Slides Open

When the hike took you higher up that was the only option becuase as ML mentioned it would put skiers / riders above the current entry point (end of slide in).  I like the way it is now much better for the follow reasons:

1. the higher hike in put you about 100 to 150 vertical feet higher and greatly exposed to more wind.  The snow there was much more prone to be wind slab and the good skiing really started where we start now.  It also would increase the avalanche risk and limit the days that the slides could open - all bad things in my perspective.

2. I recall the first 50 to 100 vert feet of the hike as being really steep and post hole hell.  It also meant you had to carry your skis instead of side stepping.  My son who has skied the slides with me and can rip probably could not make thru the post holes.  Shorter women and men for that matter would also have issues.

3. I'm 10 years older than I was back then and that extra hike would limit my round trips.  Scotty is younger and doesn't mind that but it would I think really drop the number of people using the slides and the # of runs in there.  He might say yes that is exactly my point but I would worry that would make them the play ground of a very select few - this is a state owned ski area so equal access while keeping everyone safe is a balance point that the current system and the patrol I think is doing a great job at.

so is this going to b the norm now,no becon no slides,to me if there worried about avey danger there r things they can do for that,bombs come too mind,ive been in there b4 when it was pure bliss and other times when i said wtf am i doing in here,never had too have a becon then.like someone else said anybody can buy one.but do u think that is a permenant rule.

No, acccording to their website:

Access to the Whiteface Slides

Bronze Slides-- closed due to avalanche danger or lack of snow cover

Silver Slides-- open but based on conditions; Ski Patrol will require avalanche precautions such as a beacon, shovel and probe

Gold Slides-- open with the stipulation that guests be groups of two or more at Ski Patrol's discretion

thanks,i did not know that.

According to their website they will require a beacon when they believe that it is necessary. With this being the earliest opening ever(correct me if I'm wrong), there probably is a reasonably high chance of avalanche compared to late march when they are usually open, so it is quite possible that they won't require one then. Then again the odds of avalanche even now are still very low but their reasoning is most likely better safe than sorry, plus in this sue happy society all you need is for one person to go in over their head, have the slides slide, and then have the family sue NYS for eight bazillion dollars saying that Whiteface was negligent to open them. Having a beacon probably takes a lot of the legal issues away if god forbid something like that would happen. Then again this is just my flat-lander speculation so who knows it could all be insanity :)

-skisheep

skisheep wrote

With this being the earliest opening ever (correct me if I'm wrong)...

I'm told by Whiteface mgmt that this is the second earliest opening ever.  There was actually an opening in December once several years ago.  Not sure of the year.

Anyone know what was the first year the Slides were "opened" or had access restricted requiring and "opening?"

My 1st season at Whiteface was 2000-2001 and I think it was like the 2nd or 3rd year of having legal slide access.  Of course they have been there forever but were strictly verbotten back before Patrol started controlling them.  I remember a young instructor poached them when they were not open, fell down the waterfall and got caught which made him an ex instructor.

I thought I saw something on the WF web site that said this was the earliest they were open.  There was a really good December in 2007 that I recall skiing Empire so maybe it was that year and I missed it.  Can anyone confirm.

2007 we got a big dump in Dec, so that would make sense.  

x10003q wrote

I am confused. How do you dig somebody out with a beacon?

That might be the hardest I've laughed from a skiing forum post.

BenedictGomez wrote

x10003q wrote

I am confused. How do you dig somebody out with a beacon?

That might be the hardest I've laughed from a skiing forum post.

Dude, you've been reading some boring ski forums then....

ScottyJack wrote

BenedictGomez wrote

x10003q wrote

I am confused. How do you dig somebody out with a beacon?

That might be the hardest I've laughed from a skiing forum post.

Dude, you've been reading some boring ski forums then....

Twas thinking the same thing

Me too

Hi Pants ^^^^^

carry on

from FB

"Slides are open on GOLD status no Avalanche gear required."

Hi Pee!

Oh, what we will complain about now!!  I just spent $300 on a beacon and now i cant use it!

Pants wrote

Hi Pee!

Oh, what we will complain about now!!  I just spent $300 on a beacon and now i cant use it!

Don't leave batteries in the beacon when you are not using it over the summer.

You will need it again later in the season.  I could not find my probe so i just ordered a new one.

campgottagopee wrote

from FB

"Slides are open on GOLD status no Avalanche gear required."

Best snow on the mountain was in the Slides today. Even though it was gold and anyone could go in, I only saw good skiers and riders in there. Don't get me wrong, I've seen a people in over their head in the spring time, but today all was good, all tracked out, but still lots of fun. Not many people at all in there.

I like the entrance the way it is.

People like to argue in forums.

Beacon, probe, shovel are basicly to cut down on people that would find the terrain too hard.

Just my take on this thread.

You ever been on Lies or Rumor on a busy day with a bunch of people completely
over faced? They are just standing there halfway down the trail or side slipping
down. Sometimes the trail is just littered with people standing around. That
could be a hazard on the slides. I have no solution but I think WF needs to do
something to thin out that crowd.

even on the busiest spring days I can't recall the slides ever being what you would call crowded.  Slide In gets a little backed up and then it spreads out once you start skiing pretty well

Highpeaksdrifter wrote

Beacon, probe, shovel are basicly to cut down on people that would find the terrain too hard.

If anything they are to decrease liability. If they were to keep the novice out they would always require the maximum equipment. My experience with Gore/WF is that the latest thinking is that you open all you possibly can and that expert terrain means expert ability, if a novice goes in over their head - as long as it was well marked as expert terrain the liability issue has been addressed.