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10 Toughest Runs in North America

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skibum00
Posts: 142 - Karma: 17
I found this article on MSNBC from last year about 10 toughest runs in North America and after checking  the search bar found it hasn't really been discussed. I disagree with several of the runs listed and think they missed a couple but it's MSNBC so I didn't expect too much. Obviously this is only inbound resort runs and not counting any backcountry spots. What do ya think? What would you add?

Article Here

What they have listed is:
1. Alta Zero - Jackson Hole
2. Two Smokes - Silverton, CO
3. Climax - Whistler, BC
4. Keyhole - Alpine Meadows, CA
5. Corbet's Couloir - Jackson Hole
6. Avalanche Bowl to Zoom - Loveland
7. Goat - Stowe, VT
8. Palisades - Sqauw Valley, CA
9. Outer Limits - Killington, VT
10. Mak-M-Stairs-Plunge -Telluride, Co
Jul 23 2008 3:14PM
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babujib
Posts: 5039 - Karma: 104
ive skiied down 7-9 and johnny moselys trail i think it was called in squaw valley was harder than those imo
Jul 23 2008 3:18PM
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General_Shredgnar
Posts: 3024 - Karma: 34
The Bunny slope-dubai. Theres some giant air conditioning units that can suck you in like a jet exhaust an d you'll never be seen again.
Jul 23 2008 3:18PM
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hey_dude_its_me
Posts: 1403 - Karma: 32
Black Hole- Smuggler's Notch, VT?
Jul 23 2008 3:19PM
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sktrkdo7
Posts: 1920 - Karma: 182
something from crested butte has to be in there IMO
Jul 23 2008 3:22PM
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rossiskier93
Posts: 781 - Karma: 103
outer limits haha
Jul 23 2008 3:23PM
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Holte
Posts: 10730 - Karma: 7,744
I disagree with a few of them. However, for most of those runs, the difficulty varies a LOT, which makes it hard to compile an accurate list. Hell, I was 13 the first time I skied Corbets, and it difficult, but not ridiculously sketchy. The second time I was at Jackson, I was 18 and didn't even really consider skiing Corbets in the condition it was in at the time.



Jul 23 2008 3:28PM
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
Only skied Outer Limits off the list, and skied the groomed side, not the bumped side.

Good discussion though.

+ karma.
Jul 23 2008 3:31PM
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garrett.
Posts: 9304 - Karma: 3,670
north face - alyeska
Jul 23 2008 3:33PM
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skibum00
Posts: 142 - Karma: 17
Thats a good point, I have seen Corbet's where you can roll in and times when the drop is huge. And several of the runs are bump runs, sometimes there are no bumps and its just a flat easy hill. So it really does depend on conditions for a lot of these.
Jul 23 2008 3:35PM
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Piste.Off
Posts: 11586 - Karma: 1,861
Outer Limits seriously? I'm from the west and skied outer limits at killy over vacation and that is nothing  compared to a few runs i could name from crested butte or even keystone
Jul 23 2008 3:37PM
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
Exactly. Ski the bump section of Outer Limits, and it's difficult. Ski the groomed side and it's not bad at all.

All depends on the conditions.
Jul 23 2008 3:39PM
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walcott
Posts: 319 - Karma: 39
word-like moneys if you fall there your dead
Jul 23 2008 3:42PM
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Alex=God
Posts: 2422 - Karma: 139
problem is its never open
Jul 23 2008 3:45PM
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*DwC*
Posts: 1112 - Karma: 28
i cant believe there is nothing from montana.......
Jul 23 2008 3:45PM
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quebecfreestyler
Posts: 13040 - Karma: 1,418
theres that weird glade run in tremblant where  you have to do a little double stager in between tree.

I only skied that during slushy spring snow condition with centermounted park skis and I'll have to tell you it was way scary.

it's pretty extreme for inbound glades and nobody goes there pretty much so if you break somethign your pretty much screwed.

o yea and if you end up drifting to the left in the wodd there is a 20 foot ice wall to flat that you might need to drop off.

Jul 23 2008 4:02PM
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honeydip
Posts: 984 - Karma: 20
dynamite?
theres a run a tremblant called dynamite and its fucking intense
Jul 23 2008 4:09PM
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Klick_2_klaim
Posts: 3396 - Karma: 25
sounds hard... wheres the park?
Jul 23 2008 4:18PM
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mtvtut
Posts: 59 - Karma: 19
just because this is a triple black dimond does not mean it automaticly makes the list. first off. its not the most difficult trail at smuggs. freefall, madonna lift line, upper upper FIS are all way more difficult. and the fact is that the bllack hole is just like any other woods out west. so no you are wrong
Jul 23 2008 4:24PM
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Jmanski
Posts: 1152 - Karma: 13
outer limits, haha no chance
Jul 23 2008 4:27PM
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hoodSlayer
Posts: 900 - Karma: 7
hangman's hollow-mammoth mountain
Jul 23 2008 4:28PM
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grams.
Posts: 7406 - Karma: 186
..good thread. never actually skied any of those runs though. maybe climax at whistler but i can't remember.
Jul 23 2008 4:37PM
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MatRich
Posts: 4789 - Karma: 1,812
lol goat.... at stowe... I dont remember anything special, maybe I have to go back
Jul 23 2008 4:49PM
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Blackmer
Posts: 156 - Karma: 10
There's a run at keystone thats hard?

