Whiteface Conditions (2015 - 2016)

Capdistski wrote

Having a great day at WF......And contrary to the soup nazi it feels springlike!

Glad to hear the March sun is winning out over the cold temps.  I'm excited for next week.

Great day at Whiteface today! Conditions far exceeded expectations. Beautiful day with great views.  Top skied real well and snow is holding up nicely. If you're on the fence, make the trip! Should be nice again tomorrow!

Get it while you can, while it lasts.  But my guess it's going to last for a while still.  Amazing conditions at Whiteface today and no one on the slopes.  Chairs aplenty on the sundeck as well.  Lap after lap, 3000 plus vertical, kids leading the way the whole time.  What a crazy season, still offering up some awesome spring conditions on that old Olympic hill.

This was my fav ski day of the year.  Superb cordorouy on the whole mountain.  Grippy and very edgable.  Sunny and cold in the morning and it warmed up but not to the corn stage above mid.  There is just one thin spot on Niagra other than that rocks were all covered.  The groomers really did a great job.  



The Kendos were a great choice today.  Really a versatile and fun ski.

Steely Dan and a bloody, perfect hydration break.  I'm buying if you are here!

Pleasantly surprised.....although I guess I shouldn't be.  Yes, it's cold, no hero snow spring conditions.  However, the mountain is skiing well, season considered.  Some seasons you just have to take what you are given, but what Whiteface is offering up right now is pretty nice.

Were it warmer the boilerplate base layer would start to soften up, making the "spring" surface very forgiving (i.e. Hero Snow).  However, other than the patches of that ice that find there way to the surface, the sliding surface is soft and velvety.  Would more open terrain and an afternoon in the Slides (like this time last year) be stellar?  Sure, but this is pretty darn fun, and.....good.

Given what spring corn is...as I said earlier, I shouldn't be surprised it is so fun/good.  The freeze-thaw cycle that transitions snow, from its crystalline (angular) form to the rollerball (round) shape we all love in March/April, has previously happened.  Throw in the March sun and, despite the cold (and frozen rollerballs), the snow has that nice creamy soft feeling we expect of spring corn (melty rollerballs).

Bottom line, don't hesitate to come out and enjoy the springy snow surface, even if we don't have warm spring temps right now.

First time, in a long time for me, that catching last chair on the Facelift is a necessity.  That says a lot, trust me.

I always catch the last FaceLift chair. Done it every time I visit WF. Just wish there were steeper trails off it. I wish they would run the summit double till 4.

Yes, Ethan, with your young legs I'd expect nothing less!  For quite a few more years!!!  Comes a time that U/L valley just isn't "worth it" after a hard day charging.

Not today (from the lift, maybe one more?).

What's Upper, and lower Valley?  I always hit the terrain park. Almost all my lower mountains runs conclude with it. I'm not really into most park stuff, but I ,love those jumps.

Please, may I have another!?!  Yes.

I'm too old to be a park rat.  I tried a turn or two on a rail or two a couple years ago.  It didn't go well.  I'm happy rocking the tight (albeit low angle puss) bumps on the bottom of lower valley to wrap the day. The kids bring me through the park.  I think/vision about hitting the big ones, then my "you have kids to raise" brain kicks in.  I hit a few pathetic jumps off the edges of rail setups and look for a flat box.

Forecast for rest of week looks promising.  Looked like they could get 2-4" - maybe more if the rain and frozen mix portion of the forecast is all snow on the summit. Hoping I can get back this weekend.

JTG, you gonna still be there Fri?  I'll be up with the kids.  
Is Wilderness done for the year?  Looks like it's basically Mountain Run, Essex, Northway and Skyward.

Jeff, unfortunately we head back home Thursday night.  Next time!

Anywhere from a dusting (bottom) to 3 or 4 inches (top) fell last night.  Those patches of ice that made there way to the surface of Skyward are now buried.  Fresh tracks at the edges were nice, but it's relatively wet and heavy 'powder'.  Groomers are crunchy sounding, but very carveable.  The touch of fresh on top is nice. It's been snowing hard at the mountain all morning.

Headed over to the Mountain Run pod now.

Lower Wilderness is open, a few people ducked the rope on Upper.  Interesting, and fun.  A couple inches of buttercream frosting, the way it gets a little crust when it sits exposed overnight, on top of a soft but firm (yes, I'm contradicting myself, but it's true) ice base.  It's all soft enough that you can just point them and go, carving long GS turns.  Making the skis work for you and powering through is the way to go.

Northway back to Skyward is the next order of bidness.

Gotta break the El Capo out of tuning lock up.  Upper Northway had a ton of snow, and the piles are plentiful on Skyward.  It's a volume to 10, full throttle day, blasting from pile to pile, up high at least.  Less new snow down low makes for great carving.  It's a little rumbly under foot, but yields to the edge. They did a nice job with the bumps for the Apple Butter, a couple very nice lines.

No pics.  No time, and it's socked in up high.

Without a doubt the best conditions of the year here for me.  If they get a couple three four inches between now and tomorrow it will be a repeat great day tomorrow.  This weekend is going to be great.

Great, thanks for the intel JTG!

Can't see squat!

Perhaps the worst day visibility-wise ever.

My rule is if you get to the top of the Gondi and can't tell there is a summit up there you don't want to go up there.  

Once up there like that get about 5 feet from the tree line on the right of Skyward and ski short turns close to the trees so you can gain some definition.  

Today's slides report: beacon, shovel, avalanche, fog lights required.

Today skier's left was the place to be...