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How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

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billyymc

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

This post was updated on .

ADmiKe wrote

Have some set of employees (host patrol, ski patrol, instructors, etc) who would be interested in becoming trained to offer sort of a low key guide service with beacon/probe/shovel lesson in the morning of projected slides opening days, which you pay whatever price for a whole day experience including guide, gear rental, lesson, etc. Maybe pair 6 ppl to a guide. Would be pretty unique and sought after by the person who is looking to get in the slides, but maybe doesn't belong there "unsupervised", and at the same time is sort of training them to do it properly, maybe leading into purchase in the future of the gear and having already experienced using it to do so properly moving forward.

Mike - I was thinking this exact thing earlier today. I tend to be on the conservative side about estimating what I can ski / can ski well. I was the same when I was into whitewater kayaking, always staying well withing my ability level. I have friends who ski WF and would take me in the Slides, but really I'd rather not slow them down as I get used to skiing there. I'd gladly hire a service provided by the mountain. And maybe part of that service is for the guide to ski with the group for a run or two to evaluate abilities and see if anyone stands out as not up to the Slides.

BigK75

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

This post was updated on .

In reply to this post by ADmiKe

ADmiKe wrote

To add to some other comments that were being made about generating some $$$ for the mountain off this...

Make it Silver all the time. Then:

Have some set of employees (host patrol, ski patrol, instructors, etc) who would be interested in becoming trained to offer sort of a low key guide service with beacon/probe/shovel lesson in the morning of projected slides opening days, which you pay whatever price for a whole day experience including guide, gear rental, lesson, etc. Maybe pair 6 ppl to a guide. Would be pretty unique and sought after by the person who is looking to get in the slides, but maybe doesn't belong there "unsupervised", and at the same time is sort of training them to do it properly, maybe leading into purchase in the future of the gear and having already experienced using it to do so properly moving forward.

I'm thinking similar to Valle Blanche in Chamonix where guides take groups of 4-6 ppl, many who prob have never skied such a thing.

Of course, this would not apply to those who own the gear, they carry on as usual.

Is this an end all solution? Of course not...someone will eventually buy a beacon/shovel/probe just for the sake of carrying it. But how likely and often is this to happen? Probably pretty slim. But it will drastically change the current situation and probably reduce the number of ppl who should't be in there from whatever % it is now, down to like <5%.

The Slides are a major asset and Whiteface should leverage that. Maybe they don't get as much snow as some other premier eastern resorts like Stowe and Jay, and maybe they don't have the thinly spaced hardwood tree skiing that some others have....but they have the frikin' SLIDES! Practically in-bounds! They should be doing everything possible to promote them (and I'm not talking dropping the rope for the masses to ski them out in minutes) and keep them open (safely) and avoid having a situation like this past Saturday with multiple bad injuries....because all that's going to lead to if it keeps happening, is less and less slide opening or maybe even a shutdown. I guess in that case they will be silver status but add skins to the kit.

Still doesn't solve the problem of having to spend money to get in there, but hey, who said skiing was a cheap hobby? There's ways to keep costs down of course, but at the end of the day, if you can afford to own skis and buy lift tickets or a pass, fuel your car to get to the mtn, etc.....then you can prob scrape up enough dough to buy a used beacon as Z pointed out are cheap on ebay. And at that point, if you've struggled to purchase one...you'll prob be inclined to learn how to use it properly.

As a guy from Ontario who loves WF above all other ski resorts in the East I like this suggestion best. About three years ago I finally got a change to ski the slides after so many years of dreaming about them. To this day it is one of the greatest experiences of my ski life. I will never get a beacon since in 30+ years of skiing i would have needed it maybe once (when the slides were Silver). I would however pay for a guide to take me down the slides if they were open.

I remember the day I finally got to ski the slides it was just as they turned gold. There was literally a conga line to get to them. Once there I wasn't really sure were to go and had to ask some folks to point me in the right direction. I ended up skiing slide 2B as I recall. A guide would have eliminated the conga line and given me a better experience and possibly a chance to ski the other slides as well. Those with a beacon could carry on as usual.

More money for WF and everyone wins :)

Claude

ontarioskiblog.com

ScottyJack

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

This post was updated on .

In reply to this post by raisingarizona

Yes. Blunt force trauma from sliding on hard ice is major concern

I ride with Crazy Horse!

JTG4eva!

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

This post was updated on .

In reply to this post by BigK75

The guided experience thing would be cool. I have no clue how feasible it is or isn’t, or if doing that kind of thing creates liability issues for the mountain (State in this case), but it’s a cool idea. If it became a viable revenue stream maybe they’d be inclined to open them more frequently?

Knowing where you are going is huge in there. Of course everyone has had to learn. A guide service would expedite that process.

We REALLY need a proper roll eyes emoji!!

Chris

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

This post was updated on .

It sucks when powder and lines are tracked out by folks who don't have the same idea of fun as you.

Simply said, the slides are part of a resort. If you don't like it too bad, go earn your turns else where.

Same thing happens out West when ropes to a bowl are dropped, it's tracked out and ruined in 4 minutes.

