My Whiteface Expansion Idea

I think my idea for how to expand Whiteface and make it more intermediate friendly is a whole lot better than what the gov came up with.

Overview of expanded mountain


The West Face would be served by a 6200 foot long by 1440 vertical high speed bubble quad with heated seats due to it's high elevation location.  All the terrain would be low intermediate and some entry level glades could be added between the trails


The Esther Mountain lift would be a 3450 foot long by 1540 vertical fixed grip triple or quad and would serve some very steep expert terrain plus one blue.  Once again, there are opportunities for glades in between the trails.


Connecting the new expansion to the rest of the mountain would be a 3470 foot long transfer lift to the top of Lookout which would be a fixed grip triple or quad and a 12140 foot long by 2840 vertical gondola from Bear Den.  There would be a mid station with loading and unloading in both directions where two new trails plus a connection to the existing Wilmington Trail would be.


There would also be a new lodge and restaurant built at the top of the new gondola.

Guessing this would cost around 50mil including the cutting trails, lifts, snowmaking, and the lodge.  But it would make Whiteface really have something for everyone and truly world class.

I really like these ideas. Really nice job of thinking outside of the box.

Sno,

You may want to include your post in your resume /cover letter to our Governator, ANDREW I.  He'll be most anxious to hear how to spend the $62.5 million he proposed for ORDA expansion in this year's "State of Pie In The Sky" address.  Excelsior; ever upward, damn the debt-bonding, let our grandkids (i.e., your kids) figure it out.

Ski You On Your Dream Hill...

64ER

One thing I like about this plan is that it preserves the character of the existing mountain (unlike what's currently planned).  I'm sort of going for an Otten style layout on the new section with separate pods that aren't really all that long of a run, yet combining it with the super long runs that Whiteface is able to offer by having those trails off the gondola.  

Of course the snowmaking would need to be tripled in order to get every pod open by Christmas.  I'd start the season on the existing part of the mountain opening top to bottom right away.  By mid December try and open some things on the new section.  When Christmas comes around that would be when Lookout Mountain on the existing mountain and Esther Mountain on my expansion would open.

I think the trails off the West Face lift should be super wide to try and feel like western terrain.

This zone would provide the right pitch and if you to really think big build another base area in Wilmington.

it’s one thing for the Gov to spend away and another to ask to amend the constitution to do so.  

Z wrote

it’s one thing for the Gov to spend away and another to ask to amend the constitution to do so.

Republicans are all about "opening up" public land these days, Z.

You'd love this shit.

The Bicknell Thrush people would most definitely not. Maybe a compromise could be reached.

What is it that makes you try and turn every single conversation into political BS --- WTF man

I'm still not sure what makes you think that ski slopes right over the Whiteface highway tis a good idea.

The road isn't open in the winter.  Just fill everything in with snowmaking so it's a smooth crossing on the trail.

Great idea. But if this happens you will for sure be skiing more Tremblant and Killington. Because no way are they blowing Esther Mountain before President’s Day.

My "Don't cut it if you can't cover it" rule would apply.  No terrain would be added unless it was going to be consistently open.

campgottagopee wrote

What is it that makes you try and turn every single conversation into political BS --- WTF man

Hope you're talking to Coach, because he was the one to bring politics into this thread.

Also, any talk of Whiteface expansion without discussing politics is dumb. They're right up against their mileage limit and we're talking about forever wild land. You HAVE to talk politics if you want to talk expansion.

Matt’s right
I brought it up and it would be a political issue though he did bring 8n land use issues which is a whole different topic.  Seems like decid8ng to expand WF to the East should not require amending the constitution.

I know some people give Sno the gears sometimes.  While that may/may not be deserved, I think it's fun to spitball ideas like this.  It's how some very important ideas start.  With that in mind, I'm not going to be overly critical.

Likes:
- Bubble lifts.  Being out of inclement elements is something that would be viewed favorably by a lot of women I know.  I think getting more women into the sport is important, or at least appealing to the women who do ski ("well, dear, if you really want to ski this long weekend, let's go to ...... where at least they have covered lifts")
- WF has the height, it would be nice to add the breadth

Question Marks, aside from trail mileage
- Trails look awfully far apart.  To get buy-in from enviros, I think you would at least have to increase the density
- Where would the water come from for all this additional snowmaking?
- Aside from capex, what are the ongoing costs, esp. electricity?
- What time would the other lifts have to close to get people to the front side?
- It would be difficult to find lost skiers with this increase in acreage

Z wrote

Matt’s right

He's probably bookmarked this quote for future reference.

I think Matt would like it better if I said he was "Left"

None of this changes the fact that In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them....maybe you can hire The A-Team.

Uhhh....wrong thread, dude.

I like it. Too bad it will never happen. It is a fun exercise to do a fantasy addition to an existing ski area.