Another Lookout Take

[highpeaksdrifter]

So I’m skiing with Dustblaster on Saturday when they lift the windhold on Lookout so up we go. The snow is plentiful and the bumps are soft, the best conditions I’ve skied it yet.

On our way back up to do it again, Dustblaster commits on all the fallen or stationary skiers we had to ski around. Lookout Below attracts skiers who don’t really have the skill set for it like a magnet. You can see it from many vantage points from it’s top to bottom.

I get it, people want to say they’ve skied it and that’s understandable.

I’ve heard a few people say they wished it were groomed. Besides taking away the technical aspect and some of the character of the trail, think of the carriage it would cause. Imagine a blue skier losing control, or missing a turn flying down it? I’m thinking it wouldn’t be pretty.

Those bumps make people slow down. It may cause some to fall more, but at least they can get up and ski away. Bumps on that trail keep people safer.

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

I agree that it's a plus, safety-wise, to not groom the trail, but, from a purely emotional standpoint, I think it kicks major a** that WF seems to be letting the trail bump up/ski naturally. There are enough groomed runs on the mountain.

[tjf67]

The whole new lift and trail keeps inches it way up on my list everytime I sky that side. W trail is a pretty cool trail.

Lookout below has not seen its best days yet. I would think it needs to stay bumped up. If the bumps were not there it would be a freefall into the woods or to the bottom. Those bumps act as stoppers for the people that fall. They aslo make people keep there speed in check. OMG could you imaging that a flat groomer. They would have to put skull and crossbones at the top of it. May be they shoul do that anyways.

[highpeaksdrifter]

I agree that it's a plus, safety-wise, to not groom the trail, but, from a purely emotional standpoint, I think it kicks major a** that WF seems to be letting the trail bump up/ski naturally. There are enough groomed runs on the mountain.

For sure. I think Upper and Lower Mack, Lookout Below, Upper Cloudspin and Lower Skyward should never be groomed. I could add more, but lots of people like groomed trails, so I'll leave it at those 4. Of course Empire and Blazers can't be groomed thank goodness.



The whole new lift and trail keeps inches it way up on my list everytime I sky that side. W trail is a pretty cool trail.

Lookout below has not seen its best days yet. I would think it needs to stay bumped up. If the bumps were not there it would be a freefall into the woods or to the bottom. Those bumps act as stoppers for the people that fall. They aslo make people keep there speed in check. OMG could you imaging that a flat groomer. They would have to put skull and crossbones at the top of it. May be they shoul do that anyways.

I was thinking that 2 Black Diamonds on top of it might make some blue skiers think twice about skiing it.

[Snowballs]

are you guys sayin that cuz of lookout below's steepness? i haven't been up since the opening. any guess which is steeper hoyt's or lb?

[tjf67]

There is no compariuson. LB is way steeper. Hoyts looks like a funner trail though

[Xtremeskiier]

I dont think is horribly sttep, but the conditions on it havent been great. You go from man made ice snow whales to actual bumps. I think they should have groomed it at first then let it bump so it would do it nicely.

[tjf67]

I dont think is horribly sttep, but the conditions on it havent been great. You go from man made ice snow whales to actual bumps. I think they should have groomed it at first then let it bump so it would do it nicely.


I think it is one of the steeper trails I have been on. What would you consider a steep trail in the East?

[SKIdds]

I know the length of the pitch is much larger, but is it as steep as Cloudspin Niagara? How does LB compare to Rumor and Lies at Gore? The Front Four at Stowe are steep and always bumped up.

[Jack the Ripper]

[/quote] I was thinking that 2 Black Diamonds on top of it might make some blue skiers think twice about skiing it.[/quote]

Then what would the slides be rated.......3 black diamonds? It's not that difficult of a trail. Sure it's narrow, steep and has some exposed pipe on skiers right on the top but it's not double black diamond hard.

[cover]

Does Hoyt's have snowmaking capability built in yet? That looks like a fun trail, but by the looks of things, no chance it see's any action this season....

Lookout Below was not open Monday or tuesday

[tjf67]

I know the length of the pitch is much larger, but is it as steep as Cloudspin Niagara? How does LB compare to Rumor and Lies at Gore? The Front Four at Stowe are steep and always bumped up.

Not sure ,I can tell you that I pay attention the same way I would on the other trails you mention. Except niagria. You can just straightline that it is so short.

[Snowballs]

no snowmaking capabilities on hoyt's yet. MAYBE next year if they got the cash.

anybody think lookout below is the steepest trail at Face?

[Jack the Ripper]

no snowmaking capabilities on hoyt's yet. MAYBE next year if they got the cash.

anybody think lookout below is the steepest trail at Face?

No to snow making next year and no to the steepest trail. It's not as steep as it looks. The top has it's moments but the middle and bottom are fine. Maybe you can argue it's the steepest lift serviced trail (slides are steeper by far) but without knowing the pitch of Lookout Below and the pitches of the other trails I can't agree it's the steepest.

[takeahike46er]

Regarding Hoyt's, it does not appear that they finished clearing the cuttings and debris from the trail. If they have the funds to clean it up in the off season, it could very well be skiable next season-- even without snowmaking.

[snoeboarder]

whats steeper .... the triple black at Smuggs (havent been) or LOB

or another?

what is the steepest trail of the east? lift served

[Snowballs]

http://www.epicski.com/wiki/extreme-runs-of-north-america

notice in the first photo,Schmidiots, there's a skier just below the summit,w/his skis pointed straight down.

[highpeaksdrifter]

whats steeper .... the triple black at Smuggs (havent been) or LOB

or another?

what is the steepest trail of the east? lift served

LOB is steeper, but comparing the 2 really isn't fair cause the Black Hole is a tight glade. IMO it's nowhere near as good as the back bowls at Smuggs.

[SIAWOL]

I haven't been, but what's the approach like for LOB? Having gnarly terrain with basically no approach to it helps weed out the folks who shouldn't be there. Great example is the Spillway X-cut at Sugarloaf---folks can ski the x-cut then just look down at bubblecuffer, see for themselves how crazy it is, then just ski right past it. Another example: Rumor at Gore. It's got that basically flat entrance so every Joey around decides to skate across and peer over the edge. Once they're that far, they almost have to take it all the way. Result: killing field.

[snoeboarder]

thanks for the info

heres a pic of LOB's entrance, the entrance is more perpendicular and narrow to the wilmington trail than the map shows, its on the high side of the trail too, so people following the fall line should roll right past it

http://s5.tinypic.com/2itreza.jpg

P.S. - From another forum i got this from my question after 1st hearing 3x black



Posted by 'snoeboarder'
triple black you say? whats the pitch on that?

Smuggs claims it is 54 degree. 620'

[SKIdds]

Skied LOB several times on Monday. New favorite trail. Steep, bumps, the very top is mad steep with huge bumps. As for the approach, it is a short one. Curious people coming down Wilmington can ski over to lookout below. Many get to the top of lookout below and see how steep it is, how big the bumps are, and turn around. Each time we skied it Monday there were several people headed back from the top of LOB. The short approach gave them the opportunity to bug out.

We got some video on LOB. Hopefully I can figure out how to post it.

[highpeaksdrifter]

We got some video on LOB. Hopefully I can figure out how to post it.

Put it on UTube and post the link here. Can't wait to see it.

[campgottagopee]

We got some video on LOB. Hopefully I can figure out how to post it.

Put it on UTube and post the link here. Can't wait to see it.

+1