Most technical trails you have skied

[targheehucker]

Ah yes another curiosity list from your DOMO infatuated friend - targheehucker. I say technical because hard just doesnt mean anything. I am looking for trails that make you stop and think before skiing them and make you stop and catch your breath while skiing them. Trails you have skied, not ones you look up at from the deck bar with the relative safety of a beer and a pisser nearby...

10) Mad River Glen - Paradise
9) Killington - Anarchy
8) Stowe - Profanity
7) Vail - Prima Cornice
6) Killington - Devils Crotch
5) Sugarbush - Rumble
4) Jay Peak - the saddle
3) Arapahoe Basin - West Turbo/Turbo Gulley
2) Breckenridge - Lake Chutes
1) Big Sky - Big Couloir

[M@]

All those on your list appear to be marked/in bounds trails, is that a limitation? (MRG Paradise is on the map as of last year)

M@

[targheehucker]

no backcountry hiking
doesnt have to be on the map, some are unmarked...
ie i dont mean devils fiddle, i mean devils crotch...

We'll do an eastern backcountry later on, that could be interesting, maybe the tucks gang can tackle some lesser known descents...

[kfarrar]

Gulf of Slides, but not skied from the top. I :chicken: ed out 2/3 of the way up.

[NtrentT]

targheehucker Im trying to figure out which trails u are talking about in reference to Killington.
I ski there often, and have skiied everything many times over.
Yet the names sound very familiar but I cant seem to put an image on those trails

I went to Killingtons website and they dont list those trils.

Isnt anarchy sorta glade ish....?

Is devil's crotch apart of devil's fiddle?


Thanks

[M@]

How'd you chicken out of the Gulf of Slides? I didn't know there was an out, I thought it was on the other side of the mountain kinda thing.

[DRPHIDDLEPHOS]

THE MUSHROOM BOWL AT VAIL.
AND CHUTES 1, 3, OR 5 AT STEAMBOAT (WERNER MNT.)

the chutes at steamboat are definatly the most tec. lines i have ever road!! 5 is about 3ft wide with shrub, and rock on either side, no turns for the first 1/3 of the trip straight to hell and then turns are quick and steep! i saw my life pass before my eyes more than once!! those 3 are a roll of the dice! :wipeout:

[DMC]

M@:
How'd you chicken out of the Gulf of Slides? I didn't know there was an out, I thought it was on the other side of the mountain kinda thing. You can bail the slides into the shrubs...
I didn't think the GOS was that tough... The snow was great - but it's not as technical as the Dutchess or Dodges...
Maybe he meant The Great Gulf...

[Bannick]

[targheehucker]

mushroom bowl - excellent pick, never skied it though. last time I was there didnt have a transceiver and that is mondo avy territory

Trent those are off map trails. Anarchy is a trail that connects skye peak ridge to the flume, steep tight trees for a very long time, and devils crotch is a fancy term for the DF liftline...

[M@]

So we're talking LIFT SERVICED trails here then?

I'd say Poop Shoot at the bush is mine. Wicked tight, a couple BIG drops. It's not very long though.

Next in line would be 3 Cliffs at MRG.

[Bannick]

Ruby bowl on blackcomb makes me think the narrow run out between the rocks at the bottom is a heart pounder.

I find the face chutes on jay prretty technical especially when the snow has been blown or scraped off. Picking the right line through those scrub trees in limited conditions is key at least on a board.

[DMC]

M@:
I'd say Poop Shoot at the bush is mine. Wicked tighthuh huh huh huh - he said a bunch of dirty stuff... huh - huh - huh

[kfarrar]

DMC -

You are correct. I did bail in scrub. Was a b*tch trying to get my skis on. Your also right in that its probally not to technical for all you amazing skiers here, I am just a beginner when it comes right down to it.

I haven't been enough places and skied the challenging trails. My wife likes long cruisers and I don't mind them. Might be looking for hard stuff this year though. I'd love to do the headwall this spring.

