The single best on piste run in the Northeast

[kingslug]

Clairs becomes a double fall about half way down. Just wish I lived closer to all these other areas so I could see all these runs. I guess the correct thing to say would be that the west side is as good as some of us can get within driving distance.

P.S. We're just defending our little hole in the wall.

 

[EPB]

I like the Attitash reference, Birdman. Thats where I spend most of my time (its a real estate issue to say the least), but I'm with rivercoil when it comes to consistancy of conditions. The old gondi line at the cat is epic, and directly under the Flying Bear and Abenaki lifts are pretty legitimite too, but they all are rarely in good contition and almost never soft. But even with good contitions, the only runs imo that can really stack up from NH are Lynx, the old gondi line and hsq line at the cat, and hardscrable, tramline and kinsman glade at cannon.

 

[riverc0il]

even when comparing stuff like the lift lines, neither wildcats liftlines nor tramline really compares to mrg's liftline. i have heard great things about smuggs and castlerock liftlines, but sadly can't compare. magic has red line. VT has liftlines at least as good as those in NH and many better. lynx is a classic, but i would take antelope top to bottom over lynx and hardscrabbles as a classic best run for a windy trail.

i suspect this poll might be easier if it were broken down a bit: best liftline, best bump run, best glade, best steep, best windy trail, most classic character, etc.

 

[kingslug]

even when comparing stuff like the lift lines, neither wildcats liftlines nor tramline really compares to mrg's liftline. i have heard great things about smuggs and castlerock liftlines, but sadly can't compare. magic has red line. VT has liftlines at least as good as those in NH and many better. lynx is a classic, but i would take antelope top to bottom over lynx and hardscrabbles as a classic best run for a windy trail.

i suspect this poll might be easier if it were broken down a bit: best liftline, best bump run, best glade, best steep, best windy trail, most classic character, etc.

We have all summer to debate these things. Start a new poll.

 

[kbroderick]

This one has me thinking...I don't remember what Castlerock runs I skied last year when I got over to Sugarbush, and I haven't skied a lot of the gnarlier stuff at most of the other resorts on the list (never been to MRG, Jay, or Burke, sadly enough, and I haven't skied the more interesting Stowe stuff more than once or twice, if that); however, I do agree that Vermont is a bit overrepresented. Sunday River, for example, has the Locke Line -> Crossbow -> Tightwire run, Spruce Cliffs to Last Tango (which was a bit cooler and tended to have better snow before it made the trail map), and Obsession has more off-camber turns than you can shake a pointy stick at (and so little daylight that you'll probably never see most of them coming). I think Saddleback has its share of interesting trails, too, although I'd be hard-pressed to name a single one of them.

With that said, perhaps we need to form a semi-official AZ scouting party and make sure that we do proper reconnaissance so that we can have a better-informed argument...er, I mean thread...about it next year.

 

[Greg]

Clairs becomes a double fall about half way down. Just wish I lived closer to all these other areas so I could see all these runs. I guess the correct thing to say would be that the west side is as good as some of us can get within driving distance.

P.S. We're just defending our little hole in the wall.

Nothing against Claire's or Hunter, Slug. The blacks there are legit Northern New England black diamonds, at least in regards to pitch. Trust me, I wish I lived closer to a mountain like Hunter. It offers all I would need for a home mountain. Not trying to put it down, but it is what it is...

 

[takeahike46er]

Perhaps it is just because I skied it recently, but Lies at Gore strikes me as one of my favorites. Steep pitch with some great lines. While not as hardcore as the neighboring trail The Rumor, Lies offers more character. Like many of the steeps at Gore, too bad it doesn't last longer.

Chin Clip at Stowe is another favorite of mine. A looong bump run that twists and winds, alternates pitches and gets those legs screaming. It is a blast to ski. I prefer this trail to any of the front four.

 

[awf170]

even when comparing stuff like the lift lines, neither wildcats liftlines nor tramline really compares to mrg's liftline. i have heard great things about smuggs and castlerock liftlines, but sadly can't compare. magic has red line. VT has liftlines at least as good as those in NH and many better. lynx is a classic, but i would take antelope top to bottom over lynx and hardscrabbles as a classic best run for a windy trail.

i suspect this poll might be easier if it were broken down a bit: best liftline, best bump run, best glade, best steep, best windy trail, most classic character, etc.

Since we are talking about liftlines. I think feline is one of the best. So thin and the chair is so low that almost hits you in the head.

 

[riverc0il]

wildcat has good liftlines, they are enjoyable. i wouldn't put it anywhere near the top of the liftlines list though. chute/liftline at mrg is way up there, red line at magic, tramline at cannon, and although i haven't skied them, i gotta believe smuggs liftline at madonna and castlerock's liftline are better than wildcats. they are great fun, but they just aren't quite there. feline is good, my main contention with feline is it is a fairly short run and not too steep at the top. i appreciate the narrow aspect of that run. i just wouldn't consider it the best, not even top five, imo.

