Gore Mtn, NY: 4/10/11

Full Trip Report

Epic spring bumps and tree skiing at a very cool mountain with great company. I am beat! There could not have been a better weekend for my first swing through New York!

Ski Day 35: We dawdled as long as we could this morning.  Drained the pipes, packed everything for departure right from the mountain, and had breakfast at Cafe Sarah...



I have to admit, I felt the pressure to show our guest from New Hampshire a good time.  Riverc0il is a level 10 skier, who roams the most challenging terrain from Maine to Vermont, and I definitely wanted him to come away feeling that the drive into New York was worth his effort.

We worked the hill in the usual order ... a run at the bottom on Sunway, and then down Uncas, and Topridge...



And then up to the top to check out the trees...


Straightbrook

We ran into Kirby and Martha, and started to follow them around. All the steep stuff was skiing well...


Kirby on Lies


Martha on Lies

Everyone was diggin' Double Barrel...


Double Barrel




Gutcheck time for Riverc0il at the top of New York's Steepest Headwall


Pam on Rumor

When I got to the bottom of Rumor mattchuck was waiting for us. After the trails started to get thick from the warmth of the day we stayed in the trees...




mattchuck ATTACKS!


Another Darksider is born


Truckin back to Saskatoon

While it sure seem like River had a great weekend at Whiteface and Gore, I'll be very interested to read his reports for the weekend on TheSnowWay.com.

Those are some great shots. There looks to be great cover. Do you think they will open next weekend?

Unless we have some serious melt down, the plan is to be open Fri-Sunday, April 15-17.  Easter weekend is up in the air.

I LOVE that shot of Harv tearing it up.  Sweet action shot.  Good to see you on Friday night Harv.  Glad you got some Slide action on Saturday.  We had plans to head to WF on Saturday, but we didn't get much sleep and ended up doing the 5 minute drive to Gore instead.  Had two unbelievable days.  I too am amazed by the coverage.  I actually thought the snow was better this weekend than it was last weekend.  It seemed like some of the moisture content was gone that was a result of rain going into last weekend.  You could tell the coverage is starting to wain a little bit on the frontside but it is still amazing.  I kept thinking to myself how sweet it would be to have these conditions in December or even early January.

I got up to the mountain fairly early by myself on Saturday and got some runs on every lift that was open.  I was surprised how soft everything was by 10AM.  I thought Uncas, Chatty, and Showcase had the best coverage of the marked trails. I didn't get into the trees at all so can't speak to that.  I'll post a few pictures later today.

The rest of the weekend I spent on the frontside mostly doing run's with my 2 1/2 year old and watching the newborn on the deck.  I have a great video I'll post over in the Kid Stoke thread.  The runs with my daughter were the best of the year.  So much fun.  They had Chip playing on the deck on Saturday afternoon which was great.  I heard people were there hanging out until 6:30 or 7 enjoying the day.  Wish they had live music on Sunday as well.  The forecast for rain on Sunday didn't materialize until 5 or 6 o'clock.  Both days were bluebird and sunny and amazing.  

We have a wedding next weekend and easter plans after that or we would head back up one more time.  Really hard to beat two weekends in a row like that.  If you go next weekend make sure you get out early.

I REALLY hope we're open for Easter. I didn't get any spring skiing conditions this year, and It's my only chance for non hike-to turns!

Looks like an awesome weekend. Superb job getting me jealous!

Here are a few pics from Saturday to feed the stoke.  I figured I would post them here rather than start a new TR.  These are all from Saturday morning when I got a few hours solo.  I did a loop from Bear over to the SB chair down to the double, back up SB chair and then down to the Topridge chair and back over to the front side.  I am still amazed by the conditions the past two weekends.  What a way to end the season (for me).  If you can get to Gore or Whiteface this weekend do it.  It will be worth your while.  There is a little brown starting to show on the front side but up top the coverage is midwinter without the -10 windchill.


