After skiing Gore yesterday, where the conditions were best described as terrible, I decided to try my luck with Whiteface today. The grass is always greener on the other side.
I was on one of the first gondola cars up and went straight to the LWF chair. Decided to stay on the upper mountain to avoid lift lines at the base. I skied everything that was open on that lift and it all skied pretty well in the morning. Was cool watching a mogul competition take place on Wilderness. Later on in the day, those trails got scraped off, but not as bad as some of the trails I skied at Gore yesterday. Once the clouds lifted slightly, I decided to give the summit a try. Skyward was in good shape, and Paron's under the guns was even better and the run of the day. Didn't have any issues with my glasses fogging up like I've had before when skiing in snowmaking. Victoria was way too crowded and they probably should've put a fence up keeping people from getting to it off Excelsior. Needed to blow snow there but the guns weren't in place. After lunch, I was skied more runs off LWF and the summit quad, and as the day went on, the summit was the place to be. Took a bunch of laps on Paron's and Skyward, and did 2 runs top to bottom, including the one where I got the last chair on the Summit Quad. This was probably my best ski day so far this year, and I think things are only going to get better at Whiteface. My only complaints was the constant starts and stops on the lifts and Lookout being closed. For my next visit in 2 weeks (smuggler's notch trip next weekend), I think there's a good chance of having Lookout open, or at least under snowmaking, and/or the rest of the LWF terrain near the race chair. Speaking of which, I talked to a couple members of SnowTribe who happened to be at the bottom of the Summit Quad, and after praising them for their excellent recovery from Thursday's r*in, I asked what their plans for Lookout were. They said that they plan to go up there after this next warm spell once they finish a couple things on the other side. It's definitely still part of the plan this year. Turns out my concerns about crowds this weekend were proven completely and totally false by experience. However, I still believe Lookout must be opened this season, and luckily it appears to be on the plan in the near future. Here are my pictures, mostly just scenery, but hard to resist at Whiteface. SnowTribe at work Summit view to the east Summit view to the west Mid way down Paron's Need to get this open A common WF photo op Looking down Follies on my last run (I took Paron's) and my new avatar. Sun setting on the gondola over Bear trail
I've lived in New York my entire life.
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Administrator
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Nice pics sno thanks for posting.
"You just need to go at that shit wide open, hang on, and own it." —Camp
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The conditions look very good..
I got to ski with Danzilla and his family today at PICO - which was very cool. Next year for us at Whiteface. Alicia loves that mountain .. Great photos and great report.
The family that skis together, stays together.
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God I love that place! :)
My favorite place to ski in the East. Nice pics Sno. Claude |
Young but stubborn dogs can apparently learn new tricks as well. Good job on admitting you had it wrong and that the team at WF is making it happen as best they can.
It was a bit busier on Saturday but the skiing was well above my expectations both days. I did not get up to Parons and its really one of my least fav trails. Lower Mac was the trail of the day to me. You could only get to it from On Ramp or 1900 road not from the top so I think a lot of people missed that it was open.
if You French Fry when you should Pizza you are going to have a bad time
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I noticed large numbers of low level skiers on terrain they couldn't handle yesterday. Particularly, Victoria was a shit show with more people butt sliding and walking down than skiing. Someone fell on Mountain Run about 3/4ths the way up and slid all the way down to the lodge. Saw a bunch of people decide to ride back down the gondola who weren't sightseers.
Since the curvey part of Excelsior had snowmaking whales, lots of people took Lower Northway instead which was very crowded and got scraped. The LWF and Summit lifts were constantly stopping and starting. My take is that if you can't get on or off the lift without causing it to slow and stop, you probably have no business being on the summit terrain.
I've lived in New York my entire life.
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Victoria in particular is a problem spot. I think just about everyone thinks that should be a black except the brain trust in marketing that don't have to deal with it.
I saw a guy walking down the easy part of easy street Saturday and he was like is there a lift I can ride down. The answer is to walk back up hill to the Facelift. If you can't ski easy street Borren is not going to be a good experience for ya. I'm sure the guys in the Orange coats have stories for days on this topic.
if You French Fry when you should Pizza you are going to have a bad time
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....or take LWF and download from the gondola.
Sent from the driver's seat of my car while in motion.
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I will note that there were many people who I rode the lifts with that asked me if Lookout was open and were disappointed when I said it wasn't. More comments on the fb page about the same thing. My prediction is that they'll go up there upon the return of 24hr snowmaking weather, and focus on resurfacing and maybe open some a couple things on LWF before that.
This was the first time this year that I was at Whiteface when the summit was open, as well as the LWF chair. My legs were burning at the end of the day from skiing the steeper runs all day, many of which would be double black anywhere else. I only stopped for lunch, and when I briefly met Grillman at midstation. Otherwise, I skied non stop from open to close. Didn't go to the bottom at all except a couple times in the afternoon once the crowds were mostly gone.
I've lived in New York my entire life.
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Did you tell them about the petition?
Sent from the driver's seat of my car while in motion.
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I didn't.
Since we're dodging a gully washer this week, I think chances of it getting attention in the next good snowmaking window have improved.
I've lived in New York my entire life.
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In reply to this post by D.B. Cooper
I didn't think of that. does LWF take foot passengers? The guy had skis but there was no way he could have loaded that lift safely.
if You French Fry when you should Pizza you are going to have a bad time
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In reply to this post by snoloco
Sno
How about changing your signature line?
if You French Fry when you should Pizza you are going to have a bad time
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In reply to this post by Z
The lifties could have been asked to slow it way down for him to load. At the top, he'd just ski off ... collapse into a mess, collect himself, and walk over to the gondola.
It's easy to be against something ... It's hard to be for something!
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In reply to this post by Z
I'm going to keep it as is until I see snowmaking reported on Wilmington Trail. While I was most certainly wrong about the crowds this weekend, I still believe that they need to open Lookout this year.
I've lived in New York my entire life.
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Whiteface did an amazing job after the rain and warmth, opposite situation at Gore. What is wrong with gore, it's like they don't give a shit this year...
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Thanks for the TR Sno! Conditions look decent, all things considered. We are usually there for MLK but our timeshare falls next week this year. We arrive Friday, looking forward to it.
Also, props for man-ing up and admitting you were wrong. There's a sense of maturity in that! Hoping this is a kind of watershed moment for our little corner of the interweb. Maybe now we can get the parts of Sno we like, without all the obsessive-compulsive-failure-to-listen-to-anyone stuff that was driving us cra-cra! Yes, a lot of shit you gotta learn for yourself, but we told you the tribe was making the right choices, and that there wouldn't be crazy lift lines!
We REALLY need a proper roll eyes emoji!!
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takes a big man to admit mistakes. way to go Petit Homme
nice trip report. top2bottom - build big legs!
I ride with Crazy Horse!
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Sno....did u do the top to bottom (Sky-Niagara-Victoria-Shoot-Easy Street-Boreen) non-stop? Of course the alt is U/L Valley instead of Easy Street/Boreen. Either way, that is a helluva non-stop run!
Good to see you back in SJ's goo.....non, tres bien.....graces!
We REALLY need a proper roll eyes emoji!!
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Yesterday was the day! Blue skies, no crowd, mild temps- doesn't get any better (unless of course Sno's MLK dream of all trails snow cover being equal and opened had come true ). Son and I yo-yo'd Skyward a dozen times while practically alone & the Victoria shitshow from Sunday was a distant memory. Gun was piling a huge tempting mound on Lower Skyward- hope it survives the warm spell. Needless to say Skyward was the run of the day.
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