Whiteface Conditions (2016 - 2017)

Coach Z wrote

I get the feeling I was not supposed to break that news as they were waiting for the Gov to get his press.

 
I think you're 100% correct. King Andrew has been making the official announcement for quite a while now.
Time to go into hiding

its official first Gondi load is at 10 am

my guess is that there will be some kind of hoo ha with the press going on as well

50 minute ride to and from WF.... Wife says to be home by 2pm.... Ski from 10am to 1:10 pm...  What can possibly go wrong???  

 Keep us informed.

Coach Z wrote

its official first Gondi load is at 10 am

my guess is that there will be some kind of hoo ha with the press going on as well

Incorrect.  Report showing open only to top of Facelift.  Any reason why?  If they don't get the gondola up by Sunday, then I'm 100% going to Gore that day.

My guess is that they needed two full days to do all the grooming necessary to open, and that required only getting up to Facelift for tomorrow, since they hadn't planned on being open originally.

Talked to someone who skinned up today.  Said snow was really nice on the lower section but was really chunky up high.  Must have an ice layer that will need to be groomed multiple times to make it decent.

We are not even to day one yet so it's a little early to start panicking Sno.  Gore will be way more crowded on the WROD.  WF dishes out great skiing but you need to tough out some nasty moments that are going to make you a better skier.  This is NOT MC.

Makes sense to me.  They figured crowds would be minimal on opening day, so no need to rush to open the top.

Looks like a thaw next week, so hopefully they suffer minimal damage and start an aggressive terrain expansion soon after.

Coach Z wrote

  WF dishes out great skiing but you need to tough out some nasty moments that are going to make you a better skier.  

I'm sorry, are we talking about a ski resort in the northeast or the north face of the Eiger?

Coach Z wrote

Talked to someone who skinned up today.  Said snow was really nice on the lower section but was really chunky up high.  Must have an ice layer that will need to be groomed multiple times to make it decent.

We are not even to day one yet so it's a little early to start panicking Sno.  Gore will be way more crowded on the WROD.  WF dishes out great skiing but you need to tough out some nasty moments that are going to make you a better skier.  This is NOT MC.

What exactly do you mean by "nasty moments"?

Coach Z wrote

  Gore will be way more crowded on the WROD.

How the fuck do you know what Gore has? You certainly didn't drag your fat ass up to see it!!

Report now showing gondola open.  That's good to know.

Conditions pretty good, Gondi running and fairly light crowd.Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm guessing Friday and Saturday will be more crowded, but Sunday may be pretty empty by the afternoon as people go home from the weekend.

pretty good conditions

Turn 1 and 2 a little sketchy but that is pretty much the norm.  other wise good.  Don't get out too wide is my other advise.  Gondi and mixing Bowl running.  No real crowds.  Mostly just pass holders skiing today.  Got 5 gondi runs in 12.5k Vert then had to get home so my son could pack.  He is heading with Jimbo and Nysef to Copper Mt for two and a half weeks.

Looking good!

Pea soup today.  But nice snow.

Good skiing today.  Excelsior-Valley-Fox open and Gondola, Facelift, and Mixing Bowl spinning.  No real like at the gondola, although the trail is a little crowded at times..

Conditions vary from the top to the bottom.  They blew snow on Excelsior last night and some is very soft, but you have to be careful of ice patches.  Upper Valley is loose granular.  Lower Valley and Fox are a combination of frozen granular and wet snow, from where the snowguns were running wet.

Snowmaking appears to have commenced on Essex, Lower Northway, and Victoria.  Only a few spot guns at thin spots on open terrain.

I kind of wish they had LWF spinning as I think the upper mountain is skiing better, but that doesn't open till there's snow on Mountain Run.

Some pics from today.

Top of LWF


Just below midstation


Tower 10 hill


Thin spot near the bottom (that is now being covered with snowmaking)


Looking up on gondola


Looking back on gondola

Thanks for the pics 'loco, looking good...hopefully it holds up this week i'll be there Friday.

They're planning to operate daily at this point.  There will be skiing on Friday, but I'm not sure about the quality.  I talked to one of the mountain hosts yesterday and he said that Thursday night was back to snowmaking temps, but I'm not sure how much work they'll get done on the lower mountain.  The upper mountain should be fine.

I'm not going to tell anyone not to go skiing, but Friday might not be the best quality day you've had.  The lower mountain will likely be sketchy, and there will be snowmaking in progress on open trails if it can possibly be done.  I'll be skiing both the 3rd and 4th, so hopefully things will be better by then.