Whiteface - Lookout Mountain...estimated opening?

I can't wait to see your reaction when you find out the long term plans for the lower mountain...

sno, your petition is at 6 signatures. What letter grade is 6/1000 ? Better direct that child-prodigy super-brain towards some petition promotion.

Tried to snark up some abomination for the lower mtn that would offend sno, drawing a blank

snoloco wrote

 Since it was sent after we knew we were getting r*in and nothing changed in the forecast, I have no reason not to believe what they sent me.

Including logic.

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Just talked to one of my contacts at ORDA. They will blow snow on Lookout even if they know it won't open. The theory is they have a budget to spend and if it doesn't get spent, the funds are questioned for next year's snowmaking budget. (Which is already on the chopping block)

Makes sense, Gore blew snow on a whole pod served by a lift with a missing tranny.

<quote author="PeeTex">
<Makes sense, Gore blew snow on a whole pod served by a lift with a missing tranny.
</quote>
If you are referring to lift 6, you are incorrect.

Maybe he was talking about a different kind of tranny he thought was missing from the lift....

So now it looks like they won't be running the LWF lift in addition to Lookout this weekend.  Came to this conclusion because the report shows the shorter Mt Run lift as open (likely for WC training) and Freeway, but not LWF, which would serve the same purpose as Mt Run.

Get ready for a 30 minute gondola line

Won't affect me because I'm skiing at Gore this weekend.  

What WC training?  The bump run is today.  The aerials are beside the ski jumps.

My two cents:

You have a different idea about how you would run the mountain. Your view is based on some knowledge, but one thing you are missing is insider information.

Now you COULD be right, it's certain possible that if the mountain dropped their current plan an followed your instructions the mountain would be better off in the long run.  There is certainly some possibility of that.

Aaron is going to open Lookout when he thinks it is best.  He's got the insider info and 10-15 years experience working at Whiteface in ops.  He's 35 (?), a great skier, a smart guy and he loves Whiteface.

And in this case, whether you like it or not, he and ORDA will make this call.

Maybe take a break from this thread and come back in April with your opinion on whether choices were smart.

Just a suggestion.  I have to say this is a fun thread.

snoloco wrote

Didn't catch an email in response to the second one I sent.  They missed my first one.

From Tuesday (r*in already in forecast at that time):

"As of right now the tentative schedule is to move snow making over to LOOKOUT Mt. After world cup concludes. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to ask."

Good to hear.  WC ends Saturday, so I assume resurface before that.  My guess is it opens the weekend of the 28th.  Too late if you ask me, but better late than never.

"I'll write a letter a week.  They can't ignore me forever."
     - Andy Dufresne, on securing public funds for a prison library

D.B. Cooper wrote

 
"I'll write a letter a week.  They can't ignore me forever."
     - Andy Dufresne, on securing public funds for a prison library

D.B. Cooper wrote

"I'll write a letter a week.  They can't ignore me forever."
     - Andy Dufresne, on securing public funds for a prison library

It worked for him, too! Sometimes being a nuisance pays off.

And after he got his books, he started writing two letters a week.

If sno starts posting twice as much about this, I'm moving to Zihuatanejo

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Just talked to one of my contacts at ORDA. They will blow snow on Lookout even if they know it won't open. The theory is they have a budget to spend and if it doesn't get spent, the funds are questioned for next year's snowmaking budget. (Which is already on the chopping block)

Do the funding requests have to specify not just how much snow they're going to blow during the season, but also where they're going to blow it?

Gore not opening burnt ridge today....how is whiteface looking again?

Here's what I think the worst case scenario is:

Rest of January is warm, and management decides that Lookout won't open at all to save money.  Besides skier visits will be down anyways and we won't need the extra lift.

Get to February and it goes back to being cold and we get into a storm pattern.  Temps that would open Lookout exist, but they already decided to let it rot.  With natural snow, the backyard effect crowds come for President's Weekend, bringing record numbers.  Without all the lifts open, that weekend will be an unmitigated disaster with crazy long lift lines and trail crowding as bad or worse than Killington.

For now, I'm declaring Gore my home mountain, and Whiteface is in the penalty box until they get their act together and Lookout.  No, I won't let the door hit me in the ass on my way out.

NorEaster27 wrote

Gore not opening burnt ridge today....how is whiteface looking again?

Gore still looks better.  They groomed everything that was open.

Whiteface didn't groom Skyward and I'm not sure if they will for the weekend, so back to one trail open on the summit.

Burnt Ridge opens tomorrow.  Likely the snow froze over and requires multiple passes with the groomer to get it ready.

Like it or not, Gore expanded terrain by 5 miles (as they're reporting) for this weekend, and Whiteface failed to open any additional terrain.  Easy decision for where to go IMO.

That's tellin em!

snoloco wrote

Here's what I think the worst case scenario is:Rest of January is warm, and management decides that Lookout won't open at all to save money.  Besides skier visits will be down anyways and we won't need the extra lift.Get to February and it goes back to being cold and we get into a storm pattern.  Temps that would open Lookout exist, but they already decided to let it rot.  With natural snow, the backyard effect crowds come for President's Weekend, bringing record numbers.  Without all the lifts open, that weekend will be an unmitigated disaster with crazy long lift lines and trail crowding as bad or worse than Killington.For now, I'm declaring Gore my home mountain, and Whiteface is in the penalty box until they get their act together and Lookout.  No, I won't let the door hit me in the ass on my way out.

If you suffer trail crowding at Killington it's your own fault; lots of places to go, lots of ways to get away from the crowds.

snoloco wrote

 

For now, I'm declaring Gore my home mountain

Sucks to be you guys   

Whiteface skiers be like