Whiteface vs. Gore over Xmas and NYE?

[Warp daddy]

Bottom line : ya pays yer money , ya takes yer chances . Life is never won from the sidelines , ya gotta be in da game

 

[tirolski]

Bottom line : ya pays yer money , ya takes yer chances . Life is never won from the sidelines , ya gotta be in da game

 

[Cork]

 

[MarzNC]

I am on Ski3 for the first time this year and am wondering how the snow coverage, % open, and crowds compare at Gore vs Whiteface in late December/Early Jan. Any observations?

I’ve only skied at Gore once and it was fine. I’ve been at Whiteface 5-6 times and I’ve always had a blast there. Granted, I’ve been lucky and have been at Whiteface mostly on powder days.

You've gotten plenty of good advice already . . . here's my two cents. The background is that my daughter was at North Country School (boarding middle school just south of Lake Placid) 2013-16. I went to NCS long ago and learned to ski on the school hill (rope tow) and at Whiteface. I did a few ski days during early season at Gore and Whiteface when she was at NCS. With full coverage I prefer Gore over Whiteface but Lake Placid is a better place to stay for more than a couple nights.

For a solo trip over the holidays, my plan would be to find a comfortable place to stay in Lake Placid or Saranac Lake. Would plan on making the short drive to Whiteface for most ski days. Would probably do at least one day trip to Gore just to see how conditions and the crowds feel. Of course, I'd be paying attention to the Whiteface and Gore Conditions threads here before deciding whether or not it was worth the drive south to North Creek.

A good friend who is also a Ski Diva has done early season trips to Lake Placid several times. Her husband is not interested in skiing but likes the town and hiking around the area. They have gone over Thanksgiving week and during the Christmas week.

Lake Placid has been a tourist destination for well over 100 years. Not only folks from NYC but also Canadians who drive south from Montreal. Or at least they used to when the Canadian dollar was worth more. Saranac Lake is more chill. Parking can be an issue in both towns.