Steepest Groomers

[kingslug]

I'm not a fan of groomed runs but skiing in the east..it's a fact of life that you will have to stick to them once in a while. With all this snow, rain, freeze, cycle, venturing off them can be damn near impossible at times. To make things interesting I try to at least find the steep ones, gets the heart beating.
So my question is: Where have you skied truly steep groomers?
Whiteface, Upper Cloudspin is about as steep as I have found in the east.
Squaw Valley has probably the steepest groomed runs in the world, as I found out Wednesday. I didn't think they could winch up a cat on things that steep...but I guess they can. I''l post pics in my TR.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I think Hayride and Liftline at Stowe are some of the steepest groomers in the East..They're both good for Mad Steezy speed.

 

[Greg]

With all this snow, rain, freeze, cycle, venturing off them can be damn near impossible at times. To make things interesting I try to at least find the steep ones, gets the heart beating.

I try to avoid steep groomers for all the reasons you state for skiing them. Icy death slides are not fun in my book.

 

[thetrailboss]

White Nitro at Sugarloaf.

White Heat at Sunday River.

 

[RISkier]

I think Hayride and Liftline at Stowe are some of the steepest groomers in the East..They're both good for Mad Steezy speed.

They're the steepest I've skied in the East but there are a lot of places I've not skied.

 

[campgottagopee]

Whiteface; upper Cloudspin
Gore; The Rumor

Bought the steeps 2 I've skied that are groomed

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

It may not be the steepest but they run the Citizens downhill at Jay Peak on the Haynes trail and people exceed 80mph..

 

[riverc0il]

I try to avoid steep groomers for all the reasons you state for skiing them. Icy death slides are not fun in my book.

+1

 

[thetrailboss]

Yeah, Liftline at Stowe is quite steep....a really nice run first thing in the morning....

Whenever I have been there, it has been a great, solid run and is nice and steep. Very satisfying run overall in my book...

 

[ALLSKIING]

+1

+2

 

[thetrailboss]

I like steep groomed runs...but you have to ski them early...that is the caveat. Sometimes, especially with White Heat which can turn into a sheet of ice, I'd wish that patrol would rope them at noon or so.

I have skied Upper FIS after it has been winched. Now THAT is an experience. Win has also had Exterminator winched.

That said, I am planning (fingers crossed) to go to Sugarbush tomorrow...it's been WAY too long since I have been back....but I am so stoked that April will be there!!!

 

[kingslug]

Funny thing is that our eastern groomers can be harder than the steeper western groomers. I found no ice at all on the ones at Squaw, they would have been death slides.
I wonder what the limit a winch cat has?

 

[thetrailboss]

Funny thing is that our eastern groomers can be harder than the steeper western groomers. I found no ice at all on the ones at Squaw, they would have been death slides.
I wonder what the limit a winch cat has?

Well, I think that part of the problem with the east is that those steep runs rely on snowmaking for cover...and when that compresses after many days it can turn to ice easily.

And as for the winch cats, I don't know...I know that they are used for the steepest runs at Killington, Sugarloaf, and Sunday River. Hell, they groom White Heat pretty much every night.

 

[kingslug]

Well, I think that part of the problem with the east is that those steep runs rely on snowmaking for cover...and when that compresses after many days it can turn to ice easily.

And as for the winch cats, I don't know...I know that they are used for the steepest runs at Killington, Sugarloaf, and Sunday River. Hell, they groom White Heat pretty much every night.

I figure it probably gets dangerous after 35 degrees. Read a funny story about the one and only time they tried to groom the Hobacks at JH. The cat went airborn for over 200 feet. Management forced the guy to do it. " you satisfied" was all he said after. Never tried again!

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I figure it probably gets dangerous after 35 degrees. Read a funny story about the one and only time they tried to groom the Hobacks at JH. The cat went airborn for over 200 feet. Management forced the guy to do it. " you satisfied" was all he said after. Never tried again!

Wow..The hobacks at J-Hole would be a really fast groomer..scary fast

 

[kingslug]

Wow..The hobacks at J-Hole would be a really fast groomer..scary fast

Go to Squaw...I think you will like it. Most hairball place I have EVER been, and I've been to JH many times. JH has better back country, Squaw's insanity can be found right off any chair.

 

[ta&idaho]

Funny thing is that our eastern groomers can be harder than the steeper western groomers. I found no ice at all on the ones at Squaw, they would have been death slides.

Agreed. Even moderately steep icy groomers can be harder than the steepest soft/good snow groomers, IMHO. I tend to find any form of refrozen snow (icy groomers, hard crust, death coral, etc.) to be harder than pretty much any combination of conditions or terrain with soft/good snow, but maybe I'm just a pampered wimp from the west. Maybe I could learn how to ski these kind of conditions, but I don't really seem to have any appetite for it.

I wonder what the limit a winch cat has?

Don't know about the limit, but I think winch cats can groom some pretty steep runs. This resort's website says 40 degrees: http://www.skisilverstar.com/about/new/silverstarmag_winch_cat.htm.

 

[kingslug]

Some of the runs I went down felt 40 degrees, you look straight down them. Fun!!!!!

 

[KingM]

Do you guys really think FIS is steeper than Upper Organ Grinder? It doesn't feel that way to me, but maybe I'm wrong.

I'll ski the steeps, but not if they're icy. I don't like the combination of not being sure that I can stop and knowing I'll just keep falling if I can't.

 

[Plowboy]

Back in the early 80's there was a guy named Nellie who would groom FIS(Bush) without a winch. He would do 2 shots of whisky before hand.

Yes, it is steeper than Grinder.