 

[awf170]

wildcat has good liftlines, they are enjoyable. i wouldn't put it anywhere near the top of the liftlines list though. chute/liftline at mrg is way up there, red line at magic, tramline at cannon, and although i haven't skied them, i gotta believe smuggs liftline at madonna and castlerock's liftline are better than wildcats. they are great fun, but they just aren't quite there. feline is good, my main contention with feline is it is a fairly short run and not too steep at the top. i appreciate the narrow aspect of that run. i just wouldn't consider it the best, not even top five, imo.

Yeah, I haven't skied Smuggs, MRG, or Magic. I would say they are the 4 best. And tramiline. So I guess that makes 5. So I guess it isn't one of the best, but still pretty good. I would also like to add that I don't really think Castlerock liftline is that good, too wide, and not really that hard.

 

[kingslug]

Nothing against Claire's or Hunter, Slug. The blacks there are legit Northern New England black diamonds, at least in regards to pitch. Trust me, I wish I lived closer to a mountain like Hunter. It offers all I would need for a home mountain. Not trying to put it down, but it is what it is...

No worries. It's the closest real skiing that I can do. It doesn't compare to the real great ones farther north. When we ever get a good snow year and the whole west side is open, It's the best for miles around. I'm not one to defend places too much. As you say, it is what it is.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Clairs becomes a double fall about half way down..

Not to make a big deal outta this, but it doesn't. DMC or JimmyG. could you please sound off on this?

 

[skibum1321]

I would also like to add that I don't really think Castlerock liftline is that good, too wide, and not really that hard.

There are some lines that you can take that don't make you take mandatory airs. But the challenge is there if you want it. Just stay towards the skiers right side of the trail and obviously don't take really wide turns down it.

 

[skibum1321]

I don't feel like reading the rest of the thread but I'm sure I'm not the only one who senses a Vermont bias in this poll. Nothing from New Hampshire other than at Cannon (Wildcat or Lynx at Wildcat anyone?) and only one from Maine. Also, how are glades considered on piste?

I personally would add Wildcat and Lynx from the cat, Winter's Way, Narrow Gauge and Gondi Line from the Loaf, something from Oz at Sunday River (provided they get some snow), and maybe even Ptarmigan or Tightrope from Attitash.

I haven't skied Oz in years, so i can't comment there and have regrettably never been to Wildcat or the Loaf. But you're kidding me with Ptarmigan or Tightrope right? I've skied them both and was neither challenged nor impressed. They're average, groomed runs with sub-par snow (because they're at Attitash). I think a big reason a lot of the Greens are in there a lot is because snow is better and the attitude in Northern VT tends to be that more stays ungroomed, thus making for more great expert runs.

Chin Clip at Stowe is another favorite of mine. A looong bump run that twists and winds, alternates pitches and gets those legs screaming. It is a blast to ski. I prefer this trail to any of the front four.

I just find Chin Clip to be icy most of the time. The pattern tends to be bump, ice, bump, ice, etc, etc, etc for the entire length of the trail.

 

[takeahike46er]

I just find Chin Clip to be icy most of the time. The pattern tends to be bump, ice, bump, ice, etc, etc, etc for the entire length of the trail.

Guess I've been lucky!

 

[kingslug]

Not to make a big deal outta this, but it doesn't. DMC or JimmyG. could you please sound off on this?

If the definition of a double fall line is that one side is higher than the other then being that the right side of clairs is a lot higher than the left about half way down it could be considered so. This might be due to the way the guns blast the right and build it up higher than the left. It definitely isn't flat across it's width. A picture of it with no snow would be interesting.

 

[JimG.]

Not to make a big deal outta this, but it doesn't. DMC or JimmyG. could you please sound off on this?

Well, the terrain there doesn't have a double fall line, but with the way the snowmaking is set up the snow piles up on one side of the trail and it does create a double fall line halfway down the run.

 

[andyzee]

<X> Devil's Fiddle - Killington

 

[Brettski]

OK, Didn't read a single post, but from the pick list, why was Maine left out of the category?

I kinda like obsession for it's double fall line...

AND how can you lean Annapurna off the list....oye....

Or Cloudspin for that matter

Or Hawkeye

Or shockwave (which was closed last week....so dissapointed)

Or Bim's wim...is that really on piste?

Or Woodsman's trail (g.d. cross country trail....should run into thumper though)

MOO

Did I mention I saw a mommy and baby moose on the Kanc? The kids were so excited (Dad too) First Moose I ever saw in the wild. Most NH's I spoke to in Lincoln say they never have seen one.

Something to be said about April Dumps I guess.

Yes, I was here on Wednesday....stellar

http://www.sundayriver.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=82&thumb=1

 

[Brettski]

And smuggs gets only one? Good Lord....

And isn't there an abandond trail at Stowe to the left of goat?

I fear my children will NEVER ski Stowe.

Last year they were charging fll price for spring skiing with a half damaged mountain...something is very wrong in whoville

x= 70* 5

No thanks