Greatest Downhill Courses: Mount Snow, Vermont
Welcome to Mount Snow, Vermont. Buckle up, hang on and get ready for a rough ride, full of near-death experiences and lots of roost.
Mount Snow, 2001 from Alpha Project.
"Mount Snow was always the proving ground. If you were fast there, it meant you had both balls and skills and you were maybe a little crazy too." - Sven Martin
The Yard Sale. Has one section of downhill track ever been so loved and feared? Fans loved it, racers feared it.
The infamous Yard Sale section. Aaron Chase unscathed. Myles Rockwell, scathed.
Jared Rando (I think) through the Yard Sale, 2005.
Grass and loam. The first day of DH practice was like dancing on a minefield. The grass covered the holes and rocks. Eventually the lines were burned in and the loam came out for riders like Cedric Gracia on the left, 2003.
CARNAGE. Nathan Rennie and Waylon Smith (I think) weren't the only ones. Don't blame the product folks. Not many parts lasted very long on the brutal terrain.
"Mount Snow is easily one of my all-time favorite tracks. From the first time I went there in 2003 I just loved it. The natural terrain feels like an outdoor Moto track." -Andrew Neethling. Mick Hannah on the right, 2003.
Jared Graves in DH mode, flying over gaps at speed. The Yetis were always good performers in Vermont. Their long wheelbases handled the high speeds and big hits well. Photo by Damian Breach
Wide freaking open with David K, Jeff Evans and Clay Porter. Matt Thompson notes, "Towards the end, they were living off prior reputation, but in the middle years (late nineties - early 2000s), there was no track I looked forward to riding more."
John Kirkcaldie, off-camber and a complete nut on these courses. When you were going 20-30mph, the holes got gruesome, but John never gave them a second thought.
Greg Minnaar, pushing the Honda to the limits. Photo by Damian Breach
The East Coast location was a favorite for riders from all over, but local riders as well. Dave Smutok and Kyle Ebbett, keeping it real in their jeans.
If it ever seemed like a mountain bike had a throttle, it was at Mount Snow. Chris Kovarik, 2003 on the right, Mihai Moga, 2005 on the left with lines-a-plenty.
"Vermont was all about tires. We ran Michelins back then and we were stoked to have the Comp 32 2.8-inch tires front AND rear. 'Bringing out the big meats' is what we called it. Even skinny Jared Graves, Rando and Amiel Cavalier (pictured) were not afraid to run them then. When you have to bring out the Big Meats for front and rear action, you knew you were in for some life-risking shit. I loved it." -Sven Martin
In 2004, Alex Morgan (left) and Sanjay Shanbag (right) showed up running long-travel single crown forks. There was quite a buzz in the pits about how safe this decision was (not to mention Sanjay's skate lid!).
From Clay Porter's Synopsis, 2004. One word...KIRKCALDIE! (and no kids, it's NOT sped up).
"Mount Snow is one of my all-time favorite tracks. It can really get medieval out there. Anyone who had the pleasure of racing there knows it's one of the fastest, gnarliest, sniper-rock-slab-infested, g-out-madness courses in our downhill history books." -Duncan Riffle
Duncan continues, "It's honestly the reason I got in to downhill racing. Big, open field corners, natural rock slab gaps...it's all out chaos from the start gate." Duncan and Paul Rowney celebrate victory in 2005.
Sam Hill, fast and furious through the short-but-hectic woods section. Photo by Damian Breach.
A little Edward 40-hands to celebrate the East Coast road trip in 2005. Mount Snow was always a place for good times in the pits and unbelievable stories made at the Silo, Mount Snow's legendary, local bar.
B.Hills fighting off frozen hands as Matt Johnston looks on with glee.
