# Which Trails Are Open the Least?



## MadMadWorld (Mar 5, 2013)

My list.....

Robin's Run at Smugglers Notch - Lots of ledges and rocks as it is. Double whammy because it faces directly into the wind.

Hairball at Wildcat - Did they bother to even try and clear this trail at all? Seems like they basically just took down the old lift towers and called it a trail.

Magician/Black Magic at Magic Mountain - These trails require a lot of natural snow and that is not always easy to come by in So VT. Question, I know it's not financially feasable to move the snowmaking pipe across Magician, but could they at least make it closer to the ground so it doesn't need as much snow to cover it up?


----------



## St. Bear (Mar 5, 2013)

MadMadWorld said:


> My list.....Hairball at Wildcat - Did they bother to even try and clear this trail at all? Seems like they basically just took down the old lift towers and called it a trail.



I skied this on Friday and loved it.  Coverage was pretty good too.  The biggest issue was making my way around two girls whose boyfriends got them in over the heads.


----------



## snowmonster (Mar 5, 2013)

Tramline at Cannon


----------



## Puck it (Mar 5, 2013)

snowmonster said:


> Tramline at Cannon



+1 or any glade at Sunapee!!!!


----------



## jrmagic (Mar 5, 2013)

MadMadWorld said:


> My list.....
> 
> Robin's Run at Smugglers Notch - Lots of ledges and rocks as it is. Double whammy because it faces directly into the wind.
> 
> ...



I don't think the pipe really matters. First off, the prevailing winds push snow up Magician and onto Wizard so its usually not a big problem. Secondly, if there's not enough snow to cover the pipe then there wont be enough to cover the boulders that are all over the trail or the ice in the trees Skiers right leading down to the waterfall.


----------



## ScottySkis (Mar 5, 2013)

K 27 all of it at Hunter.


----------



## MadMadWorld (Mar 5, 2013)

jrmagic said:


> I don't think the pipe really matters. First off, the prevailing winds push snow up Magician and onto Wizard so its usually not a big problem. Secondly, if there's not enough snow to cover the pipe then there wont be enough to cover the boulders that are all over the trail or the ice in the trees Skiers right leading down to the waterfall.



Good point.


----------



## Bkroon9175 (Mar 5, 2013)

Bone Yard at Waterville Valley sometimes never opens.  It was open this past weekend.


----------



## madriverjack (Mar 5, 2013)

The Slides at Whiteface


----------



## dmc (Mar 5, 2013)

Scotty said:


> K 27 all of it at Hunter.



k27 is open all season..

Westway I'd say for Hunter.. This year it's Anna Purna...


----------



## BenedictGomez (Mar 5, 2013)

madriverjack said:


> The Slides at Whiteface



If we just kill all the lawyers there wont be a problem.


----------



## HD333 (Mar 5, 2013)

Hotshot at Gunstock.


----------



## Conrad (Mar 5, 2013)

Dungeons at Shawnee Peak. Most years it never opens.


----------



## MadMadWorld (Mar 5, 2013)

Conrad said:


> Dungeons at Shawnee Peak. Most years it never opens.



Just saw pictures of it. Looks like a lot of fun when it fills in.


----------



## xwhaler (Mar 5, 2013)

I can't recall ever seeing the upper liftline at Black Mtn (NH) open.....it's officially on the map as Upper Galloping Goose but not sure they ever open it? Looks fun though....best pitch on the mtn


----------



## MadMadWorld (Mar 5, 2013)

xwhaler said:


> I can't recall ever seeing the upper liftline at Black Mtn (NH) open.....it's officially on the map as Upper Galloping Goose but not sure they ever open it? Looks fun though....best pitch on the mtn



Very technical line for sure and it's been years since I have seen it open. It definitely could use a little maintenance during the off season.


