Traverses....

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

As my ski jones kicks up even higher in anticipation of making turns in 2 short months, I got to thinking about some traverses..some are as wide as a cat-track or narrower than two fat skis..some have ruts and dips that could swallow up midgets while others have some uphill sections where the hardy locals don't even bother to take off their skis but Herringbone their way up(my preferred method to avoid postholing..In this thread tell us about some of your favorite traverses.

Bridger Bowl MT...High Traverse..Skiers right of the Bridger Chair..even with a 100 inch base it can be scrapped off to coral reef like rocks..some cliffs to traverse above with exposed tree-roots..sketch..plus constant sloughs and wet slides from skiers and riders above coming off the ridge.

Jackson Hole..Mr Toads Wild Ride...the traverse into Casper bowl from the gondola..above Woolsy Woods...real sketch because of the amount of traffic..I've had slow people ahead of me and fast people behind me and felt claustrophobic..

Sugarbush North-Mount Ellen...Lower FIS..always funny to see peoples reactions on their first time down it. Pretty long slog..low mountain traverse..sometimes with little or no snow..

Kitchen Wall at Stowe...picture #1..

On my way to the Cirque at Jackson hole...picture #2..

My tracks in the Cirque..picture #3

 

[riverc0il]

Traverses are where it is at for less traveled trees and more powder. All the best mountains seem to have some sort of flat or even uphill traverse to get to some of the goods.

More importantly though is traversing an area you are skiing when you stop skiing untracked. Ski untracked for a ways, hit the brakes, traverse a bit, and you are back in the gold mine.

 

[skidmarks]

Alta = Traverses

Lots of Traversing to do at Alta. The one that I rember most is from the Collins lift over to Alf's High Rustler.

Always lots of locals zipping by you

 

[skidmarks]

More Traverses

Ski Sundown---Top of the Chair past the Ski Patrol, over to the Gunbarrel
Mad River-- Back from the 19th Hole

 

[sLoPeS]

Mount Washington - traversing from the east snowfields to the bowl

Backcountry off of 9990 at the Canyons

Portillo - traversing off the Roca Jack



cool thread...

 

[wintersyndrome]

From the top of Blue Sky Basin, at Vail, going out of bounds, south-east along the ridge line. major traverse, some up hill, had to walk some of it, took 20 minutes to get to the spot. In the end, we were dropping waist to chest high pillows in two sections of about 300- vertical feet each then a gladed powdery runout back in-bounds ...made all of the out of breath traversing worth it.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

The traverse to the Slides at Whiteface. Sorry I don't know how to do thumbnails.

You get off the Summit Chair and traverse through some woods, some of which is uphill.

When you come out of the woods you can take a right down Slide 1 for keep woking over to 2,3 and 4.

Picking a spot in 3

Slide 4 can take some work getting to, but this kid made it easy.

In winter conditions the traverse can be tuff going, but well worth it.

Here's the same Slide 4 sign as the one above, but on this day it took alot longer to get there.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

The traverse across the East Wall below the chutes at A-basin is cool

 

[ski220]

My favorite traverse at Alta is off the Sugerloft lift out to Devil's Castle. As it goes up and around the corner, it appears to keep droping away in front off you. Kind of like traversing into the void. I've had friends freeze up with vertigo (they have claimed).

 

[Trekchick]

I live just south of the Grand Traverse. In fact I visit Grand Traverse regularly.

 

[andyzee]

Love the traverse around Mineral Basin in Snowbird:

 

[kingslug]

Lots of Traversing to do at Alta. The one that I rember most is from the Collins lift over to Alf's High Rustler.

Always lots of locals zipping by you

Thats a fun one. Also Devils Castle and Catherines. Found the best snow last season in the castle...when everything else was hardpack (Utah ice).

 

[kingslug]

Love the traverse around Mineral Basin in Snowbird:

This season? going? I am.......

 

[AMAC2233]

I'll never forget the first time I traversed Spillway X-cut at Sugarloaf. The trails in that area seemed crazy steep. It felt like turning off it would've been like falling off a cliff.

 

[andyzee]

This season? going? I am.......

Good chance since my wife couldn't ski last season. If we do, it'll be end of Feb, beginning of March.

 

[Beetlenut]

The traverse from Magic over to Timberside.

 

[Marc]

I hate uphill traverses. If I'm dressed for downhill skiing all it means is I'm going to be hot and sweaty and uncomfortable. Did a lot of traversing at Snowbird... some at Solitude on the backside that wasn't bad because it was downhill the whole way like Mineral Basin and lead to some waist deep steep, open treed freshies.

 

[Puck it]

The traverse in Kinsman Glade at Cannon. It is short, but still a traverse. Would the hike up Mittersill be considered a traverse?

 

[4aprice]

The traverse along the wall in Honeycomb Canyon at Solitude. The goodies on the other end make it worth it.

I have skied the traverse in the picture at Mineral Basin at Snowbird. I've also seen it closed several times due to Avalanche danger. Got in to a big spousal spat because of that one day.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[Marc]

The traverse along the wall in Honeycomb Canyon at Solitude. The goodies on the other end make it worth it.

Yea, that was the one I was thinking of...