Whiteface - Lookout Mountain...estimated opening?

Make a plan work the plan. Look out is part of whiteface. Blowing snow is part of that plan.
I think they should get rid of those whiteface only passes. The people who buy those are the same people who spend no money at the mountain. There opinions are geared only toward there personal interests and for the most part they are grumps. You play the marter but you have earned your bashings.

Highpeaksdrifter wrote

pro2860 wrote

How do you come to this conclusion? Has there ever been a season where it never opened?

I'll bet you a beer that when you and the Cortland crew get here it will be open.
I got a good feeling...just sayin

I'll take that bet for 2 reasons

1. I hope you're right
2. Was planning on buying you a beer any_A_ways

See ya'll at the end of Feb

I didn't know Aussie quit. Welcome back.

Giving GMs crap about blowing on their expansions is often BS IMO.  They didn't make the decision to expand or set the snowmaking budget.  What's under their control to some extent is where to blow. To some extent. Often there is political pressure to get new expensive expansions open. (Look at the new Gore guns... they are going on interconnect trails.)

If you are against expansion I guess I can't argue with that.

I haven't skied Whiteface enough to comment on Lookout.

IMO the expansions at Gore over the years have been great for skiers: the Summit, Rumor, Lies, Dark Side, Topridge, North Chair, Burnt Ridge and the Ski Bowl.

campgottagopee wrote

Highpeaksdrifter wrote

pro2860 wrote

How do you come to this conclusion? Has there ever been a season where it never opened?


I'll bet you a beer that when you and the Cortland crew get here it will be open.
I got a good feeling...just sayin

I'll take that bet for 2 reasons

1. I hope you're right
2. Was planning on buying you a beer any_A_ways

See ya'll at the end of Feb

I'm in!

Back to my original question...Has there ever been a season when Lookout didn't open?

no there's never been a season where Lookout did not open.....  

However, IMHO I have to concur with the bridge troll guy re: snowmaking.  w/out major storms WF should focus on building back and deeping up to help extend our season.  We got four weeks till Presidents week, after which we generally see the guns go down for the year - at least major snowmaking ops...  

Next two weeks look good as far as temp, PNA, NAO, and ridging so its go time for snowtribe.  We need to pray MoNat brings the goods as far as natural.  It snows big, move to Lookout in two weeks...  In this new era of climate change conservative planning would be the smart approach.  

ATTN HPD - little benny and how many times you gonna quit and come back is funny chit!

ScottyJack wrote

Next two weeks look good as far as temp, PNA, NAO, and ridging so its go time for snowtribe.  We need to pray MoNat brings the goods as far as natural.  It snows big, move to Lookout in two weeks...

I am optimistic.

without a storm in future, blowing on lookout would spread mountain thin and would most likely not last to end of season.  I am quite sure the mountain is weighing that option.

This weekend I heard rumors that Lookout was and was not going to get blown and both were from very reliable and in the know sources.

I asked the opinion of someone that really knows his poop which has to remain nameless here.  His take was that blowing Wilmington trail is very risky and should not be done until everything is recoated and is in good shape on the main trails.  I love Hoyt's but I after listening to him talk I have to agree with him.

Coach Z wrote

This weekend I heard rumors that Lookout was and was not going to get blown and both were from very reliable and in the know sources.

I asked the opinion of someone that really knows his poop which has to remain nameless here.  His take was that blowing Wilmington trail is very risky and should not be done until everything is recoated and is in good shape on the main trails.  I love Hoyt's but I after listening to him talk I have to agree with him.

I  have no idea of whom you speak, but did he give you the idea that the Wilmington Trail would get snow making before the Summit and Face are recoated? The summit has been getting pounded. Lets see what happens on LWF before anyone gets too worried.

CONTENTS DELETED

Gore skier here chiming in... perhaps I shouldn't.  But of course I will.  I'm of the mindset that management should concentrate on making snow on the main mountain and summit.  I've skied Wilmington several times since its inception and haven't been impressed.  Isn't it 4 miles long??  That's a lot of snow to blow.  And those narrow cliff sections aren't exactly enjoyable.  

I was speaking with several of the snow makers on Saturday at the mid mountain lodge.  I might have been grilling.
Any way, I was told that the plan was as follows....lower sky, Mac, Northway and then Willie and Hoyts.   With the next two weeks showing cold weather, and assuming that they dont have problems with slush at the river, like 2 weeks ago, things could be good for February.

Willie is a great trail in the morning...before people start snow plowing the shoot.

I agree with those that said a lot of the mountain could be opened before Willie...I would love to see the Guns on Upper Cloud for a couple of days....I havent seen them there in years

As for when Willie has opened in the past....the 1st year the train opened, it didnt open on time...it was supposed to open MLK, but it opened up the following week.

We have a month to blow snow, lets home mother natures helps

Grillman wrote

I was speaking with several of the snow makers on Saturday at the mid mountain lodge.  I might have been grilling.
Any way, I was told that the plan was as follows....lower sky, Mac, Northway and then Willie and Hoyts.   With the next two weeks showing cold weather, and assuming that they dont have problems with slush at the river, like 2 weeks ago, things could be good for February.

I shared a gondola ride with the most reliable source this afternoon  ... according to that source, they will be moving the guns to the Wilmington Trail this week ... we'll see if that pans out.

The most reliable, dependable, steadfast, undisputed, heavy weight champion of sources told me in a private super-secret conversation that Rand’s Last Stand will be open this Friday at 11:45. Just sayin.

The rumors and reliable sources are all over the place on this.  I've heard like 3 different combinations now.  We will see soon if they go to Lookout and Wilmington trail they are committed to that for over a week of blowing.  If they do that I hope Hoyt's follows.

Personally I'd love to see them blow two trails that don't seem to get much snow making love anymore.  Upper Cloud is one of my personal favorite runs and they used to blow snow there but as Grillman said have not in years.  Is there something wrong with the pipes?

Upper Northway - If they blew that instead of Essex and multiple times like they blew Essex we would probably have some glade skiing in Victor's (CS glades) next to it.  It's a two for one - blow a trail and get a glade for free.  

Coach Z wrote

It's a two for one - blow a trail and get a glade for free.  

This is the Gore way for sure.  The funniest thing I ever saw regarding this was skiing down Pine Knot and the guy skiing next to me pulls up, and redirects a ratnik ground gun into the Pine Brook Glades.

Not recommend that but laughing at if for sure/

sorry for the drift

Highpeaksdrifter wrote

The most reliable, dependable, steadfast, undisputed, heavy weight champion of sources told me in a private super-secret conversation that Rand’s Last Stand will be open this Friday at 11:45. Just sayin.

it just opened today and was awesome!  

Wilmington has been lit up according to the conditions report.  It will open soon enough.

They started blowing it this weekend.  It takes at least a week to get it open.  It's 2.5 miles long and sections are very rocky.

Upper and Lower Mac were blown this past week and were A-1 condition for the weekend.  

they are pounding Wilmington...it will be open this weekend for sure if not before.