[RR]

Goat@Stowe, in full conditions. Bullet hard with boilerplate (that's the translucent grey ice, not the hard pack folks call boilerplate these days) in between. Snowing like crazy and windy. Almost got lost, and the thing is at most 30 feet wide.

Had a similar experience at the 'Loaf: Whiteout, steep chute and a long way to a trail that sounded like a trail...yeah, that's it, skiing by feel and sound.

[DMC]

kfarrar:
You are correct. I did bail in scrub. Was a b*tch trying to get my skis on. Hey no problemo... The GOS slides can get pretty hairy depending on whats happening up there...
Remember - "He who fights and runs away - lives to run away another day"
kfarrar:
Your also right in that its probally not to technical for all you amazing skiers here, I am just a beginner when it comes right down to it. Amazing...? not really...
Stupid....? maybe.. ;)

[M@]

I once laughed at the GOS, and it dislocated my arm. (Are we sick of that story yet?)

[NHski]

M@:
I once laughed at the GOS, and it dislocated my arm. (Are we sick of that story yet?) why did you laugh? Not steep enough?

[M@]

I got ****y in there... more stupid than safe and bounced into a V shaped tree. Had to walk down with my sholder out. PAIN.

Tight Poop Shoot... I should self moderate.

[NHski]

I really enjoy GOS. Not the steepest thing, but plenty fun and wide open enough to make some good gs turns.

[elwood]

DRPHIDDLEPHOS:
THE MUSHROOM BOWL AT VAIL.
AND CHUTES 1, 3, OR 5 AT STEAMBOAT (WERNER MNT.)The Mushroom Bowl... Isn't that where those punk-*** snowboarder kids beat up the skier for warning them that they should have the proper avy gear before venturing out of bounds? Talk about why snowboarders get a bad rap...

[targheehucker]

LAKE CHUTES @ BRECK

http://rci.rutgers.edu/~jcklena/T4T/lake%20chutes.jpg

http://rci.rutgers.edu/~jcklena/T4T/lake%20chutes2.jpg

http://rci.rutgers.edu/~jcklena/T4T/lake%20chutes3.jpg

Does that make you want to strap em on???

[elwood]

And on another note, it pisses me off that they built the lift up to the Chutes at Steamboat. We used to have to climb up there and earn our turns. Now everybody and their mothers are up there. No more freshies....

[DMC]

elwood:
Talk about why snowboarders get a bad rap... :chicken: Up yours "two planker" :chicken:

;)

[DMC]

elwood:
And on another note, it pisses me off that they built the lift up to the Chutes at Steamboat. We used to have to climb up there and earn our turns. Now everybody and their mothers are up there. No more freshies.... I feel the same way about Gold Hill at Telluride..

[M@]

:chicken: Hurry up SLOW boarder :chicken:

:skiplow:

[DMC]

sorry buddy....
Takes me a few seconds to strap it on... :)

[M@]

huh huh... he said stap on

[elwood]

:chicken: knuckle dragger :chicken:

[Frankontour]

I can't resist...

Lift serviced :

10 - Boogie - Orford
9 - Passe de l'ours - Orford
8 - Chevreuil - Orford
7 - Zig Zag - Orford
6 - Chute libre - La Réserve
5 - Écureuil - Orford
4 - Ottawa - Bromont (bad conditions helping)
3 - Pins rouges - Val Saint-Côme
2 - Pirouette - La Réserve (the "snowboard" pic)
1 - Super - Orford

I could add the new super hair rising glade of Val Saint-Côme, probably #1 (I already took it as an off-piste) and the wall of Mt Shefford (very off-piste) in the top 5. I admit to miss the very high steep super extreme trails.

Too bad that the Madonna summit was closed when I went to Smuggs + the top trails of Jay weren't accessible both times I skied Jay.....

MRG's Paradise is actually my #12, just before Contour ;)

[SkiStooge]

ANYTHING rated Double Black with thin coverage and a steep sustained pitch. :skistooge:

[surfy]

Anything on KT-22 at Squaw

[TheOctopus]

Most technical without hiking (I assume some skating is ok -- as long as you don't have to remove the skis; this disqualifies lots of good technicial lines).... I'll toss in for some the lines North of the MRG double chair and North of Paradise Lost (those in the know, know of what I speak). Especially in low snow conditions. Lots of lines back there where it's pretty clear exactly where you're turn has got to go and if it goes anywhere else, you'll get seriously mangled.

