Steep List

[Newpylong]

for real? you think it's steeper than all the other trails listed from the east?

Absolutely, for the few hundred feet of the headwall its the steepest in the east outside of perhaps a cliff, or the chutes at Tucks.

If Devil's Fiddle at Killington aint up there, then I def. dont' believe it.

 

[AdironRider]

I really dont buy into this whole "man that 200-300 foot section of trail was wicked steep!" kind of thing. When your going at a decent clip thats like what 2 - 3 turns tops. Thats not a challenge at all. It should be measured in terms of the entire trail length. Thats what makes the Jackson runs legit (as well as the slides at Whiteface), anyone whos skied T3 or Mushroom knows its consistent, pucker up the butthole steep, none of this well that one turn was like straight down stuff like you see on the east.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Here is the list I made last year if anyone is interested.

Freefall, Smuggs: 31 degrees for 300 ft. vertical
Goat, Stowe: 28 degrees for 400 ft. of vertical
Goat woods, Stowe: 39 degrees for 400 ft. of vertical
Upper Wildcat, Wildcat: 27 degrees for 400 ft. of vertical
Black Cat, Wildcat: 22 degrees for 400 ft. of vertical
East Snowfields, Mt. Washington: 30 degrees for 600 ft. of vertical
Main Gully, Gulf of Slides: 34 degrees for 800 ft. of vertical
White Nitro, Sugarloaf: 28 degrees for 400 ft. of vertical
Tight Line, Saddleback: 26 degrees for 300 ft. of vertical
Paradise, Mad River Glen: 37 degrees for 300 ft. of vertical
Black Diamond, Sugarbush: 30 degrees for 300 ft. of vertical
Ovation, Killington: 31 degrees for 300 ft. of vertical
Devils Fiddle, Killington: 31 degrees for 300 ft. of verical
Outer Limits, Killington: 29.5 degrees for 400 ft. of vertical and 23.5 degrees for 1,000 ft. of vertical
Hurricane, Pats Peak: 26.5 degrees for 200 ft. of vertical
Tims Trauma, Attitash: 22 degrees for 400 ft. of vertical
Superstar, Killington: 26 degrees for 300 ft. of vertical
White Heat, Sunday River: 24 degrees for 500 ft. of vertical

Awesome list..wow so White Heat is less steep than Superstar...yowser...I need to get an inclinator..I want to see how steep my favorite sections are even though I got a good indication with mapping software...really cool stats..AWF..thanks for posting them..

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I dont know if Toilet and Mushroom are 45 degrees, but low 40's for sure. That part of the hill is what sealed the deal for my move to Jackson on SUnday, hell the entire Thunder lift really sealed the deal.

You better post tons of TRs..I know they're getting dumped on now...I'll be there in 3 months for about 8-10 days..

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Absolutely, for the few hundred feet of the headwall its the steepest in the east outside of perhaps a cliff, or the chutes at Tucks.

If Devil's Fiddle at Killington aint up there, then I def. dont' believe it.

There are alot of steeper pitches than Devils Fiddle in the east..don't believe the hype..

 

[kingslug]

Something doesn't seem right.
Blackhole at smuggs 31 deg.
Outerlimits 29 deg.

No way are they even close. I've skied outer a million times. I would never even try the Black hole.

 

[kingslug]

Which slide are they measuring?

I also don't know that high rustler is 44+ while the slides are only 36 %. High rustler doesn't seem that steep. Hell it doesn't seem steeper than parts of upper cloudspin...perhaps its the exposure on whiteface and snow conditions that make me feel this way.

It sure didn't feel like 44 deg. I found it about the same as the headwall of the Grizzly run at Snowbasin, which isn't over 40 deg.

 

[deadheadskier]

Absolutely, for the few hundred feet of the headwall its the steepest in the east outside of perhaps a cliff, or the chutes at Tucks.

If Devil's Fiddle at Killington aint up there, then I def. dont' believe it.

Devil's Fiddle headwall is all of 50 verticle feet. Granted that 50 vert is darn steep, but the rest of the trail is comparable to Outer Limits, which is steep, but not THAT steep.


I remember skiing Ripcord in perhaps my Freshman year in high school. It's definitely steep, but I wouldn't go as far as to say the only thing steeper is the chutes at Tucks. Pipeline (non-marked 'trail') at Stowe has it in spades. Solid 800 vert of what I would guess to be 45 degree steep and only 8 feet wide. Goat woods runs somewhat parallel to Goat, kinda at if it's 39 degrees, I would put pipeline at 45 as it drops straight down from the back of the Octogon to Nosedive.

 

[riverc0il]

I always gotta laugh when the steep lists come up. Very few marked runs in the northeast are really that steep. Once you have been on something that is truly steep, it really puts most ski area skiing into varying degree's of less steep. The only thing I have skied in New England that even comes close to the feel of Mount Washington is the Face Chutes at Jay, and even then, that pitch is so short and mellows out so quickly that it is hard to compare it even to something of relative pitch on Washington such as Gulf of Slides main gully or Hillman's. Steep is when you need to make hop turns and have to really reach for a good pole plant. The in bounds steep lists are further complicated by the fact that most of those runs are bumped which reduces the "feel" of the steep factor. When you are on something really steep, you know it and need to adjust your approach. In the end, these lists are interesting but really don't set the bar for truly steep skiing which is very hard to find around here.

 

[AdironRider]

Or the whole, whoa this trail is 2% steeper than that trail thing. Like you can tell the difference.

 

[millerm277]

Or the whole, whoa this trail is 2% steeper than that trail thing. Like you can tell the difference.

Exactly, and the steepness for the most part isn't what makes something really difficult anyway, it's more the conditions in my opinion.

If Outer Limits is covered with 20 inches of powder, it's going to be a lot easier than a intermediate trail that's a sheet of solid ice. (A bit of an extreme example, but you get my point.)

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Devil's Fiddle headwall is all of 50 verticle feet. Granted that 50 vert is darn steep, but the rest of the trail is comparable to Outer Limits, which is steep, but not THAT steep.


I remember skiing Ripcord in perhaps my Freshman year in high school. It's definitely steep, but I wouldn't go as far as to say the only thing steeper is the chutes at Tucks. Pipeline (non-marked 'trail') at Stowe has it in spades. Solid 800 vert of what I would guess to be 45 degree steep and only 8 feet wide. Goat woods runs somewhat parallel to Goat, kinda at if it's 39 degrees, I would put pipeline at 45 as it drops straight down from the back of the Octogon to Nosedive.

I really enjoy both Pipelines...I'm sure they are over 40 degrees for at least a few turns...and it's not apples to apples comparing a technical east coast narrow slot to a similar steepness in a wide open bowl out west...

 

[eatskisleep]

Upper Big Emma (Green Run!) @ Snowbird - 25.3 degrees!
compared to:
White Heat, Sunday River: 24 degrees for 500 ft. of vertical