Best places in the East to ski fast

#1

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7/9/07 at 10:57am

Richie-Rich
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Lots of best resort threads, but how about a few on specific qualities. So, for all you speed demons out there which resorts have you found have the best skiing areas to put the pedal to the metal. Things to consider are terrain, crowds, patrol, length of run, and snow quality. G'head....

#2

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7/9/07 at 11:22am

Philpug
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Sunday River, Mt. Snow, Whiteface and Sugarbush are mountains that I like to open it up at. Killington has too many cross trails and Okemo is just not big enough.

I will toss the disclaimer out there that skiing "fast" on the weekends and crowded days is irresponsible and as well you might feel you are under control there are people that can (and will) make course corrections that even a the most experienced skier could not anticipate.

Click. Point. Chute.

#3

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7/9/07 at 11:25am

epic
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One of my favorite trails for lettin' 'er rip is at Cannon. I think it's called Rocket? The pitch is just right, and it's super wide with some terrain. It's much too short, but I could ski it all day. If I could find the 2000' version, I'd be pretty stoked.

#4

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7/9/07 at 11:27am

epic
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Oh, I should also add tat an early morning ripper on the Skimeister at Stowe is pretty good. I think it's helpful to actually know where you are going for that one though.

#5

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7/9/07 at 11:31am

learn2turn
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Narrow Gauge (or any of the black groomers) at Sugarloaf midweek.

#6

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7/9/07 at 11:37am

Ghost
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I don't really know where, but I can tell you when. Go skiing after some freezing rain. The hills will be deserted and very fast compared to when they are snow covered.
I think there is an old thread on just this topic. I will try to dig it up for you.
Edit: Here you go...
http://forums.epicski.com/showthread...ighlight=speed

#7

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7/9/07 at 4:05pm

Paul Jones
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Even I ski fast at Whiteface. When it's groomed you can go straight down some of the longest, steepest groomers I've found anywhere.

#8

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7/9/07 at 4:27pm

Philpug
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Jones

Even I ski fast at Whiteface. When it's groomed you can go straight down some of the longest, steepest groomers I've found anywhere.

Whiteface is the fasted I remember skiing in the East. Ask Jim next time you see him how fast he thought I was going.

Click. Point. Chute.

#9

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7/9/07 at 5:05pm

Ron White
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Hunter Mountain during the week.

RW

#10

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7/9/07 at 6:48pm

JoeSchmoe
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Whiteface is the fastest I've seen for sure. Just wish there were more runs and snow... which is soon to change in a couple of winters.

From www.whiteface.com:

"Lookout Mountain (formerly Tree Island Pod) to begin build-out this summer with completion for 2008-09 season. Featuring 3 expert runs, 1 intermediate run, triple chair, glades, snowmaking, 2200 vertical feet..."

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/ind...rticle&sid=472

I always thought most of the snow that gets blown off Whiteface ends up where the new trails are going to be. Should be some good glade skiing, and a few more options for cranking it up.

#11

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7/9/07 at 7:48pm

tief schnee
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The Real Deal .

#12

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7/9/07 at 8:43pm

Richie-Rich
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I like Whiteface too, especially since they had the Oylmpics there twice.....I like to pretend, and man does that big mountain get icy, talk about bullet proof.

#13

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7/9/07 at 9:18pm

rtopforever
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Location: Killington VT
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no one ever thinks of it but pico (you know killingtons little brother) is awsome any day for rippin fast i do things here i would never dream of at the big k

#14

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7/10/07 at 5:30am

madmanmlh
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Jay's upper and lower exhibition are good places to mach it. On my 177 mantras i was sucking up small children and animals in my vortex.

note: this is only when the trail is empty, often there are far too many lower level skiers going edge to edge, so at 65 its tough to not kill someone

#15

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7/10/07 at 8:22am

tief schnee
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The Olympics were at Whiteface once.

#16

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7/10/07 at 8:46am

ts01
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"The East" is a big place -- if you're stuck near NYC corner of it (OP is from Queens) then Jiminy Peak is not bad for a quick speed fix on Jericho - a steep, straight 1000' shot, often icey. It's marked double diamond, which keeps it empty (even on crowded weekends / holidays), and has only one small juncture feeding in midway to look out for incoming traffic.

Further north I'd second Whiteface. And add Sugarbush - Mt. Ellen seems to have some long empty groomers to crank on. Very steep part up top at Upper FIS.

#17

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7/10/07 at 9:06am

Richie-Rich
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Quote:

Originally Posted by tief schnee

The Olympics were at Whiteface once.

Twice:
1932 and 1980

#18

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7/10/07 at 9:27am

NE1
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Richie-Rich

Twice:
1932 and 1980

Nope. No Alpine Skiing in the '32 games

#19

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7/10/07 at 9:31am

Richie-Rich
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My bad, I knew they had the Olympics there twice, I naturally assumed that there was skiing as well.

Edit: Well they did have skiing, I just discovered, just not alpine as you correctly stated.

Nordic skiing

#20

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7/10/07 at 9:37am

Jamesj
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I'd concur with some of the other northeastern nominations such as Whiteface and Sugarbush. One that is supposedly good for this that I've never been to, but would like to visit is LeMassif in Quebec.
South of New York State the standout place/trail is Cupp Run at Snowshoe, WV (1500' vertical continuous fairly steep groomer) , followed by the steep groomers with about 1000 feet of vert at Blue Knob and Elk Mtn PA.
Hmm, considering crowd/no-crowd factor, Elk may be tops for the southern suggestions.