Edited to add: West Coast vote -- the Supreme lift line at Alta, which is almost always scoured of snow. Extremely steep with lots of rocky surprises. Get dialed in with maximum concentration before that first turn: any hesitancy in skiing this one and you better call for body recovery....

[kmrnskier]

mmmmmmm....the top trails at Jay.....very nice!!

[2plankerider]

lift serviced i would have to say...
Madonna Lift Line @ Smuggler's Notch. it full of stumps, rocks and is pretty f'in steep so snow cover can be marginal at best. BUT on a good base covered POW day, there is nothing like it! it is a lift line so it is STRAIGHT down, but there is a whole lotta negotiating along the way. Robin's Run at Smugg's has some hairy stuff and RUMBLE on Castlerock at Sugarbush requires some technical expertise as well. steep,and TWISTY TWISTY TWISTY. Jay chutes may not be very long but ya gotta know yer sh!t or you are screwed. my .02 for the east

as far as the west goes, i can only comment on what i've experienced on vacations: i would agree with those above that the chutes at steamboat can be pretty technical (yes elwood, it f'in SUCKS there is a lift there now) i was there in the early 90's and it was sweet cuz no one really wanted to earn the turns, now every yahoo can get there. Squaw has it's balls in the throat stuff too as well as Jackson Hole (only time i've ever backed off a trail was peering down Corbett's whilst a senior in college, yet i will return SOMEDAY to exorcise the demons)

[kmrnskier]

Speaking of Corbets' - has anyone here done it? I've never been to JH.
-KM

[DMC]

I tend to think of things on a large level when I ride out west... Like - Hey - we gotta go back to that ridge or the side of that bowl - or that set of woods... I do lock into a particular line every once and a while...

That being said... I like
-Saddle Chute area of Fernie
-The Dictator Chutes and A to Z Chutes areas of Big Sky
-CPR ridge at Kicking Horse
-The Silverado and granite Chief area in Sqaw

I could go on and on...

[Castlerock]

I'm sorry I missed this thread yesterday. It may be too late but my $.02

1.) Corbetts
2.) Palisades (Squaw)
These two require mandatory air. The two scariest things I've done. Probably wouldn't do Corbetts again without a whole bunch of fresh.

3.) Great Scott (Snowbird) from the upper right entrance. Then cut to Hanging Bowl 1/2 way down. One of the hallmark lift serviced runs in the States. Cornice at the top. Technical, Rocks, Steep, Looooong, Consistent, Great SNow (Protected)

4.) Supreme liftline at Alta is a good chioce, I'd also like to add Eddie's high there as well less from the actual skiing difficulty, but from the white knuckle climb and the absolute "Eagles Nest" type perch you are on at the top. (Not to be confused with Eagles nest at the same area.

In the east
1.) Smuggs lift line rocks. Back when I skiied there it was't even considered a skiable trail. We had to poach it.

2.) I don't know there are a lot that could be put here Paradise, Rumble etc....

[NHski]

Castlerock, I am going snowbird this year and was checking out their website. They said that the steepest pitch is 40-50 percent grade and its on Great Scott. That translates to a 27 degree slope. Does that seem right to you?

[boarder25]

Yes KMRNSKIER, Corbett's Couloir at JH is pretty sick. It was about a 15 to 20 ft drop to enter.I also agree that the chutes at Steamboat are nice.And the upper section of Jay especially the Ridge (spine).

[DMC]

Castlerock:
1.) CorbettsCorbetts is pretty cool.. It's an ever changing coulier.. I think it faces the wind.. Sometimes you can drop and land right in a waist deep drift - sometimes it ice... Sometimes the skiers left side is only a 3 foot drop - sometimes it's 15...
But almost always - the snow after you drop is sweet...

I can't wait to be good enough to hit the "Once Is Enough Coulier" next to it...