----------



## St. Bear (Mar 5, 2013)

xwhaler said:


> I can't recall ever seeing the upper liftline at Black Mtn (NH) open.....it's officially on the map as Upper Galloping Goose but not sure they ever open it? Looks fun though....best pitch on the mtn





MadMadWorld said:


> Very technical line for sure and it's been years since I have seen it open. It definitely could use a little maintenance during the off season.



I skied it a few years ago, maybe 3 or 4 years?  I really enjoyed the "bobsled course" aspect of it.


----------



## ss20 (Mar 5, 2013)

Anything off the double at Thunder Ridge (Big Birch) NY.  Double ran 3 days last year, no joke.


----------



## ScottySkis (Mar 5, 2013)

dmc said:


> k27 is open all season..
> 
> Westway I'd say for Hunter.. This year it's Anna Purna...



I thought they only opened the bottom with good amount of natural snow.


----------



## Nick (Mar 5, 2013)

Devils Fiddle at Killington. 

I swear to God I skied there every single year all year long growing up and it was never, ever open.

I don't actually know if I've ever skied it?

Although I haven't been at Killington in several years now.


----------



## Boston Bulldog (Mar 5, 2013)

Puck it said:


> +1 or any glade at Sunapee!!!!



+1 those and Williamson

Beers Bluff at Blue Hills hasn't opened in a decade! But then again, it's Blue Hills


----------



## xlr8r (Mar 5, 2013)

Valley Plunge at Killingon


----------



## LonghornSkier (Mar 5, 2013)

Boston Bulldog said:


> +1 those and Williamson
> 
> Beers Bluff at Blue Hills hasn't opened in a decade! But then again, it's Blue Hills



It was actually open briefly in late January and early February of 2011.


----------



## ScottySkis (Mar 5, 2013)

Nick said:


> Devils Fiddle at Killington.
> 
> I swear to God I skied there every single year all year long growing up and it was never, ever open.
> 
> ...



That is an awesome trail, sorry you haven't got to enjoy it yet.


----------



## Conrad (Mar 5, 2013)

Nick said:


> Devils Fiddle at Killington.
> 
> I swear to God I skied there every single year all year long growing up and it was never, ever open.
> 
> ...



Huh, I used to go to Killington about once a year back in the American Ski Company days and most of the time we went it was open. It really was one of the highlights of the trips. Maybe of the three years we went, it was open two of them. It must just be bad luck.


----------



## steamboat1 (Mar 5, 2013)

They usually blow snow on Fiddle every year with the exception of last year. It is one of the last they blow though. The tree runs Center Line & Devils Den are open less frequently. For the comment about Valley Plunge it's been open for quite some time already this season. I skied it back in January.


----------



## riverc0il (Mar 5, 2013)

xwhaler said:


> I can't recall ever seeing the upper liftline at Black Mtn (NH) open.....it's officially on the map as Upper Galloping Goose but not sure they ever open it? Looks fun though....best pitch on the mtn


It has been open every time I've been there. There is a groomer track that does switch backs up the pitch... it isn't very hard to open that trail, it doesn't go straight do the lift line as those sections are not cleared (not that you couldn't if there was enough snow, but it would take a lot of snow to clear all that twack).


----------



## riverc0il (Mar 5, 2013)

Tramline at Cannon and Slides at Whiteface and you can pretty much /thread if you want to select the top two. Everything else is up for consideration below these two but some seasons these "trails" don't even open for a single day. And often times if Tramline does open, it is pretty damn boney.


----------



## skiking4 (Mar 5, 2013)

Scotty said:


> K 27 all of it at Hunter.





dmc said:


> k27 is open all season..
> 
> Westway I'd say for Hunter.. This year it's Anna Purna...



As Dmc said, K27 (Upper & Lower) is open for probably at least a month every single winter. Right next to it is Upper Mossy Brook, and THAT, is never open.
Purna and 44, only one of them are open every single year because they each need like 3 ft of snow to open to the masses. So, they blow snow on one of them every year and in previous years it has been Purna, but now it is Westway for this season.




ss20 said:


> Anything off the double at Thunder Ridge (Big Birch) NY.  Double ran 3 days last year, no joke.


