Whiteface Conditions (2014-2015)

Looks like the Summit Quad is up.  Have fun out there!

Thanks a lot JTG for your prompt and explanatory reponse!

My main concern are still the Slides... Really want to ski them bad and I can't beat this feeling inside me looking at all the photos/footage from there. But not a billioner yet :) to spend a 200-300$ for a 2-3 days riding a supertrail, given the fact that I live in NYC and dont ski deep pow that often, unfortunately. What are your thoughts? How often you find yourself using all the gear you take to the Slides? Are they worth it?

Now on the WF conditions page it says that the Slides are still closed... Where can I find the info that you were talking about (status description, equip. needed etc.)?

SalSal wrote

Thanks a lot JTG for your prompt and explanatory reponse!

My main concern are still the Slides... Really want to ski them bad and I can't beat this feeling inside me looking at all the photos/footage from there. But not a billioner yet :) to spend a 200-300$ for a 2-3 days riding a supertrail, given the fact that I live in NYC and dont ski deep pow that often, unfortunately. What are your thoughts? How often you find yourself using all the gear you take to the Slides? Are they worth it?

Now on the WF conditions page it says that the Slides are still closed... Where can I find the info that you were talking about (status description, equip. needed etc.)?

Nope...it says they are open.

Slides are open - Silver Conditions (with Buddy & Beacon, Probe, Shovel required

Highpeaksdrifter wrote

Nope...it says they are open.

Slides are open - Silver Conditions (with Buddy & Beacon, Probe, Shovel required

I see what Sal was getting out.  Slides and Slide Out were never checked as open on the on-line trail report.  Do they check them as open if it's not Gold?  Technically Silver isn't open to everyone.

Sal, pay attention to the Alerts on the conditions report.  They showed them open as Silver.

Regarding the report and alerts, HPD....looks like the Summit Quad may have been on hold until about 11:00?  Alerts say the Slides were closed around 1:00.  If true, the Slides may have only been accessible for a couple of hours.  Was that the case?  1:00 is a bit early for closing time, any idea what shut them down at that time?

The most important question HPD.....would you make the 6.5 hour round trip drive to ski the Slides tomorrow, or is there a chance the drive could be wasted?   Any 411, email or otherwise, appreciated.

SalSal wrote

My main concern are still the Slides... Really want to ski them bad and I can't beat this feeling inside me looking at all the photos/footage from there. But not a billioner yet :) to spend a 200-300$ for a 2-3 days riding a supertrail, given the fact that I live in NYC and dont ski deep pow that often, unfortunately. What are your thoughts? How often you find yourself using all the gear you take to the Slides? Are they worth it?

All I can say is....you wanna play you gotta pay.  Worth it?  That depends I guess.  I'm not a 20+ day a year skier, but I'm passionate enough about the sport to have hiked ridge lines at 13,000 feet, and I'll do whatever it takes to increase my chances of getting into the Slides.  Skiing hike to backcountry/slackcountry terrain is an experience very unlike that you find in typical in bounds conditions.  The challenge, the beauty, the solitude.....hard to put a price on that for everyone.  The $300 or so I invested in gear will be spread over multiple days in the Slides over a number of years, and hopefully will get put to use out west some day.  If I get 5 days in that's $60 per, 10 days it's $30 per.  Well worth it to me.   Heck, a couple of days out of that $300 and I'm happy.  If you get one day in and never use the gear again....it might not be worth spending the money.

A note of caution.....Slides wondering can be an excruciating thing.  Will they open, what will the status be?  You never know.  Just because they were open today is no guarantee they will be open tomorrow.  A couple years ago I made the long day trip the day after they opened only to find that an event (police race or something?) had patrol and hosts otherwise occupied for the day and they didn't open.  There are a lot of factors that impact whether the Slides will open or not.

Sometimes you gotta roll the dice, take your chances, bite the bullet.....and invest in the gear and hope for the best.  If you have the proper skills (it can be miserable to dangerous if you don't) and you do get in there....it's likely to be an experience you never forget.

Those are great pics JTG, curious what do you use for pics, I have the iphone 5 and my pics are nowhere near as good as yours, could be I'm just a crappy photo hog.

Lateski wrote

Those are great pics JTG, curious what do you use for pics, I have the iphone 5 and my pics are nowhere near as good as yours, could be I'm just a crappy photo hog.

iPhone 6 got a big camera upgrade!

Well said. I would perhaps order a package, but now regrettably I'm short of time to do so.

Just curious if there is a place where I can probably rent these things (shovel, beacon and probe) in Lake Placid? Maybe EMS or High Peaks Cyclery

This guy took the heads up and had his Silver set-up ready to go this morning:



"It was pretty tough skiing in their today, super heavy, wet snow. But oh so fun! Thanks!"

Harvey....you suggested people bring their gear today, just in case.

Any suggestions on tomorrow?

Harvey wrote

This guy took the heads up and had his Silver set-up ready to go this morning:



"It was pretty tough skiing in their today, super heavy, wet snow. But oh so fun! Thanks!"

How many laps did he make?   Were 1-4 all open?  Inquiring minds want to know!!

All were open

My post was, in part, based on a guess.  Today was forecast to be sunny and above freezing.

If you're not local and you're after the Slides on a consistent basis you're going to miss sometimes. On year I moved heaven and earth at work, drove to Whiteface and missed by one day.  Another time after three runs, someone was hurt and the Slides were shut down. One other time I was there at the right time and had one of the best ski days of my life.

Once again I'm seeing conspiracies theories about why the terrain was open today. That's nuts. The mountain has a spectacular unique asset and they want to use it to maximum advantage.

JTG4eva! wrote

Lateski wrote

Those are great pics JTG, curious what do you use for pics, I have the iphone 5 and my pics are nowhere near as good as yours, could be I'm just a crappy photo hog.

iPhone 6 got a big camera upgrade!

Good for you, that's a nice upgrade.

I was standing next to them when they dropped the rope today..Of course I didn't have the requisite gear..
All the groomed runs skied like a dream...
The other stuff got real manky , but still fun..
Here's some perty pics from today

Slide 3
March 10, 2015

Nice.  Glad you got in there during the hour and change (?) they were open Tuesday.  Alerts said they closed a little after 1:00, which seems early.

I was surprised WF mass marketed an email proclaiming that they opened.  That will certainly generate interest....and expectation.

Figured today was a bad day to head up, having warmed up yesterday and being very cold today.

One forecast I'm looking at is calling for 12 to 15 inches in the Dacks Sat night into Sunday.....

they were def open longer than an hour and a half....  had enough time to get 5 laps!

JTG4eva! wrote

Figured today was a bad day to head up, having warmed up yesterday and being very cold today.

One forecast I'm looking at is calling for 12 to 15 inches in the Dacks Sat night into Sunday.....

Yeah it warmed up quick on Tuesday and now things not groomed are a bit tight.  12-15 be nice.  20-30 be better.  Great opening by WF.  Patrol was chill and very fun to hang around with!!  They def had the right crew up there.

It was a pretty thin base for a slide opening but deep in all the usually places.  Everything got skied up and packed out nice.  It was a bit of work but always happy to provide public service for my fella snow sports enthusiastic!

When we get this weekend's storm things are gonna be prime!  I'd be looking at ways to be off Mon/Tues!

ScottyJack wrote

 

When we get this weekend's storm things are gonna be prime!  I'd be looking at ways to be off Mon/Tues!

I knew we'd be punished for dumping da Face this year


BTW -- cool pix in slide 3