What is "steep" to you?

[MaineSkiLady]

The pinkish to red and yellow stuff shown on the upper mountain of Sugarloaf, my home mt, is pretty steep. What makes it more difficult is that it's often ice-city.

 

[skigrl27]

MSL - thanks for that site!! I need to check out A-Basin soon! Lots of steeps there. The Aspen & Highlands maps were great too. The Highlands Bowl seems to be the most consistent and longest steeps in the area. There are some major steeps at Snowmass, but I didn't see their map on there.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

^^^^ Yeah, the maps are pretty haphazard in terms of what they offer. Wish more would become available. Pretty funny that a couple from Russia (I think?) are included!! I could just stare at those maps for HOURS....have a good look at Pally at A-Basin on the front side, goes straight down to the base, it's all hot-pink with some yellow shots at the top -- seriously and consistently steep. Whereas my mountain only offers shots of it...oh well, it's home....

 

[SkiNurse]

But really, I think it's a matter of experience, familiarity with certain types of terrain (a steep, really narrow chute looks steeper to me than steep, wide-open bowls, because I ski more of the latter), and ability. My ability and experience are greater now than they were ten years ago, so I now look at things that I thought were steep 8-10 years ago and I think, "really?"

I used to think Red Square (outer edge of Siberia Bowl at Vail) was steep. Now I just think it's fun. I used to think stuff like the top, outer edges of Copper Bowl (at Copper) and Iron Mask/Lover's Leap at Vail were STEEP, in all caps. Now I think they're kinda steep, but not worth getting all hot and bothered over. I used to think, as a teenager, that I would never, ever ski Palli at ABasin, and I was looking at it from the chair the other day wondering why I thought it was way too steep, back in the day. (I was in a different group than the one who skied it, though, about which I am grumpy. :p Next time, no question!)

Steep is definitely a state of mind, too. There have been things I have bailed on one day, because I thought they looked like too much. And then gone back and skied well the next day, in a better frame of mind.

I couldn't agree with you more! Especially with the areas that you named.

It is totally a matter of mind and experience. From what I've heard, there are runs/area in Crested Butte, Telluride, Jackson Hole and Alta that are "truly steep", and I hope one day to make it to those areas and see what steep is all about!

 

[sibhusky]

Have some fun on this site:
https://www.3dskimaps.com/

They don't even have anything in MY STATE.

 

[alaski]

Mine either....bummer!

 

[veggielasagna]

I have to go with the conditions make all the difference position. If a diamond at say Gore is skiied off I might have some mental blocks once and a while. Or if it's late in the day and I'm tired things that I skiied in the morning may give me some difficulty. Given adequate snow cover however and I like steep. Well the steepest I have been able to find in my limited time thus far : )
I took a couple of runs down "The Rumor" at Gore yesterday, cover was phenominal the first run and not bad the second time around maybe an hour or hour and a half later. The top is hop turn or lift foot city..with opportunity to on skier's left.

The Rumor: Center

Oops...

History lesson in the gondola...70% pitch...guess they're referring to the headwall. After the first 1/2 of the trail, its not too bad..more diamond material, but yah the top is definitely double d here in the East.

So on a day like yesterday, I was skiing ok and conditions were pretty much ideal. That same trail after a thaw with thin cover and ice...I would likely not even attempt it. It would definitely seem much steeper then!

-veggielasagna

 

[mollmeister]

I was trying to remember how to convert % pitch to degree pitch (it's been a LONG time since I took math) and I came across this site. Looks like it's a work in progress. Cool.

https://www.skistats.com/

Here's CO:
https://www.skistats.com/slopes_detail.asp?state=CO

Here's VT:
https://www.skistats.com/slopes_detail.asp?state=VT

 

[veggielasagna]

Excellent links! I was looking for something like that...sounds about right..35 degrees..its not too bad : ) So I guess that's my "comfort zone", haven't had the chance yet to try anything steeper. Steeper would probably cause me to freeze up a bit at first....all with time.

-veggielasagna

 

[Lori_K]

I was trying to remember how to convert % pitch to degree pitch (it's been a LONG time since I took math)...

I went thru the exercise in a previous thread. Reposted here for reference.

Plug the formula (in bold) into an Excel spreadsheet. (Must include the = sign!)

To get degrees: =ATAN(%/100)*57.296 (Substitute the known slope in percent for the % sign)

To get percent: =TAN(DEG/57.296)*100 (Substitute the known slope in degrees for the DEG variable)

Taos is known for it's steeps, and it doesn't disappoint. Double blacks are all 40-45 degrees (yellow coloring on the 3dskimaps). I still get the willies standing at the tops of these trails. Most of them are quite narrow as well.
A year ago I wouldn't have even contemplated these runs, and this year I've skied almost all of them, so that's progress.

