Whiteface 11-23-2007

[loafer89]

Area skied: Whiteface, N.Y

Date skied: November 23rd from 11:30am - 2:00pm

Surface conditions: frozen granular, limited loose granular, ice, death cookies galore.

Warren and I arrived at Whiteface Mountain after a 3 1/2 hour drive from home and arrived at the mountain to find only the base double chair servicing Lower Valley opened. The gondola and the Face Lift quad where not running due to icing from the 1/2 - 3/4" of freezing rain from thursday. We waited over one hour before buying a lift ticket when the gondola was starting to run.

We where among the first 50 people of the season to board the gondola since it was opening day. Excelsior was the only trail opened from the gondola with 2,400' of vertical. Conditions on Excelsior where horrible with large stretches of ice mixed with 2-4" diameter ice chunks. I was never so happy to get down a trail without breaking my neck, and conditions did improve dramatically when we hit the snowmaking on Lower Valley.

We took one more run from the summit and a few on Lower Valley and decided to ditch Whiteface and start the 5 hour drive to Sunday River where we should have gone in the first place.

 

[loafer89]

I updated my Whiteface post

 

[andyzee]

Thanks for the update on the update :lol: I noticed that Mrs. Loafer put up the original report, must be a pretty cool woman to allow you and Warren to be skiing all over the place!

 

[loafer89]

My wife was very supportive, especially in the helping factor in leaving Whiteface and driving to Sunday River. She made the hotel reservations for us in Maine and posted for me and called BobR to let him know we where at Sunday River.

She also thinks I am crazy for driving 732 miles in two days.

 

[andyzee]

My wife was very supportive, especially in the helping factor in leaving Whiteface and driving to Sunday River. She made the hotel reservations for us in Maine and posted for me and called BobR to let him know we where at Sunday River.

She also thinks I am crazy for driving 732 miles in two days.

Damn, sounds like a keeper

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Area skied: Whiteface, N.Y

Date skied: November 23rd from 11:30am - 2:00pm

Surface conditions: frozen granular, limited loose granular, ice, death cookies galore.

Warren and I arrived at Whiteface Mountain after a 3 1/2 hour drive from home and arrived at the mountain to find only the base double chair servicing Lower Valley opened. The gondola and the Face Lift quad where not running due to icing from the 1/2 - 3/4" of freezing rain from thursday. We waited over one hour before buying a lift ticket when the gondola was starting to run.

We where among the first 50 people of the season to board the gondola since it was opening day. Excelsior was the only trail opened from the gondola with 2,400' of vertical. Conditions on Excelsior where horrible with large stretches of ice mixed with 2-4" diameter ice chunks. I was never so happy to get down a trail without breaking my neck, and conditions did improve dramatically when we hit the snowmaking on Lower Valley.

We took one more run from the summit and a few on Lower Valley and decided to ditch Whiteface and start the 5 hour drive to Sunday River where we should have gone in the first place.

What you say is true, but under the circumstances I was amazed they where able to open Fri. at all. Conditions improved drmatically the next 2 days.

 

[loafer89]

I really was impressed with the shear size of the mountain as my memory of the place is a bit foggy as my last visit was in December of 1990. The snow conditions though where really horrible and I cannot understand why they did not blow snow on Excelsior to resurface it instead of making snow for terrain expansion.

I guess that being a state run ski area means they have to be more judicial with spending money on snowmaking?

It was an easy drive though, so we plan to be back when they have decent snow and a good amount of terrain opened.

 

[loafer89]

It was too windy, cold and foggy for effective picture taking, so I only got this one shot of Little Whiteface:

 

[tjf67]

To bad about the weekend. Yes Friday was a tuffy. It did loosen up in the afternoon but not till late.

Sat not a ton better but Sunday we were treated to softer conditions and the sun came out in the afternoon. No one on the trails. Well may be 150 or so people.

The reason they did not make more snow is that there is a tonof it down. Probably 4 feet in spots.

