Whiteface Conditions (2015 - 2016)

Out of curiosity, Did Lookout mountain  ever open this year? It didn't look like any snow was made there.

No, it didn't unfortunately.  Some fun trails over there

Ethan Snow wrote

Out of curiosity, Did Lookout mountain  ever open this year? It didn't look like any snow was made there.

There was a point, for a day or two, where I believe they broke out the guns on Wilmington.  Then we got a typical 2016 storm, warm, windy and wet, and after that they turned the guns back to the main mountain to keep as much terrain as possible in good shape.  Never made it back to Lookout.

gonnabe a very good weekend conditions wise. Nearly 70 guns going!

ADmiKe wrote

No, it didn't unfortunately.  Some fun trails over there

Inexcusable to never open a lift in an entire season, no matter how bad.  Hopefully this year sparks some more ORDA snowmaking upgrades

I'd much rather have good coverage on some trails than a little covrage on all trails. The conditions were excellent today, especially with 70 guns going. Kind of like a powder day on a few trails. As far as upgrades go, there is snowmaking over there already, but it is definitely not a priority on a year like this. It's probably not so much the wether in and of it self that caused them not to make snow,  but that is probably part of it. It's more that skier visits are way down this year. WF is a huge mountain, and having extra lifts going for much lower than usual crowds is just a terrible business decision. There is still plenty of good stuff for us to ski. I'm not against adding water pumps, although on a year that is not the worst on record, WF has no problem getting all lifts open by christmas, and all trails (with snowmaking) by February. If you have a problem with that, go ski at Hunter, and don't bother to come up here and ski in the real mountains. BTW? Hunter never made snow on Westway this year, and Annapurna looks awful thin. They must need snowmaking improvements.

They put the lift in so it needs to be maintained.  That's not free, so you may as well use it for its intended purpose (to bring skiers to the top to access the terrain).  That lift has never operated in December since it went in summer of 08.  You can't compare to Hunter since they have other trails off the same lift that are open.

Had an awesome spring day at the end of last year where all 3 summits were open with multiple options on each.  Probably my best spring skiing day ever.  Won't be happening this year, even if it's weeks earlier.  Killington this year for my annual spring trip.

I am disappointed that it is not open too, but I can understand why it is closed this year, and I am not going to let it piss me off. I can honesty understand why it is a bad business decision to open it this year. It would be at least $1000 a day to run that lift (thats what it costs to run the Face Lift) not including snowmaking costs. I like Killington too, but I have news for you, There are closed trails, and lifts there too, and there will be even fewer in the spring.

I agree with you on opening Hoyts High before opening Wilmington, but I'm coming from an uphill capacity point of view which is definitely not needed.

Oh, and there is currently one trail off the west side at Hunter that is open. I was not comparing, At Hunter the entire mountain can be accessed by two lifts, so they better have them open, and they do.

Snowmaking upgrades don't matter if it doesn't go below 28 degrees.

Harvey wrote

Snowmaking upgrades don't matter if it doesn't go below 28 degrees.

Not exactly correct. You can make snow above 32 with the right equipment. Just ask those resorts below the Mason Dixon that will make a 3 foot base in a southern climate.

Yes, you are right about that. Actually, about 35 degrees if you use Rats, and run them dry. Oh, and running a lift is not "maintaining it", it's just putting hours on it.

PeeTex wrote

Harvey wrote

Snowmaking upgrades don't matter if it doesn't go below 28 degrees.

Not exactly correct. You can make snow above 32 with the right equipment. Just ask those resorts below the Mason Dixon that will make a 3 foot base in a southern climate.

Ok change my number to whatever is scientifically correct.  My point is that at some point mother nature has a say.

Ethan Snow wrote

I am disappointed that it is not open too, but I can understand why it is closed this year, and I am not going to let it piss me off. I can honesty understand why it is a bad business decision to open it this year. It would be at least $1000 a day to run that lift (thats what it costs to run the Face Lift) not including snowmaking costs.

You shouldn't have put the lift in if you're not going to use it every year no exceptions.  That's a terrible business decision.  I'm going to vote with my feet and ski elsewhere this season.

Last I checked Facelift is high speed and Lookout fixed grip.  Always costs more to run a detachable than a fixed.  Lookout also has a much smaller lift crew.

Harvey wrote

Ok change my number to whatever is scientifically correct.  My point is that at some point mother nature has a say.

Indeed, but with the right investments you can hold mother nature at bay for a long time.

snoloco wrote

I'm going to vote with my feet and ski elsewhere this season.

I don't know man, it's definitely sad that it's closed, but like Harvey said, Mother nature gets to make the final decision. I'm sure WF was never planning on not opening that lift back in October. But, when you have to Re-make snow on your mountain five times, and people just aren't showing up, and you have no money to spend, no GM in their right mind is going to open it. I mean who really wants to buy a snowmaking system that is essentially 5 times bigger than their mountain. I wish you knew you stupidly expensive it is to make snow. It costs Hunter $13,000 an hour at full capacity in electric not including The cost of the infrastructure, and Employees. Whiteface still has the most vertical in the East.  I'd be bitching too if the Summit was closed.

AFAIK, the ORDA mountains are some of the only ones that failed to get all their lifts running this season.  Sugarbush may not have opened Castlerock because there's no snowmaking, but I'm not sure.  Pico has not opened the Outpost or Knomes Knoll lift, but that's because it's the orphan child of Killington and Powdr refuses to put any money into it so they can spend it all at Copper.  They don't invest in Killington, so they're sure not going to invest in Pico either.

Killington has had some trails that didn't open this year, but they managed to get all their lifts open.  Same with all other major ski areas.  There's literally no reason that Whiteface couldn't open Lookout and Gore couldn't have opened the Ski Bowl or High Peaks area, if they had upgraded their snowmaking.

Sno

I'm sure I speak for all the WF and Gore posters here
Please go ski elsewhere.  I'm tired of hearing your bitching about what WF and Gore are doing when you are a pass holder at two other places.  Please don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

When they turned the guns on Lookout for those few days just about every employee I know at WF said WTF are they doing.  It was clear as day to us that to not try to open it was the right decision.  Instead they blew tons of snow on key trails so we can make it deeper into Spring.  This was the wise decision.  That they wasted 2-3 days of blowing due to wing nuts like you is the travesty here.

Thank you Coach Z! This exactly what I wanted to say, I agree with you 100% It's really sad that 2-3 days were wasted on snowmaking on Wilmington. would have liked to see that snow go on Cloudspin.