Killington's # 1 Trail

[Highway Star]

Has anyone ever kept going south down bear ass and climbed out over the brook on to Bear Cub? I'm pretty sure that is the steepest spot on the mountain. Just wondering. I'll do the recon anyway.

Yeah.....I've gotten stuck in the Falls Brook gully several times. On the south side, it's about 10-15 minute side hill traverse depending on the snow and how wide your skis are, you will have to break trail, but it is relatively easy going.

We explored the north side of the gully once, having looked across from bear cub many times and seen some open-ish steep lines. We tried heading due south near the top of ridgeview, but could not make it through the dense pine and brush in that direction, so we headed west and popped out near the ridgeview/bearcub intersection. We then went to the bear cub right turn elbow @3k ft and traversed east into the woods (north of the gully). We traversed in for little a while, 100-200 yards, picked an area to ski the fall line, and ended up in the gully very quickly. The gully was rough on that side, it took about 30 minutes to ski/hike out on rugged terrain along the gully - it was a pain in the neck.

If there's a decent spot to ski in there, it's going to be best accessed from the old (permanently closed and off the map) upper entrance of devils den, and you'll have to avoid the dense pine that occurs at the top of the mountain. There will be considerable bushwhacking required. From what I can tell from the tree canopy on google maps:

- Go in about 100-150 feet and cut hard skiers right (northwest), into the woods before it gets steep, go about 150ft around a stand of pines downhill from you, then head down the fall line. Cut left slightly as you go, to the gully. This line would put you more in the center of the face.

- Or, slightly further down devil's den at it's first left turn, head straight into the woods or slightly right off the cut glade, heading southwest. This will point you down the fall line. Cut left slightly, to the gully. This line would put you more directly right of devil's den.

After the vert lost from getting into the zone, and from trying to avoid the gully and ski out, you'll be lucky to get 250ft of vert of fall line "skiing".

NOTE: DO NOT TRY THE ABOVE, IT IS EXCEPTIONALLY DANGEROUS. THE TERRAIN IS EXCEPTIONALLY RUGGED AND RESCUE WILL BE EXCEPTIONALLY DIFFICULT. THE TREES ARE ALSO NOT REALLY SKIABLE. YOU MAY GET TWO GOOD TURNS FOR AN HOUR'S WORTH OF EXHAUSTING TREKING AROUND.

DON'T DO IT.

I would not normally post detailed directions, but from what I can tell this is not a skiable part of the mountain, and nobody skis it for many very good reasons.

[Woodsrider]

Has anyone ever kept going south down bear ass and climbed out over the brook on to Bear Cub? I'm pretty sure that is the steepest spot on the mountain. Just wondering. I'll do the recon anyway.

Yeah.....I've gotten stuck in the Falls Brook gully several times. On the south side, it's about 10-15 minute side hill traverse depending on the snow and how wide your skis are, you will have to break trail, but it is relatively easy going.

We explored the north side of the gully once, having looked across from bear cub many times and seen some open-ish steep lines. We tried heading due south near the top of ridgeview, but could not make it through the dense pine and brush in that direction, so we headed west and popped out near the ridgeview/bearcub intersection. We then went to the bear cub right turn elbow @3k ft and traversed east into the woods (north of the gully). We traversed in for little a while, 100-200 yards, picked an area to ski the fall line, and ended up in the gully very quickly. The gully was rough on that side, it took about 30 minutes to ski/hike out on rugged terrain along the gully - it was a pain in the neck.

If there's a decent spot to ski in there, it's going to be best accessed from the old (permanently closed and off the map) upper entrance of devils den, and you'll have to avoid the dense pine that occurs at the top of the mountain. There will be considerable bushwhacking required. From what I can tell from the tree canopy on google maps:

- Go in about 100-150 feet and cut hard skiers right (northwest), into the woods before it gets steep, go about 150ft around a stand of pines downhill from you, then head down the fall line. Cut left slightly as you go, to the gully. This line would put you more in the center of the face.

- Or, slightly further down devil's den at it's first left turn, head straight into the woods or slightly right off the cut glade, heading southwest. This will point you down the fall line. Cut left slightly, to the gully. This line would put you more directly right of devil's den.

After the vert lost from getting into the zone, and from trying to avoid the gully and ski out, you'll be lucky to get 250ft of vert of fall line "skiing".

NOTE: DO NOT TRY THE ABOVE, IT IS EXCEPTIONALLY DANGEROUS. THE TERRAIN IS EXCEPTIONALLY RUGGED AND RESCUE WILL BE EXCEPTIONALLY DIFFICULT. THE TREES ARE ALSO NOT REALLY SKIABLE. YOU MAY GET TWO GOOD TURNS FOR AN HOUR'S WORTH OF EXHAUSTING TREKING AROUND.

DON'T DO IT.

I would not normally post detailed directions, but from what I can tell this is not a skiable part of the mountain, and nobody skis it for many very good reasons.

Thank you very much HS! You've done more homework than I have. But I think there is a wicked line in there somewhere. Although it will probably require some trimming. It's so steep and yes extremely dangerous.