Whiteface Conditions (2012-2013)

I'm big on the whole tools not jewels concept when it comes to skis...  But that said, we've been skiing knee deep for over a week on cloudspin.  It was safe as long as you followed the normal snow lines through the boulder fields....  I made a genuine offer.  Maybe next time...

that's funny!  

damm - didn't know the slides opened

I had to teach all day to cover for those doing the PSIA event - it probably was better not knowing they were open.  Made some decent $ on privates though.

ScottyJack wrote

I'm big on the whole tools not jewels concept when it comes to skis...  But that said, we've been skiing knee deep for over a week on cloudspin.  It was safe as long as you followed the normal snow lines through the boulder fields....  I made a genuine offer.  Maybe next time...

Yeah, man. Definitely next time. I was just skiing with some peeps and had other "obligations" - I'll come up by myself sometime and rip around with you.

THE FORECAST FOR WHITEFACE MOUNTAIN, NEW YORK AT 4,867 FT:
LAST UPDATED AT 320 PM EDT TUE APR 02 2013

.TONIGHT...CLOUDY. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS. LOW AROUND 3 ABOVE. WEST
WINDS AROUND 45 MPH. WIND CHILL VALUES AS LOW AS 25 BELOW.
.WEDNESDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...
THEN ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH AROUND 11. WEST
WINDS 45 TO 50 MPH. WIND CHILL VALUES AS LOW AS 27 BELOW.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY UNTIL MIDNIGHT THEN CLEARING. LOW
AROUND 11. NORTHWEST WINDS 35 TO 50 MPH. WIND CHILL VALUES AS LOW AS
17 BELOW.
.THURSDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH AROUND 28. WEST WINDS 35 TO 45 MPH.
WIND CHILL VALUES AS LOW AS 7 BELOW.

Interesting forecast for April.  Where from, and what do they say for Friday/Saturday?  I like the NOAA forecast/discussion for the area a little better (granted, it isn't for 4,867 ft)......with temps warming and the winds dying down a bit as we move toward the end of the week.

Anyone know the story with Lookout?  I see the lift and trails are closed this week....I suspect from lack of weekday skiers, and not lack of snow cover.  Think they will turn the lift this weekend?

Headed up Friday am, to ski Fri/Sat.  I'm somewhat of a cheapo, I know....buying the new two year old gear....but looking forward to putting some turns on the new Nordicas (HR Pro Helldiver skis, Hell and Back Hike Exp boots) I just picked up.  Nice to not really need the rock skis in April, but I will bring them anyway.  I will also definitely bring the cold weather gear!

mattchuck2 wrote

 I love to see them open because everytime someone skis the slides for the first time, they are stoked and they can't wait to tell you how awesome it was - even total strangers. Really cool.

Speaking of first times, if you will allow me the proud papa moment.......we were there and caught the brief window they were open.  It was time for my 14 year old daughter to make her right of passage.  Patrol was a little concerned with her equipment when checking us on the line.  I let them know that she was a Lookout Below/Blazers/Empire/Mac/Cloudsplitted kind of girl, and that her junior equipment was simply a result of her not yet being heavy enough to rock a full women's ski.  We waited on the line.....at first they were bringing in groups of about 6 guided, and before we went in they loosened it to groups of 20 semi-guided.......and in we went.  Slides 3 and 4 were supposedly open, but the host behind us kept telling us to follow the blue jacket ahead of us on the traverse.  The blue jacket kept traversing, we kept following, and.......even though I wouldn't have chosen it......my daughter got Slide 4 as her first Slides experience.  Tough, but hey, welcome to the jungle!

It wasn't a ripping run, and perhaps the host behind us might have like to have moved a bit faster, but my daughter was capable, and made her way down fine, even if slowly.  I got to teach her some route finding skills along the way, I talked her through some tricky spots, she made good use of some serious side slipping skills in other spots (no, she's not ready to huck small cliffs/waterfalls yet), and made some nice turns when the terrain permitted.  Great learning experience for her.  She was so much more confident in Cloudsplitter after that, and having conquered the Slides helped to elevate her game elsewhere.  Amazing what a dose of confidence (along with proper discretion) will do for one's skiing.

Sorry to highjack a conditions thread....but conditions were great in there that weekend.

Skidds wrote

Interesting forecast for April.  Where from, and what do they say for Friday/Saturday?  Anyone know the story with Lookout?  Headed up Friday am, to ski Fri/Sat.  

This Friday and Sat will rock it.  Temps in the valley forcasted for 50 so we'll def be in the mid to upper 40s.  Sun/partly cloudy for Friday and Sun for Saturday!

Lookout will open and be in great shape.

The coverage is outstanding.  Full on winter snow!  

Lookout is open.

Heading over for some Hoyts High Heaven w/ my beautiful birthday wife!!

You 'duck' onto Hoyts?  Hope it opens tomorrow.  Top half o' the mountain is suffering from a lack of sunshine, need things to warm up a little more.  I'll take the midwinter cover, and don't mind firm conditions....but in April I want to rip nice soft snow!  Gotta like white stuff falling on the summit in April though....

I didn't ski Hoyts.  What was open was very good.

Heading to the dump and then over to our beloved!  Hoyts Heaven 4sure 2day!

conditions are spring supreme...

plus a real friendly patroller is in charge of slides 2day!!!!!

yesterday was awesome!  snow pack is deep and soft!

It was a really nice Sunday. Saturday never really got warm enough to get corn going higher than about halfway up Mt run. Sunday the Mt run zone was really nice corn.  The summit was good but had not softened up fully in late morning. My kid was doing the pond skimming so I called it a day at 1 to watch that and then catch Lucid on the deck until it started raining around 3.

Unfortunately for business the super sunday crowds did not materialize because of the weather forecast but it was great by late morning when the sun came out. I rode the Gondi up once early in the day and it was swaying like crazy and it shut down soon after for wind.

Scotty did you get into the slides?

Did HH ever thaw out and open? It was closed Saturday for safety reasons and I did not ever see anyone in there sunday so I assumed it was still closed.

It opened around 1 till the chair went on wind hold.  

tjf1967 wrote

It opened around 1 till the chair went on wind hold.

What opened slides or HH?

I was committed to pond skimming and beers on the deck by that time

It was winter again at Whiteface.  A few inches of new snow over the grooming was pretty nice on Sunday.  No sun at all so no corn just mush at the bottom.  Fun but a little too cold for my tastes this time of the year. Next weekend should delivery on the Corn though.

There is plenty of cover - its amazing that runs like Essex have no rocks showing this time of the year.  Essex and Upper Northway were really nice and the trails of the day for me.

Txt from Shaman:

"65 at base, winds howling, Slides a little bony.  :)"

This is supposed to be spring?    It was downright cold and windy.  No Gondi but good work by the staff to go to Plan B and get the Little Whiteface up and running.  I stuck to that and the skiing was pretty good but you had to be careful of sinkholes and the rest of the typical late season obstacles.  I think only hit one rock all day.  Below mid was muck - stay high.

Unfortunately I was not wearing enough clothes to enjoy the summit today.

Sunday looks to be the perfect closing day weather.  Looking forward to it.

Fun and sunny last day.  It was cold and you had to be patient to wait for things to thaw out.  The summit did not open until 1 as it was really cold up there in the morning.  A few trails required some walking to get to snow but they were worth it.

From WF Toll Road -

Over 12-inches by 3PM on 5/24/13.  Betcha close to 20 up there now...