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Most Extreme ski trails, Closed or Open

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watatic rox
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Posted: Sep 09, 2008 - 11:35 PM GMT

So what do you think are some of the most Extreme ski trails in the east? Yeah i know this topic has probably been discussed before.

I would have to say Spruce Cliffs and Hard Ball at Sunday River.

newman
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 12:01 AM GMT

The Slides area at Whiteface

joshua segal
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 12:05 AM GMT

Quote:

So what do you think are some of the most Extreme ski trails in the east? Yeah i know this topic has probably been discussed before...

Here are a bunch of previous threads on the same or similar topics if you want to use them as reference:
http://www.snowjournal.com/page.php?cid=topic13116
http://www.snowjournal.com/page.php?cid=topic12312
http://www.snowjournal.com/page.php?cid=topic9450
http://www.snowjournal.com/page.php?cid=topic5784
http://www.snowjournal.com/page.php?cid=topic5713
http://www.snowjournal.com/page.php?cid=topic4910

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rocket21
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 12:46 AM GMT

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So what do you think are some of the most Extreme ski trails in the east? Yeah i know this topic has probably been discussed before.

I would say any crossover trail at Loon or Sunday River on a weekend

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bushmogulmaster
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 6:51 AM GMT

Black Diamond @ Glen Ellen
Rumble @ Sugarbush
Paradise @ MRG

joshua segal
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 11:33 AM GMT

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Black Diamond @ Glen Ellen
Rumble @ Sugarbush
Paradise @ MRG

Nice list bushmogulmaster. I'd add:
Starr @ Stowe
Snowfields @ Sugarloaf

My assumption is that to qualify for this list, all of the above are mogulled up!

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puck it
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 12:23 PM GMT

Tramline and Kinsman Glade at Cannon

jimk
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 12:39 PM GMT

La Charlevoix at Le Massif gets 3 diamonds!?!
It's not really that bad, just a big (2000'+ vert), steep, groomer/racing trail, but for some reason they don't open it very much and I only got to ski the easier bottom half during my two day visit last spring. Some of the adjacent bump runs like La 42 and L'Artimon are probably tougher in the thigh burner sense. Believe frequent closure of La Charlevoix is due to reserving it for racing and preserving conditions for racers, AND they have concerns about recreationals suffering unchecked falls on the wide, long, and sometimes icy headwall.

kappcity06
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 1:53 PM GMT

lol, you guys might not think so

bu the windblown sheet of ice cluttered with yard sales and downed skiers known as pipeline at Mountain Creek in Vernon New Jersey.

The way its situated the wind naturally blows straight up it and and blows all the snow away.

Try riding that trail when its full of burger boys and gappers and when there is only ice on it.

millerm277
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 2:47 PM GMT

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bu the windblown sheet of ice cluttered with yard sales and downed skiers known as pipeline at Mountain Creek in Vernon New Jersey.

The way its situated the wind naturally blows straight up it and and blows all the snow away.

Try riding that trail when its full of burger boys and gappers and when there is only ice on it.

Sitting on the left side right before the sharp right turn and watching people who've lost control and can't make the turn slam into the fence can be pretty funny.

newman
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 3:48 PM GMT

Here is one people might not know of. Iceles at Bousquet.This liftline is poached alot by the locals. It has three dropoff, six to teen feet. It is very narrow with lattice towers taking up some space. The trail nickname is Pisscicles, because the ice build up on the cliffs turns yellow. I can recall only one year snow was made on it. This was back in 88. This happened to be the year I made snow there. We draged ground guns in from Grand. Burried the cliffs. When it got skied, you hsd to stay in the ski grooves around the piles. If you took a wrong line, you could have been hit in the head with the chair riders skis. All of this tends to amount to extreme, even if only on a short shot in the Berkshires.

igneousodc
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 4:22 PM GMT

How come when these lists are made people rarely mention Liftline at Smugglers Notch...I don't think anything comes even close to it. Steep, mandatory airs, obstacles, length. Trails like Paradise are tough for sure, but don't really challenge you. It is a challenge to ski Liftline. Similarly, Red Line at Magic gets a vote, but Liftline is longer and more difficult.

newpylong
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 4:40 PM GMT

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How come when these lists are made people rarely mention Liftline at Smugglers Notch...I don't think anything comes even close to it. Steep, mandatory airs, obstacles, length. Trails like Paradise are tough for sure, but don't really challenge you. It is a challenge to ski Liftline. Similarly, Red Line at Magic gets a vote, but Liftline is longer and more difficult.

Paradise at Mad River is less challenging than liftline at Smug's? I don't agree at all..... there is actually room to turn on Liftline and I would hardly call it mandatory air..lots of large rocks to avoid and some lift towers. The trail is extremely long though...

I second the Icicles nomination at Bousquet. I was on the race team there for many years in the early 90's and we were the only dumb kids who would attempt that run. You needed young legs to jump 10 feet onto those barely covered boulders.!

fdb
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 6:41 PM GMT

Hairball at wildcat...i think it used to be an old lift line. Def some big rock faces and some drops which require you to either side step or buck up and jump off. Not a terribly long trail, but def a challenge.

I did it when there was some left over snow from a previous storm and then did it again, again and again. Def a hard trail.

I'd agree with most of the trails on this list, esp the snowfields, Starr, goat, Rumble @ bush..

I wouldn't qualify some though, never really been challenged at SR besides the Spruce Cliffs, but to each their own.

bushmogulmaster
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 6:48 PM GMT

Redline @ Magic
Master Magician @ Magic (when the ice flow is in full force)
Liftline @ Bush

Not much in the east compares with Paradise at MRG, as I already mentioned. Solid 38-40 degree sustained pitch, tight trees, rock bands/cliffs, etc. Pretty serious skiing.

maplevalleymaster
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 7:24 PM GMT

I would also nominate Rumble. Great, steep trail with tight turns.

jimk
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 7:33 PM GMT

For your viewing pleasure, found nice thread/photos of tougher stuff at Le Massif here: Feb '08

catamount82
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 7:58 PM GMT

Edited: Sep 10, 2008 - 8:01 PM GMT

As I've said in the past on this topic, Goat at Stowe with its double fall line is definitely extreme in my book. Liftline at Smuggs is extreme in its own right as others have stated.

Goat is the skinny one at the top (just right of the 4-Runner liftline, not the Lookout liftline on the left) in the pic.
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skiingchef
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Posted: Sep 10, 2008 - 9:47 PM GMT

I used to think that paradise was second to none,but after skiing starr and goat from the top I think differently. Although there are not as many trees as paradise there is still the major intimidation factor. I look forward to finding something in the east with that same feeling.

joshua segal
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Posted: Sep 11, 2008 - 3:31 AM GMT

skiiingchef said:

Quote:

I used to think that paradise was second to none,but after skiing starr and goat from the top I think differently. Although there are not as many trees as paradise there is still the major intimidation factor. I look forward to finding something in the east with that same feeling.

I suspect that if all had similar conditions, Paradise would still be tops. However, last spring I wound up on Starr with some of the deepest, iciest, ugliest moguls and under those circumstances, Starr seemed much tougher.

It's probably the biggest problem to maintaining objectivity on this type of thread.

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