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Whiteface Mountain Question

Scruffy

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I've been to LP and WF plenty on New Years and I can tell you that the Mountain is usually sketchy at best. Usually not any where near fully open and most very likely very icy. March on the other hand is when WF comes into it's own, usually. LP is a fun place to be on New Year's however.
 

Harvey

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I agree with majority. March.

Christmas is probably more fun in Lake Placid, but odds of good skiing seem much higher in March.

Two of my favorite chairs, Plattekill double, Gore High Peaks Chair.

Madonna rocks of course.
 

jmgard

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Two of my favorite chairs, Plattekill double, Gore High Peaks Chair.

I skied Gore for the first time last year and the High Peaks liftline and surrounding trees were super fun, and the Straight Brook side wasn't half bad either. That's a great mountain on a good spring day.
 

chuckstah

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Yep. Count me as one. The only hill in NY that I've managed to ski is Whiteface. I've had free vouchers many times, but still didn't make it to Gore or Platty. Coming from NH they don't make much sense, but I'm determined to hit at least one this season. We shall see if it happens.

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cdskier

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Yep. Count me as one. The only hill in NY that I've managed to ski is Whiteface. I've had free vouchers many times, but still didn't make it to Gore or Platty. Coming from NH they don't make much sense, but I'm determined to hit at least one this season. We shall see if it happens.

From NH I can understand that at least. For me Platty is a day trip destination (~2.5 hours). It is my #1 choice for a day trip on a holiday weekend like President's where I stay away from VT.

Gore is a terrific mountain with excellent terrain, but the town around it is pretty lacking (or at least was several years ago when I was last there).
 

Smellytele

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Right where I want to be
From NH I can understand that at least. For me Platty is a day trip destination (~2.5 hours). It is my #1 choice for a day trip on a holiday weekend like President's where I stay away from VT.

Gore is a terrific mountain with excellent terrain, but the town around it is pretty lacking (or at least was several years ago when I was last there).

Lake George is a better option to stay when at Gore, only 30-35mins away. Like staying in North Conway when skiing Wildcat.
 

cdskier

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Lake George is a better option to stay when at Gore, only 30-35mins away. Like staying in North Conway when skiing Wildcat.

I'm sure it would. The thought never even crossed our minds as we always wanted to stay within a few minute drive of whatever mountain we were at.
 

KustyTheKlown

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Never skied Wildcat I take it?

2100 vert in 7 minutes, no terrain runnout and you can lap every inch of the mountain off of it.

Definitely one of the five best lifts in New England IMO. Maybe the best when you factor in average lift lines of about five minutes on mid winter Saturdays

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only once and not in the most ideal conditions. it definitely delivers a ton of vertical fast. i just cant really speak to the quality of the terrain it serves.
 

BenedictGomez

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Yep. Count me as one. The only hill in NY that I've managed to ski is Whiteface. I've had free vouchers many times, but still didn't make it to Gore or Platty. Coming from NH they don't make much sense, but I'm determined to hit at least one this season. We shall see if it happens.

Same reason why I've never skied NH or ME. Vermont generally > New Hampshire and it's closer for me. And for you, as much as I love Platty, the good NH mountains are better than Platty, so no reason for you to really visit other than curiosity. From my limited understanding of NH ski areas, however, I imagine Gore is at least on-par with the better NH options, but you dont meet a lot of folks who've skied both Gore and say.... Cannon or Loon, etc... One of these years I'd like to take a 4-day weekend and try to hit Cannon, Loon, and Wildcat.
 

Jully

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Same reason why I've never skied NH or ME. Vermont generally > New Hampshire and it's closer for me. And for you, as much as I love Platty, the good NH mountains are better than Platty, so no reason for you to really visit other than curiosity. From my limited understanding of NH ski areas, however, I imagine Gore is at least on-par with the better NH options, but you dont meet a lot of folks who've skied both Gore and say.... Cannon or Loon, etc... One of these years I'd like to take a 4-day weekend and try to hit Cannon, Loon, and Wildcat.

From what I have heard Gore is on par with Wildcat or Cannon in terms of terrain quality with slightly less vertical, but more variety. Hoping to get to Gore and Whiteface both for the first time this winter. Lake George/Saratoga Springs area and Port Henry both are within a reasonable drive of both mountains and have some cheap places to stay.

Will definitely take the strong advice given and only go when the snow is good!
 

KustyTheKlown

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gore has great glades. just a ton of marked tree skiing. it can be tons of fun when the conditions are right
 

crank

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+1 on Gore's glades when you hit it at the right time.
 

SnowRock

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I've never been to Gore... was going to take my nephews to their first VT mountain this year but had also been thinking about Gore. They have only skied the Pokes and NJ bumps and then we have taken them to Huntaaah and Windham the past two years. They are not great technical skiers yet but in control enough to negotiate most of what I have taken them on pretty well, albeit sometimes not so gracefully

For those that have been would it be a good option to consider or should I stick to one of the south VT options? Was thinking of Stratton so they could see a village and skiing one day there and one day at Magic conditions dependent.
 
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