The double runs all the time, maybe less so in the past two years, but it used to be open every day throughout the winter with the access of usually one or two diamonds up there and that long green around that was absolutely horrendous. anyways, that lift sucks, it goes downhill at one point and has one of the worst run outs ever for a 200' black diamond drop or so. A couple days a year they might open all the runs up there with only a couple inches of snow.



I could add the liftlines at Jiminy to this list. They're rarely ever open, moreso Upper Liftline than Upper Exhibition (which is a much better trail too, sadly).


----------



## deadheadskier (Mar 5, 2013)

riverc0il said:


> Tramline at Cannon and Slides at Whiteface and you can pretty much /thread if you want to select the top two. Everything else is up for consideration below these two but some seasons these "trails" don't even open for a single day. And often times if Tramline does open, it is pretty damn boney.



Loaf Snowfields?  Probably open a little bit more than those two, but not much some seasons.  I wouldn't be surprised if there have been seasons in the last 20 where the Snowfields didn't open at all.


----------



## soposkier (Mar 5, 2013)

deadheadskier said:


> Loaf Snowfields?  Probably open a little bit more than those two, but not much some seasons.  I wouldn't be surprised if there have been seasons in the last 20 where the Snowfields didn't open at all.




Backside especially, still not open this year.  Very dependent on how the wind is blowing when it snows.  Hopefully next storm will open it up.


----------



## ss20 (Mar 5, 2013)

deadheadskier said:


> Loaf Snowfields?  Probably open a little bit more than those two, but not much some seasons.  I wouldn't be surprised if there have been seasons in the last 20 where the Snowfields didn't open at all.



Yeah, last.


----------



## riverc0il (Mar 5, 2013)

Good call, add in the Loaf's backside to round out the top three.


----------



## JPTracker (Mar 5, 2013)

Sis Boom Bah at Jay. It is open so little they took it off the map.


----------



## bdfreetuna (Mar 5, 2013)

The Jug at Berkshire East... at least it was open for a while this year.. might even be open again now.

Devil's Fiddle at K seems to be only open in the very peak of the season.

Juggernaut at K... lol I don't blame them honestly might as well just let the trees take this one over.

Magician obviously I don't think its been open yet this year... looks snowy enough to me lately as long as you are aware there are some boulders hidden under that snow. Which I think is obvious.



Basically all the trails I want to ski...


----------



## MadMadWorld (Mar 5, 2013)

JPTracker said:


> Sis Boom Bah at Jay. It is open so little they took it off the map.



Damn you are definitely a long time Jay skier. Haven't heard that trail name in like 20 years!


----------



## snowmonster (Mar 5, 2013)

Donde esta Sis Boom Bah?


----------



## jrmagic (Mar 5, 2013)

bdfreetuna said:


> The Jug at Berkshire East... at least it was open for a while this year.. might even be open again now.
> 
> Devil's Fiddle at K seems to be only open in the very peak of the season.
> 
> ...



Upoer Magician opened last weekend. Barring a major thaw it should stick around. If there hasnt been any real fresh for a bit stick hard skiers left.


----------



## jaywbigred (Mar 5, 2013)

Renegade at Shawnee, PA.


----------



## witch hobble (Mar 5, 2013)

Hickory's


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 5, 2013)

bdfreetuna said:


> Magician obviously I don't think its been open yet this year... looks snowy enough to me lately as long as you are aware there are some boulders hidden under that snow. Which I think is obvious.


magician was open on Sunday (3/3)


----------



## ScottySkis (Mar 6, 2013)

Scotties trail is not.open.


----------



## KevinF (Mar 6, 2013)

Upper Goat and Upper Lookout at Stowe are rarely open, and when they're open, it's rarely worth it.  I can only once remember seeing Upper Goat actually have wall-to-wall coverage.

