Does the Smuggs triple black deserve the rating?

[Northeastskier293]

There is a triple black at Smuggs called "Black Hole". I think that it's probably just a gimmick though, I haven't seen much online about it. Should it be a triple black?

 

[campgottagopee]

Should it be, no--is it good that it is, yes. Reason is, IMO, to hopefully keep peeps out of there who really shouldn't be......it's a steep real tight tree run that if your not an accomplished skier you could get real banged up and ski patrol would have a hard time getting you out of there. Great trail though---was better before it was on the map.:smash:

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I never skied a triple diamond..I have yet to ski Corbetts Couloir which is a double diamond. When I get the balls to ski Corbetts..I will head directly to Smugglers Notch and hire a guide for an ascent down THE BLACK HOLE...are ropes or avalanche gear required???

I've only skied a few runs over at Smugglers notch going across to Sterling from the old Big Spruce chair. I think they consider Doc Dempseys glade a black..a really cool run with lots of signs on trees..

 

[deadheadskier]

I call it a gimmick. Yes it's one of the steeper and tighter glades you'll find in the east. I haven't had the opportunity to ski liftline at Smuggs, but in looking at it, it appears to be the more difficult trail of the two. Hopefully I finally get to ski it this winter.

 

[skiing is life]

its all just hype and advertising. pretty feeble attempt at a gimick if you ask me. triple blacks dont even exist..i dont think. correct me if im wrong.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

They list The Chute at Blue Mountain as extremely difficult..but snowboarders slide down it on their butts..lol..When I first got into skiing I read a book from the library where various ski areas had their terrain ranked in terms of difficulty..they rated the tops of Starr and Goat at Stowe as like a 9.5 out of 10..which in my opinion seems a little bit extreme..but if you think of the average skier who skis 5-10 days per season..the tops of Starr and Goat are uber tough runs..because you really need to be a competent skier or rider to ski them with ease.

It would be cool if an independent outfit went to all the different ski areas and skied each and every run and gave it ratings..not a bad project..

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

wow, triple black...you must have to ski over a minefield, past hungy pitbulls, and swin through a starving pirannah pool just to get to the mandatory 50' air to pungi stick entrance...

 

[djspookman]

yah, its marketing. Freefall is tougher (the trail next to it), but the Black Hole is in the woods, so "it must be harder!" (ha!) Ask any Smuggs local and they don't even bother going in there anymore since they made it "official" We've all been skiing that woods shot for decades before they "opened" it and put that silly rating on there.

There are harder places to ski that almost deserve that triple black rating at Smuggs. hint: they are not on the map

dave

 

[KevinF]

It would be cool if an independent outfit went to all the different ski areas and skied each and every run and gave it ratings..not a bad project..

The problem of course is the conditions in which you encounter any trail is going to have a major impact on how difficult you think the trail is. I've skied the top of Stowe's Starr on a powder morning, and it was fun. I've skied it again a little later that day and found that it was transformed into little powder piles with big sheets of blue ice.

Likewise, get stuck on some traverse on a powder day, and it could be the hardest you work all day to get out of there.

 

[woody]

Does it take a lot of snow to get these mentioned trails open?I was at Smuggs and Stowe last year mid February a few days after a good 10" and they all were closed.It made me think they weren't open often.

 

[tipsdown]

Most difficult glade I can think of that's marked is Dark Wizard at Saddleback. That's a double black rating...Is Black Hole up to par with Dark Wizard?

 

[WoodCore]

Sometimes the terrain you need to ski to get to the black hole is more difficult than the terrain in the black hole itself. :wink:

 

[djspookman]

Sometimes the terrain you need to ski to get to the black hole is more difficult than the terrain in the black hole itself. :wink:

True. Liftline is pretty gnarly, as is Freefall (you can get in the black hole from both)

dave