Need Whiteface Beta for 4/2 - 4/3/13

Howdy!  Just registered and can't yet start a new topic but need beta asap.  Skiing Whiteface this Tuesday/Wednesday because of a voucher deal.  Know Gore well, but not the Face.  Wife is a BLUE skier, and not the toughest blues:  Twister, Quicksilver, Tahawas, Cloud at Gore are favorites.  Steep & icy, bad, kemosabe.

What are the Face's 3/4 easiest blues?  Easiest way down from the summit?  Too tough?  We got some bad info from couple guys at Smuggs over Prez week.  Mountain got a foot of powder, but we were directed to a wind-whipped steep, icy, summit blue on powder skis (steeper than the steepest pitch on Echo).  Wife went down and slid over 50 feet, which mentally screwed her up for the rest of the day.

Good advice much appreciated!!

Mike

MICO wrote

Howdy!  Just registered and can't yet start a new topic but need beta asap.

Welcome MICO. Full privileges now in place. H

Welcome to the forum, plenty of blues to keep your wife happy. Easiest way down from the summit, Follies, switchback, back and forth across the fall line, Paron's more of a staight shot, still pretty mellow. Excelsior off the top of Little Whiteface, the gondola. The Wilmington Trail off the new quad is a long blue with nice views and a few nice drops along the way, have fun, hopefully the view from the parking lot won't freak her out, it is impressive, and a tad intimidating. Whiteface is unique among East Coast mountains, nothing else quite like it, enjoy!

Thanks!  Just the type of info I need.

Before taking your meaningful person on th Wilmington Trail, I'd look at highpeaksdrifters post on 1/3/11.  I think it's in the right zip code, and you could take a run down before deciding. Harvey - met you and Neve on Moxham on the Gondi-wind hold day and it was a pleasure.  Your blog rocks and is a daily must read.  Hope to see you again!

Many thanks Baitman!  Wilmington Trail is out of contention for sure:

"That said another thing I think is uniquely cool about the Wilmington trail is that it would be a black at just about any other ski area in the East."

"My wife is a solid blue skier and I would never bring her down Wilmington unless conditions were perfect. In addition to all mentioned above, the trail has some visually intimidating sections with a rock wall on the skiers right and a sheer drop marked only with a rope on the skiers left. The open views compound the steeper sections making them seem steeper than they might be."

Expert skiers lose sight of what is intimidating (horrifying) to a BLUE skier.  Skiing this trail with the wife woulda been a HUGE mistake, and I truly appreciate the advice you offered!!!

Mike

I checked the WF conditions report, they listed the Wilmington Trail as open and groomed, I would think a low intermediate would have no trouble skiing it under these conditions. If it were icy, or if the skier can't ski bumps, and it bumps up, the steeper sections could be challenging, but I hardly think any part of the trail warrants a black rating. Take a run down it yourself, and see what you think. Should be a piece of cake for almost anyone freshly groomed. I think it's a great intermediate trail, great views too, and it is friggin long. The only problem skiing it, is it forces you to return to the base.

Yeah, thanks.  I'm gonna ski it, no prob there.  But after reading the HPD post and the following comments, no way good choice for wife.  I also viewed a 6 minute U-Tube vid.  She'd wig.  Too much exposure in one or two places.

Wilmington - if groomed - will be a fun/safe ride on Wednesday.  Especially right around 10:45 - 11:15 - perfect sun.

nice warm up would be facelift to Easy Street

 

I skied the Wilmington Trail as a low intermediate skier when I was just getting into downhill a couple years ago.  Just about this time of year, soft spring conditions.  I have to say that there were sections of the Wilmington Trail that really wigged me out, even in soft snow.  There was one section I had quite a time getting down.  I think you're wise to keep your wife off it for now.  The only other blue I recall having a tough time with on that weekend was Victoria, due to the moguls.  Everything else was pretty fair game for me.  

This thread and HPD post of 1/3/2011 are an excellent example of how opinions can vary widely.  LOL!!

Just heard back from a guy that lives in Potsdam.  He's been away, and just got back.  Easy Street is not a just a GREEN, but he says an EASIER GREEN.  Some knowledgeable folks have suggested that Wilmington trail be classified BLACK due to a couple pitches, exposure, drop-offs, etc.

This reminds me of stream advice for whitewater kayaking. LOL!   A class V 'yaker might recommend a class III run for a beginner, because it seems sooooo easy for the expert.  I know this has happened, as I've pulled-out more than one guy after being given such poor advice.

Thanks again, and a good end-of-season to all.......We're off to the Face!

As a experience instructor I have a good idea of how the low intermediate reacts to Whiteface's steepper spots.  Start slow and work up.  Facelift 1and start on Easy way to Easy Street. My wife and I were discussing last night that not many other ski areas have greens with headwalls but the Easy Street headwall would certainly be blue elsewhere and the Boreen headwall is a black at some ski areas.

