Squallywood | The Book | Straightlines of Squaw

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We’ve gone through the most heralded lines on the mountain, and we’ve looked at the raddest hucks. Now it’s time for some speed! Squaw is known for a lot of things, and going as fast as humanely possible is one of them. There’s no shortage of pointer’s at Squaw, and at any given level of snow found on the mountain, there’s some straightline that will either make your powder day, or scare the living sh*@ out of you.

Straightlines are a funny thing, especially is you are a transplant from the right coast. Anyone ever meet someone in Squaw from Vermont? No kidding, you’ve met a bunch of them? Huh. Strange. So anyway, yeah, straightlining on the east coast? Not so much. That all changes when you come to Squaw, and you can really work your way up through the ranks of fun factor, difficulty, and consequence depending on how rad you want to get.

skier: Dr. Robb Gaffney. photo: Dr. Grant Kaye Photography

Straightlining changes dramatically with each storm. Ice Fall in the Fingers is not the same ride in December as it is in April, especially in a year like this. Same goes with Banana, and a host of other rowdy pointers that fill in and become less difficult as more snow plasters them over the course of the season. They’re still fun, they just ski with a different feel.

photo: tetongravity.com

But even with a ton of snow, some lines are always fun to straighten’em out, and leave nothing but 11’s in. The Palisades are such an example, with their ominous feel, tight narrow corridors, and smooth run out below. Mainline Pocket is also a fun place to work on short, dynamic pointers with a great run-out below.

skier: Dr. Robb Gaffney. photo: Dr. Grant Kaye Photography

On the scary side a few obvious lines come to mind: No Ways, Frogs and Toads, and the middle of McConkey’s. In low snow levels Patrol Chute (GCP), Deadman’s, and Slitoris can be burly! When snow levels are high, you can make turns down the Needle in C2, but at the start of the season, point this one and you’re going for a fast ride out into C2 bowl. Light Towers runs like the Blizzard Line and the Governor (when’s the last time you saw someone hit that up?) will always have a bit of spice to them. There’s so many options…

skier: Dr. Robb Gaffney. photo: Dr. Grant Kaye Photography

Several staff members are going with Frogs and Toads for “fastest factor”, and Patrol Chute (GCP) for fun factor.

So what do you all think?

Favorite pointer’s on the mountain? Scariest ones? Lines you might like better earlier or later in the season? What do you hope to hit next year, or what made your season this year?