Smellytele
Well-known member
Hence being over rated by some
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Most Over/Under Rated Ski Trails
- Thread starter canobie#1
- Start date
Hence being over rated by some
ScottySkis
Well-known member
+1 and some great glades off left of those steeps trails.
C-Rex
New member
I love that glade. Starts off tight and steep and then opens up as the pitch mellows out. Best place to be when the snow is good and the place is packed.
What do we mean by underrated in this thread? I was talking about trails that people gush about but aren't really anything special. Not necessarily that it's difficulty rating is overstated.
What do we mean by underrated in this thread? I was talking about trails that people gush about but aren't really anything special. Not necessarily that it's difficulty rating is overstated.
Savemeasammy
New member
Overrated: Stein's Run. It seems like this trail is frequented by people who don't belong on it - presumably so they can tell everyone they skied it...! The Mall right door is a better run.
dmc
New member
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Love that you got that... I don't get it either.. Or why the box is mad?
ss20
Well-known member
I agree with you. Ripcord and jaws are true to their ratings. Plummet can be worthy of its diamond rating if it's icy. The short trails like PDF, Boulder Pile, and Little Steep are challenging. Everything else is blue, imho.
C-Rex
New member
I think Mt. Snow rates them all as diamonds because the whole north face is supposed to be their "expert" terrain area. Plus it keeps novices away and gives the more hardcore guys and gals a little place of their own to play in. I think Mt. Snow is good at this, if that's what they're actually doing. Like the idea of having Carinthia as a separate, all park area. It keeps user types that don't necessarily enjoy each other's company away from each other.
Tin
Active member
Underrated....
Liftline at Berkshire East because it usually has some thin cover, rocks and lift pole to navigate, along with bumps and some pitch in spots. Just a favorite of mine for some reason.
Others that are underrated...Upper Giant Killer at Pico, Paradise at Sugarbush, Moondance at Stratton (Stratton's glades are awesome).
Over... Superstar (until it is all that is left in May/June), Liftline at Stowe = zero character, any trail in NH other than Kinsman or the Tramline.
Liftline at Berkshire East because it usually has some thin cover, rocks and lift pole to navigate, along with bumps and some pitch in spots. Just a favorite of mine for some reason.
Others that are underrated...Upper Giant Killer at Pico, Paradise at Sugarbush, Moondance at Stratton (Stratton's glades are awesome).
Over... Superstar (until it is all that is left in May/June), Liftline at Stowe = zero character, any trail in NH other than Kinsman or the Tramline.
St. Bear
New member
Well this seems a bit unnecessary.
Smellytele
Well-known member
How do you over rate any green trail?
Tin
Active member
I was referring to blacks and doubles at places like Loon, Waterville...I went a little overboard. Sorry
St. Bear
New member
Pretty sure it's been mentioned already, but I'd put all of Black Mountain (NH) in my underrated category. Love that place.
Smellytele
Well-known member
In the heat of the moment things happen. I agree with those two places but Wildcat and Cannon have some true blacks. It is kind of like saying it about VT and then mentioning Stratton and Okemo.
freeski919
New member
Angel Food isn't a trail, and it isn't even part of Stowe. It is beyond the resort boundary. Heck, it's not even in the town of Stowe, its in Cambridge. I wouldn't call Angel Food underrated or overrated. Its a decent glade. Fun, but nothing really outstanding about it. I can think of a dozen tree runs within a mile of Angel Food which are much more interesting.
jimk
Well-known member
I'm so BUSTED...by the guy that took me there:razz:
Love that trail though I wish the bottom was never widened. It would have been amazing if they left the whole thing as narrow as the top.
snowmonster
New member
Someone mentioned the Eastern Townships so I decided to give my over and under to show some Quebecois love. I've been to these ski areas only once but cut me some slack. I'm hunkered down expecting a 190 mph supertyphoon to blow through and ski talk is keeping the edge off.
Overrated:
Any trail rated as a triple black at either Le Massif or Sutton - A triple black rating is excessive. I prefer the less is more ethic at MRG, Jay and Cannon where even the most difficult terrain is a single black. By that standard, a triple black trail should be a 30 foot cliff with a tight spruce forest in the landing zone. I don't know if it's a marketing gimmick or a response to Quebec insurance laws but Le Massif and Sutton both have triple black diamond trails. At Sutton, the triple blacks are tight glades but nothing too scary. Le Massif has the triple black Le Charlevoix. It was closed when I was there but, from what I understand, it's just a really steep and icy racing trail. Unless there's a forest in the middle that tosses you over a cliff, it's probably skiable by us mere mortals.
