Whiteface Conditions (2016 - 2017)

snoloco wrote

Facelift was installed in 2002 replacing both the Valley Triple and MidStation Shuttle Lifts.  The Valley Triple ran the full length and the MidStation Shuttle only ran up to the bottom of Mountain Run, providing direct access to the lodge and those lifts.  Facelift doesn't have a mid station because it was too expensive on a detachable so that's why there's no direct access to that lodge anymore.  While direct access to that lodge was lost, direct access to LWF was gained with the gondola.  Good move IMO.

Interesting to read the recent history.  I only skied Whiteface a few times in 1968-70 as an intermediate.  The only part that I can remember clearly is the bridge.  The changes to the lifts made the place feel very different when I skied WF again in 2014.

Was there ever a single chair to the summit at WF?? For some reason I remember one being there back in the  80's while skiing there in college. Maybe it's all a dream..... can anyone confirm or deny?

Pas de

I understand that there was a double that went to the warming hut (now hose storage for snowmaking) with a poma that went from the warming hut to where Summit lets off now.

marznc wrote

I only skied Whiteface a few times in 1968-70 as an intermediate.

You look a lot younger than that in your avatar.

campgottagopee wrote

Was there ever a single chair to the summit at WF?? For some reason I remember one being there back in the  80's while skiing there in college. Maybe it's all a dream..... can anyone confirm or deny?

No single.  SBR must have had the same dream (read the comments):  Whiteface Mountain, circa 1986

Adk Jeff wrote

marznc wrote

I only skied Whiteface a few times in 1968-70 as an intermediate.

You look a lot younger than that in your avatar.

campgottagopee wrote

Was there ever a single chair to the summit at WF?? For some reason I remember one being there back in the  80's while skiing there in college. Maybe it's all a dream..... can anyone confirm or deny?

No single.  SBR must have had the same dream (read the comments):  Whiteface Mountain, circa 1986

That is HILARIOUS!!! I swear I remember that. Was it maybe a double with the pole in the middle of the chair or something like that??

ScottyJack wrote

Pas de

Hmmmmm, sorry me no speeky Tontoism

D.B. Cooper wrote

I understand that there was a double that went to the warming hut (now hose storage for snowmaking) with a poma that went from the warming hut to where Summit lets off now.

Ok, I'm easily confused so I must be mistaken.

campgottagopee wrote

D.B. Cooper wrote

I understand that there was a double that went to the warming hut (now hose storage for snowmaking) with a poma that went from the warming hut to where Summit lets off now.

Ok, I'm easily confused so I must be mistaken.

I read that as "one lift" (as opposed to a double-double like LWF/Mt. Run).  I guess what you meant is a single chair a la MRG.

Yep ^^^^ Single chair like MRG

campgottagopee wrote

Was there ever a single chair to the summit at WF?? For some reason I remember one being there back in the  80's while skiing there in college. Maybe it's all a dream..... can anyone confirm or deny?

Any old timers correct me if I'm wrong on this one.

Whiteface as it exists today started in the early 60's on Little Whiteface.  Not sure what the lower mountain lifts were, but there was a Riblet double where the LWF chair is now.  Hall replaced it in 1978 with the lift that exists today (which was later heavily modified by CTEC and Doppelmayr).  The old LWF chair was moved to the summit, and ran to where the bears are now.  

There was a Hall double double installed where the Facelift is now in 1976.  One side went the full length and the other ended at the Midstation lodge.  CTEC upgraded the full length side to a triple in 1988 and some of the Hall parts were used to build the Mountain Run chair in 1989.  They added their own tandem towers and chair frames to the Mountain Run side, which is why it has those wonky looking chairs with CTEC frames and Hall seats.

In 2002, the Triple-Double was replaced by the Facelift.  The CTEC parts were used to build the Topridge Triple at Gore and the Hall parts were just scrapped.

Adk Jeff wrote

marznc wrote

I only skied Whiteface a few times in 1968-70 as an intermediate.

You look a lot younger than that in your avatar.

That pic was taken when I was over 50.  Turned 60 this year.  

North Country School is a junior boarding school just south of Lake Placid.  Has 200+ acres, including a ski hill with a rope tow.  That's where I learned to ski long ago. I graduated from 8th grade (last grade) in 1970.  My daughter graduated in 2016.  She got to be at NCS for three years since 9th grade was added a while back.  Difference for skiing is that I got her on skis at age 4 even though we live in NC.  She was an advanced skier skiing the harder terrain (off High T, Devil's Castle) at Alta by the time she was 12.  I had to work hard in recent years to stay a better skier.  Although she shifted to telemark at NCS so slowed down in terms of technique improvement.

campgottagopee wrote

ScottyJack wrote

Pas de

Hmmmmm, sorry me no speeky Tontoism

SJ has gone Hinterlandian

http://directory.nyskiblog.com/Whiteface-Mountain-Ski-Center-td4646997.html

freeheeln wrote

campgottagopee wrote

ScottyJack wrote

Pas de

Hmmmmm, sorry me no speeky Tontoism

SJ has gone Hinterlandian

That's what I was thinking. He must be preparing to skedaddle when Trump wins.

Harvey wrote

http://directory.nyskiblog.com/Whiteface-Mountain-Ski-Center-td4646997.html

Marble Mt tower bases still there, sled shacks too.

Here is a great writeup on Marble Mtn:
http://www.albany.edu/asrc/assets/MarbleMtnArticle.pdf


Hikeing the old lift line behind the Atmospheric sciences center is my preferred way to hike WF and/or Ester.

This brought up a memory from the past, Greylock Glen.
When there were plans for a Tram to the top of Greylock, they developed a golf course and an entire ski area (lift towers are still there) at the base of Greylock right beside the Thunderbolt. It all went bankrupt before a single bull wheel turned.
http://www.newenglandskihistory.com/cancelledskiareas/Massachusetts/mtgreylock.php

They should reopen all the old terrain and connect it to Whiteface to be the largest ski area in NY, both vertically and horizontally.

From the Marble mtn link....

" January 1958, an event that gained national attention when a power failure on the Riblet chairlift stranded the Governor, Draper, and others 100 feet in the air for more than an hour. "

Hey Sno, know anything about this brand of lift ?