Before going on the Gondi make sure she is comfortable on the steeper pitches of the Facelift. When I teach this level skier Excelsoir and Lower Northway are the way to go If they can handle the facelift 1st.  If all is going well Follies is nice late afternoon as it faces west but requires you to ski part of Parons which is steeper.  Wilmington Trail can be very intimidating for a lower intermediate as its steep and narrow in spots and that can freak people out so I avoid it.

Maybe I'm a snob, but if I had trouble skiing a freshly groomed Wilmington Trail, I wouldn't call myself an intermidate skill level skier, high level beginner? Anyway, hope you had a great day at Whiteface, post some pics of the terrifying Wilmington Trail. :wink:

Novices are skiers that would get no higher than Bear chair.  Low Intermediates ski off the face lift. Wilminginton Trail is Blue because marketing wants it to be Blue.  IMO it is the most challenging Blue trail in the Northeast plus its over 2 miles long.  

Same with Victoria that easily is more difficult than trails like Skylark at Killington where I used to teach.  In Europe they have Red trails that split the difference between blues and blacks.  I have also seen blue blacks at Winter Park and I recall seeing Double Blue somewhere but can't recall where.

Regardless trail ratings are like flex ratings on boots - each rating is relative only to that places own other trails.  That the Boreen headwall is still Green puzzles me still after 13 years at Whiteface.   But Whiteface is substantially steeper than other mountains and thus the ratings creep upward so that it all is relative

That sounds about right Coach.  Plus conditions matter.  Parrons is often firmer, more scraped and less fun to ski than Skyward.  Is it "harder" on those days?  I dunno.  It's harder to have fun on.  Wilmington obviously isn't a "terrifying" trail - it's 99% solid blue groomer.  But the Jersey Turnpike (narrow choke just above junction with Lookout Below) gets people's attention.  It's (relatively) narrow and when there are a few people in it I think some skiers find it intimidating.  That's understandable.

Coach Z wrote

.....and the Boreen headwall is a black at some ski areas.

That part of Boreen has freaked my wife out for years....mostly because of the memory of her first time (as a beginner) skiing it.  Definitely a tough green.  Just like Wilmington is definitely a tough blue.  Yes, most of Wilmington is not that tough for a solid intermediate, but all it takes is one or two bad spots to freak someone out....and Wilmington has a couple spots that can potentially do that, even for a true intermediate, if there is even a way to define such a thing.  Especially in less than ideal conditions.  Wilmington always warrants a test run before you bring a less confident intermdiate skier up there.

Cornhead wrote

Maybe I'm a snob, but if I had trouble skiing a freshly groomed Wilmington Trail, I wouldn't call myself an intermidate skill level skier, high level beginner? Anyway, hope you had a great day at Whiteface, post some pics of the terrifying Wilmington Trail. :wink:

Dunno aboout that CH---Wilmington Trail, in spots, is as steep as anything we have at GP (not including the big O, Zues or Herc). I can see where a intermidate could have issues.

Cornhead wrote

Maybe I'm a snob, but if I had trouble skiing a freshly groomed Wilmington Trail, I wouldn't call myself an intermidate skill level skier, high level beginner? Anyway, hope you had a great day at Whiteface, post some pics of the terrifying Wilmington Trail. :wink:

Wow, bad day?  Offering your opinion is fine, but why the condescending and sarcastic remarks?  My goodness.....  That was unnecessary.  

snowmonkey wrote

Cornhead wrote

Maybe I'm a snob, but if I had trouble skiing a freshly groomed Wilmington Trail, I wouldn't call myself an intermidate skill level skier, high level beginner? Anyway, hope you had a great day at Whiteface, post some pics of the terrifying Wilmington Trail. :wink:

Wow, bad day?  Offering your opinion is fine, but why the condescending and sarcastic remarks?  My goodness.....  That was unnecessary.

Not sure there was that much condescension intended in his post....there is a good bit of truth in what he says.  I just think he's trying to keep it honest.  When freshly groomed, with good cover (no hard pack/ice), Wilmington shouldn't give any intermediate skiers fits, IMHO.......but you don't always get those conditions (and you won't know what conditions you will get until you get there - there are a few spots that can change in a hurry), hence the words of caution are appropriate.

  Hey, I didn't mean to piss anyone off, it's just my opinion, as with any trail, conditions play a huge part on how hard a particular trail skis. I stand by my view that the Wilmington Trail, when groomed, and not icy, is a pretty easy trail to ski. There are aspects of it that may "freak out" the uninitiated, and when in doubt, it's always smarter to err on the side of caution. It's not worth ruining someone's day, or tainting them to skiing in general. Sorry if I offended anyone.

   So, how'd it go MICO? Did you and your wife enjoy Whiteface? Got any pics to share?