Glade Vs. Tree Skiing Definition Poll

[ss20]

What do you consider a glade?

 

[Nick]

This is a good question. I've always called them synonymous and then you have "thick" glades and "thin" glades (or trees, I use them interchangeably). In general, I consider it more trees when you have to start dealing with brush :lol:

 

[BenedictGomez]

I call them the same thing.

However, it seems to me it's resorts that use "glades" on their maps, whereas in general the average person calls it "trees".

 

[Cannonball]

Funny you brought this up. I was bringing a friend off trail yesterday and he asked "is it glades or is it trees". I know exactly what he was asking. But then this morning I started thinking about what the real definition is. I didn't get too far at solving it. But in general I feel like these are the two biggest factors:

1) Mapping: On map = glade. Off map = trees.
2) Spacing: Glade = well thinned and fairly to very spread out. Trees = tight

But of course there are major exceptions in both categories. Cannon has some off-map "trees" that are more open than some of their on map "glades".

 

[marcski]

I think glade and tree skiing are pretty interchangeable. But then there is also woods skiing, which IMHO connotes thicker denser spaced trees.

 

[Nick]

I think glade and tree skiing are pretty interchangeable. But then there is also woods skiing, which IMHO connotes thicker denser spaced trees.

Yes! That is what i was thinking. Woods is more back or sidecountry. With underbrush

 

[Abubob]

Good question! I hadn't really though too much about except where I get into a "glade" that marked on a map and think I missed it because there are so few trees. I like Cannonball's assessment. Still - a tree here and there does not make a "glade".

1) Mapping: On map = glade. Off map = trees.
2) Spacing: Glade = well thinned and fairly to very spread out. Trees = tight

 

[Newpylong]

I do not think they interchangable at all. Areas (maybe defined as a trail?) with sparse trees but otherwise navigable without going around them are glades. Good examples are the runs at Oz at Sunday River and the runs at Okemo that they make snow on. Any of the trails with "Glade" in the names are carryovers when they were many more trees on the trail but are now all gone or just islands.

Trees are just that, trees and lots of them on the side of a mountain that people ski between

 

[David Metsky]

Oz (except for Flying Monkeys) is just a collection of trails that have some trees on them. I don't think of them as glades in any meaningful sense. You should try Nashoba Glades, a wide trail with a sparse line of trees on one side.

IMO, Glades and trees are the same thing.

 

[soulseller]

Isn't "glade" an EC term?

Pretty sure i've heard my Cali buddies make this comment before.

 

[St. Bear]

Isn't "glade" an EC term?

Pretty sure i've heard my Cali buddies make this comment before.

I think it could be argued that "trail" could be considered an EC term.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

I say Glades are areas which have been thinned out by humans with the intent on making tree skiing easier.

A requisite of a glade doesn't necessarily have to be on a map since there are many unmarked glades and areas in the side country which have been cleaned, cut or thinned out over the years.

 

[hippiechick]

Isn't "glade" an EC term?

Pretty sure i've heard my Cali buddies make this comment before.

I think so. At risk of sounding like a dumb noob, I've never really heard of it until I actually got on this site. I admit, I'm looking it up on Yahoo, trying to figure out WTF you guys are talking about! But my excuse is that I just moved from Idaho. Does that dismiss my term ignorance?

Out west, there were either wide open fields, groomed trails, or trees. We didn't have underbrush like out here. This undergrowth shit blows my mind. But the trees I think are different. Lots of pine out there, no hardwood at all. It's possible they clean out new growth every summer, I don't know. But there's no brush ANYWHERE in the places I skied out west.

 

[ScottySkis]

I think so. At risk of sounding like a dumb noob, I've never really heard of it until I actually got on this site. I admit, I'm looking it up on Yahoo, trying to figure out WTF you guys are talking about! But my excuse is that I just moved from Idaho. Does that dismiss my term ignorance?

Out west, there were either wide open fields, groomed trails, or trees. We didn't have underbrush like out here. This undergrowth shit blows my mind. But the trees I think are different. Lots of pine out there, no hardwood at all. It's possible they clean out new growth every summer, I don't know. But there's no brush ANYWHERE in the places I skied out west.

There fun, hope you find out if you go skiing this spring can be great tree skiing to.

 

[ALLSKIING]

I think so. At risk of sounding like a dumb noob, I've never really heard of it until I actually got on this site. I admit, I'm looking it up on Yahoo, trying to figure out WTF you guys are talking about! But my excuse is that I just moved from Idaho. Does that dismiss my term ignorance?

Yes, but only for another week.....

 

[ScottySkis]

I think glades are on the map, and trees are off the map. I like to find some trees in Roxbury NY.

 

[hippiechick]

Yes, but only for another week.....

Fair enough

 

[Scruffy]

I say Glades are areas which have been thinned out by humans with the intent on making tree skiing easier.

A requisite of a glade doesn't necessarily have to be on a map since there are many unmarked glades and areas in the side country which have been cleaned, cut or thinned out over the years.

Ok, but what do then call the holy grail of North East Back Country skiing: the Natural Birch Glade deep in the woods far from any ski resort, where no one has been thinning?

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

Ok, but what do then call the holy grail of North East Back Country skiing: the Natural Birch Glade deep in the woods far from any ski resort, where no one has been thinning?

Yes, there are natural glades. That's where the term comes from if you want to get down to it and be very literal. In the context of recreational East Coast skiing though I stand by my viewpoint.

 

[marcski]

Yes, there are natural glades. That's where the term comes from if you want to get down to it and be very literal. In the context of recreational East Coast skiing though I stand by my viewpoint.

Agreed. Merrian-Webster defines it as: an open space surrounded by woods.