Steepest Groomers

[snoseek]

I'm not too cool to say I like some steep groomers in the East. Avalanche, white nitro, vortex, good stuff. Sometimes this is what you have to ski if you want steeps after freeze thaw. Great stuff to warm up on too.

 

[campgottagopee]

I'm not too cool to say I like some steep groomers in the East. Avalanche, white nitro, vortex, good stuff. Sometimes this is what you have to ski if you want steeps after freeze thaw. Great stuff to warm up on too.

I luv steep groomers---wicked fun stuff

 

[Mildcat]

I luv steep groomers---wicked fun stuff

I agree. I may not be the most graceful skier on the way down but I'll have a huge smile on my face at the bottom. :grin:

 

[Brettski]

Floods Hill, South Orange

 

[Greg]

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 never skied FIS, but it sure looks steeper. I never really thought Organgrinder was all that steep in the first place.

 

[Newpylong]

In the late 90's we used to run GS on Exterminator all the time... Now that was one hairy course, especially with the double fall line. I don't remember it needing to be winched though when they groomed it?

At the time the GMX was removed, so we would also run Slalom on Cliffs. Also hairy....

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!!!

 

[Newpylong]

Do you guys really think FIS is steeper than Upper Organ Grinder?

Much.

 

[RISkier]

I never skied FIS, but it sure looks steeper. I never really thought Organgrinder was all that steep in the first place.

I'd agree about Organgrinder. IMO, it's definately not as steep as either Liftline or Hayride at Stowe. That said, it was very scraped when I "skied" it. Conditions make a HUGE difference. Last weekend we went to B'East. In the morning Flying Cloud and Upper Competition were skiing very nice. We decided to take a run down Upper Comp (which I'd describe as a real dark blue but certainly not in the category of steepest groomed runs in the East) about 2:30 and it was a completely different animal.

 

[andyzee]

I'd agree about Organgrinder. IMO, it's definately not as steep as either Liftline or Hayride at Stowe. That said, it was very scraped when I "skied" it. Conditions make a HUGE difference. Last weekend we went to B'East. In the morning Flying Cloud and Upper Competition were skiing very nice. We decided to take a run down Upper Comp (which I'd describe as a real dark blue but certainly not in the category of steepest groomed runs in the East) about 2:30 and it was a completely different animal.

Organgrinder is more like a blue run, Upper FIS is pretty steep.

 

[andyzee]

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?

Funny how that works. It's not even a matter of ice back here, it's just that the snow out there seems so much softer. Here I may be cautious with some blacks, where out there, I'll almost straightline much tougher runs and don't give it a second thought.

 

[thetrailboss]

I never skied FIS, but it sure looks steeper. I never really thought Organgrinder was all that steep in the first place.

FIS is by far steeper. And it is very similar to Upper National at Stowe...I usually take the "lady's tee" on FIS since the "man's tee" is extremely steep and icy...in the spring it is nice. But it is knee-wobbly.

Upper OG just has a double fall line that makes it tricky...nothing too steep...but it gets so scraped off.

 

[redalienx11]

the flying mile at tremblant is reasonably steep

 

[kingslug]

the flying mile at tremblant is reasonably steep

I went there a while ago....................I remember it being a pretty steep sheet of ice. Prolly like everything is...right about now.

 

[kingslug]

Our first run of the day. Siberia Bowl. Doesn't look to steep from the angle but it was a plummit with a very narrow entrance. And I believe thats the Pallisades to the left. They where closed, frozen solid.

 

[kingslug]

This was fun.

The face shot off the Red dog chair. This is a lot steeper than it looks and very slick. My new AC40 Carbons stuck to it like glue though.

 

[KingM]

That skier's left looks very steep on that last picture.

Re: OG and FIS. I've always thought with both those trails that they should have different names for the upper and lower part, since the lower part of the trails don't resemble the upper sections in appearance or purpose.

FWIW, Lower FIS is one of my favorite trails at ME (well, until you get to the flat bit at the end), while I won't touch FIS itself unless conditions are just right. It scares me.

Same with Upper Organ Grinder, while Lower OG seems like just a part of the Downspout/Domino/Jester blues off Super Bravo, perhaps a bit steeper, but not much.

 

[kingslug]

That skier's left looks very steep on that last picture.

Re: OG and FIS. I've always thought with both those trails that they should have different names for the upper and lower part, since the lower part of the trails don't resemble the upper sections in appearance or purpose.

FWIW, Lower FIS is one of my favorite trails at ME (well, until you get to the flat bit at the end), while I won't touch FIS itself unless conditions are just right. It scares me.

Same with Upper Organ Grinder, while Lower OG seems like just a part of the Downspout/Domino/Jester blues off Super Bravo, perhaps a bit steeper, but not much.

The whole thing was pretty straight down, much steeper than it looks. usualy you ski something like that with a lot of powder on it. the locals just tear down it...on fat skis!

 

[hrstrat57]

That skier's left looks very steep on that last picture.

Re: OG and FIS. I've always thought with both those trails that they should have different names for the upper and lower part, since the lower part of the trails don't resemble the upper sections in appearance or purpose.

FWIW, Lower FIS is one of my favorite trails at ME (well, until you get to the flat bit at the end), while I won't touch FIS itself unless conditions are just right. It scares me.

Same with Upper Organ Grinder, while Lower OG seems like just a part of the Downspout/Domino/Jester blues off Super Bravo, perhaps a bit steeper, but not much.

This is right on.

I was at ME a couple of weeks ago - the Tuesday after the hard rain Sunday into Monday....there was a major J1 super g event at ME. Not even the J1's free skiing after racing were on F.I.S.

It was empty. I imagine today's conditions are the same, maybe even worse.

Anyone who can stay in the fallline on F.I.S. in those bulletproof conditions is a world class skier IMO. This can be true of most of the elite 8 and of upper organgrinder too. If you can make continuous, shortswing turns in the fallline when any of those trails are scraped off you deserve huge respect. I can't do it. A lot of big turns combined with some serious sideslipping for sure.

It's all about the conditions of course and upper F.I.S. is the real deal.:flag:

 

[Newpylong]

I agree, I won't touch upper FIS unless the conditions are right, which they usually aren't on that run.

Lower FIS is a favorite.

 

[SIKSKIER]

I'm not too cool to say I like some steep groomers in the East. Avalanche, white nitro, vortex, good stuff. Sometimes this is what you have to ski if you want steeps after freeze thaw. Great stuff to warm up on too.

+1