During course walks, these holes looked like fun jumps. The fun quickly disappeared at race speeds and they felt like 4-foot tall curbs. "The tracks had a little of everything. They were a real test of all around skill, fitness, and bike setup. I miss riding there more than anyplace else, by far." -Matt Thompson
Brendan Fairclough 2005 during one of his first trips to the U.S. for racing. He showed up and promptly made his mark among the solid pro field.
Here's to the speed, natural terrain and memories that Mount Snow, Vermont gave us. Photo by Gary Perkin
Photo by Gary Perkin
Frank_Rizzo
1/25/2012 5:59 PM
Bring it Back
Bring it Back
Bring it Back
jodownhill
1/23/2012 10:56 AM
2005 Norba Finals race morning the mist was thick and it was raining on and off.. nothing new. Practice run I went into a high speed section only to sheer the head tube clean off my factory built bike. Not a fun crash to say the least! Lucky for me I was able to use, team mate Lisa Myklaks bike for finals because Lisa (unlucky for Lisa) had destroyed her wrist in the yard sale. Mount Snow = plenty of carnage.
MrPrometheus
1/22/2012 1:33 PM
Such a fun course for riding and spectating. Racing through Yard Sale to screams of "East Coast Rider Up" was so awesome. The one year, 2001? where we had the riders left line that was extra super sketch for this year or the long go around to riders right. We practiced the hell out of the sketch line all weekend and just as we are in the start gate for Expert Category we start hearing rumors they are taking out the riders left option. Approaching Yard Sale the course marshalls were rambling something but not stopping us so I took the sketch line. Later on the riders left line was taken out for the Pros and they were forced to take the go around. Felt odd to me Experts had it as a choice and Pros did not.
Another year I remember watching pros practice in Yard Sale and April Lawyer crashed right in front of me dislocating her finger. She ran up to me screaming put it back in put it back in. I was just starring in shock and awe rather helpless. =/ Another year I took my wife to watch practice in Yard Sale only for her to see a KHS Female ( Not Melissa I think a Canadian rider) crash headfirst on a rock and knock some teeth out. That was the last time my wife would watch a race ever again.
Schulze
1/21/2012 8:16 AM
Probably the roughest, fastest, sketchiest, and my favorite downhill course I've ever ridden. I blew up my Marzocchi 888 on the big rock slab roller at the top of the course by laying it down broadside on a giant piece of granite. Great course.
bizutch
1/20/2012 8:48 PM
Mt. Snow 2001 was and still is the greatest DH track I've ever gotten to ride, bar none. Almost all through the woods and cut as a wide as a two lane road. It was during a drought too, so there were 6 inch roots covering monster rocks in the woods and huge, drifting piles of black loam that would gather in off camber areas.
Easily three lines wide the whole way. When you got to the bottom, you're were exhausted, but dying to get back on the lift. Monstrous crowds top to bottom.
Snapped my chain under the lift about a minute in. Was so broke, I picked up my chain, stuffed it in my XC style Intense grassroots team jersey, hopped on and finished. Never got passed and still passed 4 guys, even with no chain. Something like 50+ riders in my class.
chrscshly
1/20/2012 7:51 PM
Old school Vermont racer on GT RTS early 1990s .3 inches of travel..big get offs..high speed in the mud..the bugs..naked crit..Bas de Bever, Voulliouz, Mike King, Missy... ust wanted to make it to the bottom every run..Good memories
sideshow
1/20/2012 6:46 PM
Mt Snow was a wild animal that couldnt be tamed. Grew up racing Jr.X at Nationals up until the last year they were held at Snow. There is nothing quite like the sound of smashing that solid granite at mack chicken, full-on drifts foot out flat out, and generally being nervous before every run. There has yet to be an equivalent of a replacement.
Rukus Ranger
1/20/2012 3:18 PM
Some people loose a wheel or a derailleur at mount snow....Me, I lost a kidney. Always has been one of my favorite local mountains to ride.
sidwv
1/20/2012 2:53 PM
NORBA days.... VT and dont forget Snowshoe WV either.