Top of Topridge


Uncas


Trees and Chatty from the bottom of the SB chair


Cloud


Lower Steilhang


Open Pit


Sledding on Jibland


Earning those sled runs

Original post has been updated with a link to my full TR.

riverc0il wrote

Original post has been updated with a link to my full TR.

I'd recommend Gore regulars check out the TR linked above. Very interesting to how someone with a lot of experience outside of NY views the mountain.

It is very interesting to get a different perspective.  Pretty impressive that he made it through the day with a banged up ankle.  I think it is a bit harsh to call the entire front side of the mountain a "waste".  Part of what I think is great about Gore is the wide offering of terrain.  If you have friends or family who are beginners or lower level intermediates there is more than enough terrain to keep them happy.  Especially if the North side is operating.  There is a little bit of something for everyone.  The times that I have been at WF with a big group, the one complaint is something that was observed by RivercOil.  There just aren't that many trails for a beginner or lower level intermediate.  You end up lapping the same handful of trails over and over again.  The Wilmingon trail is great but it is a little intimidating with the cliff side ribbon of death and the steeper sections at the end.

Too bad he didn't make the visit the weekend before when the North Side and Burnt Ridge were open.  Burnt Ridge and the new trails over at the Ski Bowl make a huge difference in my opinion.

Danzilla wrote

I think it is a bit harsh to call the entire front side of the mountain a "waste".  Part of what I think is great about Gore is the wide offering of terrain.  If you have friends or family who are beginners or lower level intermediates there is more than enough terrain to keep them happy.

Quoted from my report:

Both mountains market vertical stat padding via a waste of a lower mountain. But as with Whiteface, this is a great setup for families and beginners seeking long gentle slopes.

Emphasis added. I meant a waste for the expert skier, especially in reference to an expert skier drawn to the mountain due to what is a jaw dropping vertical... on paper. Not a complete and total waste though... that slot named after a certain famous World War I fighter pilot was right up my alley.

Do you mean that World War I flying Ace in his Sopwith Camel ?

Snowballs wrote

Do you mean that World War I flying Ace in his Sopwith Camel ?

No, the one on the dog house.

riverc0il wrote

Quoted from my report:

Both mountains market vertical stat padding via a waste of a lower mountain. But as with Whiteface, this is a great setup for families and beginners seeking long gentle slopes.

Emphasis added. I meant a waste for the expert skier, especially in reference to an expert skier drawn to the mountain due to what is a jaw dropping vertical... on paper. Not a complete and total waste though... that slot named after a certain famous World War I fighter pilot was right up my alley.

I commented on this in your blog-there is some really good stuff on the lower 2 pods (North Creek Ski Bowl/Burnt Ridge) for better skiers. For you to call it a waste at Gore when you have admittedly not yet skied it is disingenuous. Back in March the 2500 feet of vertical allowed me to ski some wonderful soft bumps on burnt ridge while the upper mountain remained rock hard.

x10003q wrote

I commented on this in your blog-there is some really good stuff on the lower 2 pods (North Creek Ski Bowl/Burnt Ridge) for better skiers. For you to call it a waste at Gore when you have admittedly not yet skied it is disingenuous. Back in March the 2500 feet of vertical allowed me to ski some wonderful soft bumps on burnt ridge while the upper mountain remained rock hard.

It is not so much disingenuous but both written in poor context and then extrapolated even further from the intended consequence. I'll take the responsibiltiy here for lack of clarity in the writing, I had already spent six hours on those two reports and wasn't being picky by the end of the Gore article.

I hadn't even thought that someone might read Burnt Ridge as part of the Lower Mountain which I was strictly meaning terrain serviced by the Gondola. I actually see Burnt Ridge as reason enough to return to Gore so I can ski the mountain's longer glades. The Ski Bowl, though? Eh. Even if the mountain was 100% open, I am not sure I can see myself getting down there unless Harvey dragged me (and I know he just might ;) ).

