Most overrated ski trails

[skibum1321]

Not the upper part of Liftline...requires mandatory air just above the Goat crossover. Looked kinda intense. Lower Liftline has some good pitch.

That isn't actually part of Liftline...

 

[skibum1321]

I think reputation and trail rating are unique aspects. Sure the trails with the biggest reps in the East are all supposed to be really hard, but there are plenty of runs in the East rated as double diamonds that have no reputation at all. Many of the trails listed here may be rated double diamonds relative to other trails at the resort, but there are no big claims about how great they are (such as those in my earlier lists).

 

[montageskier]

Even the skiing at Montage has challenge, the lower 500' vertical has some steep double diamond trails.

I am from montage.

 

[Greg]

I am from montage.

I never would have guessed that...

 

[ALLSKIING]

You must be a great bump skier. I wouldn't say Outer Limits is not challenging. Granted, I haven't been on it in several years, but I've been on OL with some huge bumps and it was certainly a challenge. Overall, it is overrated though. Anything wide enough that lets you traverse if you need to reduces the difficulty factor a lot.

I don't think it is overrated as a bump run. I think the part that it is the steepest bump run east of the mississippi river is...but as a bump run I think its one of the best in the east.

 

[2knees]

I don't think it is overrated as a bump run. I think the part that it is the steepest bump run east of the mississippi river is...but as a bump run I think its one of the best in the east.

right on. It's wide so you can bail out anytime you need to. but if you can rip it, staying in a line, top to bottom, or with one or two stops even, then you are one hell of a skier.
That being said, i think overrated could be applied when you take into consideration all the publicity the thing got/gets.

 

[Greg]

right on. It's wide so you can bail out anytime you need to. but if you can rip it, staying in a line, top to bottom, or with one or two stops even, then you are one hell of a skier.
That being said, i think overrated could be applied when you take into consideration all the publicity the thing got/gets.

Pat - I know you like to rock a long line of bumps. Have you ever hit OL top-to-bottom cleanly?

 

[2knees]

Pat - I know you like to rock a long line of bumps. Have you ever hit OL top-to-bottom cleanly?

lol actually yes. but that was so long ago it might as well have been someone else. I couldnt even dream of pulling that off now. ohh to be 19 again with my original knees.

 

[Greg]

lol actually yes. but that was so long ago it might as well have been someone else. I couldnt even dream of pulling that off now. ohh to be 19 again with my original knees.

Nice! Regardless of what one thinks about OL, it sure looks like one hell of an impressive run from the parking lot as you approach the lodge at Bear Mountain:

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/a/c/acr159/pics/Outer Limits.jpg

 

[SkiDog]

Nice! Regardless of what one thinks about OL, it sure looks like one hell of an impressive run from the parking lot as you approach the lodge at Bear Mountain:

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/a/c/acr159/pics/Outer Limits.jpg

NO DOUBT

M

 

[mattchuck2]

Lies at Gore. The headwall of Rumor was damn steep but after that Lies seemed like a cakewalk.

Yeah, but taken for what it is, Lies is a quality run, arguably the best on the mountain behind Rumor (and not counting glades). It's just that Rumor is such a fantastic trail, any trail around it will pale in comparison.

black diamonds at stratton ...

Yeah, I hear you on that . . . Stratton as a mountain is overrated . . .


As far as Outer Limits goes, I don't consider it overrated or underrated. I think that the opinion of the majority is perfectly justified - It's a great fall line bump run, and a blast to ski in the spring.

 

[andyzee]

Nice! Regardless of what one thinks about OL, it sure looks like one hell of an impressive run from the parking lot as you approach the lodge at Bear Mountain:


http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/a/c/acr159/pics/Outer%20Limits.jpg

One thing about Outer Limits, it photographs real nice. With other slopes it's hard to show the pitch, with OL, that's never been the case.

 

[riverc0il]

How could I forget about Liftline and National from the Front Four of Stowe. They're wide and kind of steep but nothing special.

VERY over rated, i completely agree having finally skied them both this season. the first pitch of national is kinda steep, other than that.....

white heat (aka white hype) is probably the most over rated of the ASC resort trails.

Not the upper part of Liftline...requires mandatory air just above the Goat crossover.

i skied the entire liftline in december without much cover and didn't see any steep sections much less mandatory air. i have only skied two trails in new england with mandatory air, tramline at cannon and paradise at MRG, though both sections of "mandatory air" were avoidable if you went through some trouble.

