Whiteface - Lookout Mountain...estimated opening?

Hi - I really love skiing Lookout Mountain and was wondering if anyone had an idea or best guess estimate for when its ropes will drop?

It's hard to say right now ... they haven't started snowmaking up there yet. Once they do, it typically takes about 7-10 days of snowmaking to get the Wilmington Trail open.

Assuming the weather holds out, and we don't have any more significant warm-ups, I'd think it's pretty safe to say that it will be open for Martin Luther King weekend, maybe a few days earlier. It's going to be interesting to see whether they go back and continue snowmaking on Skyward before heading to Lookout Mountain. Skyward is open, and there's plenty of snow on it, but they DEFINITELY need to get back up there to get it open edge to edge.

Opening Wilmington is like opening up everything off of Little Whiteface down to the mid mtn lodge....its a long trail that needs a lot of snow....i hope that they blow Skyward some more and then put the guns on Wilmington on Wednesday.  The crew has done a great job with the weather fluctuations...and Wilderness was a blast today and yesterday.

Face4Me wrote

Assuming the weather holds out, and we don't have any more significant warm-ups, I'd think it's pretty safe to say that it will be open for Martin Luther King weekend, maybe a few days earlier.

... or maybe not.

Yeah - i was looking to make the trip up to gore and whiteface for MLK but with this upcoming weather I may have to do Killington

DCskibum wrote

Yeah - i was looking to make the trip up to gore and whiteface for MLK but with this upcoming weather I may have to do Killington

I think that you will have a great time at Killington if that is where you decide to go.  It is the best mountain on the east coast IMO.  However, you may hear some negative talk about Killington and the rest of Vermont if you say that you are going there instead of Whiteface or Gore.  Just ignore it.

snoloco wrote

DCskibum wrote

Yeah - i was looking to make the trip up to gore and whiteface for MLK but with this upcoming weather I may have to do Killington

I think that you will have a great time at Killington if that is where you decide to go.  It is the best mountain on the east coast IMO.  However, you may hear some negative talk about Killington and the rest of Vermont if you say that you are going there instead of Whiteface or Gore.  Just ignore it.

My young friend has much to learn..Ask dad to stay on rt100n.. Ski a couple of those hills and report back to us..

snoloco wrote

DCskibum wrote

Yeah - i was looking to make the trip up to gore and whiteface for MLK but with this upcoming weather I may have to do Killington

I think that you will have a great time at Killington if that is where you decide to go.  It is the best mountain on the east coast IMO.  However, you may hear some negative talk about Killington and the rest of Vermont if you say that you are going there instead of Whiteface or Gore.  Just ignore it.

Yeah - I like Killington a bunch but not on holidays. Booked a super cheap flight months ago to Albany which is about equal distance to both for MLK and was planning on WF/Gore until the weather turned. IMO Sugarloaf and Jay Peak are the best in the east.

My question is, how much difference in cost is it to fly to DEN or SLC..At least you will be guaranteed snow and no rain..

JasonWx wrote

My question is, how much difference in cost is it to fly to DEN or SLC..At least you will be guaranteed snow and no rain..

$180 round trip DC to Albany. Im originally from Rochester, NY so having ski buddies pick me up at the airport is a plus.
I booked SLC round trip from DCA for the last week of January for $350. (SLC - MLK was in the $450 range)

Gotcha...

snoloco wrote

 Killington   It is the best mountain on the east coast IMO.  

i thought mt crick was, and you cant count tomorrow as a ski day yet!

Still no snowmaking on Wilmington even though temps are cold now.  If they don't start on it soon, then it might not open at all this year.

How do you come to this conclusion? Has there ever been a season where it never opened?

I seem to remember that in the 11/12 non winter it opened on 1/21.  They have a boatload of resurfacing to do before they even attempt Lookout.  When this finally happens, it may open by 1/25 at the earliest.  This proves that this season is worse than 11/12.  Then they need to blow Hoyt's and Lookout Below which will take even longer.  Once February comes, most mountains stop expanding and only resurface.  This is how I came to this conclusion

Kid you gotta lighten up - starting to think nj or whoever was right....

At this point and until it actually start really snowing I would say they should not even think of blowing Wilmington Trail.  It just takes too much resources for a so-so trail that easily gets skied off.  So many more trails need snow that are much better skiing.  That trail also sucks up Patrol resources to put up and maintain nets that are not going to really stop anyone from going over the edge of the narrow sections.

Before you bash me would you rather have Upper and Lower Mac open or Wilmington trail?  Well they can blow all of Mac plus upper and lower Skyward with less snow than it takes to open Wilmington trail.  The way things are going what is really important?  Lookout just is not.

While I'm on this subject the 20+ foot whales blown on Brookside are a huge waste of snow when that snow is needed so many other places.  The park is way less important than the main arteries of the ski area especially with a Holiday weekend upon us.  Terrible decison there by management.

pro2860 wrote

How do you come to this conclusion? Has there ever been a season where it never opened?

I'll bet you a beer that when you and the Cortland crew get here it will be open.
I got a good feeling...just sayin

snoloco wrote

I seem to remember that in the 11/12 non winter it opened on 1/21.  They have a boatload of resurfacing to do before they even attempt Lookout.  When this finally happens, it may open by 1/25 at the earliest.  This proves that this season is worse than 11/12.  Then they need to blow Hoyt's and Lookout Below which will take even longer.  Once February comes, most mountains stop expanding and only resurface.  This is how I came to this conclusion

Young dude be careful, folks gonna start calling you Little Benny.

ausable skier wrote

At this point and until it actually start really snowing I would say they should not even think of blowing Wilmington Trail.  It just takes too much resources for a so-so trail that easily gets skied off.  So many more trails need snow that are much better skiing.  That trail also sucks up Patrol resources to put up and maintain nets that are not going to really stop anyone from going over the edge of the narrow sections.

Before you bash me would you rather have Upper and Lower Mac open or Wilmington trail?  Well they can blow all of Mac plus upper and lower Skyward with less snow than it takes to open Wilmington trail.  The way things are going what is really important?  Lookout just is not.

While I'm on this subject the 20+ foot whales blown on Brookside are a huge waste of snow when that snow is needed so many other places.  The park is way less important than the main arteries of the ski area especially with a Holiday weekend upon us.  Terrible decison there by management.

You're entitled to your opinions so no bashin from me. I just want to know how many times are you going to quit this forum forever and then come back?