Steepest Ski trails by state

[JimG.]

The Chute/Liftline combination from the "top" to "bottom" at MRG is a 39% grade or 21 degrees for 2000 feet. That is pretty good. :argue:

Does this include the Tower 5 cliffs?

 

[from_the_NEK]

So far this is what I've come up with:

Summary of Vermont Steep trails:
Upper Warrens @ Burke - 41% or 22.2 degrees
Outer Limits @ Killington - 49.8% or 26.4 degrees
Superstar @ Killington - 39% or 21.3 degrees
Lower Section of Superstar @ Killington - 47% or 25.17 degrees
Lower Section of Ovation @ Killington - 54% or 28.36 degrees
The Face @ Jay - 56.6% or 29.5 degrees
Upper Can Am @ Jay – 50.2% or 26.6 degrees
Liftline @ Sugarbush – 37% or 20.2 degrees
Upper Liftline @ Sugarbush – 51% 27.25 degrees
Steins Run @ Sugarbush – 49.9% 26.5 degrees
FIS @ Sugarbush – 54% or 28.3 degrees
Paradise @ MRG – 59% or 30.6 degrees
Ripcord @ Mt. Snow – 47% or 25.4 degrees

Non-Marked Trails:
The Pump House and Saddle @ Jay – 70% or 35 degrees
Big Jay – 61% or 31.5 degrees (steepest section of cliffs 78% or 38 degrees)

It looks like the winner is Paradise at MRG with the Face at Jay a very close 2nd :smile: .

There are probably some other OB trails out there that are crazy steep as well. :smash: :argue: :smash:

 

[from_the_NEK]

Does this include the Tower 5 cliffs?

Yes, I included pretty much the entire run under the single chair.

 

[kcyanks1]

So far this is what I've come up with:

Summary of Vermont Steep trails:
Paradise @ MRG – 59% or 30.6 degrees

It looks like the winner is Paradise at MRG with the Face at Jay a very close 2nd :smile: .

Thanks! Sorry if you answered this, but for Paradise, did you do the entire trail, or did you try to isolate the steep part as you did for Ripcord at Mt. Snow?

 

[from_the_NEK]

Thanks! Sorry if you answered this, but for Paradise, did you do the entire trail, or did you try to isolate the steep part as you did for Ripcord at Mt. Snow?

I tried to start where I felt the end of the traverse would be and I ended at the outlet onto Fox. I last skied MRG 4 years ago and have never skied Paradise. So if I have it marked incorrectly on the map let me know.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Upper Mackenzie has anything that comes close to Rumor? I've definitely skied Upper (and Lower) Mackenzie a handful of times, and while I had a lot of fun on it one day in great conditions, I did not find it to be impressively steep at all. Rumor has it hands down over Upper Mac, IMO (i.e., based on my sense of being on the trail, without having calculated the actual pitch).

On skiers right on Upper Mac there are 2 big drop offs. With a little speed you can clear them, as many people do or you can take a couple of turns. I think that's what A-ride is referring too.

Rumors headwall isn't what it use to be. Don't get me wrong it is steep, but ever since they had that snowmaking induced ice chunk avi they don't let snow build up on top of it like they use to so the drop off isn't as steep.

 

[kcyanks1]

On skiers right on Upper Mac there are 2 big drop offs. With a little speed you can clear them, as many people do or you can take a couple of turns. I think that's what A-ride is referring too.

Rumors headwall isn't what it use to be. Don't get me wrong it is steep, but ever since they had that snowmaking induced ice chunk avi they don't let snow build up on top of it like they use to so the drop off isn't as steep.

I guess I'll have to pay more attention to that the next time I'm at Whiteface...Still doesn't sound like potentially clearing a drop-off is comparable to Rumor's headwall, though. I do agree that Gore has make Rumor easier, though I'm not sure how the steepness compares to what it was. The first year it was a little narrower and they didn't groom the headwall, and the middle was essentially an unskiable cliff. You had to go to down skier's right, which kind of had a double fall line, I think, or a very narrow area at skier's left. Then they widened the trial and started grooming it down the center, and you can go right down the center of the trial. It's still steeper than any trail I've skied in the east, I think, but less of a challenge.

 

[kcyanks1]

NEK -- I think your positioning of Paradise is reasonable, though perhaps it might be a little closer to Chute and Fall Line, where there is a more apparent opening within the trees. It's pretty much a real trail with some scattered trees, or at least has been since the ice storm of some years ago (I never skied it before). Someone who is more familiar with MRG can probably do a better job verifying the location.