BeigeWolf
1/20/2012 2:28 PM
MTBMTBMTB- WHAT PEDLAS WERE YOU RUNNING?
rea321
1/20/2012 2:27 PM
rad !!!
mtbmtbmtb
1/20/2012 2:24 PM
i got knocked out there this year at one of the ESC races... idk what happend, lost 5 hrs of memory, but no headache or concussion... kinda funny. but i had to leave sat night = no race
i felt fast too haha
Krispy
1/20/2012 2:13 PM
EDWARD 40 HANDS!!!!!!!!!
joss
1/20/2012 2:06 PM
I don't have any memories myself, but I have memories of people sharing memories--especially Edward 40 hands. Thanks Vital! Great feature! Awesome stuff!
ska todd
1/20/2012 2:00 PM
Glad my grassy-mud encrusted wheel leads off this epic feature! Mount Snow tracks from late-90's thru mid-00's were the epic gnar. While the tracks featuring ledges, waterfall, ego alley, & yardsale are best remembered, the '98 course in the woods (on stage right) might go down as the best track there was up there, the perfect balance of woods and wide open. It would probably hold the test of time if raced today. Mount Snow was brutal in the wet and shear mental when dry. I have never been as scared for my own safety as when on some of those tracks.
BeigeWolf
1/20/2012 1:59 PM
DANG, ZIEGMAN HAS BEEN SCARY TO WATCH FOR OVER A DECADE!
Northshore0909
1/20/2012 1:40 PM
I remember racing down the rock highway, that was a fun section of trail, just solid rock for 100 yards or so! I think that was a Gravity East race or a collegiate race.
deadatbirth
1/20/2012 1:27 PM
i remember eating sh!t in the Yard Sale because someone passed me in the entrance then crashed blocking my line. it was even worse when i made it into one of the Chain Reaction video's crash section. bring back the old school gnar!
big bear
1/20/2012 1:21 PM
See what you can do with cameras that ACTUALLY ZOOM kids?! Everything looks exciting but it takes talent to film with these. Lovin' the history stories from vital!
Sven Martin
1/20/2012 1:01 PM
Wow cool to see how fast the OG's Colin Bailey, Dustin Adam, Ponozzo, Kirkaldie were in those Synopsis clips. Thats how big Norbas were back then, they chose NCS over World Cup series.
motomike
1/20/2012 12:32 PM
2005 stands out for me, as it was (and still is) the fastest most brutal track I have ever seen. Luckily I think it was close to a Ste. Anne WC race so lots of the big dogs showed up to throw down. The Hondas did well there, haha.
nh dude
1/20/2012 12:29 PM
Living in NH and racing xc then dh in HS and college sent me to Mt Snow many times. Nothing was more spectacular than the atmosphere Big Pits Big Rigs Big Names Big Course. The "waterfall" section was always my fav with tons of lines down the slippery surface before plopping back into rut mud and grass. Pulled a top 10 in 05 and mid pack in 07 as a semi great times. Camping at Haystack was always interesting too.
TSage
1/20/2012 11:44 AM
I remember the course being so sick, then it rained harder then I've ever seen for 5 minutes and it was the sloppiest ever. In the race, I flatted 6 feet out of the gate which i was almost stoked happened cause i was terrified of the mud.
k.shiz
1/20/2012 11:26 AM
Crazy coincidence- I almost never have dreams about riding bikes but just two or three days ago, I had a dream that I had beefed it super hard in a fast section of Vermont under the lift and Matt Thompson heckled me from the chair above saying that I had a lot of mud and feces in my face guard.
Rich_Houseman
1/20/2012 11:16 AM
Gary compound fractured his ankle, I've broke a rib. Gnarly track, that demanded respect. I have a vivid memory of my first year on Tomac, and following Johnny T through the open Grassy turns under the lift. Full two wheel drifts, feet out, hauling ass, slamming water bars! Woke me up quick.
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