I certainly was not trying to start a brewhaha here.  In the context/perspective of an expert I can see the frontside of the mountain being pretty boring.  I am not quite at that level so I enjoy cruising Twister, Showcase, Quicksilver, etc - especially on a powder day when I am riding my big fat cadillac board and can just float.  Closest thing to surfing other than well surfing.

Totally agree with you on the stat padding.  The vertical is the vertical so I can't fault either mountain for advertising it.  The run from cloud > darkside > wood out > pete gay > pipeline > peaceful valley isn't exactly the main draw to the mountain.  The previous vert padder of cloud to little cloud to sunway is every bit as "exciting".  I think the vertical at WF is a little more legit even if the bottom half is mostly blue/green cruiser.  At least there you have enough pitch to keep going without poling (or unbuckling and walking).  I would love to get some more time in VT/NH/ME and I was salivating at your write up of Cannon.  As Harv can attest, it is tough for us NJ based guys to go further than exit 23.  Maybe when I get the wife and family moved up to the capitol area I can make some more ventures into the rest of the east.  For now though Gore and WF are my domain with one trip a year out west sprinkled in.

Burnt ridge is personally my favorite pod of the mountain.  I wouldn't read BR/Skibowl as part of the lower mountain either.  Especially since neither one of them were open during your trip.  BR is a pain in the ass to get to,  but it is definitely worth a return trip.  I didn't make the ski bowl this year, but from the feedback on here it has some surprisingly interesting and challenging terrain.  I look forward to checking it out next year.  

I think riverc0il probably picked up his usage of the phrase "lower mountain" from me.  I use the phrase to mean the East Side (terrain served by the triple). It's really a throwback to the old days when there was no Topridge, Burnt Ridge or Ski Bowl. I'd assumed that usage was universal but the other day I heard someone refer to the Topridge pod as part of the lower mountain.  In my world, even though BR and SB are below the "lower mountain" they are not part of it.

There is certain some off the map terrain that ends on the lower mountain that I know would interest an expert.

As far as vert marketing goes... it's still marketing. Wouldn't this be funny to see:

 2500' Vertical Drop*
*Requires some skating and multiple lifts to lap.

As I pointed out earlier in the season, a larger vert has two potential advantages - long runs (which don't matter that much to an old telefart), and a choice of elevations to ski. As X pointed out there were definitely times during this "cold spring" when the softest, best snow was below 2000 feet, and the Ski Bowl was the place to be. I'd bet that if Riv was at Gore on a day like that, he'd follow me down there.

As far as getting River down to the Ski Bowl... I do have a strategy. It has something to do with untracked lines, cliffy drops, and 46er, which has headwall pitch second only to Rumor.

But I'd only push it if it makes sense on a given day. We didn't ski Twister or other lower mountain stuff last weekend because the conditions just weren't as good as they were up top. I'd expect the same from him next year if I hit Cannon.

riverc0il is clearly talented at writing a detailed report about a ski area that he's only visited one time, but as x pointed out above, it may have sounded like he was making a few big assumptions in his Snowway review based on a pretty small sample size, especially concerning Whiteface -- a mountain that, similar to Cannon, throws the kitchen sink at you weather- and conditions-wise.

Harvey44 wrote

I'll expect the same from him next year when I hit Cannon.

Woo! That sounds official, nice.  

We'll just have to make sure Cannon is skiing as well for you as Whiteface and Gore were skiing for me to ensure it is worth your while to make the drive over here. I can't wait.

To Danzilla's perspective, honestly for a NJ skier, I can't imagine by passing all that VT has to offer for NH. That is, unless you have good snow and a tour guide.

river - thanks for the update on your thought process. Your words hold weight. I did ski the NC Ski Bowl with Harv and we had a great time. I have been coming to the Adirondacks for over 25 years so my view of the Ski Bowl will be much different then your view.

The 2500' vertical of Gore has its slow sections if you want to ski it in 1 run (unless you are Duck) but all the vertical has useful elements at each level for green/blue/black skiers/borders. You can not say that about too many mountains.