We've all seen the toughest ski run lists over the years but since there are a few more months until ski season starts and not much else to talk about right now I'm wondering what everyone's most challenging runs have been? To get started, below are my top 10 with a picture of each run.....
10. Red Pine Chutes - Park City....This run is accessed from the 9990 lift on the Canyons side, I think the terrain off of that lift is the best in Park City. If you stick towards the middle of the Red Pine Chutes trail you hit the steepest sections of the run which measures in at 43 degrees or so in certain areas. The Red Pine Chutes are much tamer if you ski the trail near the out of bounds ropes.
9. Das Boot - Grand Targhee....This resort gets a ton of snow and has awesome trees but Targhee doesn't have alot of steep terrain, Das Boot is the exception. You need to hit mandatory air going over the worst part of this trail or scrape down it like I did! If the run was longer I would have ranked it much higher on my list. You can see how steep Das Boot is looking up from the worst section.
8. 4th Alley- Arapahoe Basin....This run to me was the most challenging trail off the Pallavicini lift. (Without hiking) Conditions were awesome the day I skied it making it one of the best steep tree runs that I've ever been down.
7. Goat - Stowe....Goat is one of the most famous trails in the Northeast, the run is over 2000 vert of non stop moguls and ice. Unfortunately the upper part of the run is not opened alot of the time and it is the most challenging part of the trail. Most people enter from the middle which is cheating in my opinion! Fully opened Goat is a total leg burner and lives up to its large reputation. As a side note, a hidden "locals" trail to the skiers left of the Upper Goat entrance called Pipeline is the toughest lift served run in the Northeast and probably the most challenging run on this list. The entrance is almost unnoticeable and the trees are so tight & steep you can barely turn your skis while getting through the worst parts. Since it's an off the map, unmarked trail I can't count it here though!
6. Tower Three Chute - Jackson Hole....Unfortunately the tram was a two hour wait each day I was there so I didn't get to try Corbet's and the Sublette lift was down so no Alta Chutes either but the Tower Three Chute off of the Thunder chair is a good one. The run has a sustained 41 degree pitch pretty much the whole way down.
5. Great Scott - Snowbird....I actually think the tree runs towards the frontside under the tram and the backside of the Cirque may be a little more challenging than Great Scott from top to bottom but those trails don't have all the pesky rocks to avoid on the steepest parts of your decent.
4. Wipeout Chutes - Mammoth....So there are a couple of lines down the Wipeout Chutes that are easier than others but if you hit the very first line closest to chair 23 the drop-in is absolutely brutal as you can see from the picture. I skied this line 2 years ago in July, it was nice and crusty from the top. I don't think I've ever skied moguls that large and steep before or since.
3. Daly Chute #4 - Deer Valley....This resort is not known for its steep skiing but Deer Valley does have one area with legit steeps called the Daly Chutes. The 4th Chute is the most challenging one according to the ski patroler that I was skiing it with. The run has a 45 degree pitch pretty much the whole way down. That photo is looking up from the first section of the run, it's no joke!
2. Paradise - Mad River Glen....This is the other famous challenging east coast trail known for a frozen waterfall that you need to jump over on the way down. This isn't the steepest run on the list with a 36 to 38 degree sustained pitch but what made this one especially tough for me was the conditions the day I skied it. A foot of snow came down from the night before and that foot of snow covered a sheet of ice which made me slip on every single turn the whole way down. I was never so relieved to get off of a trail in my life. Under normal conditions I would have ranked Paradise a little further down this list but it's still a great one!
1. Needle's Eye - Breckenridge....I've never seen this trail on any of the top 10 ten lists but it is without a doubt worthy of being on one. The trail has a 43 degree pitch all the way down through tight trees. You feel totally spent after making it to the bottom of this one especially if your not used to the high attitude at Breckenridge. Needle's Eye is non stop nasty the whole way down and if you like skiing challenging terrain this run needs to be added to your bucket list!
Here's a great video of the run as well. (It's not me in the video)
Watch "Breckenridge 2017 - Needle's Eye [Double Black]" on YouTube
So that's my list, unfortunately when I was at Crested Butte the North Face wasn't opened and the tram at Big Sky while I was there had ridiculous waits or else I'd have some better runs to add to this list. Let's hear some thoughts on other tough ones to try this season!.....
