Most intense ski slopes in the US

[Philpug]

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The old T bar line @ Pico. Technically not a trail. Has an old cable in the middle & an obligatory 20’ huck 3/4 of the way down.

Actually triggered a small slide moments after this picture was taken-it was like Indiana Jones.

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What's worse, skiing that or when the T-bar was still running riding that up? I recall riding that up, I felt like I was being pulled straight up a wall. The worst part was, the sun was directly in front of me so I had no vision at all.

 

[Ogg]

View attachment 82629


The old T bar line @ Pico. Technically not a trail. Has an old cable in the middle & an obligatory 20’ huck 3/4 of the way down.

Actually triggered a small slide moments after this picture was taken-it was like Indiana Jones.

View attachment 82630

I’m kind of embarrassed to say my family had a place near Killington for about a decade and I’ve never skied Pico.

 

[Brian Finch]

What's worse, skiing that or when the T-bar was still running riding that up? I recall riding that up, I felt like I was being pulled straight up a wall. The worst part was, the sun was directly in front of me so I had no vision at all.

Truth- the B slope triple also has a cliff that I can’t imagine going up.

 

[Tony S]

What's worse, skiing that or when the T-bar was still running riding that up? I recall riding that up, I felt like I was being pulled straight up a wall. The worst part was, the sun was directly in front of me so I had no vision at all.

I did that when I was twelve. Never got over it.

 

[Tony S]

Wanna hold hands

No. I know how to choose 'em.

 

[KevinF]

The old T bar line @ Pico. Technically not a trail. Has an old cable in the middle & an obligatory 20’ huck 3/4 of the way down.

How is there mandatory air on a t-bar line?

 

[raisingarizona]

How is there mandatory air on a t-bar line?

Yeah, that just doesn’t compute for me either.

There should be two different lists for east and west. In the east my vote goes to Liftline at Smuggs, that trail is pretty rad.

Out west it’s harder to define. I guess it has to be listed on the areas map and actually signed? If so then Corbets is fine but truthfully there’s way more rowdy lines within the boundaries at Jackson.

 

[David Chaus]

The same run can be challenging the first time, then intense and terrifying when the fog rolls in for the second lap. A lot of Whistler/Blackcomb can be like that, or much of the PNW for that matter.

 

[NE1]

How is there mandatory air on a t-bar line?

Never rode it, did you? It was as close to vertical as you ever thought possible on a Tbar. Not sure of the actual grade, but your whole weight was almost fully resting on the bar. I always wondered what would happen if someone fell off, as people were sometimes want to do.

 

[Crank]

I have skied all the eastern trails mentioned at one time or another, Magic lift lines, Goat (Starr scared me more than Goat but probably because of that entrance), Castlerock, Paradise, White Nitro, the t--bar line at Pico, Lifline and others at Smuggs, Face Chutes, etc. at Jay Peak, with the exception of Tramline and Kinsman's glades at Cannon. Not sure if it was mentioned but Tramline looks sporty and was not open for skiing back when I used to sometimes ski Cannon. Never been to Whiteface when the Slides were open but, while steep, I don't think they are THAT steep; I read 35 degrees somewhere. None of the above runs I have skied would I consider as one of the most intense runs in the US. For me intense has to have some consequences. Scariest thing I have skied in the east was Tuckerman Ravine but that is not a ski area run.

The most intense run for me was the second time I skied Tower 3 Chute at Jackson Hole. The second time because the first time I was a young 33 and it was snowing like crazy with a couple of feet already underfoot. I couldn't see what I was getting into and just enjoyed the heck out of it. The second time I skied Tower 3 I was 59 ( yeah I didn't go to Jackson for a few decades - my bad.) the snow was a little sketchy and I could see that if I fell before I got around that first corner I was gonna slide really fast into a bunch of rocks. I skied it slowly, cautiously and in control.

I am not a super skier but I am good with tactics and I don't panic - that never helps in any situation anywhere.

There are a lot of lines at Snowbird and Alta and Big Sky that I will never ski and I am sure the same holds true for Whistler/Blackomb and plenty of other mountains. I mostly avoid the really intense slopes these days. At 63 I still ski at a fairly high level but shit just looks steeper and scarier to me. I always relate this story about skiing with my son at Jay Peak maybe 5 years ago. We were stopped on a slope and I said to him, "This is really steep!" He just looked at me like I had 2 heads and pointed 'em straight down. Freaking kids.