I've only skied it once, but I think Slide of Hans at Magic was really pretty easy. It's rated double black but I wouldn't put it in the same class as other Magic double blacks. I've never skied Redline, Upper Lucifer or Master Magician, but they certainly looked more difficult. I would say that Goniff and Twlight were harder too. SOH is a cool run though, somewhat removed from the rest of the trail layout.

i wouldn't call that overrated, rather it isn't well labelled trail difficulty level. overrated implies how skiers and riders view the trail and the reputation the trail has. magic has some very screwed up trail difficulty levels for some of their trails, hopefully the new management, whenever if ever the sale goes through, will clear up some confusion currently on the trail map. slide of hans seems about as difficult as twilight zone to me, except the entrance is tight and often times icy at slide but TZ pinches down a bit with thin cover and trees at the bottom. i think both TZ and SoH should be single diamonds and reserve the doubles for goniff, red line, black line (heh!!!), and master. too many doubles waters down the reality of the situation. but that is another thread entirely!

funny how most of the over rated ski trails people mention are at the resorts? i wonder if this has more to do with the ski resorts themselves hyping the trails or regular skiers and riders. i suspect the former.... i can't think of many over rated trails at regular ski areas (as opposed to resorts). trails at places like mrg, cannon, wildcat, whiteface, etc. tend to speak for themselves.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Yeah, but taken for what it is, Lies is a quality run, arguably the best on the mountain behind Rumor (and not counting glades). It's just that Rumor is such a fantastic trail, any trail around it will pale in comparison.



Yeah, I hear you on that . . . Stratton as a mountain is overrated . . .


As far as Outer Limits goes, I don't consider it overrated or underrated. I think that the opinion of the majority is perfectly justified - It's a great fall line bump run, and a blast to ski in the spring.

Luckily for Stratton and Intrawest most skiers don't go there because of the terrain/mountain. In the old RSN Stratton forum, Sttratton people mentioned often the very clean bathrooms. :lol:

 

[kbroderick]

i remember the hoopla about white heat at sunday river-steepest, longest, widest mogul run. when i skied it i was very unimpressed.

Ah, but that's because you misunderstood...it's not the steepest, longest, or widest lift-served trail in the East...it is (or was) the *takes a deep breath* steepest longest widest lift-served trail in the East. *grins*

When it doesn't have a ton of snow on it and the terrain is still there, it can make for a decent trail; when it's slick, it's definitely challenging and has significant reprecussions in the event of a fall. It's not as much fun as Shockwave, certainly, but it can be worthwhile...probably just not on weekends, when the amount of traffic gets in the way of actually making turns on it.

 

[kingslug]

Dot Nebel at Belleayre. They rated it a double diamond for political reasons. Which is the worst kind of BS in my book.

 

[montageskier]

I never would have guessed that...

Actually i didnt even remember my login name here.

 

[thetrailboss]

That isn't actually part of Liftline...

It isn't? What is it then? I'm talking about the narrow strip of trail above the cut-off from Rangeview that runs over to Goat. It is narrow, ungroomed, no snowmaking, and cascades over a cliff with a narrow escape on skier's left. Is that not a trail?

 

[skibum1321]

It isn't? What is it then? I'm talking about the narrow strip of trail above the cut-off from Rangeview that runs over to Goat. It is narrow, ungroomed, no snowmaking, and cascades over a cliff with a narrow escape on skier's left. Is that not a trail?

I don't think it is actually part of Liftline. However, looking at the trailmap they make it appear to be part of the trail. I have never seen it open and I skied there for a full year when everything else on the mountain was open. There appeared to be plenty of snow and obviously some skiers on it, but I didn't ever see the rope drop. There is also no sign for Liftline at the top of that section.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Middle Earth. Now let me qualify that pick before anyone jumps down my throat. Castlerock is identified with Sugarbush and Middle Earth is synonymous with Castlerock. IMO the Castlerock run is just as good, and Rumble and Liftline are better. However, everyone who has even heard of Sugarbush can tell you that Middle Earth is a trail there. I think part of the reason is because people like the name.

I realize rating these 4 trails is like rating Playboy’s Miss June, July, August and Sept. We’d like to ride all 4, but somebody has to come in last. (The trails I mean).