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Best Brinks

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Author	Post
mapnut Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jul 31, 2002 Posts: 5065 Location:New York City	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 4:06 PM GMT Speaking of the brink of winter, what's your favorite brink on a ski trail? I mean a trail that starts right off with its steepest headwall, challenging you to take the plunge. A modest one might be Upper Competition at Berkshire East; a legendary one might be Paradise, is it, at Mad River Glen? I speak only from hearsay about that one. Even easier trails can have brinks, as seen by less proficient skiers. Like the first pitch on Blastoff at Sunapee, which earns the trail a diamond though the rest is a nice cruise. I remember skiing Kennebec at Big Squaw, a lovely intermediate run, with some friends of my sister a long time ago. We came to the top of a modest headwall halfway down, and one of the girls peered over and said, "It's a cliff!" To her it was, of course. Some brinks are just the prelude to 1000 vertical feet of hard work, but others you can dive straight down and regain control when it flattens out. Nominate, and describe your favorite brink.

NE1 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Aug 23, 2002 Posts: 120 Location:	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 4:13 PM GMT Quote: Speaking of the brink of winter, what's your favorite brink on a ski trail? Starr Upper FIS

joshua segal Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jul 12, 2004 Posts: 5946 Location:NH	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 4:16 PM GMT One that is overlloked from a list like this is the very top of Glen Ellen (Sugarbush North). As one goes to the right at the summit, the trail is flat. However, you are on an "arete-style" ridge with significant drop-off to the left and right. This is not inherently a problem on a bright clear day, but when I was there a few years ago in pea-soup fog (so thick I couldn't see my own ski boots when I looked down) it was a bit scary: even finding the trail while making that traverse was not obvious. __________ Joshua Segal

MissDaEast Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 17, 2002 Posts: 2319 Location:So. Cal / Exit 1-I89,VT	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 4:25 PM GMT OOOO, good topic, mapnut! This topic instantly brought two mental pictures to the fore. One is at Stowe (perhaps it is Starr, as already mentioned). I don't know the name of the run, but it is off the top-near a waffle haus, and I don't really remember if it was a cliff...all I remember is that it was covered in thick boilerplate, and it looked like a cliff at the time. The other (which I did NOT take) was at the top of Aspen Highlands. It was one of the Steeple Chase runs. I remember standing at the brink, and looking down. I could not see the trail because it cut back UNDER me!!!

rickbolger Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Mar 14, 2005 Posts: 2299 Location:Great Gorge, NJ	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 4:34 PM GMT my personal favorite, admittedly easy, is Jackson Standard at Black Mt. NH. Also like stopping at the top of Susquehanna at Elk Mt Went to the brink of A-Basin's Pally Face once, mustered all my courage and boldly turned around.

HClone Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 19, 2003 Posts: 360 Location:Northern NJ	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 4:43 PM GMT I used to like to top of Ram's Head at Killington

newman Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Aug 21, 2008 Posts: 2124 Location:The mighty SKI WARD Shrewsbury MA	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 4:46 PM GMT K27 at Hunter fits well in this catagory. So steep at the top you can sometimes stand on the edge, look down, and your skis stick straight out. Then the 43 degree pitch. Then the runout into F Lift. Alot of Catskill ski areas have trails steep on top, with the pitch lessening toward the base. Plattekill, Windham, Belleayre, Cortina, Scotch Valley, Highmount, and HunterOne have these similar set ups. Or did have before closing.

shpride Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 10, 2006 Posts: 323 Location:Flatlands, MA	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 4:50 PM GMT Instead of just a trail, I would say the top of Black Mt. is an awesome "brink" for the rest of the mountain. The way the trails just drop right off is lots of fun.

