Scariest ski trails in the northeast

[Skimaine]

Bob has a good point. You fall on White Nitro below the cross cut on an icy day and you are in deep poo. No stopping until you hit the trees (hard).

 

[billski]

Bob has a good point. You fall on White Nitro below the cross cut on an icy day and you are in deep poo. No stopping until you hit the trees (hard).

Ever consider a drag chute???

 

[rtibbs4]

Since others have mentioned the overall toughest runs like tucks, jay face chutes, tramline, etc and the most crowded runs (grand junction at Loon is another), I'll use different criteria. Ice on steep groomed runs where self-arrest may be tough and a slide can end up in the woods.. White Nitro at Sugarloaf, Ripsaw at Loon.. those are the only ones that pop into my head now but pretty sure there are several other similar runs around NE.

Has anyone witnessed an icey White Heat (Sunday River) from the lift? People falling and sliding out of control. Lose an edge and you turn into a human bob sled!

 

[dns1764]

top of bode's run is like that, esspecially later in the day

 

[TylerDurden]

Scariest trails in the NE, seriously? I haven't found anything that comes close to the West, Alta and Snowbird. Even the most viable double blacks in the NE are at most a double blue out west.

 

[wa-loaf]

Bob has a good point. You fall on White Nitro below the cross cut on an icy day and you are in deep poo. No stopping until you hit the trees (hard).

A ski patrol lost his life up there 10+ years ago. Slid into snowmaking equipment and cut his femoral artery.

 

[JD]

Scariest trails in the NE, seriously? I haven't found anything that comes close to the West, Alta and Snowbird. Even the most viable double blacks in the NE are at most a double blue out west.

I think a run like Upper Goat, Starr in bad snow conditions would test any skier.

 

[kingslug]

I've had some "fun" experiences at WF......lost a ski on a sheer sheet of ice ....had to slide down..carefully lest I sail into the woods. Tough mountain.

 

[Mapnut]

Scariest trails in the NE, seriously? I haven't found anything that comes close to the West, Alta and Snowbird. Even the most viable double blacks in the NE are at most a double blue out west.

The thing is, the scariest slopes in the east are the steepest slopes that can get adequate snow cover. Chutes out west are skiable because they get 10 feet of snow in them and no ice. There are cliffs and 60-degree pitches in the East too, but they're never skiable. Plenty of steepness, not enough snow. Apparently there are places on Mt. Mansfield and elsewhere that super-experts will hike in and ski at considerable risk when there's enough snow. But ski resorts don't maintain trails like that because they'd be open too seldom. As it is, some major eastern resorts have a few expert trails that only get enough cover to be open a few weeks a year.

 

[deadheadskier]

Scariest trails in the NE, seriously? I haven't found anything that comes close to the West, Alta and Snowbird. Even the most viable double blacks in the NE are at most a double blue out west.

No arguing that the east has tougher terrain than the west; you are right, it's not.

However, there are plenty of double blacks in the east that would get a similar rating out west. A trail like Madonna lift line at Smuggs would get a double black rating anywhere out west. Same goes for Waterfall at Stowe. Sorry a 15 to 25 foot mandatory air isn't a double blue.

 

[jerryg]

top of bode's run is like that, esspecially later in the day

I can't even handle this. I just don't see anything scary about Bode's run. It's a blue at best.

 

[JD]

I can't even handle this. I just don't see anything scary about Bode's run. It's a blue at best.

Remember what it's like to be an intermediate? You should pick up a new hobby, like White Water. Sucking at something and being scarred of shit that folks joke about would do some folks some good. Fear is all about perspective. For someone like J. Pierre, he needs to be eyeing up hundred footers to get that feeling going. For others, ridge view or cliff trail would do it. This thread is so subjective, it's kind of silly to tell people that this trail, or that trail is not scarry....and more of just a personal ego thing for you maybe...

