Pine Tree glades?

[New Daddy]

As glades go, birch tree glades, due to their density, seem to be more challenging.
But spread-out pine tree glades are definitely more pleasant to the eyes.
Where can I find nice pine tree glades in New England?
All glades that I've experienced in the area so far were birch tree glades.
Do I have to go to the Pine Tree state of Maine?

 

[billski]

As glades go, birch tree glades, due to their density, seem to be more challenging.
But spread-out pine tree glades are definitely more pleasant to the eyes.
Where can I find nice pine tree glades in New England?
All glades that I've experienced in the area so far were birch tree glades.
Do I have to go to the Pine Tree state of Maine?

IMO I don't think you're going to find fir or spruce glades in new england - only a few here and there. You'll have to go out west. All our lands were once forested and most of what regrew was hardwoods. Franky, what stands of coniferous there are, are very dense, a PITA to ski (mostly avoided) and impractical to prune.
Of course I could be entirely wrong. I've just been doing a lot of woods skiing for a couple years now, but at lots of different places in New England. Ask me about out west skiing, you'd get an entirely diff. answer

 

[New Daddy]

IMO I don't think you're going to find fir or spruce glades in new england - only a few here and there. You'll have to go out west. All our lands were once forested and most of what regrew was hardwoods. Franky, what stands of coniferous there are, are very dense, a PITA to ski (mostly avoided) and impractical to prune.
Of course I could be entirely wrong. I've just been doing a lot of woods skiing for a couple years now, but at lots of different places in New England. Ask me about out west skiing, you'd get an entirely diff. answer

Thanks for the reply. Actually the reason I brought up the question was because the glade skiing experience I had at Vail a month ago was definitely different from what it's like around here. Very pleasing from an aesthetic point of view, so to speak - tall fir, spruce, pine trees that are spread out enough so the skiers can see the bluebird sky and bathe in sun light too.

 

[billski]

Thanks for the reply. Actually the reason I brought up the question was because the glade skiing experience I had at Vail a month ago was definitely different from what it's like around here. Very pleasing from an aesthetic point of view, so to speak - tall fir, spruce, pine trees that are spread out enough so the skiers can see the bluebird sky and bathe in sun light too.

The Rockies were dealt an entirely different hand of cards as you can see.

I think you'll just have to plan your annual excursion out west. hmmm.....

 

[riverc0il]

There are needle based glades out there. Just skied some today, in a matter of fact though not many in NE that are on the map. Not a very good tree to work with for opening a gladed trail though I find them more challenging to ski due to lines being narrower and branches not being cut back as much. Birches are really ideal and the most aesthetically pleasing but I find birch glades are not the norm.

 

[deadheadskier]

Shawnee Peak has one on map glade that is probably 95% pine trees called Dungeons. For an on map glade, the trees are suprisingly tight and it is very dark, hence the name.

I've found a couple unmarked glade shots at Wildcat that are through pine trees, but these are more like little 'trails' through the woods. Whoever took the effort to cut them out, pretty much stopped at one line as it is a PITA to cut glades through pine forest.


I think one of the reasons why the glade skiing in Northern Vermont is so much better than the rest of New England is not simply because the area gets significant more snowfall, it's also very much because the forests tend to be hardwoods.

 

[takeahike46er]

Eastern White Pine forests make for excellent, natural glades. While I cannot think of a single ski area that has any significant amount of White Pine forests, I know there are stands throughout the Northeast. I've skied some forests around Lake George that are wide open. These are the best pine forests I can think of to ski.

While the higher elevation coniferous forests of the northeast tend to be very dense mix of balsam fir and black spruce, these forests open up at higher elevation where the snowpack buries the smaller trees, and where winds create fir waves. The taller peaks at northerly latitudes tend to have these kinds of glades. Examples can be found at Sugarloaf, Jay Peak, Stowe and Whiteface.

Hardwoods are the bread and butter of northeast glade skiing.

 

[laxski]

At Mt. Snow above roughly 2800' they have pines glades. Over at sunbrook area Dark side of the moon,on main face the top of Sap Tapper. The North Face has one the Trails that is very tight at the top with evergreens then transitions to hardwood near the bottom. The powder is awesome in ther now, long glade.

 

[riverc0il]

I think one of the reasons why the glade skiing in Northern Vermont is so much better than the rest of New England is not simply because the area gets significant more snowfall, it's also very much because the forests tend to be hardwoods.

The significant snowfall can not be over looked. There are lots of tree skiing areas in NoVT that open up only once several feet of snowfall have covered small pines and opened the lines.

 

[bigbog]

......Yes....believe it or not ......

Believe it or not good skiing does exist outside the resort! Does take a little hunting though. ...but there's nice terrain out there.

 

[deadheadskier]

The significant snowfall can not be over looked. There are lots of tree skiing areas in NoVT that open up only once several feet of snowfall have covered small pines and opened the lines.

oh, not overlooking it, just pointing out that hard wood forests are more prevelant in the Northern Greens at higher elevations than they are in say the Whites. Heavy snowpack certainly does come into play though as like you said, it covers much of the small pines that do exist.

 

[kingdom-tele]

lift served pine glades - burke, saddleback, sugarloaf, jay - all have have long stretches of pine to ski - not by western standards though, very tight and turny

finding tracks in evergreens in the BC is easy, head high, but as they have said things won't open up naturally without 6' of snow, it is much different skiing, not many enjoy it, big open areas of 2-4 turns that pucker down only to open up again

 

[JD]

Generally speaking, people lookng to ski trees look for hardwoods for a few reasons. Then tend to be naturally more open the soft woods (pine trees), and soft woods, because they keep their foiliage, keep snow from accumulating on the forrest floor. The kind of trees you will find in a given area is due to the harshness of that enviornment, so in VT, once you get above 3500 or so, you are into the tight spruce which is genaerally unskiable unless there has been a land slide, or some natural disaster, or there has been a man made effort to open up a line, which is ussally frowned upon due to the fragile nature of high elevation ecosystems. So when hunting for natural glades, or areas to trim and really get good bang for the buck basically you look for northern facing slope, so the sun won't turn your pow to crust on margianlly warm days or late in the season when the sun is stronger, with good vert, over 1000 hopefully, that require as little work as possible to open up, and are not to invasive, i.e. sustainable. So mid elevation Maple is where it's at, on north facing slopes. Now as far as birches go, they are ussually the most open stands so once I decide what aspect I want to scope out, I'll look at it. The trees will go from Maple and other assorted hard woods, to birch, intermingling with soft woods, and then once you hit 3400ish it turns to all spruce. I try and find where the birches extend farthest up inito the soft woods. Ussually in a gully or some wind blocked area there will be veins of birch reaching up a little higher here and there. That's where you wanna try and drop in.lowr elevation soft woods can be nice, and naturally open at ground level due to the dense foiliage taking all the light up high and not letting things grow at the ground level, but as hemlocks grow, their lower branches shrivel and curl down, becoming punjies that are just perfect for stabbing someone's eye or throat, ect, so if you can find a hemlock glade with good snow, have fun but watch the pokey bits. There is a great resource for tree skiers.
http://www.treeskier.com/
My motto, where the birches grow the skiers go. Have fun!