[targheehucker]

DMC where is this other drop you speak of? Is it the one viewers left of Corbets. I ahve heard of S & S Couloir next to Corbets but not the one you said... I wish I went to Jackson Hole when my friend was bumming there...

[Jolly J]

Sunday River - Kansas (3pm on a busy holiday weekend with a strong headwind) Have fun. Double the difficulty for snowboarders.

[DMC]

Sorry - i was actually thinking of S&S...
Although I do remember looking up at "Once Is Enough" but where it was exactly -escapes me right now...
Here's a sweet shot of Corbets

http://www.jacksonhole.com/images/photos01-02/022102.jpg

targheehucker:
DMC where is this other drop you speak of? Is it the one viewers left of Corbets. I ahve heard of S & S Couloir next to Corbets but not the one you said... I wish I went to Jackson Hole when my friend was bumming there...

[DMC]

Jolly J:
Double the difficulty for snowboarders. hmmmm.. A challange... We'll see about that...

I find it easier to ride steeps and trees on a board than I did on skis...

[Castlerock]

NH ski,
It is a mistake, it is degrees. And even that is wrong, There are lots of other skiable lines there that have that kind of pitch. Snowbird is one of those places that actually tries to downplay its difficulty. The rap on Snowbird used to be that it had no intermediate terrain. If you had a mixed group for a ski vacation the Experts were in heaven and the average skiers spent the week on a few groomed trails. That is the main reason they added the Mineral Basin expansion.

Frankly most good skiers ignore Mineral except for the strategic powder run on a fresh day (that deserves its own treatise, "Powder Day Strategy") or a morning corn run in the spring (it faces south and warms before the other side of the hill)

There are very few ski areas that are as "top to bottm" as Snowbird. It is 3000 Vertical feet with no run out. IT is basically as steep at the bottom as it is a the top. You will not be disappointed.

This is the bottom of the mountain, some of these trails are marked intermediate! They are steeper than the front four at Stowe!
http://home.comcast.net/~m.fennelly/snowbirdopt.jpg

[Castlerock]

Like I said, Corbetts is sick!

[elwood]

Another sweet shot at the Hole. Corbetts is on the left, behind the top of that tree...

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-9/387861/corbetts.jpg

[DMC]

Corbets isnt THAT tough...
Lots of times you don't even need to drop it... You can slide into it on the left side..

Once your in - it's sweet...

I need to get back to JH.... :)

[NHski]

Castlerock, glad to hear that snowbird has got continuous vertical runs. The only knock i have on Alta is that the runs for the most part are short.

[DMC]

A video of my friend Chris dropping Corbets..
DROPPING Video.... (http://aaaframe.com/videos/JacksonHole99/jh0299_0.mpg)

[targheehucker]

Corbets isnt THAT tough...
Lots of times you don't even need to drop it... You can slide into it on the left side..
thats why you huck a 360 off the right side.... DUH!!!

[DMC]

I'm a left side guy.... What can I say - Im a :chicken: ...

[Castlerock]

When I skied Corbetts, there hadn't been new snow in three weeks (It was early March circa 1988. The Hobacks were actually closed there was so little snow. As you can imagine it was rather bony. I haven't seen it in all it's soft snow glory...

[M@]

Corbets looks sick. I gotta get me some'a that.

Ugh - this east cost of ours. Stop this WEST COAST TALK! It's making me sad.

[kfarrar]

That looks some sick skiing and riding. Maybe someday. Makes the slopes I ski look the bunny's :(

[targheehucker]

PS Any of you Utah vacationers ever hear or hit up Fingers at Snowbasin? I hear things....

[DMC]

Plus - like i said - I get scoured from the wind... You can drop onto solid hardpack... Or into a waist deep drift...

My Fiance' almost dumped me after I took her onto the Hobacks... It was late March and the snow was BAKED into boot deep mashed potatoes... Which I love but she hated... It took us 2 hours to get her down... And ipssed her off - BIG TIME... She wouldnt talk to me for a day... :(

A real learning experience...

