Whiteface vs Gore

I skied Gore today and conditions were excellent.  They did have the high peaks chair closed so the dark side was off limits but Burnt Ridge was running.  Wind will be an issue tomorrow...probably at both places.   That and very cold temps should give a lean to Gore.  From what I saw Hawkeye and Sagamore were groomed and soft...I only skied the trees...oh and Rumor(still only access from the cut through)bumps with powder and no one was skiing it so it should be just the same tomorrow.  Good luck in your decision

sudsnbumps wrote

I skied Gore today and conditions were excellent.  They did have the high peaks chair closed so the dark side was off limits but Burnt Ridge was running.  Wind will be an issue tomorrow...probably at both places.   That and very cold temps should give a lean to Gore.  From what I saw Hawkeye and Sagamore were groomed and soft...I only skied the trees...oh and Rumor(still only access from the cut through)bumps with powder and no one was skiing it so it should be just the same tomorrow.  Good luck in your decision

Thanks for the update, much appreciated.

Curious about the mid-week policy (since I might end up skiing there mid-week at some point), can you still get to the closed terrain from other parts of the mountain? Perhaps with a slight uphill or skate? Or are we talking bring your skins and full touring gear because its going to be a haul? Or are the closures mostly beginner (in which case it would not effect me at all)?

During weekdays Ski Bowl chairlift and trails are closed, but that's not a big loss.

On Monday , Burnt Ridge quad was not operating, neither High Peaks or Northside chairs. I'd say that good half of expert terrain was out of reach.

Tuesday's closure of High Peaks and Northside chairs would make skiing darkside expert terrain quite time-consuming as one would have to ski few traverses and take 3 chairlifts to get back up, about 45 minutes trip.

Wednesday's closure of Northside chair only would only make intermediate skiing on Tahawus, Sleeping Bear and others take 30 minutes to get back thru Burnt Ridge. Darkside skiing will be fine.

I believe Thursday and after all chairs are running.

Look for High Peaks double to be open and you're in business.

OK, the boss has spoken, she says we're going to Gore tomorrow. She very rarely makes such decisions, so I guess I better listen

River, as Dennis correctly states below, you'll want the High Peaks chair and ideally the Burnt Ridge chair to both be running.  Those terrain pods are inaccessible without those chairs, and it would be a shame for you to visit and not get at least a taste of those trails.  Problem is, the operating schedule isn't established in advance, although the website is updated the night before for expected trails and lifts to be operating.

whiteface snow report wrote

Summit Quad & Lookout Mtn Triple on wind hold.

Good call on Gore - better choice when it's windy.

It looks like Gore is a good choice today as BR and HP chair are both running.  I am like Suds...a dedicated Gore skier who cherry picks days at WF when I can.  I think this thread has perfectly defined the pros and cons of both mountains in a positive way without bashing either place.  It should be saved as a reference for people who want to know more about the two mountains.  

Funky has to let us know how his day was!

Goreskimom wrote

Gore skier who cherry picks days at WF when I can.  

If anything it's the other way around.  

Depends on where you live...prior to my kids racing and working at Gore, I would ski WF on Saturday and Gore on Sunday...WF is just out of reach for me coming from Saratoga

I don't ski either place very often.  But Gore is always like "Meh.  Whatever."  Short runs, a lot of flats, typical East Coast ski area - kind of boring.  Whiteface is different than that.  Much bigger, much steeper.  Just much better.  But it's better than almost every place I've skied back east so that's not really a knock on Gore.  YMMV.

lingerlonger wrote

I don't ski either place very often.  But Gore is always like "Meh.  Whatever."  Short runs, a lot of flats, typical East Coast ski area - kind of boring.  Whiteface is different than that.  Much bigger, much steeper.  Just much better.  But it's better than almost every place I've skied back east so that's not really a knock on Gore.  YMMV.

LL, what's you home hill

Don't really have one but since I live in Greene County I end up at Huntah a lot - and Windham.  Besides those, it's either Sugarbush/MRG or Cannon - friends have places there so its easy.  And I like those places.

How's the shoulder

The shoulder of what?

The one your heads attached to

Ummmmm..........what?  Is this some secret Harvey Road lingo?

Good, glad to hear it's doing better.

OK, I guess I'm the butt of some inside joke.  Sorry that I don't think Gore is the be all/end all of ski resorts.  It's certainly far from the worst.  

lingerlonger wrote

I don't ski either place very often.  But Gore is always like "Meh.  Whatever."  Short runs, a lot of flats, typical East Coast ski area - kind of boring.  Whiteface is different than that.  Much bigger, much steeper.  Just much better.  But it's better than almost every place I've skied back east so that's not really a knock on Gore.  YMMV.

Let me say I usually ski Gore. The more you ski Gore the better it gets.  I hit WF a couple times each season when I think it will be a premium day. I really like WF.
But-
Whiteface has plenty of flat connectors off Little Whiteface. Approach is a long flat road. Lower Northway to Upper Valley is another long flat road. There is about 700-1000 vertical feet of expert in the 7 or 8 trails you can find off Approach. While these trails are great fun diamonds, these trails are not crazy steep. Almost everything below the mid mtn lodge is a long flat road (except for the Lower Valley section).
WF does have longer constant steeps off the Summit quad and Lookout. But these trails can be skied by capable intermediates (unless the trails are icy which is common for WF).
Gore does have a lot of short expert runs. But this is the way the East skis - including large sections of WF. Even the famed Front Four at Stowe mellow considerably after you are below the top third of the trails.