Whiteface Toll Road 10 17 2015

I always plan an adventure on my birthday, but since a previous solo adventure resulted in an unplanned night in the woods, my wife won't let me go alone.  After being up in Lake Placid on Wednesday I figured the toll road would be skiable this weekend.  I emailed Duck to see if he wanted to go on Sunday but he had plans, so I called him and said let's go now.  

Fast forward to 1pm we are at the gate.  Pavement for about the first two miles.  We passed a group with skis that were iffy about going up...they never did.  We passed two skiers coming down but they said they started at the sharp curve telling us it was thin further up.  

At the curve there was some road exposed where the wind scoured and I did fall there on the way down, but I was on my back country skis and am not very steady on them...they didn't slide when I hit pavement...Duck went right across it...It pays to weigh 90 pounds.  We went all the way to the summit.    

 



I don't have any pictures of us skiing but Duck and Ron Kon do so hopefully they will add them.  We didn't ski from the summit but started at the Castle.  We found a little space in the furnace room and switched from Hiking to skiing gear.  While enjoying a nice dark beverage another skier appeared


we made intros as Rocky patiently waited



The run down was nice.  4 or 5 inches of powder combined with some foot prints from a huge group of hikers but it was soft.  The summit area was full on winter with snow falling and wind but eased as we decended.  We probably skied about three miles.  





I took my skis off after my 3rd pavement fall.  Ron a bit lower but Duck did some pavement skiing even further down...Did I mention he's a light weight.  Sorry I didn't have more pictures but it was a great freaking birthday and it was great to meet Ron.  Ski Day Numero Uno





EDIT: A few more pics from Duck -H

Nice one Suds, Duck, Ron and Rocky. (I added the pics Duck sent me.)

Cover looks decent in the pic of Ron skiing. I've seen Duck dance across marginal stuff with my own eyes.

Great birthday present! Thanks for posting. Dig the Rocky avatar.

I didn't expect to ski yesterday when I woke up. But I got  the call from Suds and said, "OK let's go". I never skied the Toll Rd before but had a great time. It's an easy hike up and  nice ski down. The day ended with UBU's and wings @ the Lake Placid Brew Pub. 10-17-2015 Yahoo

That is a great report and I am super jealous.....  Wow. My birthday was also a couple of days ago - that would be the real icing on the cake....

Suds I've never been on the toll road. How does the pitch compare to say something at Gore?

Harvey wrote

Suds I've never been on the toll road. How does the pitch compare to say something at Gore?

The toll road is an 8% grade - beginner terrain. That's not to say you should not experience it but consider it more a tour rather than a ski.

Pete Gay at best...better than pipeline

You really just want enough pitch to keep moving as (often) toll road skis are early season/thin cover.

Personally, I disagree with the idea that touring is not skiing.

Harvey wrote

You really just want enough pitch to keep moving as (often) toll road skis are early season/thin cover.

Personally, I disagree with the idea that touring is not skiing.

I did not mean to imply that. I think touring is some of the best kind of skiing. I should have chosen a better way to say what I meant.

PeeTex wrote

Harvey wrote

Suds I've never been on the toll road. How does the pitch compare to say something at Gore?

The toll road is an 8% grade - beginner terrain. That's not to say you should not experience it but consider it more a tour rather than a ski.

 

I get it. It's so thin that it's best to just glide and not dig in making turns. Sounds like a really good time, especially in mid October.

We have a really fun version of touring out here on the Peaks. We walk long and ski steep!

I made plenty of turns up at the higher elevations. But then again I'm a light weight. The lower we got you had to run a flat ski. When we booted up I had a real suprise. At home I though I put my telle boots in my boot bag, but to my suprise a had a pair of alpine boots.  Belive it or not they fit real nice in my telle bindings with no adjustments and I even made a few tele turns in them.

Duck T. R. wrote

When we booted up I had a real suprise. At home I though I put my telle boots in my boot bag, but to my suprise a had a pair of alpine boots.  Belive it or not they fit real nice in my telle bindings with no adjustments and I even made a few tele turns in them.

See, that's why everyone should just telemark!