Whiteface 12/27/16-1/2/17 Holiday Week

Spent almost a full week up in Lake Placid for the holidays. Had a great week, even with the r*in after xmas, they made a nice recovery throughout the week as it got better and better each day with several days of snowfall and snowmaking.  Even though there wasn't any major accumulation, and the big Nor'easter was pretty much a bust, a few inches fell each day.

As I usually do for the holiday week, I organized a group trip consisting of family, my regular ski friends, some non-regulars, and some people who just came to drink.  Knowing the NYE weekend was going to get hectic with our group of 18, my dad, brother, one of my usual ski buddies, and I headed up earlier in the week on the 27th to try and get some skiing in before the rest of the crew showed up to party for NYE.

Wednesday was better than anticipated after the r*in, pretty stiff and fast, but we were expecting it to be a disaster, so it worked out.

Wednesday night, one of my local friends from LP who I've known for many years messaged me about going for a dawn patrol Thursday morning at WF.  I hadn't been out yet, nor did I get my uphill pass yet, which was free with my season pass.  Not wanting to miss out, I got my hands on a copy of the uphill pass application from a shop in town and filled it out and put it in my pack, figuring I could get away with showing that one time if need be...ended up working out, as no one was checking that morning.  We left the lot at 6:15am, and made it up to the first turn of excelsior around 8.  This was my first time skinning, ever, so it prob took a bit longer than it should have, as I was getting used to the gear, and had to stop a few times to adjust clothes, etc.  Overall, total success, but was surprised by how much effort it was...thought going up groomed trails would be fairly easy.  Ended up skiing the rest of the day on my touring setup to get some more seat time.  Next time, definately need to dress lighter for the skin up.  It was also 25-30 that morning, pretty warm.



Thursday afternoon, it started snowing, and it seemed to snow all the way through to Saturday off and on.  Maybe it as the wind, but there wasn't a whole lot of accumulation to be seen on the trails.  There were also a ton of people on the mountain this week, so it got skied off pretty quick in the usual areas. It seems to be increasingly clear that Lake Placid and Whiteface are being discovered by alot more people than in the past. It was pretty crowded in town too.  Bumped into Grillman on the deck at lunchtime as well, and got to meet him and have a couple beers and a lambchop.

Friday it was snowing again, we got to the mountain pretty early again to try and beat the crowds.  If I can't park in the lower lot, I usually deem the morning commute a failure!  Only happened once this week, post NYE...
Snowed all day, mountain was in excellent shape aside from the hoards of people.  Pretty much the usual story for any busy holiday, avoid gondi and you were fine.  We stayed above mid.

My wife and her friend who can actually keep up thankfully:



Snow continued Friday night back in town, coming down pretty heavy, so during dinner we were watching it out the window getting pretty stoked.  A few inches accumulated throughout dinner time.

Saturday, my wife stayed back in town to entertain some girls from our group that weren't skiing, so I was planning on heading to the mountain solo (the rest of my crew was still sleeping from too many drinks Friday night, and I knew they'd arrive late),  when I woke up to a super early text from one of my friends from LP who was looking for a ride to the mountain.  We met at Corner Store, grabbed a coffee, and headed to the mountain around 7:15 which put us there way before any crowds.  While we were eating b-fast, my buddy saw one of his other local friends who was somehow involved in the first tracks thing, so we ended up getting to tag along for an unexpected early start to the day.  I have never done this, so it was pretty cool to get added to the crew last minute.  The only thing that could have made it better is if all that snow that fell in Lake Placid on Friday night was on the trail, as it seemed nowhere to be found.  Must all be in the woods.  Regardless, another great ski day.  We were able to find some windblown stashes.  Crowds ended up being fairly reasonable.



Went for a pre-NYE snowshoe on Cobble Hill...really nice view of town from up there given the minimal effort:


Saturday was NYE, and I had a group of 18 ppl to entertain.  We ended up at Lisa Gs for dinner then at Smoke Signals in town, then bar hopped a bit before walking home in what seemed like blizzard conditions NYE night.

Despite going to sleep pretty frikin late, the "real skiers" of the group pulled it together Sunday morning and got over to the mtn, a little late, but not too bad.  There was hardly anyone there...blue skies starting to show.  Conditions excellent.  Highlight of the day, and it was just a matter of perfect timing, I get to the top as ski patrol is about to drop the rope on Skyward.  Ask the guy "you opening this?", he says "yeh, hang here a minute"....lifts up the rope..."go".  Ended up getting to be first guy down, and it was super smooth from the snow guns that must have been going all night.

Got so excited I just had to take a selfi!  Had to send it to all the hungover guys still in bed...maybe that was a a-hole move, who knows...


Ended up changing my plans and staying an extra day into Monday. Got there early so I could end early and drive home, but what an awesome day, I didn't want to leave and have such a great week come to an end.  Departed 2 hours past the original planned time.  It was blue skies, sun, sorta warm, and great snow.  Almost felt like a March day.  Skyward turned into a huge bump run all the way down and including Niagra.....super fun soft bumps.