Castlerock:
When I skied Corbetts, there hadn't been new snow in three weeks (It was early March circa 1988. The Hobacks were actually closed there was so little snow. As you can imagine it was rather bony. I haven't seen it in all it's soft snow glory...

[kfarrar]

I know many guys who lost highschool and college girlfriends over incidents like that DMC. Glad everything worked for you. It must have mighty cold out that next day.

[M@]

DMC: Ah yes, the delicate balance of skiing what you want to ski, and skiing what the Wife(2b) wants to ski.

I made a big mistake having Suzy follow me into poopshoot. I had never been in it, but was told how to get to it. So on the lift up we are talking about what trail to do, and I throw this one out and she asks how it is, and I said something stupid like, "It's not that bad" (remember, I had never done it) and it turned out to be way over her ability.

The story does have a fun ending, the trail shoots out onto a marked trail there were a bunch of people there watching us come out of the trees... well, Suzy came out backwards to much applause.

[DMC]

kfarrar:
I know many guys who lost highschool and college girlfriends over incidents like that DMC. Glad everything worked for you. It must have mighty cold out that next day. Nothing a few Teton Coolers at the Mangey Moose couldnt take care of..

Now whenever we go out west together with friends, I try and leave a day or two early with her so we can ski together alone... And enjoy each others company without me wanting to climb or hike or jump or whatever....

She's timid - but she suprises me sometimes...

[Castlerock]

I hear things too...
I don't end up leaving Little Cottonwood. I stay at an IronBlosam Timeshare, We typically don't even have a car. The past few years we actually did get a vehicle, but it was because of the three (little) kids. And as those with little ones know, they have a way of reducing your mobility...Making it difficult to check out newer stuff etc, etc

[targheehucker]

Great Site here:

Ski Stats (http://www.skistats.com)

Click on slopes for varying inclination of different areas. Now I think this is subjective, as they are posted by mere mortals and some dont make sense - I think it was designed to gauge ski lifts and not trails but it is very interesting nonetheless...

[Jolly J]

DMC:
Jolly J:
Double the difficulty for snowboarders. hmmmm.. A challange... We'll see about that...

I find it easier to ride steeps and trees on a board than I did on skis... Kansas is a retarted traverse they built that is 3 miles long (they had to compete with the loaf) It is so flat in places you think you missed a turn and are actually going up hill. It is busier than a freeway in rush hour except everyone moves a snails pace. It's the ultimate in sheep herds. My brother, who is a snowboarder keep having to stop because of leg cramps from being on his toe edge for so long. Oh yeah it's normally a sheet of ice by 3pm as well.

BTW: Tongue planted firmly in cheek.

[DMC]

Jolly J:
My brother, who is a snowboarder keep having to stop because of leg cramps from being on his toe edge for so long. Thats wear switching to fakie helps a WHOLE lot...
Also - I always ride with skiers... If they tow me.. I buy them :beermug:

[Jolly J]

I towed him for quite a while....He didn't buy :beermug: But he did pay gas money. Those pics of JH are awesome. Keep up the good work guys. I worked at the bar and could use anything to help keep me awake today at work.

[Jolly J]

DMC,

THanks for the stickers. I've got a care package here on my desk for you. I'm going to mail it to ya today at lunch. There might be some that you already have, but you can never have too many stickers.

[Frankontour]

How about these 2 pics of the famous JH couloir ;)

http://www.wagonwheelvillage.com/images/skigal/corbet_crazy.jpg

http://www.wagonwheelvillage.com/images/skigal/corbets_distance.jpg

I Love them !

[M@]

I've got that top picture posted in our server room here at work. Printed in laser printer black and whote tho.

[DMC]

http://www.wagonwheelvillage.com/images/skigal/corbets_distance.jpg

S&S to the left of Corbets... someday... someday...

[2plankerider]

i was just about to mention that if you have never been to kansas at the river, then you don't get the joke :D
quite possible the WORST traverse...no i take that back, it IS the WORST TRAVERSE!!!

[DMC]

Actually thinking about Corbets... theres a quote I heard from a patroller there that I use a Tucks...

