Whiteface Conditions (2017 - 2018)

Grillman wrote

... remember, he is a 18/19 year old who is passionate about skiing.  Take it with a grain of salt.

While I certainly respect his passion for skiing, I most certainly do not respect his behavior, and the excuse that he's an 18/19 year old doesn't cut it. I don't know his "story", and perhaps there's some underlying reason why he communicates the way he does, but his constant description of management as incompetent because they won't blow snow on his beloved Lookout Mountain is simply childish, ignorant and disrespectful. If my 17 year old behaved the way he did, I'd probably take a Sawzall to his skis & boots and that would be the last time he'd ever ski on my dime.

Having said all that, let's get back to the issue of snowmaking on Lookout Mountain ...

MikePom wrote

Talking to a Gore patroller last night he noted that blowing snow has been a challenge with the cold temps.  Difficult for them to get too spread out in fear of pipe freeze.

With sub-zero temperatures since December 27, many of those days with the temperature never rising above zero degrees, wind-chill temperatures of 40, 50, 60 & 70 degrees below zero, I'm sure the above was never a consideration at Whiteface, with regard to moving snowmaking operations to Lookout Mountain.

snoloco wrote

2.  Not having a large part of the mountain open results in longer lift lines and more trail crowding elsewhere on the mountain, both having a negative effect on the skiing experience.

While it may be true, that for a handful (3-5) of days each year, having the extra trail pod can make a difference on lift lines and trail crowding, is it worth taking the chance on moving the entire snow making operation there at the possible expense of the rest of the mountain?

snoloco wrote

But this year it should be no big deal to move snowmaking off the other side for a week or so to get Wilmington done.

Yes, I'm sure that collecting all the guns and hoses from one part of the mountain, closing all the valves, draining the pipes, charging the system on an entirely separate part of the mountain, redeploying all the guns & hoses and opening all the valves, then doing it all over again to rebuild the base on the main part of the mountain is no big deal at all.

Wikipedia wrote

Management includes the activities of setting the strategy of an organization and coordinating the efforts of its employees (or of volunteers) to accomplish its objectives through the application of available resources, such as financial, natural, technological, and human resources.

Fortunately, at Whiteface, the mountain managers take a "long view" for the season, and overall, in my opinion, they're doing a fairly good job of the above. That's not to say everything is perfect, and there are certainly a number of things that could be better, but when it comes to snowmaking, there are an awful lot of variables involved that are beyond management's ability to control.

http://www.ilsnow.com/2018/01/07/whats-next/#more-13257

Sounds like 2 to 3 weeks from now, we'll be glad that base building on the existing trails has been the focus rather than expansion to a trail pod that, in reality, does very little for the overall experience at Whiteface. Note that Hoyt's High is far and away my favorite trail at Whiteface, and I'd love to be skiing it right now, but I'd rather be skiing something, than nothing at all because resources were improperly allocated.

Face4Me wrote

  If my 17 year old behaved the way he did, I'd probably take a Sawzall to his skis & boots and that would be the last time he'd ever ski on my dime.
 

I'm still laughing.

that was great  ---- great because I know you mean it

Seriously?!  Sacrifice a third of your mountain to have thicker ice on the rest of it?  In a freeze thaw cycle it all ends up being boilerplate ice so it doesn't really matter how thick the base is as long as no rocks poke through.  Base building for spring can wait till Feb when all lifts are open.

campgottagopee wrote

Face4Me wrote

  If my 17 year old behaved the way he did, I'd probably take a Sawzall to his skis & boots and that would be the last time he'd ever ski on my dime.
 

I'm still laughing.

that was great  ---- great because I know you mean it

Amen. As a parent of a teenage boy (and as somebody who has actually made snow and operated a ski lift) I am often triggered by Sno's immature know-it-all behavior.
Face's post above should be the final word on this. I agree with 100% of it.

snoloco wrote

to have thicker ice on the rest of it?

Ice?  C'mon, Sno.  The snow quality this year has been exceptional.  You should have been skiing before tillers and blades were invented, let alone winch cats.  I'm sure you know what an old Tucker Sno Cat looked like.  They didn't make those things just for museums and old stock photos.

campgottagopee wrote

Face4Me wrote

  If my 17 year old behaved the way he did, I'd probably take a Sawzall to his skis & boots and that would be the last time he'd ever ski on my dime.
 

I'm still laughing.

that was great  ---- great because I know you mean it

I'm sure he does mean it.  Be careful, Lil Face!

You guys are totally brainwashed.  Whiteface has the least amount and percentage of terrain open for any major ski area in the east and you're saying that it's the right call to not even try to open Lookout.

snoloco wrote

You guys are totally brainwashed.  

You've had too many people tell you you're smart, Sno. You have a lot to learn about the world

Thanks for proving my point for me.

snoloco wrote

Whiteface has the least amount and percentage of terrain open for any major ski area in the east ...

And yet we all still manage to have a great time when we're there.

I'd rather golf 3 holes at Augusta National than 18 at almost any other course on the planet.  Especially if they're Amen Corner.

I think it's funny that some of you draw some pointless distinction between snoloco's brand of idiocy and just the ordinary, garden variety idiocy that's on display in these types of forums 24/7.  

Why am I still not allowed to post in the OT?

New clone of Noah John ^^

Not a clone.  I AM Noah John.  I'll be banned very soon though 'cus 4 years ago I might have made fun of this place and was just generally a big meany.  Nobody really remembers what happened but boy howdy they remember that they're still pissed off about it!  Haha!

I'd really just like to engage with Twinkle Toes a little bit.  He's special.

mountainhigh wrote

I think it's funny that some of you draw some pointless distinction between snoloco's brand of idiocy and just the ordinary, garden variety idiocy that's on display in these types of forums 24/7.  

I agree with this, actually.

Let snoloco have an opinion on the internet. Who gives a shit what he thinks? Whiteface is going to do what Whiteface is gonna do, and snoloco's ideas won't matter at all. Why do some people on here care so much about sno's opinions?

snoloco wrote

New clone of Noah John ^^

Did you figure that out all by yourself?

mountainhigh wrote

the ordinary, garden variety idiocy that's on display in these types of forums 24/7.  

How does the above rank in your own mind?

Just ignore Sno , until he brings value .

Sorry to disagree Harv , as one with four decades dealing with college students  as a prof, dean , coach and college president , i have seen this type of emotionally unintelligent know it all many times .

He  by his own words and behavior demonstrates this deficiency . SNo you have much to learn , your IQ is fine but your EQ needs serious work .

Your enthusiasm and knowledge about what you do know is welcome . Howver your obstinancy and bull headed , childish behavior and speaking as if you know when in fact you have a serious lack of insight about what you do NOT. know isnt welcome .
 

When you behave like this with adults , you come across as generating more heat than light . Work on it if you want to be "heard . "

It's about time.  My bitching and complaining paid off.