Pick a run - any run - and it's ????

[MaineSkiLady]

Been thinking about starting this thread, thought it would be fun for all. Not an easy choice, but you've got but one: THE run.

Maybe you skied it but once and grinned for years at the memory.
Maybe you ski it 5 times 3 times a week. And when it looks good, you high-tail to it.

What's THAT run for you, and where is it?

Okay, some rules: please, be more specific than, say, "Vail's Back Bowls" !!! (narrow it down to less than 3,000 acres! ) If that's the case, describe the line through it.

It's a tough question, because you can't do recombining, such as the top of A, middle of B, bottom of C. One run somewhere, ranking as your all-time favorite, the one you picture in your mind when you think of great skiing for you personally.

Won't even post mine here first, as I'm still thinking!

 

[veggielasagna]

Hmm ok, I'll bite. With my limited skiing experience one stands out in particular. On my first and only (thus far) trip to Gore..3 weeks ago tomorrow; this was my favorite run:

Up to the summit via the straightbrook quad:
Skate around to...
Upper Steilhang (Blue) to
Cloud (Blue)
Lower Cloud (Blue)
Then this cute little flat area I did not know about! Haha so I had to work to get to the top of..
Twister (Blue).....down to the base

It was a particularly nice day with pretty much perfect trail conditions and the sun was out. A bit chilly @ around 15 and some winds.
It was a nice long intermediate run and I didn't see anyone except a snow mobile until the bottom of Cloud! Starts out a bit narrow then open up into the wider cruisers...very nice

 

[Robyn]

Arapahoe Basin, skiers right of Cabin Glades in the trees. Just over 3 years ago I was in Colorado for my cousin's college graduation. We did one day at Arapahoe Basin and I hadn't skied in a few years and hadn't skied regularly in many, many years. I had never been a tree skier (saw a person die hitting a tree when I was a young racer) and she took me in the trees first run that day. Halfway through I decided I was moving back to Colorado. And I did 6 months later to the day. And if anyone wants me to leave again they're gonna have to drag me kicking and screaming and they better be paying me BIG MONEY! (So that I can afford regular ski vacations of course)

 

[tradygirl]

OK, this is way too hard. I can't pick just one, since I have my "go-to's" that I do over and over, and my "unforgettables" that may end up being once-in-a-lifetime. So here's the ones I couldn't pick from:

Resort "go-to powder day runs":
Backside and High Notch - Alta
Black Forest - Solitude

Backcountry "dependables":
Pink Pine and Powstash - Little Cottonwood
Wolverine Bowl to Patsy - Little/Big Cottonwood

Backcountry "unforgettables":
Red Baldy main - Little Cottonwood
Amphitheater Lake - Tetons
West Kessler - Big Cottonwood

 

[alta_gal83]

Alta:

Yellow trail to Suzie's Suicide.

 

[volklgirl]

Storm Peak at Steamboat. Something about the view from the top and skiing that wide open convex trail at mach speed makes for an awesome tickle in my tummy.

 

[Sprite]

Kirkwood ’05 - I headed up Wagon Wheel for my last run of the day. A storm was blowing in and we were swinging like monkeys in the trees! Struggled off the chair and headed skiier’s left and then hard right trying to see where to drop in. It was total chaos. The entry was full of bodies, and almost no one was vertical – everyone was on their bums or sideslipping down. The light was just going flat and there were 3-4 inches of loose snow blowing over a solid crust of ice – absolutely freezing with the wind! I found the line and just went for it. Dropped into the Wall, hard and fast, staying skier’s left, not crossing under the lift until the tailings of Wagon Trail. It was pretty much a non-stop, break-neck, all-edges, just barely controlled Mr. Toad's Wild Ride all the way to the lodge. This run, and the way I felt skiing it, for me, is The One!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Storm Peak at Steamboat. Something about the view from the top and skiing that wide open convex trail at mach speed makes for an awesome tickle in my tummy.

Aha, one I know and remember - yeah, it's good. Hey vg, how's the bruise situation going? Hope your "colors" are dissipating! Knees okay? Just wondering.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Kirkwood ’05 - I headed up Wagon Wheel for my last run of the day. A storm was blowing in and we were swinging like monkeys in the trees! Struggled off the chair and headed skiier’s left and then hard right trying to see where to drop in. It was total chaos. The entry was full of bodies, and almost no one was vertical – everyone was on their bums or sideslipping down. The light was just going flat and there were 3-4 inches of loose snow blowing over a solid crust of ice – absolutely freezing with the wind! I found the line and just went for it. Dropped into the Wall, hard and fast, staying skier’s left, not crossing under the lift until the tailings of Wagon Trail. It was pretty much a non-stop, break-neck, all-edges, just barely controlled Mr. Toad's Wild Ride all the way to the lodge. This run, and the way I felt skiing it, for me, is The One!

Good ride! Another run I remember fondly, though when I was there, the weather was a little more cooperative - loved the Wall.

