What is your favorite "Classic Narrow Eastern Trail&quo

Patrick

Patrick

Well-known member
Someone started talking on zoneski about how he loved skiing the Classic Narrow Eastern Trail. Let's talk about skiing as the real skiing hasn't started yet in the East.

Ah, the Great Classic Narrow Trails of the East, it's habitat is mainly confirm to the East. Many of them are now done or modified to the point that it cannot longer be called a Classic Narrow Trails. Those trails were cut narrow and followed the contours of the topography of the mountain, Great trails which are fun to ski regardless if it's was an expert, intermediate or beginners trail.

Which are/were your favorites (existing or lost)?

My favorites are/were:

Grand Prix and Kandahar at Tremblant (now lost for ever unless...).

La Pionnière at Mont Ste.Anne.

Upper and Lower Antelope and many others at Mad River Glen.

Empire and Excalibur at Whiteface. However Excalibur was be widen so much at it cannot fit in this category. I guess it had to control skier traffic/density :cry: .

Cannon, Smuggs and Stowe had/has a few.

Kitzbuhel at Jay.
 
my favorite would be taft on cannon/mittersill, though it isn't quite what it once was. i have only hiked tuckerbrook and have not skied it yet, but it looks to be one of the best cut ski trails i have ever seen. middle hardscrable at cannon is up there, depending upon your definition of narrow. there's a lot of classic stuff on mrg, but having only skied it once i can't call off my favorites.

most classic new england ski trails have been widened severly even at places that cator to those of us preferring ski trails the way they used to be. i really think most of us looking for that classic trail have tried to find it off the official trail map for better or worse.
 
My favorite would have to be 20th Hole at mad river. Narrow lines through beautiful forest, twisting through the trees. There are also some great streambeds at MRG which make fabulous twisty gullies to ski.

Lower antelope at mad river is fantastic as well -- and particularly great for decent intermediates. Not really too difficult, but you couldn't feel further from a groomed road.

I skied tuckerbrook last year and that was fantastic. But it isn't so narrow or interesting as 20th -- and in any event it would be a bit unfair to compare this to trails where you can ski on and off a lift.

I have yet to ski tramline or kinsman glade at cannon. Anybody have any experiences there?
 
John Sherburne Ski Trail on Mt. W,Gulf of Slides ski trail on Mt. W,Up. Lynx >Mid. Lynx>Al's Folly>Cougar>The Chutes at the 'Cat,the Hardscrabbles at Cannon,,the Bubblecuffers at the Loaf,Kitz,JFK&Derrick Hot Shot at Jay,anything at MRG.
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*))NHPH
 
There's got to be a vote for the Bruce Trail on Mansfield somewhere in here.
 
Let's not forget face chutes/tuckerman's chute to everglade at Jay for 100 vertical feet of western skiing followed by some truly eastern fun.
 
I thought we were picking narrow "trails".
In that case,T Chute/F Chute>D.P.>Eglade>Koko.
Or P.H.>Canyon Land>Bonnie/Show -Off Glade. =P~
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*))NHPH
 
All of 'em :D . All of the Classic Narrow Eastern Trails are my favorites.

Walt's Trail (Novice) and Semi-Tough (Blue) at Glen Ellen are neat ones. Polecat (Novice) at Wildcat is another one. Gulf of Slides trail is awesome. It's tough to beat Lower Antelope at Mad River Glen on a powder day.
 
Lots of classic narrow tarils have been mentioned above. I would add Broomstick and Slide of Hans at Magic Mtn to the list.
 
20thSkier":1jz3b4za said:
My favorite would have to be 20th Hole at mad river. Narrow lines through beautiful forest, twisting through the trees. There are also some great streambeds at MRG which make fabulous twisty gullies to ski.

Lower antelope at mad river is fantastic as well -- and particularly great for decent intermediates. Not really too difficult, but you couldn't feel further from a groomed road.