#21

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7/10/07 at 10:18am

Gpaul
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Concur on Pico, hope it stays off the radar. That new run ending at new HSQ at Loon is pretty nice, and empty.

Mt. Snow???? The only rippable ones I recall are those 3 or 4 runs off the 2 triples to the far south. Really nice runs, a bit short.

If Sunday River didn't have all those little hills on every GD run, I'd give it a mention.

Mt. St. Anne has a bunch, and they are looong and fast.

Concur with Cannon assessment.

#22

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7/10/07 at 3:48pm

bjohansson
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They generally groom 3-4 runs on the North Face at Mt. Snow. All the black diamonds keep some of the gapers away. I've only skied there on weekdays, so I doubt you can really open up on weekends but on weekdays, you can build some pretty scary speeds on Olympic, Fallen Timbers, and Challenger. These would be blue squares at Stowe, Snowbird, or Squaw.

#23

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7/10/07 at 5:02pm

alpinedad
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Philpug

I will toss the disclaimer out there that skiing "fast" on the weekends and crowded days is irresponsible and as well you might feel you are under control there are people that can (and will) make course corrections that even a the most experienced skier could not anticipate.

Hear, hear. I had a very near collision with another skier last year. I was riding my 200 GS boards, blasting down from the top on nearly empty slopes on my second run of the day, and she cut across my line and didn't make the expected turn in a choke point. I managed to avoid hitting her or otherwise causing her to fall, although I think that one of my skis crossed one of hers, and I ended up with a bloody lip and the wind knocked out of me, plus an epic yardsale to clean up. Never again.

#24

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7/10/07 at 5:29pm

madskier6
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I haven't been to Whiteface yet so everyone's probably right. But, of those that I've been to, I've gone the fastest at Stratton on a weekday. I'm not a Stratton fan AT ALL but I have skied there a few times. Stratton is known for grooming the hell out of everything & having good (also fast) snow. Speed on groomers is the one thing I would go to Stratton for (if that's what I wanted that day).

I'm sure the runs at Stratton are not as long as Whiteface or others but I personally haven't experienced a faster mountain in the East. The key is to go when it's not crowded (midweek). Otherwise, I'd imagine the crowds would make it unsafe & I don't recommend it.

#25

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7/10/07 at 5:34pm

BushwackerinPA
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamesj

I'd concur with some of the other northeastern nominations such as Whiteface and Sugarbush. One that is supposedly good for this that I've never been to, but would like to visit is LeMassif in Quebec.
South of New York State the standout place/trail is Cupp Run at Snowshoe, WV (1500' vertical continuous fairly steep groomer) , followed by the steep groomers with about 1000 feet of vert at Blue Knob and Elk Mtn PA.
Hmm, considering crowd/no-crowd factor, Elk may be tops for the southern suggestions.

Cupp run yes, first place that I think ever felt like i was going over 40mph....

Blue Knob no, I cant trust the grooming there at all to go that fast on groomers...

"its not that you cant ski the bumps, its that you cant ski and the bumps prove it"

pbfootnit.blogspot.com/ <<< the start of something good!

#26

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7/10/07 at 7:01pm

Ullr
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamesj

South of New York State the standout place/trail is Cupp Run at Snowshoe, WV (1500' vertical continuous fairly steep groomer) , followed by the steep groomers with about 1000 feet of vert at Blue Knob and Elk Mtn PA.

I would just add that Cupp Run is the only run at Snowshoe that would fall into this category. It can be skied fairly fast and they do groom it. I am a huge fan of Blue Knob, but I am not sure which GROOMED run you are referring to. I would still stay in NE (includes NY) as opposed to these places though.

#27

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7/11/07 at 5:19am

Jamesj
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Ullr

I would just add that Cupp Run is the only run at Snowshoe that would fall into this category. It can be skied fairly fast and they do groom it. I am a huge fan of Blue Knob, but I am not sure which GROOMED run you are referring to. I would still stay in NE (includes NY) as opposed to these places though.

Fast groomers at BK are Deer Run, Expressway, High Hopes, Jack Rabbit, and for a skier cross type thing Stemboggen :-)

#28

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7/11/07 at 5:40am

Treewell
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Immediate runs that come to mind for balls to the wall are Gondolier and a groomed out Hayride at Stowe first thing in the AM

#29

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7/11/07 at 7:40am

BushwackerinPA
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamesj

Fast groomers at BK are Deer Run, Expressway, High Hopes, Jack Rabbit, and for a skier cross type thing Stemboggen :-)

fun kindao f fast ,but groomer is questionable

. Especially on stemboggen. I remember how much fun that trail was cause its cut so many differeent ways and the grooming was so bad that it left huge jumps everywhere.

"its not that you cant ski the bumps, its that you cant ski and the bumps prove it"

pbfootnit.blogspot.com/ <<< the start of something good!

#30

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7/11/07 at 7:53am

Whiteroom
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Main Street on Big Spruce is ridiculous for pinning it. It is empty mid-week and the lift runs right along it so you can scope out the traffic on the way up. There could be a WC SG on this trail.

The trail under the gondola at Stratton is pretty sick for letting the skis run.

Sugarloaf has a few great steep runs in the fall line. Good enough for CVA.

Cannon is great, Upper Ravine with a fresh groom is like being in the video game 'Tron'. Upper Ravine to Spookie to any front four trail thats groomed is a blast. Vista way to Bypass to Paulie's extension to a FF groom is another ridiculously fun ripper.

Sunapee in NH has great conditions and is empty mid week, not steep but you can get moving.

Hint: Any mountain that is a training center for a ski academy usually has at least one trail that is buffed out for GS training.

skiershop.com

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