Smuggs....Black Hole....anyone ever done this?

[ski_resort_observer]

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-scariest-ski-slopes/5

I have heard about this line but really know little about it. I came across this link(vid) while checking the mags new Photographers Guidelines. Any firsthand info would be cool to hear about even if you haven't done it yourself. Please refrain from posting about other places, especially Corbets at Jackson.

 

[riverc0il]

I remember seeing that video when it first came out. I have skied the lower part of Black Hole beneath the Robin's Run cut off but that section isn't nearly as steep. I have not skied Black Hole proper but have I dabbled in the woods skiers' left of Free Fall. The entrance is pretty well hidden for Black Hole, I don't remember seeing a sign when I looked. Just to skier's left of Black Hole is Liftline which I would rate the most difficult on map non-gladed trail in the east.

<3 Smuggs Better glades than Jay, IMO.

 

[Hawkshot99]

With the exception of the cliff drops that looks like a lot of fun. I am not a fan of jumps in the woods.

 

[tcsurfer]

The easiest access to the upper Black Hole is off of Liftline to skiers right. It is kinda of deceiving because the entrance is about 20' below the cut off for Robin's Run but on the opposite side of Liftline. Last time I was there it had a VERY tiny sign and a 4' opening between two trees.

Upper part is much steeper but still fun. Branches were well trimmed but not much thinning of actual trees. Skier beware the run goes down a gully so about 5' past the entrance to the trail you are committed! You pass the entrance ski about 5' going hard right then the "trail" drops down to your left. Make sure you check the cover if their isn't enough pull back. Once you make that turn into the chute you have to come out the bottom.

For a marked trail yes probably the most difficult I've encountered on the east coast but I've found plenty of terrain like it off piste or in back woods around here.

 

[kingslug]

53 degree pitch....uh..nope....I've skied a 52 degree pitch...it was pretty much straight down like an elevator shaft...lot of sideslipping..to stay alive....but I've been to Smuggs and their runs are very difficult, especialy Liftline which was unskiable when I was there.

This is what 50 plus looks like..and it still doesn't really show the angle..this is the entrance into little chute at Mt Baldy Utah..

Yes..I'm sitting at work for 16hours bored......

 

[St. Bear]

53 degree pitch....uh..nope....I've skied a 52 degree pitch...it was pretty much straight down like an elevator shaft...lot of sideslipping..to stay alive....

I'm no engineer, but I think an elevator shaft would be 180 degrees.

 

[wa-loaf]

I'm no engineer, but I think an elevator shaft would be 180 degrees.

Um, 90 degrees?

 

[kingslug]

Um, 90 degrees?

yeah thats more like it....we call these chutes elevator shafts because they are very narrow..as in 1 turn narrow...good thing they don't have trees in them....

 

[campgottagopee]

The easiest access to the upper Black Hole is off of Liftline to skiers right. It is kinda of deceiving because the entrance is about 20' below the cut off for Robin's Run but on the opposite side of Liftline. Last time I was there it had a VERY tiny sign and a 4' opening between two trees.

Upper part is much steeper but still fun. Branches were well trimmed but not much thinning of actual trees. Skier beware the run goes down a gully so about 5' past the entrance to the trail you are committed! You pass the entrance ski about 5' going hard right then the "trail" drops down to your left. Make sure you check the cover if their isn't enough pull back. Once you make that turn into the chute you have to come out the bottom.

For a marked trail yes probably the most difficult I've encountered on the east coast but I've found plenty of terrain like it off piste or in back woods around here.

This pretty much covers it....I've skied these two trails many, many times---only diff between when I skied them and now is that now they are markes trails and on the map. Back in the 80's they were a seceret....ssshhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[goldsbar]

So hard to tell how hard something is based on videos. I have no idea if that drop after the bowed over tree was a 4 footer or a 12 footer. Big difference when there's a tree right in front of you!
(Like battery life, the general rule of thumb is to take the square root of whatever someone tells you.) As with many woods shots, the first couple of guys in powder generally have it relatively easy. Wouldn't want to be on that in frozen crud. The guy skiing was obviously pretty good and looked like he was no stranger to aggresive skiing on the lift line.

 

[campgottagopee]

So hard to tell how hard something is based on videos. I have no idea if that drop after the bowed over tree was a 4 footer or a 12 footer. Big difference when there's a tree right in front of you!
(Like battery life, the general rule of thumb is to take the square root of whatever someone tells you.) As with many woods shots, the first couple of guys in powder generally have it relatively easy. Wouldn't want to be on that in frozen crud. The guy skiing was obviously pretty good and looked like he was no stranger to aggresive skiing on the lift line.

i believe the skier in that vid is Hugh, their snow reporter---no doubt the dude knows how to get it done.