I skied tuckerbrook last year and that was fantastic.
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Wait a minute!!! IS the 20th Hole a trail? :wink:

Although I ski Mad River 2-3 times a year, I have never went toward the 20th 'cause I usually head there alone or with someone that doesn't have any local knowledge.

Never skiied Tuckerbrook at Cannon (need 2nd car) (I guess that would fit on an old abandon classic off the trail map - like Bruce)

I would agree with Mark Renson, classic narrow eastern trails don't have to be expert runs. The Classic Narrow Eastern Trails I was thinking about were trails that are narrow that twist and turn with the mountain, so I wouldn't necessarly included the Face Chutes/Tuckermans' at Jay in that list.

Shelbourne Trail is a definate classic, I have been fortunate to ski it top to bottom once and 3/4 another time. I find the bottom half the best part.

Never been on Bruce, maybe someday. However Starr and Goat should be on that list, however I haven't skiied them in the last 8 years. Unfortunately I don't have a time machine, the old Nosedive must have been a great trail.

Hardscrabble is also great, one that I also like is Upper Ravine - however I believe this trail was widen since the first time I skiied it in 1997? It seemed more fun and narrower in 97 than in 2000? Could someone confirm that?

L'écureuil (or Contour) at Orford, :roll: , I should really go back to Orford someday. I haven't skied there since 1981 even if I loved it, that place has definately fallen through the cracks in my ski visites.


I have yet to ski tramline or kinsman glade at cannon. Anybody have any experiences there?
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I believe there is a report from Tramline with great pics somewhere in the 2003 archives reports.
 
Patrick":1weyjr12 said:
Never skiied Tuckerbrook at Cannon (need 2nd car) (I guess that would fit on an old abandon classic off the trail map - like Bruce)
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One beauty of the Bruce is that you don't need a second car. Just hop the Stowe Area Association shuttle bus to return to the lifts. While it's not on the ski area trail map, as it lies outside of their boundaries, it very definitely does show up on backcountry ski maps of Mt. Mansfield and it is still maintained.

Patrick":1weyjr12 said:
I believe there is a report from Tramline with great pics somewhere in the 2003 archives reports.
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Search and ye shall find.
 
Admin":tyq0o1hd said:
One beauty of the Bruce is that you don't need a second car. Just hop the Stowe Area Association shuttle bus to return to the lifts. While it's not on the ski area trail map, as it lies outside of their boundaries, it very definitely does show up on backcountry ski maps of Mt. Mansfield and it is still maintained.
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Thanks Marc, I wasn't aware for the Shuttle Bus. I should really head back to Stowe ...

and Smugglers'... and Cannon... and Jay... and never been to Wildcat... and Orford. So you see how sometimes a place gets looked over, especially Orford (23 years).
 
There is so many nice classic narrow New England trails...

My very best one is the Contour at Orford. (Frankontour = Frank+Contour... so you can guess I like it ;))

The Écureuil of Orford is more a glade than a classic narrow trail IMO, but it's true that it's close enough... This would be my #2 so, right behind the Contour.
 
Patrick":2ee3lut0 said:
Never skiied Tuckerbrook at Cannon (need 2nd car) (I guess that would fit on an old abandon classic off the trail map - like Bruce)
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I didn't have a 2nd car so tried tuckerbrook the hard way: skied it, and down at the bottom realized it was a long walk in ski boots back to the lift! Fortunately was able to hitch back to cannon with no problem, but not recommended!

I believe there is a report from Tramline with great pics somewhere in the 2003 archives reports.
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A fantastic report -- thanks for pointing it out.
 
I have to agree with NELSAP. My favorite Classic Narrow Eastern trail has to be East Bowl at Burke. It may be a pain to ski in and out of but there is no replacing the roller coaster feeling you get on this trail :lol: . The best time to hit it is early season before it is groomed and there are lots of powder bumps to blast through.

P.S. it looked as though it was snowing on the mountain this morning. It was spitting slush here in St. Johnsbury! [-o<
 
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