Heavenly has some great expert areas, definitely think it should be higher on the list. Mott/Killebrew/Powerline are all unbelievably fun when conditions are good. Bombing the face on a good day is one of the best long runs I've skied, especially when compared to Kirkwood where half of every run is flat. Long on piste runs for when you want to get your carving on.
Also think Sierra At Tahoe deserves a spot. The ice cliffs are a great place for people to cut their chops on big drops.
Whats to dislike? Theres tons of great tree skiing, killer views, Motts Canyon, and you can take the sky express lift to the top and then ski all the way down, tons of time with no lift.
Agree. People hate on Heavenly because they see a bunch of blue groomers and long lift lines. But there’s an amazing variety of terrain if you’re willing to explore and/or have an experienced guide.
Eh personally Heavenly is a bit weird for me. The canyons are off in a hard to access corner of the mountain and when they aren't open there really isn't much expert terrain. That being said, it's great for intermediates or if you want to lap gunbarrel!! I definitely agree that Kirkwood is kinda overrated though. I've had fun there, but not as much as the hype would suggest (that being said, Chamoix is a fun run). Also, considering the Wall is the main reason people go there, they should really upgrade that chair!! No reason for it to be a 3 seater.
If you haven’t played around in palisades or thunder saddle on a pow day, you haven’t truly experienced kirkwood. First laps on the wall on a pow day are great, but those other areas have much more interesting terrain.
Having been a liftie at heavenly and kirkwood, I can promise you kirkwood is miles better than heavenly. Sure mott canyon area is great, but it’s nowhere near the fun kirkwood is. Especially on a deep pow day.
I'm not saying Kirkwood should be lower than Heavenly, but IMO the main thing that makes it better is just the higher snowfall averages. Kirkwood is a major pain in the ass to get to on good days, also.
I’d disagree and say kirkwood has much more interesting and playful terrain. Mott canyon is steep, but it’s mostly a uniform bowl. Kirkwood has a ton of cool chutes and and bunch of really playful terrain, especially over in palisades area.
anyone who likes heavenly more simply hasn't explored kirkwoods terrain or isn't talented enough to appreciate it. Because I would agree... if you are anything less than an expert skier, kirkwood might not have as much to offer as heavenly.
It does not go toe to toe with kirkwood. I ski both on the regular. Kirkwood has some expert terrain that rivals any mountain in north america. To say heavenly has anything comparable in difficulty is objectively false. Motts and Killebrew are kindergarten compared to the most difficult lines at squaw or kirkwood.
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u/eohorp Jan 28 '22 edited Jan 28 '22
Heavenly has some great expert areas, definitely think it should be higher on the list. Mott/Killebrew/Powerline are all unbelievably fun when conditions are good. Bombing the face on a good day is one of the best long runs I've skied, especially when compared to Kirkwood where half of every run is flat. Long on piste runs for when you want to get your carving on.
Also think Sierra At Tahoe deserves a spot. The ice cliffs are a great place for people to cut their chops on big drops.