 

[jerryg]

Remember what it's like to be an intermediate? You should pick up a new hobby, like White Water. Sucking at something and being scarred of shit that folks joke about would do some folks some good. Fear is all about perspective. For someone like J. Pierre, he needs to be eyeing up hundred footers to get that feeling going. For others, ridge view or cliff trail would do it. This thread is so subjective, it's kind of silly to tell people that this trail, or that trail is not scarry....and more of just a personal ego thing for you maybe...

Fair enough. I should have put, "in my opinion," in my post. I agree it's subjective, but that only goes so far given that the poster was comapring a trail to another trail that may or may not be much more difficult.

It has nothing to do with ego. I don't think of myself as a great skier or anything as such. I am, however, realistic.

 

[tjf67]

Scariest trails in the NE, seriously? I haven't found anything that comes close to the West, Alta and Snowbird. Even the most viable double blacks in the NE are at most a double blue out west.

Really?? You need to get out of PA and head north. There are things in the east that would make anyone think twice before jumping in. We are not the West but your statement is plain silly.

 

[riverc0il]

Really?? You need to get out of PA and head north. There are things in the east that would make anyone think twice before jumping in. We are not the West but your statement is plain silly.

I gotta disagree here and support TylerDurden's statement. Strictly talking "trails", there are not many trails in the east with much pucker factor compared to what they put on the map out west (at least in reasonable conditions). I think a lot of folks that have never skied the northeast would be more "scared" about the conditions than the trails themselves. Perhaps some of the tighter glades would cause some second thoughts from western skiers. But for on map trails, the west has a lot more pucker than the east does on map (discounting conditions and just addressing the trails themselves). Expand terrain to include off map and now we are talking.

 

[campgottagopee]

I gotta disagree here and support TylerDurden's statement. Strictly talking "trails", there are not many trails in the east with much pucker factor compared to what they put on the map out west (at least in reasonable conditions). I think a lot of folks that have never skied the northeast would be more "scared" about the conditions than the trails themselves. Perhaps some of the tighter glades would cause some second thoughts from western skiers. But for on map trails, the west has a lot more pucker than the east does on map (discounting conditions and just addressing the trails themselves). Expand terrain to include off map and now we are talking.

Wouldn't the conditions be part of the trail tho??? I understand your point but conditions here in the NE are what make the eastern skier better than the western skier.

 

[riverc0il]

Wouldn't the conditions be part of the trail tho??? I understand your point but conditions here in the NE are what make the eastern skier better than the western skier.

Conditions are not part of the trail because they are variable whereas the trail is constant. Besides, western areas have days when conditions are not ideal as well.... just not as often at many of the better western mountains and folks are so used to skiing powder they just don't bother when it sucks that bad.

 

[2knees]

when did you get out west?

 

[deadheadskier]

I gotta disagree here and support TylerDurden's statement. Strictly talking "trails", there are not many trails in the east with much pucker factor compared to what they put on the map out west (at least in reasonable conditions). I think a lot of folks that have never skied the northeast would be more "scared" about the conditions than the trails themselves. Perhaps some of the tighter glades would cause some second thoughts from western skiers. But for on map trails, the west has a lot more pucker than the east does on map (discounting conditions and just addressing the trails themselves). Expand terrain to include off map and now we are talking.

Is there more difficult terrain out west? yes

Suggesting that there is nothing 'scary' in the east is false.....don't care how good a skier you are. Suggesting that a double diamond like lift line on Madonna would be a double blue out west is also false.

There is some truth to his statement, but much of it is of the whip it out variety.

 

[tjf67]

I gotta disagree here and support TylerDurden's statement. Strictly talking "trails", there are not many trails in the east with much pucker factor compared to what they put on the map out west (at least in reasonable conditions). I think a lot of folks that have never skied the northeast would be more "scared" about the conditions than the trails themselves. Perhaps some of the tighter glades would cause some second thoughts from western skiers. But for on map trails, the west has a lot more pucker than the east does on map (discounting conditions and just addressing the trails themselves). Expand terrain to include off map and now we are talking.

Never been on the tram line over at cannon but I am certain there are spots on that trail that make you stop. You have never been in the slides.

We are not close the west but to say there are no trails in the East that dont make you think twice is silly. You must not be looking hard enough.