 

[AdironRider]

I was refering to those drop offs HPD, they arent very long, but they sure are steep for a few brief moments. Maybe they seem steeper than they are given that trail usually isnt the best snow conditions wise, it seems its always one of the first trails to close due to being to icy. I still love it though, probably my favorite run on the whole mtn.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I was refering to those drop offs HPD, they arent very long, but they sure are steep for a few brief moments. Maybe they seem steeper than they are given that trail usually isnt the best snow conditions wise, it seems its always one of the first trails to close due to being to icy. I still love it though, probably my favorite run on the whole mtn.

It is a very worthy trail, without a doubt one of my favorites. It's a classic.

 

[riverc0il]

I'd think that Green Beret at Jay can compare too.

the first pitch of green beret skier's left is definitely good and steep, i would guess a 30 degree pitch or so, maybe slightly more. i lost a ski on green beret trying to ski over some rocks and crusty snow last season. when i went to start climbing to retrieve my ski after a nice and long fall, it definitely felt similar to climbing up something like gulf of slides or hillmans. just that top "headwall" aspect, green beret flattens out pretty quickly.

 

[riverc0il]

one of the problems of drawing straight lines to judge steepness is many turns flatten out. a really good example of how flattening out could effect overall steepness is something like middle hard at cannon. mid hard has those turns where there is a short sideways that is very low pitch, but you drop a good 10% of the run between those flat traverses. mid hard isn't that steep, but doint a line top to bottom would make the run seem alot easlier compared to something else at cannon, say profile or skylight, that drop right off but don't feel as steep.

i am amazed that paradise came out above jay face chutes. paradise is a steep trail, but it didn't feel that steep. compared to looking at the face chutes, yikes! that is a good drop. i still haven't done the face chutes due to not liking the conditions i have seen when they were open and i was there. i'll have to report back on that one next year, lol.

 

[kcyanks1]

the first pitch of green beret skier's left is definitely good and steep, i would guess a 30 degree pitch or so, maybe slightly more. i lost a ski on green beret trying to ski over some rocks and crusty snow last season. when i went to start climbing to retrieve my ski after a nice and long fall, it definitely felt similar to climbing up something like gulf of slides or hillmans. just that top "headwall" aspect, green beret flattens out pretty quickly.

Yup, it does flatten out. Same with Rumor at Gore, and probably other trails people have mentioned that I am less familiar with. FIS and Steins have more of a sustained pitch than Rumor or Green Beret, but I think their steepest parts that would be in the "steepest [part of a] trail" discussion are still not terribly long, even if they are longer than Rumor or Green Beret.

 

[koreshot]

I just have a comment on Jay. This spring I skied Face Chutes, Tuckermans, Saddle and Pump House back to back in a single day. Subjectively, the Saddle is by far the steepest, followed by Pump House. The Saddle has a nice long runout (relatively speaking), which in my book makes the Pump House the most challenging trail to ski well at Jay. Its steep, the pitch is sustained, its narrow and has no real runout - gotta ski it right all the way down.

On another note, how come no1 has mentioned the front 5 at Stowe, I would have thought at least one or two are nearing 30 deg.

 

[riverc0il]

On another note, how come no1 has mentioned the front 5 at Stowe, I would have thought at least one or two are nearing 30 deg.

you've skied the stuff off the ridge at jay but find the front four at stowe steep! :-o i can't speak for either starr or goat because i have not skied them, but national and liftline are most definitely not steep trails. the very top of national is pretty steep for about 100-150 verts tops. i would be surprised if national and liftline were more than 20 degrees top to bottom, maybe less considering how many times liftline flattens out.

 

[koreshot]

you've skied the stuff off the ridge at jay but find the front four at stowe steep! :-o

I was just asking - I have only skied National at Stowe because both times I have been there the other front 5, in particular Goat, were closed.

Saddle this spring is hands down the toughest trail I have skied on EC. The snow was starting to melt, the coverage wasn't all that good and the 4 bands of rocks and ice running perpendicular to the fall line had turned it into a mini quad-stager.

 

[eatskisleep]

In the Pump House and Saddle areas I get a reading close to 70% slope or 35 degrees. Again certain cruxes of the pitch may be steeper. (note: I'm not going to go willy-nilly and post maps of these places )

Ahh yes, the good old pumphouse. Don't know where Saddle is though? :-?

Anyhway, how exactally do you add the countour lines to google earth? Any for NH? Thanks.

 

[wintersyndrome]

OK its not east coast but its one of the steepest drops I ever did Out of bounds, near Blue Sky Basin---Vail, CO with about 3 light fluffy colorado crude

 

[andyzee]

I always liked the saying "a pictures worth a 1000 words"

 

[from_the_NEK]

The hike up the Face is steep.