Is this carvable?...not me in this lifetime...

[bumpyride]

The 3d maps that kmartshopper just showed have percentage of slope and the degree's on the guage at the left of the picture. At least on the Jackson Hole map.

100% = 45 degrees.

http://3dskimaps.com/

[Silver Bullet]

I think that reads 90% is 42 degs.

[Zone]

One of my favorite sites.... Kind of puts the east coast / west coast thing in perspective.

http://3dskimaps.com/

That's a cool site. Help me answer my initial question. 78% groomed is carvable and in my own lifetime too!

[Fat Old Bastard]

Of course when I say expenses it may take me a season or three to get back in carving shape and ready to hit Harakiri

But if you all really want to know whether or not it's carveable then I'm your man ! :lol:

[kmartshopper]

Cool thing with that site is that they superimpose the same green, blue, black, double black scale across all the mtns.

Interesting that notable steeps in the east... like the end-wall of Ovation at Killington isn't even 40deg/80% - a modest double diamond. Looks like the drop under the tram at Jay is about as hard core as it gets... pushing 45/100. Castle Rock at the bush and the upper mountain at Sugarloaf both have some short steeps that look legit.

Poor Okemo doesn't even have a single black diamond on that scale. (no offense... it's a fun carving mtn).

Arapahoe basin looks like it could tighten up the sphincter. I'm too chicken for that kind of stuff anyway... no complaints here.

________

KID DEPAKOTE

[Bordy]

Billy, I used to ride at temple Mtn at night when I was in school in NH (in Rindge). I seem to remember there having been a pretty significant posse of carvers there in the early/mid nineties. The first time I ever saw a hardbooter was at Temple and I bought my first PJ the very next day. Is the rock-face you're talking about called Allisons Run, far to skiiers-right coming down the mountain, near the bottom? I don't think I ever tried carving down that - usually just slid down it or if it wasn't super icy, try a few jump-slide turns. I remember it being super steep but short enough that you could get away with trying stuff out on it.

Allisons (named after Sandy's daughter Allison and one of the first trails to recive the double black rating in NH) did have some pitch and most of the locals got their teeth cut learning to edge the pitch on the top and bottom section, thought the bottom was steeper and well some times we just build a kicker at the top and tried to huck the bottom also. The pitch I am refering to was a rock under the quad chair just at the S bend before the lodge. There was a rock face that with the correct snow and wind (or snowmaking gun aimed correctly) would hold snow and could be ridden.

I worked and rode at temple from 85-93, there where over 10 of us that rode hardboots from about 88 on. Including Rusty that posts here.

[queequeg]

Allisons (named after Sandy's daughter Allison and one of the first trails to recive the double black rating in NH) did have some pitch and most of the locals got their teeth cut learning to edge the pitch on the top and bottom section, thought the bottom was steeper and well some times we just build a kicker at the top and tried to huck the bottom also. The pitch I am refering to was a rock under the quad chair just at the S bend before the lodge. There was a rock face that with the correct snow and wind (or snowmaking gun aimed correctly) would hold snow and could be ridden.

I worked and rode at temple from 85-93, there where over 10 of us that rode hardboots from about 88 on. Including Rusty that posts here.

Oh ok - I think I remember the rock you are talking about. I *really* loved that little mountain, I used to love going there when they would blast music all over the trails at night. My first humiliating day on plates riding my brand new green asym PJ6 was at temple, and I basically learned to carve there and at Sunapee. I was a huge dweeb with my matching green board and parka. My weird little boarding school would take us there at night as a substitute for PE credits. I think I took a run or two with one or two of you guys a few times once I started getting it together and I managed to escape from my school. Totally sucks that it's closed, I would get a huge kick out of riding it again.

You guys were absolutely the reason I started carving. I can remember clear as day the first time I saw one of you guys carving (on, I think, the early "pink" PJ) I pretty much knew immediately that I'd spent my last day on softboots. I'm pretty sure that would have been 93 or 92. Thanks for the inspiration. I thought you guys were pretty great back then, frightening to think how good you must be now.

Night riding is still pretty much my favorite thing in the world.

[wasatchbill]

This is a great thread.

...

I'm taking the protractor and level to measure some of the slopes I usually ride in Utah. A few steep groomers I've enjoyed recently are Regulator Johnson at the Bird which has a pretty steep roll 1/3 down from the top, the first third of Silver Skis, or is it Silver King at PCMR is quite steep, the last third of Diamond Lane at Solitude as well. There is a pretty steep drop of the Wildflower Downhill at Snowbasin. Does anyone know the pitch of any of these runs? I'm not sure if they exceed 45 deg, but close. Are there any other steep groomers out there in the Wasatch?

Hi Silver Bullet -

A Life Link Slope Meter is the best tool I have seen for measuring slope angles (in degrees, not %). I've had mine for about 20 years.

http://www.life-link.com/access_main.htm#misc

http://www.avalanche-center.org/store/ll-slope-meter.html

I have a compass with an inclinometer in it also, but it is harder to read. Its like this one: http://www.thecompassstore.com/51mc2d.html

The compass clinometer only has 2 degree gradations, and they are much harder to see (very small). The Life Link slope meter has 1 degree gradations. So it is more accurate, and cheaper.

I use a self-arrest grip pole to put the meter on (nice because the pole won't fall down the hill when you let go of it); or you could use a straight shaft ice axe , or probe pole, or some other straight edge that you can set the meter on. Just holding the meter on the snow is not as accurate, since its only 5" long. Once you've taken a few dozen measurements, and get a feel for how important it is to place the pole carefully, then an average of 3 readings is a pretty accurate number for a given slope; approaching +/- 1 degree. Where on the slope you decide to measure, and how long that pitch is sustained for, are other variables.

That said, I just measured the steepest section of the Wildflower Downhill at 32 to 34 degrees; 4 measurements averaged 33 degrees.

Cheers!

Wasatch Bill

[bumpyride]

I've decided that a slope is only to be considered steep, is when you're standing at the top you have to bend at the waist to see the bottom.

[Gecko]

I've decided that a slope is only to be considered steep, is when you're standing at the top you have to bend at the waist to see the bottom.

That's one way to look at it, there is a hill that I speed board on, the bottom isn't visible from the top and it's a straight drop, you really can't see the bottom until you are half way down, nice fast hill, 45 to 50 is attainable by my old a$$