Whiteface Conditions (2015 - 2016)

Who needs spring!?!  It's full on winter today.  Conditions report says loose and frozen granular, but I think they are just too lazy to update it.  Between yesterday's new and another inch or so and counting I've been skiing powder and packed powder conditions all morning.  It also wasn't 31 degrees at the base.  We arrived to 23 degrees and some freezing drizzle, but it's snowing now.

I was reminded that conditions are quite subjective.  I had a blast yesterday and thought the conditions were great.  Talking to a father and his kids last night, they skied an hour yesterday and traded in their tickets for a voucher, the conditions not to their liking.  Down low the fresh was sticky, over a firm cord, which his beginners found unpleasant.  Today I think the lower mountain is perfect for beginners.

I also overhead someone in the lodge tell another guy that upper Northway was chunky, suggested avoiding it.  There ain't nothing chunky about upper Northway.  Yes, some patches of base ice bleed through, but otherwise it's packed powder and piles of fresh.

Clouds in the valley, along with the colder temps.  The transition is upon us.  Two runs ago was sleet needles piercing the face, last run is NCP hitting and freezing on goggles and jacket.  The overriding event Jason expected is here, and there is an inversion with warmer temps at the summit than at the base.

This week has been a net gain for coverage, there's plenty of snow, the warm temps are coming, and another great spring weekend is ahead.  If only I could be here....

Lost a ton of snow overnight.  That must have been a really warm down pour

First thing this morning with the rain and mist it was ok skiing but really unpleasant.  It got better late morning when the rain stopped and it got colder which firmed up the rain slush.

I have no idea why WF was running the summit chair with near zero visibility up high.  Those that went up there that I talked to all regretted it.  It would have made much more sense to run LWF.

Got in 7 laps on the Gondi and stopped when my second pair of gloves were soaked.  Talked to ADK Jeff and took some runs with Gunny J.  Nice to ski with him and his son and good to put a face with your posts.

Should be a good day Saturday.

Coach Z wrote

Lost a ton of snow overnight.  That must have been a really warm down pour

First thing this morning with the rain and mist it was ok skiing but really unpleasant.  It got better late morning when the rain stopped and it got colder which firmed up the rain slush.

I have no idea why WF was running the summit chair with near zero visibility up high.  Those that went up there that I talked to all regretted it.  It would have made much more sense to run LWF.

Got in 7 laps on the Gondi and stopped when my second pair of gloves were soaked.  Talked to ADK Jeff and took some runs with Gunny J.  Nice to meet take and good to put a face with your posts.

Should be a good day Saturday.

I went up to the summit and boy did I regret it.  I slipped on the top of Niagara, lost one ski and then slid on my ass to the bottom.  Man it sure is steep when you look up from the bottom with only one ski in hand and the other sitting there all alone up top.  I owe the guy who stopped to pick up my ski and poles a beer!  

It's always fun to run into Forum peeps, so it was good to see you again Coach and also to say hi (briefly) to Gunny.

There was basically no sign of those 4-5 inches that fell the other day.  We kept hoping the summit would clear off, but it never did.  But that didn't prevent us from doing 3 laps on Sky and another on Paron's.  The vis wasn't that bad, and the snow was actually pretty good.  Or... maybe any day that I ski Sky is a good day.

Here's a couple shots from Sky:







As great as Sky was, Mountain Run was the pick of the day.  Really nice snow, great coverage.  Too bad you had to ride the gondi to lap it.



Anybody skiing WF tomorrow should have a great day.  Get it while it lasts.  The janitor told me possibly one more weekend, but frankly it looks like that would be tough to pull off.  Fun day, glad we went up.

Lateski wrote

I slipped on the top of Niagara, lost one ski and then slid on my ass to the bottom.  Man it sure is steep when you look up from the bottom with only one ski in hand and the other sitting there all alone up top.  I owe the guy who stopped to pick up my ski and poles a beer!

