Gore Vs. Whiteface - Battle Royale Edition

This thread is worthless without some picture evidence.

Raymo40 wrote

Wait. So more people go to Gore. Wonder why that is?  A mountian better suited to all kinds of skier,not just experts perhaps.

Ray

I think you misunderstand the premise of the battle royale.  In SKI Magazine's Survey it is looking for the over all mountain suited to all levels.  The Survey that I set up is more slanted to what the NYSB readership is interested in.  From that I've learned that we are a hard core and strong skiing group.  My take for this battle is that greens and blues while nice don't matter this is about the goods and while at Gore that may mean blues at Whiteface its is about the Blacks and Double Blacks.  That is why Whiteface the best.

I've skied both WF and Gore at least 20 or so times. I prefer Gore. WF is big, but the trails are often windswept. The "Iceface" moniker has a basis in reality. I also truly dislike the long runout back to the base. It feels like I'm skiing the same 3 trails all day long because if you want to ski the full vertical, you're stuck on the same handful of trails to the bottom. the new Lookout Triple adds a LOT to what WF has to offer. There's some great terrain there. On the whole though, none of the steeps at WF are really all that steep. Certainly none of the gondola and Cloudspin and Skyward are certainly not an adrenaline rush despite being amongst the most beautiful runs in the East. I have never had an opportunity to ski the Slides because, frankly, they're hardly ever open.

As for Gore, it's closer to me so that's certainly a slight edge. However, purely on the ski experience, I prefer Gore. The knock is shorter (BUT STEEPER) runs. No disagreement there. I think Gore skis bigger than it is because it's wider. I love all the little pods of terrain, particularly the High Peaks and Straightbrook areas. I prefer the variety of offerings at Gore despite the fact that Gore get slightly less snow and has less vertical.

In the end, the test for me is where would I build a house. I'd much prefer to have a ski house at Gore than at WF because I wouldn't get bored with the terrain as quickly. Of course, to each his own.

CUontheslopes131 wrote

I
As for Gore, it's closer to me so that's certainly a slight edge. However, purely on the ski experience, I prefer Gore. The knock is shorter (BUT STEEPER) runs. No disagreement there.

that's just crazy talk.  Gore is not steeper.  

Raymo40 wrote

Wait. So more people go to Gore. Wonder why that is?  A mountian better suited to all kinds of skier,not just experts perhaps.

or the fact you are much closer to the hordes!  Suburban nation just down the northway bro!  wait another 5 years till Global Foundaries is cranking!  UB inundated Texas style!

Ok ok Whiteface has the vertical no denying that.  But that's the problem were is the variety? Steep is fun don't get me wrong Gore just has more varied terrain imo. If I want steep go ski Rumor. Ok it shorter but it steep and usually full of bumps. Lies and Topridge both have decent pitch. Old school blacks head over to the dark side. Long cruzin black Sagamore.
Lets talk glades. WF 6  Gore 15. Most all of them black. Even you WF guys gotta admit we have better glades. Go down Mineshaft glade for some fun.  Like I said I like steep, I also like steak but I don't want to eat it everyday. Variety is the spice of life.  That's why Gore wins.

WF hands down. Gore is to chopped up, no long sustained vert, to many flat traverses. However I really do enjoy going mach 2 under the showcase triple, WF really doesn't have anything that compares to that. WF can be icy, but spring skiing at the face is second to none .

endoftheline wrote

spring skiing at the face is second to none .

+1

Gore Review

Gore has changed massively in the last 12 years. During the 1980s and 1990s, Gore's UMPs where basically ignored. Liftlines were pretty bad on the Straightbrook double, the North Double, and the High Peaks double and the Gondola. The only lift with out regular lift lines was the HS3. One major improvement was getting the pipe into the Hudson River for water. When the Straightbrook Double broke in the early 1990s it was replaced with another double. The following year they turned it into a quad along with the turning the North double into a quad. These adjustments eliminated lines.

Once the new Gondola was installed it allowed Gore to open up Bear Peak with the goal of eliminating Gore's main flat spot on Cloud just above the Saddle Lodge. The addition of the triple on Bear created a whole new pod to ski on.

Sagamore on Burnt Ridge and HSQ created some new annoying flat spots way longer than Cloud. The reward of Burnt Ridge is worth it , but the connectors really suck.

Many people constantly comment on Gore's lack of sustained vertical, including comments in this thread. This is just not an accurate description of Gore. The Gondola is 1700 vert, the HS3 Adirondack express is 1500 vert and the Burnt Ridge HSQ is 1432 vert. Most of this sustained vertical on these lifts happens to be blue skiing. Burnt Ridge's trail Sagamore is rated a black, but should be a blue (unless it is fully moguled). All these high speed lifts serve 250 acres of superb green and blue trails with a few easy black trails thrown in and multiple choices for glades. These trails are at different altitudes and face different directions allowing skiers to find what best suits there needs.