Whiteface's pull is that it's tall and has some slide skiing which gives people the feeling of being out West. It's probably why you like skiing there too. Deal with it, cuz it aint gonna change.

The day begins... Your mountain awaits.

campgottagopee

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

Chris wrote

Simply said, the slides are part of a resort. If you don't like it too bad, go earn your turns else where.

That's how I see it

If they weren't right off the resort they could be treated more like the stuff off of Smuggs/Stowe ---- never closed, ski at your own risk.

Harvey

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

Administrator

Here's my strange thought.

With regard to injury from others, I feel safer in the slides, because it seems (to me) that more people are picking their way down vs ripping. I ski those boys one turn at a time.

As to injuring yourself, odds of that seem higher, with more obstacles in there.

I actually wouldn't be surprised if the chance of the chance of death per skier visit is lower in the slides than inbounds. Seems like death is often related to fast speeds and immovable objects.

Anyone with actual data please feel free to confirm or contradict. Slides skier visits are so low compared to total maybe the comparison isn't even legit. Any know of any deaths in the slides?

"You just need to go at that shit wide open, hang on, and own it." —Camp

raisingarizona

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

I’d agree that steep groomers are probably more dangerous than natural snow terrain but the resources a ski area uses to assess, open and extract people that have had an accident in an area like the slides is probably substantial and makes it harder to justify keeping it open.

Harvey

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

Administrator

Good point. In fact we know that to be true.

"You just need to go at that shit wide open, hang on, and own it." —Camp

timbly

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

In reply to this post by Harvey

I like where ADMike and BigK are going with this. It's making me think about Sunshine Village's Delirium Dive and Wild West terrain and how they capitalize on it--make it part of the draw, set a high-enough bar for getting in, and offering guide service as well. Alternately, I suppose a credit card machine at the gate would work too, maybe with high-demand price scaling like Uber? (that's a joke that I hope no ORDA employee reads and goes, "huh, great idea!") Cool discussion.

Edited to add: (oops, thought I was replying to thread, not directly to Harvey's post)

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

In reply to this post by Harvey

Harv
There have been multiple deaths in the Slides in the past when they were OB but none since that I’m aware of when they were open. The serious injury rate though I’d say is very high including two during the Gold $hit show on Saturday.

This is full on expert terrain where falling in certain spots has considerable consequences much higher than say skiing Skyward. The GP greatly over estimates thier ski ability and this terrain will exact a price if you f up.

My fear is of one of there shit show days there will be an issue and then the State will decide they are too risky to open period going forward. The image of the little kid wedging last yr still is burned in my head. Why can’t something be done about this? Hate to sound like Sno but the place is being run to not offend intermediates instead of the expert playground that it is. Where and how did we get on this stupid path and how do we get off it.

Sno if you have that photo please post it.

if You French Fry when you should Pizza you are going to have a bad time

snoloco

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

Is this what you're referring to? Notice the wedge kid at the top of Slide 1.

I've lived in New York my entire life.

JTG4eva!

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

Do we know anything about the injuries from Saturday....where they were, what type of injury?

We REALLY need a proper roll eyes emoji!!

Highpeaksdrifter

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

In reply to this post by snoloco

snoloco wrote

Is this what you're referring to? Notice the wedge kid at the top of Slide 1.

This is quite the coincidence, but I must have taken my pic seconds after Sno took his. Crazy day. Measures have to be taken and fast.

There's truth that lives
And truth that dies
I don't know which
So never mind - Leonard Cohen

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

In reply to this post by JTG4eva!

The gaper that shut it down around noon got himself cliffed out on 1 and then supermaned down a waterfall
Counpound fracture of his arm with the bone sticking out thru the skin. They had to put a belt on his arm to prevent him from bleeding out. I happened to bump into his buddies in the lodge later on.

This was a life threatening injury and why we are being so strident that this needs to change.

if You French Fry when you should Pizza you are going to have a bad time

JTG4eva!

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

So now I know where Patrol was going with the sled on Slide Out when I came out my last run.

I took a couple of lift rides with never-evers over the course of the weekend. Each time they were wondering what the Slides were like, and debating which one to take. Of course I took the opportunity to make sure they were aware of the hazards, and to give a little friendly route finding advice. So many see Slide 1 as the best option (it looks so tame from the top), but I explained to them about the ice falls, and the need to traverse left to 2 unless they were comfortable with tight spots, frozen waterfalls, and air time.

We REALLY need a proper roll eyes emoji!!

ScottyJack

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

In reply to this post by Highpeaksdrifter

Hahahahahahahahah. Winner!!

Send it little man. To da house!!

I ride with Crazy Horse!

ScottyJack

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

Attn HPD,

I vote for naked slide day!

Ban Snoreloco though def in effect that day!

I ride with Crazy Horse!

campgottagopee

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

In reply to this post by Highpeaksdrifter

LARRY LARRY LARRY

campgottagopee

Re: How to Control Access to the Whiteface Slides?

In reply to this post by ScottyJack

ScottyJack wrote

Attn HPD,

I vote for naked slide day!

Ban Snoreloco though def in effect that day!

Pics or it didn't happen

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