Whiteface Conditions (2011-2012)

if you were to take the 2.5 miles times 2-3 feet of blown snow and put it on approach mt run and Nigagra plus a few other key spots we would be skiing for sure this upcoming weekend.  The weather is going to get cooler again next week but we will not have any snow left for that to matter.  But with that snow on the above few trails instead of Wilmington WF would have made Easter.  To give that up 3 weeks of skiing for a blue trail is way too much to ask.  Yes then we wouldn't have had Lookout below but since you have ride a long lift and ski a mile of blue to get to it to ski 600 vert of bumps does not make that a must have trail to me.

You could say hindsight is 20/20 but I called this out 7+ weeks ago on my concern about Easter and Wilmington trail.  Who should you listen to? AS yep thats who

Pants wrote

campgottagopee wrote

tjf1967 wrote

Defending blowing lookout.  That trail was the shazizzle sat.  

Our crew would confirm this

+2.  Was much fun.  WF had no crystal ball to let them know that it wasnt going to snow at all.  Had they known, I am sure the plan would have been different.  Its 70 degrees out, wouldnt matter anyway.  The snow is going..  They will however be open all week.  Just bring your rock skis.

+1 more.

In 2 weeks when we all would give out left nuts for one more weekend of skiing you guys are going to wake up and go damm AS was right - they shouldn't have blown that damm wilminginton trail

ausable skier wrote

In 2 weeks when we all would give out left nuts for one more weekend of skiing you guys are going to wake up and go damm AS was right - they shouldn't have blown that damm wilminginton trail

I'd gladly take all the runs I had on LOB and The Wilmington Trail this season in place of one, maybe two, more weekends of Spring conditions on a handful of trails.

You're assuming that had they not blown on Lookout, that they would have blown more on other trails. If they had, you're also assuming that it would have made a significant difference. So maybe, they could have had one or two trails open from top to bottom after this weekend, had they used that snow elsewhere. One or two trails isn't going to motivate me to drive 250 miles each way!

The problem this year was obvious ... weather!

ausable skier wrote

In 2 weeks when we all would give out left nuts for one more weekend of skiing you guys are going to wake up and go damm AS was right - they shouldn't have blown that damm wilminginton trail

The question is, if WF is still lift skiing in two weeks will you smash your left nut and proclaim, Damn AS was wrong!  

I sure hope I'm wrong and WF stays open but anyone that skied the summit yesterday would be able to tell there just is not enough snow to keep it open more even to this weekend much less 2 weekends if its going to be 70 for the rest of the week.  If it doesn't freeze at night they can't groom and where is the snow going to come from anyway to push over the rocks.  Same goes for LWF and approach.  The bottom forget about it.

Now there is fog in the forecast - any idea where the moisture is coming from for the fog - yep that used to be snow.  Its so over.  A friend of mine skied Kmart this past weekend and said they are set until Easter at least because they wisely stock piled snow on key runs.  WF could have done that if they didn't blow Wilmington.

If you think there is going to be lift serviced skiing on March 31 I'd say you are the worlds biggest optimist or have been at the barleywine for an extended period at LPBP

I skied there yesterday morning and it doesn't look good.  I got some decent runs in and occasionally came across a really good spot but then there were plenty of bare spots and rocks and puddles.  I saw plenty of skiers who are much better than me having a good time so maybe there's another day or two left if you're on that level but for me it was as depressing as it was fun.  I'm not a big fan of spring skiing anyway and I'm thinking that yesterday may have been it for my season.  I would say if anyone wants to hit WF again this season do it now because I don't think that the weekend is going to happen.

txt from sudsnbumps:

"Up at the face.  Bittersweet. Bumps on Skyward are incredible, epic even. But alas it may be over."

and

"Some walking to reach Lower Skyward but well worth it."

CONTENTS DELETED

Thank you Whiteface for being open today...I know it was posted above but "Get it while it lasts"  I believe if we have two more record days, we aren't going to make it to the weekend.  That being said, if today is my last day of the year...I will be ok with that.  The bumps on Skyward were incredible...yeah I said that before but all I can report on is Skyward, Wilderness and the demise of Mackenzie.  Skiing was great soft warm and uncrowded.  Some walking if you didn't have the right skis...I left some skin on rocks while trying to get from one patch to another...mainly going from upper Skyward to lower...but it was worth it.  I hope we make it to the weekend but

From the WF Facebook page.......

We are sad to say that the Summit is closed for the season. We are currently open to the top of Little Whiteface with limited terrain. Some walking may be involved. We are doing our best to have skiing available throughout the weekend, but the temperature is expected to be in the 80's again today. Please stay tuned for updates. The Bag Jump will still be here tomorrow through Sunday.