"Corbets is easy - it's the hike back up to get your skis that uscks..."

[elwood]

DMC:
[QUOTE]I always ride with skiers... If they tow me.. I buy them :beermug: And I've been towing my boarder friends for free! You can come riding with me any day DMC. It's not fun towing a big boy like Dr. Phos...

[BladeGirl]

M@:

I made a big mistake having Suzy follow me into poopshoot. I had never been in it, but was told how to get to it. So on the lift up we are talking about what trail to do, and I throw this one out and she asks how it is, and I said something stupid like, "It's not that bad" (remember, I had never done it) and it turned out to be way over her ability.
That was me on some trail whose name I can't remember at Bromley. Start of my second year of skiing. Just married, hubby said "it doesn't look bad," never having been on it. Took me a looooooong time to get down. Didn't occur to me to (1) traverse off trail through woods to an easier neighboring trail, or (2) take off skis and walk off. Both suggested by said hubby AFTER I finally made it down. End of my second season we go out to Utah and I again follow him into a "looks fine" situation, off piste, and encounter powder for the first time. First turn and my skis are 2 feet under snow and one releases. Except here taking off skis & walking out is not an option, as I discovered. *%#$!!!Not only did I stay married to him, I now log more days on the mountains than he does, becoming a total convert to the snow way of life. :)

-BG

[Jolly J]

This is one of the most technical runs I've ever skied. It was this year May 18th. I've skied it a couple of times before but never this exposed. It was crevassed quite badly and narrowed in a little narrower than a ski length. As I made my first two or three jump turns I had quite a bit of sluff to deal with so I pull off to the side to slow my decent. When the sluff got to the narrow section it cleaned all of the snow exposing nothing but translucent ice, making for a very interesting decent.
http://fundyzone.ca/albums/album04/MtWashingtonMay17_18_19_034.jpg

You can see me gearing up at the top of chute variation. I kind of look like a funny colored rock.

[loafnut]

YES Jolly J, You got me all pumped up now. That looks like an awosome descent. What time of year was that? I gotta do it now.

[loafnut]

Oh yea, and did it involve a massive huck?

[Jolly J]

No huck...I climbed up from below. I really wanted to check for cravasses on the way up. It was quite a nasty climb. Would have liked to have brought my ice axe and crampons. The security of the ice axe would have been real nice.

[DMC]

I rode the Cute V in April - It was sweet... I love the look people give you when you come flying out of the bottom and their standing on that ledge at the base of the chute...

[loafnut]

What is chute V DMC? Is there another name for it?

[DMC]

Sorry - Chute V is what I call Chute Variation ;)

[Jolly J]

chute v = Chute Variation.

Chute Variation(s) is between Left Gulley and the Chute.

[loafnut]

Ah, silly me. I was thinking chute five or somthing. thx

[DMC]

Sorry - Chute V is what I call Chute Variation ;)

[Castlerock]

Chute Variation

[elwood]

Chute V is Chute Variation, in case you were wondering...

[M@]

The V in Chute V means Variation.

So Chute V is Chute Variation.

:chicken:

[Jolly J]

I tried to go in and delete my post when I noticed DMC had posted the same thing and I see there is no longer delete check box. Maybe I'm blind.

I love where this conversation is going.

[DMC]

Chute VI ???? :chicken:

[elwood]

Chute Vee

[Jolly J]

How bout Chute IV...as in beer IV

[NH_tele]

Let's see my most technical/hardest descents should probably be devided by gear:

Alpine Gear:
1. Little Baldy Chute @ Alta
2. Lake Chutes at Breck
3. Center Headwall @ Tuck's

Tele Gear:
1. Upper East Wall @ A. Basin
2. Lake Chutes @ Breck
3. The Lip @ Tuck's
4. A little glade on Mittersul on bulletproof Crust
5. That little chute off the top of Cannon (you know, skier's right)

All those gave me a little :eek: , followed by :confused: then some :skicool: :) :) :)

I've never had a bad fall on steep terrain, someting I'm thankful for (might have something to do with the extremely extra amounts of concentration that go into skiing them)