Hunter Mountain Secret Trail Photo Gallery by Mike Tokyo at pbase.com

Hunter Mountain Secret Trail

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This is a gallery of photos taken at the Hunter Mountain Ski Area at a side of the mountain called Hunter West. This part of the ski area is exclusively advanced skiing and most of Hunter's top expert trails can be found here. Hunter West has little direct exposure to the sun. It is also the most windy and cold part of the ski area, so it is not uncommon for conditions to be very icy.

This gallery features an area few skiers at Hunter know about that can be reached from Hunter West, either from the hiking trail leading to the true summit of Hunter Mountain from the vicinity of the Hunter West chairlift, or from a traverse through the woods from the top of the Annapurna ski trail. I call this area the Hunter Mountain Secret Trail.

I became aware of the Secret Trail when skiing Annapurna one powder day. I heard whoops and hollers from above the trail around the side of the ridge. From the chairlift, the outlines of a trail can be seen through the woods. From arial photos, it is unmistakable. The genesis of the Secret Trail is probably a cut made for a lift for future expansion of the West Side of the ski area. I recall trail maps from the 1980s featuring a Trail X going off at a diagnal line up the mountain from the Hunter West base. The development of this area did not occur after the initial cut was bulldozed, however, resort plans show that this area will be developed in the future.

The favorable exposure on this side of the mountain ensures that natural snow accumulates and does not quickly melt. In any but the worst snowfall years, there is an abundance of snow which enables skiers to traverse over to the trail and the open hardwood glades to its left (skier's left) which leads to a scenic ravine known as Taylor Hollow, drained by Taylor Brook. An old woods road takes you to a run-out at the bottom or the ravine leading to the Hunter West chairlifts.

The Secret Trail is well known among the Hunter cognoscenti, some of whom are not very pleased to see this page on the internet and have shared their opinions below. I don't care to debate whether or not this page should exist. My only motivation for doing this is to share with my friends and family, the same as for the rest of my photos. If you have enjoyed viewing the information and photos on this page, then that's alright too.

Aerial View	Topo Map	Hunter Map

			View from 23A

comment |

Mike Tokyo		02-Jan-2011 04:59
Guest- Thanks for your thoughtful and open-minded comment. Originally this gallery was meant to be just something I wanted to share with my friends and family. Then some people found out about it and deemed it a affront to appropriate Web behavior about off piste skiing in the skiing Mecca called Hunter Mountain. I found this reaction so ridiculous that I added the fake disclaimer at the top of the gallery page. I haven't skied it since the photos were taken, but why not keep it cleared from tree growth. It's a pretty nice diversion from the in-bound Hunter trails. Mike

Guest		31-Dec-2010 18:45
I would just like to say Thanks to Mike for posting this! All the comments you get below show everything that is wrong with the ski-community here in the US (I am from Europe and skiied there for 26 years and is very suprised by the unwillingness to share information about "stashes" here in the NE). The problem is that people like Bill etc. wants to have all the good stuff for himself instead of sharing everything that is good about skiing - thus making more people interested in the sport. If more people got interested in bc skiing I am sure resorts would try to open more "side-country areas" if there was demand for it. All you haters are worried that it gets skied up - well it has been 6-7 years now and the actual trail is overgrown because it has not been skied enough and no one has cleared it (there are still great glades to the side of it). If bc skiing should ever become as large on the east coast as it is in other places in the world maybe we should instead tell people about it and share the wonderful experience instead of trying to be "secret" and exclusive. And for people that are so concerned about first tracks - well wake up early and skin up then or go skiing where it is gnarly enough that no one else can ski it - I was a pro for 4 years so I know what I am talking about.

dea136		21-Dec-2010 20:57
Did anyone ever consider that leaking this to a small group of people who seek out this stuff is a good thing? We could use some help clearing out the seasonal brush with some experienced skiers.

Mike Tokyo		05-Feb-2010 04:48
Thank you Mike for a great update. If you can upload the vid to YouTube or elsewhere we'll look for your link.

ibmike150		03-Feb-2010 17:38
a couple weeks ago i had 1st tracks in the snow that i knew of, there was a snowshoer that went the other way but we hiked across the top of the mtn on the mtnbike trail and some other tail for an hour or so... but it was tricky going down, alot of sumac and crap in the way but it was very fun, could use a large truck to go down the trail and bust up some of those trees... i have some photos and videos form the adventure. this is on the walk over there in a couple feet of powder... anyone who says that this trail will get skied over by alot of people have not done the hike over there, it will filter out the weak ones. the video size that i have is too large to send but ill upload them on my computer later.