 

[Jilly]

Main ski area - Tremblant - Grand Prix just after the groomers been through. Flat and steep
Visiting Resort East - Korman Dive - Owl's Head
Visiting Resort West - Dave Murray Downhead at Whistler - crusin material!!

 

[cyn]

Plummet on North Face at Mt Snow. It's good and steep and there's hardly anyone ever on it.

Also, anything down the front face from the summit at Sunshine, Alberta. You can just go forever!

And finally, at Fernie, the run (forget the name) that goes by the terrain park in Siberia Bowl. Beautiful and fun!

 

[altagirl]

The Vallee Blanche descent from the Aguille du Midi. We skied it once, after a storm where there was a meter of fresh snow. Bluebird at the top, skied through the densest fog I've ever seen in the middle, had luch at the yurt and then continued through the mer de glace and down to the train back into town.

And I did that back in the day when I had very little powder skiing experience, was on some Salomon 1080's because they were my brand new "fat skis" and had a completely torn ACL but was skiing on it anyway. I'd love to go back! I think the chance of going back and getting a repeat of a meter of fresh snow is nonexistent, but I'd still love to do it again. The views are just amazing - the lift ride alone is absolutely mind blowing, not to mention getting from the top of the lift through the ice tunnel to the snow and all of that. I also think if we did it again, I'd like to have our guide take us on a more difficult route, but regardless, it's probably the one run that will forever stand out the most in my mind.

 

[pinto]

The Pallavicini lift line at A Basin. I almost always ski it a little differently, though. Sometimes I start on the east side and cross under, other times on the west and go east, or stay west .... There are a million different ways to do it, which is why it's my go to. (And also why it isn't exactly the answer to your question.)

 

[perma-grin]

Limelight on Baldy in Sun Valley ( way more fun when the chair was up the middle of it now they groom it alot) but still fun. Upper River Quai at Jay Peaks. Great runs. Makes me smile.

 

[climber.girl1]

Highway to Heaven out the Back Door at Solitude...

Long, steep, even pitch covered with two feet of powder, the year I learned to powder ski (which would be, uh, the year after I learned to ski at all??)

One of the best runs for me so far! The powder was light, I skied it well, and the feeling of floating was just exhilarating!

I expect many more "best runs" as I get more experience and get the chance to experience more resorts and backcountry!

 

[Little Lightning]

There's to many to chose just one. I've struggled with so many!

Golddigger and Retreat off the Sierra lift at Copper. Those runs used to scare me to death, I don't remember which was worse, getting down through the bowl or the view of I-70. Once I talked a young girl down who was more afraid than me.

Also at Copper, Triple Treat off the Alpine lift and Cabin Chute in the Resolution area .

Divide, Little Oly, Encore at Blue Sky Basin and a run, I can't think of its name, that we end the day in Sunup Bowl at Vail. Also, Gandy Dancer at Vail.

A run I'm very fond of, but haven't skied lately, is Cat Dancer on North Peak at Keystone. And I can't forget Schobers Dream at Panorama, BC. Over 4,000 ft of black. Not sure there's another run like it in North America. It would take me over 20 minutes to ski it. And 1 more Midget at
Kimberly in BC. I fell on it and tore my rotator cuff!

 

[Shellski]

The Vallee Blanche descent from the Aguille du Midi. We skied it once, after a storm where there was a meter of fresh snow. Bluebird at the top, skied through the densest fog I've ever seen in the middle, had luch at the yurt and then continued through the mer de glace and down to the train back into town.

And I did that back in the day when I had very little powder skiing experience, was on some Salomon 1080's because they were my brand new "fat skis" and had a completely torn ACL but was skiing on it anyway. I'd love to go back! I think the chance of going back and getting a repeat of a meter of fresh snow is nonexistent, but I'd still love to do it again. The views are just amazing - the lift ride alone is absolutely mind blowing, not to mention getting from the top of the lift through the ice tunnel to the snow and all of that. I also think if we did it again, I'd like to have our guide take us on a more difficult route, but regardless, it's probably the one run that will forever stand out the most in my mind.

That one did flash through my mind, but factor in the arrete, and the climb up the stairs at the end, and I think once is enough! No, actually I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, the lunch at the Refuge de Requin was worth 'the price of admission' alone.

Windows at Vail, for me. Very special memories.

 

[persee]

Ok... I think this will be a once-around to be special for me.

Sugarbowl, Crowleys Run and California (not sure the other trails). This was the end of my second season and was special for being my first experience of above treeline skiing and also my first true "feel" of carving. I was on demo Lotta Luvs and it was just magic. I'd love to go back now that I'm a better skier as I'm sure it would be even better in some regards... but never quite as special.

 

[num]

I have a feeling I should wait until after the Solitude trip to answer this one :D

 

[skigrl27]

Anything in the G Zones or Northwoods section of Highlands Bowl.