Whiteface: Time to Rip

It felt like the middle of winter as we walked across the bridge from the River Lot. The night before I dragged my friend Blue up from Utica and we stayed in a cheap hotel. I have chased the powder all year and I was determined to go after this storm too.

The 3 hour drive and questionable weather conditions did create some hesitation but the thought process was simple. I didn’t want to be sitting on my couch some crappy spring weekend wishing I had made one more trip. We grabbed our tickets and shortly after the lifts spun, we headed up the gondola to the top of Little Whiteface.

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Whiteface Opens 2020

I did what I needed to do, to get first chair, on Whiteface’s opening day 2020. I cleared my schedule and drove to the Adirondacks on Friday afternoon. I woke up at 5am Saturday morning and left our place at six. I arrived in the River Lot at 7:30 and booted up there.

the drive to Whiteface

I went over the bridge to the base lodge, through the tunnel and up to the Face Lift. A small group waited patiently as mountain ops finished the grooming on Fox, the final stretch of the only way down. Broadway to Lower Valley to Fox.

Ron Kon saw my skis, which pretty clearly ID me, and he introduced himself. We talked about Whiteface, and uphill policies, and ski days. It was Day #13 for him.

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Adirondack Sojourn

Like most of us, my winter was cut short. Not sure about you, but you-know-what also blew up my summer plans. Whiteface Sky Race? Cancelled. App Gap rollerski race? Cancelled. I’d also wanted to run the Pemigewassett Loop, a legendary route in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. It just didn’t seem prudent.

River Road

In August, I was between jobs, and for the first time since March, I ventured beyond day trip distance for a much needed Adirondack respite.

The plan was to rollerski the Whiteface toll road on Saturday, and the following day, hike something I’d never been on.

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