dallas31orkyle34		29-Jan-2010 00:33
maybe it's time for some old school northeast bushwacking, trail clearing at the appropriate time to keep this trail alive. why isn't hunter doing more to expand or bring in terrain...not like they can't make enough snow -- even for a glade...

nyc skier		13-Jan-2010 02:08
i was at hunter this past weekend and i was reminded why i have avoided this place for years...no natural snow. i've skied this trail many years aga and indeed, it is way overgrown. my ski's were destroyed and i almost broke my wrist on a rock i fell onto. hunter is just not like northern new england that get 3x as much snow. maybe if there a 2 foot plus dump on top of several feet fallen later in the year, i might give it a go, but only with my "rock " skis. just pathetic, you must have scored this after a huge dump. it is too overgrown now. i didn't have a camera and no iphone, no pics. the other side that was mentioned gets too much sun, even worse snow depth. unless you don't care about your ski's or body, go ahead, just make sure to ride with someone or tell ski patro where you are going first. backcountry riding needs snow depth and hunter does not have it, ever. be careful. i don't even know what i was thinking on sunday. even your pics show that it is all tracked anyway, retarded to waste my time, i'm seriously bummed and now have to speand $50 to get my core shots filled and ski's tuned. yes, i'm lazy:) i don't do it myself.

Mike Tokyo		07-Jan-2010 17:09
This will be very helpful to see. Do you have any other websites for your photos such as Facebook, Flickr, Picassa or Photobucket? These are all free sites. Also you can try out Pbase.com (this website) for free for 30 days. I haven't been to this trail since 2003 and am curious whether or not it is getting overgrown. There were some nice open glades to the left of the trail as well when I was last there.

Guest		06-Jan-2010 03:38
i took some pictures on my iPhone but i dont know how to post them on the site. but the first few yards of the trail was fine, then there were more and more skinny trees then it became really thick, too close together to fit a snowboard through. so i climbed up a pine tree that was growing on the trail and then when i looked down the trail it was all overgrown in trees

Mike Tokyo		05-Jan-2010 21:20
Guest, please post a link to some pics of what you saw. Didn't you bring your iPhone or anything? Enquiring minds want to know!

Guest		05-Jan-2010 03:27
i was just on this today and it was impossible to go down. it is completely covered in trees now to narrow to fit in between throughout the whole trail.

Mike Tokyo		04-Jan-2010 00:32
Sure, just take the snowshoe trail from the top of the summit quad and it will lead you there. Sorry the route from the summit to K27 is requires a triple secret password and permission of the the Hunter Mountain Backcountry Stash Club a/k/a HM ski patrol and friends. Study the terrain closely from F lift and you should be able to see some routes. Go with at one or two people in case you have any problems.

Guest		31-Dec-2009 17:09
I so want to do this but this seems like this is not so secret. From looking at the topo and ariel view why do you suggest coming in midway on this trai?? Can you hike to the true Hunter Summit and drop in ?? If so is there a trail from lift F to the true summit of Hunter and how long does it take to hike it?? One other question. I have been reading guys ski from the true Hunter summit back down to Lower K27. Any info on this?? Would love to start skiing something different at Hunter and a bit more challenging. Tuckermans is a long drive so was thinking this area might be somewhat of a fix. Any info would be appreciated.

Guest		16-Feb-2009 16:00
Mike, A number of years ago I skiied the hiking trail from the top the ski area, up to the summit fire tower. Defiantly a nice trip, its a different world from the ski slopes, its another 800ft vertical climb. It was fun looking down at the top of Colonels chair, and see everyone skiing from what they think is the top of the mountain. As I recall the trail was a road at least part of the way, and not particularly treacherous as far as back woods roads go, but you do have to use common sense, have good snow, and be willing to sit down, and bale out when it gets too steep. I did it late in the day (not too smart), but when I got back down the to slopes the place was closed, So ended up skiing downhill a over of 3 miles, with a 2400ft drop without seeing another person, except for some kids sled riding near the condos at the bottom. Howie

TheWoodsman		21-Aug-2008 16:05
All, I've returned after a few years to read the followup commentary posted on this site. It seems noone has tried what I have reccomended. The bottom line is the secret trail is a no longer a secret. Have you tried to ski the hiking trails on the real Hunter ?(i.e.-not the hill that everyone currently ski's on which is 1.5 miles from the real Summit of Hunter). The Woodsman

Maxfurie		24-Sep-2006 17:01
Cool info, cool pix. Ignore negative comments, how does any skier learn anything unless someone tells them? You can see the trail from the lift anyhow! Nice to see the topographic, great for those who want to do and not fret about letting out some quasi-secret. This is one of the things that makes Hunter truly great and the more mountains you go around skiing in North America the sooner one comes to this realization. Rock on!

pyrallis		22-Sep-2006 03:52
never did ski hunter, think i will this season. out of all the comments posted no one really officially commented on the quality of the "secret" trail - My question: Is it worth finding and more importantly is it worth skiing? wondering

TheWoodsman		14-Apr-2006 02:21
All, I don't see the concern about the secret trail...I think it looks like a pansy path. If you want some real skiiing, hike from the upper lift to the summit of hunter with your skis and go down becker hollow or the old logging road. If there is alot of snow, ski down devils path. Be careful or you will break your neck. Good luck~! Websites like this are great.

