Trail of Tears Contest

In the December 2002 (15.4) issue of SNOWBOARDER, we asked readers to send in trail names that evoked flashbacks of rag dolling over icy moguls, losing all your vital snowboard parts, getting kissed in the back of the head by the edge of your board, and ending up at the bottom of the run in a fit of rage. Well, you guys did just that and provided us with a slew of spine-tingling trail names. Although the decision was tough to begin with, it was made more difficult by the fact that our pick for the best name was sent in by several readers. So, we threw the names in a hat and this is what turned up: Will Nathaniel Murphy of Missoula, Montana, please stand up? Congratulations to Mr. Murphy for finding TOHELLURIDE on the peak of Big Sky, Montana. This name is so gnarly we heard just saying it could cause an onset of cold sweats, confusion, and possibly a coma. A good point was brought up by one of the entries: Why shed tears over a single run when you could do it over a whole mountain? Namely one in Utah that still thinks snowboarding is just a crazy fad that will soon die out. They just don't understand snowboarding yet, but don't fear, their better senses will hit them soon. Anyway, thanks for playing our game and be on the lookout for future mind-warping contests from your devoted SNOWBOARDER staff.

Honorable Mentions:
Organ Grinder. Snowbird, UT. Submitted by Phil James
Devil's Backbone. Mt. Bachelor, OR. Submitted by Cyle Barnhart
Huevos Grande. Mammoth Mountain, CA. Submitted by Zack Lundgren
Cemetery Gates. Ragged Mountain, NH. Submitted by Jenn O'Leary
Butcher Block Rock. Alpine Meadows, CA. Submitted by Eric Smith
Rock Garden. Arapahoe Basin, CO. Submitted by Matt Spiech
The Black Hole. Smuggler' Notch, VT. Submitted by Pat Jones
Skid Row. Brundage Mountain, ID. Submitted by Jordan Knapp
Plunge. Telluride, CO. Submitted by Alex Nawrocky