Whiteface - Lookout Mountain...estimated opening?

I was waiting until it would come to this, he's your problem now - I am sure Mountain Creek was glad to see him go, they probably called up Clarkson and begged them to take him and get him the hell out of Joissy so he could piss off everybody in the North country. Well - they succeeded.

Scotty, here's your response:

Whiteface should, this summer increase their snowmaking capacity from 30 to 45 acre feet/day.  Their theoretical maximum snowmaking capacity is 54 acre feet/day limited by the amount of water they can draw from the river.  This increase would allow for them to make snow on an additional trail about the size of Easy Way-Boreen at any given time.  They should also cut the last Lookout trail to allow that section to open without Wilmington open.

By the day after Christmas, which is when I compile the grades for holiday terrain availability, I'd say this upgrade would've allowed for 4 trails the size I mentioned earlier to open by then that wouldn't otherwise be open.  My choice for those trails would've been Skyward, Wilderness, Hoyt's, and the uncut Lookout trail.  Another scenario would be to not open Lookout till later and instead open Mac and Parkway, which is what I think would be the best thing to do if the snowmaking upgrade were done, but not the new Lookout trail.

Paging Ethan Snow to tell me how much the snowmaking upgrades would cost.  I assume the new Lookout trail would be about a million, depending on how much blasting was needed.  

The argument for these upgrades to get the funding is the additional revenue brought to the LP area as a result of opening more terrain for Christmas and MLK Weekend.  The ski experience would be improved, and more people would want to return, and more customers would likely be brought in.

snoloco wrote

 Instead of ORDA throwing their money into the Gore Ski Bowl bottomless pit, they should've cut that trail on Lookout and added snowmaking to Hoyt's a couple years earlier than they did.

Sacre Bleu ! For the umpteenth time, it wasn't ORDA money !!! Wholly crepe, Suzette !!!

you fail miserable.  do some real work and report back in 6 months with some real analysis and recommendations.  That post is cheeto tweet worthy only.  all hot air and no substance.  Step it up Petit Homme!  RU big time little man??  Rack It!!

Coach Z wrote

 a trail that is too steep for a blue and not a black either.  

No one will say it but that trail did not turn out as they hoped......  It scares the tourists and the nets are a pain to maintain.

I really think this should be changed from a blue square sign to a blue square / black diamond combo sign for safety purposes.

I've been there numerous times when conditions made that short, steepish, bottom bit with the hairpin turn downright dangerous for low-level intermediates (which is most intermediates).  

One time I actually stood on the side and watched for a while in morbid amusement, it was like a NASCAR track with a bad oil slick.

BenedictGomez wrote

Coach Z wrote

 a trail that is too steep for a blue and not a black either.  

No one will say it but that trail did not turn out as they hoped......  It scares the tourists and the nets are a pain to maintain.

I really think this should be changed from a blue square sign to a blue square / black diamond combo sign for safety purposes.

Good idea, but combo trail markings are not allowed by NY Industrial Code, secion 54.6, table I

Just sent another email to management.  Hope they don't ignore it this time.

Why not start a Facebook page deadicated to how unfair it is to not open the Wilmington Trail and stop bothering us with this here.  WF is skiing great and you are all pissy and moaning.  This is much worse than the incessant MC posts because I could easily just ignore them.

Life is not fair. The Rolling Stones had it right - You can't always get what you want.  Move on and go skiing.

WF looks to be skiing the best it has in YEARS atm...fingers crossed the warmth and rain dont kill it for the holiday weekend.

snoloco wrote

Just sent another email to management.  Hope they don't ignore it this time.

I generally email Gore to let them know what I think. I hope they care as I buy 2 season passes each year plus plenty of other things and spend a lot of time at the mountain. I email them once a year and try to provide an honest assessment which includes both the good and the bad.

tom

Coach Z wrote

Why not start a Facebook page deadicated to how unfair it is to not open the Wilmington Trail and stop bothering us with this here.  

Better yet - he could start the SnoBlowCo's Whiteface - My way or the HiWay ski blog and take it outa here.

Noreaster:  If it's skiing the best it has in years, then why isn't Lookout open, or under snowmaking being prepared to open, or even on the snowmaking list?

TomCat:  I will keep sending emails until I get a response, and/or Lookout opens.  The neglect of that entire section annoys me more and more each day, and there's zero chance of the situation improving unless I give them lots of feedback about it.

BenedictGomez wrote

I've been there numerous times when conditions made that short, steepish, bottom bit with the hairpin turn downright dangerous for low-level intermediates (which is most intermediates).  

One time I actually stood on the side and watched for a while in morbid amusement, it was like a NASCAR track with a bad oil slick.

Ok. This ^^^ always gets said about the Willie. Maybe this hazardous aspect is part of a " delay ", so to speak. It's a questionable trail and maybe mgt is reluctant to open it more often. IDK.

Kinda of a catch 22. " We have a new and long trail but it's a train wreck for many people to ski it. ".

Again, IDK.

Those people need to stay on terrain that's within their ability level and not ruin it for those who can ski Wilmington.  If the don't open Wilmington, then the entire section is a loss, and you get Vermont style lift lines for President's Weekend, when you would have little to no lift lines otherwise.

Attn Snoloco

I will bet a beer for me against a Shirley Temple for you that  the Lookout chair spins by Presidents Week!

Spongeworthy wrote

Good idea, but combo trail markings are not allowed by NY Industrial Code, secion 54.6, table I

I wasn't sure if you were kidding or not, so I looked into it, and you're not kidding.

Then I quickly wondered why I ever should have doubted that such ridiculous micro-regulation exists in New York State.

pro2860 wrote

Attn Snoloco

I will bet a beer for me against a Shirley Temple for you that  the Lookout chair spins by Presidents Week!

Come to Tremblant and it can be a beer both ways.

Snowballs wrote

 This ^^^ always gets said about the Willie. Maybe this hazardous aspect is part of a " delay ", so to speak. It's a questionable trail and maybe mgt is reluctant to open it more often. 

Cant be that, because were that so the obvious solution would be to just change the thing to a black diamond.

Frankly, when you get these "tossup" trails that are either a hard blue or an easy diamond, I'd err on the side of caution and make it an easy diamond.  My W.A.G. suspicion has been that the reason that's not the case is for marketing purposes, as blue acreage and long blue trails both sell.

Ummm......show of hands.  Who has been to WF for Presidents weekend, with both Lookout open and Lookout closed, and experienced "Vermont like" lift lines?

Anyone?

Bueller??

I've been, and haven't!!

Makes no difference unless it's open.  Congratulations WF management for inventing time travel.  Back to 2007 before Lookout existed, because let's face it, not opening it is as good as not having it.