Whiteface Conditions

[Capdistski]

Yes it was open - there didn’t seem to be any organized racing today although lots of NYSEF people on those runs and they had massive ice patches from the racers’ turn lanes. But otherwise they were ok and beggars couldn’t be choosers with the face lift and gondola lines so long…I’m spoiled by Gore where one can ALWAYS avoid lines if you know how to ski it.

 

[Ethan Snow]

Disappointing day yesterday. (Saturday) I understand the weather was extremely difficult last week and there was a lot of “ice” but honestly it wasn’t anything I wouldn’t have expected to have to ski on. The slopes that were open were firm and fast, but overall just a typical day at Whiteface. Watching LWF spin all day long and open for 20 minutes just makes no sense to me. One of the busiest days of the year and the only lifts that were open to the public for any considerable amount of time we’re facelift and the gondola. Patrol standing at the bottom of the summit lift before it closed telling everyone “expert only”. Seemed like a minimal amount of grooming took place overnight. I feel like if they had just gotten out and groomed everything, and opened the lifts, people could have spread out more, and it would have been a decent day. But no, let’s just close 2/3 of the mountain on one of the busiest days of the year because that’s safer and easier. Meanwhile every lift was open all day at Gore.

I’m sure today was probably better but I was skiing with people who bought tickets in advance and I kinda feel bad for them.

 

[Brownski]

Junior was up there today. He said Skyward was pretty icy so I guess Summit was running

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I feel like if they had just gotten out and groomed everything, and opened the lifts

Grooming is an issue this year, and probably nothing to do with the employees.
Whalebacks on Lower Sky, Wilmington Trail and others were not spread across the trail. Instead, they just kind of laid corduroy over the bump. Wind rows have been everywhere. It's like they were told not to use the blade because it takes too much time.

 

[Moe]

Providing more terrain at the expense of safety should be the goal on a crowded weekend. Ski patrol should have let anyone go to the summit and have them go down a rock hard Skyward. It would have been pretty easy. Let them try one turn and slide 1200'. Same on lookout. Let them all go and then just pull them out of sugar valley glades where the trees will stop them.

I am disappointed too. I can't believe they didn't try what you suggested. They should have "groomed everything". Push the snow that doesn't exist out and use the special powers they have to make it stick when the wind was blowing 20+. Total negligence on their part. What a bunch of ass clowns.

SMH... Go to Gore.

 

[snoloco]

I get Ethan's point. Patrol at all the ORDA mountains is excessively cautious about opening trails. I experienced the same thing at Gore today, so it's not just limited to Whiteface. It's really frustrating for advanced skiers like myself to have multiple trails closed that I could easily get down. It's a nanny-state safetyist attitude that started to take hold when Mike Pratt took over and got even worse since covid.

 

[Moe]

I agree that the overall approach at the mountains has gotten more conservative. They are also going to be more conservative on a holiday weekend where the average skill level drops. That being said, to say the poor conditions were due to poor grooming is nuts. There was a thaw followed by a deep freeze. The entire mountain is ice and they are resurfacing everything. Give them a couple of days and then complain.....

 

[Ethan Snow]

Providing more terrain at the expense of safety should be the goal on a crowded weekend. Ski patrol should have let anyone go to the summit and have them go down a rock hard Skyward.

I wasn’t suggesting they let just anyone down Skyward. Skyward was actually the worst of the slopes off the summit and for some reason they allowed “experts only” to ski Skyward for a little bit of extra time after closing and Follies and Parons. Follies had a horrible ice flow on one of the turns so I can kind of understand the concern.

A better approach would have been to leave all three runs open and post a sign at the bottom of the lift reading “Expert only. (this has been done before) Then have patrol actually do their job rather than having three patrollers stand at the bottom of the lift, fear mongering anyone who dared to ride it.

But then again I’m not a patroller so what do I know. I just wish I could ski more mid-week.

 

[Tjf1967]

Disappointing day yesterday. (Saturday) I understand the weather was extremely difficult last week and there was a lot of “ice” but honestly it wasn’t anything I wouldn’t have expected to have to ski on. The slopes that were open were firm and fast, but overall just a typical day at Whiteface. Watching LWF spin all day long and open for 20 minutes just makes no sense to me. One of the busiest days of the year and the only lifts that were open to the public for any considerable amount of time we’re facelift and the gondola. Patrol standing at the bottom of the summit lift before it closed telling everyone “expert only”. Seemed like a minimal amount of grooming took place overnight. I feel like if they had just gotten out and groomed everything, and opened the lifts, people could have spread out more, and it would have been a decent day. But no, let’s just close 2/3 of the mountain on one of the busiest days of the year because that’s safer and easier. Meanwhile every lift was open all day at Gore.

I’m sure today was probably better but I was skiing with people who bought tickets in advance and I kinda feel bad for them.

Where you a dick to the drop off zone volunteers on the way out to?

 

[Ethan Snow]

Where you a dick to the drop off zone volunteers on the way out to?

No, I got there early, got a good spot and carried my stuff.