 

[skigrl27]

I wonder how complete that SkiStats site is. I've been to the steepest areas of Highlands that they mention. But I think that Possible at Snowmass is pretty damn steep. Also, Trainor's at Ajax is no joke either.

mmmm. Steeps.

 

[mollmeister]

I wonder how complete that SkiStats site is. I've been to the steepest areas of Highlands that they mention. But I think that Possible at Snowmass is pretty damn steep. Also, Trainor's at Ajax is no joke either.

mmmm. Steeps.

Yeah, I think it's not exactly complete, but somebody was working on an interesting exercise. . . I should put my DH on it. Man is ADDICTED to Excel. I am sure he could compute all sorts of exciting steepness data.

 

[tcarey]

I skied the backside of Sugarloaf in late Feb.Normally steep does not bother me.You could not see over the mound of snow that bowled out.I had no idea what was over the pitch.If our leader wasn't there I would not have known where to go.But Newbound and I made it without a scratch.

If you are ever looking for someone who knows Surgarloaf his name is Tinker-He is a PSIA L3 and knows where all the goods are at the Loaf.

T

 

[hoodgirl]

Steep is when you HAVE to make a jump turn. Steep is when, after that jump turn, your shoulder & face are close to the slope.

Steep is 45 degrees plus. Steep is scary. Steep is fun.

Actually, one of the best ski movies of the year....is called Steep. Go see it. Ingrid Backstrom is in it & that chick is my idol. Love her! Someone should tell her about SkiDiva. She's on facebook!

That is an awesome movie!

 

[SkiNurse]

I wonder how complete that SkiStats site is. I've been to the steepest areas of Highlands that they mention. But I think that Possible at Snowmass is pretty damn steep. Also, Trainor's at Ajax is no joke either.

mmmm. Steeps.

Ahhh, Possible.

Last week a friend & I did a quick trip to Aspen area. First afternoon @ Highlands (Kessler & Powerline) and full day at Snowmass the next.

The hike up to the ridge in Hanging Valley was VERY windy. So, we decided to follow the boundary rope until we found an access. My friend (who is a boarder) went in first, stopped an looked at me. I said "Why are you looking at me" and went in. The name of the run, "Possible". Loooking over the edge...well, actually you really can't. The edge comes underneath your skis, so your skis are a good foot over the edge..kinda like a cornice how it curves under. On either side of the run...ok, let's call it what it is, chute, are two exposed boulders that take up 2/3 of the top of the run. Directly below those boulders were some exposed sheet rock. And it is pretty pitchy. So, I said to my friend, "well, I don't know if I can ski it, but I can at least side step it and get down." SURPRISE!! I had to side step past the rocks, and then it was soft and SKIABLE!! Woo Hoo!! Fun, fun, fun! It wa almost like the rosk at the beginning gave it the optical illusion that it was MUCH narrower than it actually was.

We were still impressed with ourselves!

 

[snowsparkle2]

Ahhh, Possible.

The hike up to the ridge in Hanging Valley was VERY windy. So, we decided to follow the boundary rope until we found an access. My friend (who is a boarder) went in first, stopped an looked at me. I said "Why are you looking at me" and went in. The name of the run, "Possible". Loooking over the edge...well, actually you really can't. The edge comes underneath your skis, so your skis are a good foot over the edge..kinda like a cornice how it curves under. On either side of the run...ok, let's call it what it is, chute, are two exposed boulders that take up 2/3 of the top of the run. Directly below those boulders were some exposed sheet rock. And it is pretty pitchy. So, I said to my friend, "well, I don't know if I can ski it, but I can at least side step it and get down." SURPRISE!! I had to side step past the rocks, and then it was soft and SKIABLE!! Woo Hoo!! Fun, fun, fun! It wa almost like the rosk at the beginning gave it the optical illusion that it was MUCH narrower than it actually was.

We were still impressed with ourselves!

Gosh SkiNurse - just your description of the top of the run made my stomach go funny Wish I could be that brave ! I am such a weed, when it comes to the steeps. I look over the edge and they get steeper and steeper in my mind till eventually it's like looking like straight down into the abyss. Still I've (almost) never been known to turn back even if my knees are knocking with dread & I have to ski like a stiff-legged monkey

 

[MaineSkiLady]

They don't even have anything in MY STATE.

Yeah, the list is pretty random. Wish whoever was doing this would expand on the listings!!

 

[Native Vail Gal]

Perhaps the list only includes what this individual has skied! If THAT is the case....that's an impressive list! :D

For me.....a "cornice" is a no-no for me. If I can't see right down there below my feet, it's just not gonna happen! I could probably ski it, but I'm too scared to try. Someday.

For now.....what I consider the Steepest thing to ski is Palli.....and I gotta add Outhouse. The bumps on both of those are REALLY steep!
(and I'm not a bump skier!)