Cannon's Tramline is the "end thread" nomination though.


----------



## Smellytele (Mar 6, 2013)

xwhaler said:


> I can't recall ever seeing the upper liftline at Black Mtn (NH) open.....it's officially on the map as Upper Galloping Goose but not sure they ever open it? Looks fun though....best pitch on the mtn



I have skied the upper liftline almost every time I have gone there which have only been a couple of handfuls of times.


----------



## Smellytele (Mar 6, 2013)

jrmagic said:


> Upoer Magician opened last weekend. Barring a major thaw it should stick around. If there hasnt been any real fresh for a bit stick hard skiers left.



I actually skied it last year as well during the only real snow we had last week of Feb/first week of March


----------



## Smellytele (Mar 6, 2013)

KevinF said:


> Upper Goat and Upper Lookout at Stowe are rarely open, and when they're open, it's rarely worth it.  I can only once remember seeing Upper Goat actually have wall-to-wall coverage.
> 
> Cannon's Tramline is the "end thread" nomination though.


I think Tramline was open this past weekend


----------



## MadMadWorld (Mar 6, 2013)

snowmonster said:


> Donde esta Sis Boom Bah?



Sis Boom Bah was a "trail" off the ridge located somewhere between Green Beret and Face Chutes. I don't remember it's exactly location. Someone else might have better info.


----------



## from_the_NEK (Mar 6, 2013)

You will find Sisboomba if you go behind the Sky Haus and instead of turning right to drop into the Face or Tuckerman chutes, you go straight. It dumps you out on Northway on the corner where the gate over to Big Jay is located. It is typically a wind swept rocky/icy mess.


----------



## Scruffy (Mar 6, 2013)

skiking4 said:


> As Dmc said, K27 (Upper & Lower) is open for probably at least a month every single winter. Right next to it is Upper Mossy Brook, and THAT, is never open.
> Purna and 44, only one of them are open every single year because they each need like 3 ft of snow to open to the masses. So, they blow snow on one of them every year and in previous years it has been Purna, but now it is Westway for this season.
> 
> 
> ...



K27 upper and lower are open most of the winter.


----------



## SIKSKIER (Mar 6, 2013)

All of Mittersill at Cannon.Hahaha.6 days last year.Going on a whole 2 weeks right now.What?


----------



## dmc (Mar 6, 2013)

Scruffy said:


> K27 upper and lower are open most of the winter.



yup..  And we can ride it into May because of it's exposure..

With Purna and 44 - it's either one or the other..   This year we got 44...  Some years it's neither...


----------



## snowmonster (Mar 6, 2013)

FWIW, Sugarloaf just announced that the frontside snowfields -- White Nitro on down -- are open.


----------



## legalskier (Mar 6, 2013)

skiking4 said:


> As Dmc said, K27 (Upper & Lower) is open for probably at least a month every single winter. Right next to it is *Upper Mossy Brook*, and THAT, is never open.



Mossy Brook actually is far below K27. It's always open when I'm there- I ski it as a nice warm down at the end of the day.

http://www.huntermtn.com/huntermtn/SiteAssets/images/mountain/trailmap_2012-2013_large.jpg


----------



## dmc (Mar 6, 2013)

legalskier said:


> Mossy Brook actually is far below K27. It's always open when I'm there- I ski it as a nice warm down at the end of the day.



Upper Mossy is locals code..  Skiking4 is in the know...


----------



## legalskier (Mar 6, 2013)

dmc said:


> Upper Mossy is locals code..  Skiking4 is in the know...



I'm outta the loop! Lol


----------



## dmc (Mar 6, 2013)

legalskier said:


> I'm outta the loop! Lol



Hunter locals/regulars don't tend to talk about our slack country lines like other area skiers do..
We don't usually like publicized glades and things...


----------



## Smellytele (Mar 6, 2013)

snowmonster said:


> FWIW, Sugarloaf just announced that the frontside snowfields -- White Nitro on down -- are open.