I guess we won't be bringing the skis with us this weekend.

I finished my season yesterday (Wed). Indeed, snow and walk-free skiing was vanishing by the minute everywhere from top to bottom:











Grim-looking scenes.
gk

ScottyJack wrote

ausable skier wrote

In 2 weeks when we all would give out left nuts for one more weekend of skiing you guys are going to wake up and go damm AS was right - they shouldn't have blown that damm wilminginton trail

The question is, if WF is still lift skiing in two weeks will you smash your left nut and proclaim, Damn AS was wrong!

that is really sad looking - I wanted to get one more weekend in at least - i would have given up the few cruising runs on Wilmington for another weekend

on the positive side I get to keep my nuts intact

ausable skier wrote

ScottyJack wrote

ausable skier wrote

In 2 weeks when we all would give out left nuts for one more weekend of skiing you guys are going to wake up and go damm AS was right - they shouldn't have blown that damm wilminginton trail

The question is, if WF is still lift skiing in two weeks will you smash your left nut and proclaim, Damn AS was wrong!

that is really sad looking - I wanted to get one more weekend in at least - i would have given up the few cruising runs on Wilmington for another weekend

on the positive side I get to keep my nuts intact

Seriously, you have made your point known about wilmington trail.  i really honestly dont think it would have made a difference.  its been 80 degrees all week.  get over it and be thankful for the awesome job snowmakers and groomers did this year.  what a whiney brat!

Pants
check out the webcams from Killington where its also warm but they poured snow into key strategic trails to stay open.  I see trails with no bear spots on the web cams.  They are hurting but they will still be skiing.  The snow from Wilmington would have buried at least a few trails with enough snow to make it thru the weekend to when the weather gets cooler again

The snowmakers themselves did a great job all year - I have never said they didn't.  Its where the snow was decided to be blown that I'm discussing.  Its a very relevant topic right now I'd say.  When I said it 7 weeks ago I was branded a fool and I may well be but I was right.

And you keep you nut!!  

ausable skier wrote

Pants
check out the webcams from Killington where its also warm but they poured snow into key strategic trails to stay open.  I see trails with no bear spots on the web cams.  They are hurting but they will still be skiing.  The snow from Wilmington would have buried at least a few trails with enough snow to make it thru the weekend to when the weather gets cooler again

The snowmakers themselves did a great job all year - I have never said they didn't.  Its where the snow was decided to be blown that I'm discussing.  Its a very relevant topic right now I'd say.  When I said it 7 weeks ago I was branded a fool and I may well be but I was right.

Ok ... so maybe for someone like you, who lives what ... about 10 minutes from the mountain, it may have worked out better to have had 3 or 4 trails that you could still ski for the next week, maybe even two.

For those of us who travel several hundred miles round-trip, I'll say again, I'll take all the runs I had on Lookout Mountain in exchange.

In this particular case, it's really a matter of perspective. When they made the decision to blow on Lookout Mountain, there was absolutely NO way they could know what was going to happen, weather-wise, in March.

Hunter Mountain, "the snow-making capital of the world" is closing this Saturday, the 24th. As the snow-making capital of the world, and with FAR less acreage to cover, you would think that the superior private management there would have kept them open longer.

Bottom line ... it was the weather ... get over it!

I want to thank ORDA for keeping their mountains open this week.  In a normal year you would be hiking to get what we have been lift skiing.  Kmart is a privately owned area and if AS thinks they make better decisions, get your season pass there.  We have state owned ski areas and we skied some great conditions in a very horrible year.  Suck it up, pull out your bikes, kayaks and climbing gear and make due with what we get for the next 7 months.  Or if we get some snow Sunday night earn your turns. I had maybe the best last day of the year today!  Although...

Guys

This is not just about me whining about not being able to ski.  Orda as part of its mission has an economic impact on the surrounding area.  By not stock piling snow on key trails WF is forcing the cancelation  of probably at least a thousand hotels reservations in the area for the next 3 weeks.  Resturants that were counting on skier revenue to make it thru mud season are now facing a month longer mud season.  How many businesses might go under because of this?

Nysef had a race scheduled for this weekend that had over 200 kids signed up for it. They had to return over $20 grand in race entry fees.  As a non profit how do you make up for a 20k hole in your budget that suddenly appears.  Those 200 racers and their families would have spent at least $100 grand this weekend in LP and the area.

There was a school group from England coming to LP to ski in a few weeks.  We could be talking about millions of dollars of lost revenue for local businesses and the resulting tax dollars to the county and towns.

You think that the local business owners wouldn't trade that for having the Wilmington Trail not open this season - in a second they would.

Mother Nature....you cruel bitch!