 

[KevinF]

Never rode it, did you?

I don't recall it... I've only skied Pico once or twice, and that was in the early 2000s. When was this t-bar in use?

 

[Wilhelmson]

What does business insider have against Canada?

The simple rule for Alta is that if your guide goes left, don't go right.

The only stuff like that in the East is stuff that nobody skis, maybe Castle or some woods in Stowe. Paradise at SB kicks my but for some reason but really only Goat woods and Spruce Cliffs scare the crap out of me. White Nitro is damn steep but Jay headwalll is probably just as steep with rocks and tree tops sticking out.

 

[dbostedo]

Never been to Whiteface when the Slides were open but, while steep, I don't think they are THAT steep; I read 35 degrees somewhere.

Here are Caltopo profiles for Slide 2 and Slide 4 (I think - kind of hard to tell) ... topping out at 44 and 49 degrees respectively with significant steepness throughout. But the averages are 33 and 35 degrees. Which is still very high as an average. (For comparison, Upper Goat at Stowe tops out at 44 degrees, with a 29 degree average.)

 

[NE1]

Memory is a bit faded..for obvious reasons, but it would be late 50's I believe. Probably nice as a trail, but scary on a Tbar..

 

[LiquidFeet]

Someone mentioned DJ's Tramline at Cannon Mountain in NH. Here are two images for comparison purposes. One shows it when there's new snow and the other is when there's not. The pucker factor depends not so much on the steepness as on the exposed obstacles and the condition of the snow. Cartwheeling down in either condition is a no-go. It's all about the pointy granite, which is there whether you see it or not.

 

[DoryBreaux]

Why are The Fingers on this list? Haven't they heard; The Plunge at Northstar is one of the 10 steepest runs in all of Tahoe

 

[Brian Finch]

How is there mandatory air on a t-bar line?

Ask @Philpug! There is (now) a large lip & a significant drop + the cable is down in the path. I never skied it when it was a T.

 

[Josh Matta]

What does business insider have against Canada?

The simple rule for Alta is that if your guide goes left, don't go right.

The only stuff like that in the East is stuff that nobody skis, maybe Castle or some woods in Stowe. Paradise at SB kicks my but for some reason but really only Goat woods and Spruce Cliffs scare the crap out of me. White Nitro is damn steep but Jay headwalll is probably just as steep with rocks and tree tops sticking out.

I can take you a line with in view crossover at Stowe that tons of people ski and has mandtory 8 foot airs...WTF is spruce cliffs?

My list east USA only, marked trails only that I have actually skied

1. DJ tram's Line, Cannon
2. Kinmen Glade, Cannon
3. Liftline, Smuggs
4. Paradise, MRG
5. Goat, Stowe, Goat woods are the easier way down at least the section people actually ski.
6. The slides, Whiteface
7. Lookout, Stowe
8. Starr, Stowe

 

[Wilhelmson]

Good list. I haven't been to Whiteface or Smuggs. When I was at at MRG lifeline was closed for good reason.

Well I meant the goat woods where you go off the rock and under the tree , not the lower windblown section. Definitely tougher than Kinsman.
.
I didn't think Kinsman was too bad, but the conditions were perfect. My wife had a different impression but we're still married. Add some ice and that would be a long 1500 feet or whatever it is.

Spruce used to be a ski trail at SR but is now out of bounds because a few people died there. It's more of an icy rock than a long trail. If snow would stick to it probably wouldn't be too bad.

Mind you I don't claim to be a super expert, just another dude that enjoys skiing.

 

[mdf]

1. DJ tram's Line, Cannon
2. Kinmen Glade, Cannon
3. Liftline, Smuggs
4. Paradise, MRG
5. Goat, Stowe, Goat woods are the easier way down at least the section people actually ski.
6. The slides, Whiteface
7. Lookout, Stowe
8. Starr, Stowe

I've only skied your 3, 4, 5, 8. For some reason I've never been on Lookout. My one chance at DJ's TramLine we didn't realize it was open till too late in the day. Never been to Whiteface, and anyway I hear the Slides are never open.