites? then, despite limited experience, we also speak out of personal bias regarding where is closest and easiest to get to. as per usual, it all depends. so many factors. dacks seem the most adventerous with hard approaches and remote areas and require more knowledge (not like tucks that posts an avi bulletin everyday that is applicable to a specific area). greens have the powder and lack of avi terrain which makes getting powder more difficult in places like the dacks slides and presidentials area. presis have superior accessability and tremendously long runs with supreme vertical and the longest season. why not ski them all and not judge them? that is what i prefer to do. hopefully i can get to the dacks soon, the latest couloir has me jonesing to get a group together and shack up at a hut in the middle of no where. my per usual bottom line: there is no one best, but there are better for certain things at certain times.

 

[Marc]

one of the biggest issues with discussing what range has the best BC is most folks here come from a rather biased perspective (myself included. myself especially). also, it is hard to be unbiased with limited experiences. who has skied a representative sampling of BC from the mountains of the dacks, greens, and whites? then, despite limited experience, we also speak out of personal bias regarding where is closest and easiest to get to. as per usual, it all depends. so many factors. dacks seem the most adventerous with hard approaches and remote areas and require more knowledge (not like tucks that posts an avi bulletin everyday that is applicable to a specific area). greens have the powder and lack of avi terrain which makes getting powder more difficult in places like the dacks slides and presidentials area. presis have superior accessability and tremendously long runs with supreme vertical and the longest season. why not ski them all and not judge them? that is what i prefer to do. hopefully i can get to the dacks soon, the latest couloir has me jonesing to get a group together and shack up at a hut in the middle of no where. my per usual bottom line: there is no one best, but there are better for certain things at certain times.

Stop being so elitist.




Arm injuring wimp.

 

[awf170]

Central to northern Vermont gets 250"+ of natural snow. That's the big advantage over the Daks and the Whites since the steeper natural snow terrain is skiable more days per season and the mountains are laid out on steeper terrain. Whiteface only averages 168" of natural snow so the steep hike-to isn't open very often.

What in Vermont is steeper than Tucks?

Back-Country:

ADKs: No contest. Adirondacks dwarf any and all competition from NH or VT

BIG EDGE: ADKS 2 pts

How? The Whites have by far the best above treeline skiing, the Greens have by far the best glades, and the dacks have by far the best slide and remote skiing. You can't compare them.

That looks pretty lame. I don't think I'd ever want to ski the slides.........

Oooff. Nice pics, Dacksdescents!!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome!

Greg, I'm not sure if you know but not one of those pictures are inbounds at Whiteface, actually I don't think any of them are near Whiteface. Awesome pictures though!

You'd never confuse any of the eastern sking with the Rockies or Utah.

Have you hiked Mt. Washington, Adams or Katahdin?



Also, HPD those pictures are pretty sweet. SOD has a good choice in skis, too.

hopefully i can get to the dacks soon, the latest couloir has me jonesing to get a group together and shack up at a hut in the middle of no where.

Febuary Vacation? Should I start trying to convince my dad now?

 

[JD]

Personally, I think accessability is a good thing for the BC terrain in VT. If I have to work at 10, I can still get 2 laps off the top of the tallest Mtn. in the state. If I have all weekend, I could easily stitch together a multi day hut tour, and take the trolly to and from the Mtn., I don't even need a car.

 

[Dacksdescents]

Greg, I'm not sure if you know but not one of those pictures are inbounds at Whiteface, actually I don't think any of them are near Whiteface. Awesome pictures though!

WOW! Thats good to know.:roll:
Actually ALL were taken on the ski area slides. Just didn't use the lifts.

 

[ChileMass]

WHAT???!? You are on some serious drugs..
The Presidentials offer tons of amazing BC opps...

Based on quantity it's no contest in my opinion. Personally, I prefer the Presidentials, but the ADKs offer more in total.........

 

[riverc0il]

Based on quantity it's no contest in my opinion. Personally, I prefer the Presidentials, but the ADKs offer more in total.........

i know we had a quality vs. quantity discussion on here before... so i don't want to drudge that thread up. but i think we can all generally agree that folks interested in backcountry obviously are not interested much in quantity considering BC'ers hike all day for one maybe two runs. not to put down the slides, but the presidentials offers some pretty unique and of high quality to eastern USA. i think if you look at quality, the whites measure up more than favorably to the dacks. but if you are interested in quantity... than NY is hands down the best state to ski in the entire united states, west included. so measuring by quantity alone is a slippery slope.

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

Also in the quality v.s quantity department:

The great quantity of snow in the Whites effects not only the quality of the snow, but also the quantity of days you can ski them.

 

[AdironRider]

Riv, considering you havent done any BC in the ADK's you cant really comment on quality. I will give you that most are a trek to get to, but frankly, that just leaves better snow for the ones who make the effort.

 

[ChileMass]

.......measuring by quantity alone is a slippery slope.

There's no way to measure one's personal preference.......