Jared		12-Apr-2006 17:54
I've been skiing at Hunter for 13 of the 15 years of my life. Not once have I gotten to ski the "secret" or "x" trail as some call it. I've heard rumors that originally it was cut out for a high speed quad, and that if Hunter ever gets funding from the state, it'll become a reality. I wish Hunter would expand onto the real Hunter Mtn to its left (looking up at the mountain). My friend told me of him hiking across, and skiing it in fresh powder, then hiking back up and down the ravine to end up at the bottom of Lower K. I think it's great that somebody put up a site for it. I probably will never get to ski it, as most of my time at Hunter is devoted to gate training (race team) and when the training is finally over, there's no powder. Thanks Mike for putting up these pictuers.

XxX		20-Dec-2005 02:29
Please take this site off the internet before the whole world finds out about the trail and gets skied over like every other trail at Hunter. rEtaRD

Guest		03-Aug-2004 19:57
The Great Pyramids. Stonehenge. The "Secret" Hunter Trail. At least one of these Worldly mysteries is solved. Considering an area management cleared, plainly visible, lift accessible trail as a "secret stash" is akin to comparing the borough of Manhattan to the lost city of Atlantis. When a web page becomes harder to find then this "local secret", it doesn't seem like much of a secret. If only we could get this budding Warren Miller Tokyo to help solve these other great mysteries. But make no mistake - the extreme danger is real. A friends, Sister's roommate met a friend at a local lounge on the upper East side who told of her near death experience. She had diligently followed the directions to access this skiing nirvana when danger reared it's ugly head. She quickly became disorientated, loosing her bearings she began fearing for her life while remembering the "Alive" story from South America. In her futile attempt to navigate down the treacherous trail, she slipped on some slippery white substance (Snow?) The resulting tumble nearly ripped her Dolce & Gabbanna ski outfit and her brand new graphic shape skis suffered "scratchiness" on both the top and bottom. Adding insult to "injury"- Her precious Dean and Deluca mocha spilled out of her Patagonia thermos, and she was forced to make her pilgrimage back to the city with only local mini mart caffeine. Even the heated seats in her Range Rover did little to sooth the suffering. I for one have cancelled my Alaska heli trip, forgone Jackson Hole plans, and laughed off a New Zealand invite. I will be down at the secret local watering hole "______ Village Inn" aka "HVI's" trying to buy local confidence to unlock more secrets of the great Hunter expanse...

DMC		13-Jul-2004 01:21
The other thing about your "Secret Trail" is when snow depths are low there are nasty little pungy sticks that can do SERIOUS damage if you fall... These sticks are just below the snow normally... I've seen and the damage that they can do... Last thing you want to do is a take a pungy stick to the ass... another problem with this exposure is that it tends to crust over really thickly due to wind... Again.. I've seen people hurt themselves badly attempting to ski this trail.. One girl blew both knees out attempting it... You open this place up to people who don't ski or ride well and they risk injury... You found this run on a good day.. I'd really consider taking this page down before soeone gets hurt badly...

steve		13-Jul-2004 00:53
Mike, I'm just going to assume that you've made an innocent mistake by putting these pictures on the web site, so I will explain. In the skiers' subculture, the secrets that ski areas have to offer are valued and not disclosed to just anyone. There are some very good reasons about the secrecy, such as the inherent dangers of skiing in portions of the ski area not covered by ski patrol. Please honor the request of the people you call "die hards" and remove this gallery. There's a reason that its called a "secret" trail. Thanks.

Guest		12-Jul-2004 21:05
No offense, but you're a MORON!

Bill		12-Jul-2004 20:24
Mike, Maybe you're not aware, but that's a "backwood stash" you've displayed on the internet for all to see. It's OK to take someone there and show them where to ski/ride, but it's very bad form to just post it online. There's little enough backcountry skiing around Hunter as it is without something like this. I know you put some work into this, but could you remove this gallery from the web? Bill P.S. if you want to discuss this, please email me. The email above works fine, I just broke it up so the skimmers won't find it and spam me.

click on thumbnails for full image