10. Red Pine Chutes - Park City....This run is accessed from the 9990 lift on the Canyons side, I think the terrain off of that lift is the best in Park City. If you stick towards the middle of the Red Pine Chutes trail you hit the steepest sections of the run which measures in at 43 degrees or so in certain areas. The Red Pine Chutes are much tamer if you ski the trail near the out of bounds ropes.
9. Das Boot - Grand Targhee....This resort gets a ton of snow and has awesome trees but Targhee doesn't have alot of steep terrain, Das Boot is the exception. You need to hit mandatory air going over the worst part of this trail or scrape down it like I did! If the run was longer I would have ranked it much higher on my list. You can see how steep Das Boot is looking up from the worst section.
8. 4th Alley- Arapahoe Basin....This run to me was the most challenging trail off the Pallavicini lift. (Without hiking) Conditions were awesome the day I skied it making it one of the best steep tree runs that I've ever been down.
7. Goat - Stowe....Goat is one of the most famous trails in the Northeast, the run is over 2000 vert of non stop moguls and ice. Unfortunately the upper part of the run is not opened alot of the time and it is the most challenging part of the trail. Most people enter from the middle which is cheating in my opinion! Fully opened Goat is a total leg burner and lives up to its large reputation. As a side note, a hidden "locals" trail to the skiers left of the Upper Goat entrance called Pipeline is the toughest lift served run in the Northeast and probably the most challenging run on this list. The entrance is almost unnoticeable and the trees are so tight & steep you can barely turn your skis while getting through the worst parts. Since it's an off the map, unmarked trail I can't count it here though!
6. Tower Three Chute - Jackson Hole....Unfortunately the tram was a two hour wait each day I was there so I didn't get to try Corbet's and the Sublette lift was down so no Alta Chutes either but the Tower Three Chute off of the Thunder chair is a good one. The run has a sustained 41 degree pitch pretty much the whole way down.
5. Great Scott - Snowbird....I actually think the tree runs towards the frontside under the tram and the backside of the Cirque may be a little more challenging than Great Scott from top to bottom but those trails don't have all the pesky rocks to avoid on the steepest parts of your decent.
4. Wipeout Chutes - Mammoth....So there are a couple of lines down the Wipeout Chutes that are easier than others but if you hit the very first line closest to chair 23 the drop-in is absolutely brutal as you can see from the picture. I skied this line 2 years ago in July, it was nice and crusty from the top. I don't think I've ever skied moguls that large and steep before or since.
3. Daly Chute #4 - Deer Valley....This resort is not known for its steep skiing but Deer Valley does have one area with legit steeps called the Daly Chutes. The 4th Chute is the most challenging one according to the ski patroler that I was skiing it with. The run has a 45 degree pitch pretty much the whole way down. That photo is looking up from the first section of the run, it's no joke!
2. Paradise - Mad River Glen....This is the other famous challenging east coast trail known for a frozen waterfall that you need to jump over on the way down. This isn't the steepest run on the list with a 36 to 38 degree sustained pitch but what made this one especially tough for me was the conditions the day I skied it. A foot of snow came down from the night before and that foot of snow covered a sheet of ice which made me slip on every single turn the whole way down. I was never so relieved to get off of a trail in my life. Under normal conditions I would have ranked Paradise a little further down this list but it's still a great one!
1. Needle's Eye - Breckenridge....I've never seen this trail on any of the top 10 ten lists but it is without a doubt worthy of being on one. The trail has a 43 degree pitch all the way down through tight trees. You feel totally spent after making it to the bottom of this one especially if your not used to the high attitude at Breckenridge. Needle's Eye is non stop nasty the whole way down and if you like skiing challenging terrain this run needs to be added to your bucket list!
Here's a great video of the run as well. (It's not me in the video)
Watch "Breckenridge 2017 - Needle's Eye [Double Black]" on YouTube
So that's my list, unfortunately when I was at Crested Butte the North Face wasn't opened and the tram at Big Sky while I was there had ridiculous waits or else I'd have some better runs to add to this list. Let's hear some thoughts on other tough ones to try this season!.....
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