Underrated:
Orford's glades - If you like glades, people immediately recommend Sutton because of its Jay-like tree runs. The glades there are great but, if you want glades that can really kick your butt, head to Orford. If Sutton is the Jay of the Eastern Townships then Orford (terrain wise) is their MRG. They have a whole complex of glades off the Giroux Est chair that range from intermediate mellow to "Holy s#it! How do I get out of here?" One called Boogie funnels you to a really narrow slot just wide enough for you to straightline and jump off a rock into a pitched stand of trees. Yeah, pretty challenging. At the bar after, I was chatting up a patroller who pointed out one of the patrons. He said: "Did you ski Labreque? See, that woman. She's Labreque. We named it after her." He then told me that the most challenging glade is Ecureil because you "have to jump off a cliff and there's a tree right in front of you." Orford seems to be more liberal with its trail closing policies. There were several closed trails at Sutton which I happily jumped into. Good cover, no roots, rocks or stumps. In contrast, a day later at Orford, they had open trails and glades that should have been closed. More exciting skiing but you really have to watch out.
Mont Liguori/ Secteur Hors Piste at Le Massif - If Le Massif really wants to make a run at skiers from south of its border, they should market this place as "Brackett Basin with better food." Brackett Basin-esque. Great long sidecountry runs. Huge wilderness area. No real named trails in there so you actually get lost if you try hard enough. Powder pockets and hike-to terrain to keep things interesting at the resort. Just remember to hit this place before 2pm because it gets closed. I wanted to duck the rope but decided I didn't want to be a scofflaw in three countries.
Owl's Head - Overshadowed by Jay to the south, Orford to its north and Sutton to its west. Gets in the conversation this way: "Well, if you're doing a week at Jay, you might as well hop over the border for a day at Owl's Head since it's 20 minutes away." Uncrowded and old school. Base area reminds me of Magic. Great cruisers with great views. Steeps can be found on Colorado. Glades not too challenging but it's a fun mountain and worth a day. By the way, they ran a special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for CAN$17 taxes included. End the day at Abbaye St. Benoit du Lac for some contemplation and cheese.
Overrated:
Any trail rated as a triple black at either Le Massif or Sutton - A triple black rating is excessive. I prefer the less is more ethic at MRG, Jay and Cannon where even the most difficult terrain is a single black. By that standard, a triple black trail should be a 30 foot cliff with a tight spruce forest in the landing zone. I don't know if it's a marketing gimmick or a response to Quebec insurance laws but Le Massif and Sutton both have triple black diamond trails. At Sutton, the triple blacks are tight glades but nothing too scary. Le Massif has the triple black Le Charlevoix. It was closed when I was there but, from what I understand, it's just a really steep and icy racing trail. Unless there's a forest in the middle that tosses you over a cliff, it's probably skiable by us mere mortals.
Underrated:
Orford's glades - If you like glades, people immediately recommend Sutton because of its Jay-like tree runs. The glades there are great but, if you want glades that can really kick your butt, head to Orford. If Sutton is the Jay of the Eastern Townships then Orford (terrain wise) is their MRG. They have a whole complex of glades off the Giroux Est chair that range from intermediate mellow to "Holy s#it! How do I get out of here?" One called Boogie funnels you to a really narrow slot just wide enough for you to straightline and jump off a rock into a pitched stand of trees. Yeah, pretty challenging. At the bar after, I was chatting up a patroller who pointed out one of the patrons. He said: "Did you ski Labreque? See, that woman. She's Labreque. We named it after her." He then told me that the most challenging glade is Ecureil because you "have to jump off a cliff and there's a tree right in front of you." Orford seems to be more liberal with its trail closing policies. There were several closed trails at Sutton which I happily jumped into. Good cover, no roots, rocks or stumps. In contrast, a day later at Orford, they had open trails and glades that should have been closed. More exciting skiing but you really have to watch out.
Mont Liguori/ Secteur Hors Piste at Le Massif - If Le Massif really wants to make a run at skiers from south of its border, they should market this place as "Brackett Basin with better food." Brackett Basin-esque. Great long sidecountry runs. Huge wilderness area. No real named trails in there so you actually get lost if you try hard enough. Powder pockets and hike-to terrain to keep things interesting at the resort. Just remember to hit this place before 2pm because it gets closed. I wanted to duck the rope but decided I didn't want to be a scofflaw in three countries.
Owl's Head - Overshadowed by Jay to the south, Orford to its north and Sutton to its west. Gets in the conversation this way: "Well, if you're doing a week at Jay, you might as well hop over the border for a day at Owl's Head since it's 20 minutes away." Uncrowded and old school. Base area reminds me of Magic. Great cruisers with great views. Steeps can be found on Colorado. Glades not too challenging but it's a fun mountain and worth a day. By the way, they ran a special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for CAN$17 taxes included. End the day at Abbaye St. Benoit du Lac for some contemplation and cheese.
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