My kids and I always joke that when there's a "Thin Cover" sign, it's really code for "Awesome Conditions."  Today it really just meant Thin Cover.

Top of Niagara:

Adk Jeff wrote

"Thin Cover" sign, it's really code for "Awesome Conditions."

I think the same way.  Often (at Gore anyway) it seems to mean natural snow maybe mixed with manmade, maybe some rock and grass and dirt, low traffic but good snow.

Adk Jeff wrote

As great as Sky was, Mountain Run was the pick of the day.  Really nice snow, great coverage.  Too bad you had to ride the gondi to lap it.

Mountain Run was the pick of the season for me at WF.  It was in great shape every time I went there this year, I spent most of a day on President's Weekend lapping it.  Looking up at the run it doesn't seem all that exciting, and I think most people opt not to ski it, the lack of skiers just adds to the greatness of the run.  

 Had two fun days at Whiteface ,one in the rain ,one in the bright sun. Got soaked on Friday and sunburned on Saturday. Good time skiing with Coach on Friday. Coach is soft spoken and a dynamic skier ,glad we met up. If not for Easter with family I would be skiing today.
    Wilderness and Skyward were great Saturday. Son Derek loved both sets of seeded bumps on the mountain.

Whiteface is holding up fairly well.  Anything above mid lodge is skiing nice.  My favorite today was Wilderness(old guy bumps and fat guy pow) but the Gondi only thing made me ski Skyward more.  The bottom is a swamp and there were a ton of lessons.  IMHO Saturday morning will be the best this weekend.  The worst part of the upper mountain is where Sky enters Niagara enters Victoria...you are skiing across slickrock...other than that today was awesome
another great day in paradise

sudsnbumps wrote

  The worst part of the upper mountain is where Sky enters Niagara enters Victoria...you are skiing across slickrock...other than that today was awesome
another great day in paradise

Haha!! We chose to avoid the wrod on Niagara and ducked the rope on Lower Sky and feasted on the same cream cheese as lower wilderness. Sometimes the road less traveled is the way to go

in the future they should plan to blow more on the ladies drop section of skyward and have that as the spring main option.  it faces North and would hold snow much better than Niagara.  I don't understand why they insist on trying to have Niagara as the final option.  There is a ton of snow on Skyward but the summit will get closed soon because of this issue.

Coach
What is your best guess for a closing date? Is Sunday the end? It sounds like they still have a lot of snow.

Darkside Shaman wrote

Haha!! We chose to avoid the wrod on Niagara and ducked the rope on Lower Sky and feasted on the same cream cheese as lower wilderness. Sometimes the road less traveled is the way to go

The 7 inches they got last week might have   skied very well over there on Wed/Thurs......

Of course, those days Niagara was also great, no wrod.

Pond skimming moved to the weekend of April 9, which would commit them to be open through April 10.  Don't mothball the skis yet Z.  With 10 to 12 inches of snow in the forecast through Monday night there could be some good skiing left to do.  Powder day next Tuesday?  

I would doubt they will stay open mid week next week. there is snow but the today and tonight and Friday are going to put a hurt on it with warm rain.  I skied at lunch yesterday and it was pretty good.

to keep the summit going they are going to need to push some snow onto Niagara or you will have to walk

They know how to keep terrain open and will do what they have to.  I'm sure they wouldn't have extended if they weren't committed.  It's not like we've never seen patrol with shovels throwing snow on a headwall!

If they get a foot plus through Monday and aren't open midweek.....I'll really regret not having a day to take and do some skinning up!

Skyward and Niagara are shown as Closed on today's report.  Maybe it's a mistake or maybe Niag finally shit the bed.

Probably not ideal to move snow around when it's warm and rainy, but once it turns colder again I'd bet they move what they have to to get them in play.  Just my uneducated speculation.

Based on how it was yesterday at 1 when I left and the rain today niagara is toast.  Maybe they will push some snow on it when it gets cold enough to groom again.