I'll be there tomorrow hitting them if they're still open


----------



## sugarbushskier (Mar 6, 2013)

I'm dating myself, but Louises Folly at Bousquets while growing up was hardly ever open.  Aside from the long run (walk) out, the best steep pitch in the area. Haven't been back there but once in 20 years, but the day I was there, it wasn't open. We always had to poach it to ski it!


----------



## legalskier (Mar 6, 2013)

dmc said:


> Hunter locals/regulars don't tend to talk about our slack country lines like other area skiers do..
> We don't usually like publicized glades and things...



Ok fair enough.
But why did he let the cat out of the bag, especially when this is a thread about "trails" that are open the least?  What a tease!
Just wonderin'....  :-?


----------



## legalskier (Mar 6, 2013)

All of Hickory. Hasn't opened at all this season- don't think it opened last year either. Hope it doesn't slip back into NELSAP. :sad:

http://www.hickoryskicenter.com/


----------



## dmc (Mar 6, 2013)

legalskier said:


> Ok fair enough.
> But why did he let the cat out of the bag, especially when this is a thread about "trails" that are open the least?  What a tease!
> Just wonderin'....  :-?



It's just a name..  Everythings ok...  

We also have K26 and K28 too...  I think you can figure that out...


----------



## legalskier (Mar 6, 2013)

dmc said:


> It's just a name..  Everythings ok...
> 
> We also have K26 and K28 too...  I think you can figure that out...



I may not know all the codes but I do seem to have a nose for where the good stuff is...  :wink:


----------



## dmc (Mar 6, 2013)

now if we just had deep enough snow...


----------



## MadMadWorld (Mar 6, 2013)

Though it's not considered a trail anymore.....Spruce Cliffs at Sunday River had to have been up there.


----------



## snowmonster (Mar 6, 2013)

^ +1. When I read the descriptions here of SisBoomBah at Jay, it actually reminded me of Spruce Cliffs.


----------



## gregnye (Mar 6, 2013)

snowmonster said:


> ^ +1. When I read the descriptions here of SisBoomBah at Jay, it actually reminded me of Spruce Cliffs.



I must find this "SisBoomBah!!!!"

What a cool name! I have been to Jay many times...never heard of this one!


----------



## BeefyBoy50 (Mar 6, 2013)

Lehigh at Elk Mountain- hasn't been open any of the times I was there.


----------



## ScottySkis (Mar 6, 2013)

BeefyBoy50 said:


> Lehigh at Elk Mountain- hasn't been open any of the times I was there.



+1 I wonder why ,I believe it is a beginner run.


----------



## BeefyBoy50 (Mar 6, 2013)

I think of it as the Juggernaut of Elk Mountain but I have skiied neither juggernaut at killington or lehigh at elk and have no great desire to ski either haha


----------



## skiking4 (Mar 6, 2013)

legalskier said:


> Ok fair enough.
> But why did he let the cat out of the bag, especially when this is a thread about "trails" that are open the least?  What a tease!
> Just wonderin'....  :-?



Dunno. Kinda just figured out about the line but haven't skied it since there is never enough snow so I guess I was kinda curious what reaction I'd get by saying that...
anyways, never heard of K26 or K28. Do know a couple more lines in Hunter though, but c'mon, there is never enough snow for any of this.

Think about it: 44 and Purna are never open at the same time, cept for maybe 2 days every other season after the biggest storm of the year. Now, trails that are not maintained... yeah even more unlikely.


----------



## Newpylong (Mar 7, 2013)

All of these are open for significant portions of every ski season with decent snow...




bdfreetuna said:


> The Jug at Berkshire East... at least it was open for a while this year.. might even be open again now.
> 
> Devil's Fiddle at K seems to be only open in the very peak of the season.
> 
> ...


