Steepest Trail in MA?

[threecy]

I didn't get that impression when I hiked them (hiked around Ripcord last fall, hiked up B-East years ago in snowshoes, literally fell over backwards on one part, scary slide.

No, I don't believe that MRG claim in terms of marked terrain. Unmarked terrain? Tie, because you can't really get steeper than cliffs (Hell's Passage and Rocket are series of cliffs at B-East). The topos for Mt. Institute are inaccurate - they miss two cols (depsite the contour intervals) and the summit elevations are off (vs. actual engineered plans).

The top part of Upper Competition (as well as the abandoned Avalanche trail) are steeper than upper UMass. Upper Competition, the short part from the Minnie Dole junction to Lookout, is so steep that snowcats often cannot climb it without a winch or a traverse.

 

[Newpylong]

Ripcord has such a pitch that groomer's don't attempt it, period!

Where is/was Avalanche? Also, I've never had the chance to ski Upper Minie Dole, what is that like?

 

[threecy]

Avalanche was located above Upper Competition. Basically a narrow chute with a small cliff.

Upper (upper) Minnie Dole is basically an upper intermediate chute. The steepest portion of Minnie Dole is below Grizzly.

 

[shpride]

Avalanche was located above Upper Competition. Basically a narrow chute with a small cliff.

This trail sounds very interesting....I may have to do some exploring....though it also seems vaguely familiar so I may have skied it years ago.

 

[threecy]

This photo doesn't do it justice, but it gives you an idea.

That was April '02...there was some snow made on the bottom of it, but not all of the way up. There was some thought into widening it and making it a new GS start. Due to the nature of the trail, it was rarely open, so when the % open stat starting getting pushed more in snow reports, it was phased out.

 

[shpride]

This photo doesn't do it justice, but it gives you an idea.

That was April '02...there was some snow made on the bottom of it, but not all of the way up. There was some thought into widening it and making it a new GS start. Due to the nature of the trail, it was rarely open, so when the % open stat starting getting pushed more in snow reports, it was phased out.

Thanks for posting the picture! I really hope that this is a big snow year so I can hit this up.

It is unreal how much stuff there is at B-East that I have never skied even though I have skied there 100's of times (from racing and a passholder in the 90's, to my weekend trips there now).

 

[Greg]

This photo doesn't do it justice, but it gives you an idea.

That was April '02...there was some snow made on the bottom of it, but not all of the way up. There was some thought into widening it and making it a new GS start. Due to the nature of the trail, it was rarely open, so when the % open stat starting getting pushed more in snow reports, it was phased out.

Very cool! This comes off of Upper Minnie Dole? Gotta do some exploring with madskier6 up there this season!

 

[threecy]

Ya, its almost next to the top of the triple chair.

There are a lot of neat unofficial trails at B-East...one of the most legendary being "The World" (and also needing a car spot).

 

[Grassi21]

Ya, its almost next to the top of the triple chair.

Left of Minnie and behind the patrol shack right?

 

[Greg]

Ya, its almost next to the top of the triple chair.

There are a lot of neat unofficial trails at B-East...one of the most legendary being "The World" (and also needing a car spot).

Pics?

 

[Grassi21]

I say we do a mini AZ outing with threecy as our tour guide....;-)

 

[threecy]

Left of Minnie and behind the patrol shack right?

Nope, that's Horace's Grove. This is to the right of Minnie.

 

[Grassi21]

No need to list them, but how many trails would you say are not on the map? It sounds like at least one (Avalanche) was removed from the map.

 

[shpride]

I love skiing Horace's Grove. Nice, quick and lots of fun!

I am very intrigued by "the world"

 

[threecy]

No need to list them, but how many trails would you say are not on the map? It sounds like at least one (Avalanche) was removed from the map.

Still easily skiable (not saying they're novice trails)? Two. Total trails over the years that have been either taken off the map or were never put on the map? Over a dozen.

Unofficial trails like The World and Hell's Passage? At least half a dozen that I know of.

 

[madskier6]

Very cool! This comes off of Upper Minnie Dole? Gotta do some exploring with madskier6 up there this season!

I say we do a mini AZ outing with threecy as our tour guide....;-)

I would love to do some exploring at BEast this season. I would also enjoy an insider's tour by threecy of the best hidden "trails". :smile: Let's make it happen, gentlemen! :wink:

 

[Greg]

I would love to do some exploring at BEast this season. I would also enjoy an insider's tour by threecy of the best hidden "trails". :smile: Let's make it happen, gentlemen! :wink:

Definitely. Pray for snow.

 

[Highway Star]

IMHO, it's Robeto's Chute at Bousquet.

Really.

I've been up there and measured the pitch with a protractor and level in the summer. A legit 45 degrees in the middle for about a hundred feet. It's probably only 200-300 feet long though, but sustains pitch for most of it. When they blow whales on it, the pitch of those whales can exceed 55 degrees for sections of 30+ feet. They rarely groom it as far as I recall, but one of the guys used to drive a snowcat down it....crazy. I don't know if they have a wench cat now.

 

[Newpylong]

Good call on Roberto's at Bousquet. That run is very short, but straight down, literally. But, Ripcord is as steep, and much longer. Roberto's seems steeper because it is so narrow too.

 

[threecy]

If Roberto's counts, then Avalanche at B-East beats it (cliffs)