Whiteface Conditions (2011-2012)

We heard rumors at Gore today that snow totals at the top of Whiteface were much higher than the reported six inches.  I gave it credence because I heard it from multiple people, but couldn't figure out how they would know it down here, if it wasn't posted on the website.  Anybody know anything?

Is it still blowing up there?  It's very windy here at Gore.  

Looks like a fair amount of lifts on wind hold today.

Geez  serious wind 2 days after the storm.  Big time wind issues at WF again this am with huge lines at the bottom and at Freeway.  They got LWF running at 9 and the Gondi about 10ish.  Snow conditions blown off in spots and great powder in others particularly on skiers Right of every trail that I skied with Wilderness probably the nicest of the bunch in the am.  

By lunch lookout was spinning and that also had some great pow on skiers right.  LBO was scoured by the west wind so we let that be.

At 2:45 they opened the summit chair.  You had to ski the top of Skyward to get into the powder on Cloud.  According to Nate in Patrol the top of Cloudpin was super boney since it did not get the blown mound on the top this year to cover the boulders.  We were about the 10th skiers into Cloud from the lift  and it was between boot and mid shin deep though I'm sure that TJF will say it was waist deep (that dude must be really short or he skis on old straigth skis that sink more).

Earlier in the day there were some younger guys climbing up and skiing it.  They said it was a 30 min walk but they were 20ish and I'm not.

It took 20 somethings 30 minutes to hike up Paron??  They must be "gamers".   I'm no 20 something and we booted to top of Cloud in less than 20 minutes 3x on Sunday, including the trip that set the first tracks down her!  Man was it sweet!  Once over the top it was a flat, soft apron of goodness!!  Run of the season for me!

Whole place was awesome this weekend!  Even made two trips out to get slide 5.  Friends skinned up and got slide 4 on Sunday.   Really good in there but also really dangerous w/ lots of hidden and even more not so hidden marble ice...  

We're set up great for March.  Looking like some small snow storms this week, something bigger Thur-Fri and then fingers crossed the weekend storm comes in cold....

Loving WF's uphill policy when lifts are on wind hold!  Great turns!!!

Snowing Again!  

ScottyJack wrote

 Even made two trips out to get slide 5.  Friends skinned up and got slide 4 on Sunday.   Really good in there but also really dangerous w/ lots of hidden and even more not so hidden marble ice...  

We're set up great for March.  Looking like some small snow storms this week, something bigger Thur-Fri and then fingers crossed the weekend storm comes in cold....

Loving WF's uphill policy when lifts are on wind hold!  Great turns!!!

better be careful to not get nabbed going to the slides via the ski area but i guess the risk is lower of getting caught when the lifts are not running.  Saw those tracks out in 5.  If you get hurt out there with no lifts running it would not be fun - given the conditions it would not be beyond imagination to get really banged up out there.

i was not aware that there was a policy allowing access when lifts are down - I think it is more of looking the other way but hitting the slides could cause the looking the other way to be suspended

dully noted AS.  

Glad to hear you guys are getting some. Tomorrow is the Underground Dirtbag Big Air contest. So it was a year ago that you guys were here. I am supposed to hook up with Kingslug today. I hope he keeps up like you guys did. Our season is just OK. Not like when you were here. It's snowing now and supposed to snow bigger tomorrow. I went out yesterday with the kids and helped build the new jump. It's at a different venue than last year. Should be better and will encourage more jumping. I'll try to send a picture or a link if someone shoots a video.
Yeah, it would suck to get hurt someplace where it's closed but it would suck a lot more not to ski someplace closed. Good attitude, good hustle.

Dude def post up a link!  That was an awesome day!  Dirtbags Rule!!  

YES! That dirtbag party was awesome!!

the Slides were pretty kick ass today. They shut them down early so ORDA can save money though.

Otherwise there was some firm, some soft, some top to bottom quad burning runs and very few liftlines despite a very crowded lot.

ml, Were they actually requiring Avy gear to ski the slides? The website indicated they were but I find it hard to beleive they would once they had a numbere of skiers packing it down. Just curious.

endoftheline wrote

ml, Were they actually requiring Avy gear to ski the slides? The website indicated they were but I find it hard to beleive they would once they had a numbere of skiers packing it down. Just curious.

Just a hunch on my part, but I get the feeling that they put that requirement up when conditions in the slides are somewhat less than optimal as a means of keeping the "gapers" out.

I think that they probably figure anyone who has avy gear, or who makes the effort to get it, is probably someone who can handle the conditions and terrain in there.

yeah, they had it roped off and they were checking for beacons on the way in. Did a T2B to get it from the car, what a legburner!

I see SLIDES in my future 2day!

Excellent conditions yesterday.  Despite the zero on 2day's condition report, WF picked up an easy 4-6 from the last storm.  

Gotta love lake effect snow.  Out of nowhere a band of LES set up over night and kept at it all day.  I'd say about 3-5" total.  It totally saved the day because after yesterdays warm temps and some rain at the bottom is could have been glacial but it turned out pretty darn nice.

Cloudspin was fantastic.  Cloudspiltter glades, especially Tommy's was great!  

ScottyJack wrote

Cloudspin was fantastic.  Cloudspiltter glades, especially Tommy's was great!

+1

Yo Scotty....we gonna B in good shape for 3/15-3/18....last week of work for me then on VACA for a week...yeeeHA for me

things should be ok for a while but the weather trend is much warmer and the snow is the woods is not very deep so in a week or so the glades will be toast but the key trails should be good thru the month as long as it doesn't get crazy warm