I would never recommend whiteface this early in the season. Killington/Stowe/Jay are the places to go early if you are making any sort of a drive.

You really have to know the hill this early in the year to ski in the right spots.

 

[loafer89]

I saw that they had deep base depths on Excelsior, I just wish they could have done a bit more grooming to loosen up the snow surface.

I do not know the mountain at all and it was my second visit in 17 years. Killington or Vermont where not in our plans as we wanted to avoid the crowds and ski at Sunday River with a near sure guarantee of good snow surfaces.

Still I do not regret our visit as my son got to see one huge mountain and ski off the gondola.

Is this a nice place mid-winter if snowmaking weather holds? is it crowded?

 

[andyzee]

I saw that they had deep base depths on Excelsior, I just wish they could have done a bit more grooming to loosen up the snow surface.

I do not know the mountain at all and it was my second visit in 17 years. Killington or Vermont where not in our plans as we wanted to avoid the crowds and ski at Sunday River with a near sure guarantee of good snow surfaces.

Still I do not regret our visit as my son got to see one huge mountain and ski off the gondola.

Is this a nice place mid-winter if snowmaking weather holds? is it crowded?

I for one plan on checking it out later in the season. Went up to Lake Placid hiking this past summer, first time there, and I was truly impressed by Whiteface

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Is this a nice place mid-winter if snowmaking weather holds? is it crowded?

Like any place else in the Northeast the best skiing is usually in March. However, mid-winter is usually very good. Last season from about mid-Jan. on the skiing was fantastic.

You'll find it crowded Pres. week of course, but even then not nearly as crowded as other places. If you go any other week you'll pretty much ski right up to the lift and get on. Weekends have some lines, but never very long.

 

[kingslug]

I hit WF last year first and while only 1/2 a trail was open it was in very good shape. Plan on hitting it again later in the season, after a good dump.

 

[andyzee]

I hit WF last year first and while only 1/2 a trail was open it was in very good shape. Plan on hitting it again later in the season, after a good dump.

What's your bowl movements got to do with it? :lol:

 

[wa-loaf]

What's your bowl movements got to do with it? :lol:

:lol: Bush Mogul Master cracks me up when I see BMM. He has mastered more that just moguls. :-o :lol:

 

[Grassi21]

What's your bowl movements got to do with it? :lol:

A good dump lightens the load. I ski so much better after unloading.

 

[loafer89]

Like any place else in the Northeast the best skiing is usually in March. However, mid-winter is usually very good. Last season from about mid-Jan. on the skiing was fantastic.

You'll find it crowded Pres. week of course, but even then not nearly as crowded as other places. If you go any other week you'll pretty much ski right up to the lift and get on. Weekends have some lines, but never very long.

Thanks for the information. I have one other question and that would be at what point do they usually have skiing from the summit, because I have never skied from the top, it has not been opened when I visited.

 

[tjf67]

Thanks for the information. I have one other question and that would be at what point do they usually have skiing from the summit, because I have never skied from the top, it has not been opened when I visited.

mid way through January the upper mountain usually is open.

To bad you did not reach out to drifter or myself we could have made your stay more pleasant.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

mid way through January the upper mountain usually is open.

To bad you did not reach out to drifter or myself we could have made your stay more pleasant.

TJ, last year with the snowmaking improvements, they said they where going to make an effort to open it earlier. Weather permiting I believe mid Dec. I could be wrong though.

 

[loafer89]

mid way through January the upper mountain usually is open.

To bad you did not reach out to drifter or myself we could have made your stay more pleasant.

Thank you for the offer, it was a very last minute decision to go to Whiteface and the fact that they had 2,400' + of vertical to ski on looked inviting, and when I told my son they had a gondola opened, his eyes light up as he loves gondola's. He was also fascinated with the slides:-o.

We where not enjoying the skiing and Gore had limited terrain as another option, so we left for Maine, which was our original intention.

We will be back in January - February to enjoy Whiteface, Gore and Lake Placid to it's full extent.