The peak of Gore supports multiple black and double black trails and glades. Straightbrook is a wind protected section with wide (Rumor, Lies,Hawkeye) and funky (Chatiemac, Double Barrel) trails and a boat load of glades all served by a short (2630 ft) steep (900 vert) quad that never has a liftline. The other side of the peak is the well known High Peaks area that includes the famed Darkside Glades. This area has the old school twisty trails full of funk and double fall lines. These two areas are where Gore earns its rap about short vertical and runs. But it is also where experts can frolic all day on a weekend and find a different uncrowded line each run.

The main face of Gore served by the Gondola and the HS3 has some of the best blue cruisers in the East. These are the type of trails are missing at WF. With Echo and Sagamore groomed you add two more great cruisers to an already stacked lineup. For mellower blue and green skiers there is the North Side pod. This wind protected section contains  the best low blue and green trails on the mountain all in a self contained pod. The snow is usually awesome as the trails mostly face north or NE. This is served by the too slow, never crowded, North Quad (3765 ft long, 750 vert).
There is a very nice glade in this pod and at the bottom there is a long connector to get down to either the Old Ski Bowl pod or the bottom of Burnt Ridge.

The Ski Bowl pod at the very bottom of Gore is served by a 3600 ft long, 900 vert triple. It serves some  trails that have been in existance since the 1930s. This includes some steep and not so steep trails.

Comparing Gore and WF is like comparing apples and oranges. More people will be happy at Gore than at WF as more people fall into the intermediate rating. There might be more acres of blue terrain at Gore than total acres of skiing at WF. For the hard core sustained expert runs WF gets the nod. If you are going with a family of blue square cruisers, Gore gets the nod. The weather is better at Gore which improves your odds of having a great skiing experience.

  well said

Very good.  Gore should publish that and use it for marketing sans the whiteface blows.



Whiteface wins.

tjf1967 wrote

Very good.  Gore should publish that and use it for marketing sans the whiteface blows.



Whiteface wins.

 +1

oh my TJF and I agree about something.  Actually I think we probably have quite a bit in common except I'm not 5 feet tall.

If you want to measure a ski area by its blues i agree that Gore may be better than WF.  But since I put on my big boy pants and can rip that is not how I measure things.  Expert terrain is what counts.  If the trees are good I have an enjoyable day at Gore.  If not I get bored really fast.

Coach Z wrote

endoftheline wrote

spring skiing at the face is second to none .

+1

Not Always. Weather is always a factor at WF.

Here is a trip report from March 26,2010.

Most of what was groomed stayed petrified all day. Some sections that had sun all day softened up. Some of the trails were corduroy and some were frozen ice balls that never broke up.
 •Excelsior: ok, but very hard
 •Essex: groomed, hard, small bumps, ice balls
 •U Northway: closed
 •L Northway: ice highway
 •Approach: tilted hockey rink
 •Mtn Run/Thruway/Drapers: tilted hockey rink
 •Cloudspin and Skyward: closed top to bottom
 •Parons: OK as it faces the sun
 •Victoria: 1/2 groomed, bumps were petrified
 
All the trails that run near the Face Lift (Valley, River Run, Fox, Lower Gap, L Mackenzie) remained frozen all day.
 
Lookout was opened midday. It was my first time up there. Wilmington was the only open trail. I cannot believe it’s rated a blue. It’s long and it has some steep sections with some visually scary cliffs on both sides of the trail. It reminds me of some of the trails at Hunter. Skier’s left has a weak fence and some big drops.
 
Lookout below was not open. I saw a tentative ski patrol on it and I saw another skier dip his foot in and climb back up.
 
Despite the ice, I still had a great day. The sun was out and the trails were empty. They were still charging to park and there were about 10 cars in the lot, but I suspect the cars belonged to employees as they were still there when I left at 4:30pm. The bar had 1 guy at the bar and a table of about 5 people. Rockin.

now your going a little bit overboard.  

You made gore out for what it is.  A great intermidieate mountain that can keep the skiers of all levels happy.  

tjf1967 wrote

You made gore out for what it is.  A great intermidieate mountain that can keep the skiers of all levels happy.

One time, as a beginner, I went to Whiteface. I was extremely sad and stormed away crying.

That is a very sad story

ausable skier wrote

oh my TJF and I agree about something.  Actually I think we probably have quite a bit in common except I'm not 5 feet tall.

I laughed.  And this time it wasn't at you AS!

tBatt wrote

One time, as a beginner, I went to Whiteface. I was extremely sad and stormed away crying.

Did your mommy not change your diaper or something???  

Attn:


your posts are helpful but way to long.  I'm sure I missed some good stuff in there but I read blogs for quick bursts of info and laughs.

OK, since the Slides are without question one of the most unique features in the northeast and can out-gnar Gore (maybe the Gondi line compares?), what is the best straight up snowmaking mogul trail at each?

This is great, I'm going to ski both this year with all these notes.