Whiteface: Slides Gold Weekend

Whiteface has the largest vertical drop of any ski area in the northeast. It’s also the only eastern ski area to have ever held an Olympics. As such, it goes without saying that they have steep terrain, lots of it. Not only do they have steep terrain, but they also have some of the most unique and challenging terrain in the east.

Whiteface
The objective

That terrain is known as The Slides. Located a short hike above the Summit Quad, The Slides include five distinct lines down natural rock slides. They even include frozen waterfalls. There is no snowmaking, no grooming, and no trail work of any kind. It’s a unique opportunity to ski backcountry style terrain, in-bounds at a ski area.

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Whiteface Opens T2B in 2022

The first day of a new season is always special. While the quantity and quality of skiing usually isn’t the best, it’s a chance to get back on snow, to reconnect with familiar faces and scenery, and to get back in shape for better days to come.

Whiteface base opening day 2022
Whiteface Opening Day 2022

The first day of the season is even better when it’s before Thanksgiving with really good conditions on 3000 vertical feet of top-to-bottom skiing.

For me, opening day of the 2022-2023 season at Whiteface came after a hiatus. Still, the tallest ski area in the Northeast remains one of my favorites.

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No Hill for Old Men

“Man, you always make the best faces at the finish line,” laughed NENSA competition director Justin Beckwith at the finish of Sunday’s Climb to the Castle.

Utterly fried, I gasped for air. Someone asked if I needed help getting out of my roller skis. I shook my head no, even though back pain had made it difficult to clip into them down at the toll gate.

Another sufferfest on the Whiteface Mountain toll road. Just one hill; how hard can it be? Five miles, an eight per cent grade, 2300 feet of vertical. Unlike the previous year, mild temperatures, negligible wind, and dry pavement should have made for a good race.

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