----------



## Newpylong (Mar 7, 2013)

sugarbushskier said:


> I'm dating myself, but Louises Folly at Bousquets while growing up was hardly ever open.  Aside from the long run (walk) out, the best steep pitch in the area. Haven't been back there but once in 20 years, but the day I was there, it wasn't open. We always had to poach it to ski it!



I second this one! I was on the race team in the 90's for about 5 years and I think it was open once the whole time. Most of the time we just ducked the rope, plenty of cover, they just never opened it. How about Icicles?  
http://www.teresco.org/pics/bousquet-20080210/IMG_3945-1408.jpg


----------



## zyk (Mar 7, 2013)

Newpylong said:


> How about Icicles?
> 
> I remeber Icicles...  There was some old railroad tie chunks dumped on it to fill it in(I know this sounds strange...)
> IIRC (and this was many years ago)  it was never roped off.  I guess they figured no one would really try it...


----------



## Hado226 (Mar 7, 2013)

Beast at B'East.  Never listed as open, but never roped or marked  closed.  If you want to ski it, go ahead.  Usually a bad idea if you care about your skis, but pretty good right now...

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## fbrissette (Mar 7, 2013)

JPTracker said:


> Sis Boom Bah at Jay. It is open so little they took it off the map.



Never realized it's not on the map !  The trail sign is still there at the top.   You would think Jay Peak would keep it on the map just to increase their official trail number.


----------



## JPTracker (Mar 8, 2013)

fbrissette said:


> Never realized it's not on the map !  The trail sign is still there at the top.   You would think Jay Peak would keep it on the map just to increase their official trail number.



Are you sure it's still there? I think it was removed. I believe they took it off because it was keeping them from claiming 100% open because it never opened.


----------



## fbrissette (Mar 8, 2013)

JPTracker said:


> Are you sure it's still there? I think it was removed. I believe they took it off because it was keeping them from claiming 100% open because it never opened.


It was there last weekend.  First time I noticed it so that's why I remember it.


----------



## JPTracker (Mar 8, 2013)

fbrissette said:


> It was there last weekend.  First time I noticed it so that's why I remember it.



Maybe they put it back. It has actually been open this season with really nice conditions. Most of the time it is a wind blown icy mess.


----------



## catskillman (Mar 8, 2013)

Annapurna & Westway are now open at Hunter.


----------



## dmc (Mar 8, 2013)

catskillman said:


> Annapurna & Westway are now open at Hunter.



Confirmed...  
100% open...


----------



## skiking4 (Mar 8, 2013)

Is anyone at Hunter to give a report of the natural trails? (Purna, woods, unmarked stuff) How was the base before the storm? Considering on heading to the western Catskills (Bell or Platty) instead of Hunter because I think there might be more snow.


----------



## dmc (Mar 8, 2013)

skiking4 said:


> Is anyone at Hunter to give a report of the natural trails? (Purna, woods, unmarked stuff) How was the base before the storm? Considering on heading to the western Catskills (Bell or Platty) instead of Hunter because I think there might be more snow.



I can't cmment on the other areas... 180 says Platty had 10" an hour or so ago..
Hunter is over the boot deep and still snowing... Hard...

I can tell you after riding a couple hours this morning..
Purna is OPEN and all natural!  Didn't hit anything...  Only one waterbar to manage..
Rode Taylors all natural too...  Didn't hit anything..
Rode the "glades" all really great!

the base before the storm was getting good.. Been snowing every day although not much but still enough to be good for the base..


----------



## ScottySkis (Mar 8, 2013)

dmc said:


> I can't cmment on the other areas... 180 says Platty had 10" an hour or so ago..
> Hunter is over the boot deep and still snowing... Hard...
> 
> I can tell you after riding a couple hours this morning..
> ...



That was on both facebook pages this morning, just go to your favorite hill tomorrow and Sunday sunny temperatures in the 40s so snow should be awesome were ever you go.


----------



## Newpylong (Mar 8, 2013)

zyk said:


> Newpylong said:
> 
> 
> > How about Icicles?
> ...


----------

