14 replies to this topic

[Peter]

This place is being touted as Maine's next destination resort. The new owners installed 2 new lifts last year, and this new trail map shows tons of potential lifts and terrain. Looks like a nice place...

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[Jonni]

Saddleback is another one of those great old school places. Their Summit T-Bar is touted as being an extremely difficult ride, compared to other T-bars here in the east. Saddleback seems to do pretty well considering it's so close to Sugarloaf.

[truckintr]

wow 1,177 vert. feet. Hey i'm there, Not. Give me the Rockies or Sierria's anytime foe skiing. I want to spend more time skiing that standing inline with the rest of the east coast, at a east coast ant hill. ha ha

[garthd]

Wow, truckintr. No love for the birthplace of American skiing. NH 4eva! (even though I currently live in CO)

[Jonni]

Liftlines are non-existent at Saddleback.

[Peter]

I think your assessment of Eastern skiing is a little harsh, I have never skied there but at least recognize that it is still skiing and not necessarily terrible.

[Ontariodude]

I like how they show what is proposed.

I take it that the reason why they don't have a HSQ is because the lift lines are so short.

Will T. (ontariodude)

This post has been edited by Ontariodude: 30 October 2006 - 03:07 PM

[truckintr]

garthd, on Oct 30 2006, 02:52 PM, said:

Wow, truckintr. No love for the birthplace of American skiing. NH 4eva! (even though I currently live in CO)

Funny every book i have read about skiing says something about this little mtn in cent Idaho being the birthplace of American skiing, SUN VALLEY.
No i just have to laugh every time i read a post in all the ski forums i belong to, about how the skiing is so great east of the Miss. River. For the life of me, i can not imagine skiing on man made snow the majortiy of the time, then it turns into the blue ice death.
The the masses all trying to ski the same runs, waiting for ever for a lift. I think you get my drift.
Ok so i got spoiled for skiiing , working in Uath 15 years, with benefits of skiing anywhere i wanted to in the western half of the country free or heavenly discounted.

Now that i drive semi all over the lower48 , i have driven over the so called east coast mtns. Please, i don't even have to grab the lower gears, when i do run them. And i currently live in Tahoe at 8,100 feet above sea level. Twice the height, of the talllest east coast mtn.
Ok enough of my opion, SKI ON :)

[Peter]

Sun Valley is the one with the largest snowmaking system in the world. But I do agree with you that Western mountains and snow seem to be far superior.

[mbernstein]

I will not argue that Sun Valley was the first large ski area in America. But, Sun Valley opened its doors in 1936. Out east, skiing started earlier. On Mt. Washington, the first descent on skis started in 1913. Over in VT, the first ski trail at Stowe was cut in 1933. And a year later (1934), Woodstock Hill in VT opened the first rope tow in the United States. So while Sun Valley set an enormous example for mountain skiing in America, it was in fact out east that skiing started.


...now let's go skiing

[Limelight]

Western mountains have far superior snow and terrain. The Rockies, Cascades, Sierria's, etc just offer much larger, taller and steeper terrain, that the Eastern slopes could never compete with.

But with that said, there is still some great skiing out there, I'd just rather spend my time on 3,000+ ft of vertical then a 1,000 or so.

[Jonni]

truckintr, on Oct 30 2006, 06:13 PM, said:

Funny every book i have read about skiing says something about this little mtn in cent Idaho being the birthplace of American skiing, SUN VALLEY.
No i just have to laugh every time i read a post in all the ski forums i belong to, about how the skiing is so great east of the Miss. River. For the life of me, i can not imagine skiing on man made snow the majortiy of the time, then it turns into the blue ice death.
The the masses all trying to ski the same runs, waiting for ever for a lift. I think you get my drift.
Ok so i got spoiled for skiiing , working in Uath 15 years, with benefits of skiing anywhere i wanted to in the western half of the country free or heavenly discounted.

Now that i drive semi all over the lower48 , i have driven over the so called east coast mtns. Please, i don't even have to grab the lower gears, when i do run them. And i currently live in Tahoe at 8,100 feet above sea level. Twice the height, of the talllest east coast mtn.
Ok enough of my opion, SKI ON :)

I think that both the east and the west have almost equal challenges as well as equal qualities, just with different points on each of them. Yes, the west has fantastic snow, and has lots and lots of terrain but there are many times I would take an eastern skiing day over many a western skiing day. I have yet to have the same experience in the woods out west that I have had in the east. How many of you can ski in marginal to poor ski conditions that aren't the perfection of the snow out west, and enjoy it? Western terrain is challenging for its fantastic snow and mind-boggling steeps. Eastern terrain is challenging for its rapidly changing conditions and tight woods. Both types of skiing have their place in the overall world of skiing. Different strokes for different folks as far as I'm concerned.

I can go off on a tangent about the birthplace of American Skiing, but I'm not going to even start with that. As far as anyone is concerned, I'm happy pointing the planks downhill most anywhere.

[spunkyskier01]

the west does have the terrain and size, i will give it that, but their are many eastern ski area's that are just as special, i cant comment too much as i havnt been to many places out west, but it seems that the west just doesnt have the same type of glades and tree skiing like the east does, and altho western powder will alwayse be supream, jay peak isnt to shabby either, what it all comes down to, the true skier doesn care were he or she is skiing, as long as their skiing. here in the midwest, most ski area's are the size of the bunny slopes of back east, but its all skiing, and thats all that matters IMHO

This post has been edited by spunkyskier01: 30 October 2006 - 05:49 PM

[skier691]

Sure, the west has size and elevation, the east has tighter trees and more man made snow. The west is more dependent on natural snow, where the east can cover a higher % of terrain with M.M. snow. Out east you deal with derlicks from the metroplex and outwest the richies in their H3's bombing down I-70+80. You could keep going, but why. Every area has plusses and minuses. Ill take a powder day at Big MT/orSky or a sunny spring day at K-MART, all the same just another day on the hill. But really everyone, you guys all know the best skiing is... in the 'hatchet wound of America'(the midwest) Sure were small incomparison, but where else can you chose between a chair ride or high speed ropetow to the summit, Skiing till 2 or 3 in the morning, easy slopeside parking. Hey, the UP's Keweenaw gots Bohemia. It gets 300" a winter, gots an area with 900' drop, skiing that rivals ANY tree or in-bounds skiing anywhere, and crowds, maybe 50, 60 skiers a day. Awesome, and cheaper. Really

[garthd]

Well, what I meant to say about the birthplace of US skiing was not in the ski area, lift-served sense, but in the stuff that has already been written (Mt. Wash, Mt. Moosilauke, Cannon, etc.) What I miss about the east is the tight trails with contours and twists. I haven't found as much of that here in CO. But I have not skied everywhere. May you be blessed with bountiful snow no matter where you are.