Whiteface Conditions

[Harvey]

it's impossible to know

This is where relationship building can help sno.

 

[Harvey]

Come on, dude. Have you gone to any business in the past couple of years?

IMO there is an unemployment rate that is too low, and also IMO we are there now.

Full disclosure that is a pov from a business owner.

 

[snoloco]

This is where relationship building can help sno.

I have a love/hate relationship with Whiteface.

On one hand, they have the highest vertical in the east, and some of the most challenging and unique terrain. When it's good, it's really good. Some of my best eastern ski days have taken place at Whiteface.

They've also rectified or at least shown improvement on several deficiencies they had during my college years. Their lift operations have improved. The gondola and facelift run faster and are more reliable, and the Little Whiteface chair runs much more often. Their snowmaking is also better, and they now open the summit right from the start. They also replaced or renovated all 3 lodges.

On the other hand, there are some things that haven't changed, or have even gotten worse. I eluded to many of these in my "ORDA's Biggest Mistakes" thread. While they still need to improve snowmaking, and replace more lifts, the biggest problem is the identity crisis.

No other ski area in the Northeast tries as hard to be something they're not. They have the highest vertical in the east, and some of the steepest and most challenging terrain, yet have spent the last 5 years trying to be a bland, run of the mill, family-friendly, intermediate mountain. This demographic does have the deepest pockets, but when you try to be something you're not, you just end up appealing to no one.

This manifests itself in many ways that make the experience less enjoyable. The best trails keep getting pushed further and further down the snowmaking list, or get skipped altogether. They've also become so overly cautious about opening them. I've been burned many times by Cloudspin and all the glades being closed when they're actually in good condition.

They also clashed with the local culture, in the form of completely banning tailgating both at mid and in the parking lots, and severely limiting uphill access. They claimed it was "for your safety" but I saw it as a way to push out those they saw as undesirable to make way for their new target demographic. I didn't do uphill travel, but I met and got to know people through the tailgating scene at mid, and I was and still am upset about how my friends were vilified.

I'll still ski there, enjoy the good days, and hopefully eventually get back in The Slides, but I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the other stuff.

I feel like Whiteface needs to go back to basics, embrace what they're good at, and just let people have fun again. Killington actually went through a similar identity crisis when Powdr first took over, but they reversed course, and also reversed a 2 decade trend of declining skier visits.

 

[Ripitz]

I think we all have certain frustrations with Whiteface. The difference is dwelling on it or not.

Freebird takes the good with the bad. His positive attitude makes a good ski partner even though he’s a snowboarder. He’s happy riding fresh in the slides one day then XC skiing fresh on the Jackrabbit the next.

His overall stoke on the mountains and life itself is why his phone rings when it’s time to go.

 

[Warp daddy]

Tude is everything Sno.

Lighten up, enjoy the experience. Life is whatever you make it

Pro tip : few want to be with or listen to whiners

 

[Brownski]

Harv meant to build relationships with the WF management and patrollers- the rest of that post is too long for midday reading

 

[Harvey]

That ^ is what I meant.

Locals too. I'll bet a donut that Scotty Jack knew those slides were opening.

It's a long drive for me to WF. I've gotten a few heads up that paid off.

 

[LostCosmonaut]

Honestly I don't mind sno's posting, the legion of people complaining about it annoys me more tbh

 

[Harvey]

Not sure if you meant me, I wasn't complaining. Sno brings it with an excellent signal-to-noise ratio. Generally he knows what he is talking about and his suggestions for improvement are legit. Would love to see him get into a behind the scenes ops role somewhere.

 

[Adirondack Johnny]

Not sure if you meant me, I wasn't complaining. Sno brings it with an excellent signal-to-noise ratio. Generally he knows what he is talking about and his suggestions for improvement are legit. Would love to see him get into a behind the scenes ops role somewhere.

That would be one expensive lift ticket at "Sno" Mountain.