4aprice Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 16, 2006 Posts: 999 Location:Lake Hopatcong, NJ	Posted: May 25, 2027 - 12:25 PM GMT Quote: The other (which I did NOT take) was at the top of Aspen Highlands. It was one of the Steeple Chase runs. I remember standing at the brink, and looking down. I could not see the trail because it cut back UNDER me!!! The Steeple Chase runs are awesome. I remember not only going down them but stopping a little ways down and looking back up at others who had not accompanied me down. It is literally a wall and the chairlift crossing above it looked way up there. It's really not that bad a ski though because the snow is generally so good. Alot of the drops in the west are easier because of the snow. Anything thats steep and icy or full of rock hard VW bumps tends to send me scurrying in another direction. It's not the steepness that gets me but the snow conditions. Alex Lake Hopatcong, NJ

MissDaEast Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 17, 2002 Posts: 2319 Location:So. Cal / Exit 1-I89,VT	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 4:58 PM GMT Quote: One is at Stowe (perhaps it is Starr, as already mentioned). I don't know the name of the run, but it is off the top-near a waffle haus, and I don't really remember if it was a cliff...all I remember is that it was covered in thick boilerplate, and it looked like a cliff at the time. I checked the trail map; it wasn't Starr, it was (appropriately so) Waterfall. ...Frozen Waterfall!

tigerskier Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Oct 30, 2001 Posts: 533 Location:	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 5:21 PM GMT Great Topic! I have to agree with the previous comment about susquehanna at Elk...I learned to ski there and i used to adhere to what I called the "25 ft. rule" (getting no closer that 25ft. from the edge) because I was so terrified of accidentally that run. I'll never forget watching people go over the side and disappear. I think the biggest factor here has to be the sheer adrenaline rush Here are a few that come to mind: EAST: FIS @ Sugarbush East Fall @ K WEST: Lover's Leap @ Vail Werner Cute @ Taos (a narrow opening between the trees gives way to an elevator shaft) All the black runs off the Tram @ Snowbird WINNERS: EAST: Rumor @ Gore (just flat out scary...esp. b/c you know its icy...) WEST: Corbett's Coloir @ JH (the most famous anywhere perhaps)

spunkyskier01 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Apr 02, 2004 Posts: 376 Location:Londonderry VT, Saratoga Springs N.Y.	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 5:32 PM GMT Edited: Oct 31, 2008 - 5:32 PM GMT east coast, rumor at gore for sure, as icy as it is, 2 years ago I went midweek when they winch groomed it and was one of the most fun steeps i have ever skied. west coast, the slot at squaw valley. fun very steep chute.

arik Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jun 01, 2006 Posts: 168 Location:NYC; Southern VT	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 5:43 PM GMT free fall at Mount Snow

tom durgin Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 23, 2005 Posts: 837 Location:The Upper Valley	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 6:12 PM GMT Lyme Drop at the Dartmouth Skiway - a classic two-turn steep then a long swoosh back to the base of the double!

lscski Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Sep 13, 2004 Posts: 403 Location:Morrisville vt	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 6:36 PM GMT all though i've cleared the entire thing in one fell swoop, little dipper is legit, although you can sneak around the side. Im looking at you bondman. __________ Praise be to Ullr

4aprice Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 16, 2006 Posts: 999 Location:Lake Hopatcong, NJ	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 6:44 PM GMT Quote: Lyme Drop at the Dartmouth Skiway - a classic two-turn steep then a long swoosh back to the base of the double! Isn't that the trail they use for GS Races there? I remember there was a by-pass around that drop that wasn't too easy either. Alex Lake Hopatcong, NJ

rstuthill Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Apr 03, 2005 Posts: 1775 Location:Bolton, CT	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 7:05 PM GMT Quote: free fall at Mount Snow Love the start of Free Fall, but is it possible that you meant Ripcord? Ripcord has a real brink whereas Free Fall just has a great view and instills an urge to blast down it.

teighs Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 28, 2005 Posts: 145 Location:Northfield, VT	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 7:16 PM GMT Tuckerman's Ravine

tom durgin Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 23, 2005 Posts: 837 Location:The Upper Valley	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 7:53 PM GMT Quote: [quote]Lyme Drop at the Dartmouth Skiway - a classic two-turn steep then a long swoosh back to the base of the double! Isn't that the trail they use for GS Races there? I remember there was a by-pass around that drop that wasn't too easy either. Alex Lake Hopatcong, NJ [/quote] No, that's Worden's Schuss - come to think of it, Worden's has a pretty good brink itself. It's been redone to come into compliance with new FIS standards.

roger47 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 21, 2007 Posts: 888 Location:	Posted: Oct 31, 2008 - 8:55 PM GMT Quote: Which gives me an idea for a new thread. mapnut, I am always happy to inspire fellow nelsapers.

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