Jul 23 2008 4:55PM
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Piste.Off
Posts: 11586 - Karma: 1,861
no but harder then outer limits
Jul 23 2008 4:59PM
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ct_steeze
Posts: 1175 - Karma: 153
the slides at whiteface
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Jul 23 2008 5:05PM
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WhoWantIt
Posts: 395 - Karma: 26
It's called the West Face. And yes it is one of the hardest runs you will ever ski. And I think the Palisades are much harder than Keyhole. The Palisades are some of the hardest runs you will ever see.
Jul 23 2008 5:06PM
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WhoWantIt
Posts: 395 - Karma: 26
It's called the West Face. And yes it is one of the hardest runs you will ever ski. And I think the Palisades are much harder than Keyhole. The Palisades are some of the hardest runs you will ever see.
Jul 23 2008 5:07PM
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dan4060
Posts: 1458 - Karma: 847
Definitely another one that could be on the list.

Lists like this are a bit of a joke, you really can't take them seriously.  There are about 30 different lines in the Palisades according to Squawlleywood.  If you really want to get technical Squaw has got about 50 lines that could be on the list.  No run on the east coast deserves mention as one of the top ten.  Please don't call me an east coast hating westerner, I grew up back east.

I guess you have to differentiate between a trail and a line.  I saw Tom Wayes ski a line in the spring of 2003, called Pony Express.  It was a 20 foot drop, onto a 2 foot wide strip of snow 20 feet long and 70+ degrees steep.  There was lots of pepper in the strip of snow.  The strip of snow led to a 50-60 foot air.  I guess something like that would go under the category of 'line' and not 'trail'. 

This type of list becomes meaningless once one gets a 100+ day season at a serious mountain.  The least is really designed for advanced intermediate skiers.
Jul 23 2008 5:09PM
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-Nick-
Posts: 1479 - Karma: 24
i would have thought something from kicking horse would be in there
Jul 23 2008 5:11PM
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dan4060
Posts: 1458 - Karma: 847
Nothing in Montana, yet they have two from Vermont.  That says quite a bit about how much credibility something like this has.
Jul 23 2008 5:13PM
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kingcomet32
Posts: 638 - Karma: 13
i was at smuggs for a long winter, i wanted to hit up black hole hardcore but it was closed =\

Jul 23 2008 5:16PM
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CooksCorner
Posts: 3939 - Karma: 22
Yeeaahhhh STOoooWE!
Jul 23 2008 5:27PM
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C-Burg
Posts: 4729 - Karma: 130
crested butte has some but i dont know there names
Jul 23 2008 5:28PM
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b-kul
Posts: 4350 - Karma: 1,111
lol
Jul 23 2008 5:29PM
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ghosfacekilla
Posts: 533 - Karma: 72
I peed a little bit on two smokes. But I dont think it was the gnarliest thing at Silverton and im sure Jackson should have more that one in the top 10
Jul 23 2008 5:32PM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,746

  I'm going to have to insist that any number of runs from Taos Ski Valley could have bumped a few of these runs out of the top 10.

Jul 23 2008 5:36PM
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landonn
Posts: 2913 - Karma: 385
outer limits isnt hard at all.  its easier than some blues at my mountain.
Jul 23 2008 5:39PM
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jriley
Posts: 197 - Karma: 16
pff goat?
Jul 23 2008 6:00PM
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richards
Posts: 2177 - Karma: 11
ya what about like kiciking horse
this doesnt seem too accurate
Jul 23 2008 6:03PM
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tommihq
Posts: 905 - Karma: 11
They had two. Alta Zero and Corbets Coulier, if i still remember correctly
Jul 23 2008 6:07PM
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ATLskier
Posts: 8203 - Karma: 406
s&s coulior anyone?
Jul 23 2008 6:09PM
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wrenegade
Posts: 6631 - Karma: 41
I don't think I've ever heard of "Climax". Anyone know it by another name?
Jul 23 2008 7:12PM
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Carter23
Posts: 1722 - Karma: 17
... including TWO of the steepest runs in all of north america. I'm not going to even try to argue the point that crested butte easily has some of the hardest runs. I have been to almost all of those other resorts and those runs just don't compare.
Jul 23 2008 7:39PM
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skifree919
Posts: 5842 - Karma: 35
haha outer limits? Really? There are two or three trails AT KILLINGTON that are harder than outer limits haha
Jul 23 2008 8:02PM
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SKI3PO
Posts: 96 - Karma: 11
How are at least half of these NOT at Silverton?
Jul 23 2008 8:05PM
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Ryanvdonk
Posts: 12808 - Karma: 1,945
how did something at loveland make it? haha
Jul 23 2008 8:13PM
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ben802
Posts: 565 - Karma: 16
keystone is almost flat
Jul 23 2008 8:23PM
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treesmann
Posts: 2675 - Karma: 49
word madonna lift line is the most challenging run at smuggs i love that trail
Jul 23 2008 8:31PM
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skibum00
Posts: 142 - Karma: 17
I grew up east coast and mountain west and, I agree in steepness and exposure etc, but keep in mind most of the time on the east its super icy and theres thick underbrush even on gladed terrain. Plus a 5 foot cliff drop (rock drop, if i'm being honest) to ice is as hard as 20 ft to powder IMO. The constantly lousy conditions do add a bit of difficulty.
Jul 23 2008 8:42PM
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Ryanvdonk
Posts: 12808 - Karma: 1,945
its one of the chutes of chainsaw ridge.
Jul 23 2008 8:47PM
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