Since I'm usually on the photo taking end of things, I got my friend to get some pics of me for once:




Overall, had such a great week up there.  It had been a while since I'd got to spend almost a full week in LP, as mostly it's 2-3 day weekends and "sick" days.  Always used to come up for a week around X-mas when we were younger and off of school.  Decided for once to take the whole week off work, and I think It's going to be my new thing every year to just take off the whole week and be up here.  Was way more relaxing knowing I didn't have to stress about the crowds since I was skiing 6 days in a row, plenty of skiing occurred.  Got to spend time with family, some of my main ski friends, some friends from my hometown, and also some local LP friends who I don't get a chance to ski with as often since I'm not from around there.  Can't wait to get back in a couple weeks after I return from business travel...I could have stayed another week up there if I didn't need to come back to reality in new joisey.

-Mike

Great report.  Can't wait to get back to Whiteface in a week.  How long were the lift lines?

Gondola had the longest lines of course...but it was reasonable at several points throughout the week...I typically avoid it anyways unless it's minimal wait...prefer to leave my skis on and just ride chairs.

By any chance did you do first tracks with TJ

Very cool. It's clear you guys had a lot of fun.

campgottagopee wrote

By any chance did you do first tracks with TJ

Honestly, I didn't get anyone's name.  I just knew my friend who I was with, who knew someone either running or skiing with first tracks.  We technically weren't signed up I don't think, I didn't ask any questions

If he was a short lil fucker and could ski his ass off prolly a good chance it was TJ

First of all awesome report , glad u guys got a great week . Pics were awesome .

I was doing it.  I hang in the back to catch the stragglers.  Two people did not show so I brought tickets out to the guys on the deck.  I catch the last Gondi with the trackers which is was a very entertaining ride up.  
 No one really has an inside track on first tracks.  Just call up and get your name on the list.   if someone does not show we pass them out to people that show that morning.  First full boat on a Saturday for the year.

Was really a spectacular week at the Face.   Got some rain Monday Tuesday and a solid 3 to 4 inches last night.  Look out Vermont the wind is whipping here you will be getting some ADK effect today.

Glad you had a great week. 18 people sounds like a lot to manage!

WF Rules it!  

ADmiKe wrote

Overall, total success, but was surprised by how much effort it was...  Next time, definately need to dress lighter for the skin up.  It was also 25-30 that morning, pretty warm.

yeah just need long johns and non insulated gortex layer w/ zipps.  with a good head of hair, you don't even need a hat!  nice effort!  

Great trip report, glad you had a good week and got out on the touring gear.

Not that I have a ton of skinning experience (I've got all of three days now), but I was better at layering on my last day than I was on my first!  That said, I still had to shed a (puffy) layer shortly into our last tour.  

Rookie mistakes will happen.  You end up developing your own mental checklist/routines.  Worst one I made last tour was not taking the goggles off the helmet before strapping it to the pack for the skin up.  Goggles ended up full of snow.  Biggest rookie mistake one can make I pulled on my first day......not locking the boots into ski mode before dropping into an untracked 40 degree chute.  All the effort put in to get there and I waste a half a dozen turns!  Haven't done that one again!

ScottyJack wrote

WF Rules it!  

Nope, bunch of commies.

tjf1967 wrote

I was doing it.  I hang in the back to catch the stragglers.  Two people did not show so I brought tickets out to the guys on the deck.  I catch the last Gondi with the trackers which is was a very entertaining ride up.  
 No one really has an inside track on first tracks.  Just call up and get your name on the list.   if someone does not show we pass them out to people that show that morning.  First full boat on a Saturday for the year.

Was really a spectacular week at the Face.   Got some rain Monday Tuesday and a solid 3 to 4 inches last night.  Look out Vermont the wind is whipping here you will be getting some ADK effect today.

Oh ok then I guess we got on because two people bailed - I was one of the two guys on the deck (the skier, yellow jacket).  Did I meet you then, I can't remember?  I forget if you handed the passes to me or my friend, who maybe you also know he's a local guy...

ScottyJack wrote

ADmiKe wrote

Overall, total success, but was surprised by how much effort it was...  Next time, definately need to dress lighter for the skin up.  It was also 25-30 that morning, pretty warm.

yeah just need long johns and non insulated gortex layer w/ zipps.  with a good head of hair, you don't even need a hat!  nice effort!

Yeh man I ended up hatless and gloveless! Sweating my ass off!

JTG4eva! wrote

Biggest rookie mistake one can make I pulled on my first day......not locking the boots into ski mode before dropping into an untracked 40 degree chute.  All the effort put in to get there and I waste a half a dozen turns!  Haven't done that one again!

Funny you mention this, because I wasn't gonna add this part to my trip report, but what the hell...I was a little behind my two partners on the way up, so they had de-skinned and whatnot (splitboarders), and since they had to get to work and it was getting kinda late, I was very rushed de-skinning, switching over, got no break to eat my jerkey and barely had a chance to take a drink...so we start heading down excelsior over to Victoria and I'm thinking, damn, these AT boots seem soft, didn't think they were this mushy...then as I lost control and slid pretty far like a turtle on my shell, I realized mid-slide that my boots were not locked out....DOH!  I don't think anyone saw it though!

Ski touring is a full on layering game. Getting the transitions right isn't that easy!

Awesome report!

Great report and it definitely was a very good week ... best Christmas week I can remember at Whiteface in quite some time. Sunday & Monday were great with the additions of Wilderness & Skyward.

I saw you a couple of times during the week but didn't have time to say hello ... I'll try next time.