You’ve Think You’ve Been Around Snow Sports For A While? Okay, Test Your Knowledge.
I know what you’re thinking; “Ultimate, I doubt it.” You’re a really good skier, you’ve been skiing for years and you’ve skied just about everywhere. “There’s no quiz about skiing that’s going to humble me.” Let’s see…
- As of the 2016-17 ski season, what state has the most operating ski areas?
- What state or province has the longest ski lift?
- What is the oldest operating ski lift in North America?
- What ski resort in the East has the greatest true vertical drop (lift-served, continuous fall-line runs)?
- Season pass holders account for what percent of all ski area visits?
- How long is the longest trail in the East?
- What ski area in North America has the greatest lift-served continuous vertical drop?
- In mph, how fast is the average detachable lift?
- In mph, how fast is the typical fixed-grip lift?
- What is the largest ski area in North America (as defined by lift accessible terrain).
Answers:
- This one surprises most of us: New York has the most with 48 followed by Michigan with 42, Wisconsin and Colorado tie with 30 each, California has 29, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire tie with 26 each and Vermont has 24 (Source: SnowBrains).
- Vermont’s Sugarbush has the longest lift, Slide Brook Express at 11,012 feet (just over two miles). The Slide Brook Express connects Lincoln Peak with Mt. Ellen and carries skiers in both directions (Source: Peter Landsman author of LiftBlog).
- The Single Chair at Mad River Glen (VT) is the oldest operating lift having been constructed in 1948. In 2007 it was been extensively renovated and updated (Source: Peter Landsman).
- According to the folks at MountainVertical.com, Whiteface in NY has the greatest true vertical drop at 3,216 feet. They define true vertical drop (or True-Up Vertical Drop as they call it) as “the most vertical distance at a resort that can be achieved on commonly skied, lift-served, continuous fall-line runs”.
- According to SAM (Ski Area Management) passholders now account for 40 percent of ski area visits.
- According to Wikipedia, Juggernaut at Killington (VT) is the longest trail in the East at 6.2 miles.
- Revelstoke (BC) with 5,620 feet has the most vertical drop (Source: MountainVertical.com).
- The average detachable lift moves at 12mph (Source: Peter Landsman).
- The typical fixed-grip lift travels at 5.6mph (Source: Peter Landsman).
- Whistler Blackcomb (BC) is the largest with 8,171 acres (Source: Liftopia The Blog).
In the comments section, let us know how you did. Were there any surprises? Are the any answers you’d like to contest?
I only got number 3 right…but then I am in the UK! I love MRG.
Carole, Where do you ski?
Suiscide 6 in Vermont had a rope tow long before Mad River.
That was a tough quiz. I only got 3 right:
1. New York as the one with the most ski areas. I believe in Canada it would be Quebec.
2. Pass holders account for 40%. I didn’t know this for sure, but it seemed like the right kind of percentage.
3. Revelstoke has the most vertical in North America. (Too bad it is mostly a narrow vertical strip. I am looking forward to Revelstoke’s future expansion in acreage (more width).
The quiz was hard in part because several questions were about the Eastern part of the US.
Also, it was hard because some of the questions asked only about the USA while others asked about North America (which includes Canada).
For example, I misunderstood the last question, the one about the largest lift-served ski area. I thought it was a question about the US, so I thought the answer was the newly merged Park City & The Canyons. A close second would be Powder Mt. (Utah), but much of their skiable terrain is not lift served but relies on either a snowcat or a shuttle bus.
Emilio, You beat me. I got two right. Good (and humbling) quiz from Don. Thanks!
Well, I managed to get two right. #s 5 and 10. No matter how much we know we are still learning. Great fun!
New here to SS.com. Hi Everyone.
OK, I’m on board with most of these answers but I’m not buying in to the Slide Brook Express being a “lift”. It only moves you from one place to another.
MountainVertical.com is THE resource for true vert addicts.
Here’s a fun link! Don’t know how reliable its claimed stats are, but fun none the less. https://liftblog.com/2015/09/04/the-ten-shortest-detachable-lifts-in-north-america/
Going to Windham tomorrow with friends to celebrate my 60th! Yup, the summit express lift is closed due to a mechanical failure this past Saturday. But I don’t care. It’ll be like when I (we) first started skiing 50 years ago and there were only fixed grip lifts….and T-Bars, Pomas and rope tows.
I’m sure many of you remember the Glades Triple or the “Death Poma” at Pico? Or the “Triangle and Sunrise Chairs” at Killington? Classics!
Ski ya later!