Whiteface Conditions (2014-2015)

Wasn't trying to say shut up.

Another thing they do at Gore...  when conditions are tougher than usual and they think it could/should be open for true experts only...

They do this thing where the run a rope almost all the way across the trail, leaving an opening that is the width a skier.  Then they put an "Extremely Difficult" sign right next to the opening.  It's code for tougher than usual but have at it if you must. Haven't skied WF enough to know if they do something similar.

Sorry Harvey, didn't mean to imply you were telling me to shut up.  I know you weren't.  

Personally, I know I shouldn't really be on here questioning Patrol's judgement, and implying it could ever be a good decision to ski closed trails.  

But I'm a DB and didn't it anyway, and I should stop...

Harvey wrote

They do this thing where the run a rope almost all the way across the trail, leaving an opening that is the width a skier.  Then they put an "Extremely Difficult" sign right next to the opening.  It's code for tougher than usual but have at it if you must. Haven't skied WF enough to know if they do something similar.

Yes, I did see WF do that once.  The weekend Hoyt's opened, it was great on Sat.  Sunday it was closed.  They ended up opening after lunch, having put a double black sign at the entrance.

Other than that I can't say I've seen that done.  

I would always feel better about going around as opposed to under.

I do wish WF would make more liberal use of Thin Cover signs and allow skiers to ski, but it is what it is.....

So do those jump turns you specialize in allow you to save Ptex by sailing over the rocks?



It's odd, but in my head, "thin cover" has become synonymous with "natural snow."

I'm not a WF regular, but have been a few times this season...

Just curious what I'm missing in their conditions and open/closed status. Mountain reports 2" in last 7 days and all of a sudden Empire and the glades are open? And there's even murmurs of a possible slides opening? I get the whole "wind blows snow in" thing, but still....

either those trails should have been open prior or they're dropping the rope on sketchy conditions for some reason (public pressure?). Just seems odd that 2" puts all that gnarliness in play.

Harvey wrote

So do those jump turns you specialize in allow you to save Ptex by sailing over the rocks?

Here, yes......


Here and here, not necessary.......

SIAWOL wrote

I'm not a WF regular, but have been a few times this season...

Just curious what I'm missing in their conditions and open/closed status. Mountain reports 2" in last 7 days and all of a sudden Empire and the glades are open? And there's even murmurs of a possible slides opening? I get the whole "wind blows snow in" thing, but still....

either those trails should have been open prior or they're dropping the rope on sketchy conditions for some reason (public pressure?). Just seems odd that 2" puts all that gnarliness in play.

Open isn't always OPEN.  For instance, Sugar Valley Glades is open from the Deer Valley entrance, but not from the top.  Empire is open, but only the lower section that can be accessed from the glades, not the top narrow section.

They keep the sketchy stuff roped.  Just look how nasty it is.......'nuff said.

There be snow in them thar hills!

JTG4eva! wrote

One of the great trails of the East.

Are you really that bent on not being able to ski a trail you deemed to have an "edgeable surface" ?

If all there was available to ski was that hard edgeable surface ......not really.  When to the skiers right of the hard edgeable surface in the middle there is a foot plus of untracked powder.......yeah, I want the trail open.

Nice glade pics. CS glades were stuffed down Victor's. Also really enjoyed upper High Country glades entering left of the Ledges on Mac. I gotta remember to ski that more often.

Let's just say my younger brother needs to get in better shape.  Much better shape.  He wasn't up for another romp in the trees after lunch, so we didn't get into CS glades.  We spent an hour before lunch playing in SV and that did him in for trees.  

Love that line into the trees on Upper Mac......peeked down it Sunday but it had already been skied (bastard).  Nice steep, narrow shot, and then fun stuff to play in.

Rand's has got to be skiing well, if it were open.

How are the slides looking? Any chance of them opening sunday with a bit of slightly warmer weather?

I would say definitely maybe probably not.

Pretty much what TJ said. Best I could do:

"We have been going in the slides to check frequently. They are close but it is hard to say if and when they will be ready."

I would like to see more snow but there were tracks in there today.  The farther out the better (at least that's what it looked like from the summit lift).  1 and 2 looked suspect...the tracks were 2b-4...anyone want to add first hand knowledge  Cloudspin was my favorite today

very, very dangerous out there.  best to keep out.  

For the record, poaching the Slides isn't my thing.  My brother wanted to Sunday, I wussed out.  I don't know....just feels more irresponsible to my sensibilities, potentially putting Patrol in danger, than the idea of  poaching 'in bounds' stuff, not that that is cool.  Arbitrary?  Maybe.....

That said, I don't know SJ well enough to know if that is a genuine assessment and neighborly warning .....or a stay the F outta my playground!

JTG4eva! wrote

For the record, poaching the Slides isn't my thing.  My brother wanted to Sunday, I wussed out.  I don't know....just feels more irresponsible to my sensibilities, potentially putting Patrol in danger, than the idea of  poaching 'in bounds' stuff, not that that is cool.  Arbitrary?  Maybe.....

That said, I don't know SJ well enough to know if that is a genuine assessment and neighborly warning .....or a stay the F outta my playground!

If you had pouched them Sunday where would you have started from?