10 Toughest Runs in North America

skibum00

skibum00

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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
 
ive skiied down 7-9 and johnny moselys trail i think it was called in squaw valley was harder than those imo
 
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.

 
Only skied Outer Limits off the list, and skied the groomed side, not the bumped side.

Good discussion though.

+ karma.
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.

 
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
 
..good thread. never actually skied any of those runs though. maybe climax at whistler but i can't remember.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Nothing in Montana, yet they have two from Vermont. That says quite a bit about how much credibility something like this has.
 
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
 
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.
 
... 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.
 
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.
 
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